Associated Press
The Northern Lights Dance Over Northern England
LONDON (AP) — The Northern Lights have lit up the skies above Scotland, northern England and northern parts of Ireland after the biggest solar storm in more than six years bombarded Earth with radiation.
The Canadian Space Agency posted a geomagnetic storm warning on Tuesday after residents were also treated to a spectacular show in the night sky.
Ken Kennedy, director of the Aurora section of the British Astronomical Association, said that the lights, also known as the aurora borealis, may be visible for a few more days.
The Northern Lights are sometimes seen from northern parts of Scotland but the unusual solar activity this week means the lights have also been visible from northeast England and Ireland, a rarity.
Geomagnetic storms cause awesome sights, but they can also bring trouble.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, problems can include current surges in power lines, and interference in the broadcast of radio, TV and telephone signals.
Romney Had Swiss Bank Account, But Now Closed
WASHINGTON (AP) — Advisers to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney are acknowledging that he once had a Swiss bank account but that it was closed in 2010 as prepared to enter the race for the White House.
The Swiss account is listed on Romney’s newly released 2010 federal income tax return. It had been opened by a Boston lawyer who oversees the Romney family investments and a blind trust containing millions of dollars in assets.
Romney’s net worth is estimated at as much as $250 million.
R. Bradlford Malt, the trustee, said Tuesday that he closed the account in early 2010 because “it just wasn’t worth it.” He acknowledged that the account might be inconsistent with Romney’s political views. Malt has dropped other investments that conflict with Republican Party views.
Moammar Gadhafi Loyalists Seize Libyan Town
BENGHAZI, Libya (AP) — Moammar Gadhafi loyalists have seized control of a Libyan town and raised the ousted regime’s green flag, an official and commander said Tuesday.
The retaking of Bani Walid comes as Libya’s new leaders have struggled to unify the oil-rich North African nation three months after Gadhafi was captured and killed.
Hundreds of well-equipped and highly trained remnants of Gadhafi’s forces raised the green flag over buildings in the western city late Monday after hours of clashes, said Mubarak al-Fatamni, the head of Bani Walid local council.
Continue Reading CloseNorth Korean leader Kim Jong Il dead at age 69
State media announced the dictator's passing, from heart failure, early on Monday
In this April 25, 2002 file photo, North Korean leader Kim Jong Il claps from the balcony as soldiers salute him during a military parade, celebrating the foundation of the armed forces in Pyongyang, North Korea. (Credit: AP/Katsumi Kasahara) PYONGYANG, North Korea (AP) — Kim Jong Il, North Korea’s mercurial and enigmatic longtime leader, has died of heart failure. He was 69.
In a “special broadcast” Monday from the North Korean capital, state media said Kim died of a heart ailment on a train due to a “great mental and physical strain” on Dec. 17 during a “high intensity field inspection.” It said an autopsy was done on Dec. 18 and “fully confirmed” the diagnosis.
Kim is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2008, but he had appeared relatively vigorous in photos and video from recent trips to China and Russia and in numerous trips around the country carefully documented by state media. The communist country’s “Dear Leader” — reputed to have had a taste for cigars, cognac and gourmet cuisine — was believed to have had diabetes and heart disease.
Continue Reading CloseTime names “The Protester” as “Person Of Year”
Magazine honors Arab Spring, Occupy Wall Street with its annual accolade
(Credit: TIME) NEW YORK (AP) — “The Protester” has been named Time’s “Person of the Year” for 2011.
The selection was announced Wednesday on NBC’s “Today” show.
The magazine cited dissent across the Middle East that has spread to Europe and the United States, and says these protesters are reshaping global politics.
Last year, Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg got the honor.
Time’s “Person of the Year” is the person or thing that has most influenced the culture and the news during the past year for good or for ill. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke received the honor in 2009. The 2008 winner was then-President-elect Barack Obama. Other previous winners have included Bono, President George W. Bush, and Amazon.com CEO and founder Jeff Bezos.
Time said it is recognizing protesters because they are “redefining people power” around the world.
Va. Tech locks down after officer, 1 other killed
Initial reports indicate that shooting occurred following a traffic stop
Virginia Tech campus (Credit: Wikimedia/Epicv27) BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Virginia Tech officials said a police officer and another person were shot and killed on the school’s campus Thursday and the university locked down the campus, where 33 people died in 2007 in the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
The gunman remained on the loose. A news release from the school said the police officer had pulled someone over for a traffic stop and was shot and killed.
Witnesses told police the shooter ran toward a parking lot on campus. A second person was found dead in that parking lot.
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