Ethanol fuel is not so green | The Courier-Mail

Ethanol fuel is not so green | The Courier-Mail: "And making ethanol is a hungry process. It requires some 200kg of corn to produce between 90 and 100 litres of ethanol, enough to fill the fuel tank of a typical four-wheel-drive vehicle. That same amount of corn could supply enough calories to feed a person for a year."

Britain makes camera that sees under clothes | U.S. | Reuters

Britain makes camera that sees under clothes | U.S. | Reuters: "LONDON (Reuters) - A British company has developed a camera that can detect weapons, drugs or explosives hidden under people's clothes from up to 25 meters away in what could be a breakthrough for the security industry."

ABC News: He's 101 and Training for Marathon

ABC News: He's 101 and Training for Marathon: "Buster Martin is an unlikely candidate to set a marathon record. He drinks beer, smokes cigarettes and stays out late. And he's 101."

Belleville Intelligencer - Ontario, CA

Belleville Intelligencer - Ontario, CA: "'The distribution of drug paraphernalia, including crackpipes, to drug users in Ottawa and Toronto, as well as the presence of drug injection sites, is also in violation of the international drug control treaties, to which Canada is a party,' says a report by the UN's influential International Narcotics Control Board released in Vienna on Wednesday."

US Navy strike group responds to increasing Lebanon, Syria tension - Jane's Naval Forces News

US Navy strike group responds to increasing Lebanon, Syria tension - Jane's Naval Forces News: "A US Navy (USN) expeditionary strike group has been deployed to the eastern Mediterranean in the wake of increasing tensions between Lebanon and Syria.

The strike group is led by the Tarawa-class amphibious assault ship USS Nassau and includes the Austin-class amphibious transport dock USS Nashville, the Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship USS Ashland, the Ticonderoga-class cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS Bulkeley and USS Ross. The six vessels left the United States on 19 and 20 February, the navy said.

The destroyer USS Cole - which was seriously damaged in a terrorist attack in Aden in 2000 - is already in international waters off the coast of Lebanon, accompanied by two refuelling ships."

NPR: AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water

NPR: AP Probe Finds Drugs in Drinking Water: "AP, March 9, 2008 - A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans, an Associated Press investigation shows."

Heathrow airport first to fingerprint - Telegraph

Heathrow airport first to fingerprint - Telegraph: "Millions of British airline passengers face mandatory fingerprinting before being allowed to board flights when Heathrow’s Terminal 5 opens later this month."

Lou Dobbs: New World Order Can Be Defeated

Lou Dobbs: New World Order Can Be Defeated: "Popular CNN host attacks Bush administration for 'shameless' destruction of sovereignty"

Iraqi Women More Oppressed Than Ever - by Dahr Jamail

Iraqi Women More Oppressed Than Ever - by Dahr Jamail: "Iraq, where women once had more rights and freedom than most others in the Arab world, has turned deadly for women who dream of education and a professional career.

Former dictator Saddam Hussein maintained a relatively secular society, where it was common for women to take up jobs as professors, doctors and government officials. In today's Iraq, women are being killed by militia groups for not conforming to strict Islamist ways."

Mind-reading machine knows what the eye can see - tech - 05 March 2008 - New Scientist Tech

Mind-reading machine knows what the eye can see - tech - 05 March 2008 - New Scientist Tech: "'Our research makes substantial advances towards being able to decode mental content from brain activity as measured using fMRI,' Kendrick Kay, a co-author of the study, told New Scientist. 'In fact, our results suggest it may soon be possible to reconstruct our visual experiences from brain activity.'"

Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore - The Boston Globe

Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore - The Boston Globe: "CAYMAN ISLANDS - Kellogg Brown & Root, the nation's top Iraq war contractor and until last year a subsidiary of Halliburton Corp., has avoided paying hundreds of millions of dollars in federal Medicare and Social Security taxes by hiring workers through shell companies based in this tropical tax haven."

CIA reveals: We said in 1974 that Israel had nuclear weapons - Haaretz - Israel News

CIA reveals: We said in 1974 that Israel had nuclear weapons - Haaretz - Israel News: "The Central Intelligence Agency, backed by bodies including the State Department's Bureau of Intelligence and Research and the Defense Intelligence Agency, determined in August 1974 that Israel had nuclear 'weapons in being,' a 'small number' of which it 'produced and stockpiled.'"

New image technique could allow scanners to read minds | Science | guardian.co.uk

New image technique could allow scanners to read minds | Science | guardian.co.uk: "Scientists have developed a mind-reading technique that allows them to accurately predict images being viewed by people, by using scanners to study brain activity."

Chavez sends troops to Colombia border - Venezuela- msnbc.com

Chavez sends troops to Colombia border - Venezuela- msnbc.com: "CARACAS, Venezuela - President Hugo Chavez ordered tanks and thousands of troops on Sunday to the border with Colombia, accusing it of pushing South America to the brink of war by killing a top rebel leader on Ecuadorean soil."

