Washington Navy Yard shooting news

The Washington Navy Yard, where an armed gunman killed 12 people Monday after reportedly gaining entry with an ID badge, has a history of faulty surveillance. Sources told McClatchy newspapers that Building 197 in particular has poor entrance controls, areas cameras are unable to view, insufficient lighting, a faulty alarm system, and other problems.

James Atkinson, a former military intelligence officer who is now the chief of Granite Island Group, a Massachusetts surveillance firm, said his company found a number of issues during a recent inspection.

Granite Island Group held a “controlled penetration” test that revealed a sensor was not working, in part because screws from a hardware store were in place were more expensive screws were necessary.

“We found not only that people opened it up, but there were traces that somebody had placed a device inside that was recording data, so somebody could hoax the unit and claim to be a person they were not,” Atkinson told McClatchy. 

Dodging snipers in Darayya

Snipers are the biggest threat in the rebel-controlled areas, where places to hide are plentiful and underground tunnels and holes in the walls are used for covert movement. Measures as simple as curtains hiding soldiers from sniper sight are occasionally enough to protect them. But often they rely on speed and luck to cross dangerous spots.

Despite the dangers and the two-and-a-half years that the conflict has raged, morale seems high in the army, Finoshina reports.

“I'm honored to defend my country, defend the Syrian people,” Abdel Ghafour Salloum, one of the soldiers, said. “Even if USA attack us with it aircrafts and tanks and everything, we will make our land their cemetery.”

source reuters.com

Deadly Mexico storms kill 42, floods strand thousands

Two powerful storms pummeled Mexico as they converged from the Pacific and the Gulf on Monday, killing at least 42 people and stranding some 40,000 tourists in the Pacific resort of Acapulco amid some of the worst flooding in decades.

source reuters.com

U.S. and Cuba talk about resuming direct mail service

The United States and Cuba concluded on Monday their second round of talks aimed at re-establishing direct mail service between the two countries after a 50-year ban, but left for later the most sensitive issue - Cuban planes landing on U.S. soil.

source reuters.com

Syrian navy on 24-hour combat alert

The Syrian naval forces have been placed on high alert and are conducting naval drills off the Mediterranean Coast in anticipation of a possible US led strike, the Syrian navy of 10,000 strong is based out of the docks of Baniyas, Latakia, Minat al Bayda, and Tartus

source rt.com

India boosts arsenal with nuclear-capable missile test

India has conducted a second test firing of a nuclear-capable missile with a range of 5,000 kilometers. New Delhi is struggling to challenge Beijing in the race for missile dominance in Asia.

"The country has established ICBM capability with the successful second test," said Avinash Chander, a scientific advisor to Defense Minister AV Antony, adding that the next launch would be canister-based.

'Agni-V' long-range ballistic missiles are about 17 meters long, with a diameter of 2 meters and a launch weight of about 50 tons, The Indian Express reported. It can carry a nuclear warhead of over 1 ton.

source rt.com

Obama says U.S. remains prepared to act on Syria if diplomacy fails

President Barack Obama vowed on Saturday that Syria will be held to account if it fails to live up to its promises to surrender chemical weapons as he faced questions about how a deal brokered by U.S. and Russian diplomats would be enforced.

source reuters.com