North Korea's grisly arms tests on babies

They call it "the Killing Compound" – the area of Camp 22 in North Korea's largest concentration camp. Hidden away in the mountains in a remote northeastern corner of North Korea, close to its borders with Russia and China, Camp 22 has been purpose-built for the regime's scientists to have an unlimited number of prisoners on which to experiment. Thousands of men, women and children are trucked to the nearby town of Haengyong. There they wait and, just as Nazi Dr. Josef Mengele did at Auschwitz, the North Korean physicians single out those who will die in gas chambers, or in biological tests, or face death in the human dissection rooms.

Iran says research on nuclear fusion progressing

Iran is pressing ahead with research tests on nuclear fusion, a type of atomic reaction which has yet to be developed for commercial power generation, a senior Iranian official said. Iran said in the 1990s it was working on nuclear fusion research but this is the first mention in years that the work is continuing and comes at a time of heightened tension over Iran's nuclear programme. Iran has been hauled before the U.N. Security Council for failing to convince the world that its atomic work is not being used to make bombs. Tehran insists it only wants to generate electricity. "Iran has done various fusion tests for research purposes at its Amirabad research reactor over the last few years," the official told Reuters, referring to the reactor in central Tehran, adding that Iran was continuing to carry out such tests.

Iran's Supreme Leader Says: Tehran Will Not Stop Work On Nuclear Program

Iran's supreme leader says his country will not stop work on its controversial nuclear program. State television quoted Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as saying young Iranian scientists have guaranteed Iran's long-term energy security with their successes in nuclear science. He said a retreat would mean a complete loss. His comments Sunday came as Russia's national security chief, Igor Ivanov, met in Tehran with Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.

High-tech Tags May Track School Kids

School districts around the nation are starting to hold themselves more accountable for the students they're paid to teach and protect. As part of the growing trend, officials in the Tucson Unified School District already are testing new technology that helps keep track of elementary students during the school day. Using a program similar to the Global Positioning System already in use in consumer and commercial vehicles, Gateway Communications Inc. has been testing the technology on three TUSD buses since January. The company would give TUSD's 12,000 bus-riders from fifth grade down a plastic watchband, a small black box hooked to a belt loop or a key fob. The devices will let administrators, teachers and parents know when students get on a bus, when they get off, where they are at noon and when they're dropped off.

Tel Aviv within range of new Iran-supplied Hezbollah rocket

Iran has equipped the Lebanese-based radical Islamic group Hezbollah with long-range rockets capable of hitting targets up to 200 kilometers away, putting all of Israel's major urban centers - including the southern city of Be'er Sheva - within striking distance. The solid-fuel rockets lack an independent guidance system and their accuracy is questionable but they can still cause considerable damage. According to intelligence estimates, the rockets are meant to strike non-specific areas, such as towns and cities, and carry a warhead estimated to weigh 600 kilograms. This latest development doubles the range of weapons previously in Hezbollah's arsenal.

U.K. Babies aborted for not being perfect

The ethical storm over abortions has been renewed as it emerged that terminations are being carried out for minor, treatable birth defects. Late terminations have been performed in recent years because the babies had club feet, official figures show. Babies are being aborted with only minor defects. Other babies were destroyed because they had webbed fingers or extra digits. Such defects can often be corrected with a simple operation or physiotherapy. The revelation sparked fears that abortion is increasingly being used to satisfy couples' desire for the 'perfect' baby. A leading doctor said people were right to be 'totally shocked' that abortions were being carried out for such conditions. Campaigners warned we are turning into a society that can no longer tolerate imperfection.

Bible supports homosexual partnerships, says bishop

One of the country's most senior bishops has reignited the Church of England row over homosexuality by claiming that same-sex partnerships are supported by the Bible. The Rt Rev Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford, said that traditionalists in the Church needed to be "converted" to see that homosexual unions are confirmed by the scriptures. Bishop Harries: 'Gay partnerships are about faithfulness and stability' He reaffirmed his controversial belief that an openly gay man should be allowed to be appointed a bishop. His remarks have angered traditionalists and are set to rekindle the debate on homosexual "marriages" that has left the Church's House of Bishops deeply divided following the introduction of the Civil Partnerships Act last year.

Indonesia Struck By Catastrophic Quake

A powerful earthquake killed at least 3,002 people in Indonesia, government officials said on Saturday. More than 2,500 people were hurt when the 6.3-magnitude temblor struck central Java early in the morning while many were still asleep. Rescuers are searching through ruined buildings for survivors and hospitals are being overwhelmed by casualties. The quake struck about 15 miles south-southwest of the city of Yogyakarta and near the erupting volcano Mount Merapi. Scientists believe the quake could affect volcanic activity. The death toll rose sharply throughout Saturday, as teams reached disaster areas near the coast. The National Disaster Coordinating Agency said 2,091 of the deaths were in the area of Bantul, a district south of Yogyakarta near the Java coast. Deaths have also been reported in Yogyakarta and other communities. In Bantul, 1,892 were hurt. Property damage is said to be extensive and widespread. Many structures have been damaged or leveled, and many people might be trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings in Yogyakarta and other towns.

Hindu woman says she is Jesus Christ

Katherine Jhawarelall, 35, who has a degree in criminology, said on Tuesday that she was born with the stigmata and also claimed that Hebrew scriptures and religious symbols from the Bible appear on the walls of her home, the Post newspaper reported. Stigmata are marks or sensations in locations corresponding to the crucification wounds of Jesus Christ. Jhawarelall claimed she did not know the significance of the stigmata until two years ago. When reporters from the Post visited Jhawarelall at her home, she pointed out sketches of angels and a cross on the walls. A sign, which she claimed was written in Hebrew, was also etched in her front lawn, the report said. Jhawarelall told the Post that on the morning of her 33rd birthday on May 15, 2004, she woke up with a swollen arm and realised a message was written on her skin: "Happy birthday Katherine. God gave you life." She was quoted as saying that she was initially startled "but eventually came to realise and accept who she was". "People have condemned my claim. Some have even called me a fake and Satan. However, I believe this reaction is attributed to the fact that I am female and a Hindu. Jesus Christ is universal irrespective of race, colour or creed," she told the Post, adding: "I am now the child of God.