Saudi advises nationals to leave Lebanon | International | Reuters

Saudi advises nationals to leave Lebanon | International | Reuters: "BEIRUT (Reuters) - Saudi Arabia has advised its citizens in Lebanon, especially families living there, to leave the country immediately due to the security situation, several Saudi nationals said on Saturday."

The Raw Story | Chavez speaks of war after Colombian raid on Ecuador

The Raw Story | Chavez speaks of war after Colombian raid on Ecuador: "Raul Reyes of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was killed Saturday in the Colomban raid on a jungle camp on the Ecuadoran side of the common border.

Chavez, speaking in Caracas, warned Colombian President Alvaro Uribe that any similar strike against FARC rebels in Venezuela would reap dire consequences."

UNObserver & International Report

UNObserver & International Report - A Letter to Pope Benedict XVI

Cold Water on "Global Warming", National Review Online: Skeptics To Gather In Gotham To Discuss The Cold, Hard Facts - CBS News

Cold Water on "Global Warming", National Review Online: Skeptics To Gather In Gotham To Discuss The Cold, Hard Facts - CBS News: "A new and very different conference on global warming will be held in New York City, under the sponsorship of the Heartland Institute, on March 2nd to March 4th - weather permitting.

It is called an “International Conference on Climate Change” that will examine the question “Global Warming: Crisis or Scam?” Among those present will be professors of climatology, along with scientists in other fields and people from other professions.

They come from universities in England, Hungary, and Australia, as well as from the United States and Canada, and include among other dignitaries the former president of the Czech Republic, V�clav Havel.

All told, there will be 98 speakers and 400 participants.

The theme of the conference is that “there is no scientific consensus on the causes or likely consequences of global warming.”

Many of the participants in this conference are people who have already expressed skepticism about either the prevailing explanations of current climate change or the dire predictions about future climate change."

Ancient ceremonial plaza found in Peru - Yahoo! News

Ancient ceremonial plaza found in Peru - Yahoo! News: "LIMA, Peru - A team of German and Peruvian archaeologists say they have discovered the oldest known monument in Peru: a 5,500-year-old ceremonial plaza near Peru's north-central coast.
Carbon dating of material from the site revealed it was built between 3500 B.C. and 3000 B.C., Peter Fuchs, a German archaeologist who headed the excavation team, told The Associated Press by telephone Monday.
The discovery is further evidence that civilization thrived in Peru at the same time as it did in what is now the Middle East and South Asia"

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? - WSJ.com

What Makes Finnish Kids So Smart? - WSJ.com: "High-school students here rarely get more than a half-hour of homework a night. They have no school uniforms, no honor societies, no valedictorians, no tardy bells and no classes for the gifted. There is little standardized testing, few parents agonize over college and kids don't start school until age 7.

Yet by one international measure, Finnish teenagers are among the smartest in the world. They earned some of the top scores by 15-year-old students who were tested in 57 countries. American teens finished among the world's C students even as U.S. educators piled on more homework, standards and rules. Finnish youth, like their U.S. counterparts, also waste hours online. They dye their hair, love sarcasm and listen to rap and heavy metal. But by ninth grade they're way ahead in math, science and reading -- on track to keeping Finns among the world's most productive workers."

DailyTech - Accidental Discovery During Surgery Reverses Memory Loss

DailyTech - Accidental Discovery During Surgery Reverses Memory Loss: "A 50 year old man, dangerously obese, goes to the hospital for experimental brain surgery to suppress his appetite. A small piece of his skull is removed, and an electrical probe inserted deep into his brain tissue. It reaches his hypothalamus and current is switched on. Suddenly the patient -- awake through the procedure -- begins to speak uncontrollably about events in his past, events he had long forgotten. He remembers a day's walk in the park 30 years ago, complete with what people were wearing, all in vivid color. He sees them speaking to him, every motion they made. The intensity and level of detail of the memories is frightening."

DailyTech - Solar Activity Diminishes; Researchers Predict Another Ice Age

DailyTech - Solar Activity Diminishes; Researchers Predict Another Ice Age: "Dr. Kenneth Tapping is worried about the sun. Solar activity comes in regular cycles, but the latest one is refusing to start. Sunspots have all but vanished, and activity is suspiciously quiet. The last time this happened was 400 years ago -- and it signaled a solar event known as a 'Maunder Minimum,' along with the start of what we now call the 'Little Ice Age.'"

Afghanistan mission close to failing - US | World news | The Guardian

Afghanistan mission close to failing - US | World news | The Guardian: "After six years of US-led military support and billions of pounds in aid, security in Afghanistan is 'deteriorating' and President Hamid Karzai's government controls less than a third of the country, America's top intelligence official has admitted."

