World War III has already begun, says Israeli spy chief

A third World War is already underway between Islamic militancy and the West but most people do not realize it, the former head of Israel’s intelligence service Mossad said in an interview published recently in Portugal. ‘We are in the midst of a third World War,’ former Mossad chief Efraim Halevy told weekly newspaper Expresso. ‘The world does not understand. A person walks through the streets of Tel Aviv, Barcelona or Buenos Aires and doesn’t get the sense that there is a war going on,’ said Halevy who headed Mossad between 1998 and 2003. ‘During World War I and II the entire world felt there was a war. Today no one is conscious of it. From time to time there is a terrorist attack in Madrid, London and New York and then everything stays the same.’ Violence by Islamic militants has already disrupted international travel and trade just as in the previous two world conflicts, he said. Halevy, who was raised in war-time London, predicted it would take at least 25 years before the battle against Islamic fundamentalist terrorism is won and during this time a nuclear strike by Islamic militants was likely. ‘It doesn’t have to be something very sophisticated, It doesn’t have to be the latest nuclear technology, it can be something simple like a dirty bomb which instead of killing millions only kills tens of thousands,’ he said.

Iran prepares people for 'messiah miracles' as Mahdi returns

Official Iranian radio has completed broadcasting a lengthy series on the imminent appearance of a messianic figure who will defeat Islam's enemies and impose Islamic Shiite rule over the entire world – even speculating on specific dates the so-called "Mahdi" will be revealed. "Be joyous my heart, miracles of the Messiah will soon be here," reads a poem used to conclude the first broadcast. "The scent of breaths of the One we know comes from near. Grieve not of sorrow and melancholy, as assured I was … last night that a Savior will come, it's clear." After the coming of the 12th imam, or Mahdi, "liberal democratic civilization" will be found only in "history museums," explained the program. The Mahdi will appear suddenly, according to the report, in Mecca. Though no one can know the day, Shiites believe, the report actually suggests possibilities in the Muslim calendar. The Mahdi will lead a cataclysmic battle against a descendant of Muhammad's archenemy, Abu Sofyan, culminating in the cities of Kufa and Najaf. His enemy, though, is destroyed later in Jerusalem.

Robots With Skin Planned

U.S. scientists say they plan to create a new class of technology designed to produce completely soft-bodied robots. Tufts University researchers say such robots -- based on biological materials and the adaptive mechanisms found in living cells and organisms -- could repair space stations, conduct safer surgical procedures and work in hazardous environments such as landmine fields. Biology Professor Barry Trimmer and biomedical engineering Professor David Kaplan are co-directors of the Biomimetic Technologies for Soft-bodied Robots project, funded under a $730,000 grant from the W.M. Keck Foundation. "A major characteristic that distinguishes man-made structures from biological ones is the preponderance of stiff materials," said Trimmer. "In contrast, living systems may contain stiff materials, such as bone and cuticle, but their fundamental building blocks are soft and elastic. "This distinction between biological and man-made objects is so pervasive that our evaluation of artificial or living structures is often made on the basis of the materials alone," he added. "Many machines incorporate flexible materials at their joints and can be tremendously fast, strong and powerful, but there is no current technology that can match the performance of an animal moving through natural terrain."

Transgenic Creatures Being Genetically Modified To "Like" Their Environment

The harsh conditions of factory farms have lead scientists to investigate ways to genetically modify the animals to be more complacent toward their surroundings, but experts warn such tampering could lead to "farmyard freaks." The fact that a U.S. cow has been recently cloned on a British farm has brought additional scrutiny to the issue. The impact of genetically modified and cloned animals is huge, according to Nottingham University applied bioethics professor Ben Mepham. "The question of whether humanity should take it upon ourselves to alter animals by G.M., involving in many cases mixing the genes of different species -- and sometimes those of human origin -- is undoubtedly critical for many people," said Mepham, a former Agriculture, Environment Biotechnology Commission member.

'Faith healers and Psychics' an option for many in the UK

More than half of people would turn to therapists such as faith healers rather than endure long NHS waiting lists, according to a new poll. And more than two thirds (67%) believe in the psychic powers of mediums and clairvoyants, 54% in ghosts, and 41% in an intelligent life on another planet, the poll found. Seven out of 10 people questioned could name a paranormal expert, compared with one in 10 who could name a nationally acclaimed doctor. Regionally, 72% of those in Scotland said they would turn to an alternative therapist to get better, followed by 66% of those in Wales and 45% of Londoners. When people were asked what mystery of life they would like the answer to, 40% said they would like to know if there is life after death. One in five (22%) wanted to know if there was life on another planet while 15% would like to find out if there is a God. Just over a third (36%) of the 3,000 people questioned said they already believed in God. "These ancient arts are returning to the forefront of society and, combined with the constant press on the state of the NHS and an increase in the belief of these arts, it's no wonder people are looking elsewhere for healing."

Flesh-eating disease making a comeback

A virtually eradicated disease that eats through people's skin, cartilage and bones is reappearing in Africa, Asia and South America, the World Health Organisation has warned. Yaws, which is triggered by bacterial infection and can cause debilitating deformations, particularly in children under 15, once affected 50 million people worldwide before a massive treatment program in the 1950s almost succeeded in wiping it out. When the disease's incidence went down by 95 per cent, control programs were gradually dismantled. "People assumed that the last few cases would be caught by public health systems, but yaws made a comeback," said Dr Kingsley Asiedu, a WHO disease expert. At present, 500,000 people mostly in poor, rural areas are affected by yaws, according to WHO.

U.S. Military Looks To 'Black Ice' Weapon

The U.S. military has appealed to scientists to help develop a novel weapon - artificial black ice. The plastic-like substance, the brainchild of the U.S. Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa), would be used to force slip-ups from enemies. The "polymer ice" would be designed for hot, arid environments, "as found in Iraq and Afghanistan", it said. A spray-on "reversal agent" could be incorporated into boots and tyres to prevent friendly forces sliding around. In a document published on the agency's website, officials point out that "to get from point A to point B, one must have sufficient traction with the ground". Darpa believes a polymer-based compound could replicate the properties of black ice - a thin, translucent slippery coating, typically found on roads in winter - to reduce traction. The agency's wish list for the "Mobility Control System" includes the polymer ice or raw materials to produce it very quickly, a spray-on reversal agent and a means to clean the ice up. "Such a system will provide unprecedented situational control and sustained operational tempo," said Darpa. "It would degrade the ability of our adversaries to shoot and chase us."

Singapore Launches Contest To Build 'Urban Warrior' Robots

Singapore has launched a contest to build a robot that can operate autonomously in urban warfare conditions, moving in and out of buildings to search and destroy targets like a human soldier. The country's Defence Science and Technology Agency (DSTA) said on its website it is offering one million Singapore dollars (652,000 US) to the developers of such a robot that completes a stipulated task in the fastest time. DSTA said individuals, companies, universities and research institutes are welcome to participate in the contest, dubbed TechX Challenge. Foreigners must to collaborate with local partners to join the contest. "Operation in urban areas represents a significant challenge to militaries," DSTA chief executive Richard Lim said at the launch of the contest on Tuesday. "Recent military experiences in Iraq, the Middle East and other locations have clearly illustrated these challenges." Currently, robots deployed for urban warfare missions are remotely operated by a human, limiting their effectiveness and tying down resources, Lim said. The robot DSTA wants "must, on its own, be able to navigate both indoors and outdoors in an urban landscape and accomplish a set of assigned tasks within a stipulated time," he said. This robot must be able to negotiate a staircase and use the elevator to dash from one floor to another even without the aid of satellite navigation which may not be available indoors.

U.S. To Launch Huge "Eye In The Sky" Armada

Perhaps, though not yet - those who live in fear of an eye in the sky tracking their every move have until 2009 to dig a bunker and set of underground tunnels to the nearest shops. But yes, the American defence contractor Lockheed Martin has been working for three years on a $40m contract awarded by the US Missile Defence Agency to build 11 High-Altitude Airships. Each airship will float 12 miles (20km) above the surface (in the low stratosphere), be powered by solar panels and could oversee an area of 600 square miles. Put 11 of them over the US with suitably powerful cameras, and they could keep watch on every square metre of the whole country. The project's aims include being used as "a mobile, retaskable, high-altitude, geostationary long-endurance platform" whose functions "will span from communications and weather/environmental monitoring to short- and long-range missile warning, surveillance, and target acquisition". ("Target acquisition" is what civilians call "aiming a weapon at something".)

Deadly H5N1 Burd Flu May Be Mutating In Cats

Bird flu hasn't gone away. The discovery, announced last week, that the H5N1 bird flu virus is widespread in cats in locations across Indonesia has refocused attention on the danger that the deadly virus could be mutating into a form that can infect humans far more easily. In the first survey of its kind, an Indonesian scientist has found that in areas where there have been outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry and humans, 1 in 5 cats have been infected with the virus, and survived. This suggests that as outbreaks continue to flare across Asia and Africa, H5N1 will have vastly more opportunities to adapt to mammals than had been supposed. Chairul Anwar Nidom of Airlangga University in Surabaya, Indonesia, told journalists last week that he had taken blood samples from 500 stray cats near poultry markets in four areas of Java, including the capital, Jakarta, and one area in Sumatra, all of which have recently had outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry and people. Of these cats, 20 per cent carried antibodies to H5N1. This does not mean that they were still carrying the virus, only that they had been infected - probably through eating birds that had H5N1. Many other cats that were infected are likely to have died from the resulting illness, so many more than 20 per cent of the original cat populations may have acquired H5N1.

