Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1946083/posts
Travelers Advisory: U.S. limits lithium batteries on flights
Custom Market Watch ^ | 12-30-07
Posted on 12/30/2007 4:14:11 PM PST by Cagey
TEL AVIV (MarketWatch) - Flying well-equipped for business and pleasure gets a bit more complicated on Jan. 1, as the U.S. Transportation Department bars travelers from packing loose lithium batteries in checked luggage.
The move is designed to help minimize the risk that such batteries could overheat and catch fire on board, the agency’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration said in a statement on Friday.
The new rules say travelers can bring a laptop computer, digital camera, cellphone and other equipment on board or in checked luggage if their lithium batteries are installed in the items.
And flyers can bring spare batteries in carry-on luggage if they’re stored in plastic bags or if they’re in the original retail packaging. But travelers can bring only as many as two such spare batteries, and each must be packed separately.
(Excerpt) Read more at custom.marketwatch.com ...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1946086/posts
“Pirate Hunting Drone Boats Unleashed”
DefenseTech ^ | December 27, 2007 07:43 AM
Posted on 12/30/2007 4:26:47 PM PST by Calpernia
This simplifies it.
New Lithium Battery Rules for U.S. Airplanes
http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2007/12/new_lithium_bat_1.html
Starting in 2008, there are new rules for bringing lithium batteries on
airplanes:
The following quantity limits apply to both your spare and installed
batteries. The limits are expressed in grams of “equivalent lithium
content.” 8 grams of equivalent lithium content is approximately 100
watt-hours. 25 grams is approximately 300 watt-hours:
* Under the new rules, you can bring batteries with up to 8-gram
equivalent lithium content. All lithium ion batteries in cell phones are
below 8 gram equivalent lithium content. Nearly all laptop computers also
are below this quantity threshold.
* You can also bring up to two spare batteries with an aggregate
equivalent lithium content of up to 25 grams, in addition to any batteries
that fall below the 8-gram threshold. Examples of two types of lithium ion
batteries with equivalent lithium content over 8 grams but below 25 are
shown below.
* For a lithium metal battery, whether installed in a device or
carried as a spare, the limit on lithium content is 2 grams of lithium metal
per battery.
* Almost all consumer-type lithium metal batteries are below 2 grams
of lithium metal. But if you are unsure, contact the manufacturer!
Near as I can tell, this affects pretty much no one except audio/visual
professionals. And the TSA isn’t saying whether this is a safety issue or a
security issue.
US special forces snatch squads are on standby to seize or disable Pakistan's nuclear arsenal in the event of a collapse of government authority or the outbreak of civil war following the assassination of Benazir Bhutto.
The troops, augmented by volunteer scientists from America's Nuclear Emergency Search Team organisation, are under orders to take control of an estimated 60 warheads dispersed around six to 10 high-security Pakistani military bases.
Military sources say contingency plans have been reviewed over the past three days to prevent any of Pakistan's atomic weapons falling into the hands of Islamic extremists if the administration of President Pervez Musharraf appears threatened by civil unrest.
Excerpted
Additional information on news item posted earlier:
5 suspected al-Qaeda militants arrested in Turkey, including high school teacher
December 30, 2007
ANKARA, Turkey – Five accused members of an alleged al-Qaeda sleeper cell – including a high school teacher – were ordered jailed Sunday on terror charges, reports said.
They were among 19 people detained in a sweep Saturday in four cities: Istanbul, Ankara, Aksaray, and the southern city of Adana, the state-run Anatolia news agency said. The others were released pending trial, the report said. Police also seized firearms, bullets, fake ID cards and other documents, Anatolia said.
The group is an alleged al-Qaeda “sleeper cell” that police had been monitoring for some time, the Milliyet daily newspaper reported. After monitoring the group for some time, police moved against the alleged cell amid fears members may have been preparing an attack, the paper said.
Among the five key suspects is an English teacher from a high school in the central city of Aksaray, Anatolia said. Police in Ankara did not comment on the report.
Excerpted
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/world/20071230-0408-turkey-al-qaida.html