U.S. Navy ships move closer to Lebanon - CNN.com

U.S. Navy ships move closer to Lebanon - CNN.com: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The U.S. Navy has moved the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole and other ships to the eastern Mediterranean Sea off Lebanon, Pentagon officials said Thursday."

DailyProgress.com | Security code easy hacking for UVa student

DailyProgress.com | Security code easy hacking for UVa student: "A University of Virginia graduate student and two fellow hackers say they have cracked the encryption code that protects billions of credit cards, subway passes and security badges.

With readily available equipment that cost less than $1,000, 26-year-old Karsten Nohl and his two Germany-based partners dismantled a tiny chip that is found inside many “smartcards” and mapped out its secret security algorithm."

Hands up! How your fingers reveal so much about you... | the Daily Mail

Hands up! How your fingers reveal so much about you... | the Daily Mail: "When we look at our fingers, we may think they are beautiful, ugly, refined, or stubby. We use them to eat, gesticulate, carry, point. But what do they tell us about our personalities?"

Blind Irishman sees with the aid of son's tooth in his eye - Yahoo! News

Blind Irishman sees with the aid of son's tooth in his eye - Yahoo! News: "'I thought that I was going to be blind for the rest of my life,' McNichol told RTE state radio.

After doctors in Ireland said there was nothing more they could do, McNichol heard about a miracle operation called Osteo-Odonto-Keratoprosthesis (OOKP) being performed by Dr Christopher Liu at the Sussex Eye Hospital in Brighton in England."

BBC NEWS | Health | Vitamin E linked to lung cancer

BBC NEWS | Health | Vitamin E linked to lung cancer: "Taking high doses of vitamin E supplements can increase the risk of lung cancer, research suggests."

Israel threatens to unleash 'holocaust' in Gaza - Times Online

Israel threatens to unleash 'holocaust' in Gaza - Times Online: "An Israeli minister gave warning today that the army may unleash a “holocaust” on the Gaza Strip if Islamists there do not end their daily barrages of home-made Qassam rockets and their increasing use of Iranian-built Grad missiles."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Hezbollah says US ship is threat

BBC NEWS | Middle East | Hezbollah says US ship is threat: "A Hezbollah MP has condemned the deployment of the USS Cole warship off the coast of Lebanon as a threat to Lebanese sovereignty and independence."

Vegetarianism proves to be perversion of nature - Pravda.Ru

Vegetarianism proves to be perversion of nature - Pravda.Ru: "Vegetarians can be referred to as true fanatics. On the other hand, they are seriously misled in their beliefs. Practically nobody argues with them, since it is really difficult to convince a vegetarian of his or her self-deception."

DailyTech - Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling

DailyTech - Temperature Monitors Report Widescale Global Cooling: "Scientists quoted in a past DailyTech article link the cooling to reduced solar activity which they claim is a much larger driver of climate change than man-made greenhouse gases. The dramatic cooling seen in just 12 months time seems to bear that out. While the data doesn't itself disprove that carbon dioxide is acting to warm the planet, it does demonstrate clearly that more powerful factors are now cooling it."

Reason Magazine - Why are People Having Fewer Kids?

Reason Magazine - Why are People Having Fewer Kids?: "Population stability is achieved when each woman bears an average of 2.1 kids over the course of her lifetime—one for her, one for her male partner, and a little overage to make up to childhood deaths. Today, there are sixty countries in which TFRs are below 2.1. For example, the European Union's TFR is 1.5 and no EU member state has a TFR at replacement or above. Even high population developing countries have seen steep declines in fertility. Since 1970, China's TFR fell from 5.8 to 1.6; India's from 5.8 to 2.9; Indonesia from 5.6 to 2.4; Japan's from 2.0 to 1.3; Mexico's from 6.8 to 2.4; Brazil's from 5.4 to 2.3; and South Africa's from 5.9 to 2.7. The U.S. TFR dropped from 2.55 in 1970 to around 2.1 today, largely because of the influx of higher fertility immigrants."

Forget global warming: Welcome to the new Ice Age

Forget global warming: Welcome to the new Ice Age: "The U.S. National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) reported that many American cities and towns suffered record cold temperatures in January and early February. According to the NCDC, the average temperature in January 'was -0.3 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average.'"

Depression drugs don’t work, finds data review - Times Online

Depression drugs don’t work, finds data review - Times Online: "Millions of people taking commonly prescribed antidepressants such as Prozac and Seroxat might as well be taking a placebo, according to the first study to include unpublished evidence.

The new generation of antidepressant drugs work no better than a placebo for the majority of patients with mild or even severe depression, comprehensive research of clinical trials has found."

