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The huge shape floating above homes and businesses sparked widespread panic as people took to social media to find out if the end of the world was coming. Many in the city of Tyumen in south central Russia believed it was the beginning of a nuclear war. Photos of the ominous mushroom cloud quickly went viral in Russia. Alexander Bogdanov posted a photo on Instagram saying: "World War III has begun. "I photographed it from my window." Another, Oleg Alexeeva, tweeted: "Oh, God save us. What have they done?!!!" While MyraYer posted: "Crazy b******s!!! This is the end." The huge...

The Ukrainian city of Donetsk experienced a giant explosion last night that left many fearing that Russia was using “tactical nukes” against them. The explosion shattered windows and even caused a brief mushroom cloud to form in the sky. The night’s sky was glowing with orange as the explosion occurred. The entire ordeal was captured on video. In the video above, you can watch as the explosion occurs late last night. The pitch black sky suddenly is illuminated in an orange glow. The blast was so loud that windows in the area shattered. The Daily Mail notes that some in...

As leaders from France, Cyprus, Germany, US, Russia, and Ukraine drop tape-bombs of turmoil at one another, the following somewhat stunning clip suggests on the ground in Eastern Europe, other - far bigger - bombs are being lobbed... The somewhat mushroom-cloud-like explosion in Donetsk...

It's not only Israeli analysts who fear that even the cold peace between their country and Egypt may be in danger as Islamic forces rise in the wake of Egypt's revolution. Jordan's King Abdullah II on Wednesday told the Washington Post that there is a "very strong possibility" that following upcoming elections, Egypt's new rulers will revoke the Camp David Accords. That is especially true if the Muslim Brotherhood comes to power. The group is contesting over 50 percent of the parliament seats in the next election, and is currently the only major political party active in the country. Jordanian...

He wasn’t supposed to do it, but on May 15, 1948, Lieutenant Colonel Paul H. Fackler, commanding officer of the U.S. Air Force 514th Reconnaissance Squadron Weather, flew his airplane into the seething mushroom cloud of an atomic bomb detonation. As part of Zebra, the final shot of America’s second series of atomic tests at Enewetak atoll in the Pacific, Fackler had the job of tracking the atomic cloud from at least 10 miles away, hoping that special filters attached to the airplane would catch samples of the radioactive debris. But as he pulled away from the enormous roiling cloud...

Report: Israel spots nuclear installations in Syria Washington official says Israeli surveillance shows possible Syrian nuclear installation stocked by North Korea, Israeli Arab newspaper claims target of alleged raid last week was Syrian missile base financed by Iran Israel believes that North Korea has been supplying Syria and Iran with nuclear materials, a Washington defense official told the New York Times. “The Israelis think North Korea is selling to Iran and Syria what little they have left,” he said. The official added that recent Israeli reconnaissance flights over Syria revealed possible nuclear installations that Israeli officials estimate might have been...

The North Korea could prepare a new nuclear test SEOUL - suspect activities were detected in North Korea, suggesting preparations for a new nuclear test after the explosion of the first atomic bomb North-Korean on October 9, indicated to Thursday a South Korean deputy. “Since the beginning of this month, there were many activities in a tunnel close to the Mantap Mount, in Punggyeri”, 350 km in the North-East of Pyongyang, where the first test took place, indicated Chung Hyung-keun, deputy of the opposition member of a parliamentary commitee on the information. “Of important building work are in hand...

Nuclear power: Iran wants to always install 3.000 centrifugal machines from here March TEHERAN - Iran wants to always install 3.000 centrifugal machines, intended to enrich uranium, by the Iranian end of the year, which finishes in March 2007, declared Sunday the spokesman of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Mohammad Ali Hosseini. "the Iranian persons in charge and experts, under the control of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), seek to achieve this goal", declared Mr. Hosseini, questioned to know if Iran always sought to install 3.000 centrifugal machines by the end of the Iranian year. Iran installed at the...

Excerpt - MUMBAI (Reuters) - India has detained an empty North Korean cargo ship bound for Iran after it strayed into Indian waters, baffling coast guard officials and police about the purpose of its voyage. "MV Omrani-II" developed a snag and entered Indian waters on Oct. 29 and was towed to the Mumbai Port where the crew was being questioned by Indian intelligence and customs officials. "The crew has not been able to explain why they were sailing an empty vessel to Iran," a senior coast guard official told Reuters on condition of anonymity on Thursday. However a senior official...

SEOUL, South Korea - South Korea's military is observing movements at a site in North Korea where the communist country is believed to have conducted its first nuclear test, indicating possible preparations for another test, Yonhap news agency reported Saturday. The report, citing multiple unnamed military officials, said South Korea is closely monitoring movements of trucks and North Korean soldiers at the site in Punggye-ri in the country's remote northeast. "It is clear there are movements at Punggye-ri after the nuclear test," one military official was quoted as saying. "We are closely monitoring to see if these are preparations for...

