BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Afghan 'health link' to uranium

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Afghan 'health link' to uranium: "Doctors in Afghanistan say rates of some health problems affecting children have doubled in the last two years."

"Hostile" Iran Sparks U.S. Attack Plan Pentagon Wary Of Tehran s Expanding Nuclear Program And Support Of Iraqi Insurgents - CBS News

"Hostile" Iran Sparks U.S. Attack Plan Pentagon Wary Of Tehran s Expanding Nuclear Program And Support Of Iraqi Insurgents - CBS News: "CBS A second American aircraft carrier steamed into the Persian Gulf on Tuesday as the Pentagon ordered military commanders to develop new options for attacking Iran. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that the planning is being driven by what one officer called the 'increasingly hostile role' Iran is playing in Iraq - smuggling weapons into Iraq for use against American troops. 'What the Iranians are doing is killing American servicemen and -women inside Iraq ' said Secretary of Defense Robert Gates."

Drink a beer and lose the fear | NEWS.com.au

Drink a beer and lose the fear | NEWS.com.au: "DRINKING alcohol dulls the brain's ability to detect threats, US researchers said today in a study that helps explain why drunk people get into bar fights and drive their cars."

Gene therapy success 'reverses' blindness - health - 28 April 2008 - New Scientist

Gene therapy success 'reverses' blindness - health - 28 April 2008 - New Scientist: "Experimental gene therapy trials have improved the vision of four people who suffer from hereditary blindness.

The preliminary results of two independent studies suggest that 'repair' genes delivered to the eye might one day cure Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA), a rare disease that strikes about 1 in 80,000 people in the UK, and 2,000 Americans in total.

Equally important, say researchers, the treatments proved safe in the six patients who received the genes – delivered by a disabled virus – via eye surgery."

BBC Anchor Who Reported on WTC7 Collapse Early Agrees There May Be a 'Conspiracy'

BBC Anchor Who Reported on WTC7 Collapse Early Agrees There May Be a 'Conspiracy': "We Are Change UK Question former BBC Report Phil Hayton-- who is 'amazed' that such a 'significant' event has no official explanation"

CFP: Soviet Politbureau Members, Gorbachev included, signed an “informal death Sentence on John Paul II

CFP: Soviet Politbureau Members, Gorbachev included, signed an “informal death Sentence on John Paul II: "Who signed the “informal” death sentence against John Paul II? The party document obtained by the author of the book listed nine prominent Soviet CP members: the chief of the Soviet propaganda - Mikhail Suslov, members of the Presidium of the CC CPSU - Andrei Kirilenko, Konstantin Chernenko, secretaries of the CC - Konstantin Rusakov (responsible for the contacts with the Polish Communist Party), Vladimir Ponomarev, Ivan Kapitonov, Mikhail Zimyanin, Vladimir Dolgikh and Mikhail Gorbachev."

Drinking the 9/11 Kool-Aid

Drinking the 9/11 Kool-Aid: "State Sen. Karen Johnson, R-Mesa, recently demonstrated her membership in this club.

The state Senate, at long last, appeared poised to finally - finally! - end the debate over what sort of remembrance phrases Arizona's 9/11 Memorial should include. The legislation would have extracted some locutions that appear to be critical of the U.S.

A vote in the Senate Appropriations Committee had the measure passing narrowly - until it came to Johnson, whose vote against changing the memorial's phrases created a tie, killing the legislation for now.

'There are many of us that believe there's been a cover-up,' she told Capitol reporters about the terrorist attacks."

It's official: Guillermo del Toro to direct 'The Hobbit' and sequel - Los Angeles Times

It's official: Guillermo del Toro to direct 'The Hobbit' and sequel - Los Angeles Times: "Peter Jackson and the production team behind the 'Lord of the Rings' legacy have tapped Guillermo del Toro to direct 'The Hobbit' and its sequel 'The Hobbit 2.'"

Rationing of rice hits Britain’s Chinese and curry restaurants - Times Online

Rationing of rice hits Britain’s Chinese and curry restaurants - Times Online: "Rice is being rationed in Britain as shopkeepers limit supplies to their customers to prevent hoarding. Restrictions on sales in Asian neighbourhoods are reported as emergency measures are taken by governments worldwide to combat the soaring cost of rice and prevent outbreaks of food rioting."

