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Facebook has revealed a new system in conjunction with the Scottish Lothian and Borders Police whereby users can report criminal activity and concerns to police using the social networking site. The "Made From Crime" initiative allows Internet users to anonymously report their concerns to police on a dedicated Facebook page that is being established to direct people with tip-offs to Crimestoppers. Police will also be able to send mass Bluetooth messages to mobile phones at public events like football matches to encourage the public to report

The SETI Institute, shut down since mid-April due to budget cuts, has announced that it will reopen in mid-September due to a recent influx of funds from several donors. Over 2,500 donors, including actress Jodie Foster who popularized SETI ("Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence") in the movie Contact, provided $220,000 to keep the Institute's telescopes functioning. "We are absolutely thrilled that thousands of people from all over the world stepped forward to declare their support for SETI science just when help was needed the most," sa

At least four people died and forty were injured Saturday night as the result of a stage collapsing at the Indiana State Fair, located within the US state of Indiana. The Indianapolis Star has attributed the incident to poor weather. A storm with wind speeds as high as 60 miles per hour (96 kilometres per hour) had been reported. Captain Brad Weaver, an Indiana State Police employee, described witnessing "the framework from the stage start to come over", having given a public safety announcement shortly prior to the collapse. Numerous patients

A new law which seeks to utilise reusable energy and minimise cost impact on consumers is under development in Japan. The new law, which would be effective from July 1 next year, would seek to reduce Japan's dependency on nuclear power. The new legislation would urge power utilities to cut costs by purchasing renewable energy from outside companies and private businesses. Japan's decision has been referred to as opening the door on renewable energy, which currently only contributes to six percent of Japan's energy sources. Politicians have am

Representative Michele Bachmann of Minnesota narrowly defeated fellow Representative Ron Paul of Texas to win the nonbinding Ames Straw Poll on Saturday. The poll, held every four years in Ames, Iowa is used as a gauge of Republican candidate viability several months ahead of the first-in-the-nation Iowa Caucuses. This year, nine candidates were listed on the ballot. Bachmann, the first woman to ever win the poll, waged a high visibility campaign that benefited from persistent media coverage to win 4,823 of the 16,892 votes cast. Following the

At least nineteen people have been killed in two days of attacks by the Syrian Navy and ground forces on the northern port city of Latakia, say human rights activists. The crackdown in the city began on Saturday, a day after several thousand people staged protests against the government. An estimated twenty tanks and other armored vehicles, as well as at least two navy vessels, were reported to be firing on the city. A witness told Reuters that they can "see the silhouettes of two grey vessels. They are firing their guns and the impact is land

Deputy Tourism Minister Frederico Silva da Costa was among 33 Brazilian tourism ministers and officials arrested for embezzlement of public funds on Tuesday. The operation extended across Brasilia, Sao Paulo and Macapa. The arrests were made following an operation involving up to 200 police officers. Five wanted officials remain at large. Federal Police allege the officials were involved in a scheme that has the potential to destabilise the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The group are said to have used up to —al

In a recently published article in the journal PLoS One, researchers at MIT's Lincoln Laboratory claim to have developed a new drug that has the potential to cure nearly all types of viral infections ranging from the common cold to highly deadly hemorrhagic fevers. The new drug, known as DRACO (double-stranded RNA activated caspase oligomerizer), is able to discriminate between healthy cells and those infected by viruses. It essentially signals the infected cells to die, preventing the virus from replicating and moving into other cells, all w

Texas Governor Rick Perry officially announced Saturday that he is running for President of the United States as a Republican. In a speech before the RedState convention in South Carolina, Perry said "It is time to get America working again. That's why with the support of my family and an unwavering belief in the goodness of America, I declare to you today my candidacy for president of the United States." The announcement, which coincides with the nonbinding Ames Straw Poll in Iowa, follows months of media speculation and reports from earlier

A double-decker bus has overturned in Belfast, the capital city of Northern Ireland. Approximately thirty people have been left injured as a result of the road traffic collision near Belfast Central railway station, located close to the centre of the city. The incident occurred at around 1415 BST (1315 UTC) today. According to ambulance service spokesperson John McPoland, "The vast majority of those on the bus are being taken to hospital by ambulance." He continued, "Thankfully no one is seriously hurt; a lot of people are walking wounded. Pro

The state-run Chinese news agency Xinhua reported yesterday that China had sent its first aircraft carrier to sea for a trial. This marks an important step forward in China's efforts to become a leading naval power and challenge US superiority in Asia. China will be joining a small group of nations with operational aircraft carriers — the United States, Italy, the UK, France, Thailand, Brazil, India, Russia, and Spain are the other nations have aircraft carriers in operation. The 1,000-foot carrier is based on the unfinished Soviet aircraft ca

British Prime Minister David Cameron has stated that a change in police strategy is appropriate following what many feel to be an inadequate response to the rioting that has overrun many cities across England. Riots started in Tottenham on Saturday night after the fatal shooting by police of Mark Duggan, a 29-year-old taxi driver who the Independent Police Complaints Commission state was in possession of a handgun, but did not fire it. During the Parliamentary debate on the riots, David Milliband, the Labour leader, called on Cameron to recons