Discuss World News - Digest

What technology or idea gives you hope for the future?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 02:23:20 GMT

Discuss World News : What technology or idea gives you hope for the future?

We spend a lot of our time on these forums debating issues, sometime with civility, sometimes not. So I wanted to start a thread focusing only on those things we deem positive. Most of us probably have more than one source of hope.

Of course, we all may not agree! What one person considers positive another may see as negative. But what gives you hope for the near or far future?

I'll start by choosing a technology currently being researched a few miles away from me here in California. The National Ignition Facility at Lawrence Livermore Labs aims to generate electricity with nuclear fusion, using high energy lasers fired at a small target to create the fusion event and generate the power. Coupled with a nuclear power plant, such a facility could burn all of the nuclear waste from the power plant, supplementing it's energy production while destroying all nuclear waste. Existing nuclear waste could also be used as fuel, as can nuclear warheads.

Calibration tests are currently underway and proceeding extremely well according to one of the engineers there with whom I spoke. The first fusion attempt will take place next year.

If you wish to learn more, visit the site here: https://lasers.llnl.gov/

Respectfully,
M

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Business in the USA... pay us $150, or we'll call the cops.

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:14:03 GMT

Discuss World News : Business in the USA... pay us $150, or we'll call the cops.

Quote:

Here's some advice for you, the regular customer who doesn't shoplift: never go into the back of a store with a security guard, store manager, rent-a-cop, etc. Never. Someone posted the following story in the Janesville, Wisconsin CraigsList over the weekend. Because the poster cooperated in good faith with the security personnel at her local Menards home store, she had to pay $150 to avoid having the police called on her.

Full story here

Does this happen in other countries, too? Because somehow, my stereotype-addled brain cannot imagine a store in Europe (or Japan, for that matter) invoking paperwork, signatures, a $150 fine and threats of police action on a $5.99 shoplifting case, especially when the offender is cooperative and by all indications, the "theft" was a mistake.

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Two Gay wedding pictures , from Beijing, China

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:47:26 GMT

Discuss World News : Two Gay wedding pictures , from Beijing, China

Two Gay wedding pictures，from Beijing, China

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NASA finds water on the moon

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 21:51:22 GMT

Discuss World News : NASA finds water on the moon

Looks as though NASA has found evidence of large quantities of water on the moon through an experiment where they launched rockets to penetrate the surface of the moon:

Quote:

A "significant amount" of frozen water has been found on the moon, the US space agency said Friday heralding a giant leap forward in space exploration and boosting hopes of a permanent lunar base.

Preliminary data from a dramatic experiment on the moon "indicates the mission successfully uncovered water in a permanently shadowed lunar crater," NASA said in a statement.

"The discovery opens a new chapter in our understanding of the moon," it added, as ecstatic scientists celebrated the landmark discovery.

"Yes indeed we found water and we did not find only a little bit but a significant amount," said Anthony Colaprete, project scientist and principal investigator for the 79-million-dollar LCROSS mission.

The data was found after NASA sent two spacecraft crashing into the lunar surface last month in a dramatic experiment to probe Earth's nearest neighbor for water.

One rocket slammed into the Cabeus crater, near the lunar southern pole, at around 5,600 miles (9,000 kilometers) per hour.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20091113/ts_afp/sciencespaceusmoon

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Philippine Presidential Elections 2010

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 22:45:51 GMT

Discuss World News : Philippine Presidential Elections 2010

I'm sorry but the Philippine Presidential elections are fast approaching and I have to vent my frustration about a candidate.

Apparently this guy is running (again), and his chances of winning are

good

.

A bit of a background for this guy:
Former president of the Philippines. He's a convicted plunderer. He supports illegal gambling- claiming it helps the poor

for the meantime

(at one point he received $8 million from illegal gambling profits).

A revolution removed him from power in 2001, and he was put on trial and found guilty of plunder not long after.

Despite his track record, he's been strengthening his PR and increasingly garnering support from the poor (who comprise the majority of voters) ever since he was granted pardon by the current administration whilst serving his life sentence.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Estrada

Seriously.
You guys have it way better.

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Is China started occupaining India ????

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:43:52 GMT

Discuss World News : Is China started occupaining India ????

The Chinese foreign ministry decided it was time to juggle with words to convey a stern warning to New Delhi after Indian foreign minister

The war of words began this morning when Beijing expressed "strong dissatisfaction" over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Arunachal Pradesh last week. It asked India not trigger disturbance in the disputed region so as to facilitate the healthy development of China-India relations."

After Krishna made his pitch, the Chinese foreign ministry tweaked its earlier statement to advise India not stir up trouble in what it regards as the disputed area of Arunachal Pradesh.

* Were the Chinese emboldened by the fact that Singh avoided visiting Tawang, the area that Beijing has been claiming as its own for a long time?

* Why did China wait for four days after Singh's Arunachal visit to register its protest?

Beijing is usually very quick to protest whenever anyone behaves differently from its expectations on controversial issues like Arunachal Pradesh, Taiwan, Xingjian, Tibet and the Dalai Lama. For instance, it has questioned the decision of more than a dozen countries to grant visa to the Dalai Lama and even threatened them with trade action.

That the statement came on a day when Pakistani prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani landed in Beijing on his first visit to China as prime minister and immediately met the Chinese president and premier.

* Is Beijing warming up to make an even louder protest against New Delhi's likely move to permit the Dalai Lama to visit Arunachal Pradesh and possibly Tawang?

Informed sources said a Tawang visit will make the Dalai Lama even more popular among the Tibetans in China and cause additional headaches to Communist Party leaders in Lhasa.

The Prime Minister would have certainly garnered more votes if he chose to visit the shrine associated with the 6th Dalai Lama in Tawang. ...

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Mumbai braces for highest tide in 100 years

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:13:15 GMT

Discuss World News : Mumbai braces for highest tide in 100 years

Many people are evacuated form the low lying areas as the financial capital braces for a massive 5.5 metre high tidal wave, billed as the highest in 100 years, to lash it Friday afternoon.

The high tide is expected to hit Mumbai and the surrounding Konkan region around 2.05 p.m.

The Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) has issued warnings to people in low-lying areas to watch out for the gigantic tide Friday and take adequate precautions.

On Thursday, sea water rushed into several buildings in Cuffe Parade, Worli, Dadar, Prabhadevi, Andheri, Juhu, Khar and Malad.

Many IT/ITES companies have geared up their Disaster Recovery plan to tackel any disturbance in operations and people movement during this period.

Some schools have advised students to stay at home in view of the high tide.

Hope this is not a worst nightmare for the Mumbaikars... and they tackel this one with courage..

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Status of conflict between India and Pakistan vs Taliban?

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:36:01 GMT

Discuss World News : Status of conflict between India and Pakistan vs Taliban?