Researchers Detail Chemotherapy's Damage to the Brain - URMC Press Room

Researchers Detail Chemotherapy's Damage to the Brain - URMC Press Room: "A commonly used chemotherapy drug causes healthy brain cells to die off long after treatment has ended and may be one of the underlying biological causes of the cognitive side effects – or “chemo brain” – that many cancer patients experience. That is the conclusion of a study published today in the Journal of Biology."

Blair caught on train without ticket | NEWS.com.au

Blair caught on train without ticket | NEWS.com.au: "FORMER British prime minister Tony Blair has been caught travelling on a train without a ticket or any cash to pay the fare."

Sorry to ruin the fun, but an ice age cometh | The Australian

Sorry to ruin the fun, but an ice age cometh | The Australian: "Disconcerting as it may be to true believers in global warming, the average temperature on Earth has remained steady or slowly declined during the past decade, despite the continued increase in the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide, and now the global temperature is falling precipitously.

All four agencies that track Earth's temperature (the Hadley Climate Research Unit in Britain, the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, the Christy group at the University of Alabama, and Remote Sensing Systems Inc in California) report that it cooled by about 0.7C in 2007. This is the fastest temperature change in the instrumental record and it puts us back where we were in 1930. If the temperature does not soon recover, we will have to conclude that global warming is over.

There is also plenty of anecdotal evidence that 2007 was exceptionally cold. It snowed in Baghdad for the first time in centuries, the winter in China was simply terrible and the extent of Antarctic sea ice in the austral winter was the greatest on record since James Cook discovered the place in 1770."

Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations’ - New York Times

Inmate Count in U.S. Dwarfs Other Nations’ - New York Times: "The United States has less than 5 percent of the world’s population. But it has almost a quarter of the world’s prisoners."

Japan's hunger becomes a dire warning for other nations | theage.com.au

Japan's hunger becomes a dire warning for other nations | theage.com.au: "A 130% rise in the global cost of wheat in the past year, caused partly by surging demand from China and India and a huge injection of speculative funds into wheat futures, has forced the Government to hit flour millers with three rounds of stiff mark-ups. The latest — a 30% increase this month — has given rise to speculation that Japan, which relies on imports for 90% of its annual wheat consumption, is no longer on the brink of a food crisis, but has fallen off the cliff."

What are the aircraft career battle groups for? - The China Post

What are the aircraft career battle groups for? - The China Post: "Three U.S. aircraft carrier battle groups are patrolling waters off southeast Taiwan. The task forces with the Kitty Hawk, Nimitz and Lincoln in the lead are believed to continue the patrol until May 20. Of course, it's rather unusual. But what for?"

ABC News: Clinton Ad Features Osama Bin Laden in Last Minute Vote Drive

ABC News: Clinton Ad Features Osama Bin Laden in Last Minute Vote Drive: "Clinton further displayed tough talk in an interview airing on 'Good Morning America' Tuesday. ABC News' Chris Cuomo asked Clinton what she would do if Iran attacked Israel with nuclear weapons.

'I want the Iranians to know that if I'm the president, we will attack Iran,' Clinton said. 'In the next 10 years, during which they might foolishly consider launching an attack on Israel, we would be able to totally obliterate them.'"

Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket of the World | The New York Sun

Food Rationing Confronts Breadbasket of the World | The New York Sun: "MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Many parts of America, long considered the breadbasket of the world, are now confronting a once unthinkable phenomenon: food rationing."

PETA offers $1m for test tube chicken | The Register

PETA offers $1m for test tube chicken | The Register: "PETA, the US Animal rights organization, is challenging scientists to create test-tube meat for a cash reward, in a similar vein as X Prize Foundation.

PETA announced today it will offer $1m to an organization that can successfully create and market 'in vitro meat,' i.e. muscle tissue grown without the pesky animal attached."

Dissident Voice : Who Killed Martin Luther King?