Massive Robotic Surveillance to Fill Skys Above

The Navy Wednesday gave a large audience of defense contractors details on what might be a multibillion dollar contract for an unmanned air reconnaissance system that would require scores of sophisticated flying drones, an array of high-technology sensors and communications systems and the associated ground control and data-receiving stations. At a briefing near the Patuxent River Naval Air Station in southern Maryland, senior Navy officers and defense officials described the requirements and schedule for a major program called the Broad Area Maritime Surveillance system to more than 200 aerospace industry representatives. "BAMS is a huge undertaking" that presents "tremendous growth opportunities" for the aerospace industry, said Vice Adm. Walter Massenburg, commander of the Naval Air Systems Command. Massenburg emphasized that what they wanted was not just an unmanned vehicle but an unmanned aerial system capable of providing persistent maritime surveillance and data collection.

Honda Says Brain Waves Control Robot

In a step toward linking a person's thoughts to machines, Japanese automaker Honda said it has developed a technology that uses brain signals to control a robot's very simple moves. In the future, the technology that Honda Motor Co. developed with ATR Computational Neuroscience Laboratories could be used to replace keyboards or cell phones, researchers said Wednesday. It also could have applications in helping people with spinal cord injuries, they said. In a video demonstration in Tokyo, brain signals detected by a magnetic resonance imaging scanner were relayed to a robotic hand. A person in the MRI machine made a fist, spread his fingers and then made a V-sign. Several seconds later, a robotic hand mimicked the movements. Further research would be needed to decode more complex movements.

Iran Seeks Anti U.S. Axis

Officials said Iran has sought to recruit a coalition that would oppose U.S. interests in the Middle East and Central Asia. They said the alliance would include nuclear powers. ‘China, Russia, India and Iran are capable of establishing a pole of major powers in Asia, opposing the policies of America,’ Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Maj. Gen. Yahya Rahim Safavi said. Addressing the heads of the Basij militia in Teheran on May 9, Safavi said Iran could forge an international alliance to foil U.S. interests. The general envisioned a clash of such an axis with the United States and its allies.

Iran says would hit back against any U.S. attack

Iran would hit back against any U.S. attack, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said during a visit to Baghdad on Friday. "In the event that Americans attack Iran anywhere, Iran will respond with an attack in that place," he told a joint news conference with Iraq's speaker of parliament, Mahmoud al-Mashhadani. Mottaki's remarks were translated into Arabic. But he suggested he did not believe the United States would attack Iran, saying: "We don't see that America is in a position where it would create a new crisis for the American tax payer." The United States and Iran are fiercely at odds over Western accusations that Iran's nuclear power program is a cover for making weapons. Iran denies the accusations and says it has a right to a peaceful nuclear program.

Islamic Movement summons Muslims to Temple Mount

The Islamic Movement summoned all Israel's Muslims on Thursday to Jerusalem's Temple Mount for prayer services at the al-Aqsa mosque. The call was issued after Jerusalem Police authorized Jews to go up to the Mount as a special dispensation for Jerusalem Day, Israel Radio reported.

Iran Believes Israel Will Attack Within The Year

Iran estimates Israel will strike Tehran's nuclear facilities within a year, and has been planning retaliatory attacks against Israeli, American and British interests, according to senior Lebanese political sources. The sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Iran believes Israel has been practicing raids in Iraq. They said Tehran has held a series of meetings with leaders of the Hezbollah terror group – based along Lebanon's border with Israel – about attacking the Jewish state in the event of any Israeli strike against Iran's nuclear sites. The sources said while Iran is expecting lone Israeli military action, Iranian intelligence estimates the Jewish state is coordinating a planned attack with the U.S. ‘The Iranians currently are operating under the working assumption that Israel is going to strike in less than a year and that this strike is highly coordinated with America,’ said a senior Lebanese politician.

Pentagon Says 95% of Chinese Military Imports Come from Russia

The Pentagon has said in an annual China Military Power Report that China buys about 95 percent of its new weapons from Russia. The 2006 Annual Report said that Russia remained the leading supplier of weapons to China and continued to cooperate with the country on a variety of technical and logistics issues, which allowed China to maintain and modernize its large military potential. According to Pentagon analysts, China has bought Su-27 Flanker fighters and Su-30 Flanker interceptors, AA-12 Adder medium-range air-to-air missiles, SA-10 Grumble, SA-15 Gauntlet and SA-20 Triumph surface-to-air missiles, 3M-54E (SS-N-27B) anti-ship cruise missiles, Kilo-class diesel submarines, Modern-class destroyers, Il-76 Candid transport planes and Il-78 Midas in-flight refueling tankers.

U.S. Plans 'Star Wars' Bases In Eastern Europe

The Bush administration is planning to build an anti-missile defense system in central Europe to stop a ballistic missile threat from Iran, revisiting the late president Ronald Reagan's vision of space-based warfare. The proposal comes amid growing concerns about Iran's nuclear energy program, believed by Washington to be a cover-up for developing nuclear weapons. The US plan calls for installing ten anti-missile interceptors at a European site by 2011. A Pentagon spokesman said they had been in discussions with European allies for several years about putting the interceptors in place.

Iran Launches Another Military Exercise

The Iranian Navy and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps have launched a naval exercise in the Gulf. The exercise, entitled ‘851,’ began on Sunday and would last three days. ‘The aim of this 3-day maneuver is promotion of professional skills and new educational technology,’ the official Iranian news agency Irna said. The headquarters of the exercise has been located at the naval base at Khorramshahr in southwestern Iran. Mohammad Taqi Hejazi, a naval spokesman, said the exercise would be conducted in three phases. This was the second major naval exercise by Iran in as many months. In April, the IRGC conducted the week-long ‘Holy Prophet’ exercise, which also took place in the northern Gulf.