U.S. Military Unveils Heat-Ray Gun to Public

The U.S. Defence Department today unveiled what it called a revolutionary heat-beaming weapon that could be used to control mobs or repel foes in conflicts like Iraq and Afghanistan. The so-called Active Denial System creates an intense burning sensation causing people to run for cover, but no lasting harm, officials said. "This is a breakthrough technology that's going to give our forces a capability they don't now have," Theodore Barna, an assistant deputy undersecretary of defence for advanced systems and concepts, said. "We expect the services to add it to their tool kit. And that could happen as early as 2010." The weapon, mounted on a Humvee vehicle, uses a large rectangular dish antenna to direct an invisible beam toward a target. It includes a high-voltage power unit and beam-generating equipment and is effective at more than 500 metres. Existing counter-personnel systems designed not to kill - including bean bag munitions and rubber bullets - work at little more than "rock-throwing distances," said Marine Colonel Kirk Hymes, director of the Pentagon's Joint Non-Lethal Weapons Directorate. The weapon was shown off publicly for the first time at Moody Air Force Base in Georgia, where it has been undergoing operational tests by the 820th Security Forces Group, which protects US Air Force assets. The directorate invited reporters to be zapped as part of what its spokeswoman, Marine Major Sarah Fullwood, called an effort to "demystify" the technology at issue. At a distance of several football fields, the sensation from the exposure was like a blast from a very hot oven, too painful to bear without scrambling for cover. The burning sensation is achieved by high-power energy waves that heat the skin to 54 degrees Celsius. The pain ended as soon as the target jumped from the line of fire. Documents given out during the demonstration said more than 10,000 people had been exposed to the weapon since testing began more than 12 years ago.

Israel Raises Nuclear War Stakes

The Israeli Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, dramatically raised the stakes in the international showdown with Iran last night, with a clear warning that his country was prepared to use military force to prevent Tehran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. "The Jewish people, with the scars of the Holocaust fresh on its body, cannot afford to allow itself to face threats of annihilation once again," Mr Olmert said in a speech to a high-level security conference in Herzliya. "No nation has the right even to consider its position. It is the obligation of every country to act against this will all its might." "We can stand up against nuclear threats and even prevent them," he said. The Israeli officials say that action should be taken to stop Iran before it reaches the “point of no return” in progressing towards the possible production of a nuclear bomb. They are referring to the moment when Iran, which announced last year that it is capable of enriching uranium to the 5% necessary for nuclear energy, is able to overcome technical problems with centrifuges used in the process so that they can run on a sustainable basis. Once that happens, Iran would be theoretically capable of enriching uranium to the 90% required for a nuclear weapon, depending on the number of centrifuges.

Executive Order Expands Presidential Power Over Agencies

The White House has quietly amended a key executive order to tighten the president’s grip on federal agencies that enforce health, safety and environmental protections.
The new order, recently issued, gives the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) enhanced tools to oversee and interfere with federal regulations on everything from warning labels on medicines to safety standards for construction worksites. In a statement responding to the executive order, the watchdog group Public Citizen called the initiative "an appalling arrogation of power," charging the White House with claiming more executive will over federal agencies while circumventing congressional oversight. The new powers build on a Clinton-era executive order that authorized OIRA to use cost-benefit analysis and other market-based calculations to evaluate rules and regulations proposed by federal agencies. Under that order, OIRA can compel executive-branch agencies, like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Fish and Wildlife Service, to change proposed public-health, environmental and other regulations according to White House priorities. The amended order enables the White House to oversee not only regulations, but also "guidance" documents that agencies issue to inform the public about how rules will be enforced – for example, an explanation of how a ruling in an environmental lawsuit will change the way polluters are regulated. OIRA can now scrutinize all "significant" guidance materials – defined according to criteria such as having the ability to "adversely affect" the economy in a "material way."

Deadly Strain Of Bird Flu Confirmed In Hungary

European Union officials have confirmed the first outbreak of the deadly H5N1 strain of bird flu in an EU country this year. European Commission officials say laboratory tests have confirmed the presence of the deadly strain in geese found dead in Csongrad County in southeastern Hungary. They say tests were conducted because of an abnormally high mortality rate among the birds. Hungarian officials have slaughtered all 3,000 birds in the affected flock. They also have set up a three-kilometer protection zone and a 10-kilometer surveillance zone around the area. The discovery is the first in an EU country since last August. EU experts are to meet Friday to review the situation. Meanwhile, Croatia has banned poultry imports from Hungary following the announcement.

Big Brother Storms The Playground in Britain

Children in Britain are having their fingerprints taken at what some parents believe is an alarming rate. Over the past four years, more than 700,000 schoolchildren aged three to 11 have been fingerprinted and photographed as part of the Junior Librarian scheme. More than 3,500 schools have signed up and new schools are joining at a rate of 20 a week. Many of them do not even seek parental consent before fingerprinting children. Junior Librarian is the brainchild of Micro Librarian Systems. The child presses his or her thumb on to a scanner; the machine takes a reading, converts it into a unique number, and stores the child's information. This means children no longer have to carry around (and lose) library cards. Instead they stick their thumb in a scanning machine that records which books they've borrowed. Other schools are using fingerprint scanners and State-of-the-art technology maps children’s vein patterns using near-infrared to confirm their identity. This allows for a 'cashless' system, where children use their fingers to record how much they've spent on lunch.

Iran demands UN nuclear inspector removed from country

Iran has demanded the removal of the United Nations official overseeing nuclear inspections in the country, accusing him of breach of trust, and barred all inspectors from nations behind sanctions, diplomats said. Tehran's moves, following a ban on 38 inspectors from four major Western nations recently announced, appeared aimed at testing Western resolve over its disputed nuclear activity while stopping short of violating the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The United Nations slapped preliminary sanctions on Iran last month for refusing to stop enriching uranium, the pathway to fuel for atomic energy or bombs, and impeding International Atomic Energy Agency probes into the nature of its program.

U.N. climate report will shock the world -chairman says

A forthcoming U.N. report on climate change will provide the most credible evidence yet of a human link to global warming and hopefully shock the world into taking more action, the panel's chairman recently said. The report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), due for release on Feb. 2 in Paris, draws on research by 2,500 scientists from more than 130 countries and has taken six years to compile. "There are a lot of signs and evidence in this report which clearly establish not only the fact that climate change is taking place, but also that it really is human activity that is influencing that change," R.K. Pachauri, the IPCC chairman, told Reuters. "I hope this report will shock people, governments into taking more serious action as you really can't get a more authentic and a more credible piece of scientific work. So I hope this will be taken for what it's worth." The IPCC will say it is at least 90 percent sure than human activities, led by the burning of fossil fuels, are to blame for global warming over the past 50 years, sources say.

Military Builds Robotic Insects

If you feel something crawling on your neck, it might be a wasp or a bee. Or it might be something much more dangerous. Israel is developing a robot the size of a hornet to attack terrorists. And although the prototype will not fly for three years, killer Micro Air Vehicles, or MAVs, are much closer than that. British Special Forces already use 6-inch MAV aircraft called WASPs for reconnaissance in Afghanistan. The $3,000 WASP is operated with a Gameboy-style controller and is nearly silent, so it can get very close without being detected. A new development will reportedly see the WASP fitted with a C4 explosive warhead for kamikaze attacks on snipers. One newspaper dubbed it "The Talibanator." Fred Davis, technical director of the Assessment and Demonstrations Division of the Air Force Research Laboratory Munitions Directorate at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida, confirmed that the United States has ambitious plans for future micro-munitions, which he says will be pocket-sized with mission-specific payloads.

Ahmadinejad again says: "Israel and the United States will soon be destroyed"

“Israel and the United States will soon be destroyed, Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said recently during a meeting with Syria's foreign minister, the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) website said in a report. ‘Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad… assured that the United States and the Zionist regime of Israel will soon come to the end of their lives,’ the Iranian president was quoted as saying. ‘Sparking discord among Muslims, especially between the Shiites and Sunnis, is a plot hatched by the Zionists and the US for dominating regional nations and looting their resources,’ Ahmadinejad added, according to the report. The Iranian president also directly tied events in Lebanon to a wider plan aimed at Israel's destruction. He called on ‘regional countries’ to ‘support the Islamic resistance of the Lebanese people and strive to enhance solidarity and unity among the different Palestinian groups in a bid to pave the ground for the undermining of the Zionist regime whose demise is, of course, imminent.’

Technology Is Taking Over Americans' Lives

If there was any doubt that computers and technology are taking over the lives of Americans, it was dispelled Monday by two studies -- one noting that most Americans spend more time with their computers than with their spouses, the other revealing many drivers are e-mailing and instant messaging while driving. After reviewing PC and broadband Internet usage by 1,001 Americans, Kelton Research found that 65% of U.S. consumers are spending more time with their computers than with their significant others; moreover, they aren't very happy with their technology experience. It's no surprise that Kelton Research found that consumers are frustrated. "A majority of Americans (52%) describe their most recent experience with a computer as one of anger, sadness, or alienation," according to the announcement of the study.

Israel faces nuclear Holocaust warns Gingrich

The Israeli people are facing the threat of a nuclear Holocaust, former US Speaker of the House of Representatives Newt Gingrich warned the Herzliya Conference held by the Institute for Policy and Strategy at IDC Herzliya recently. Meanwhile, he said, the United States could lose a few million people or a number of cities to a terrorist attack with weapons of mass destruction. Gingrich, who addressed the conference via satellite from the United States, said he thought Israel's existence was under threat again for the first time in 40 years. "Israel is in the greatest danger it has been in since 1967. Prior to '67, many wondered if Israel would survive. After '67, Israel seemed military dominant, despite the '73 war. I would say we are (now) back to question of survival," Gingrich said. He added that the United States could "lose two or three cities to nuclear weapons, or more than a million to biological weapons." Gingrich added that in such a scenario, "freedom as we know it will disappear, and we will become a much grimmer, much more militarized, dictatorial society." "Three nuclear weapons are a second Holocaust," Gingrich declared, adding: "People are greatly underestimating how dangerous the world is becoming. I'll repeat it, three nuclear weapons are a second Holocaust. Our enemies are quite explicit in their desire to destroy us. They say it publicly? We are sleepwalking through this process as though it's only a problem of communication," Gingrich said.

Man's Inventiveness Looking More Like The Borg

Will we remain human or are we facing a future that overtakes our humanness, creating monstrous beings? Half organic and half machine. Some of you might remember Star Trek's Captain Picard, captured and turned into a Borg connected and directed by one collective mass mind. It may be imaginative to see all humans connected to a one-mind, mass-directed organic-machine, Borg, controlling our minds and bodies. But aren't we just a few steps away from such development with the ongoing research into Artificial Intelligence and the introduction of biological components into machines and vice versa? Could this happen? As man's exploration and inventiveness continues gathering strength and future generations, reared in the daylight of "push the envelop" technology, absorb it, the world will be transformed. But Pandora's Box has opened alongside creating problems and complications which may over time accumulatively cross some invisible line leading to our downfall. How this technology affects humans, from individuals to nations and governments, is the real question. Some universities offer whole courses devoted to exploring the effects of modern technology on humans. Tech tools are changing us, even if we find these cyborg tools convenient. Questions abound as to the deeper ramifications on mankind and our world. Chips under the skin, laser scanners, bionics, gene mixing, designer babies, global communications, cloning, genetic interventions, nano robotics, etc., - we are already living a global, pre-Borg lifestyle.