Dissident Voice : Who Killed Martin Luther King?: "In 1977 the family of Martin Luther King engaged an attorney and friend, Dr. William Pepper, to investigate a suspicion they had. They no longer believed that James Earl Ray was the killer. For their peace of mind, for an accurate record of history, and out of a sense of justice they conducted a two decade long investigation. The evidence they uncovered was put before a jury in Memphis, TN, in November 1999. 70 witnesses testified under oath, 4,000 pages of transcripts described the evidence, much of it new. It took the jury 59 minutes to come back with their decision that Loyd Jowers, owner of Jim’s Grill, had participated in a conspiracy to kill King, a conspiracy that included J. Edgar Hoover and the FBI, Richard Helms and the CIA, the military, the Memphis Police Department (MPD), and organized crime. That verdict exonerated James Earl Ray who had already died in prison."

Exposed: the great GM crops myth - Green Living, Environment - The Independent

Exposed: the great GM crops myth - Green Living, Environment - The Independent: "Genetic modification actually cuts the productivity of crops, an authoritative new study shows, undermining repeated claims that a switch to the controversial technology is needed to solve the growing world food crisis."

New security camera can 'see' through clothes - CNN.com

New security camera can 'see' through clothes - CNN.com: "LONDON England CNN -- New technology that can 'see' through clothing and detect what s underneath can now be used to scan crowds making it a potentially effective tool to prevent terrorist attacks in public places."

World's oldest tree discovered in Sweden - Telegraph

World's oldest tree discovered in Sweden - Telegraph: "The world's oldest tree has been found in Sweden, a tenacious spruce that first took root just after the end of the last ice age, more than 9,500 years ago.

The tree has rewritten the history of the climate in the region, revealing that it was much warmer at that time and the ice had disappeared earlier than thought."

The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure?, Inventor Tells 60 Minutes He Hopes To Live Long Enough To See Machine Cure Humans - CBS News

The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure?, Inventor Tells 60 Minutes He Hopes To Live Long Enough To See Machine Cure Humans - CBS News: "(CBS) What if we told you that a guy with no background in science or medicine-not even a college degree-has come up with what may be one of the most promising breakthroughs in cancer research in years?"

Report: Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel - Haaretz - Israel News

Report: Netanyahu says 9/11 terror attacks good for Israel - Haaretz - Israel News: "The Israeli newspaper Ma'ariv on Wednesday reported that Likud leader Benjamin Netanyahu told an audience at Bar Ilan university that the September 11, 2001 terror attacks had been beneficial for Israel.

'We are benefiting from one thing, and that is the attack on the Twin Towers and Pentagon, and the American struggle in Iraq,' Ma'ariv quoted the former prime minister as saying. He reportedly added that these events 'swung American public opinion in our favor.'"

The Raw Story | Ahmadinejad casts doubt on 'suspect' Sept 11

The Raw Story | Ahmadinejad casts doubt on 'suspect' Sept 11: "Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Wednesday reaffirmed his doubts about the accepted version of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, describing the strikes as a 'suspect event'.

'Four or five years ago a suspect event took place in New York,' Ahmadinejad said in a speech to a public rally in the holy city of Qom broadcast live on state television.

'A building collapsed and they said that 3,000 people had been killed, whose names were never published.'

'Under this pretext they (the United States) attacked Afghanistan and Iraq and since then a million people have been killed,' he said.

This was the third time in just over a week that Ahmadinejad has publicly raised doubts about the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington carried out by Al-Qaeda militants which killed nearly 3,000 people."

The Canadian Press: Ottawa to pay struggling pork producers $50 million to kill 150,000 pigs by fall

The Canadian Press: Ottawa to pay struggling pork producers $50 million to kill 150,000 pigs by fall: "EDMONTON — In what is being called an unprecedented move, the federal government will pay Canadian pork producers $50 million to kill off 150,000 of their pigs by the fall as the industry teeters on the brink of economic collapse.

The animals are being destroyed at slaughter plants and on pig farms in a bid to cull the swine breeding herd by 10 per cent."

