Toronto experienced a deadly night of shootings in which four died and three were wounded. Police are not saying if the shooting are related and have not released details of the three separate incidents.

University of Arizona
Officials are saying a disgrundled student opened fire at the Nursing School at the University of Arizona, killing two female professors, a student, and then committed suicide.

Correction: Three professors were killed.

Jordon
A US diplomat was gunned down outside his home in the Jordanian capital of Amman. 62 year old Laurence Foley died in a hail of bullets. No one has been arrested.

Which gas?
Flit, who knows a fair bit about things.

I don’t, suggests that the BBC and ABC have got it wrong when they speculate that BZ gas was used in the Moscow theatre.

How do I know ABC’s wrong and it wasn’t BZ (also known when the Iraqis make it as “Agent 15″)? Well, because BZ incapacitates you by producing vivid hallucinations (a la the movie Jacob’s Ladder, which suggested a scenario of American troops in Vietnam being gassed by it and shooting each other). In a room full of weapons and bombs, blowing people’s minds is about the last thing you’re going to want to do… no, if I had to guess, I’d put my money on a plain old G-series nerve agent, and probably, because of the reports of an odd smell, Soman (GD) in particular (the Russian army also has Sarin (GB), but that should by rights be odorless).

The Toronto Star talks to some experts who suggest it was fentayl, an anaesthetic. The Star also talks to Canadian Vissilen Nedkov, who was rescued from the theatre. 200 people have been released from hospital.

Memri
This is a english translation of the Pro-Chechen web page that outlines their rules for dealing with prisoners. Sums it up rather quickly, doesn’t it?

Europe and UK
I went to link to connexions.net, a British blog I frequent often, however it is down. A powerful storm swept
the UK and Northwestern Europe with winds clocked as high as 86 kph. Damage is estimated to be around 50m. 22 people were killed.

6 in Britain
6 in the Netherlands
2 in Belgium
3 in Germany
4 in France
1 in Switzerland

Thousands of people are without power in England and Wales and damage is extensive. People are being advised to stay indoors.

UPDATE: There are 8 more deaths being reported from the storm. Three major airports are closed and European train service has been severely disrupted.

Guantanamo Bay
The United States has released four prisoners from the Cuban based prison and say there are about 625 detained there. Meantime, Israel says it has taken 175 would be suicide bombers into custody since March.

Daylight Savings Time
Researchers say that twice a year people that live in regions that spring forward and fall back have a problem. I was discussing this with a grumpy friend yesterday. The problem isn’t about sleep, it’s about alertness and function.

Sleep researchers say the one-hour time change causes a twice-yearly disruption in natural circadian rhythms that prompts a temporary drop in adult alertness and function, and even behavioural problems in young children.

Now, leave me alone, I need another cup of coffee.