Philharmonic plays US anthem in N. Korea - Yahoo! News

Philharmonic plays US anthem in N. Korea - Yahoo! News: "PYONGYANG, North Korea - The New York Philharmonic performed 'The Star-Spangled Banner' for North Korea's communist elite Tuesday — a feat of musical diplomacy aimed at improving ties with the isolated nuclear-armed country that considers the U.S. its mortal enemy.
ADVERTISEMENT

The Philharmonic is the first major American cultural group to perform in the country and the largest delegation from the United States to visit its longtime foe.

The unprecedented concert represents a warming in relations between the nations that remain technically at war and locked in negotiations over Pyongyang's nuclear weapons programs."

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : Ron Paul reactivates GOP candidacy, vows to fight this year and beyond

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : Ron Paul reactivates GOP candidacy, vows to fight this year and beyond: "Wait, hold on! Don't toss those Ron Paul signs quite yet.

The 72-year-old, 10-term Republican congressman has just vowed to continue his current campaiRonpaul_jvugbqnc_3gn for the Republican presidential nomination."

The Raw Story | Jon Stewart takes on the 'uncensored' history of the 9/11 Commission

The Raw Story | Jon Stewart takes on the 'uncensored' history of the 9/11 Commission: "'It is remarkable the efforts that the Bush White House went through to try to prevent the 9/11 Commission from getting the information it needed,' Shenon told Stewart. 'The person who was most responsible for that tension was former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales who was then the White House Counsel.'"

Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us | Environment | The Observer

Pentagon tells Bush: climate change will destroy us | Environment | The Observer: "Climate change over the next 20 years could result in a global catastrophe costing millions of lives in wars and natural disasters..

A secret report, suppressed by US defence chiefs and obtained by The Observer, warns that major European cities will be sunk beneath rising seas as Britain is plunged into a 'Siberian' climate by 2020. Nuclear conflict, mega-droughts, famine and widespread rioting will erupt across the world.

The document predicts that abrupt climate change could bring the planet to the edge of anarchy as countries develop a nuclear threat to defend and secure dwindling food, water and energy supplies. The threat to global stability vastly eclipses that of terrorism, say the few experts privy to its contents."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Antarctic glaciers surge to ocean

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Antarctic glaciers surge to ocean: "UK scientists working in Antarctica have found some of the clearest evidence yet of instabilities in the ice of part of West Antarctica.
If the trend continues, they say, it could lead to a significant rise in global sea level."

Did Adolf Hitler draw Disney characters? - Telegraph

Did Adolf Hitler draw Disney characters? - Telegraph: "The director of a Norwegian museum claimed yesterday to have discovered cartoons drawn by Adolf Hitler during the Second World War.

William Hakvaag, the director of a war museum in northern Norway, said he found the drawings hidden in a painting signed 'A. Hitler' that he bought at an auction in Germany."

Rule by fear or rule by law?

Rule by fear or rule by law?: "Since 9/11, and seemingly without the notice of most Americans, the federal government has assumed the authority to institute martial law, arrest a wide swath of dissidents (citizen and noncitizen alike), and detain people without legal or constitutional recourse in the event of 'an emergency influx of immigrants in the U.S., or to support the rapid development of new programs.'

Beginning in 1999, the government has entered into a series of single-bid contracts with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root (KBR) to build detention camps at undisclosed locations within the United States. The government has also contracted with several companies to build thousands of railcars, some reportedly equipped with shackles, ostensibly to transport detainees.

According to diplomat and author Peter Dale Scott, the KBR contract is part of a Homeland Security plan titled ENDGAME, which sets as its goal the removal of 'all removable aliens' and 'potential terrorists.'"

Turkish Troops Enter Iraq Seeking Rebels - The Huffington Post

Turkish Troops Enter Iraq Seeking Rebels - The Huffington Post: "CIZRE, Turkey — Supported by air power, Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq on Friday in their first major ground incursion against Kurdish rebel bases in nearly a decade. But Turkey sought to avoid confrontation with U.S.-backed Iraq, saying the guerrillas were its only target."

Hawaiian aspartame ban stalls on lack of science

Hawaiian aspartame ban stalls on lack of science: "21-Feb-2008 - Moves to ban the use of aspartame in Hawaii appear to have failed after the bill was deferred until further evidence could be heard."

Report: Security relaxed at Obama speech - UPI.com

Report: Security relaxed at Obama speech - UPI.com: "DALLAS, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Secret Service told Dallas police to stop screening for weapons while people were still arriving at a campaign rally for Barack Obama, a report said."

BBC NEWS | Americas | US stealth bomber crashes on Guam

BBC NEWS | Americas | US stealth bomber crashes on Guam: "The United States Air Force (USAF) said both pilots had ejected safely before the plane came down at Andersen Air Force Base, shortly after take-off.

A spokeswoman said it was the first time a B-2 had crashed.

