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Post by Tulameen on Jul 10, 2006 9:38:29 GMT -5
BBC NEWS People in the Arctic are living at the front line of climate change. Our reporter Doreen Walton spent two months living and hunting with an Inupiat family in Barrow, Alaska, to see how the changes affect their daily lives. Here's her three-part diary. LIFE IN BARROW Barrow is the northernmost settlement in the US. In winter, the Arctic Ocean freezes right up to the coast. At home on the North Slope; the author with Julia Kaleak Arctic diary: Part 1 When I got off the plane I was shocked by the extreme cold. I arrived in April. A blanket of snow covered everything in sight and the water in a plastic bottle I was holding started to freeze within minutes. I wanted to hear how climate change is affecting people's daily lives in the Arctic. The majority of the people who live in Barrow are Inupiat, native coastal Alaskans. They hunt whales, seals, walrus, caribou and other game for food so they watch the weather and the changes in seasons closely. I moved in with the Kaleak family who helped me get used to the cold. They lent me a fur parka and introduced me to native foods, including maktak, which is whale blubber and skin. They also told me about the ice cellars melting. Many families have ice cellars, natural freezers down below the ground. As the climate in the North Slope warms, it is becoming more difficult to store food. ON WHALE HUNT In spring, people in Barrow start to get excited. It's whaling season. The weather tells the Inupiat when to go whaling Arctic diary: Part 2 The subsistence hunters get ready to travel out on the sea ice. Living with the Kaleaks, I learned that a huge amount of work goes into whaling preparations. Snow machines must be serviced and fuelled up, sleds have to be packed and the umiak has to be ready. The umiak is the small boat, traditionally covered in sealskin, which the hunters use when harthingying the whale. We broke trail, cutting a path with pickaxes through ice boulders across the frozen sea. Then we had to wait. As summer approaches and the ocean ice starts to melt, cracks appear. When the wind and current are right, the ice starts to move and the cracks open forming a channel along which the whales migrate. I was warned the ice could move at any time so we had to be ready to pack up camp quickly and head back to land. We also had to watch out for polar bears. The weather is boss and, as I discovered, sometimes you have to wait for weeks before conditions are right to go out. Some people in Barrow are worried the changing climate will mean their children and grandchildren will not be able to continue their traditions and lifestyle. COMMUNITY FUTURE The frozen Arctic Ocean is spectacularly beautiful but it's dangerous. Whale bone: Barrow has a whaling culture Arctic diary: Part 3 You have to watch for cracks and keep an eye on the wind and current at all times. The Inupiat are experts on weather and ice conditions. The crews work together and communicate by radio during the whale hunt to stay safe. I waited with the Kaleak crew for days at the edge of the channel of water, called a lead, for whales to come. We collected ice for water by breaking it off the ice-hills with a pickaxe. When there is old ice in the ice pack the salt has drained out of it and it's possible to melt it for drinking and cooking. The crew told me about the spiritual and ethical side of the hunt. Whales are hunted for food for the community, not for pleasure. You can't kill anything that will not be eaten; there is no waste in this harsh environment. The Inupiat believe that the whales give themselves to deserving crews and the spirit of the whale will be reborn. The Mayor of the North Slope borough, Edward Sagaan Itta, himself a whaling captain, says climate change is very real for the Inupiat. "We see shorter winters, less harsh winters, earlier snow melts jeopardising our whaling, our way of life, [and] thinner ice in the ice pack. "We live it, we experience it as whalers which is the core of our culture here in Barrow and has been for thousands of years." Doreen Walton's Arctic diary is featured this week on The World Today on the BBC World Service Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/5158622.stmPublished: 2006/07/10 08:36:22 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 10, 2006 9:36:43 GMT -5
BBC NEWS A technique that could lead to cheap, environmentally friendly microchips has been developed by UK researchers. The team from University College London used low-temperature, ultraviolet lamps to make silicon dioxide, a vital component of almost all modern chips. Chip manufacturers currently use energy-intensive furnaces, heated to more than 1,000C, to make the material. The new technique operates at room temperature and so requires less power and fewer resources. "This finding means that the industry's energy, and subsequent cost savings, could reduce the prices of electronic devices for consumers and, of course, create a positive environmental impact," said Professor Ian Boyd of UCL, a member of the team behind the discovery. Complex designs Microchips are composed of complex electrical circuits made of a variety of silicon components, such as transistors. A transistor is a basic electronic switch. Every chip needs large numbers of them, sometimes hundreds of millions to function. The more there are, the more calculations they can do. It opens the door to a whole array of technologies and possibilities Professor Ian Boyd These transistors are made of a combination of a conducting material, to channel the electrical charge through the device, and an insulator that inhibits the flow of electricity. A common insulator is the oxidised form of silicon, silicon dioxide. The compound can also be used to channel electrical charge in memory devices. It is also often used as a "mask" that allows manufacturers to precisely pattern the chips with other elements to