UK - Thousands of lambs have been killed by a new virus that is threatening the survival of many British farms. The Schmallenberg virus causes lambs to be born dead or with serious deformities such as fused limbs and twisted necks, which mean they cannot survive.
UK - Farmers have warned that food prices could go up because of the drought this summer as the Environment Secretary suggested water could be diverted from golf courses. Peter Kendall, President of the National Farmers Union, said ongoing drought in the South East and Anglia, the “bread basket of Britain”, will cut yields and force up prices.
UK - The drought is spreading across England with areas in the Midlands and South West declared in danger of water shortages in the latest report from the Environment Agency. Earlier this week the South East joined most of East Anglia in a state of drought.
CHEYENNE, USA - State representatives on Friday advanced legislation to launch a study into what Wyoming should do in the event of a complete economic or political collapse in the United States. House Bill 85 passed on first reading by a voice vote.
BERLIN, GERMANY - An extreme rightwing journal is celebrating the agreement on Joachim Gauck as the next German president. Whereas the outgoing president Christian Wulff made headlines with "platitudes about Germany being 'a multi-ethnic republic'," Gauck's "statements were sober," for example on the question of "migration," praised the ultra-rightwing weekly "Junge Freiheit."
USA - Bird flu may be far less lethal to people than the World Health Organization's assessment of a death rate topping 50 percent, scientists said on Thursday in a finding that adds fuel to the heated controversy over publication of bird flu research.
UK - He is regarded as the most famous atheist in the world but last night Professor Richard Dawkins admitted he could not be sure that God does not exist. He told the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, that he preferred to call himself an agnostic rather than an atheist.
USA - Dallas County Judge Tonya Parker says she won't perform marriage ceremonies until gay couples can wed. During a February 21 meeting, Parker told the Stonewall Democrats of Dallas that while she has the power to perform legal marriage ceremonies in her court, she will not.
LONDON, UK - Oil rose towards $124 a barrel on Friday, heading for a fifth straight weekly gain, as concern over cuts in Iranian supply offset worries that high oil prices could restrain demand. European buyers of Iranian oil have cut back on purchases ahead of an EU embargo on Iran's oil imports effective July 1. Some of Iran's biggest customers in Asia including China have also reduced purchases.
USA - Army Lieutenant General Ronald L Burgess, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, disclosed new details of China’s space weapons programs last week, including information regarding China’s anti-satellite missiles and cyber warfare capabilities.
JERUSALEM, ISRAEL - Dozens of riot police were deployed to quell a Muslim riot on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem's Old City on Friday. Israeli Police spokesman Mickey Rosenfeld said more than 100 Muslims began throwing rocks at a police location following Friday prayers, prompting the police to enter the compound.
EUROPE - If Europe’s new plan for Greece succeeds, nobody will be more surprised than the politicians who designed it. At best, the arrangement is a holding action, one that fails yet again to deal with the much larger confidence crisis facing the euro area.
RUSSIA - Russia warned Israel on Wednesday that attacking Iran would be disastrous and played down the failure of a UN nuclear agency mission to Tehran, saying there is still a chance for new talks over the Iranian atomic program.
USA - In American politics, it takes an enormous amount of money to win campaigns, and the rise of the “Super PACs” is allowing the wealthy to exert even more influence over the political process than they did before. When you examine the results of federal elections over the past several decades, you quickly discover that the candidate that raises the most money almost always wins.
UK - David Cameron is set to ignite fresh anger at Britain’s soaring overseas handouts bill today by pledging millions to war-torn Somalia. He will unveil an extra £33 million in aid to the country, infamous as a breeding ground for terrorism. The gift means that UK payouts to Somalia will rise to nearly £220 million in the next three years.