North Korea is helping Iran with it's nuclear testing

North Korea is helping Iran to prepare an underground nuclear test similar to the one Pyongyang carried out last year. Under the terms of a new understanding between the two countries, the North Koreans have agreed to share all the data and information they received from their successful test last October with Teheran's nuclear scientists.
North Korea provoked an international outcry when it successfully fired a bomb at a secret underground location and Western intelligence officials are convinced that Iran is working on its own weapons programme. A senior European defence official told The Daily Telegraph that North Korea had invited a team of Iranian nuclear scientists to study the results of last October's underground test to assist Teheran's preparations to conduct its own — possibly by the end of this year. There were unconfirmed reports at the time of the Korean firing that an Iranian team was present. Iranian military advisers regularly visit North Korea to participate in missile tests. Now the long-standing military co-operation between the countries has been extended to nuclear issues. As a result, senior western military officials are deeply concerned that the North Koreans' technical superiority will allow the Iranians to accelerate development of their own nuclear weapon. "The Iranians are working closely with the North Koreans to study the results of last year's North Korean nuclear bomb test," said the European defence official. "We have identified increased activity at all of Iran's nuclear facilities since the turn of the year," he said. "All the indications are that the Iranians are working hard to prepare for their own underground nuclear test."

Czechs Give Go-Ahead for US "Son of Star Wars" Base

The Czech government has announced that it wants to host a large US military site for the Pentagon's much-criticised missile shield system, confirming for the first time that Washington had asked Prague for permission to build a radar site for the national missile defence programme. In one of his first acts as the new Czech prime minister, Mirek Topolanek said that building the facilities in the Czech Republic, the first extension of the "son of star wars" project beyond the US, would boost European security.
Mr Topolanek referred only to a radar site, a strong indication that the Pentagon is hoping to locate the bigger part of the European project - a large missile interceptor silo that would theoretically fire off rockets to destroy incoming missiles - in neighbouring Poland. Russia warned earlier this month that any US extension of its missile defence project to eastern Europe would force it to review its military planning to counter the perceived threat.

Crisis in the Church

What is happening to the leadership of the Church today? Why do so many seem to care more for popularity and publishing contracts than for the souls of men and women dying in their sins? Since when does preaching the gospel take a back seat to public image? Mega-church pastors preach sermons casting Judas as a poor, misunderstood guy caught up in the politics of his time. Maybe he didn’t mean to betray Jesus—it was his destiny after all, so how can it be fair? Maybe God forgave him in the end. Other pastors spend Sunday mornings bottle-feeding their sheep before sending them out to the coffee shop in the lobby; still others talk about everything under the sun except what will happen to people who turn their backs on God. And then we have some front-line defenders of the faith—Christian apologists—worshipping with Mormons in their Tabernacle and making plans to celebrate Joseph Smith’s birthday. Bringing up the rear are the prosperity name it and claim it preachers who shout about faith, and then beg us for money. I ask you: where is their faith? Why do they ask me for money when they can ask God? And why do they visit doctors and schedule surgeries? We are looking apostasy in the eye . . . it is coming.

Guardian Missile Defense System For Commercial Aircraft

It finally happened. Five years and four months after Sept. 11 2001, an MD-10 aircraft flew out of Los Angeles International Airport this week to begin operational testing and evaluation of an anti-missile defense system to protect U.S. civilian airliners from ground-launched missiles. A U.S. Department of Homeland Security team will carry out the testing and evaluation program on the long awaited Guardian system developed by the Northrop Grumman Corporation. The Guardian remains the front-runner to provide what is potentially an enormous and very lucrative contract to install a Counter-Man Portable Air Defense System, or C-MANPADS on all U.S. commercial airliners.
Northrop Grumman in a statement released this week described the new testing procedures as "phase III of the DHS-sponsored program." "During the test and evaluation effort, which concludes in March 2008, nine MD-10 aircraft equipped with the Guardian system will be in continual revenue service operation," the company said. Northrop Grumman described the Guardian as "a defensive aid utilizing proven military technology to defend against the threat posed by anti-aircraft, shoulder-fired missiles. Once launched, the missile is detected by the Guardian system, which then directs a non-visible, eye-safe laser to the seeker head of the incoming missile, disrupting its guidance signals."

Hybrid Human-Bird Flu Virus Nearly Escapes

Last April, a researcher at the University of Texas, Austin, put tubes into a centrifuge to separate out their contents, which included a human flu virus modified to carry a gene from H5N1 bird flu. The centrifuge became unbalanced and stopped, and when the researcher opened it he found the lid of a safety cup holding one of the tubes had fallen off. Fearing that the tube inside had leaked, the researcher disinfected everything and called the lab's safety officers. He was wearing a protective hood and respirator, and the whole room was at negative pressure to prevent leaks to the outside. But the researcher had made one mistake: he opened the centrifuge and removed the samples without waiting the recommended 30 minutes to allow any virus-laden aerosol to settle. In fact, the tube was intact. But if aerosol had escaped, the consequences could have been serious, since the virus would have been able to infect humans, with unknown effects. Experiments since the accident show that the virus replicates more slowly in the lab than human flu, says Bob Krug, head of the Austin lab. But its behaviour in people might be different, and an escapee could also share its new gene with other flu viruses.

India To Put Biometric Banking On Test Pilots

A pilot program will put 15 biometric ATMs at village kiosks in five districts across southern India. The machines are expected to serve about 100,000 workers who will use fingerprint scanners, rather than ATM cards and PINs, to obtain their funds. Biometric ATMs are already in use in Colombia and a few locations in Japan, but haven't caught on in much of the rest of the world. As a result, biometrics companies are watching the experiment closely as a potential watershed for the industry. Nagaraj Mylandla, managing director of Financial Software and Systems, which helped design security protocol for the new system, said there are 35,000 non-biometric ATMs in India today. In three years the number of machines is expected to triple to more than 100,000, leaving a window of opportunity for suppliers to make the new technology standard issue for all new machines. The increase will mean that just about every rural village and outpost will have access to the world's financial backbone and, if the pilot program is successful, fingerprint identification could become standard, even for private bank transactions.

Report Has 'Smoking Gun' On Climate

Human-caused global warming is here, visible in the air, water and melting ice, and is destined to get much worse in the future, an authoritative global scientific report will warn next week. "The smoking gun is definitely lying on the table as we speak," said top U.S. climate scientist Jerry Mahlman, who reviewed all 1,600 pages of the first segment of a giant four-part report. "The evidence ... is compelling." Andrew Weaver, a Canadian climate scientist and study co-author, went even further: "This isn't a smoking gun; climate is a batallion of intergalactic smoking missiles." The first phase of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change is being released in Paris next week. This segment, written by more than 600 scientists and reviewed by another 600 experts and edited by bureaucrats from 154 countries, includes "a significantly expanded discussion of observation on the climate," said co-chair Susan Solomon, a senior scientist for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She and other scientists held a telephone briefing on the report Monday. That report will feature an "explosion of new data" on observations of current global warming, Solomon said.

Endless GPS Tracking Crosses The Line Into Too Much Information

Parents once sent their children off with a little trust and a prayer that they would be all right. Today it's big business helping parents track of their kids no matter what the hour. More and more parents know exactly where their children are. They can pinpoint them to within a few inches, thanks to the Global Positioning System. The parents can track children throughout the school day, or while a teenager is out driving or partying at a friend's house. Most parents use GPS through a cell phone. But that's not the end of it. In some schools, a GPS tracker is sewn into the school blazers. According to the Miami Herald, we'll soon seen GPS trackers installed in sneakers. The Wall Street Journal reports that the next trend will mix GPS tracking with social networking. In other words, not only can you keep text messaging your friends on your cell phone, but your GPS monitor will track them wherever they go. Pets and employees won't escape surveillance either. Products will be out soon to allow pet owners to track animals' whereabouts. A special phone speaker hung about a pet's neck will allow the owner to talk to it no matter where the owner wanders. Employers, in the meantime, are keeping track of employees through GPS-implanted cell phones in order to boost productivity. That might cut out long lunches, but, as one privacy expert noted, do employers turn off trackers at the end of the work day? Soon GPS devices will be everywhere. One researcher said this will be a $2 billion business in a few years.

Zeus worshippers demand access to temple

After all these centuries, Zeus may have a few thunderbolts left. A tiny group of worshippers plans a rare ceremony Sunday to honor the ancient Greek gods, at Athens' 1,800-year-old Temple of Olympian Zeus. Greece's Culture Ministry has declared the central Athens site off-limits, but worshippers say they will defy the decision. "These are our temples and they should be used by followers of our religion," said Doreta Peppa, head of the Athens-based Ellinais, a group campaigning to revive the ancient religion. "Of course we will go ahead with the event ... we will enter the site legally," said Peppa, who calls herself a high priestess of the revived faith. "We will issue a call for peace, who can be opposed to that?" Peppa said the ceremony will be held in honor of Zeus, king of the ancient gods, but did not give other details. The daily Ethnos newspaper, citing the group's application to the Culture Ministry to use the site, said the 90-minute event would include hymns, dancers, torchbearers, and worshippers in ancient costumes.

Iran bars 38 IAEA nuclear inspectors

Iran has barred 38 nuclear inspectors on a United Nations list from entering the country, the foreign minister said Monday in what appeared to be retaliation for the U.N. sanctions imposed last month. The rejected officials are on a list of potential inspectors drawn up by the International Atomic Energy Agency to visit and monitor Iran's nuclear facilities. "The act of rejecting some inspectors is legal and in accordance with the agency's regulations," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told the official Islamic Republic News Agency. He said others on the U.N. nuclear watchdog's list remain eligible, but did not explain how Iran decided which inspectors to bar. The IAEA "submits a long list of inspectors to member countries and the countries have the right to oppose the visit by some inspectors," Mottaki said. Last month, the U.N. Security Council imposed limited trade sanctions on Iran over its refusal to cease uranium enrichment, a process that can produce the material for nuclear energy or bombs.