Scientists predict 500,000GB mp3 player - Telegraph

Scientists predict 500,000GB mp3 player - Telegraph: "In short, he says, 'What we have done is find a way to potentially increase the data storage capabilities in a radical way.'

Microchips rely on transistors, which are glorified switches and the Glasgow team has designed a cluster of molybdenum oxide based molecules measuring a billionth of a metre across that forms a novel kind of switching device."

Remember The Undersea Cables That Were Being Cut ? - Iraqi Ship Held, 2 Arrested : Homeland Security National Terror Alert - Homeland Security News

Remember The Undersea Cables That Were Being Cut ? - Iraqi Ship Held, 2 Arrested : Homeland Security National Terror Alert - Homeland Security News: "DUBAI: The UAE authorities have released one of the two ships allegedly responsible for causing damage to an undersea cable network of Flag Telecom that had resulted in disruption of Internet services across India for two weeks."

Price shock in global food | csmonitor.com

Price shock in global food | csmonitor.com: "The UN International Fund for Agriculture predicts food riots will become common on the world scene for at least a year. The World Bank says 33 countries face unrest from higher prices in both food and energy."

Hurricane expert reconsiders global warming's impact | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle

Hurricane expert reconsiders global warming's impact | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "One of the most influential scientists behind the theory that global warming has intensified recent hurricane activity says he will reconsider his stand.

The hurricane expert, Kerry Emanuel of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, unveiled a novel technique for predicting future hurricane activity this week. The new work suggests that, even in a dramatically warming world, hurricane frequency and intensity may not substantially rise during the next two centuries."

US banks Citigroup and Merrill Lynch reveal fresh $15bn loss - Times Online

US banks Citigroup and Merrill Lynch reveal fresh $15bn loss - Times Online: "CITIGROUP and Merrill Lynch will heap further pain on Wall Street this week as they reveal additional sub-prime write-downs totalling $15 billion (�7.6 billion) or more."

BBC NEWS | Europe | Pope 'refused audience for Rice'

BBC NEWS | Europe | Pope 'refused audience for Rice': "Pope Benedict XVI refused a recent request by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to discuss the Middle East and Iraq, Vatican sources say.
The Pope refused a request for an audience during the August holidays.
Senior Vatican sources told the BBC the Pope does not normally receive politicians on his annual holiday at the Castelgandolfo residence near Rome.
But one leading Italian newspaper said it was an evident snub by the Vatican towards the Bush administration."

BBC NEWS | Middle East | UN expert stands by Nazi comments

BBC NEWS | Middle East | UN expert stands by Nazi comments: "The next UN investigator into Israeli conduct in the occupied territories has stood by comments comparing Israeli actions in Gaza to those of the Nazis."

U.N. Official Calls for Study Of Neocons' Role in 9/11 - April 10, 2008 - The New York Sun

U.N. Official Calls for Study Of Neocons' Role in 9/11 - April 10, 2008 - The New York Sun: "WASHINGTON — A new U.N. Human Rights Council official assigned to monitor Israel is calling for an official commission to study the role neoconservatives may have played in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks."

Cosmetic chemicals found in breast tumours - 12 January 2004 - New Scientist

Cosmetic chemicals found in breast tumours - 12 January 2004 - New Scientist: "Preservative chemicals found in samples of breast tumours probably came from underarm deodorants, UK scientists have claimed.

Their analysis of 20 breast tumours found high concentrations of para-hydroxybenzoic acids (parabens) in 18 samples. Parabens can mimic the hormone estrogen, which is known to play a role in the development of breast cancers. The preservatives are used in many cosmetics and some foods to increase their shelf-life."

Artificial sperm takes men out of equation | NEWS.com.au

Artificial sperm takes men out of equation | NEWS.com.au: "ARTIFICIAL human sperm could come to the aid of infertile men, according to a team of scientists who have used lab-grown sperm to inseminate female mice.

Artificial sperm could also make males totally redundant, permitting women to give birth without a biological male mate."

D.C. police set to monitor 5,000 cameras�-�-�Breaking News, Political News & National Security News - The Washington Times

D.C. police set to monitor 5,000 cameras�-�-�Breaking News, Political News & National Security News - The Washington Times: "D.C. officials are giving police access to more than 5,000 closed-circuit TV cameras citywide that monitor traffic, schools and public housing — a move that will give the District one of the largest surveillance networks in the country.