Excerpt - NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- U.S. spy satellites are showing activity in North Korea consistent with the activity seen shortly before the country conducted its first nuclear weapon test, MSNBC reported Monday. MSNBC, which cited unnamed military and intelligence sources, said the officials couldn't be certain the new above-ground activity indicated a second test would indeed take place. ~ snip ~

UNITED NATIONS - The U.N. Security Council should congratulate North Korea for its nuclear test instead of passing "useless" resolutions or statements, North Korea's U.N. ambassador said Monday. Pak Gil Yon told reporters he was proud of the North Koreans who conducted the test, and said the Security Council ought to be, too. Asked if the North planned any more tests, Pak said: "That will be enough. You don't think so?" The council was holding a meeting about the test, and several diplomats warned of tough measures, possibly including the threat of sanctions. "It will be better for the...

CNBC Asia, South Korea Wire Services Reporting

(Kyodo) - North Korea could conduct a nuclear bomb test "as early as Sunday," the anniversary of Kim Jong Il's appointment as head of the Workers Party of Korea in 1997, the Washington Post reported Thursday, quoting several U.S. government analysts. "It may also be timed to coincide with an election at the United Nations on Monday during which Ban Ki Moon, South Korea's foreign minister, is expected to be chosen as the next U.N. secretary general," the report said. Tuesday's statement by Pyongyang that it will carry out a nuclear test did not set a date for the...

[Male announcer] As you might have heard, Arak's Heavy Water Facility was inaugurated by President Ahmadinezhad earlier today. This is one of the major nuclear projects. We have established live video link with our colleague Ms Mehrafar in Arak. Hello Ms Mehrafar. [Mehrafar] In the name of God, the merciful and the compassionate. Hello to our dear viewers. As you indicated, President Ahmadinezhad and Mr [Reza] Aqazadeh, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), inaugurated Arak's complex. We have with us the AEOI's Deputy for international affairs Mohammad Sa'idi. Mr Sa'idi, would you please tell our...

Tehran, 25 August (AKI) - News agencies in Iran are predicting a new announcement from outspoken president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on his country's nuclear progress. There is intense speculation that it may come next Tuesday on the first anniversary of the formation of the government after last year's elections. In the Iranian capital there are reports that Ahmadinejad, who several months ago announced the entry of Iran into the 'nuclear club' will provide details on progress in the field of heavy water reactors. It has a heavy water reactor under construction at the Arak plant in central Iran, 360 kilometres...

Excerpt - Islamabad, 22 August (AKI)- The father of Pakistan’s nuclear programme, disgraced scientist Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, the online site of the Pakistani GEO television network reported Tuesday. The cancer was detected during a routine medical test in early August and confirmed by a detailed examination at a hospital near Islamabad, the report said citing a government statement. "The results have unfortunately indicated adino-carcinoma (cancer) of the prostate. Further investigations are being conducted by a board of doctors," the statement said. Khan played the key role in developing Pakistan's nuclear military capability, which...

Excerpt - Vienna, 21 August (AKI) - Just hours before Iran is due to give world powers its response to a package of incentives aimed at persuading the country to give up its nuclear activities, new centrifuges have been installed at the Natanz uranium enrichment facility over the past two weeks, an anonymous source at the United Nations nuclear watchdog told Adnkronos International (AKI). Meanwhile, the country's heavy water reactor at nearby Arak in central Iran "will shortly be operational," the second in command of Iran's nuclear programme, Mohammad Saidi, was quoted as saying. Also on Monday, inspectors from the...

Reports from Seoul Korea, (daily newspaper Joongang Ilbo in Seoul) via the Japanese Jiji press agency, that South Korean intelligence has intercepted radio messages/communications in North Korea, which were aired last month, to civilians in the Kilju County, Northern Hamgyeong Province area of northeastern D.P.R.K., to evacuate.The source in the South Korean government said "our interpretation is that following North Korea's underground nuclear blast test, they wish to head off any escape of radiation that would be a threat to the nearby civilian population and are evacuating as such."

Tehran, 18 August (AKI) - Iranian state television has announced that Iran will begin new missile tests on Saturday in five different border regions including along the frontier with Afghanistan. The tests - which will last five days - appear to be a show of strength staged to impress ethnic minorities living in Iran's Kurdistan, Baluchistan and Khorasan provinces "These manoeuvres serve to re-elavorate the defence doctrine of our nation," said General Mohammad Reza Ashtiani, of the Pasdaran revolutionary guards who will be conducting the tests.