Iran: Fund to 'demolish' Israel set up

A group of Iranian students announced Sunday at an event attended by a high-ranking member of the elite Revolutionary Guard that they were setting up a fund to destroy Israel. Although the initiative's name - "The Student Fund for Demolishing Israel" - brings to mind President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's call last year to destroy the Jewish state, an organizer said its goal was to support the cash-strapped Palestinian government. Some 300 students attended the event hosted by a group calling itself the Movement of Justice-seeking Students at the University of Tehran. "This is a symbolic move to attract public attention to the Palestinian cause at a time when Western countries have halted financial support to the Hamas-led government," Javad Miri, the group's spokesman, told The Associated Press. Miri said the group was collecting money that it will send it to the Hamas-led Palestinian government. "When an elected government is in power in Palestine and Israel is pressuring it, everybody should help the Palestinians."

Portable Iris Scanning Verification System

Xvista is set to capitalise on the rapid growth in the $1.5 billion global biometrics market after developing the UK’s first portable iris scanning and verification system. Offering potential security applications across commercial markets including mobile telecoms, consumer electronics, banking and aviation as well as potential military use, the system developed by xVista is the first iris scanning system that can be housed within compact low power computing systems such as the standard camera mobile phone.

Retailers Plow Ahead With RFID Chips

The roots of radio-frequency identification technology stretch at least as far back as World War II, when transponders helped distinguish between Axis and Allied aircraft. Over the years the concept has been greatly miniaturized, landing RFID technology in such settings as animal tags, toll-collection devices, passports, keyless entry systems for cars and wireless credit cards. But perhaps none of these projects will have as much impact for consumers as the adoption of RFID in the supply chains of huge retail stores.
Mega-retailers led by Wal-Mart Stores Inc. have gotten their biggest suppliers to add RFID chips to pallets and cases shipped to stores. Now, rather than having people with bar-code scanners walk around to take inventory, RFID readers in warehouses can automatically tally items on the fly.

Radio-Frequency Chips Coming to Cattle

After growing up on a cattle ranch, John Hassell became an electrical engineer specializing in wireless technology. So he feels doubly qualified to offer this warning about the system taking shape to track cattle across America: It won't work. To be sure, he doesn't quibble with the logic of the system. It stems from the Bush administration's plan to give agriculture inspectors the ability to pinpoint the origins of mad cow and other diseases within 48 hours. Livestock facilities and individual animals will get identifying numbers, which owners will use to document the beasts' movements in industry databases. The system isn't expected to be fully online until 2009, but already it's clear that in the sprawling U.S. beef and dairy industries — home to 100 million cattle — many producers will automate data gathering with radio-frequency chips attached to cattle ears.

Creating a new race of beings with AI

With funding from the European Commission’s Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) initiative of the IST programme, five European research institutes are collaborating on the NEW TIES project to create a thoroughly 21st-century brave new world – one populated by randomly generated software beings, capable of developing their own language and culture. This kind of social interaction is a tantalising prospect for the artificial intelligence (AI) experts, computer scientists, sociologists and linguists working on NEW TIES. The keyword here is ‘social.’ “While individual (or machine) learning and evolutionary behaviour have been quite well studied, social learning is still an unknown quantity,” says project coordinator Gusz Eiben, an AI professor at the Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam. Joining the Vrije Universiteit are the University of Surrey, Budapest’s Eötvös Loránd University, Edinburgh’s Napier University and Tilburg University in The Netherlands. The multidisciplinary team has a dual goal: to study natural processes (like language development), and to advance the construction of collective artificial intelligence.

N. Korea Nuclear Missile Capable Of Hitting U.S. On Launch Pad

U.S. and South Korean intelligence agencies have reportedly spotted preparations for the test launch of a Taepodong-type missile in North Korea. Sources say the South Korean government is making use of all channels to dissuade the North from going ahead with the launch. A senior official in Seoul said U.S. spy satellites have captured images of large trailers at missile platforms in the Hwadae-gun area of North Hamgyeong Province transporting large objects that are thought to be parts of a Taepodong-II missile. Experts estimate that the missiles have a firing range of 10,000-15,000 km, which would put Alaska in its radius, given the 30 m length of the objects. In preparation for the possible launch, U.S. authorities are increasing sorties of U-2 and RC-135 reconnaissance aircraft in the region.

Muslim student, ACLU fight graduation prayer

A federal judge in Louisville, Kentucky, granted a temporary restraining order prohibiting a prayer from being said during graduation ceremonies at an area high school after a Muslim student on the planning committee objected and garnered the help of the American Civil Liberties Union. Arshiya Saiyed, a senior at Russell County High School, said she was working on plans for the ceremony, scheduled for last night, with the senior panel when the issue came up, according to WHAS-TV in Louisville. "Terms like Jesus Christ, heavenly father, I talked about the fact I was Muslim and the prayers in the past were offensive to me," the 17-year-old said.

Iran May Require Badges For Jews

Human rights groups are raising alarms over a new law passed by the Iranian parliament that would require the country's Jews and Christians to wear colored badges to identify them and other religious minorities as non-Muslims. ‘This is reminiscent of the Holocaust,’ said Rabbi Marvin Hier, the dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Los Angeles. ‘Iran is moving closer and closer to the ideology of the Nazis.’ Iranian expatriates living in Canada yesterday confirmed reports that the Iranian parliament, called the Islamic Majlis, passed a law this week setting a dress code for all Iranians, requiring them to wear almost identical ‘standard Islamic garments.’ The law, which must still be approved by Iran's ‘Supreme Guide’ Ali Khamenehi before being put into effect, also establishes special insignia to be worn by non-Muslims. Iran's roughly 25,000 Jews would have to sew a yellow strip of cloth on the front of their clothes, while Christians would wear red badges and Zoroastrians would be forced to wear blue cloth.