'The primary benefit of what we're doing is for public health and safety,'"

Lord Lawson claims climate change hysteria heralds a 'new age of unreason' - Telegraph

Lord Lawson claims climate change hysteria heralds a 'new age of unreason' - Telegraph: "On the other hand, global temperatures, after flattening out, have in recent months shown a sharp fall, wholly unpredicted by those computer models on which the proponents of warming orthodoxy rely. This raises rather large question marks over whether the theory has actually got it right."

Cup of coffee a day can keep Alzheimer's away, say scientists | the Daily Mail

Cup of coffee a day can keep Alzheimer's away, say scientists | the Daily Mail: "A cup of coffee a day could keep Alzheimer's disease at bay, research suggests.

Scientists have shown a daily dose of caffeine helps protect the brain from the harmful effects of cholesterol, which is linked to the disease."

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Solar System's 'look-alike' found

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | Solar System's 'look-alike' found: "Astronomers have discovered a planetary system orbiting a distant star which looks much like our own.

They found two planets that were close matches for Jupiter and Saturn orbiting a star about half the size of our Sun.

Martin Dominik, from St Andrews University in the UK, said the finding suggested systems like our own could be much more common than we thought.

And he told a major meeting that astronomers were on the brink of finding many more of them."

Cow-human cross embryo lives three days | NEWS.com.au

Cow-human cross embryo lives three days | NEWS.com.au: "HUMAN-cow embryos have been created in a world first at Newcastle University in England hailed by the scientific community but labelled 'monstrous' by opponents. A team has grown hybrid embryos after injecting human DNA into eggs taken from cows ovaries which had most of their genetic material removed. The embryos survived for three days and are intended to provide a limitless supply of stem cells to develop therapies for diseases such as Alzheimer s Parkinson s and spinal cord injuries overcoming a worldwide shortfall in human embryos."

CNN.com - Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes - January 29, 2002

CNN.com - Bush asks Daschle to limit Sept. 11 probes - January 29, 2002: "WASHINGTON (CNN) -- President Bush personally asked Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle Tuesday to limit the congressional investigation into the events of September 11, congressional and White House sources told CNN."

Food additives 'could be as damaging as lead in petrol' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent

Food additives 'could be as damaging as lead in petrol' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent: "Artificial food colours are set to be removed from hundreds of products after a team of university researchers warned they were doing as much damage to children's brains as lead in petrol."

Sonny Bono 'assassinated' by hitmen | The Australian

Sonny Bono 'assassinated' by hitmen | The Australian: "SONNY Bono, former husband and singing partner of superstar Cher, was clubbed to death by hitmen on the orders of drug and weapons dealers who feared he was going to expose them, a former FBI agent claims."

Fears grow over Botox safety - health - 02 April 2008 - New Scientist

Fears grow over Botox safety - health - 02 April 2008 - New Scientist

ENN: New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain

ENN: New Record: Wind Powers 40% Of Spain: "Wind power is breaking new records in Spain, accounting for just over 40 percent of all electricity consumed during a brief period last weekend."

Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism | ajc.com

Ted Turner: Global warming could lead to cannibalism | ajc.com: "'Right now, the U.S. is spending $500 billion a year on the military, which is more than all 190 countries in the world put together,' he said.

'The two countries that the military industrial complex and some of our politicians would like to demonize and make enemies are Russia and China,' Turner said. 'China just wants to sell us shoes. They're not building landing craft to attack the United States, and Russia wants to be our friends, too.'

He said that despite the United States' huge military budget, 'we can't win in Iraq.'

'We're being beaten by insurgents who don't even have any tanks, they don't have a headquarters, they don't have a Pentagon, we don't even know if they have any generals,' Turner told Rose.

Turner called the Iraqi insurgents 'patriots' who 'don't like us because we invaded their country and occupied it. Nobody likes to be invaded.'"