change the electrical properties of specific areas. For example, phosphorous atoms are commonly added to parts of the silicon to increase conductivity. This process, known as "doping", allows chip-makers to change the electrical properties of specific areas of the chip to create precise pathways through which charge can flow. These form the intricate circuits needed in modern devices. Chip size Silicon dioxide forms very slowly at room temperature. In order to speed up the process, chip-makers heat the silicon wafers, from which chips are cut, to between 900C and 1,200C in the presence of oxygen. This consumes a huge amount of energy. Also, as the wafer is heated, chip components that have already been incorporated can warp and distort its structure. This is a particular problem as researchers continue to chase Moore's Law, which says the number of transistors on a chip will double every couple of years. As manufacturers try to squeeze smaller and smaller components on to chips, they are packed closer together. Heating the wafer with these densely packed chips can cause contamination of individual components as they become more fluid and "bleed" into one another. A low temperature manufacturing process would overcome these problems and allow chip-makers to continue to push the boundaries of chip size. Cool temperature The new technique uses a lamp that emits light from deep within the UV spectrum at a wavelength of 126 nanometres. The UV lamp is about 30cm long and looks like a common fluorescent tube. It is filled with argon gas that has a high voltage applied to it. These techniques cannot be used for electronics because the defect densities are far too high Dr Douglas Paul, University of Cambridge The emitted light causes oxygen molecules to break down into separate atoms. This dissociation creates one atom with a lot of energy and one with much less. The energetic atoms are the most useful for creating silicon dioxide. "They're very aggressive, they're very keen to oxidise the silicon," explained Professor Boyd. "You don't even need to heat the silicon," he said. "It oxidises at room temperature." Future products However, the silicon industry demands pure materials to manufacture microchips. According to Dr Douglas Paul, of the University of Cambridge semiconductor physics group, this may be the technique's biggest stumbling block. "There have been many people who have shown similar results but all these techniques cannot be used for electronics because the defect densities are far too high," he said. "By growing thermal oxides at high temperatures in present microelectronics manufacturing processes (from 700 to 1,000 degrees C) most of the defects are all annealed out and you end up with an extremely low defect density". Professor Boyd admits that prolonged exposure to other UV wavelengths produces defects, but points out that his technique employs a wavelength of light that has never been used before. The next stage, he says, is to try the technique in clean-room facilities, similar to those used in chip-making plants, to prove the technology works on an industrial scale. The team says it is already talking to companies about using the technique. The researchers believe that eventually it could be used not just in chip manufacturing but also to create circuits on other materials including cloth, for smart clothing, paper for electronic books or in plastic electronics. "It opens the door to a whole array of technologies and possibilities," said Professor Boyd. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/5128762.stmPublished: 2006/06/30 07:56:01 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 10, 2006 9:35:48 GMT -5
BBC NEWS A microchip which can store information like a hard drive has been unveiled by US company Freescale. The chip, called magnetoresistive random-access memory (Mram), maintains data by relying on magnetic properties rather than an electrical charge. One analyst told the Associated Press news agency that the chip was the most significant development in computer memory for a decade. Mram chips could find their way into many different electronic devices. The benefit of Mram chips is that they will hold information after power has been switched off. Freescale has been producing the four-megabit Mram chips at an Arizona factory for two months to build up levels of stock. A number of chip makers have been pursuing the technology for a decade or more, including IBM, but Freescale is the first company to offer a chip with practical usage for many of today's electronic devices. 'Radically new' "This is the most significant memory introduction in this decade," said Will Strauss, an analyst with research firm Forward Concepts. "This is radically new technology. People have been dabbling in this for years, but nobody has been able to make it in volume." Unlike flash memory, which also can keep data without power, Mram has faster read and write speeds and does not degrade over time. Ram chips in most electronic devices, such as PCs, lose data when their power is switched off. Currently flash memory is used in portable devices such as MP3 players and for portable storage in the form of small cards that are used in cameras. Mram chips could one day be used in PCs to store an operating system, allowing computers to start up faster when switched on. Bob Merritt, an analyst with Semico Research, said memory chip manufacturers were seeking technology that will be faster, smaller, cheaper and retain data when the power is off. "The older memory technologies are awkward to work with in a mobile computing environment," Mr Merritt said. "This is a significant step forward and absolutely critical for moving into the smaller forms that consumers and industry want." Freescale has been working on the technology for nearly a decade, said Saied Tehrani, who runs the Austin-based company's Mram programme. He said Freescale already had customers, but he declined to name any. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/technology/5164110.stmPublished: 2006/07/10 06:54:00 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 26, 2006 12:57:15 GMT -5