North Korea may be preparing missile launch

North Korea may be preparing to launch a long-range Taepodong ballistic missile that could have the capacity to reach all of the United States, Japanese national broadcaster NHK reported on Friday. Quoting unidentified South Korean government officials, NHK said satellite pictures showed there have been signs since early this month around a launch site in northeastern North Korea that pointed to a possible firing in the near future. South Korea's defense ministry said it could not confirm the report. Japanese officials have not commented. The missile appeared to be the Taepodong-2, which has the longest range in North Korea's arsenal, and if it is a modified version it may have a range of 15,000 km (9,300 miles), which would cover all of the United States, NHK said. Quoting Japanese government sources, Japan's Kyodo news agency also said a launch could be imminent.

Al Qaeda intent on attacking U.S. oil facilities

A leading expert on Al Qaeda has predicted that in the next phase of the terrorist group’s war on the US economy, the number of attacks on oil infrastructure targets will increase. Michael Scheuer, who served the CIA for 11 years and was head of the agency’s Osama Bin Laden unit, told a meeting on the threat to Saudi oil industry, organised by the Jamestown Foundation at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace on Monday that Al Qaeda and its allies are well placed throughout the Persian Gulf to attack oil facilities and officials. Scheuer said Bin Laden’s intention is to bankrupt the US economy, which is “entirely likely” to lead to attacks on infrastructure targets inside the US by Al Qaeda, its allies and groups that may not necessarily be associated with either. The attacks would probably focus on large targets that could cripple parts of the US economy. Other groups, however, may be satisfied with staging small-scale attacks on pipelines, pumping stations, tanker trucks as in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Russia, China to Hold Joint Military Exercises Under SCO Aegis

Two regional security organizations comprising post-Soviet nations and China are planning joint military exercises, the chief of Russia’s general staff said Thursday, the RIA Novosti news agency reports. “We are currently discussing a joint exercise under the aegis of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO),” Yury Baluyevsky said, adding that the date of the exercise, which would also involve troops from Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) nations, had yet to be decided. Baluyevsky said the exercises would practice joint counteraction against terrorist threats. The chiefs of the CSTO nations’ general staffs held a meeting in Moscow Thursday to discuss ways to make the collective security system more effective, including by improving control of the Collective Rapid Reaction Force, which currently numbers 1,500 military personnel deployed in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.

U.S. Finalizing Plans For Massive 5 Day Bombing Campaign Against Iran

Strategists are understood to have presented two options for pinpoint strikes using B2 bombers flying directly from bases in Missouri, Guam in the Pacific and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. RAF Fairford in Gloucester also has facilities for B2s but this has been ruled out because of the UK's opposition to military action against Tehran. The main plan calls for a rolling, five-day bombing campaign against 400 key targets in Iran, including 24 nuclear-related sites, 14 military airfields and radar installations, and Revolutionary Guard headquarters. At least 75 targets in underground complexes would be attacked with waves of bunker-buster bombs. Iranian radar networks and air defence bases would be struck by submarine-launched Tomahawk cruise missiles and then kept out of action by carrier aircraft flying from warships in the Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf. The alternative to an all-out campaign is a demonstration strike against one or two high-profile targets such as the Natanz uranium enrichment facility or the hexafluoride gas plant at Isfahan. UK sources say contingency plans have also been drawn up to cope with the inevitable backlash against the Basra garrison in neighbouring Iraq.

Islamic Jihad To Plant Iraq-Style Cell-Phone Bombs In Israel

The Iran-backed Islamic Jihad has sought to develop improvised explosive devices similar to those assembled by Sunni insurgents in Iraq. Israeli security sources said the Iranian-sponsored Jihad has been experimenting with IEDs that could be detonated by a cellular phone. The sources said Jihad planned to plant numerous IEDs in urban areas throughout Israel that could be operated by the group's growing network in the Jewish state. ‘Jihad has sought to move away from the sole use of suicide bombers,’ a security source said. ‘The organization wants to copy the Iraqi model in which IEDs are planted and detonated daily at stand-off ranges.’ The Jihad project has been assisted by Hizbullah, which developed a range of IEDs for use against the Israel Army in Lebanon in the 1990s, Middle East Newsline reported. Hizbullah has relayed shaped-charge IEDs components and technology to insurgents in Iraq.

U.S. Has Warmest April on Record

Last month was the warmest April on record for the United States, offering many Americans a pleasant spring month. For the 48 contiguous states the average temperature was 4.5 degrees Fahrenheit above normal for the month, the National Climatic Data Center reported Tuesday. That made it the nation's warmest April since record keeping began in 1895. Worldwide it was also an above-normal month, but not a record breaker, finishing as the seventh warmest April worldwide, according to the Data Center, a branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The warmth led to below normal home energy demand for the month, the agency added.

Wireless Tiny Tracking Tags Provoke Privacy Concerns

'A washing machine that can ‘read’ the clothes it holds and choose the perfect setting for the garments. A refrigerator that scans what is inside and sends a short text message reminder to buy milk, eggs or butter. Both are possible with radio frequency identification tags, the postage-stamp-size chips that are revolutionizing the marketing and inventory businesses. But the revolution is also igniting debate in Europe over what some fear could be a new threat to personal privacy. In unscrupulous hands, according to experts, these RFID tags would pose a serious threat to privacy. The tags, now limited to functions like inventory tracking, highway toll payment systems, London Underground passes and security in new car keys, could one day be used to tag and track people and their belongings, not just in supermarkets or shopping malls, but around the world, experts say. ‘This type of information would be invaluable to marketing people and law enforcement,’ said Ross Anderson, a professor of computer security engineering at Cambridge University. ‘Down the road, there could be a real threat to privacy.’

Iran Says It's Not Interested In EU Incentives

Iran reiterated Tuesday that it was not interested in an European Union offer of incentives in return for a halt to the Islamic republic's nuclear program. Foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi also expressed ‘surprise’ that the EU was still working on putting such a proposal together given that Iran has consistently stated its refusal to agree to a suspension of nuclear work. ‘If Europe is seeking diplomatic and peaceful solutions, it must not go beyond international treaties,’ Asefi said in a statement. The West fears that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon under cover of a civilian atomic energy program and the EU is working on a package of trade and other incentives to try to coax the country into freezing sensitive uranium enrichment work.