B-2 bombers, which can evade most radar signals, cost about $1.2bn (�610m) each to build."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkish troops enter north Iraq

BBC NEWS | Europe | Turkish troops enter north Iraq: "Turkish ground forces have rolled across the border into northern Iraq to target Kurdish rebels said to be sheltering there, Ankara has said."

China plans to halt rain for Beijing Olympics - Travel - LATimes.com

China plans to halt rain for Beijing Olympics - Travel - LATimes.com: "It is yet another attempt by man to triumph over nature.

Determined not to let anything spoil their party, organizers of the 2008 Summer Olympics said Wednesday that they will take control over the most unpredictable element of all -- the weather."

Navy Research Paper: 'Disrupt Economies' with Man-Made 'Floods,' 'Droughts' | Danger Room from Wired.com

Navy Research Paper: 'Disrupt Economies' with Man-Made 'Floods,' 'Droughts' | Danger Room from Wired.com: "A recently-unearthed U.S. Navy research project calls for creating mad-made floods and droughts to 'disrupt [the] economy' of an enemy state."

Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: News / Showbiz :: Global warming? It’s the coldest winter in decades

Daily Express: The World's Greatest Newspaper :: News / Showbiz :: Global warming? It’s the coldest winter in decades: "NEW evidence has cast doubt on claims that the world’s ice-caps are melting, it emerged last night. Satellite data shows that concerns over the levels of sea ice may have been premature.

It was feared that the polar caps were vanishing because of the effects of global warming. But figures from the respected US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration show that almost all the “lost” ice has come back."

Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning

Physicist Neil Turok: Big Bang Wasn't the Beginning: "For decades, physicists have accepted the notion that the universe started with the Big Bang, an explosive event at the literal beginning of time. Now, computational physicist Neil Turok is challenging that model -- and some scientists are taking him seriously.

According to Turok, who teaches at Cambridge University, the Big Bang represents just one stage in an infinitely repeated cycle of universal expansion and contraction. Turok theorizes that neither time nor the universe has a beginning or end."

BBC NEWS | Technology | Brain control headset for gamers

BBC NEWS | Technology | Brain control headset for gamers: "'Emotiv is a neuro-engineering company and we've created a brain computer interface that reads electrical impulses in the brain and translates them into commands that a video game can accept and control the game dynamically.'"

Research backs theory that vitamin C shrinks tumours - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - Independent.co.uk

Research backs theory that vitamin C shrinks tumours - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - Independent.co.uk: "New research suggesting that vitamin C can be effective in curing cancer will renew interest in the 'alternative' treatment for the terminal disease.

Three cancer patients who were given large intravenous doses over a period of several months had their lives extended and their tumours shrunk, doctors reported yesterday."

BBC NEWS | Americas | Fidel Castro announces retirement

BBC NEWS | Americas | Fidel Castro announces retirement: "Cuba's ailing leader Fidel Castro has said he will not accept another term as president, ending 49 years in power."

Saboteurs may have cut Mideast telecom cables: UN agency

Saboteurs may have cut Mideast telecom cables: UN agency: "Damage to several undersea telecom cables that caused outages across the Middle East and Asia could have been an act of sabotage, the International Telecommunication Union said on Monday.

'We do not want to preempt the results of ongoing investigations, but we do not rule out that a deliberate act of sabotage caused the damage to the undersea cables over two weeks ago,' the UN agency's head of development, Sami al-Murshed, told AFP."

Why You Should Plan to Party When You’re 70 | Inventor Spot

Why You Should Plan to Party When You’re 70 | Inventor Spot: "Do you ever dream about the wild parties you'll have when you're 70 years old? If not, maybe you should - for the sake of your health. A new study shows that young people who view old age as a miserable time of life are more likely to engage in binge drinking, smoking, eating junk food, and other unhealthy habits than their peers who have a more positive perspective of old age."

The Raw Story | Homeland Security commissions new human incapacitation device

The Raw Story | Homeland Security commissions new human incapacitation device: "One company has received an $800,000 contract from the Department of Homeland Security to develop a new 'non-lethal' method of human incapacitation for use by law enforcement.

By 2010, Intelligent Optical Systems hopes to be selling a sort of high-powered flashlight, the 'LED Incapacitator,' which would act by not only effectively blinding its target, but overloading his or her brain, with rapidly flashing lights at varying colors and frequencies. In addition to disorientation, headache and nausea are also likely."

Russia: US Satellite Shot a Weapons Test

Russia: US Satellite Shot a Weapons Test: "MOSCOW (AP) - Russia said Saturday that U.S. military plans to shoot down a damaged spy satellite may be a veiled test of America's missile defense system.

The Pentagon failed to provide 'enough arguments' to back its plan to smash the satellite next week with a missile, Russia's Defense Ministry said in a statement.