What is the current status of the conflict between India and Pakistan? In your opinion, does this conflict have a distracting influence on Pakistan so that it is not sufficiently concentrating on sorting out the Taliban?

This question started in a thread:"Is China starting to occupy India?"
http://www.frihost.com/forums/vt-110952.html#923676

It was suggested that a conflict between China and India would distract India from the Pakistan/India conflict, sofficiently so that Pakistan would be able to concentrate 100% on its conflict with the Taliban.

Would you say that the "lion share" of Pakistan's focus is on its conflict with India, therefore distracting it from its focus on getting rid of the Taliban? Refer interview below ((quoted by Ocalhoun) with Zakaria, who is a foreign affairs analyst with CNN. Do you agree with what Zakaria is saying below?

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/WORLD/asiapcf/05/01/zakaria.pakistan/index.html:

Quote:

Zakaria: The Pakistani military has been in a state of denial. It spends most of its time, energy and resources planning for a war against India, a war on its eastern frontier. That's the war they know and are comfortable with -- a big conventional deployment. And for the last three decades, by seeing India as the enemy, the military could get big budgets -- they had a much larger enemy -- but also know that there is actually only a small possibility of a war.

Fighting the Taliban is a much more complicated guerrilla war against a complex insurgency. First of all, you actually have to fight this war, as opposed to the cold war with India. Secondly, if you fight it, you can lose. So, they have been trying their best not to deal with this. ...

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What a victory !!

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 02:27:08 GMT

Discuss World News : What a victory !!

Hello Guys,

My Name is Srikanth, Today I will discuss a great victory in the India.Recently, 3 states had elections, Out of 3 congress captured all.

Who is the behind of this victory. None of other than 'Sonia Gandhi'.

Jai ho ' Sonia Gandhi '.

Thanks.
Srikanth.

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Barack Obama got Nobel peace prize..... share your views.

Sun, 08 Nov 2009 13:58:08 GMT

Discuss World News : Barack Obama got Nobel peace prize..... share your views.

Today, Barack Obama was given the award of Nobel peace prize. What do you think about it. please share your views.

Let me say what I think. Obama is a man with peace in his heart. He has clearly spoken about maintaining peace with Muslim country, middle East, Afghanistan and Iraq. I am sure he will do his best to achieve this. Saying this I also think that at this moment of time he didn't deserved it. He has done nothing significant in order to achieve peace till now.

But I also hope that this prize will encourage him to do some good things to maintain peace with Muslim countries, Middle East, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan.

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How about swine flu in your country?

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 16:47:48 GMT

Discuss World News : How about swine flu in your country?

tell sth about swine flu in your own country or city.

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Shooting rampage in Fort Hood !!

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 05:27:36 GMT

Discuss World News : Shooting rampage in Fort Hood !!

Aljazeera wrote:

A mass shooting at the largest army base in the US has left 13 people dead and at least 28 wounded, military officials say.

Read the full story here (aljazeera.net)

Or read it on Reuters (If you don't like Aljazeera)

Firstly, I would like to say that this is really a strange incident that made everyone who knew about it stare unbelieving what is said or written, aside from refusing or accepting American Policies in the Middle East.

What I was urging about with my brother today is how will American people receive this, or how will such incident affect their opinions (the public opinion in the states) about the policies of their governments. Although I still see that any happenings , including such a trange incident, can be used in both peaceful or violent encouragement within people.

I mean that it is just a matter of how people think they should solve their different problems, and how they put others in the friend-foe arrangement.

I really want to know your opinions .. especially Americans (who are most concerned with this)

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Natural disasters everywhere!

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:41:34 GMT

Discuss World News : Natural disasters everywhere!

Looks as though there are natural disasters everywhere:

1. Samoas

Quote:

Disaster officials rushed food, medicine and a temporary morgue to the Samoas on Wednesday after a powerful earthquake unleashed a tsunami that flattened villages and swept cars and people out to sea. At least 119 people were killed. Survivors fled to higher ground on the South Pacific islands after the magnitude 8.0 quake struck at 6:48 a.m. local time (1:48 p.m. EDT; 1748 GMT) Tuesday.

Four tsunami waves 15 to 20 feet (4 to 6 meters) high roared ashore on American Samoa about 15 minutes after the quake, reaching up to a mile (1.5 kilometers) inland, Mike Reynolds, superintendent of the National Park of American Samoa, was quoted as saying by a parks service spokeswoman.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090930/ap_on_re_au_an/as_pacific_earthquake

2. Indonesia

Quote:

A powerful earthquake struck western Indonesia on Wednesday, triggering landslides and trapping thousands under collapsed buildings including two hospitals, an official said. At least 75 bodies were found, but the toll was expected to be far higher.

The temblor started fires, severed roads and cut off power and communications to Padang, a coastal city of 900,000 on Sumatra island. Thousands fled in panic, fearing a tsunami.

Buildings swayed hundreds of miles (kilometers) away in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore.

In the sprawling low-lying city of Padang, the shaking was so intense that people crouched or sat on the street to avoid falling. Children screamed as an exodus of thousands tried to get away from the coast in cars and motorbikes, honking horns.

The magnitude 7.6 quake occurred at 5:15 p.m. ...

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Tainted ground beef leaves woman paralyzed and brain damaged

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:19:57 GMT

Discuss World News : Tainted ground beef leaves woman paralyzed and brain damaged

Personally I think anyone who eats ground beef after reading this article is crazy or masochistic. The meat you're eating comes from various parts of the cow, some that come in contact with feces, and could be from entirely different countries and then all mixed together. America doesn't even require testing for contamination from the final producer of the meat and so every year tens of thousands get infected like this women did.

How does the meat industry stay so free from regulation? Well this particular meat company gives politicians (mostly Republicans but also Democrats) lots of money, and the chairman personally raised over $200,000 for Bush in 2004.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/health/04meat.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

Quote:

Trail of E. Coli Shows Flaws in Inspection of Ground Beef

Stephanie Smith, a children's dance instructor, thought she had a stomach virus. The aches and cramping were tolerable that first day, and she finished her classes.

Then her diarrhea turned bloody. Her kidneys shut down. Seizures knocked her unconscious. The convulsions grew so relentless that doctors had to put her in a coma for nine weeks. ...

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Help save Fort Delimara in Malta

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:16:43 GMT

Discuss World News : Help save Fort Delimara in Malta

A friend of mine is trying to save an historical fort on the tiny island of Malta. He has written the following letter to the European Union. I would like to help him publicise his cause as I think too many historical buildings are allowed to decay and disappear.

Added to that, as my friend points out, Malta relies on its tourist trade. Without attractions such as Fort Delimara that trade would decline to the detriment of the Maltese people.