The United Nations and Iraq to Rebuild Ancient Babylon

Crumbling brick buildings, some 2,500 years old, look like smashed sand castles at the beach. Famous sites, like the Tower of Babel and the Hanging Gardens, are swallowed up by river reeds. Signs of military occupation are everywhere, including trenches, bullet casings, shiny coils of razor wire and blast walls stamped, "This side Scud protection." But Babylon, the mud-brick city with the million-dollar name, may be entering a prophetic season. Iraqi leaders and U.N. officials are planning to restore Babylon and to turn it into a global cultural center.

Dartmouth Physics Prof Asks: Is ET God?

Judging from our first trembling steps toward genetic engineering and nanotechnology, we can even imagine that super-smart aliens developed ways to become immortal. These immortals, with their ultra-sophisticated technology, would be capable of things we may presently call miraculous. Indeed, from our perspective, they would be godlike. They could even have created us.

Syria Raises Money For Hamas

Syria has forced its minorities to donate money to Hamas. Kurdish sources said Syrian police have pressured Kurdish businesses near the Iraqi border to hand over money for Hamas. The sources said the demands ranged from $10 to $5,000. The Kurdish news agency, Qamsihlo reported that Syrian authorities spent the previous two days visiting stores and factories in Qamishli. The agency said each business was required to donate money to Hamas or face arrest. Qamsihlo said shopkeepers were ordered to pay 500 Syrian liras, or $10. Major contractors were told to pay about $5,000

Pakistan official to Iran: Take Israel hostage

Pakistan's former army chief says Iranian officials came to him for advice on heading off an attack on their nuclear facilities, and he in effect advised them to take a hostage — Israel. Retired Gen. Mirza Aslam Beg said he suggested their government "make it clear that if anything happens to Iran, if anyone attacks it — it doesn't matter who it is or how it is attacked — that Iran's answer will be to hit Israel; the only target will be Israel." Since Beg spoke in an interview with The Associated Press, echoes of his thinking have been heard in Iran, though whether they result directly from his advice isn't known.

India's longest-range missile ready for test launch

India's longest-range ballistic missile is ready for a test launch, the country's top military scientist has announced. "We are technically ready for the test-firing of the missile," M. Natarajan, scientific advisor to the defence ministry, announced at an official function in New Delhi which was also attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. "We are awaiting a nod from the government," he said of the Agni-III (Fire) nuclear-capable ballistic missile which has an official range of 4,000 kilometres (2,480 miles). Some experts believe the solid-fuel missile can travel a distance of 6,000 kilometres (3,720 miles) but the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), which built the system, declined to confirm the estimates. India has been putting off tests of the Agni-III since November 2004 reportedly under pressure from the United States concerned it could spark an arms race with New Delhi's rival Pakistan.

Iran issues warning on new Europe nuclear offer

Iran has warned that it would only consider new European incentives aimed at finding a deal over its atomic program if the offer recognizes the Islamic republic's right to enrich uranium. The comments from Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki starkly underlined Tehran's refusal to abandon a process that Western countries want Iran to renounce and is the key sticking point in the escalating nuclear standoff. "Any incentive that does not include Iran's right to nuclear technology and the ways to secure it will not have any attraction for the Iranian people and government," the IRNA agency quoted Mottaki as telling reporters in Indonesia. For Iran, the right to nuclear technology means first and foremost its right to uranium enrichment, a highly sensitive process that can be used both for making nuclear fuel and in a weapons program.

Russia Will Dramatically Increase Defense Spending in 2007

Russia’s spending on arms development and purchases will rise by 27% each year from 2007, a senior defense official said Thursday, RIA Novosti news agency reports. Vladislav Putilin, first deputy head of the defense committee established in March to improve the monitoring of defense spending, said: “State defense orders have risen. Spending on the development and purchase of armaments and military equipment will go up by 27% each year from 2007.” He also said the strategic nuclear forces and permanent combat duty units remained priorities in terms of financing.

Big Brother's Secrets Expanding

Unencumbered by a First Amendment, Britain for almost 100 years has had an Official Secrets Act to prevent leaks to the media and to prosecute offenders, including journalists. Some Bush administration officials and members of Congress are casting a longing eye at the British law. If only the United States had a similar law, their reasoning goes, the reporters who revealed CIA-run prisons in Eastern Europe and the National Security Agency's warrantless wiretapping of terrorism suspects would be prosecuted instead of receiving Pulitzer Prizes.

Iran Letter Could Be A Precursor To War

Some Middle East observers believe Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's letter to President Bush could be a precursor to war, based on a traditional Muslim pattern of offering acceptance of Islam before establishing it by force. Robert Spencer, editor of Jihad Watch, says Ahmadinejad appears to be following the teachings of Muhammad, who gave specific instructions to followers as they engage in ‘holy war’ against ‘those who disbelieve in Allah.’ In a Hadith, regarded by Muslims as sacred writings about Muhammad, the Islamic prophet says a series of offers should be made to ‘enemies’ to embrace Islam, or at least accept Islamic rule, and if they are rejected, ‘seek Allah's help and fight them.’ In his letter, Ahmadinejad argues only Islam can ‘overcome the present problems of the world’ and asks Bush, ‘Will you not accept this invitation? That is, a genuine return to the teachings of prophets, to monotheism and justice, to preserve human dignity and obedience to the Almighty and His prophets? Mr. President, History tells us that repressive and cruel governments do not survive.’ Another observer of Islam, journalist Stephen Adams, said the letter seems to parallel a missive from al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden to Americans prior to the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

Putin: Arms race with U.S. not over

President Vladimir Putin warned today that the U.S.-Russian arms race is not over and called for a strengthening of his nation's nuclear and conventional forces so Moscow can better resist foreign pressure. The remarks, in his seventh state of the nation address since taking power in 2000, follow increasingly sharp criticism of Russia's democratic and foreign policy directions from the United States, including a harsh rebuke by Vice President Dick Cheney last week in Lithuania. "It is premature to speak of the end of the arms race," said Mr. Putin, who pointed out in the nationally televised address that U.S. defense spending is 25 times higher than Russia's and said his country needs to catch up.