American Hiroshima Called Very Real Possibility

Two manufactured events took place last week that lend credence to the notion that we live in very dangerous times. The first, the detonation of a "suitcase nuke" nuclear device on American soil by Islamist terrorists, as portrayed on the FOX series "24," was fiction. The second, the updating of the "Doomsday Clock" to five minutes to midnight, though based in scientific reasoning, is also artificial. But when viewed through the terroristic chaos in which the world is embroiled only the naïve and those in denial can afford the luxury of discounting the probability of an "American Hiroshima" taking place in the near future.

North Texas Family Searches For The Ark of the Covenant

A family is about to embark on an unusual expedition. Their journey will begin in Egypt, and they hope it will end with the discovery of the lost Ark of the Covenant. "This is the great adventure. This is the one that everybody wants," Jacob Bonnema says. "It would sure be exciting to see it," says his father, Arch Bonnema. Local businessman Arch Bonnema and his wife, son, daughter-in-law and a family friend are leaving Saturday. They're part of a group of 15 setting out to find the ark that held the Ten Commandments. One theory about its whereabouts places the ark in Axom, Ethiopia. "After examining all of the evidence, we think that this one is the most likely one of them," Arch Bonnema says. Bonnema's confidence is high because his last expedition far exceeded his hopes. A trip to Iran yielded pieces of petrified wood. "We've got so much evidence that what we found was Noah's Ark," Bonnema says. "We can't prove it's Noah's Ark. We look everywhere we could on the side of the mountain for a plaque that said S.S.Noah, and we couldn't find one." The discovery rekindled his faith in both the Bible and in archaeology. "It's a great encouragement, since we found what everyone said was impossible and everybody's been looking for centuries, and we believe we found it. That encouraged us to take the next step, which is the other ark," Bonnema says. It's a daunting and dangerous task, especially given the unrest in Ethiopia today. Jacob and Kelly Bonnema will leave their four young children behind to make the trek. They say their faith motivates them. "It's dangerous, but I know there's angels protecting us," says Kelly Bonnema. "I'm nervous beyond words, but that's what an adventure is all about!" her husband says. It's a journey they hope will change them and the history books.

Ex-US Defense Chief Suggests Military Action Against North Korea

The United States should consider military action against North Korea if China and South Korea refuse to prod Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons program, former US defense secretary William Perry proposed. Although the move is dangerous, there is no alternative left if China and South Korea, the two key economic lifelines to North Korea, do not join any US-led "diplomatic coercive" action against Pyongyang, he told a Congressional hearing. Perry, the Pentagon chief under former president Bill Clinton, said the United States should consider destroying a large reactor under construction in North Korea capable of making about 10 nuclear bombs a year. In addition to the Yongbyon reactor, which produces spent fuel that can be "reprocessed" to yield plutonium for a nuclear weapon, Pyongyang is reportedly building a large reactor in Taechon. Perry said that the danger of the North Korean nuclear weapons program was by now obvious to China and South Korea and that they should be willing to join the United States in any concerted diplomatic initiative. "An additional inducement for China and South Korea would be the concern that if they did not provide the coercion, the United States might take the only meaningful coercive action available to it -- destroying the reactor before it could come on line," Perry said.

O’Hare UFO Sighting May Be Part Of New ‘Flap’

In the wake of the O’Hare International Airport UFO report that was carried on CNN and other news media in November, further recent sightings suggest we may be experiencing what those in ‘ufology’ refer to as a ‘flap,’ which is a period of time in which very many of these mysterious craft are seen in the skies. On November 7, a flying saucer-like object hovered low over O'Hare International Airport for several minutes before it flew off into thick clouds with such energy that it left a hole in the overcast sky, and dozens of United Airlines employees observed the phenomenon. Officials at the airport initially said they knew nothing of the mysterious object, however, the Federal Aviation Administration admitted its air traffic control tower at O'Hare airport had received a call from a supervisor there who wanted to know if the controllers had spotted an elliptical-shaped craft staying motionless over Concourse C of the United Airlines terminal.

National ID to Be Privatized, Activist Says He Has Docs

A program to standardize state driver's licenses to create a de facto national I.D. should use a third-party -- most likely a private contractor -- to verify that a person is eligible for a driver's license or state identification card, according to a document provided to 27B by a privacy activist. The document appears to be a portion of the rules that Homeland Security is proposing for the program, which are currently being evaluated by the Office of Management and Budget before they are presented to the public for comment. According to the document (.txt) that Bill Scannell of UnReal ID says he got from a government official (but which 27B has not yet verified), DHS suggests that there are three models for states to follow to insure that a person has the right documents and does not have a driver's license in another state. One is to let them figure out how to communicate with each other. The second is to create a federated model, where a central service includes pointers to records in all the states' databases which all have a standard lookup interface. This is similar architecture to the one used for trucking licenses, where a state can find information about an applicant by checking a central clearinghouse that doesn't store all the records, but simply knows where to look for records. The third, and favored option, according to the document, is to have a centralized service, likely a private company, that vets anyone seeking to get a driver's license. The state would collect the necessary information -- including social security numbers, certified birth certificate and possibly fingerprints -- send it along to the service, which would then check all the states, run the name against watchlists, verify the social security number through the immigrant-verification program known as SAVE and verify birth certificate information through EVVE.

Is the Antichrists 7 year Peace Plan with Israel coming in 2007

The European Union joined Egypt, Jordan and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Thursday in suggesting that Middle East peace talks move straight to the disputes at the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian dispute. For the past few years, peace attempts such as the "road map" of 2003 have concentrated on small confidence-building measures, leaving aside bigger questions such as the status of Jerusalem, the borders of a Palestinian state and refugees. EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also said a meeting of the Quartet of Middle East mediators in February would try to find ways to ensure progress toward peace before the summer. "What we would like to do with our friends is to know what is the endgame -- once we have the endgame, to know really how we can get there," Solana told a news conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul Gheit. "Endgame" is the diplomatic code for negotiating aspects of a lasting peace agreement between Israel and its neighbors.

Israel Readies Nuclear Bunker

The Israeli government is building a massive war bunker in the hills outside Jerusalem – a refuge for top government officials in the event of a biological, chemical or nuclear attack. The maze of tunnels and underground rooms is scheduled to be completed in the next year or two as fears of an attack from Iran intensify. Israel’s top intelligence officer told the Knesset last month that Iran could have a nuclear weapon by 2009, and Israelis increasingly fear that Tehran would seek to carry out Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s threat to "wipe Israel off the map.” Ephraim Sneh, Israel’s deputy defense minister, said recently regarding Iran: "Imagine that this regime – the powerhouse of terrorism in the region, with its ambitions of expansion and domination of the entire region – would have the power of nuclear blackmail. What would life in this region look like? Not only [for] Israel, but other countries as well.” A November poll by the Israeli newspaper Maariv found that 66 percent of Israelis believe Iran, if it develops a nuclear weapon, would try to use a bomb to destroy Israel.

Burma 'orders Christians to be wiped out'

The military regime in Burma is intent on wiping out Christianity in the country, according to claims in a secret document believed to have been leaked from a government ministry. Entitled "Programme to destroy the Christian religion in Burma", the incendiary memo contains point by point instructions on how to drive Christians out of the state. The text, which opens with the line "There shall be no home where the Christian religion is practised", calls for anyone caught evangelising to be imprisoned. It advises: "The Christian religion is very gentle – identify and utilise its weakness." Its discovery follows widespread reports of religious persecution, with churches burnt to the ground, Christians forced to convert to the state religion, Buddhism, and their children barred from school. Human rights groups claim that the treatment meted out to Christians, who make up six per cent of the population, is part of a wider campaign by the regime, also targeted at ethnic minority tribes, to create a uniform society in which the race and language is Burmese and the only accepted religion is Buddhism. In the past year, an estimated 27,000 members of the predominantly Christian Karen tribe were driven from their homes in eastern Burma.

U.S. plans envision broad attack on Iran

U.S. contingency planning for military action against Iran's nuclear program goes beyond limited strikes and would effectively unleash a war against the country, a former U.S. intelligence analyst recently said. "I've seen some of the planning ... You're not talking about a surgical strike," said Wayne White, who was a top Middle East analyst for the State Department's bureau of intelligence and research until March 2005. "You're talking about a war against Iran" that likely would destabilize the Middle East for years, White told the Middle East Policy Council, a Washington think tank. "We're not talking about just surgical strikes against an array of targets inside Iran. We're talking about clearing a path to the targets" by taking out much of the Iranian Air Force, Kilo submarines, anti-ship missiles that could target commerce or U.S. warships in the Gulf, and maybe even Iran's ballistic missile capability, White said.

2007 Could Be The Year RFID Gets "Minority Report" Smarter

RFID is poised to help retailers and service providers enhance customers' experiences and deliver precise ad messages, according to panelists at the National Retail Federation show. Soon, RFID could track items as customers pick them up from store shelves throughout America and immediately trigger displays with very specific information and advice -- like which top will match those pants you're holding and where exactly you can find that top. Radio-frequency identification, or RFID, is poised to help retailers and service providers tap into the seemingly infinite potential for enhancing customers' experiences and delivering precise ad messages, according to members of a panel at the National Retail Federation show at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City. Panelists said that after a year of hype (2005) and a year of validation (2006), RFID will likely bring advancements in terms of how to apply the technology so businesses can glean and share information about customer behavior and their own inventory, then act on it. Early adopters are already beginning to show how it's done. Best Buy employees restocked and organized CDs and DVDs more frequently and more enthusiastically when RFID did some of their work for them. An RFID application that created a list of out-of-place and under-stocked items made the employees' jobs easier, said Mark Roberti, panelist and founder and editor of RFID Journal. The technology can trigger surveillance cameras in some stores when an item or box goes into a dumpster out back. It also can mark the time an item left a stockroom and vanished, allowing investigators and prosecutors to view video footage from that time to build theft cases. Now that the industry has published standards and moved the technology beyond its initial stages of development, companies are beginning to figure out how to use RFID to cut time and costs for customer service, training, and labor.