Malta was a bastion against the evil of fascism in WWII and was awarded a medal for the bravery of all its inhabitants in the face of massive onslaughts from the Nazis. The free world owes Malta a great deal. Had it fallen during WWII the outcome could have been very different as this tiny island holds a strategic position in the Mediterranean. Had the Nazis conquered and controlled Malta, they would have controlled the entire Mediterranean.

I would ask those of you who value your freedom to support this cause - not by donating money, but by lobbying the EU for funds. It would not take long to write a letter similar to the 1 below and send it to the EU.

I thank you in advance for any help.

"

Dear Sir or Madam:
I am moved to write this letter by an article in the times of malta dated 6 august 2009, the article was entitled, Delimara could soon be history and was compiled by Claudia Calleja.
The article details the erosion of the cliffs below fort Delimara, and the danger of the fort falling into the sea, if nothing is done, to stop the erosion.
To lose this fort would be an enormous failure on our part, as future generations have the right to enjoy this amazing piece of military architecture.
Malta is equally fortunate, and unfortunate to have such a large amount of historical structures, the burden of maintaining all of these site must not be put on the shoulders of this tiny country alone, Malta is after all, smaller than the isle of wight, and must rely on tourism as its main income source.
Therefore would it be to much to ask for the rest of the European union to help this tenacious country to preserve some of these site for the future, to help fund these sites would be a drop in the ocean for the general community, but would help improve the whole economy of Malta, as the increase in tourism revenue, from a revived and preserved fort, would be substancially felt in the immediate area. The delimara peninsula only has this one attraction, which if not preserved , will be lost forever.
Malta has had to prioritise, which of its sites to preserve, and which to leave to decay, why cant we all help Malta save most of them, after all, its due to Malta being strategically important, that she has all this wonderful architecture in the first place, invaders have come from east and west to impose their will, and try and change Malta, leaving behind a unique and special country, and a people that are struggling to cope with this architectural legacy, we all go to see these wonders, enjoy them , then leave , without a care for those that have to maintain and repair them, this has to be an enormous drain on this tiny country, who is also improving its basic infrastructure, as well as cope with decaying monuments that it doesn't want to lose.
Surely we can help this great little country by donating enough funds to secure this fort, and start the restoration process, Malta is not the only country to have these type of forts, but they are all in a very tiny area, and there is a lot of them, and then there are buildings and temples that go back to Neolithic times, a burden for any country, but one that is only 19x 13 miles, it will kill their economy, or we will lose these treasures, we have to help them now, before its too late.
This is a plea for funds, and it comes from the heart, I am not Maltese, but I feel it is my duty also to preserve our heritage, I will gladly give my time effort and any spare money, but it would never be enough, it needs a lot more than I could ever give !
Sincerely,
Raymond Hinton

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African "witch" children tortured and killed

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:49:39 GMT

Discuss World News : African "witch" children tortured and killed

This just about killed any shred of faith I had in the human race. Reading things like this makes me want to crawl into a little box and play Halo 3 all day and not face life.

MSNBC wrote:

EKET, Nigeria - The 9-year-old boy lay on a bloodstained hospital sheet crawling with ants, staring blindly at the wall.

His family pastor had accused him of being a witch, and his father then tried to force acid down his throat as an exorcism. It spilled as he struggled, burning away his face and eyes. The emaciated boy barely had strength left to whisper the name of the church that had denounced him Mount Zion Lighthouse.

A month later, he died.

Nwanaokwo Edet was one of an increasing number of children in Africa accused of witchcraft by pastors and then tortured or killed, often by family members. Pastors were involved in half of 200 cases of "witch children" reviewed by the AP, and 13 churches were named in the case files.

Some of the churches involved are renegade local branches of international franchises. Their parishioners take literally the Biblical exhortation, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

"It is an outrage what they are allowing to take place in the name of Christianity," said Gary Foxcroft, head of nonprofit Stepping Stones Nigeria.

Read the rest at http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33356826/ns/world_news-africa/

...Their own

mothers

, for fuck's sake.

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Yay! More people realize population reduction is 'green'!

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 20:29:44 GMT

Discuss World News : Yay! More people realize population reduction is 'green'!

http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9APOM880&show_article=1

Quote:

More than 200 million women worldwide want contraceptives, but don't have access to them

Quote:

That results in 76 million unintended pregnancies every year

Quote:

slow rates of population growth, possibly easing the pressure on the environment

Quote:

"There is now an emerging debate and interest about the links between population dynamics, sexual and reproductive health and rights, and climate change," the commentary says.

Quote:

The Lancet editorial cited a British report which says

family planning is five times cheaper than usual technologies used to fight climate change

. According to the report, each $7 spent on basic family planning would slash global carbon dioxide emissions by more than 1 ton.

Good. Slowly, the world is becoming aware that overpopulation is the source of most environmental problems. Just maybe it will be stopped before it destroys the better parts of nature, and forces humans to live in the most efficient patterns possible.

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LOSS...LOSS......LOSS ?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:49:23 GMT

Discuss World News : LOSS...LOSS......LOSS ?

Hello Guys,

This is Srikanth, Today I will tell you one bad news , In india two trains was crashed , when they directly hit and met an accident.
Who is respoinsible for that ???

Goverment ???
Railway Board ??

Officers ??
People ???

What ever the reason, We didn't return the loss, Atleast pay attension for next.

We need to still improve in all aspects....
Come on India......Bye.

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Iran's nuclear programme peaceful?

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 07:04:35 GMT

Discuss World News : Iran's nuclear programme peaceful?

Looks as though Iran has come forward and is allowing the International Atomic Energy Agency to inspect one of its two nuclear enrichment facilities. How sincere do you think are the Iranians? Do you think that their nuclear facilities will be used for peaceful purposes only?

Quote:

"IAEA inspectors' visit to Fordo shows that Iran's nuclear activities are transparent and peaceful," the official IRNA news agency quoted lawmaker Hasan Ebrahimi as saying.

Another test of Iran's cooperation is fast approaching, however. Iran has promised to respond this week to a U.N.-brokered deal to process its nuclear fuel abroad a plan designed to ease Western fears about Iran's potential ability to produce weapons-grade material.

The current inspection of Iran's second enrichment site came about a month after Tehran disclosed its existence in a letter to the IAEA, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. The notification to the U.N. agency came just days before President Barack Obama and other Western leaders claimed Iran has been hiding the facility from the world for years.

Quote:

After Iran's disclosure, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that "the burden of proof is on Iran" to convince the international community its nuclear program is peaceful.

Iran says that by reporting the existence of the site voluntarily, it "pre-empted a conspiracy" by the United States and its allies who were hoping to present the site as evidence that Iran was developing its nuclear program in secret.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091025/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_iran_nuclear

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Interracial couple denied marriage license in USA

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 17:56:53 GMT

Discuss World News : Interracial couple denied marriage license in USA

Not exactly another proud moment in US history...