'There is an impression that the United States is trying to use the accident with its satellite to test its national anti-missile defense system's capability to destroy other countries' satellites,' the ministry said."

Crowds 'pick leaders to follow' - Telegraph

Crowds 'pick leaders to follow' - Telegraph: "People in crowds behave just like sheep, scientists claim, by blindly following one or two people who seem to know where they are going."

Who wants to live for ever? A scientific breakthrough could mean humans live for hundreds of years - Science, News - Independent.co.uk

Who wants to live for ever? A scientific breakthrough could mean humans live for hundreds of years - Science, News - Independent.co.uk: "A genetically engineered organism that lives 10 times longer than normal has been created by scientists in California. It is the greatest extension of longevity yet achieved by researchers investigating the scientific nature of ageing."

Senate Passes Bill to Expand U.S. Spying Powers - New York Times

Senate Passes Bill to Expand U.S. Spying Powers - New York Times: "WASHINGTON — After more than a year of heated political wrangling, the Senate handed the White House a major victory Tuesday by voting to broaden the government’s spy powers after giving legal protection to phone companies that cooperated in President Bush’s warrantless eavesdropping program."

G7 approves IMF gold sales - Italy econ minister | Business | Reuters

G7 approves IMF gold sales - Italy econ minister | Business | Reuters: "TOKYO (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich nations on Saturday approved the sale of gold by the International Monetary Fund from April as part of a broad reform of its budget, Italian Economy Minister Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa said."

BBC NEWS | UK | Tourists warned of UAE drug laws

BBC NEWS | UK | Tourists warned of UAE drug laws: "Travellers to the United Arab Emirates are being warned about its severe drug laws which have seen dozens detained for apparently minor offences."

The Raw Story | FBI program alleged to prepare businesses for martial law

The Raw Story | FBI program alleged to prepare businesses for martial law: "A public-private partnership program on infrastructure preparedness and protection run by the Federal Bureau of Investigation allegedly has briefed its corporate members on the possibility of martial law and the use of lethal force, according to an exclusive report in the magazine The Progressive."

Putin, in Speech, Accuses U.S. of Setting Off 'New Arms Race' - washingtonpost.com

Putin, in Speech, Accuses U.S. of Setting Off 'New Arms Race' - washingtonpost.com: "MOSCOW, Feb. 8 -- President Vladimir Putin said Friday that 'a new arms race has been unleashed in the world' as the United States moves forward with a missile defense system in Eastern Europe. Russia will field new weapons in response, he said, dismissing American assurances that the missile system is not directed against Russia as merely 'diplomatic cover.'"

New Study Shows Arctic Cooling Over last 1500 years -- Signs of the Times News

New Study Shows Arctic Cooling Over last 1500 years -- Signs of the Times News: "Excerpt: 'The late-twentieth century is not exceptionally warm in the new Tornetr�sk record: On decadal-to-century timescales, periods around AD 750, 1000, 1400, and 1750 were all equally warm, or warmer. The warmest summers in this new reconstruction occur in a 200-year period centred on AD 1000."

Acupuncture might help with fertility -- chicagotribune.com

Acupuncture might help with fertility -- chicagotribune.com: "Acupuncture appears to be a useful fertility aid, according to a new report in the British Medical Journal that found pairing acupuncture with in-vitro fertilization can raise a couple's odds of getting pregnant by 65 percent."

Scientists create three-parent embryos | Health | Reuters

Scientists create three-parent embryos | Health | Reuters: "LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have created human embryos with three parents in a development they hope could lead to effective treatments for a range of serious hereditary diseases within five years."

Torvalds pans Apple with 'utter crap' putdown - Technology - smh.com.au

Torvalds pans Apple with 'utter crap' putdown - Technology - smh.com.au: "Apple's much-touted new operating system, OS X Leopard, is in some ways worse than Windows Vista, says the founder of the Linux open source project, Linus Torvalds."

Marijuana Smoking Linked to Early Gum Disease

Marijuana Smoking Linked to Early Gum Disease: "Smoking marijuana on regular basis as a young adult can lead to gum disease by age 30 or younger, a new study led by New Zealand researchers said."

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi dies - Yahoo! News

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi dies - Yahoo! News: "THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a guru to the Beatles who introduced the West to transcendental meditation, died Tuesday at his home in the Dutch town of Vlodrop, a spokesman said. He was thought to be 91 years old."

ZAP Alias | Lotus helps develop 156mph electric three-wheeler | The Sun |HomePage|News

ZAP Alias | Lotus helps develop 156mph electric three-wheeler | The Sun |HomePage|News: "The British car firm helped develop the ZAP Alias, which can do 0 to 60mph in 5.7 seconds.

That beats a Porsche Boxster.

But the Porsche costs 60,000 pounds, while the Alias is a 15,000 snip."

