TSA screener Rolando Negrin is facing assault charges in a case that involves the controversial, full body scanners being adopted in airports [allegedly] as part of increased security measures. The images produced by the powerful x-ray scanners--detailed enough to show breast implants--have been compared to "virtual strip-searching." Negrin reportedly passed through the screener during a training session on how to use the device, and the revealing x-ray image of him produced by the x-ray prompted teasing from coworkers, "who joked about the size of the man's genitalia."

Israel has no plan to review its nuclear policies, a government official said on Friday, playing down efforts by world powers at a U.N. non-proliferation conference to promote a Middle East free of atomic arms. Hoping to win Arab backing for sanctions against Iran, the United States and other permanent U.N. Security Council members on Wednesday called for ways to be found to implement a 1995 initiative that would guarantee nuclear disarmament in a region where Israel is widely assumed to have the only such weapons.

[3:30 GMT:] LONDON — After one of the most passionately contested elections in decades, voters in Britain went to the polls on Thursday and appeared to have swung sharply, though not necessarily decisively, against the ruling Labour Party. Early results from 650 House of Commons constituencies across the country pointed to a strong performance by the opposition Conservative Party, led by David Cameron, though the size of the increase in the Conservative vote raised doubts about the party’s ability to win the majority needed to be sure of regaining power after 13 years of Labour control. What seemed sure was that the Conservatives would win the largest number of seats, probably dozens more than Labour, with the third party, the left-of-center Liberal Democrats, trailing in third. But without a majority, Mr. Cameron — and the country — could be heading for days of agonizing uncertainty as the two main parties set about trying to outmaneuver each other for power. BBC: Exit poll predicts UK hung parliament (Labour vote holds up in Scotland). TimesOnline: Britain wakes up to a hung Parliament. Daily Mail: Cameron and Brown compete to win over kingmaker Clegg for the keys of No 10 as they make rival offers to Liberal Democrats in bid to seize power. MSN: Police probe election fraud claims. Al Jazeera Blog: UK Election - Live + BREAKING - Voters have been turned away from ballots in the UK, voters in Sheffield are refusing to let the ballot box leave until they get their chance to vote. As David Mitchell just put it, "We can't even run an election properly".

No wonder the Greeks are FURIOUS. You'd be mad, too, if your "austerity" had to pay for the gambling losses of rich bank. AWIP: Greeks Struggle with Sick-Man Status.

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has been granted approval by the US government to expand drone strikes in Pakistan's tribal regions in a move to step up military operations against Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters, officials have said. Federal lawyers backed the measures on grounds of self-defence to counter threats the fighters pose to US troops in neighbouring Afghanistan and the United States as a whole, according to authorities. AWIP: CIA to expand drone raids in Pakistan.

Sen. Bernie Sanders argues for his amendment which would bring greater transparency to the Fed.

The radio chatter, mostly from spotter planes, is all about "the source" - the point in the Gulf where the Deepwater Horizon rig once stood. Our pilot has to be more precise. We are headed towards 28.44 degrees north and 088.23 degrees west. Since leaving the shore, a low-hanging fog has developed, obscuring any view of the ocean. We are 15km away from our destination when the cloud bank, like the cliffs of Dover, abruptly drops away once more to reveal the ocean. Two reporters and a cameraman who have been covering the BP spill for days and days without physically seeing any oil, let alone a slick, lean out of our helicopter.

On April 20th, an Oil Rig in the Gulf of Mexico exploded and sank, in the process causing an massive undersea oil leak that is currently leaking at a rate of 136.4 tons of oil a day, 5000 barrels, or 2.43 gallons per second. Heres some comparisons and facts to help you visualize the amount being spewed.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has highlighted the “necessity” of political discourse with Iran in ending an impasse over its civilian nuclear program. In a meeting with ambassadors from Arab states on Wednesday, Lavrov reaffirmed Moscow's support for diplomatically engaging Tehran and warned against the “disastrous” consequences of taking military action. “It was generally felt that there is no alternative but to solve the Iran's nuclear program problem by politico-diplomatic methods and avoid regionally disastrous military options,” said a foreign ministry statement. Lavrov also called on the international community to “proceed from the imperative of maintaining and expanding cooperation by Iran with the IAEA, as well as from the necessity to continue political dialogue with Tehran.”

The settlers of Pisgat Ze'ev, the intruders of Sheikh Jarrah, the people who covet Silwan, the infiltrators into the Muslim Quarter and you, the mayor of the nationalist city, Nir Barkat, can stop worrying: (All of ) Jerusalem is yours, forever. Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel met at the White House with his friend, Barack Obama, on a mission from his other friend, Benjamin Netanyahu, and when he came out he said he had the impression that Obama respected his advice to postpone discussions on Jerusalem. With friends like that, Israel doesn't need enemies. Sixty-two years after declaring its sovereignty, Israel still needs Jewish influence peddlers - one time it's Wiesel and one time it's Ron Lauder - to appeal to the nobleman. Forty-three years since the occupation started and these people are only working to perpetuate it.