Quote:

Interracial couple denied marriage license in Tangipahoa Parish

By The Associated Press
October 16, 2009, 6:15AM

A Louisiana justice of the peace said he refused to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple out of concern for any children the couple might have.

Keith Bardwell, justice of the peace in Tangipahoa Parish, says it is his experience that most interracial marriages do not last long.

"I'm not a racist. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. "I have piles and piles of black friends. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. I treat them just like everyone else."

Bardwell said he asks everyone who calls about marriage if they are a mixed race couple. If they are, he does not marry them, he said.

Bardwell said he has discussed the topic with black people and white people, along with witnessing some interracial marriages. He came to the conclusion that most of black society does not readily accept offspring of such relationships, and neither does white society, he said.

"There is a problem with both groups accepting a child from such a marriage," Bardwell said. "I think those children suffer and I won't help put them through it."

If he did an interracial marriage for one couple, he must do the same for all, he said.

"I try to treat everyone equally," he said.

Bardwell estimates that he has refused to marry about four couples during his career, all in the past 2Â½ years.

Beth Humphrey, 30, and 32-year-old Terence McKay, both of Hammond, say they will consult the U.S. Justice Department about filing a discrimination complaint.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2009/10/interracial_couple_denied_marr.html

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Your car may soon be more vegetable than mineral!

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:18:04 GMT

Discuss World News : Your car may soon be more vegetable than mineral!

Biocars: Your car may soon be more vegetable than mineral...

Quote:

How organic is your vehicle? While corn-based door panels and dashboards made from hemp may sound like a pipe dream, major car manufacturers have begun ditching traditional petroleum-based plastics and composites in favour of bio-based materials.

Indeed, researchers have predicted that by 2015, 100 kilograms of every car could come from materials made from plants like soy, wheat, canola and sugar cane.

"By and large, anything you make from oil you can make from biological material," says Terry Daynard, chief executive officer of the Ontario BioAuto Council, an industry-driven group working to promote biomaterials. "The question, of course, is can you do it in a cost-effective manner and can you do it with all the quality requirements the auto manufacturers want."

Increasingly, the answer seems to be yes.

Already, Mercedes S-Class vehicles boast 43 kg of bio-parts, for example, while Volvo uses renewable materials in nearly 100 different components.
Fuelling the bio-revolution

The biggest driver of this bio-revolution is the skyrocketing price of oil. North American car manufacturers facing stiff global competition are keen to reduce costs, says Daynard, and raw materials grown in the nearest cornfield could fit the bill.

"The reason we're moving in this direction is because it's going to be cheaper," he says flatly.

However, he predicts that environmental issues will also become a strong driver of biocar development in the future.

Biomaterials are considered "greener" than those based on materials such as fossil fuels because they don't generate greenhouse gases. Replacing one tonne of conventional plastic with a bio-equivalent eliminates three tonnes of planet-warming carbon dioxide, for example.

That's a big plus for manufacturers who see Europe setting hard targets for carbon dioxide emissions and want to be prepared if similar regulations are enacted here.

Bioplastics are also generally lighter than their petroleum-based counterparts, which translates into better mileage. Every one-kilogram reduction in vehicle weight saves up to nine litres of fuel a year.

Finally, when the life the vehicle ends, plant-based parts can be composted instead of consigned to landfills.
R&D a hot area

With some of the advantages inherent to biomaterials, it's no surprise that car manufacturers have been investing in research. DaimlerChrysler, GM and Ford have been actively involved in the Ontario BioAuto Council. Ford is a major partner in the BioCar Initiative, a multi-university project looking at ways to transform agricultural crops into bio-plastics, foams and composites for the auto industry.

The Ontario government has also bought into the vision, committing nearly $6 million to the BioCar Initiative. At the University of Guelph, that money is helping researchers create industrial strains of crops like wheat, corn and soybeans.

Focusing on common Ontario crops was a deliberate choice, says the University of Guelph's Larry Erickson, one of the initiative's lead researchers.

"If we want to become a significant contributor to the auto industry, that means we need to be able to produce fairly large volumes of some of these raw materials," he explains.

Meanwhile, process and chemical engineers in Waterloo and Toronto are developing polymers, resins and composite materials made from these crops, while University of Windsor scientists are testing the prototypes.
Stringent standards

Like their conventional counterparts, each bio-based part must be able to withstand stresses such as exposure to water, high temperatures and sudden impacts. The auto industry is a demanding market where any hint of a problem can lead to expensive recalls.

"They have to show that it's every bit as good as what they're using now, if not better," says Daynard, referring to the resiliency of biomaterials. ...

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Balloon Boy...

Sat, 24 Oct 2009 07:11:11 GMT

Discuss World News : Balloon Boy...

This is quite an interesting event. I'm really surprised this hasn't been posted already.

Quote:

A giant Mylar balloon took off from the backyard of the Heenes' northern Colorado home Thursday. The couple said they were terrified their 6-year-old son Falcon may have been on it. They couldn't find him.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/10/16/colorado.balloon.boy/index.html

I watched this for a good two hours or so until the balloon fell to the ground. Come to find that there was no boy inside the balloon.

Though the boy was eventually found in the attic of the garage of the house in which he lived. A few days later, it was confirmed that this was a planned hoax.

This family was on WifeSwap and I remember watching the exact eppisode. The father of the family has some serious issues.

I know this family had to of pissed off a lot of people. Many people feared for the young boy's life and millions were watching. Then come to find out it was all a planned hoax.

Read the article, it's a good read. ...

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After YSR ?

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 13:41:55 GMT

Discuss World News : After YSR ?

Hello Guys,

This is srikanth, After YSR died, entire political scenarios were changed in the AP.Everybody thinking , the next is CM is YS Jagan, But Roassiah continued as a CM.

Recently, Jagan met sonia after 5yr elections in the 3 states. After the meeting, he is looking like nervous.

Is Jagan , really disappointed by Sonia.

Wait for further , to what will happend ?

Any how, We lost one great leader in the AP, Definitely we need a good leader .

Come on , YS Jagan jindabad !!!

Thanks,

G.Srikanth .

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Is Really Indian did find water on Moon ?

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 23:00:12 GMT

Discuss World News : Is Really Indian did find water on Moon ?

India's own Moon Impact Probe (MIP) on board the country's maiden lunar craft had discovered water on the moon, a finding confirmed by US
space agency NASA's probe that was also aboard Chandrayaan-1, India's top space scientist G Madhavan Nair said here on Friday.

India's first lunar mission had made a "path-breaking and real discovery" by establishing the presence of water on the moon, Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) chairman Nair said.

While expressing pride in the achievement, Nair added: "But the water is not in the form of sea or lake or puddle or drops. It is embedded on the surface in minerals and rocks."

Apart from India's MIP, the Moon Mineralogy Mapper (M3) of NASA on board Chandrayaan-1 confirmed the presence of water. The lunar mission had to be aborted Aug 30 after it lost radio contact with Earth.

