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An Anonymous Coward writes:

France has declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders after at least 40 people were killed in multiple shootings in Paris.

At least 15 people were killed near the Bataclan arts centre, where up to 60 people are being held hostage. Explosions and gunfire are reported.

Three people were killed in an attack near the Stade de France, with some reports suggesting a suicide blast.

Paris authorities have urged people to stay indoors.

Military personnel are being deployed across Paris.

http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/11/13/455943961/violence-reported-in-paris
http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/world/paris-shooting/index.html

Update #1 [BBC updates]:

Scores of people have been killed in multiple gun and bomb attacks in Paris

At least 100 people are reported to have died inside the Bataclan concert hall in central Paris

Others died in attacks near the Stade de France, where France were playing Germany, and at restaurants

France has declared a national state of emergency and has closed its borders

Paris residents have been asked to stay indoors and military personnel are being deployed across the city

[...] Reuters. quoting an un-named official at Paris City Hall, says the current death toll in Paris is around 140.

Update #2:

According to the Paris prosecutor, of the four assailants who died during the sidge at the Bataclan, three committed suicide by detonating explosive vests. The prosecutor has warned that some of their accomplices may "still be on the loose".

[...] Here is what French president François Hollande told reporters outside the Bataclan concert hall just now: "To all those who have seen these awful things, I want to say we are going to lead a war which will be pitiless. Because when terrorists are capable of committing such atrocities they must be certain that they are facing a determined France, a united France, a France that is together and does not let itself be moved, even if today we express infinite sorrow."

Original Submission

frojack writes:

The story is being carried by USA Today and just about every major news outlet. There were some economic takes on the election as well.

takyon: Results at CBC and BBC. DeSmog Canada has an analysis focusing on potential shifts in environmental and science policies:

The Liberal party has taken a strong stance on the war on science in Canada, promising to free scientists to speak publicly about their work. Trudeau has also promised to instate a Parliamentary Science Officer to ensure transparency, expertise and independence of federal scientists. This position will mirror that of the Parliamentary Budget Officer.

In addition to unmuzzling scientists, the party also wants to work collaboratively with the provinces, First Nations and other stakeholders when it comes to ocean management. This is significant in light of the Conservative government's de-funding of numerous marine science programs, including the only research being conducted into the effects of industrial pollutants on marine mammals. The Liberal party has promised to reinstate $40 million of funding for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.

Original Submission

An Anonymous Coward writes:

Scott Walker, the governor of Wisconsin who was considered earlier this year to be one of the two frontrunners (along with Jeb Bush) for the Republican nomination, is quitting the race, according to several news organizations ahead of a scheduled news conference. Walker created controversy in Wisconsin with his union-busting policies, making him a conservative favorite; however, he was unable to create enthusiasm for his bid on the campaign trail.

At times, Walker seemed to be both overly cautious and dangerously misinformed at the same time.

Recent polls in Iowa showed that Walker's support there has almost evaporated during the two months he's been on the campaign trail. The Iowa caucuses, scheduled for next January, is by tradition the first event of the primary season that produces party convention delegates for the winner. It was considered a must-win event for Walker, who was already fairly well known in Iowa, a state bordering Wisconsin.

takyon: Check https://soylentnews.org/my/homepage to prevent "Breaking News" nexus stories from appearing on the homepage. Or to ensure that they do.

Original Submission

martyb writes:

Reports are coming in about a massive earthquake off the coast of Chile. A tsunami advisory has been issued for Hawaii:

BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA A MAJOR TSUNAMI IS NOT EXPECTED TO STRIKE THE STATE OF HAWAII. HOWEVER...SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG CURRENTS MAY OCCUR ALONG ALL COASTS THAT COULD BE A HAZARD TO SWIMMERS AND BOATERS AS WELL AS TO PERSONS NEAR THE SHORE AT BEACHES AND IN HARBORS AND MARINAS.

Here is the USGS (US Geological Survey) page for the initial 8.3 earthquake. Aftershocks have also been reported.

According to the BBC:

The earthquake struck just off the coast at 19:54 local times (22:54 GMT), about 55km west of the city of Illapel, the US Geological Survey said. Officials said it was at the depth of about 10km.

The US Geological Survey initially reported the tremor as magnitude 7.9, but then quickly revised the reading to 8.3. Several strong aftershocks were reported just minutes later.

Illapel Mayor Denis Cortes reported that one person was killed by a collapsing wall, and 15 other people were injured.

[...] "Tsunami waves reaching more than three metres above the tide level are possible along some coasts of Chile," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned.