Bush, feds flout the Constitution by finding ways around lawsBy Lou Dobbs CNN Editor's note: Lou Dobbs' commentary appears every Wednesday on CNN.com. NEW YORK (CNN) -- With upraised right hand and left hand on the Bible, each of our presidents, from George Washington to George W. Bush, has solemnly sworn to "preserve, protect and defend" the Constitution of the United States. The American Bar Association claims President Bush has violated that oath by issuing hundreds of "signing statements" to disregard selected provisions of the laws that Congress passed and he signed. A bipartisan, 11-member panel of the ABA found that President Bush is not only disregarding laws but using such signing statements far more than any president in history. In fact, Bush has used signing statements to raise constitutional objections to more than 800 provisions in more than 100 laws. All of the presidents combined before 2001 had issued only 600. The ABA asserts that signing statements cannot be a substitute for a presidential veto and that such an assertion of presidential power amounts to a line-item veto, which the Supreme Court already has ruled unconstitutional. The matter will likely be resolved in court. But it stands as a metaphor for a 21st century America that is no longer secure in the claim to be a nation of laws. The federal government is failing to enforce our laws on a wide range of issues. Trade agreements such as the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is clearly a treaty, have not been approved by two-thirds of the Senate as required by the Treaty Clause of the Constitution. That clause states the president "shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur." And why has the Senate not been required to approve these treaties? Because the last three presidents have claimed these trade deals are executive agreements rather than treaties. But if these so-called free-trade agreements are not to be considered treaties, then they are clearly within the power of Congress, not the president. Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress the power to "regulate Commerce with foreign nations." But Congress has given up its exclusive constitutional authority to negotiate and regulate trade agreements by ceding "fast-track authority" to the executive branch. The president's fast-track authority is set to expire next year, more than 30 years after its passage. It is no coincidence that the United States has now posted a trade deficit for 30 consecutive years. The federal government is also undermining the rule of law in this country when it comes to enforcement of our immigration laws and securing borders and ports. The Bush administration in its first four years was responsible for 318 fines against employers who hired illegal workers, an average of fewer than 80 each year. That's down from 5,587 fines against illegal employers during the eight years of the Clinton administration, according to the Congressional Immigration Reform Caucus, an average of 698 each year. And the problem is getting worse; in 2004 only three employers received fines for illegal hiring. Work site arrests have fallen even more drastically under this president. From 1995 to 1998, there were between 10,000 and 18,000 work site arrests of illegal aliens each year. But during the Bush administration, work site arrests fell to just 159 in 2004. Apprehensions along the border averaged 1.05 million from fiscal year 2001 to 2004, according to the independent, progressive group Third Way, down from 1.52 million from 1996 to 2000. Border apprehensions have plummeted more than 30 percent, despite a doubling in the number of Border Patrol agents over the past decade and the rising number of attempted crossings. It is not only the federal government that had diminished our claim to be a nation of laws. More than 70 U.S. cities, including New York, Los Angeles, California, and Chicago, Illinois, have set up "sanctuary" policies that offer safe haven from the law to illegal aliens and their families. "It most certainly is a blatant violation of the law," says Rep. Tom Tancredo, a Republican from Colorado. "There is a provision of the 1996 Immigration Act that is very clear: It says states and localities can't do this. The unfortunate thing is there are no teeth in it." As Abraham Lincoln said, if bad laws exist they should "be repealed as soon as possible, still, while they continue in force, for the sake of example they should be religiously observed." President Lincoln devoutly believed that rule of law assured that ours would continue to be a government of the people, by the people and for the people. And that should be the first demand of every American today. Find this article at: www.cnn.com/2006/US/07/25/dobbs.july26/index.html
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Post by Tulameen on Jun 30, 2006 11:31:31 GMT -5
USA Today still maintains agency collecting millions of records WASHINGTON (AP) -- USA Today acknowledged in a "note to our readers" Friday that it could not establish that BellSouth or Verizon contracted with the National Security Agency to provide it with customer calling records, as it previously reported. But spokesman Steve Anderson said "this is an important story that holds up well. At the heart of our report is the fact that NSA is collecting phone call records of millions of Americans." "What we address in the editors' note," he said, "deals with the fact that we originally reported that the telephone companies were working under contract with the NSA. We've concluded that we cannot establish that BellSouth or Verizon entered into a contract with the NSA to provide the bulk calling records." In an accompanying story, the newspaper reported Friday that lawmakers on House and Senate intelligence committees have said