Israel Will Attack Iran Soon: Israeli Official

The 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.

Putin says, Russia needs to be strong against 'fortress' U.S.

Russia faces a "fortress" United States and must embrace high technology to keep up in a growing arms race, as well as in fierce economic competition, President
Vladimir Putin said in a state of the nation speech. Addressing both houses of parliament and other top officials in the nationally televised, hour-long speech on Wednesday, Putin said Russia must remain on guard in a post-Cold War arms race. "It is premature to speak of the end of the arms race," Putin said the annual address. "It is in reality rising to a new technological level," the Russian leader said. Putin said that the United States spent 25 times more than Russia on its defence budget. "In the defence sphere, this is called 'their house is their fortress.' Well done! But it means that we must build our house strongly, reliably, because we see what's going on in the world.

Russia and China seen as enemies of the U.S.

As if rallying fading public support for keeping more than 100,000 U.S. troops in a disintegrating Iraq and preparing the ground for a possible military attack on Iran were not enough, some influential hawks are now promoting a more confrontational stance against Russia and China, as well. Their eagerness to take on new and bigger enemies, signaled by Vice Pres. Dick Cheney's blistering verbal assault on Russia Thursday, could be a calculated effort to intimidate the two Eurasian giants at a moment when the U.S. and the European Union (EU) appear to have forged greater unity on key foreign policy issues than at any time since Washington invaded Iraq three years ago. Russia and China, which were initially treated as allies in the "global war on terror", are now seen as the two biggest obstacles to Washington's drive to impose U.N. Security sanctions against Iran, the administration's current top foreign policy priority. Hardliners may believe that putting them on the defensive at this moment could persuade them to show greater flexibility, at least with respect to Iran.

Flying Robot Attack "Unstoppable": Experts

It may sound like science fiction, but the prospect that suicide bombers and hijackers could be made redundant by flying robots is a real one, according to experts. The technology for remote-controlled light aircraft is now highly advanced, widely available -- and, experts say, virtually unstoppable. Models with a wingspan of five metres (16 feet), capable of carrying up to 50 kilograms (110 pounds), remain undetectable by radar. And thanks to satellite positioning systems, they can now be programmed to hit targets some distance away with just a few metres (yards) short of pinpoint accuracy. Security services the world over have been considering the problem for several years, but no one has yet come up with a solution. "We are observing an increasing threat from such things as remote-controlled aircraft used as small flying bombs against soft targets," the head of the Canadian secret services, Michel Gauthier, said at a conference in Calgary recently. According to Gauthier, "ultra-light aircraft, powered hang gliders or powered paragliders have also been purchased by terrorist groups to circumvent ground-based countermeasures.

EU Wants More Powers In Criminal Matters

The EU Observer reports: “The European Commission will propose to EU leaders to move a large number of decisions on police and criminal matters from the national to the European level, aiming at eliminating national vetoes in this area. Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso said in a speech on the future of Europe in Lisbon on Monday (8 May) ‘People are asking for 'more Europe' in order to combat terrorism and organized crime. It is our duty to respond to this appeal, with or without a constitution.’ The commission seeks ‘to transfer to the [European] Community a large number of the decisions in the fields of justice, freedom and security that can be dealt with more effectively at European level than at national level,’ he indicated. Brussels proposes to use a so-called ‘passerelle’ or ‘bridging’ clause in the current EU treaty, which allows to shift policy areas from the ‘third’ to the ‘first’ pillar of EU decision-making.

North Korea trying to weaponize bird flu

The pariah state of North Korea is trying to weaponize the bird flu virus, making it the ideal threat for al-Qaida, the British intelligence agency MI6 has learned. The Bush administration has given briefings classified "Top Secret/Sensitive Compartmented Information" to members of Congress and the Senate on the threat. In aerosol form it would be undetectable at all border crossings and virologists at Porton Down – Britain's research center responsible for developing antidotes against biological attacks – fear that a genetically engineered version of the virus would be far more lethal than any current threat from the virus. World ranking experts have said that it would be the greatest threat al-Qaida could unleash.

Chip's to end lost luggage

About 200,000 bags are lost or stolen every year, while an estimated 30 million are mislaid, but then recovered, costing the industry £1.4 billion. The aviation industry is turning to Radio Frequency Identification to cut the number of losses. This uses a pinhead-sized chip embedded in the baggage label. The label can be read by hundreds of sensors dotted around an airport, tracking the suitcase from check-in to the plane and back to the luggage carousel on arrival. An alarm sounds if a baggage handler tries to load it on to the wrong plane. Known as tag and beacon technology, the system is being employed in Singapore and Stockholm for car congestion charging schemes. It has also been successfully tested at a number of airports. Heathrow will begin trials this year, tagging Virgin and Emirates baggage to and from flights to Dubai and Hong Kong. Luggage is at present tagged with a machine readable barcode. But this can be misread if the label is not held up to the scanner correctly.

Britain's MI6 confirms bin Laden nukes

MI6, Britain's secret intelligence service, has identified six Pakistani scientists working in Iran's nuclear bomb program who have been "advising al-Qaida on how to weaponize fissionable materials it has now obtained." MI6 and the International Atomic Energy Agency believe the scientists have played a major role in enabling Iran to be "well advanced in providing uranium enriched materials for nuclear bombs," said Alexander Cirilovic, a nuclear terrorism expert in Paris. Both high-level MI6 and CIA sources have confirmed the scientists would only have been allowed to assist al-Qaida with the authority of Iran's unpredictable President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The revelation comes at a time when Washington has increased pressure on Tehran to give up its nuclear weapons program.