Sex workers, gay and bisexual men drive the disease, say researchers. Every hour a baby is born in China with syphilis, as the world's fastest-growing epidemic of the disease is fuelled by men with new money from the nation's booming economy, researchers say. The easy-to-cure bacterial infection, which was nearly wiped out in China five decades ago, is now the most commonly reported sexually transmitted disease in its largest city, Shanghai.

Outrageously, there are 100-150 of these raids in America every day, and apart from Reason and Cato, the right is silent in the presence of this domestic militaristic behavior. Apparently, it’s now considered normal to witness cops dressed as soldiers storm into a home, kill animals, terrify children, all in the name of quarantining some resin stuck to the side of a bowl.

Joe Lieberman wants to strip the citizenship of suspected terrorists. But citizenship-stripping was ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court - ironically, in a case about allegiance to Israel. [This article is written in "legalese" and is difficult to read.]

Two years ago, a police officer in a Brooklyn precinct became gravely concerned about how the public was being served. To document his concerns, he began carrying around a digital sound recorder, secretly recording his colleagues and superiors. He recorded precinct roll calls. He recorded his precinct commander and other supervisors. He recorded street encounters. He recorded small talk and stationhouse banter. In all, he surreptitiously collected hundreds of hours of cops talking about their jobs. Made without the knowledge or approval of the NYPD, the tapes—made between June 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009, in the 81st Precinct in Bedford-Stuyvesant and obtained exclusively by the Voice—provide an unprecedented portrait of what it's like to work as a cop in this city.

Watch Greek protesters react to the EU bailout package approval LIVE. It looks like they're on the brink of rioting again. (Swedish newspaper, Aftonbladet) Yahoo: Global stock markets plunge.

Former Yale professor among 4 detained in Walaja. Bethlehem – A former Yale professor was among the four detained by Israeli forces during protests against the construction of the separation wall in Al-Walaja on Thursday morning. Witnesses said three others were lightly injured by border police, who used clubs and mace against protesters, in what witnesses said was a violent removal of the protesters from their positions around Israeli military bulldozers. A border police spokesman confirmed that four were detained at the rally, adding that all were released a few hours after their detention. At 2pm, sources confirmed to Ma’an that at least one of the three, former Yale professor Dr Mazen Qumsiyeh, remained in custody. Family members confirmed that he was being held at the Russian Compound in Jerusalem, and may be let out on bail later in the afternoon.

After some reflection, I've decided to delete my account on Facebook. I'd like to encourage you to do the same. This is part altruism and part selfish. The altruism part is that I think Facebook, as a company, is unethical. The selfish part is that I'd like my own social network to migrate away from Facebook so that I'm not missing anything. In any event, here's my "Top Ten" reasons for why you should join me and many others and delete your account.

The mammals use trees, mud and stone to make a type of moat where they can use their swimming skills to evade any predators. The families live in lodges on the dams and spend their days adding to and repairing the incredible structures. The dam was spotted by experts monitoring the size and spread of the beaver dams in North America. It is located on the southern edge of Wood Buffalo National Park in Northern Alberta, Canada.

While beaver dams are often found to be around 1,500ft in length, this one has surprised biologists because of its length. It is thought that several beaver families joined forces to create the massive dam that contains thousands of trees and must have taken many months to complete. The dams are an important part of the ecology and wider environment and climate change can be judged by the spread of the dams. Sharon Brown, a biologist from Beavers: Wetland and Wildlife, an educational organisation in North America, said: "Beavers build dams to create a good habitat. "They are very agile in the water but they're a bit slow moving on land. "They create a habitat with lots of water like a moat around their lodges so they can swim and drive and keep one step ahead of predators such as coyotes and bears. "They also use water to move the trees they use in their dams because it is easier floating wood on water than dragging them over land.

The 26/11 terrorist, Ajmal Amir Kasab has been awarded death sentence for murdering about 166 Indians and waging war against the nation. Giving the final verdict in the Mumbai terror attacks case, the Additional Sessions court Judge ML Tahaliyani on Thursday, May 6 said that 22-year-old Kasab will be hanged by neck to death. Kasab was handed death on four counts, which include charges such as murder and waging war against the nation, and life sentence on five counts.

Christian Science Monitor [Yahoo]: Phillies fan tasered: Why police are using Tasers more often. AWIP: Columbia Mo SWAT Raid 2/11/2010. Cops Shoot Pets With Children Present -VIDEO. Daily Mail: Crowd control U.S.-style: Teenage pitch invader is Tasered in front of 44,000 baseball fans.