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'No Sun link' to climate change

BBC NEWS | Science/Nature | 'No Sun link' to climate change: "Scientists have produced further compelling evidence showing that modern-day climate change is not caused by changes in the Sun's activity."

Thirty-Six U.S. States to Face Water Shortages in the Next Five Years

Thirty-Six U.S. States to Face Water Shortages in the Next Five Years: "'Is it a crisis? If we don't do some decent water planning, it could be,' said Jack Hoffbuhr, executive director of the American Water Works Association. Rising temperatures due to global warming have increased evaporation rates across the country and reduced the availability of important water sources. One of these is the Sierra Nevada snowpack, which supplies a significant portion of California's water. Across the West, similar trends are expected to reduce flows of the Colorado River, which supplies water for seven states.

Meanwhile, rising sea levels are expected to cause saltwater to infiltrate freshwater aquifers in coastal states, rendering that water unusable."

The suit that's turned the swim world on its head - Los Angeles Times

The suit that's turned the swim world on its head - Los Angeles Times: "Records are falling to competitors wearing Speedo's new LZR Racer. Critics say it constitutes an unfair advantage."

Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent

Mobile phones 'more dangerous than smoking' - Health News, Health & Wellbeing - The Independent: "Mobile phones could kill far more people than smoking or asbestos, a study by an award-winning cancer expert has concluded. He says people should avoid using them wherever possible and that governments and the mobile phone industry must take 'immediate steps' to reduce exposure to their radiation"

Muslims more numerous than Catholics: Vatican | Top News | Reuters

Muslims more numerous than Catholics: Vatican | Top News | Reuters: "VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Islam has overtaken Roman Catholicism as the biggest single religious denomination in the world, the Vatican said on Sunday."

Scroll to Mr. Bush Reminds Him of His Historic Role - Politics & Government - Israel News - Arutz Sheva

Scroll to Mr. Bush Reminds Him of His Historic Role - Politics & Government - Israel News - Arutz Sheva: "(IsraelNN.com) A historic document is planned to be submitted to visiting US President George Bush upon his arrival this week, calling upon him to choose to be remembered like Cyrus, and not like Nebuchadnezzar.

The document, grandly transcribed on parchment and furled into a scroll, is addressed to the the 'Leader of the West.' It reminds President Bush to 'declare to the world' that he will honor G-d's word and act 'towards settling the Jewish People throughout their entire Land.'"

ABC News: Generals Tell Bush Troops Are Exhausted by Iraq Deployments

ABC News: Generals Tell Bush Troops Are Exhausted by Iraq Deployments: "Behind the Pentagon's closed doors, U.S. military leaders told President Bush they are worried about the Iraq war's mounting strain on troops and their families."

BBC News | SCI/TECH | GM pollen 'can kill butterflies'

BBC News | SCI/TECH | GM pollen 'can kill butterflies': "Pollen from one of the most successful genetically modified (GM) crops in the US can kill the larvae of monarch butterflies, scientists say.

Their study, published in the journal Nature, shows how the new GM technology might have unwanted consequences for biodiversity."

Regulators Stamp Copper as a Germ Killer - New York Times

Regulators Stamp Copper as a Germ Killer - New York Times: "The market for antimicrobial doorknobs, hospital fixtures and other products that kill germs on contact may be about to take on a coppery sheen.

The Copper Development Association, a trade group for copper companies, said Tuesday that federal regulators had approved its application to market a group of copper alloys, including brass and bronze, as capable of killing bacteria and microbes effectively enough to protect human health."

BBC NEWS | Business | Credit crunch 'at $1.2 trillion'

BBC NEWS | Business | Credit crunch 'at $1.2 trillion': "The credit crunch will globally cost $1.2 trillion (�600bn) according to a report from the bank Goldman Sachs."

Study Links Middle-Age Belly Fat to Dementia - washingtonpost.com

Study Links Middle-Age Belly Fat to Dementia - washingtonpost.com: "People who have big bellies in their 40s are much more likely to get Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia in their 70s, according to new research that links the middle-aged spread to a fading mind for the first time."