Navy Tests High-Tech Railgun

Normally, new weaponry tends to make defense more expensive. But the Navy likes to say its new railgun delivers the punch of a missile at bullet prices. A flashy demonstration of the futuristic and comparatively inexpensive railgun weapon recently at the Naval Surface Warfare Center had Navy brass smiling. The weapon, which was successfully tested in October at the King George County base, fires nonexplosive projectiles at incredible speeds, using electricity rather than gun powder. The technology could increase the striking range of U.S. Navy ships more than tenfold by the year 2020. "It's pretty amazing capability, and it went off without a hitch," said Capt. Joseph McGettigan, commander of NSWC Dahlgren Division. "The biggest thing is it's real not just something on the drawing board," he said. "It could go to the field right now. We just want to improve it, to make it better." The railgun works by sending electric current along parallel rails, creating an electromagnetic force so powerful it can fire a metal projectile at tremendous speed. Because the gun uses electricity and not gunpowder to fire projectiles, it's safer, eliminating the possibility of explosions on ships and vehicles equipped with it. Instead, a powerful pulse generator is used. The prototype fired at Dahlgren is only an 8-megajoule electromagnetic device, but the one to be used on Navy ships will generate a massive 64 megajoules. Current Navy guns generate about 9 megajoules of muzzle energy. The railgun's 200 to 250 nautical-mile range will allow Navy ships to strike deep in enemy territory while staying out of reach of hostile forces. Future railgun ordnance won't be large and heavy, either, but will deliver the punch of a Tomahawk cruise missile because of the immense speed of the projectile at impact. Garnett compared that force to hitting a target with a Ford Taurus at 380 mph. "It will take out a building," he said. Warheads aren't needed because of the massive force of impact.

Iran Ramps Up Nuclear Plans With 3,000 New Centrifuges

Iran is ready to begin installing 3,000 centrifuges for industrial-scale production of nuclear fuel, which the West fears could lead to atom bombs, after completing preparations at an underground plant, diplomats said. The diplomats referred to findings by inspectors from the nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) who visited the Natanz uranium-enrichment complex over the past week. It was the first independent confirmation of statements by Tehran that it was prepared to press ahead with expanding what so far has been a limited research-level enrichment programme, whose goal Tehran says is solely to generate electricity. Iran has tried to counter diplomatic reports of delays caused by technical problems or political hesitation after the U.N. Security Council last month banned trade in nuclear items with Tehran over its refusal to stop enriching uranium. “Everything has been prepared for assembling (installing) the centrifuges at Natanz for the beginning of the industrial phase of enrichment,” a European diplomat said, asking for anonymity in exchange for discussing confidential information. “The hardware is now in place,” he said, alluding to piping, casing and other infrastructure Tehran needed to equip the vast underground hall to enable installation of centrifuges.

Professor Hawking: It's Five Minutes To Armageddon. The World Had Better Wake Up

Professor Hawking, of the University of Cambridge, was speaking as the group of scientists who run the Doomsday Clock — a countdown to Armageddon that was begun in 1947 — was moved two minutes closer to stand at five minutes to midnight to reflect climate change and the nuclear programmes of North Korea and Iran. “Since Hiroshima and Nagasaki, no nuclear weapons have been used in war, though the world has come uncomfortably close to disaster on more than one occasion,” Professor Hawking said. “But for good luck, we would all be dead. “As we stand at the brink of a second nuclear age and a period of unprecedented climate change, scientists have a special responsibility once again to inform the public and advise leaders about the perils that humanity faces.

Congress preparing to criminalize critics

In what sounds like a comedy sketch from Jon Stewart's Daily Show, but isn't, the U. S. Senate would impose criminal penalties, even jail time, on grassroots causes and citizens who criticize Congress," says Richard A. Viguerie, chairman of GrassrootsFreedom.com. Section 220 of S. 1, the lobbying reform bill before the Senate, would require grassroots causes, even bloggers, who communicate to 500 or more members of the public on policy matters, to register and report quarterly to Congress, as lobbyists are required. "Section 220 would amend existing lobbying reporting law by creating the most expansive intrusion on First Amendment rights ever," Viguerie said.
For the first time in history, he stated, critics of Congress will need to register and report with Congress itself. "The bill would require reporting of 'paid efforts to stimulate grassroots lobbying,' but defines 'paid' merely as communications to 500 or more members of the public, with no other qualifiers," Viguerie said. The Senate passed an amendment on the bill Jan. 9 to create criminal penalties, including up to one year in jail, if someone "knowingly and willingly fails to file or report." Viguerie said the legislation regulates small, legitimate nonprofits, bloggers, and individuals, but creates loopholes for corporations, unions, and large membership organizations that would be able to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, yet not report.

Robot built at Picatinny, ready for military combat this year

The Army's newest recruit can't speak or climb stairs well. And at 3 feet tall and a whopping 200 pounds, it wouldn't pass a physical. But it fires a machine gun with half-mile accuracy and doesn't flinch. The latest infantryman is electronic -- a gun-slinging robot developed at Picatinny Arsenal. Engineers at the Army weapons research post in Rockaway Township hope to send the machine, the first of its kind, into combat this year. They envision the robot rolling through city streets, scooting around corners and ducking into alleys in search of the enemy, while troops operate it from a half-mile away. Unlike its human counterparts, it doesn't run out of breath, and it can hit a pie plate from about 875 yards. A soldier might need to be about 575 yards closer to boast the same level of accuracy. It goes "places you don't want to send a soldier," said Rudy Roehrich, a Picatinny engineer who helped design and test the machine. Picatinny has been working on the $3.2 million program for several years, wrestling with how to ensure the robo-soldier fires only when it's commanded. The Department of Defense is investing $130 billion over the next 20 years in the Future Combat System, a network of computerized weapons and robotic vehicles.

Chinese 'Star Wars' Missile Test Heralds New Space Arms Race

The White House reacted with alarm and anger last night after China successfully destroyed a satellite with a ballistic missile, the first space test of such offensive military technology by any nation in more than 20 years. Using a ground-based medium-range ballistic missile, the test knocked out an ageing Chinese weather satellite 537 miles above the Earth on January 11 through “kinetic impact”, or by slamming into it, Gordon Johndroe, President Bush’s national security spokesman, said.

Col. Sam Gardiner: Says 'The Pieces Are Being Put in Place Against Iran'

The pieces are moving, they’ll be in place by the end of February. The United States will be able to escalate military operations against Iran. The second carrier strike group recently left the U.S. west coast. It will be joined by naval mine clearing assets from both the United States and the UK. Patriot missile defense systems have also been ordered to deploy to the Gulf. Maybe as a guard against North Korea seeing operations focused on Iran as a chance to be aggressive, a squadron of F-117 stealth fighters has just been deployed to Korea. This has to be called escalation. We have to remind ourselves, just as Iran is supporting groups inside Iraq, the United States is supporting groups inside Iran. Just as Iran has special operations troops operating inside Iraq, we’ve read the United States has special operations troops operating inside Iran. Just as Iran is supporting Hamas, two weeks ago we found out the United States is supporting arms for Abbas. Just as Iran and Syria are supporting Hezbollah in Lebanon we’re now learning the White House has approved a finding to allow the CIA to support opposition groups inside Lebanon. Just as Iran is supporting Syria, we’ve learned recently that the United States is going to fund Syrian opposition groups. We learned this week the President authorized an attack on the Iranian liaison office in Irbil.

Bush claims unlimited surveillance powers

When Congress was out of town for the winter recess, President Bush asserted unilateral powers to open U.S. mail without a warrant. In yet another unfortunate "signing statement," Bush claims he can do searches without obtaining a warrant, as required by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and laws enacted by Congress. This comes on top of earlier claims that he can intercept phone calls and e-mails. Congress passed a routine bill designed to improve the quality of postal service for Americans on Dec. 9 - the Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act of 2006. Among other things, it restates U.S. law that domestic mail cannot be opened without a warrant, making an exception where there is a credible threat that the mail may contain an explosive device. When the executive branch believes it has a legitimate need to search targeted mail, existing laws allow the executive branch to get a warrant quickly from a criminal court or a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court judge. Yet when Bush signed the postal bill, he added a statement reserving the right to ignore the law. Bush justifies his actions with radical claims about a "unitary executive branch" with exclusive powers and limitations on federal courts to interfere. So we have executive power unrestrained by law and unchecked by any other branch of government.

Northrop Grumman Tooling Up First Ray Gun Production Line

Northrop Grumman Corporation today opened a specialized facility exclusively for system integration and production of high-energy laser systems for military uses - the first of its kind by private industry in the United States. Located at the Space Technology sector's Space Park campus, the Directed Energy Production Facility is specifically designed for the production of high-energy, solid-state lasers and their integration onto military vehicles. "Powerful military lasers, with their speed-of-light targeting capabilities and cost-effective operation, have the potential to transform the way we equip our armed forces defending our country abroad and protecting it at home against terrorist threats," said Alexis Livanos, president of Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. The first work in the facility will be for Phase 3 of the Joint High-Power Solid State Laser (JHPSSL) program, which will build and demonstrate the first 100 kW solid-state laser sufficient for a variety of force protection battlefield and precision strike missions. The facility also will house other laser systems the company is spearheading. The facility will provide the capability to produce current and future generation technologies of lasers including fiber lasers even more powerful than 100kW. There will also be an integration area where electric lasers are integrated onto various military platforms, such as armored combat vehicles. With class 1,000 clean rooms and integrated laser safety systems, the facility can produce multiple laser systems at the same time.

Real Terminator Type Robot Wars Coming At A Fast Pace

By 2015, the US Department of Defence plans that one-third of its fighting strength will be composed of robots, part of a $127-billion project known as Future Combat Systems (FCS). This transformation is part of the largest technology project in US history. The US Army has already developed about 20 remotely controlled unmanned ground systems that can be controlled by a laptop from about a mile away. The US Navy and Air Force are working on a similar number of systems with varying ranges.
According to a US general quoted in the US Army's Joint Robotics Programme Master Plan, "what we're doing with unmanned ground and air vehicles is really bringing movies such as Star Wars to reality". The US military has 2 500 uncrewed systems deployed in conflicts around the world. But is it Star Wars or I, Robot that the US is bringing to reality? By 2035, the plan is for the first completely autonomous robot soldiers to stride on to the battlefield. The US is not alone. Around the globe, 32 countries are now working on the development of uncrewed systems. In the United Kingdom, Qinetiq, the UK's former Defence Research Agency, which owns Foster-Miller, manufacturers of the Talon system, confirmed that it has developed remote bulldozers and earthmovers and that its technology could also be installed in tanks.