According to Nair, the quantity found is much larger than expected

On whether water can be extracted, Nair said: Yes, we can. But one tonne of soil may yield half a litre.

Nair said MIP picked up signals about the presence of water as it journeyed down to land on the moon surface.

One of the main objectives of Chandrayaan-1 was to look for the presence of water. Our MIP confirmed it

He said they had indications of the finding way back in June, but waited all these days to make it public as they wanted the findings to come out in a scientific journal first. ...

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Armenia-Turkey sign peace deal, Obama admin negotiates it

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:55:58 GMT

Discuss World News : Armenia-Turkey sign peace deal, Obama admin negotiates it

The Obama admin has achieved more success than ever before in getting Turkey and Armenia to negotiate some settlement of their disputes, another sign of the White House's strong leadership in the area of international peace. Strange how this isn't being talked about much in the TV media.
http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5990YV20091010

Quote:

Armenia-Turkey sign peace deal, pitfalls ahead

ZURICH (Reuters) -

Turkey and Armenia signed a landmark peace accord on Saturday

to restore ties and open their shared border after a century of hostility stemming from the World War One mass killing of Armenians by Ottoman forces.

But in an indication of the many pitfalls that lie ahead of its implementation, the ceremony was marred by a three-hour delay due to last-minute disagreements on statements, forcing

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to engage in intense discussions to salvage a deal

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8 Trades the Insiders Allegedly Made

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:35:37 GMT

Discuss World News : 8 Trades the Insiders Allegedly Made

The government's case against the Galleon crew includes transactions in companies like Google, AMD, Hilton and Sun.

The government's case in what it is calling the largest insider trading case involving a U.S. hedge fund contains a detailed list of trades involving household-name companies.

Investigators have pieced together a case that alleges more than $25 million in illegal gains based on trading in 2006-09 on companies including Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), Akamai (AKAM), Clearwire (CLWR), Google (GOOG), Hilton, Polycom (PLCM) and Sun Microsystems (JAVA), among others.

More from CNNMoney.com:

Accused Inside Trader Is Bear Stearns Alumni

MBAs Now Getting Schooled in Business Ethics

What Rehab Looks Like for the Rich and Famous

The six people charged include hedge fund billionaire Raj Rajaratnam, founder of Galleon Group; Robert Moffat, IBM's (IBM) top hardware executive and an oft-discussed CEO candidate; Mark Curland and Danielle Chiesi, executives of the hedge fund New Castle Partners; Anil Kumar, a director at consulting firm McKinsey & Co.; and Rajiv Goel, an executive in Intel's treasury department.

Just what did they allegedly do? Using information gleaned from wiretapped conversations between the accused and others, along with the statements of an apparent informant, SEC investigators have pieced together a series of episodes alleging to show how the defendants used inside information and well-timed trades to turn million-dollar profits.

More from Yahoo! Finance:

Bonuses Put Goldman in Public Relations Bind

Wal-Mart's Painful Lessons

Weak Dollar? Not So Much in China

Those charged have yet to enter pleas in the case. Jim Waldman, a lawyer for Rajaratman, told the Wall Street Journal that the hedge fund chief "is innocent. We're going to fight the charges." Lawyers for some of the other accused said their clients are shocked by the charges and deny wrongdoing.

What follows is a condensed account of eight major trades the suspects made and the inside information they capitalized on, according to the the SEC investigation and complaint. At the center of some of the trades is an unnamed "Tipper A," a person who gathered a great deal of information on companies for Rajaratnam, and whose identity presumably will be made public as the case unfolds in court.

Polycom Beats the Street

On Jan. 10, 2006, the unnamed source identified in the SEC's complaint as "Tipper A" told Galleon's Rajaratnam that, based on information received from a Polycom insider, revenues at the video-conferencing company for the fourth-quarter of 2005 were about to beat Wall Street estimates. ...

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2010: South Africa's International image in the Media

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:11:04 GMT

Discuss World News : 2010: South Africa's International image in the Media

Hey!

I'm interested in how the world sees South Africa - especially with the oncoming soccer world cup in 2010.
Whether you're a local watching international news, a South African abroad, a foreigner who has visited SA or is just interested in visiting us - what do you see of SA in international news?

Please share your experiences with me and where possible, give me a link to the photo/blog/website/video/article where you got the information from.

I'd love to hear your stories and opinions

An interesting article to read is: The Media and Africa: who is failing whom, by Ian MacDonald.

http://www.sagoodnews.co.za/newsletter_archive/the_media_and_africa_who_is_failing_whom_.html

A segment from the article:

Quote:

The media and Africa: who is failing whom?

Does South Africa and Africa as a whole only receive negative international news coverage and, if so, is the international media is failing us?

Although it is clear that South Africa and Africa as a whole don't only receive negative press, I was interested in exploring the second part of the viewpoint - whether the international media was perhaps failing the continent.

Perhaps, then, local media is failing South Africa? (The debate whether South African media have a role, or even an obligation, for nation-building over and above their responsibility to keep citizens informed, is one for another day.)

So who is failing whom?

I think that Africa is actually failing itself. Africans, African Governments and African businesses should take the lead in presenting to the World a different face of Africa, one that highlights the successes, ingenuity and progress of the continent. The responsibility lies with us.

As Tina van der Heyden of Rhodes University says "As long as bad news sells (and it most certainly will for a long time to come), we shouldn't hold our breath waiting for the Western media to realise that their images are not an accurate portrayal of Africa's reality. As Africans, we need to stop seeing ourselves through the eyes of the Western media and find a way to make them see us as we see ourselves."

By Ian Macdonald

Thanks for your time.

Cheers[/b]

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Jackson has to share song credit ????

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:42:51 GMT

Discuss World News : Jackson has to share song credit ????

Michael Jackson didn't do it his way after all. Hours after the pop singer's first posthumous single This Is It' was released amid

great hype on Monday, it emerged that the tune had originally been recorded 18 years ago by an obscure Puerto Rican singer.

Moreover, the co-author of that tune, My Way' songwriter Paul Anka, threatened to sue Jackson's estate for proper credit and his share of royalties. The administrators of the estate quickly acknowledged Anka's claims and granted him 50% of the copyright, a potentially massive payday for the 68-year-old Canadian crooner.

And an equally massive loss for the estate.

They realize it's a mistake, they realize it's my song, they realize it's my production of his vocal in my studio and I am getting 50% of the whole project, actually, which is fair, Anka said in a video posted on a gossip website.

The song dates back to 1983, when it was known as I Never Heard' a co-write between Jackson and Anka and intended for inclusion on an Anka album.

But the pair fell out, Jackson took the master tapes and Anka got them back. The song was eventually released in 1991 after Anka placed it with an unknown Latin singer named Sa-Fire.