that while the NSA has amassed a huge database calling records, cooperation with the NSA by telephone companies was not as extensive USA Today initially reported on May 11. USA Today at that time reported that, according to its sources, AT&T, BellSouth and Verizon all agreed to provide the agency with domestic call records. The newspaper said Friday that Verizon and BellSouth deny they contracted to provide the NSA with records of their customers' phone calls. AT&T has neither confirmed nor denied the newspaper's report. Some lawmakers briefed on the program said NSA has a database of domestic calls that includes numbers called and the length of conversations, but not what was said. Five members of the intelligence committees said they'd been told by intelligence officials that AT&T, the nation's largest telecommunications company, did cooperate in providing NSA with call records. Five lawmakers on the intelligence committees said they'd been told that BellSouth did not turn over call records, and three lawmakers said they'd been informed that Verizon did not turn over call records to the NSA. Lawmakers who support the Bush administration's domestic spying program see the apparent gaps in the database as a problem. "It's difficult to say you're covering all terrorist activity in the United States if you don't have all the (phone) numbers," Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Georgia, told USA Today. "It probably would be better to have records of every telephone company." In its note to readers, USA Today vowed to "continue to report on the contents and scope of the database as part of its ongoing coverage of national security and domestic surveillance." Said Anderson: "There have been no denials that this database exists. Nineteen members of Congress who have been briefed following the May 11 article have confirmed the existence of the database." Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Find this article at: www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/30/nsa.phonerecords.ap/index.html
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Post by Tulameen on Jun 30, 2006 11:28:03 GMT -5
Resolution blasts stories on terrorist tracking program WASHINGTON (AP) -- The House on Thursday approved a Republican-crafted resolution condemning news organizations for revealing a covert government program to track terrorist financing, saying the disclosure had "placed the lives of Americans in danger." The resolution, passed 227-183 on a largely party-line vote, did not specifically name the news organizations, but it was aimed at The New York Times and other news media that last week reported on a secret CIA-Treasury program to track millions of financial records in search of terrorists. Most Democrats opposed the measure, protesting language in it that asserts that the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program was "rooted in sound legal authority" and that members of Congress had been appropriately briefed on the program. While the Los Angeles Times and Wall Street Journal also carried stories on the program, Republicans singled out The New York Times. "The recent front-page story in the aforementioned New York Times cut the legs out from under this program," said the Financial Services Committee chairman, Rep. Michael Oxley, R-Ohio. "Now the terrorists are well-informed of the details of our methods and will find other ways to move money outside of the formal financial system." The administration and the 9/11 Commission "went to The New York Times and asked them in the interest of national security not to release the details of this program," said Rep. Peter King, R-New York, chairman of the Homeland Security Committee. "They went ahead and did it anyway." The Times has defended its reporting, saying publication has served America's public interest. Its executive editor, Bill Keller, said in a statement after the House passed the resolution that the paper took seriously the risks of reporting on intelligence. "We have on many occasions withheld information when lives were at stake," Keller said. "However, the administration simply did not make a convincing case that describing our efforts to monitor international banking presented such a danger. Indeed, the administration itself has talked publicly and repeatedly about its successes in the area of financial surveillance." The resolution "condemns the unauthorized disclosure of classified information" and "expects the cooperation of all news media organizations in protecting the lives of Americans and the capability of the government to identify, disrupt and capture terrorists by not disclosing classified intelligence programs such as the Terrorist Finance Tracking Program." Democrats reacted angrily to the GOP majority's refusal to allow them to offer an alternative that would also have expressed concerns about the unauthorized leak of classified information but would have left out language defending the legality of the program. "What you have done is to hijack the virtually unanimous support for tracking terrorist financing into an endorsement of the way the Bush administration has conducted itself," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Massachusetts, author of the alternative. "It is a campaign document," said Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California. "There's never been any oversight of the program," she said. "You are asking us to vote on something that we absolutely cannot attest to." Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Find this article at: www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/06/29/intel.leaks.ap/index.html
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 28, 2006 10:43:12 GMT -5
Thanks for posting this, Danimal! Where did you find it?
We have suspected this for some time now, particularly Russia's involvement with Iran. Bush wagged his finger at Putin about it a few years ago, but mostly nothing else was said or done.