Russian Admiral Says U.S. Navy Prepares Missile Strike on Iran

U.S. Navy nuclear submarines maintaining vigil off the coast of Iran indicate that the Pentagon’s military plans include not only control over navigation in the Persian Gulf but also strikes against Iranian targets, a former commander of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, Admiral Eduard Baltin has told the Interfax news agency. “The presence of U.S. nuclear submarines in the Persian Gulf region means that the Pentagon has not abandoned plans for surprise strikes against nuclear targets in Iran. With this aim a group of multi-purpose submarines ready to accomplish the task is located in the area,” Admiral Baltin said. He made the comments after reports that a U.S. submarine collided with a Japanese tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. “American patience is not unlimited,” he said. “The submarine commanders go up to the periscope depth and forget about navigation rules and safety measures,” the admiral said. Currently there is a group of up to four submarines in the Persian Gulf area, he said. So far they only control navigation in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman, and in the Arabian Sea, he said. They might receive different orders in future: to block off the Gulf of Oman, that is the Iranian coast, and, if need be, launch missile strikes against ground targets in Iran, he said.

New EU Parliament President Drops Call For God In EU Constitution

The EU Observer reports: “The new president of the European Parliament Hans-Gert Poettering has promised to act as a ‘fair and objective’ president of the whole assembly, indicating that despite his personal convictions, he would no longer press for a reference to God in any revised EU constitution. Mr. Poettering was elected to chair the bloc's legislature by a majority of 450 votes out of 715 MEPs voting in the first round of Tuesday's (16 January) election. Despite three other candidates running for the presidency - with Greens co-chairman Monica Frassoni receiving 145 votes, leftist GUE/NGL president Francis Wurtz 48 votes and Danish eurosceptic Jens-Peter Bonde 46 votes - most group leaders said they believe Mr. Poettering will manage to act as a neutral president of all members.

Parents could soon be arrested for spanking their children even at home

A new bill wants to outlaw parents from spanking their children. The assemblywoman sponsoring the measure wants to protect those who can't defend themselves, but is it taking governing too far? Spanking is a touchy issue for many people. Some use it. Others don't. An assemblywoman wants to ban all forms, even a slap on the hand. Speaker Pro Temp Sally Lieber plans to introduce a bill that would ban any form of spanking on kids less than three years old. That's includes spanking hands, faces or bottoms. Lieber said, "That would include slapping spanking smacking hitting punching, any striking of a child." We found parents on both sides of the spanking issue, but many, whether they agreed with spanking or not, felt the government shouldn't tell parents how to parent. Karen Fontaine is both a parent and grandparent. She said, "What else are they going to do next, are they going to take over and raise our children?"

The Nightmare Weaponry of Our Near Future

Looking beyond, the Air Force sees systems like the B-X Bomber; space-based Hypervelocity Rod Bundles (nicknamed "rods from God"), a mystical sounding system that promises "to strike ground targets anywhere in the world"; the Guardian Urban Combat Weapon, an "air-launched lurk and loiter reconnaissance, rotary winged, unmanned, combat air vehicle designed for urban warfare"; and the High Powered Microwave Airborne Electronic Attack, an "anti-electronics high powered microwave weapon against 'soft' electronic-containing targets" that would be operated "from an airborne platform at military significant ranges."

Iran seeks to acquire first-strike capability against Israel

A leading Israeli strategist and former intelligence officer has asserted that Teheran was directing its nuclear program for a confrontation with Israel. The strategist said Iran believes it could destroy the Jewish state with one nuclear weapon. ‘Iranians believe that it holds, may hold a first strike capability against Israel once it has a nuclear capability,’ Shmuel Bar, director of studies at the Institute of Police and Strategy, said. ‘That Israel is a one bomb country, one bomb from the point-of-view of the receiving side. That the U.S. would not intervene against Iran under such conditions, and all of that with apocalyptic zeal may result in actual use of nuclear weapons.’ Bar, who for years worked in the Israeli intelligence community, told a lecture on Jan. 9 that Iran was prepared to destroy Muslim cities as the price for firing nuclear missiles toward Israel. He said the ruling Islamic clergy would support a nuclear attack on Israel even at the risk of killing millions of Palestinian Muslims.

Hindus wash away their sins without Jesus

Hundreds of Hindu holy men, naked but for the ash smeared on their bodies and an occasional marigold garland, led a sea of humanity to the waters of the Ganges River Monday to wash away their sins at the apex of a weekslong pilgrimage. By midmorning Monday, some 3 million people had immersed themselves in the waters near the north Indian city of Allahabad, said festival organizer P. N. Mishra. The number was expected to top 5 million by the end of the day — declared a royal bathing day by astrologers and the most auspicious of the 45-day festival that started Jan. 3. The holy men, or sadhus, were followed into the waters by the heads of Hindu monasteries, many of them pulled into the waters on elaborate silver chariots or palanquins. Marching bands accompanied them as they initiated the bathing by scattering flowers over the waiting faithful and chanting "Har Har Gange" (Long live Ganges). Nearly 70 million Hindus are expected to participate in the 45-day "Ardh Kumbh Mela" or Half Grand Pitcher Festival, one of the largest regular gatherings in the world. They wash themselves in the waters of the Ganges, believing it absolves their sins and ends the process of reincarnation.

Iran and Venezuela plan anti-U.S. fund

Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Iran's Mahmoud Ahmadinejad — fiery anti-American leaders whose moves to extend their influence have alarmed Washington — said recently they would help finance investment projects in other countries seeking to thwart U.S. domination. The two countries had previously revealed plans for a joint $2 billion fund to finance investments in Venezuela and Iran, but the leaders said Saturday the money would also be used for projects in friendly countries throughout the developing world. "It will permit us to underpin investments ... above all in those countries whose governments are making efforts to liberate themselves from the (U.S.) imperialist yoke," Chavez said. "This fund, my brother," the Venezuelan president said, referring affectionately to Ahmadinejad, "will become a mechanism for liberation." "Death to U.S. imperialism!" Chavez said.

Temple Aqueduct and Ritual Bath Excavated Opposite Temple Mount

The never-before-excavated area is situated behind the Western Wall police station, adjacent to the plaza where millions of worshipers and tourists come each year to visit the Western Wall and Temple Mount. The new archaeological find uncovers a missing link in the ancient water system, known as the "Lower Aqueduct." This system channeled water from Solomon’s Pools near Bethlehem (located several miles south of Jerusalem) directly to the national focal point of Jewish worship - the Temple Mount.
Solomon’s pools, situated just north of the modern Jewish town of Efrat, cover an area of about 7 acres and can hold three million gallons of water. A lengthy aqueduct conveyed the water from the lowest pool through Bethlehem, across the Gihon valley, along the western slope of the Tyropoeon valley, and into the cisterns underneath the Temple Mount. Today, the water from the pools reaches only Bethlehem due to the destruction of the aqueducts.

Scientists prepare to move Doomsday Clock closer to Armageddon

The keepers of the "Doomsday Clock" plan to move its hands forward next Wednesday to reflect what they call worsening nuclear and climate threats to the world. The symbolic clock, maintained by the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, currently is set at seven minutes to midnight, with midnight marking global catastrophe. The group did not say in which direction the hands would move. But in a news release previewing an event next Wednesday, they said the change was based on "worsening nuclear, climate threats" to the world. "The major new step reflects growing concerns about a 'Second Nuclear Age' marked by grave threats, including: nuclear ambitions in Iran and North Korea, unsecured nuclear materials in Russia and elsewhere, the continuing 'launch-ready' status of 2,000 of the 25,000 nuclear weapons held by the U.S. and Russia, escalating terrorism, and new pressure from climate change for expanded civilian nuclear power that could increase proliferation risks," the release reads.

Biometrics Use In Passports, Driver's Licenses, Social Security Cards

Much of the support for government-use of biometrics appeared to be based on the belief that biometric identifiers would make it much harder for terrorists to operate within the U.S. The support however was tempered with substantial concern. For instance, 60 percent of survey respondents agreed there was a "high potential" for government misuse of biometric data, while 53 percent said that the use of biometrics would allow the government to track their movements -- thereby reducing their personal privacy.

Business Week Says Fast-Expanding Market For Animal RFID Chips Will Extend To Humans Before Long

Under the federally supported National Animal Identification System (NAIS), digital tags are expected to be affixed to the U.S.'s 40 million farm animals to enable regulators to track and respond quickly to disease, bioterrorism, and other calamities. Opponents have many fears about this plan, among them that it could be the forerunner of a similar system for humans. The theory, circulated in blogs, goes like this: You test it on the animals first, demonstrating the viability of the radio frequency identification devices (RFIDs) to monitor each and every animal's movements and health history from birth to death, and then move on to people. VeriChip Corp., is preparing for widespread marketing of its people chips with an initial public offering that it expects to complete within the next 60 days. It has begun building what he refers to as "the infrastructure" by signing up more than 400 hospitals to adopt system scanners and databases and about 1,200 physicians to make chips available to patients likeliest to benefit from them, such as diabetics.

Rice Won't Rule Out War With Iran

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice refused to rule out cross-border US military action against Iran, a day after President Bush pledged in a major speech to "seek out and destroy" Iranian and Syrian networks providing weapons and training to anti-American forces in Iraq. Speaking before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Rice said the United States plans to target the networks inside Iraq, but added, "obviously the president isn't going to rule anything out to protect our troops."

Israel's military expects a turbulent 2007

Israel's military expects a turbulent year in the Middle East, with threats intensifying from Iran, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority and Syria. The military has drafted its strategic assessment for 2007 that envisioned an increased chance of conflict with Lebanon, the PA and Syria. The assessment, based on research from the Intelligence Corps, asserted that the region was becoming increasingly unstable amid Iran's support to proxies in the Levant. ‘For the first time in many years, there is no positive window of opportunity in the Middle East,’ the assessment said. ‘We must come to terms with this and prepare accordingly.’ The assessment has been relayed to the government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and would be used to determine requirements of the military. The government approved a record 50 billion shekel defense budget [$11.8 billion] for 2007 that stipulated increased training, procurement and logistics.