Q4 FEC Reports: Ron Paul Receives More Military Donations Than All Other Republicans Combined

Q4 FEC Reports: Ron Paul Receives More Military Donations Than All Other Republicans Combined: "Total military donations nearly as much as the total of all other remaining candidates - Republican and Democrat"

Q4 FEC Reports: Ron Paul Receives More Military Donations Than All Other Republicans Combined

Q4 FEC Reports: Ron Paul Receives More Military Donations Than All Other Republicans Combined: "ARLINGTON, Va. — According to newly released FEC reports, Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has received more military donations than the other three remaining Republican candidates combined."

Indiadaily.com - American mortgage meltdown can result in the third world war between Asia and the West - 2012 or later?

Indiadaily.com - American mortgage meltdown can result in the third world war between Asia and the West - 2012 or later?

Ships did not cut internet cables: Egypt - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Ships did not cut internet cables: Egypt - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Egypt's transport ministry said footage recorded by onshore video cameras of the location of the cables showed no maritime traffic in the area when the cables were damaged.

'The ministry's maritime transport committee reviewed footage covering the period of 12 hours before and 12 hours after the cables were cut and no ships sailed the area,' a statement said."

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : News shocker: Ron Paul was biggest GOP fundraiser last quarter

Top of the Ticket : Los Angeles Times : News shocker: Ron Paul was biggest GOP fundraiser last quarter: "Well, it's official, ladies and gentlemen. Believe it or not, Rep. Ron Paul, the 72-year-old Texan who hardly ever gets mentioned in Republican political news and the one-time libertarian who always gets the least time on TV debates if he isn't barred completely, was, in fact, the most successful Republican fundraiser in the last three months of 2007."

Paul for President

Paul for President: "The presidential fields of both parties have narrowed, and the arguments about how we should move forward are now familiar. TAC believes that only one candidate has put forth a diagnosis of America’s current ills and has a vision to turn the country off its misguided course. That is Congressman Ron Paul, whom we endorse for the Republican nomination."

Microsoft makes $49b Yahoo bid - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Microsoft makes $49b Yahoo bid - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Microsoft Corp offered to buy Yahoo Inc for $US44.6 billion ($49.4 billion), in a bold bid to transform two ailing internet businesses into a worthy competitor for market leader Google Inc."

2 Communication Cables in the Mediterranean Are Cut - New York Times

2 Communication Cables in the Mediterranean Are Cut - New York Times: "One cable was damaged near Alexandria, Egypt, and the other in the waters off Marseille, France, telecommunications operators said. The two cables, which are separately managed and operated, were damaged within hours of each other."

Mideast internet outages spread to India - USATODAY.com

Mideast internet outages spread to India - USATODAY.com: "In all, users in India, Pakistan, Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Bahrain were affected. Israel was unaffected by the outages because its Internet traffic is connected to Europe through a different undersea cable, and Lebanon and Iraq were also operating normally."

BBC NEWS | Health | Deep stimulation 'boosts memory'

BBC NEWS | Health | Deep stimulation 'boosts memory': "Electrical stimulation of areas deep within the brain could improve memory, early research suggests."

Egypt Has Only 40 Pct Internet After Cable Fault - New York Times

Egypt Has Only 40 Pct Internet After Cable Fault - New York Times: "CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt had only about 40 percent of its Internet capacity available on Thursday because of a disruption to an undersea cable that has also affected the Gulf region and south Asia."

Sax notes lead to off-beat boiler - Christchurch News - The Press

Sax notes lead to off-beat boiler - Christchurch News - The Press: "Inventor and saxophone player Peter Davey has come up with a device that he claims boils water in no time.

He calls it the 'sonic boiler' because he claims it uses the power of sound. How the heater actually works has confounded experts."

uwnews.org | Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision | University of Washington News and Information

uwnews.org | Contact lenses with circuits, lights a possible platform for superhuman vision | University of Washington News and Information: "Movie characters from the Terminator to the Bionic Woman use bionic eyes to zoom in on far-off scenes, have useful facts pop into their field of view, or create virtual crosshairs. Off the screen, virtual displays have been proposed for more practical purposes -- visual aids to help vision-impaired people, holographic driving control panels and even as a way to surf the Web on the go.

The device to make this happen may be familiar. Engineers at the University of Washington have for the first time used manufacturing techniques at microscopic scales to combine a flexible, biologically safe contact lens with an imprinted electronic circuit and lights."

IC Publications

IC Publications: "Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak held talks with Iran's parliament speaker Gholam Ali Hadad Adel on Wednesday, the first such high-level meeting since the two nations froze ties almost 30 years ago.

Hadad Adel hailed his 'very good' meeting with Mubarak, who he said had insisted on rejecting any pressure from Washington aimed at stopping the resumption of diplomatic ties.

