Potential SHTF scenarios & tinfoil hat thread (Please read post 1)

In late October, flotillas of Chinese warships and submarines sliced through passages in the Japanese archipelago and out into the western Pacific for 15 days of war games.

The drills, pitting a "red force" against a "blue force," were the first in this area, combining ships from China's main south, east and north fleets, according to the Chinese military. Land-based bombers and surveillance aircraft also flew missions past Japan to support the navy units.

In official commentaries, senior People's Liberation Army (PLA) officers boasted their navy had "dismembered" the so-called first island chain - the arc of islands enclosing China's coastal waters, stretching from the Kuril Islands southward through the Japanese archipelago, Taiwan, the Northern Philippines and down to Borneo.

Named Maneuver 5, these were no ordinary exercises. They were the latest in a series of increasingly complex and powerful thrusts through the first island chain into the Pacific. For the first time in centuries, China is building a navy that can break out of its confined coastal waters to protect distant sea lanes and counter regional rivals.

National Weather Warnings

STATUS RED

Wind Warning for Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo and Sligo

Warning update.
It will become stormy later today and for a time tonight, in coastal counties of Connacht and west Ulster, with severe southwest winds with mean speeds of 70 to 90km/h and damaging gusts of 120 to 150km/h, strongest in exposed coastal areas. Very high seas also.
Issued:
Wednesday 18 December 2013 09:00
Valid:
Wednesday 18 December 2013 15:00 to Thursday 19 December 2013 03:00


STATUS ORANGE

Wind Warning for Cavan and Clare

It will become stormy for a time later this afternoon and evening, with severe southwest winds, gusting 100 to 120 km/h, strongest in exposed areas.
Issued:
Wednesday 18 December 2013 10:00
Valid:
Wednesday 18 December 2013 15:00 to Wednesday 18 December 2013 23:59


STATUS YELLOW

Wind Warning for Remaining counties

Very windy later this afternoon and evening with very strong and blustery south veering southwest winds and gusts of 90 to 100km/h
Valid 1500 to 2400h
Issued:
Wednesday 18 December 2013 10:00
Valid:
Wednesday 18 December 2013 15:00 to Wednesday 18 December 2013 23:59

Canada has reported North America’s first case of H5N1 bird flu infection, in an Alberta resident who recently returned from a month’s visit to China.

The person, whose name and age were not revealed, was complaining of feeling ill on Dec. 27 when flying from Beijing to Vancouver and then on to Edmonton. The patient was admitted to hospital on Jan. 1 and died Jan. 3.

Federal public health officials said confirmation of the rare H5N1 infection was made Tuesday evening and Canada informed officials of the World Health Organization on Wednesday.

Turkey signs law ‘criminalizing’ medical first aid without govt permit

A medical bill has been signed into law in Turkey that requires doctors to obtain government permission before administering emergency first aid. Critics have blasted the bill as a crackdown on doctors who treat activists injured during protests.

The bill, which was drawn up by the ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP), punishes health care professionals with up to three years in prison or a fine of almost $1 million if they administer emergency first aid without government authorization.

Prof Richard Wakeford, Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Manchester, said:

“From the information currently available, it appears that an elevated level of radioactivity has been detected at the north of the site, but that it is at a low level above normal. Such a level would not pose a risk to health that is more than encountered in everyday life, but until the cause of this increase has been identified (for example, what type of radioactive materials are responsible), the Sellafield management have told non-essential staff not to come into work. This is a prudent precaution until the cause is known and the situation rectified.”

“There are no operating nuclear reactors at Sellafield, so short-lived radionuclides such as iodine-131 are not present there to any significant extent – therefore no stable iodine tablets should be taken as there is no need. If long-lived radionuclides, such as caesium-137, are responsible, then it will be important to find out what they are so that their source can be identified.”