Human Rights Situation In China Worsening

Human rights conditions in China "deteriorated significantly" in 2006 as the government reacted to rising social discontent with even tighter controls, Human Rights watch recently said. In its annual global report, the New York-based group said China focused particularly on silencing a loosely organised network of lawyers, journalists and activists seeking justice for victims of official abuses. In several high-profile cases, rights defenders last year sought to defend victims of widespread illegal land seizures, police abuses, and forced abortions under the one-child policy. China moved to silence such critics with vague charges such as "disrupting social order" or "inciting subversion", the report said. It said around 100 activists, lawyers, writers, academics, HIV/AIDS campaigners and other human rights defenders were targeted last year, "indicating a new crackdown". "Several high-profile politically motivated prosecutions of lawyers and journalists in 2006 put an end to any hopes that President Hu Jintao would be a progressive reformer and sent an unambiguous warning to individuals and groups pressing for greater respect for the fundamental rights and freedoms of Chinese citizens," the report said. China continued to use unofficial house arrests and other forms of extra-legal treatment in order to avoid the negative international attention triggered by outright arrests, it added.

744,000 People Are Homeless In US

There were 744,000 homeless people in the United States in 2006, according to the first national estimate in a decade. A little more than half were living in shelters, and nearly a quarter were chronically homeless, according to a report by the National Alliance to End Homelessness, an advocacy group. A majority of the homeless were single adults, but about 41 percent were in families, the report said. The group compiled data collected by the Department of Housing and Urban Development from service providers throughout the country. It is the first national study on the number of homeless people since 1996. That study came up with a wide range for America's homeless population: between 444,000 and 842,000. "Having this data brings all of us another step closer to understanding the scope and nature of homelessness in America, and establishing this baseline is an extremely challenging task," HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson said. "Understanding homelessness is a necessary step to addressing it successfully."

More People Asking Guardian Angels For Help

In a world that seems to some more and more perilous, a growing number of people believe they can turn to their guardian angel for assistance. CBS 2's Jon Duncanson reports that what some might call luck, others call divine intervention of an angelic nature. The evidence says we want to believe that angels do earn their wings. According to a Gallup Poll, 78 percent of Americans believe guardian angels exist. As three-year-old Addison Schwaller of rural Sheridan fell nine feet through a construction hole, landing face first on a concerete floor. “She was totally unresponsive. Her eyes were off to the left and fixed,” said her mom, Krisellen Lang. “Didn’t move at all when you talked to her.” By the time Addison reached the hospital, doctors found no bruising or even evidence of a fall. That was strange enough, but Addison, who really knew nothing about angels, told her mom she wasn’t alone during that terrible fall. “She said, ‘My angel said I was too heavy so I had to stay. That I was too heavy for her to carry all the way,’” Krisellen said. Peggy Gibson of Chicago says when she fell and couldn’t get up, a car drove down her alley. Two men helped her. “As I turned to see where they were going, the car seemed to have disappeared,” Peg said. The popular notion of winged guardian angels dates back at least 5,000 years. Joan Wester Anderson of Prospect Heights has written seven best-selling books of alleged angels encounters. She says there are just too many stories not to believe.

UAV Flights Over U.S.-Canadian Border to start in 2007

The Homeland Security Department is scheduled to begin unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights over the U.S.-Canadian border for the first time later this year. U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said Monday it will establish a pilot program to operate the drones by Sept. 30. The new program will be based in Grand Forks, N.D., because of its central location along the U.S. northern border. “As unmanned aircraft have proven to be effective on our southern border, this first step in North Dakota will lay the foundation to expand unmanned aerial system operations along the nation's northern border,” Michael Kostelnik, assistant commissioner for CBP’s Office of Air and Marine, said in the news release. “As Customs and Border Protection expands air operations along the northern tier, the presence of the [UAV] will further enhance our situational awareness.” The UAVs are equipped with cameras that enable them to be used for observation, surveillance and detection activities. They will support law enforcement and critical incident response, according to the agency. In addition, Customs and Border Protection said it is adding satellite infrastructure this year at its Air and Marine Operations Center in Riverside, Calif.

Scientologists Have Infiltrated Britain's Schools

Devotees of the Church of Scientology have gained access to thousands of British children through a charity that visits schools to lecture on the dangers of drugs. A Sunday Times investigation has found that Marlborough College is one of more than 500 schools across Britain where the charity has taught. Critics of the charity, Narconon, say it is a front to promote the teaching of Scientology — the controversial “religion” founded by L Ron Hubbard, the science fiction writer. Schools contacted last week said they knew nothing about the charity’s links with Scientology. There is no apparent reference to the church in its drugs education literature. Narconon’s UK website states that its work is based on Hubbard’s “drug rehabilitation technology” and displays his photograph; but it refers to him as an author rather than the founder of Scientology. Narconon promotes a number of unorthodox theories and treatments — based on Hubbard’s work — which experts say are not backed by scientific evidence. In California, where Narconon has its international headquarters, the state department of education has advised schools against using the charity. John Gummer, the former cabinet minister, said: “Scientology is a dangerous organisation. It doesn’t stand up intellectually and scientifically. It is rather bad science fiction. If Scientologists have been getting into schools under the guise of a drug charity it is very worrying. Schools must know exactly who they are letting in and should not have anything to do with Scientologists.”

Raytheon Tests New Laser Weapon

Raytheon recently announced that it had "successfully tested a prototype solid-state laser weapon." The new laser system "combines the proven capabilities of the Phalanx weapon system with the power and effectiveness of lasers to defeat rockets, mortars and missiles at an operationally significant range," the company said.
Raytheon said its prototype solid-state Laser Area Defense System, or LADS, "successfully detonated 60-millimeter mortars at a range greater than 550 yards within the tactical timeline in static ground testing conducted in partnership with the United States government." The company described the tests as "groundbreaking' and said the results had been achieved "in less than six months." "The LADS demonstration used a proven, existing, off-the-shelf solid-state laser, coupled with commercially available optics technology," Raytheon said. "The goal of the demonstration was to rapidly prove that lasers can yield military utility now by demonstrating that such a system could protect warfighters against mortars."

President Bush Says We Are Effectively At War With Iran

Mr. Bush, in a much-anticipated televised speech to the nation the other night, accused the Islamic Republic of "providing material support for attacks on American troops." Eschewing advice from his father's secretary of state, James Baker, to open a dialogue with Iran and Syria, the president said American forces in Iraq would "disrupt" attacks from Syria- and Iran-backed terrorists, "interrupt" the supply lines reaching back to those countries, and "seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq."

Navy dismisses chaplain who prayed 'in Jesus' name'

A U.S. Navy chaplain who prayed "in Jesus' name" as his conscience dictated is being ejected from the military service "in retaliation" for his victorious battle to change Navy policy that required religious rites be "non-sectarian." "This fight cost me everything. My career is over, my family is now homeless, we've lost a million dollar pension, but Congress agreed with me and rescinded the Navy policy, so chaplains are free again to pray in Jesus' name," Chaplain Gordon Klingenschmitt told WND. "My sacrifice purchased their freedom. My conscience is clear, the fight was worth it, and I'd do it all again." Klingenschmitt, as WND has reported, has fought an extended battle with the Navy over its restrictions on religious expression by its chaplains. He appeared and delivered a public prayer "in Jesus' name" at a White House rally last winter and was court-martialed for that. The Navy convicted him of failing to follow a lawful order because his superior didn't want him praying "in Jesus' name."

Jesus Portrayed as 'gay' voyeur on NBC's Conan O'Brien

NBC has plummeted to the level of CBS, with a late-night skit that blatantly mocks Christianity by portraying Jesus as a homosexual voyeur, a stunt that would have been instantly condemned nationwide if it had focused on any subject other than Christianity, according to a pro-life leader. The show, an episode of "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," was taped and aired this week, and featured a skit with a character called "the homophobic country western singer," In the latest episode, O'Brien introduces the skit: "Our last new character's heart is in the right place, even if he's a complete idiot. Please welcome the homophobic country western singer." Then a middle-aged man wearing western clothes comes out from behind a curtain and starts to play a guitar and sing: "Oh I love you Jesus, But only as a friend. You touched my heart but I hope That's where the touchin' ends. You're always lookin' over me, When I need a higher power. But you better look at somethin' else, When I'm in the shower." The idea that anyone would think about the Son of God in this way is simply appalling, The inferences that permeate the song are utterly disgusting."

Smart Security Cameras To "Predict" Your Every Move

Crimes including shoplifting and terrorism could be prevented by smart CCTV cameras which track human motion and interpret human behaviour. The new technology which aims to make security more efficient and effective is being developed by a Glasgow man. Douglas Macdonald, 38, has received a £50,000 Smart Award from the Scottish Executive to develop the intelligent video surveillance system. Mr Macdonald said the cameras could predict what someone might do next. He explained his idea: "I have a concept to use computer vision to interpret human behaviour and what people are likely to do next. Suspicious behaviour, "It is about learning modus operandi. "Cameras are trying to help, they can identify people that have characteristics relating to suspicious behaviour, people we can't be sure about. "It can catch your attention and it is down to a human to make the decision. It means businesses can use their security resources more effectively." Mr Macdonald, who has a PhD in Astrophysics, expects a prototype to be available within a year. He expects the smart camera product to be available to the market within three years.

Invisible and Colored RFID Ink Developed - Safe For Cattle And People, Company Says

A startup company developing chipless RFID ink has tested its product on cattle and laboratory rats. Somark Innovations announced this week that it successfully tested biocompatible RFID ink, which can be read through animal hairs. The passive RFID technology could be used to identify and track cows to reduce financial losses from Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease) scares. Somark, which formed in 2005, is located at the Center for Emerging Technologies in St. Louis. The company is raising Series A equity financing and plans to license the technology to secondary markets, which could include laboratory animals, dogs, cats, prime cuts of meat, and military personnel. Chief scientist Ramos Mays said the tests provide a true proof-of-principle and mitigate most of the technological risks in terms of the product's performance. "This proves the ability to create a synthetic biometric or fake fingerprint with biocompatible, chipless RFID ink and read it through hair," he said.
Co-founder Mark Pydynowski said during an interview Wednesday that the ink doesn't contain any metals and can be either invisible or colored. He declined to say what is in the ink, but said he's certain that it is 100% biocompatible and chemically inert. He also said it is safe for people and animals. The process developed by Somark involves a geometric array of micro-needles and a reusable applicator with a one-time-use ink capsule. Pydynowski said it takes five to 10 seconds to "stamp or tattoo" an animal, and there is no need to remove the fur. The ink remains in the dermal layer, and a reader can detect it from 4 feet away. The technology could verify that cuts of meat originated in a hormone-free environment, Pydynowski said, adding that consumers would destroy the system by breaking down the ink when chewing the meat. The government and agricultural producers and retailers could track e-coli outbreaks in spinach, he said. The ink also could be used to track and rescue soldiers, Pydynowski said. "It could help identify friends or foes, prevent friendly fire, and help save soldiers' lives," he said. "It's a very scary proposition when you're dealing with humans, but with military personnel, we're talking about saving soldiers' lives and it may be something worthwhile."

