Just like nuclear power plants, it seems that nuclear missile bases are a step or two of redundancy short:

When Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming lost control of 50 nuclear, inter-continental missiles last October, officials said a communication failure between the control centre and the weapons was to blame.

The Daily Mail then tells us that UFO sightings coincided with the incident, and the witnesses were maintenance technicians at the base. I’m guessing the UFO was operated by the US military and being experimental in nature it caused the equipment failure.

…It is not the first time Hastings has reported UFO sightings at nuclear missile sites. He organised a press conference last September, when six former Air Force officers stepped forward to reveal they had seen or had been involved with sightings at missile sites.

The second item is a really odd story, and I’m not sure what to make of it:

An eruption by Mount Etna on the Italian island of Sicily left a nearby airport closed and … locals turning up early for work.

Bemused Sicilians, meanwhile, were quick to blame the volcano after thousands noticed that their clocks were running 15 minutes fast. The fast forward time keeping has affected a wide spectrum of digital clocks and watches – from computers through to alarm clocks. It was spotted when large numbers of locals started turning up for work early, and a Facebook page was organised for those involved to compare notes.

As well as Etna’s volcanic activity, users have so far blamed aliens, poltergeists, solar explosions and electrical disturbances caused by underwater cables. Source: Daily Mail

On various forums folk are saying that the story is made up, because it seems to have originated at the Daily Mail. So I pretended I was back working for Google and traced the story to its true origin…

Italy Magazine (UK) had the story before the Daily Mail, but the original source is Corriere della Sera, one of the oldest and most reputable daily newspapers in Italy. The original story is here, and to save you the trouble I have pasted Google’s translation below.

CATANIA – Currently the only “risk” of being in real office with a quarter of an hour in advance. But the curious fact in itself and, as was expected, the mystery now runs on the Net for over a week of Catania electric clocks, but also other cities of Sicily, are literally insane. Suddenly they begin to run even managing to go on 15/20 minutes a day. An unexplained phenomenon that has sparked the curiosity of two computer experts at St Microelectronics, the semiconductor corporation based in Catania. Francis Nicosia and Andrea De Luca is in some ways even the insiders. And certainly not easily suggestible. Speaking of them have discovered a problem in common, by return, shared on social networks . At that point, the discovery in Sicily are now hundreds of digital clocks that go faster than it should.

TAM TAM ON FACEBOOK – “How many of you have had problems with alarm clocks, microwaves, etc.?” asked Francis on Facebook. Confirmations are immediately flaked. “To me it has happened with the microwave … the system and it happens again,” replied Melina. And Angel: “… to me with a clock radio.” Paula: “It ‘true my microwave is ahead by about 7 min … how strange.”Julia, however, had thought to have already solved the problem “has happened to me with the clock radio, so I changed that yesterday.” While Marilyn was charged everything to his carelessness. “The first time I thought that I had touched the microwave evil – explains the system with time-Sky and the PC, the next day I find it forward 10 minutes. I’m more careful, the system and find it again later. Now ‘is a hard thing for a week, had never done before … boh will be the heat. “

ETNA GUILT? – It ‘just the point. What’s happening in and around Catania in Sicily? Something similar to what happened long ago in Caronia, where televisions, refrigerators, radios suddenly caught fire? In that case even came to fear the presence of aliens that hang between the Aeolian Islands and Tyrrhenian belt. The yellow di Caronia has never been fully resolved, even if it were made ​​of assumptions: the effect of electromagnetic fields to sudden changes in the delivery of current. More or less the same as those made ​​to explain “the mystery of the crazy clocks.” The People’s Network had thought well to electromagnetic fields related to Etna, although this would be valid only for Catania, while some have even mentioned the effects of solar winds.

Surges? – A convincing answer to give but the researchers of the department of electrical engineering at the University of Catania. “Everything could be born – he told a local TV Dilettoso Professor Emmanuel – the fact that there are now a network of power generators, such as photovoltaic systems, which are often not self-regulated and thus any small variations in frequency are not adequately compensated “. And there’s also those who note that a few days, work is ongoing submarine power cable that comes in Sicily. The cause should be sought, therefore, changes in the supply of electricity? “I had thought of that too – replica Francis Nicosia – but I did check the electrical wiring in my house (230 volts, with a frequency of 49.89 Hz) and everything seems smooth. And if so faults should cover all the appliances. “

THE CONCERNED BANK – If at first the two friends and colleagues have addressed this strange story lightly and almost fun now seem worried. “The other day-Francis says – even the grocery store downstairs told me that his digital clock has suddenly made ​​a run. But this is nothing. Arrival at the bank tells me that I must be patient and use a little ‘.“Unfortunately – I explained-here all the machines are going to put ….” “You also have the clocks go forward?” I ask for a joke. He said, “but how do you know?”. “In short, the alarm on the clocks crazy is spreading like wildfire and now also runs over the Net.