Both I Never Heard' and This Is It' share the same vocal and piano line, although the latter track boasts new overdubs from Michael Jackson's brothers. ...

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Argentina passes dictatorial media law

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:33:58 GMT

Discuss World News : Argentina passes dictatorial media law

Quote:

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina Argentina's Senate overwhelmingly approved a law that will transform the nation's media landscape on Saturday, and President Cristina Fernandez quickly signed it into law.

Senators voted by a surprisingly high 44-24 margin for the law, celebrating the end of dictatorship-era rules that enabled a few companies to dominate Argentine media. Opponents say it instead gives the government too much power and will curtail freedom of speech.

The new law preserves two-thirds of the radio and TV spectrum for noncommercial stations, and requires channels to use more Argentine content. It also forces Grupo Clarin, the country's leading media company, to sell off many of its properties.

"The initiative is moderate and democratic," said Sen. Miguel Angel Pichetto, a ruling party leader, during nearly 20 hours of uninterrupted debate that ended Saturday morning. "It allows for companies to have an adequate position, but not a dominant one."

Opponents say the new law simply replaces a media oligopoly with a state monopoly and will enable investors with close ties to the president and her husband, former president Nestor Kirchner, to snap up media properties at low prices in forced sales.

Outside Congress, thousands of supporters celebrated in the plaza with chants, applause, fireworks and booming drums. The demonstration was organized by government supporters and included political activist Maximo Kirchner, son of the first couple.

Ruling party Sen. Liliana Fellner said the law does away with a vestige of Argentina's 1976-83 military dictatorship.

"We are settling an old debt with democracy," she said.

The commission applying new regulations and granting (or canceling) radio and television licenses will have seven members, include two designated by the executive branch, three by Congress and two by a federal body representing provincial governments. This should ensure ruling party control, which opponents fear will be used to threaten and censure critics.

Most affected is Grupo Clarin, one of Latin America's leading media companies. Within one year, it must sell off radio stations, television channels and part of its dominant cable TV network to comply with new ownership limits.

"The government is going after the media with all its remaining power," Clarin Editor Ricardo Roa wrote Saturday. "It has rushed through a misleading law that seems to be progressive but in reality only sets us back: it will promote a press that is weaker and more docile."

The lopsided Senate vote makes it unlikely the law will be overturned when Fernandez loses supporters in a new Congress, starting Dec. ...

...

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Apparently, this Obama guy is popular with the media...

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:26:00 GMT

Discuss World News : Apparently, this Obama guy is popular with the media...

So, Obama made another accomplishment... He's been on a record number of Time magazine covers!

Excessive much?

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Stats : 10 Replies

Still How many days women will wait for justice ???

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 23:09:05 GMT

Discuss World News : Still How many days women will wait for justice ???

The murder of a young Sikh woman and three kids in a basement suite in Calgary last week remains a mystery.

Twenty-seven-year-old Harsimrat Kahlon was found dead by her boyfriend Harnek Mahal. Mahal, who was away, tried calling her. When she didn't respond, he reported the matter to police last Thursday.

When police came to the suite, they found not only the body of Kahlon but also those of three dead newborns concealed in suitcases.

It is known whether the newborns belonged to Kahlon.

All that the relatives of the woman, who was estranged from her family and staying with her boyfriend since 2005, say is that she was going to India to marry next month. Kahlon was reportedly pregnant at the time of her murder.

The family didn't know about her pregnancy, according to the woman's close friends.

Her brother Harpreet Kahlon, who last saw her in 2005, said, "She lived her own life. ...

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whats your reaction in order to give nobal to barak obama?

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 22:58:54 GMT

Discuss World News : whats your reaction in order to give nobal to barak obama?

hello word,

whats your reaction about barak obama nobal prize ?

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Happy Birthday to OBAMA!

Sun, 11 Oct 2009 05:42:13 GMT

Discuss World News : Happy Birthday to OBAMA!

Yay!! happy birthday Obama!

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Stats : 9 Replies

What's the most awe-inspiring monument you've seen?

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 16:28:13 GMT

Discuss World News : What's the most awe-inspiring monument you've seen?

I mean, apart from the seven-wonders of our world, there are hundreds of amazing monuments of our planet.

Which was that one structure you saw and went 'Oh Wow!', and left you transfixed?

For me it was the beautiful Konark Temple, in Orissa, India.

It's a thirteenth century structure, made of stone.
It's a one of a kind temple built to honour the Sun-God - Surya.

It is structered as a huge chariot on twelve glorious wheels, drawn by seven maginificient steeds...all carved from ancient rock...
And all around it's decorated with amazingly sensuous carvings of men and women...

This just took my breath away!

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Heavy rains in southern and southeastern Brazil

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 14:20:11 GMT

Discuss World News : Heavy rains in southern and southeastern Brazil

On Monday was the state of Santa Catarina, Sao Paulo on Tuesday, and yesterday (Wednesday) a heavy rain just one hour caused havoc in the state capital, Curitiba.
But the most affected was the city Guaraciaba in the western state of Santa Catarina. The meteorologists are still studying, but it is believed that a tornado has been reached by Argentina and caused the destruction in this town where four people died.

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Woman pregnant twice

Tue, 29 Sep 2009 07:36:19 GMT

Discuss World News : Woman pregnant twice

This has to be amazing, never heard of this before. A woman already pregnant starting a second pregnancy with triplets after her first trimester. Big challenge currently is the first baby's delivery this week, as they would have to do it really carefully for the triplets to survive.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/1651259.stm

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Bush could be next on the war crimes tribunal list

Mon, 28 Sep 2009 15:49:26 GMT

Discuss World News : Bush could be next on the war crimes tribunal list

Quote:

George Bush could be next on the war crimes list

THE HAGUE George W. Bush could one day be the International Criminal Court's next target.

David Crane, an international law professor at Syracuse University, said the principle of law used to issue an arrest warrant for Omar al-Bashir could extend to former US President Bush over claims officials from his Administration may have engaged in torture by using coercive interrogation techniques on terror suspects.

Crane is a former prosecutor of the Sierra Leone tribunal that indicted Liberian President Charles Taylor and put him on trial in The Hague.

Richard Dicker, director of the International Justice Programme at Human Rights Watch, said the al-Bashir ruling was likely to fuel discussion about investigations of possible crimes by Bush Administration officials.

Congressional Democrats and other critics have charged that some of the harsh interrogation techniques amounted to torture, a contention that Bush and other officials rejected.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10560243

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Highest paid political ministers in the world?

Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:30:11 GMT

Discuss World News : Highest paid political ministers in the world?

Any country can beat this?

Prime minister's pay - USD 1.6 millions per year, proposed to increase to USD 1.9 millions from 2007. He has promised to put his increment (USD 0.3 million) to good cause for next 5 years.

Ministers - USD 1 million per year - tax exempted plus many extras.