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 16, 2006 19:24:17 GMT -5
North Korea has angrily denounced a United Nations resolution condemning its missile tests and said it would build up its military arsenal. The country's foreign ministry described the resolution as the product of a hostile American policy and said Pyongyang would not be bound by it. North Korea would, it said, "bolster its war deterrent" in every way. South Korea has urged Pyongyang to order a moratorium on missile tests and return to six-party nuclear talks. The UN resolution demands that North Korea suspend its ballistic missile programme, and bars all UN member states from supplying North Korea with material related to missiles or weapons of mass destruction. It was passed unanimously by the Security Council after being revised to drop any mention of Chapter Seven of the UN Charter, which is legally binding and can authorise sanctions or even military action. China had otherwise threatened to veto it. The resolution was tabled by Japan after North Korea test-fired seven missiles including a long-range Taepodong-2, believed capable of reaching Alaska. 'Unambiguous message' Japan had produced its draft resolution for the 15-member Security Council just days after the tests on 4 and 5 July. It underlines the need for North Korea "to show restraint and refrain from any action that might aggravate tension", and calls for Pyongyang to return to the six-nation talks over its nuclear programme. Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said the Security Council had acted "swiftly and robustly in response to [North Korea's] reckless and condemnable act". The UK and US ambassadors to the UN described the resolution as strong and binding. US Ambassador John Bolton said it had sent "an unequivocal, unambiguous and unanimous message to Pyongyang". He said that if North Korea did not comply with the resolution, the council could consider further action. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/5184650.stmPublished: 2006/07/16 09:31:23 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 12, 2006 10:27:52 GMT -5
SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1107AP_Rice_Iran.htmlWednesday, July 12, 2006 · Last updated 8:03 a.m. PT Rice calls Iranian response disappointing By ANNE GEARAN AP DIPLOMATIC WRITER PARIS -- Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that Iran has given a "disappointing and incomplete" response to an international deal to end suspicious nuclear activities and that world powers may have no choice but to haul Iran before the U.N. Security Council. Iran ruled out responding this week to international incentives to suspend disputed portions of its nuclear program. The United States and other nations wanted an answer by Wednesday on whether Iran would meet terms to begin negotiations on a package of economic and energy incentives for Iran in exchange for at least the short-term end to Tehran's rapidly advancing program to enrich uranium. "The indications are that Iran's response has been disappointing and incomplete," Rice told reporters aboard her flight from Washington to Paris early Wednesday. "If that is indeed the case, we've always said we were either on the path to negotiations or we're on the path to the Security Council." Foreign ministers from the six countries that made the proposal - the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany - were meeting Wednesday in Paris. The six are pushing for an agreement before world leaders meet this weekend in Russia for the Group of Eight summit of leading industrial democracies. If Iran agrees to the group's terms for negotiations, it would mean the first high-level face-to-face talks between the United States and Iran after more than a quarter century of estrangement. The group's meeting is likely to produce a strongly worded statement that restarts efforts for possible Security Council punishment for Iran if it does not suspend uranium enrichment and agree to talks. Enrichment can produce fuel for a civilian reactor or fissile material for a bomb. The U.S. and its allies suspect Iran's nuclear program is cover for a weapons program, despite Tehran's repeated denials. Any real punishment or coercion at the Security Council is a long way off, but Western diplomats said they may begin writing a resolution within days if there is no movement toward talks this week. "If we go to the Security Council we'll take our time in terms of putting together the best response," to make sure Iran understands that it cannot continue to pursue enrichment while talks are ongoing, and that it also understands it can still choose to bargain, Rice said. The Security Council would also make clear the consequences of rejecting the deal, Rice said. That would put the United States, European allies and others back where they started last year, when Iran rejected a previous European offer and later resumed a broad program of nuclear research and development it had shuttered during earlier talks. Rice offered to join those talks in May on condition that Iran reimpose a moratorium on uranium enrichment. The U.S. offer was a gambit that the prospect of talks with the largest world power and Iran's principal adversary would persuade Iran that the offer was serious, and a show of faith to European partners who were growing restless with the incremental and inconclusive Iran diplomacy. "What we have been able to do test whether the Iranians simply wanted a good path of negotiations or whether they are determined to defy the international community," Rice said. "Apparently, and I just want to say apparently, they have decided that they want to move ahead with a program that is unacceptable to the international community. That then means we would be on the path of the Security Council." The Security Council has already delivered a mild rebuke to Iran. If its permanent, veto-holding members agreed, the council could move on to impose coercive or punitive measures. Those could include economic or political sanctions, financial or travel restrictions, or even an oil embargo. The toughest measures are unlikely to win approval from Russia and China, traditional commercial partners of Iran that hold vetoes. Iran repeatedly has said it will not respond to the offer before August. On Tuesday, Iranian nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned that talks on his country's atomic program will be a "long process," and said "ambiguities must be removed first in order to have serious talks." Larijani spoke after meeting with European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana. The Iranian negotiator refused to elaborate on the nature of the perceived ambiguities, but he asked for patience. Larijani warned against sending the matter to the Security Council for possible sanctions, calling it "the wrong way" to solve the impasse. "It is not difficult to disrupt negotiations by making harsh comments," Larijani said.