Iran Threatens to Quit Nuclear Treaty

The Iranian parliament threatened in a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan Sunday to force the government to withdraw from the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty if the United States and its allies kept pressuring Tehran to suspend uranium enrichment. The letter warned that Annan and the Security Council must resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program "peacefully, (or) there will be no option for the parliament but to ask the government to withdraw its signature" from an addendum to the treaty that calls for signers to allow snap inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the treaty monitoring body.

Iranian Leader Sounds Defiant Note On Nuclear Program

In a speech, Mr. Ahmadinejad reasserted what he called Iran's right to develop its essential nuclear program as it wants, despite international criticism. The Iranian leader says his country will continue until it can manage industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel for atomic power stations. He also denounced those countries which he says want to halt the program, accusing them of interfering in the internal affairs of other countries. The Iranian president was speaking in Azerbaijan to leaders from a regional economic group that also includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey, and former Soviet Central Asian states. The speech was delivered behind closed doors, but a text of its content was reported in various media outlets, including Russian television.

Biometric acceptance grows as some favor chip implants

The convenience of using biometrics for ID verification outweighs any concerns over lax security methods when using biometric-enabled smartcards, according to a new survey. A global survey of consumer attitudes to using biometrics found a 5 percent increase in people who favor the use of biometrics as a preferred method of identity verification. Some 10 percent of individuals in the Asia-Pacific region would even prefer a chip implanted in their body. The survey, conducted by Unisys, surveyed 1,661 people globally. Convenience, according to 83 percent of respondents, was the main reason for using biometrics on a smartcard and three quarters said speedy verification is the main driver for biometric adoption. Supporters of biometrics were mainly in the North American region (71 percent) followed by Europe (69 percent) and the Asia-Pacific region, where respondents showed a 68 percent approval rating.

Iran Makes Fuel Rods for Reactors

Iran is producing fuel rods for nuclear reactors, state radio reported Thursday in the government's latest attempt to boost a nuclear program that world powers are trying to curb. Power-control rods, or fuel rods, contain low-enriched uranium and are inserted into a nuclear reactor's core to make the reactor run. "After sanctions from the U.S., experts from Iran's atomic energy organization have produced better quality rods than the foreign samples," the radio reported. It said these Iranian-produced rods were already in use in a 5-megawatt reactor built by the United States — before Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution — at the nuclear research center in Tehran. Enriched uranium can be used in the production of nuclear energy or weapons. Iran, a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, insists its nuclear program is aimed only at producing electricity. But the United States, France and Britain are pressing for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would demand Iran abandon uranium enrichment or face the threat of unspecified further measures.

U.S. Football team must keep God off the pitch

An American football team from the bible belt has been prevented from spreading the word of God during a game on Friday. The Birmingham Steeldogs, based in Alabama, had been planning to carry biblical texts on the back of their jerseys for their home game against Louisville Fire, a first in US sports history. The Steeldogs' name would be replaced on the jerseys by the Old Testament strongman Samson, the name of a book in the bible would replace the player's name and the number would refer to the chapter and the text. Jersey number 12 would become James, chapter 1, verse 2: "I consider it pure joy, my brother, whenever you face trials of many kinds." But league officials, based in New York, invoked a rule preventing teams from making arbitrary changes and threatened a $1 000 fine per jersey, and a further $50 000 for conduct detrimental to the game.

Israeli Jewish population now biggest

For the first time in almost 2,000 years, Israel has the largest Jewish population of any country in the world. The Central Bureau of Statistics announced Monday that about 76 percent of the population of 7.3 million is Jewish, about 5.3 million people. The last survey of the U.S. Jewish population put it at about 5.3 million in 2001, but Israeli statisticians think that the numbers may have declined slightly. Professor Sergio Della-Pergola of the A. Harmann Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University said that about 138,000 babies have been born to Israeli Jews since last Independence Day, adding a net of about 70,000 to the population. He said that Israel is the only country in the world with a "natural increase" in the Jewish population. "If current trends continue, there could be an absolute majority of world Jewry living in Israel within 25-30 years," said Professor Sergio Della-Pergola of the A. Harmann Institute of Contemporary Jewry at the Hebrew University. About 20 percent of the Israeli population is Arab, 1.39 million people.

Israel must take Iranian threats seriously: Olmert

Israel needs to take seriously Iranian threats to wipe out the Jewish state and can defend itself against a country the West suspects of seeking nuclear weapons, Acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said on Thursday. Olmert's strongly worded remarks to parliament before the ratification of his new coalition government came as Western powers sought action by the United Nations to curb Iranian uranium enrichment and other key nuclear processes. "We must not ignore what the president of Iran says -- he means everything he says," Olmert told the Knesset, referring to repeated calls by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for Israel's elimination. "The State of Israel, which the evil leaders in Tehran have turned into a target for annihilation, is not helpless and it has the ability to defend itself against any threat," he said. Iran, the world's fourth-biggest oil exporter, says it seeks nuclear energy, not bombs. Iranian officials have argued that Ahmadinejad's comments on Israel did not constitute a threat. The United States, Britain and France this week drafted a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding Iran curb its nuclear ambitions and threatening sanctions if it does not. Fellow council members Russia and China have balked at sanctions. Believed to have the Middle East's only atomic arsenal, Israel backs the diplomacy but, like its U.S. ally, has refused to rule out military action as a last resort.

U.S. Readies 'Road Map' For Potential Flu Disaster

CNN reports: “The Bush administration say it's making plans for a worst-case scenario: A flu pandemic that kills 2 million people in the United States and puts 40 percent of the workforce out of commission. The administration on Wednesday will unveil its ‘implementation plan’ for how the nation should respond if such a pandemic hits. The report covers the U.S. response to any pandemic flu outbreak, including a possible avian flu one. Recommendations include: 'Stockpiling vaccines and developing a new one specific to a human flu strain' - 'Encouraging quarantines for infected people; pushing for mandatory evacuations only in the most extreme cases' - 'Encouraging business practices that minimize contact among employees' - 'Deploying the National Guard in cases of civil unrest; and restricting travel'.