General logic for such pay package - PM not concerned to pay SGD 4 millions per year, but concerned with SGD 400 millions paid under-the-table (corruption).

Is there a high correlation between well paid jobs and low corruption?

I tend to think corruption (in many forms) only get bigger and more complex with those who are paid most, and it is directly linked with the moral integrity rather than with the pay package.

This is an extract of the current parlimentary debate in Singapore, over the pay rise for the ministers, with over 90 % from the ruling party (PAP).

Any comment?

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Stats : 32 Replies

Wii have stupid cops in Florida

Sat, 26 Sep 2009 15:56:24 GMT

Discuss World News : Wii have stupid cops in Florida

By now, I'm sure at least a few of you have heard about this.
A Police Joint Task Force conducted a raid on a home not far from me here in Florida.

Quote:

In March, police stormed the Lakeland home of convicted drug dealer Michael Difalco with guns drawn and flashlights at the ready. But searching for drugs is hard work and what the crack squad of officers thought they really needed was an invigorating game of bowling.

Fortunately Difalco had a Nintendo Wii and a big screen TV at the ready!

Quote:

The High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which conducted the raid, says its mission is to reduce drug trafficking in the most critical areas of the country, thereby reducing its impact in other areas. It is not clear how video games became involved in the mission.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/09/22/crimesider/entry5329251.shtml

Don't get me wrong, I am glad they busted a drug dealer, and I hope the video doesn't cause any problems for their case. But seriously, is this how highly regarded Law Enforcement Officers should conduct themselves during what seems to be a semi-major drug bust? Some people get fired for using their cell phones or sneaking out for a smoke at their jobs, and they aren't given the responsibilities of taking down drug lords.

I don't think these cops should lose their jobs, but this is not what they get paid for. ...

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Stats : 26 Replies

Satellite navigation on phone

Thu, 24 Sep 2009 15:40:28 GMT

Discuss World News : Satellite navigation on phone

satellite navigation is finding its way into mobile phones. if your friends have a cellphone equipped with the latest in connection with satellite navigation, you can find his location on a map on the website.

the website address is http://www.mologogo.com and http://www.a2b.cc

these websites allow you to search for areas close to your location, showing the results ranging from personal blogs to the internet of restaurants and museums etc....it will give the directions and distances also.

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Stats : 6 Replies

what happend to the jornalist that threw his shoes at Bush?

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 03:00:21 GMT

Discuss World News : what happend to the jornalist that threw his shoes at Bush?

does anybody know what happened to the journalist that threw his shoes at the president Bush?
I haven't heard any news about him anymore.

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Stats : 31 Replies

Iran to meet with World Leaders

Mon, 21 Sep 2009 03:19:12 GMT

Discuss World News : Iran to meet with World Leaders

Wonder how "explosive" the meeting will be when Iran meets with World Leaders on 1 October. Israel and the United States feel very serious about Iran curtailing its nuclear enrichment activities, so will not be surprised if there should be serious differences. Also hope that some of the terrorist organizations may not feel that this is the time to make their appearance somewhere in protest to the meeting, or to illustrate a point. Israel is very outspokenly against Iran, probably for good reason, as I would imagine they would have intelligence about Iran's nuclear capability that possibly not everyone else have, and have a good idea of the potential threat Iran may pose to world peace.

What are your views on this?

Source of article: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090914/ap_on_re_eu/un_nuclear_conference
Highlights of the article:

Quote:

In Washington, State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns who was at the Geneva talks would again represent the U.S.

"The point of all this is to sit down with the Iranians and explain directly, face to face, the choice that they have," Kelly said.

"They can go down one path, which leads to integration with the international community, or they can continue down another path which leads to isolation. And that's the path that we're concerned that they're on now, because they're not meeting their obligations to the international community."

Gibbs, the White House spokesman, suggested any Iranian refusal to discuss demands that it curb enrichment or address concerns about its alleged weapons program could backfire.

"If it's something they don't want to talk about, I think that will speak volumes around the world," he told reporters.

The U.S. decision to talk with Iran appeared to be part of an attempt to preserve some six-power unity. Permanent Security Council members Russia and China have blocked Western attempts at tougher sanctions, so the agreement to drop insistence on an enrichment freeze and meet with Tehran without preconditions seemed gauged to keep Moscow and Beijing on board.

"We have an opportunity here to present a united front the five permanent members of the Security Council, plus Germany to show that the international community wants them to abandon their any plans they have for a militarization of their nuclear program," Kelly said. ...

...

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Is 13 too young to sail round the world solo?

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 20:44:46 GMT

Discuss World News : Is 13 too young to sail round the world solo?

Quote:

A Dutch court placed a 13-year-old girl in temporary custody on Friday, Aug. 28, after her parents insisted on supporting her bid to become the youngest person to sail around the world solo. Laura Dekker, an avid sailor who was reportedly born on a yacht during her parents' own around-the-world trip, told Dutch television before the court handed down its decision that she simply wanted to "learn about the world and to live freely."

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1919316,00.html

What do you think, is Laura Dekker too young to sail round the world on her own? Looking at her photo in the Time Magazine online article at the above link, her face looks much more mature than 13. Maybe she is the exception to the rule, and she should be judged for her maturity, specialist knowledge, character and ability, rather than her age?

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Stats : 79 Replies

Hey, look! Somebody being reasonable about healthcare reform

Sun, 20 Sep 2009 08:27:09 GMT

Discuss World News : Hey, look! Somebody being reasonable about healthcare reform

Lakeland Times:

Quote:

The senator, [U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold] a declared proponent of health care reform in principle, nonetheless did not seem too concerned about a potential failure of the Obama administration's effort.

He said there was merit to the idea of trying a variety of proposals in various states first.

"Lindsay Graham and I sponsored legislation to have pilot programs in five states," Feingold told the audience. "Maybe we should try some different things. There might be a single-payer state. There might be a co-op state. Let's get some evidence on the ground. This thing right now is not going in the right direction. We might be in a situation where there won't be a bill worth passing."

In 2007, Feingold and Graham, a South Carolina Republican, introduced the State-Based Health Care Reform Act

, which would have allowed states to decide how to achieve insurance coverage.

The legislation would have established five-year pilot programs that would have mandated only minimum baseline requirements. ...

...

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Alfie Patten,13 year old dad.

Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:19:23 GMT

Discuss World News : Alfie Patten,13 year old dad.

Yesterday while i was talking to my cousin, she happened to mention about this boy she had read who had fathered a child at the age of 13,and his girlfriend is 15.

Gosh!!! what are their parents doing sleeping..... allowing such young kids to have sex!! and having kids.

http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2233878.ece

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Stats : 35 Replies

Is Libya a Western Ally?

Sun, 13 Sep 2009 00:41:12 GMT

Discuss World News : Is Libya a Western Ally?