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Post by Tulameen on Jul 12, 2006 10:16:29 GMT -5
Israeli troops enter Lebanon
Israel launched airstrikes and sent troops into southern Lebanon today after Hezbollah said its guerrillas had abducted two Israeli soldiers. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the Hezbollah attacks as an "act of war" and promised a "very painful and far-reaching" response, The Associated Press reported.
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Post by Tulameen on Jun 30, 2006 11:10:37 GMT -5
BBC NEWS VIEWPOINT: Stephan HardingModern humans have lost a vital connection to "animate Earth", says ecologist Stephan Harding in this week's Green Room. Re-connecting with the natural world and the true place of humans in the cosmos is the best route, he argues, to sustainable societies and economies. We are wiping out so many species that biologists speak of a mass extinction more fatal than any other in our Earth's history There is now little doubt that our culture is unleashing a vast and accelerating crisis upon the world. We have set in train changes to our climate that seem certain to become very dangerous indeed during the next 50 years or so. We are wiping out so many species that biologists speak of a mass extinction faster and possibly more fatal than any other in our Earth's long history. Our social fabric is also unravelling, and as it does so crime and massive psychological problems increase apace. As the Earth gears up to pay us back for waging our unwitting war against her, it is critically important that we discover what has made our culture so uniquely destructive. Some believe that our inherently "sinful" human nature is to blame, that any culture with our technological might and prowess would have done the same thing; but I subscribe to a different understanding. I believe that we are suffering from a world view so dangerously pathological that it is leading our civilisation to the brink of suicide. 'Dead machine' The fatal flaw is this: that for us, the entire cosmos, including the Earth and all her living beings, her rocks and air and atmosphere is no more than a dead machine that we are free to exploit without limit in the furtherance of our own interests. This notion of a mechanistic universe comes in part from the great thinkers of scientific revolution of the 16th and 17th Centuries, from men such as Descartes, Bacon and Galileo. There is no doubt that their creation, modern science, is a brilliant and fabulously powerful intellectual achievement that has given us many significant benefits; but it has also deluded us into believing that only pure analytical reasoning can give us reliable knowledge about the world. No wonder then that we have ended up in a "dead" cosmos, for science has taught us to be deeply suspicious of our sensual, intuitive and ethical sensibilities. I believe that we must quickly develop an expanded science that recognises the validity of all four ways of knowing in equal measure if we are to avert the looming disaster. When we do this, we enter the ambit of a different, more wholesome perspective in which our spontaneous, sensual experiences of the world, our deepest intuitions, our sense of what is right, and our reasoning work together to inform us, in the words of "geologian" Father Thomas Berry, that the world is a communion of subjects rather than a collection of objects. This is no new idea. Plato spoke of the anima mundi , the soul of the world, and many of the great philosophers, including Spinoza, Leibniz, and more recently AN Whitehead, considered matter itself to be sentient in its deepest roots. Could it be that anima mundi , banished from our consciousness for 400 years, now cries out to be heard in this time of deep crisis? Gaze at the sea, or lay on the ground feeling the great spherical body of our turning world at your back as she dangles you over the infinite expanse of the cosmos. Within science, she manifests in quantum theory, systems thinking, complexity theory, and, more concretely, in James Lovelock's Gaia theory. Here we learn that far from being a dead machine, the Earth is more like a living organism in which the tightly coupled interactions between the sum of all life and the rocks, atmosphere and oceans give rise to the stunning emergent ability of the Earth as a whole to maintain habitable conditions on her ancient crumpled surface despite an ever brightening Sun and the vagaries of tectonic events. When approached simultaneously through our four ways of knowing, Gaia theory teaches us that we live symbiotically within a vast evolving sentient creature of planetary proportions - that we are just plain members of the Gaia community, not its masters or stewards. Animate image What would society look like if we lived according to this more animistic understanding? We would recognise that other species, and indeed the Earth herself, have intrinsic value irrespective of their value to us. We would deeply question our mainstream economic model, for the great wild sentient personality of our planet calls out to us to reject the endless and ever-increasing plundering of her material substrate. Instead we would develop a "steady state" economy in which the things that grow are love, spirituality, creativity, depth of community, simple living, and the healing of the Earth, but in which our use of her "resources" is kept at levels that she can cope with. We will never know enough about the complex dynamics of our planet to justify a solid pessimism about the future. Fear is a good motivator, but love is best of all. So the most important task for us all now is to re-discover our sense of belonging to our animate Earth. Only then will we feel our sense of self expanding outwards to embrace the vast more-than human-world that enfolds us. Just try it. Spend time outdoors - gazing at the sea, or laying on the ground and feeling the great spherical body of our turning world at your back as she dangles you over the infinite expanse of the cosmos. I guarantee that you'll find an unexpected wealth of happiness and connection in that simple act. Only then will you encounter the most durable motivation for