The earthquake struck as thousands of Chileans have been travelling to the coast ahead of a week of celebrations of the national holidays, or Fiestas Patrias. Tsunami alerts were also issued for Peru and Hawaii.

According to Wired:

The National Tsunami Warning Center has warned that Chile's shorelines could experience tsunamis exceeding nine feet. "That might not sound like much, but a tsunami wave has all the weight of the ocean behind it," says Scott Langley, an electronics technician with the National Tsunami Warning Center in Alaska. "This isn't something you want to go out and ride with your surfboard."

Since the initial quake, the USGS has reported four aftershocks, ranging from 5.7 to 6.4 moment magnitude.

Separately, we reported back on April 26th that a Magnitude 7.8 Quake in Nepal Kills At Least 1800, Aftershocks Continue. I happened to speak with someone from Nepal yesterday who told me they are still receiving magnitude 6-plus aftershocks.

Original Submission

darnkitten writes:

The first library-hosted Tor node in the U.S. is to be reactivated, after a public meeting on Tuesday at the Kilton Public Library in West Lebanon, New Hampshire, in which area residents expressed support for the Board of Trustees and the Tor system. The Library had also conducted surveys which indicated strong support from both residents and non-residents alike.

The node had been set up as part of the Library Freedom Project's pilot program, following a unanimous decision by the Board in June; however, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had apparently contacted City officials and law enforcement, informing them that (FTA) "Tor sometimes is used by criminals to distribute child pornography or illegal drugs, among other abuses." After discussion with the Town, the Board had suspended the relay, pending discussion at Tuesday's public meeting.

City officials insisted that they had not intended to force the Board into a particular decision, but rather intended to educate the public about their concerns.

The Board Chair, Francis Oscadal, was quoted as saying, "I could vote in favor of the good ... or I could vote against the bad. I'd rather vote for the good because there is value to this."

See also: Concord Monitor .

Original Submission

Three astronauts will launch to the International Space Station later "tonight". From Wired:

A Soyuz spacecraft will take off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 10:37 local time, or 12:37 am EDT on Wednesday. If you're curious to follow along, you can watch NASA TV's live broadcast of the launch above, starting at 11:45 pm EDT tonight.

It will be a crowded time on the ISS:

Three crew members are ready to head into space Wednesday morning bringing the crew complement on the International Space Station (ISS) to nine, something that hasn't been seen since 2013.

Russian cosmonaut Sergei Volkov along with Andreas Mogensen from the European Space Agency, and visitors Aidyn Aimbetov from Kazcosmos, the National Space Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, will blast off from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:37 a.m. EDT. They are scheduled to dock two days later at 3:42 a.m. on Friday with the hatch opening 6:15 a.m.

The new crew will join the One-Year duo of NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko along with Russians Gennady Padalka, Oleg Kononenko and Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui along with NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren.

That will take the number of people on board the station to nine. Typically there is a crew of six.

Aimbetov and Mogensen are scheduled to return to Earth on Sept. 12 along with current commander Padalka. Scott Kelly will take over command of the space station on Sept. 5.

Live coverage at NASA TV.

More Exoskeleton Development from Japan

basstard writes:

Bloomberg writes that Mitsui & Co., best known among investors as Japan's top oil and iron-ore trader, and its partners have built a wearable suit—a backpack fitted with belts and leg supports—that enhances a user's ability to lift and move heavy objects. The idea is that when worn by farmers, or at nursing homes or construction sites, strength is enhanced.

The device, known as the Assist Suit AWN-03, was developed at ActiveLink, Panasonic Corp.'s robot-development unit. Weighing in at 6 kilograms (13.2 pounds), the suit allows the wearer to lift as much as 15 kilograms without stressing the lower back, according to Mitsui, which demonstrated the outfit to media at its Tokyo headquarters on Aug. 14.

Such a machine is tailor-made for Japan, where labor shortages and a shrinking and aging population are already causing construction delays, says the trading house. But the Assist Suit is just a first step. In two years, Mitsui and its partners aim to release the next iteration, complete with mechanical arms and legs. Further out, future versions could start to take on Aliens-like proportions. "What we have in mind is the Aliens power loader," says Tomoya Tsutsumi, an official at Mitsui's construction and industrial machinery division.

General contractor Kajima Corp. and Yamato Holdings Co., which offers door-to-door parcel delivery services, are among dozens of companies planning to try the technology, according to Tsutsumi. The target is to sell 1,000 units in the initial year after the Assist Suit's release.

"Young workers tend to want to work in a more comfortable environment so businesses are having trouble finding enough workers when labor conditions are harsh," Tsutsumi said.

Article includes a Youtube video demonstrating some pretty nifty stuff.

[More After the Break]