Britain apparently regards Libya as a Western Ally. How true do you think this is, or is it more because of lucrative oil drilling and exploration contracts perhaps?

Quote:

Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other government officials have emphasized Libya's remarkable transformation from rogue state to Western ally and the need to keep Gadhafi on board since he renounced terrorism and dismantled his country's clandestine nuclear program in 2003.

But media reports have suggested that the prisoner exchange agreement that paved the way for al-Megrahi release was motivated in part by a desire to secure access to Libya's vast energy reserves. British Justice Secretary Jack Straw seemed to endorse that claim when he told the Telegraph last week that trade played "a very big part" in the negotiations over the prisoner deal.

Would appear that Britain is assisting with training of Libyan troops. Following recent experiences with Iraq, I wonder how wise that really is?

Quote:

Some of Britain's most elite soldiers have been training Libyan forces in counterterrorism and surveillance for the past six months, a newspaper said Saturday.

The Daily Telegraph said a contingent of between four and 14 men from the Special Air Service, or SAS, were working with Col. Moammar Gadhafi's soldiers in Libya, a country once notorious for its support of terrorism.

The paper cited an unidentified SAS source as saying that the training was seen as part of the deal to release Lockerbie bomber Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, whose return to Libya last month outraged Americans and raised questions over the nature of Britain's relationship with Gadhafi's authoritarian regime.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090912/ap_on_re_eu/eu_britain_libya

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Save the Planet: Have Fewer Kids

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:42:04 GMT

Discuss World News : Save the Planet: Have Fewer Kids

http://news.yahoo.com/s/livescience/20090803/sc_livescience/savetheplanethavefewerkids
(A study by the Oregon State University)

Quote:

For people who are looking for ways to reduce their "carbon footprint," here's one radical idea that could have a big long-term impact, some scientists say:

Have fewer kids

Quote:

the carbon legacy and greenhouse gas impact of

an extra child is almost 20 times more important than some of the other environment-friendly practices

people might employ during their entire lives - things like driving a high mileage car, recycling, or using energy-efficient appliances and light bulbs.

Quote:

"In discussions about climate change,

we tend to focus on the carbon emissions of an individual over his or her lifetime,"

said study team member Paul Murtaugh. "Those are important issues and it's essential that they should be considered. But an added challenge facing us is continuing population growth and increasing global consumption of resources."

Reproductive choices haven't gained as much attention in the consideration of human impact to the Earth, Murtaugh said.

When an individual produces a child - and that child potentially produces more descendants in the future - the effect on the environment can be many times the impact produced by a person during their lifetime

Quote:

Under current conditions in the United States, for instance,

each child ultimately adds about 9,441 metric tons of carbon dioxide to the carbon legacy of an average parent - about 5.7 times the lifetime emissions for which, on average, a person is responsible.

The impact doesn't only come through increased emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases - larger populations also generate more waste and tax water supplies.

Quote:

The impact of having children differs between countries

. While some developing nations have much higher populations and rates of population growth than the United States, their overall impact on the global carbon equation is often reduced by shorter life div class="detail"s and less consumption. The long-term impact of a child born to a family in China is less than one-fifth the impact of a child born in the United States, the study found.

However, as the developing world increases both its population and consumption levels, this equation may even out.

Quote:

"Many people are unaware of the power of exponential population growth," Murtaugh said. "Future growth amplifies the consequences of people's reproductive choices today, the same way that compound interest amplifies a bank balance."

Again, I'm feeling very vindicated.

For a long time, I've argued that global warming is just a symptom of the real problem: overpopulation. Hopefully more people will 'go green' by taking this advice.

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Stats : 36 Replies

Top Taliban arrested in Pakistan

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 14:01:52 GMT

Discuss World News : Top Taliban arrested in Pakistan

Pakistan has arrested two senior Taliban leaders in the Swat Valley, northwest of the capital, including the movement's spokesman, the army said.

The detention of Muslim Khan, who also served as a senior negotiator for the Taliban, and Mahmood Khan is meant to disrupt a militant effort to reorganize in Swat, three months after the army re-captured the valley from Taliban control.

The army is trying to consolidate its victory in Swat before it would attempt any other offensives, notably against the main Taliban strongholds along the western border with Afghanistan, said Fazl Rahim Marwat, a political science professor at the University of Peshawar in northwest Pakistan.

Pakistan had offered a reward of 10 million rupees ($120,500) for both men, said Major General Athar Abbas, the Pakistan army spokesman. The top Taliban leader in Swat, Maulana Fazlullah, heads the government's list of wanted guerrillas, with an offer of 50 million rupees for his capture.

Muslim Khan, 55, became the Swat Taliban's main spokesman last year, leading a delegation that negotiated a truce with provincial authorities. As a fluent English-speaker, his multilingual skills and his rich experience of working abroad in Western countries makes him a rare talent for the Taliban movement, a group that involves mostly madrasa graduates and illiterate activists, said a report in February from the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

For more details, visit -

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/8249869.stm

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Finally Vilan was screwed ?

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:28:38 GMT

Discuss World News : Finally Vilan was screwed ?

The Allahabad High Court on Friday acquitted businessman Moninder Singh Pandher in one of the Nithari serial killing case, setting aside

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the death sentence awarded to him by a lower court, but upheld the capital punishment handed down to his domestic help Surinder Koli. ( Watch Video )

The order was passed by a Division Bench comprising Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice K N Pandey which observed that "no evidence has been placed on record to show that Pandher was guilty".

Pandher and Koli were awarded death sentence by a special court in Ghaziabad on February 13 this year for the murder of 14-year-old girl Rimpa Halder at his house in Noida.

Significantly, CBI, which was investigating the Nithari episode, had given a "clean chit" to Pandher, a Noida-based businessman, in its chargesheet.

Pandher's son Karandeep Singh, who was present in the High Court, expressed delight over the acquittal of his father and said he was now looking forward to "justice in the remaining cases related to this matter".

"There is God, and there is justice in the country," Karandeep said.

The High Court, he said, had sustained CBI's chargesheet and "we are quite happy about that".

Pandher's lawyer Monisha Bhandari said that she will try for bail for her client in view of the verdict.

G S Chaturvedi, senior counsel and amicus curiae in the case, hoped that Koli would file an appeal against the high court verdict in the Supreme Court.

Regarding Pandher, he said the trial court had adopted a procedure which was not scientific and "had thrown legality and caution to the winds". ...

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Really YSR is the great leader ?

Mon, 07 Sep 2009 10:35:43 GMT

Discuss World News : Really YSR is the great leader ?

YSR , In that name only the power is there, YSR had more than 5 crore fans.He is the powerful leader in the congress party.

He the key person to win the congress in central also.But unfortunately we lost the great leader in unbelievable chopper accident.

Now everybody concentrate on 'Who Is The Next CM FOR AP ' ?

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