engaging in genuinely sustainable actions. Dr Stephan Harding is resident ecologist and coordinator of the MSc in holistic science at Schumacher College in Devon, UK. His book Animate Earth: Science, Intuition and Gaia is published by Green Books The Green Room is a series of opinion articles on environmental issues running weekly on the BBC News website In the week beginning 3 July the BBC News website will be featuring an expert discussion on James Lovelock's recent book The Revenge of Gaia Do you agree with Dr Stephen Harding? Do we need to re-connect with the natural world? Have we been exploiting resources without thinking of the consequences? Or does our current world view have some merits? A series of thought-provoking environmental opinion pieces Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/science/nature/5120868.stmPublished: 2006/06/29 21:53:27 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on Jun 30, 2006 11:02:34 GMT -5
BBC NEWS Tibet's exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama has repeated his wish to visit China, on the anniversary of the 1959 uprising against China's takeover. The Dalai Lama has made several such calls before, but China has always refused, accusing him of separatism. The Dalai Lama said he wanted to see for himself China's development and visit Buddhist pilgrimage sites. In a speech to mark the anniversary, he also stressed his desire for Tibetan autonomy, not independence. Representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government met last month for a fifth round of talks, in an ongoing dialogue. 1950 - China invades Tibet, claims it as province 1951 - Under duress, Tibet signs controversial treaty with China 1956- Rebellions break out in Amdo and Kham 1959 - Rebellion spreads to Lhasa, where it is crushed by Chinese army. Dalai Lama flees to India "As well as visiting the pilgrim sites, I hope to be able to see for myself the changes and developments in the People's Republic of China," the Dalai Lama told thousands of followers in Dharamsala, northern India - the seat of the exiled Tibetan government. He also said that the last round of talks between the Chinese and Tibetan delegations should have cleared any doubt as to his aspirations for a future Tibet. "I have stated time and again that I do not wish to seek Tibet's separation from China, but that I will seek its future within the framework of the Chinese constitution," he said. "Anyone who has heard this statement would realise, unless his or her view of reality is clouded by suspicion, that my demand for genuine self-rule does not amount to a demand for separation." Correspondents say there have been no tangible results so far from the talks, which resumed in 2002. But Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, the Dalai Lama's chief representative, said after the February talks that there was a growing understanding between both sides. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/4792708.stmPublished: 2006/03/10 11:30:26 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on May 23, 2006 23:36:54 GMT -5
China is rapidly extending its military reach and could pose a threat across Asia, a Pentagon report warns. It says Beijing has retained its focus on Taiwan - but increased spending on aircraft, ships and missiles means it could project power further afield. The Pentagon has issued warnings about China's growing might in recent years. The Chinese have responded to past reports by saying they pose no threat and accusing the US of seeking excuses to sell weapons to Taiwan. China regards the island as a renegade province and has vowed to invade if Taiwan moves towards declaring formal independence. Last year's Pentagon report said China has deployed up to 730 short-range ballistic missiles in the three provinces facing Taiwan. According to the latest document, China has increased by about 25,000 the number of ground troops deployed in the area. "The pace and scope of China's military build-up already place regional military balances at risk," the 58-page report said. It added: "Current trends in China's military modernisation could provide China with a force capable of prosecuting a range of military operations in Asia... potentially posing a credible threat to modern militaries operating in the region." The Pentagon warns that European Union plans to scrap an arms embargo the EU has maintained since the 1989 Tiananmen massacre could provide China with new weapons systems. There are no responses from China so far, but Beijing has criticised similar studies in the past, accusing Washington of engaging in militaristic rhetoric. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/5010632.stmPublished: 2006/05/23 21:38:22 GMT © BBC MMVI
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Post by Tulameen on May 16, 2006 0:53:58 GMT -5
I borrowed this from Prophecy in the News - link at the bottom Source YNet News
Israeli official: Israel will strike Iran in months 11/5/06 This timely news from my local friend Jim
An unnamed Israeli official from Pakistan has stated that Israel will strike Iranian nuclear facilities within a matter of months, regardless of whether the international community has achieved consensus or not. It has been reported that the US was seeking to secure air bases in neighbouring countries ahead of any planned attack on the nuclear plants. But with the UN Security Council unable to offer a solution, and China and Russia actively hindering any form of action being taken against Iran, Israel may be forced to go it alone. Iranian President Ahmadinejad had previously warned America that Iran would harm US interests around the world if action was taken against it. The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards has also stated that if America attacks, Israel will be top of the list for retaliatory targets. So even if Israel keeps out of the situation this time - as America had preferred, it looks like Israel would need to brace itself for an attack. The only solution would be to take the Iranians by surprise and strike first. How will they do that when Iran is hundreds of miles away? Possibly through the use of satellite guided missiles...