BBC NEWS | Business | Tata buys Jaguar in �1.15bn deal

BBC NEWS | Business | Tata buys Jaguar in �1.15bn deal: "Car giant Ford has sold its luxury UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian company Tata."

TED | Talks | Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight (video)

TED | Talks | Jill Bolte Taylor: My stroke of insight (video): "Neuroanatomist Jill Bolte Taylor had an opportunity few brain scientists would wish for: One morning, she realized she was having a massive stroke. As it happened -- as she felt her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding -- she studied and remembered every moment. This is a powerful story about how our brains define us and connect us to the world and to one another."

Why we're against the war | Iraq Veterans Against the War

Why we're against the war | Iraq Veterans Against the War: "Why we're against the war

Q: Why are veterans, active duty, and National Guard men and women opposed to the war in Iraq?

A: Here are 10 reasons we oppose this war:"

The world is a better place for the Iraq War, says President Bush - Times Online

The world is a better place for the Iraq War, says President Bush - Times Online: "President Bush today marked the fifth anniversary of the start of the Iraq war with the message: 'The world is better, and the US is safer.'

In a bullish speech at the Pentagon, in which he repeatedly linked the conflict in Iraq with the worldwide war against Islamist terror, Mr Bush said any rapid drawing down of troops would risk emboldened terrorists launching a 'repeat' of the September 11 attacks."

Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-Growing Organs, The Future Is Here: Regenerative Powder, Ink Jet Heart Cells And Custom-Made Body Parts - CBS News

Medicine's Cutting Edge: Re-Growing Organs, The Future Is Here: Regenerative Powder, Ink Jet Heart Cells And Custom-Made Body Parts - CBS News: "(CBS) Imagine re-growing a severed fingertip, or creating an organ in the lab that can be transplanted into a patient without risk of rejection. It sounds like science fiction, but it's not. It's the burgeoning field of regenerative medicine, in which scientists are learning to harness the body's own power to regenerate itself, with astonishing results."

BBC NEWS | Business | OECD slashes US growth forecast

BBC NEWS | Business | OECD slashes US growth forecast: "The US economy is on the brink of recession, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)."

Eliot Spitzer - Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime - washingtonpost.com

Eliot Spitzer - Predatory Lenders' Partner in Crime - washingtonpost.com: "In 2003, during the height of the predatory lending crisis, the OCC invoked a clause from the 1863 National Bank Act to issue formal opinions preempting all state predatory lending laws, thereby rendering them inoperative. The OCC also promulgated new rules that prevented states from enforcing any of their own consumer protection laws against national banks. The federal government's actions were so egregious and so unprecedented that all 50 state attorneys general, and all 50 state banking superintendents, actively fought the new rules.

But the unanimous opposition of the 50 states did not deter, or even slow, the Bush administration in its goal of protecting the banks. In fact, when my office opened an investigation of possible discrimination in mortgage lending by a number of banks, the OCC filed a federal lawsuit to stop the investigation."

Crucifixion not good for your health | The Australian

Crucifixion not good for your health | The Australian: "PHILIPPINE health officials have warned people taking part in Easter crucifixions and self-flagellation rituals to get a tetanus shot first and sterilise the nails to avoid infections."

Cup Of Black Tea Could Defend Against Anthrax Threat, Research Suggests

Cup Of Black Tea Could Defend Against Anthrax Threat, Research Suggests: "A new study by an international team of researchers from Cardiff University and University of Maryland has revealed how the humble cup of tea could well be an antidote to Bacillus anthracis --more commonly know as anthrax."

tehran times : Japanese emperor calls for stronger ties with Iran

tehran times : Japanese emperor calls for stronger ties with Iran: "Japanese Emperor Akihito, in a meeting with the new Iranian envoy to Tokyo, has called for strong ties between the two countries."

New Orleans' homeless rate swells to 1 in 25 - USATODAY.com

New Orleans' homeless rate swells to 1 in 25 - USATODAY.com: "NEW ORLEANS — The homeless population of New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina has reached unprecedented levels for a U.S. city: one in 25 residents."

Carlyle Fund Expects Assets Will Be Seized - New York Times

Carlyle Fund Expects Assets Will Be Seized - New York Times: "Banks are calling in loans or ask for more collateral as the value of assets backed by mortgage-securities continue to decline.