'The fact that I'm here is proof of the improvement in relations between the Islamic republic and Egypt,' Hadad Adel told journalists."

Article | Reuters

Article | Reuters: "LONDON (Reuters) - More than one million Iraqis have died as a result of the conflict in their country since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003, according to research conducted by one of Britain's leading polling groups."

The Associated Press: Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt

The Associated Press: Poor Haitians Resort to Eating Dirt: "PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — It was lunchtime in one of Haiti's worst slums, and Charlene Dumas was eating mud. With food prices rising, Haiti's poorest can't afford even a daily plate of rice, and some take desperate measures to fill their bellies. Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country's central plateau."

Software Tool Strips Windows Vista To Bare Bones -- Windows Vista -- InformationWeek

Software Tool Strips Windows Vista To Bare Bones -- Windows Vista -- InformationWeek: "vLite, created by developer Dino Nuhagic, automatically removes a number of non-essential Windows Vista components in order to pare the OS's heavy footprint by half or more."

From today, feel free to download another 25 million songs - legally - Times Online

From today, feel free to download another 25 million songs - legally - Times Online: "After a decade fighting to stop illegal file-sharing, the music industry will give fans today what they have always wanted: an unlimited supply of free and legal songs.

With CD sales in free fall and legal downloads yet to fill the gap, the music industry has reluctantly embraced the file-sharing technology that threatened to destroy it. Qtrax, a digital service announced today, promises a catalogue of more than 25 million songs that users can download to keep, free and with no limit on the number of tracks."

Scientists Build First Man-Made Genome; Synthetic Life Comes Next

Scientists Build First Man-Made Genome; Synthetic Life Comes Next: "The researchers used yeast to stitch together four long strands of DNA into the genome of a bacterium called Mycoplasma genitalium. They said it's more than an order of magnitude longer than any previous synthetic DNA creation. Leading synthetic biologists said with the new work, published Thursday in the journal Science, the first synthetic life could be just months away -- if it hasn't been created already."

Iran vows to retaliate against U.S. bases in Gulf if it attacks first - Yahoo! Canada News

Iran vows to retaliate against U.S. bases in Gulf if it attacks first - Yahoo! Canada News: "CAIRO, Egypt - Iran's top military commander said Saturday that his forces would retaliate against American military bases in the Persian Gulf if they are involved in any possible future attack on Iran."

Alabama Republican Assembly Endorses Ron Paul for President: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance

Alabama Republican Assembly Endorses Ron Paul for President: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "ARLINGTON, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Alabama Republican Assembly (ALRA) has announced its endorsement of Texas Republican Congressman Ron Paul for President."

Calif. Firms Can Fire Medical Marijuana Users - washingtonpost.com

Calif. Firms Can Fire Medical Marijuana Users - washingtonpost.com: "LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24 -- The California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that employers can fire workers who test positive for marijuana even if they have a note from a doctor recommending its use for medical reasons.

The 5 to 2 ruling came in a state that was the first to legalize cannabis for medical use but has followed up with ambiguity and ambivalence about making it a reality."

Ahmadinejad to make landmark visit to Iraq: ministry | International | Reuters

Ahmadinejad to make landmark visit to Iraq: ministry | International | Reuters: "BAGHDAD (Reuters) - President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has accepted an invitation to visit Baghdad, Iraq's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday, a landmark trip that would make him the first leader of Iran to visit its former foe."

Truth was first US casualty in Iraq war: study - Yahoo! News

Truth was first US casualty in Iraq war: study - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - US President George W. Bush and his top officials ran roughshod over the truth in the run-up to the Iraq war lying a total of 935 times, a study released Wednesday found."

Saudi Arabia to lift ban on women drivers - Telegraph

Saudi Arabia to lift ban on women drivers - Telegraph: "Saudi Arabia is to lift its ban on women drivers in an attempt to stem a rising suffragette-style movement in the deeply conservative state."

Pre-emptive nuclear strike a key option, Nato told | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited

Pre-emptive nuclear strike a key option, Nato told | Special reports | Guardian Unlimited: "The west must be ready to resort to a pre-emptive nuclear attack to try to halt the 'imminent' spread of nuclear and other weapons of mass destruction, according to a radical manifesto for a new Nato by five of the west's most senior military officers and strategists."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Russia warns of nuclear defence

BBC NEWS | Europe | Russia warns of nuclear defence: "Russia's military chief of staff has said Moscow is ready to use force, including pre-emptively and with nuclear weapons, to defend itself.

Gen Yuri Baluyevsky said Russia had no plans to attack anyone, but it was important that other countries clearly understood its leaders' resolve."

BBC NEWS | Health | Longer legs 'really are a draw'

BBC NEWS | Health | Longer legs 'really are a draw': "People with slightly longer legs really are more attractive to the opposite sex, a study suggests."