Politics

Syria has declared that a “regime of calm” will be enforced in parts of Latakia and Damascus  from 1:00am on Saturday A statement from the Syrian military said on Friday that the regime of calm, or the “silent period” will be enforced in parts of Latakia and Damascus regions from 1:00 a.m. (2200 GMT) on April 30. The head of the Russian Center for Reconciliation, Lieutenant General Sergey Kuralenko said “During this period, conducting warfare and use of all types of weaponry will be forbidden.

Scientists have uncovered 1,537 defects at the aluminum core in Israel’s Dimona nuclear reactor in the Negev desert. The findings of the study, which used ultrasound testing, was released at a scientific forum held in Tel Aviv this month. Growing fears over the safety of Israel’s aging atomic research center have provoked fresh questions over its future and a dilemma over the secrecy of the country’s alleged nuclear arsenal.

"America doesn’t trust you anymore. That’s the truth... and that’s not one party, that’s both" raged former Senator Tom Coburn during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs this week.

Submitted by Irina Slav via OilPrice.com,

Depressed oil prices, rampant corruption, and pipeline vandalism are only parts of Nigeria’s oil problem. It’s now losing a massive 400,000 barrels of crude daily to pirates in the Gulf of Guinea, an amount equal to the entire daily export capacity of its Forcados terminal.

Overall damage from piracy, theft and fraud for Africa’s largest oil exporter is estimated at some $1.5 billion a month, according to U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN, Michele Sison, citing a Chatham House report.

British actress Emma Thompson and her sister Sophie have broken a court injunction by occupying a piece of land in Lancashire in protest to government’s plans to allow fracking on the site.  The two actresses showed their support for locals who opposed the fracking plans, and filmed a parody of the popular BBC show the Great British Bake Off earlier on Wednesday. ITV News reports: The site, leased by fracking firm Cuadrilla, has been transformed by Greenpeace volunteers into a film studio inspired by the popular TV show, complete with a white marquee, vintage utensils, and bunting.