Quote: "The unnamed official told Arnaud de Borchgrave, editor-in-chief of the United Press International (UPI), at the recently held national day reception at the Israeli Embassy that he believed Israel would strike Iran first in the next two or three months and that fighter bombers would not be involved as they had been to take out Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor before it went critical in 1981. For Osirak, Israel had used 14 F-15s and F-16s. This time, the Israeli said, it would be missiles. Asked if Israel would employ Cruise missiles, he replied, “with a gesture of his hand that went up and down again”, which meant that it would be the weapon of choice.
With President Ahmadinejad's letter, open talk of the destruction of the Zionist entity, a possible Israeli missile strike on Iran only months away, and China and Russia both against any form of punitive measures, there is no doubt the prophecies of Ezekiel 38-39 are now coming to pass.
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Post by Tulameen on Nov 4, 2005 11:04:55 GMT -5
BBC NEWS French riots spread beyond Paris Youths burned buildings and more than 500 vehicles in the eighth consecutive night of rioting. Nearly 80 arrests were made in Paris. Cars were torched in the eastern city of Dijon, and sporadic unrest broke out in southern and western France. The unrest was sparked by the deaths of two teenagers of African origin. Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin has pledged to restore order following criticism of the government's failure to end violence. Thursday night's incidents occurred in several towns to the north-east and west of the capital, including Aulnay-sous-Bois. Most of the attacks took place in the largely immigrant area of Seine-Saint-Denis, where about 1,300 police had been deployed. Gangs of attackers As on previous nights, gangs of youths armed with bricks and sticks roamed the streets of housing estates. The situation had calmed down at dawn. In the reported overnight incidents: * A 56-year-old disabled bus passenger suffers severe burns when a Molotov thingytail is thrown on board in the northern Sevran suburb * Shots are fired at riot police in various parts of Paris, slightly wounding five officers, police say # A group of officers is targeted near a synagogue in the Seine-Saint-Denis area of Stains, where a primary school is partially burned # Police say 519 vehicles were burned and 78 people held in the Paris region, in the worst night of riots so far # More than 100 firefighters fight a blaze at a carpet warehouse in Aulnay-sous-Bois; another warehouse is also set alight in Le Blanc Mesnil area # Twenty-seven buses are burned at Trappes depot in Yvelines, west of Paris Outside Paris, as well as the cars set alight in Dijon, unrest flared in the Rouen area of Normandy and in the Bouches-du-Rhone region near Marseilles in the south. The unrest began after teenagers Bouna Traore, aged 15, and Zyed Benna, 17, were accidentally electrocuted at an electricity sub-station in Clichy-sous-Bois. Local people say they were fleeing police - a claim the authorities deny. Inquiries are under way. 'Troublemakers' Amid reports of a cabinet split on the handling of the riots, Mr de Villepin has held talks with Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy and other ministers, as well as MPs and mayors from affected towns. Mr Sarkozy had earlier sparked some criticism with hardline comments saying the government would not allow "troublemakers, a bunch of hoodlums, think they can do whatever they want". The areas affected are poor, largely immigrant communities with high levels of unemployment. Muslim leaders have urged politicians to show respect for immigrant communities. Minister for Social Cohesion Jean-Louis Borloo said France had to acknowledge its failure to deal with anger simmering in poor suburbs for decades. PARIS RIOTS Clichy-sous-Bois: Two teenagers die in electricity sub-station on 27 October. Successive nights of rioting follow rumours they were fleeing police. A number of people arrested or injured. Aulnay-sous-Bois: A flashpoint after violence spread from Clichy. Shots fired at police and cars and shops set ablaze. Further trouble in eight nearby suburbs, with more shots fired at police. Elsewhere in Paris: Reports of incidents in towns in the suburban departments of the Val-d'Oise, Seine-et-Marne and Yvelines. Reports of petrol bombs thrown at a police station in the Hauts-de-Seine. Elsewhere in France: Cars torched in the eastern city of Dijon. Sporadic trouble reported in areas close to Rouen and Marseilles. Story from BBC NEWS: news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/4405620.stmPublished: 2005/11/04 14:13:42 GMT © BBC MMV
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