War In The Heavens

The Bush administration is seeking to develop a powerful ground-based laser weapon that would use beams of concentrated light to destroy enemy satellites in orbit. The largely secret project, parts of which have been made public through Air Force budget documents submitted to Congress in February, is part of a wide-ranging effort to develop space weapons, defensive and offensive.

EU to Force Poland, Malta, Italy to Recognize Gay “Marriages”

The European Union continues to favour the homosexual movement’s program at the expense of national sovereignty and religious rights. A new law coming into effect today effectively orders the countries of the Union to “facilitate” homosexual partners who have “married” in their home countries and want to live or travel in countries where their unions are not legally recognized. The law will force countries to allow nationals of other states to live permanently in the new country without visas or residency permits. In some places in the EU, such as Malta, immigration is extremely problematic due to limitations on space and economic and natural resources. Although only five EU member states have ratified the decision, European justice commissioner Franco Frattini warned national governments that the law was “immediately applicable” – whether ratified or not.

Iran will target Israel first if the United States attacks

The United States says it wants Iran's nuclear standoff with the West solved diplomatically but has refused to rule out military action. "We have announced that wherever America does something evil, the first place that we target will be Israel," Revolutionary Guards Rear Admiral Mohammad-Ebrahim Dehqani was quoted as saying by Iran's student news agency ISNA. The Islamic Republic has never recognized Israel and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has called for the Jewish state to be "wiped off the map." Dehqani said naval wargames held in the Gulf last month "carried the warning to those countries that threaten Iran, including America and the Zionist regime". Experts said the wargames, in which Iran said it had tested new missiles and torpedoes, were a thinly veiled threat that it could disrupt vital Gulf oil shipping lanes if it was attacked.

U.S. predicts U.N. support for Sanctions or Force against Iran

A top U.S. diplomat said he expects the United Nations will soon pass a resolution ordering Iran to suspend its nuclear program. U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns predicts that if Iran does not comply with the resolution, there will be a serious attempt to impose another resolution calling for sanctions. Burns spoke to CNN before meeting with his counterparts from France, Britain, Germany, China, Russia and the European Union in Paris. He said he expects full European support for a U.N. Security Council resolution that would allow sanctions or even force. "I think you will see a serious Chapter 7 resolution emerge in the next couple of days at the United Nations," he said. A resolution under the U.N. Charter's Chapter 7 makes any demands mandatory and paves the way for the use of sanctions and possibly force.

Press Conference On UFO Disclosure May 9th

Military, corporate and government witness testimony will present compelling evidence attesting to the reality of an extraterrestrial presence and the 58 year old military/government cover-up of this issue. The goal of this press conference is to present witness testimony by Brigadier Generals, Naval Photographic experts, military officers, ICBM Launch Commanders, an FAA Crash Site Senior Administrator, NORAD air traffic controllers, pilots, and that confirms authentic, first-hand encounters with intelligently controlled unidentified aerial craft of non-Earth origin. The conference will take place in Toronto, Canada at the prestigious De La Salle Oaklands College on Tuesday May 9th at 7:00 pm.

Iran 'playing games' in nuclear dispute: Rice

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has accused Iran of "playing games" in the dispute over its nuclear program and called on Tehran to come clean and halt uranium enrichment. Speaking on ABC television, Rice dismissed Iranian offers to allow spot inspections of its nuclear facilities and to reopen discussions on a Russian proposal to conduct sensitive fuel cycle work for Tehran. "I think they're playing games," she said Sunday two days after the International Atomic Energy Agency declared Iran in non-compliance with a UN Security Council injunction to halt uranium enrichment. "Obviously if they're not they should come clean, stop the enrichment, suspend the enrichment and answer the list of demands in the IAEA board of governors resolution and statement of the Security Council.

Iran Develops New Centrifuge

The Iranian opposition movement asserted that Teheran has begun testing the P-2 gas centrifuge. The movement said the P-2 centrifuges were being operated in two locations in Iran. At a Paris news conference on April 27, the National Council of Resistance of Iran said the P-2 centrifuge would help Iran accelerate its nuclear weapons program. The council said P-2 research was taking place in Natanz and Ab-e Ali and overseen by the Defense Ministry. Ab-e Ali is located near Teheran. Earlier, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Teheran was developing and testing the P-2. He said the German-origin system could enrich uranium up to four times that of the P-1. The P-1 was designed by Pakistan.

School Curriculum Designed To Indoctrinate Grades 6-12 On Microchipping Humans

In ID Please! Developing a Plan For an RFID-Enabled Technology, students share opinions about the technologies used to identify them and monitor their activities. They then develop plans for new uses of RFID-enabled technologies to share with the class, and write essays persuading readers to use their proposed technologies in monitoring alzheimer's patients, senior citizens, disabled people, prisoners or former prisoners, children, mental patients, and the general population.

Iran's secret plan if attacked codenamed 'Judgment Day'

Tehran has recruited and funded eight Islamic fundamentalist organizations to undertake retaliatory strikes against U.S. and British military and economic interests across the Middle East – and perhaps in the U.S. and Europe – in the event Iran's nuclear facilities are attacked, reports a London Arab daily, Asharq Al-Awsat. The plan, which has been heavily funded and was created by a number of experts in guerilla warfare and terrorist operations, includes suicide attacks against U.S. and British targets in the region as well as their allies. According to information gleaned from a senior source in the Iranian armed forces' joint chief of staff, logistical support for the groups that would participate in the plan comes from Brigadier General Qassim Suleimani of the of the Revolutionary Guards' al Quds Brigades. The leader of one of the Iraq groups that is part of the "Judgment Day" plan told the Iranians his men would turn Iraq into hell for Americans in the event of an attack on Iran. The Revolutionary Guards' military training camps have been made available to Moqtada al Sadr's Mahdi Army. Al Sadr has received more than $20 million from the Iranians. Street-fighting training has been given in Isfahan, Iran, to members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, as well as large sums of money and large quantities of arms.