The collapse of talks between Carlyle Capital and some of its lenders, which include Bear Stearns, Bank of America, Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, shows that a plan earlier this week by the Federal Reserve to back some assets like private mortgage bonds has not stopped banks from demanding more collateral.

On Wednesday, Drake Management, based in New York, said it might shut its largest hedge fund, while investors in a fund managed by Amsterdam-based GO Capital Asset Management were prohibited from withdrawing funds.

Peloton Partners, a hedge fund based in London and run by former Goldman Sachs partners, was forced to liquidate its largest funds last month after it failed to reach an agreement with some of its lenders on the levels of collateral. Thornburg Mortgage, a big United States lender, also ran into trouble after it failed to meet some margin calls."

BBC NEWS | Business | Bear Stearns gets emergency funds

BBC NEWS | Business | Bear Stearns gets emergency funds: "US bank Bear Stearns has got emergency funding, in a move that raises fears that one of Wall Street's biggest names is on the verge of collapsing."

6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran - News Desk (usnews.com)

6 Signs the U.S. May Be Headed for War in Iran - News Desk (usnews.com)

McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam

McCain's Spiritual Guide: Destroy Islam: "Senator John McCain hailed as a spiritual adviser an Ohio megachurch pastor who has called upon Christians to wage a 'war' against the 'false religion' of Islam with the aim of destroying it."

U.S. drops China from list of top 10 violators of rights - International Herald Tribune

U.S. drops China from list of top 10 violators of rights - International Herald Tribune: "WASHINGTON: The State Department no longer considers China one of the world's worst human rights violators, according to its annual human rights report released Tuesday, a decision that immediately earned the ire of human rights groups."

John McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Calls For Destruction Of Islam - Politics on The Huffington Post

John McCain's "Spiritual Guide" Calls For Destruction Of Islam - Politics on The Huffington Post: "Senator John McCain hailed as a spiritual adviser an Ohio megachurch pastor who has called upon Christians to wage a 'war' against the 'false religion' of Islam with the aim of destroying it."

Rapid Report: Pentagon Report on Saddam's Iraq Censored?

Rapid Report: Pentagon Report on Saddam's Iraq Censored?: "ABC News' Jonathan Karl Reports: The Bush Administration apparently does not want a U.S. military study that found no direct connection between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda to get any attention. This morning, the Pentagon cancelled plans to send out a press release announcing the report's release and will no longer make the report available online."

Iraq violence sees spike - Yahoo! News

Iraq violence sees spike - Yahoo! News: "BAGHDAD - Violence appeared to be on the rise in Iraq after a day that saw at least 42 people die — numbers that cast doubt on the easing of sectarian violence following a surge of U.S. forces to the country last year."

UK top cop who led CIA probe found dead - Yahoo! News

UK top cop who led CIA probe found dead - Yahoo! News: "MANCHESTER, England - A city police chief who led an investigation into charges that Britain cooperated with secret CIA flights to transport terrorism suspects without formal proceedings has been found dead, his deputy said Tuesday."

Exhaustive review finds no link between Saddam, al Qaida - Yahoo! News

Exhaustive review finds no link between Saddam, al Qaida - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON — An exhaustive review of more than 600,000 Iraqi documents that were captured after the 2003 U.S. invasion has found no evidence that Saddam Hussein's regime had any operational links with Osama bin Laden's al Qaida terrorist network."

2008 The Year Of Global Food Crisis (from Sunday Herald)

2008 The Year Of Global Food Crisis (from Sunday Herald): "More than 73 million people in 78 countries that depend on food handouts from the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) are facing reduced rations this year. The increasing scarcity of food is the biggest crisis looming for the world'', according to WFP officials."

Gang Members Get Trained in the Army - NAM

Gang Members Get Trained in the Army - NAM: "LOS ANGELES – While hundreds of Mexican soldiers are deserting the army to join drug trafficking gangs, California is facing the opposite problem: A growing number of gang members here have infiltrated the U.S. Armed Forces in order to receive military training."

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"