UNITED STATE PREPARE FOR A SUPERSTORM A YEAR AFTER IRENE.

Hurricane Sandy taught to be the latest powerful storm hitting the state and with Saturday’s forecasts indicating the devastating potential of this storm which is likely to sweep along the Eastern Seaboard as early as Sunday evening, tens of millions of people began evacuation as state and local authorities increased the urgency of their warnings.

New York along with several other states have declared states of emergency and urged residents to take precautions. In Philadelphia, the mayor called for voluntary evacuations of low-lying areas as did New Jersey’s governor, Chris Christie.

From Plymouth, Me., to Cape Hatteras, N.C., people boarded up windows, stocked up on water, batteries and food and prepared to hunker down. Airlines have cancelled their flight plan due to this ongoing nature unrest.

In New York City, the mayor told residents to stay out of city parks starting on Sunday, and to stock up on basic supplies. All construction activities were also suspended.

“This is a large, unpredictable storm, so be prepared for possible outages,” The New York mayor said at a news conference Friday afternoon.

The latest computer models tracking the storm showed it likely to make landfall somewhere between Delmar, Del., and Long Island. But as Hurricane Sandy churned in the Atlantic, it began to spread out, casting tropical-force winds some 450 miles from the center of the storm, which was just north of the Bahamas as of 10 a.m, residence are advised to take precautions and stay in door.

“This predictions are suspect to change”, said the weather forecasters. Hurricane Sandy weakened overnight Friday into a tropical storm and then strengthened again to hurricane level, with sustained winds of over 75 miles per hour recorded by ocean buoys more than 100 miles from the storm’s center.

Experts said that even if the Hurricane decreased in strength, the storm would likely still be powerful because of the unusual convergence of several weather systems.

The full moon on Monday could also mean flooding, with tides with be at their peak.

In all, the hybrid storm is estimated to affect as many as 50 million people.

In many of the states in the storm’s path, there are still fresh memories of storm this summer which was accompanied with gale-force winds, tornadoes and lightning that left millions stranded without power for days.

Hurricane Irene in 2011 cost $15 billion in damage across the mid-Atlantic and Northeast, according to federal officials and these is expected to cause more damage.

12,000 SOUTH AFRICAN SACKED MINERS REINSTATED

The world's largest platinum producer, Anglo American Platinum (Amplats), has reinstate the 12,000 South African miners sacked for taking part in an unofficial strike.

This agreement was under the condition that the miners get back to work on Tuesday, the National Union of Mineworkers said.

This ever growing sector of South Africa's economy has been hit by huge setback following series of strikes which have cost millions of dollars been lost.

As reported in earlier posts, dozens of people have been killed following strike-related violence.

The miners were sacked three weeks ago are now expected to return to their posts and "that will mean the end of the strike".

Amplats said in a statement: "Employees who refuse to return to work on Tuesday... will remain dismissed and will be subjected to the illegal strike disciplinary action and will not be eligible for any of the benefits mentioned above."

The company said it was offering the miners a one-off hardship payment of $230 (£140) to facilitate their return while other mining companies are also agreeing to higher wage demands but in the long term more miners may lose their jobs due to the salary structure.

IRAQ SUFFERS ANOTHER ELD ATTACK

At least 16 people have been feared dead after fresh attack in Iraq on eld - mubarak, with many more left injured.

The children were the first targeted when a bomb near Bawiya neighbourhood playground of Baghdad killed several people, including at least three children.

The second exploded in a pilgrim bus which was suspected to be conveying Iranian.

Although, security measures have been put in place over the four-day holiday of Eid al-Adha but the state of insecurity in this state continues.

"Nobody expected this explosion because our neighbourhood has been living in peace, away from the violence hitting the rest of the capital,"Bassem Mohammed told the Associated Press news agency after the attack.

He added,"We feel sad for the children who thought that they would spend a happy time during Eid, but instead ended up getting killed or hurt," Although no group has been associated with the attack.

In Mosul a northern city of the country, gunmen burst into homes belonging to the Shabak minority families, leaving several people dead.

In the Shia neighbourhood of Tuz Khurmatu, north of Baghdad another bomb exploded leaving several people dead.

Violence in Iraq as since hit the height of insurgency in 2006 and 2007, most recently In August, more than 90 people were killed in a wave of attacks before  Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan

Berlusconi gets 4 years jail term

Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has survived so many critics over the years was on Friday in Milan sentenced to a four years in prison for tax evasion.

Berlusconi who owns one of the country’s most successful club side AC Milan, is likely to appeal, but complained it is " an unacceptable political sentence" in an interview that aired on CNN affiliate TGCOM24.

He said "I was convinced that I would get acquitted of an accusation that is far from the truth,

 "This is a conviction I can easily define as political, incredible and even intolerable, I'm a victim of judicial harassment" He added.

His trial, which also involved executives from his Mediaset television group and the head of a Swiss bank, concerned the purchase of TV rights for films that were then resold within the group at inflated prices.

Prosecutors said, he was avoided of the major tax bill from filming 3000 American films.  If found guilty he may have to pay a fine of up to €10 million ($12.9 million).

Although he still has the right to appeal twice.

SPAIN DECIDES AS PRIME MINISTER GETS MIXED POLL RESULT

As polls reaches later stages Spain’s Prime Minister Rajoy gets mixed regional poll result suggests that nationalist parties have won regional elections in Spain's Basque Country, which is likely to fuel calls for independence.

The Nationalist Party came top in the poll, followed by the Euskal Herria Bildu coalition of left-wing separatists.

In Galicia's regional poll, PM Mariano Rajoy held to its absolute majority as the centre-right People's Party came up top.

These comes weeks before elections in Catalonia, where the nationalist party call for an independence referendum. The elections are seen as a key test of the government's austerity policy.

Landmark elections

The exit polls say the (BNV) is likely to win 24-27 seats in the regional parliament, while Bildu will have 23-26.

The opposition Socialist Party sits in the third place with up to 15 seats, followed by the Popular Party (PP) with 11.

The Basque elections have been described as a landmark by analysts.

Eta group are ineligible to vote as they were banned by the Spanish government nearly 10 years ago. This led to the left-wing Bildu establishment.

Bildu has publicly condemned the use of political thugs and violence.

In Galicia where Mr Rajoy's amalgamated from, his PP won between 39 and 42 seats in the 75-member regional assembly, the exit polls suggest. 20 seats goes to the socialists.

Spain has been experiencing economic meltdown since 2008 while unemployment rate rise to 25% nationally, and 21% in Galicia. 

BROOKFIELD SPA MASS SHOOTING

A US media report has it that a number of people are feared to have been shot at a spa in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

Witnesses from the Azana spa said they saw a man with a gun shoot sporadically before a large number of police arrived.

Three people are feared to have been critically injured as they were rushed to the hospital while four others were treated with minor injuries.

The shooter is currently being searched for as Brookfield Square mall is in lockdown as Police and specialists takes center stage.

The shooting began around 4.15pm yesterday and all personnel from the SWAT team to FBI officials have quickly reacted.

A quick reaction Swat team and hostage negotiators are also on the scene - in addition to FBI personnel.

A local channel, WISN-TV, reported that the mall's parking lot is currently evacuated.

At least 20 fire fighters, ambulance and police vehicles are there in addition to a medical helicopter were on ground.

It was the second mass shooting in the city this year.

As reported in August, A US Army veteran Wade Michael Page and group killed six people as at a Sikh temple near Milwaukee.

In March 2005, when a gunman opened fire at a Living Church of God service held near a hotel.