Bush vows action on Iran, Syria; beefs up defense in Middle East

U.S. President George W. Bush vowed to crack down on Iranian and Syrian meddling in Iraq and boost defense measures in the Middle East to promote stability throughout the region. Announcing his latest strategy to tame Iraq, Bush said he had ordered the deployment of an additional carrier strike group and Patriot anti-missile systems in the Middle East to beef up regional security. He warned Middle East nations that an American defeat in Iraq would create a "new sanctuary for extremists" and be "a strategic threat to their survival." As he ordered more than 20,000 additional troops into Iraq and unveiled a last-ditch 6.8 billion dollar plan to curb chaos in the war-torn nation, Bush said a key to the success of his new strategy was cutting off Iranian and Syrian support to "terrorists" in Iraq. "These two regimes are allowing terrorists and insurgents to use their territory to move in and out of Iraq," Bush said in a prime time television address to an American public fed up with the nearly four-year war that has left more than 3,000 US troops dead. He accused Iran of providing material support for attacks on American troops and vowed to disrupt these raids. "We will interrupt the flow of support from Iran and Syria. And we will seek out and destroy the networks providing advanced weaponry and training to our enemies in Iraq," he said. The U.S. leader also announced other steps to bolster the security of Iraq and protect American interests in the Middle East.

VeriChip Awarded U.S. Patent for Portable RFID Asset Tracking System

Applied Digital Solutions, though its subsidiary VeriChip Corporation, announced today that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has granted VeriChip Corp. a patent for its portable RFID asset location system. The patent, No. # 7,116,230, combines RFID tagging technology with a portable receiver to track the location of assets within a fixed setting, such as a building or warehouse. Rather than relying on a network of fixed receivers, the asset location system utilizes portable receivers to collect RFID messages, which the system uses to identify the unique ID of the asset as well as its room location. Daniel A. Gunther, President of VeriChip Corporation commented, "This patent is an extension of our proven RFID-based asset tracking technology. The portability of the receiver is a unique feature that we believe could have many applications in industrial, warehouse and healthcare settings. By not requiring the installation of numerous fixed receivers throughout a facility, such a system could substantially lower the initial cost of implementing RFID technology."

Fingerprints and Facial Biometrics to be Compulsory for Home Buyers in UK

Banks and building societies will introduce the measure for first-time buyers to clamp down on identity fraud. The move comes as the Government prepares plans to introduce its controversial ID cards. Home Secretary John Reid asked lenders what checks they would like for granting a mortgage. They want fingerprint and facial biometrics - which will be included on identity cards. Couples buying their first home will be the first to get the cards when they are introduced in 2009. Eventually everyone will need one. Premier Tony Blair said: "This is not just important for security, it will make accessing services in modern life easier for people."

Doctor alleges plans underway to "Microchip" Newborns in U.S. and Europe

Regarding plans to microchip newborns, Dr. Kilde said the U.S. has been moving in this direction "in secrecy." She added that in Sweden, Prime Minister Olof Palme gave permission in 1973 to implant prisoners, and Data Inspection's ex-Director General Jan Freese revealed that nursing-home patients were implanted in the mid-1980s. The technology is revealed in the 1972:47 Swedish state report, Statens Officiella Utradninger. Are you prepared to live in a world in which every newborn baby is micro-chipped? And finally are you ready to have your every move tracked, recorded and placed in Big Brother's data bank? According to the Finnish article, distributed to doctors and medical students, time is running out for changing the direction of military medicine and mind control technology, ensuring the future of human freedom. "Implanted human beings can be followed anywhere. Their brain functions can be remotely monitored by supercomputers and even altered through the changing of frequencies," wrote Dr. Kilde. "Guinea pigs in secret experiments have included prisoners, soldiers, mental patients,handicapped children, deaf and blind people, homosexuals, single women, the elderly, school children, and any group of people considered "marginal" by the elite experimenters. The published experiences of prisoners in Utah State Prison, for example, are shocking to the conscience. "Today's microchips operate by means of low-frequency radio waves that target them. With the help of satellites, the implanted person can be tracked anywhere on the globe. Such a technique was among a number tested in the Iraq war, according to Dr. Carl Sanders, who invented the intelligence-manned interface (IMI) biotic, which is injected into people. (Earlier during the Vietnam War, soldiers were injected with the Rambo chip, designed to increase adrenaline flow into the bloodstream.) The 20-billion-bit/second supercomputers at the U.S. National Security Agency (NSA) could now "see and hear" what soldiers experience in the battlefield with a remote monitoring system (RMS). "When a 5-micromillimeter microchip (the diameter of a strand of hair is 50 micromillimeters) is placed into optical nerve of the eye,", Dr. Kilde indicates "it draws neuro-impulses from the brain that embody the experiences, smells, sights, and voice of the implanted person. Once transferred and stored in a computer, these neuro-impulses can be projected back to the person's brain via the microchip to be re-experienced. Using a RMS, a land-based computer operator can send electromagnetic messages (encoded as signals) to the nervous system, affecting the target's performance. With RMS, healthy persons can be induced to see hallucinations and to hear voices in their heads."

Super Soldiers: Tomorrow's 'Army of One' Technology

Within three years, soldiers could begin testing futuristic devices that make them each "an army of one" by granting them unprecedented capabilities, such as the ability to see through walls thanks to advanced radar scopes and super-protection and super-strength conferred by high-tech armor. Although some of the technologies could take years to reach actual battlefields, novel devices developed by the U.S. Army's Future Force Warrior initiative such as advanced sound equipment and smarter lasers should be available to active soldiers as soon as 2010, promising to make them more lethal than ever. They'll also be better protected. For example, current armor can keep bullets and shrapnel from wounding soldiers directly, but they can carry shock waves to the body that can break ribs and cause other injuries. Improvements will provide a more protective 2-inch gap between soldiers and their armor. Also, by 2010, body-worn sensors that monitor respiration, heart rate, and shock waves from bullets, will let medics know right away when soldiers get injured. "They will also tell a soldier's distance and direction, so a medic knows where to go," said Jean-Louis "Dutch" DeGay, an equipment specialist at the U.S. Army Soldier Systems Center in Natick, Mass.

Like Northern Ireland, Schools 'will have to promote gay rights' in England

New gay rights laws will force schools to teach homosexual equality, one of the country's most respected judges recently warned. Teachers who tell pupils homosexual sex is wrong will be guilty of breaking the law, former Lord Chancellor Lord Mackay of Clashfern said. Lord Mackay claimed the Sexual Orientation Regulations mean schools could no longer instruct children in "the importance of marriage for family life" - one of the key platforms of current sex education. Those schools that do so could be prosecuted for "harassment" against gay pupils, he said. The rules were introduced in the New Year in Northern Ireland, which is being used as a test bed before the regulations come into force in England in April. Lord Mackay, 79, said the clauses on harassment "are very difficult to understand". "I think it could well mean that people who teach in a school, in particular in an advanced class, that homosexuality is wrong ... would be guilty of of breaching these provisions," he told BBC Radio 4's Today Program. He said the laws went beyond an attempt to end discrimination against gays, saying: "This is different. It makes the practice of homosexuality something to which a person is not entitled to object to if he or she provides goods or services."

Passport Cards to go Hi-tech in United States

Fire has been drawn from some quarters as the US govt. plans to use RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) chips in the proposed program of passport cards for U.S. citizens. These ID cards will be mandatory for residents who’re not having passports for their identification anywhere in the country or overseas. This program has been proposed so that security can be shored up throughout the nation. Passengers who travel by air among different countries may be asked to show this kind of an ID proof anytime from 1st January 2007 onwards, whereas for those who travel by land or sea this rule is going to be applicable from January 2008. The State Department said, instead of using contact less smart card technology “proximity read” it will use the RFID technology “vicinity read” in cards in these new e-Passports. The objective is to have passport cards of credit card size. Therefore, customs & border security officials can read these cards even when they are 20-30 feet away. As per a Research Analyst’s view at RNCOS, who has recently researched a report on “Global Smart Card Industry - Future Outlook (2007)”, “People carrying an RFID-enabled ID card may be exposed to greater surveillance without being aware of it. Individuals with such cards are also likely to have less control over when they want to be identified and what information is read, stored and shared.”

'Catastrophic': Now thousands of birds fall from sky

Thousands of birds inexplicably dropped like rocks from the sky over Australia. The mysterious catastrophe has taken place over a period of three weeks in Esperance, about 450 miles southeast of Perth. The area was declared a disaster zone by government officials. So far, authorities are clueless as to the cause. Autopsies on the birds have shed no light. The main casualties, according to Australian news sources, are wattle birds, yellow-throated miners, new holland honeyeaters and singing honeyeaters. Some dead crows, hawks and pigeons have also been found. Some birds were seen convulsing when they died. Wildlife officers are baffled by what they characterize as a "catastrophic" event. It does not appear to be weather-related. District nature conservation coordinator Mike Fitzgerald said: "It's very substantial. We estimate several thousand birds are dead, although we don't have a clear number because of the large areas of bushland." Birds Australia, the nation's main bird conservation group, said it had not heard of a similar occurrence. "Not on that scale, and all at the same time, and also the fact that it's several different species," chief executive Graeme Hamilton said. "You'd have to call that a most unusual event and one that we'd all have to be concerned about." Just yesterday, some 60 birds fell out of the sky in Austin, Texas, without explanation. The incident prompted street closings for several hours. Officials said they had tested the air for dangerous substances but found nothing, and they declared the area safe. The dead birds – grackles, sparrows and pigeons – were being checked for avian flu, but officials said they saw no symptoms of the illness and believed it more likely they had been poisoned, possibly deliberately, or affected by near-freezing weather.

Astronomers To Search 1,000 Nearby Stars For ET Signals

Astronomers plan to search 1,000 nearby stars for television broadcasts and other signals that could indicate extraterrestrial life, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics recently said. The project, planned for early 2008, would use a new radio telescope to search for radio traffic similar to that found on Earth. Current efforts to find extraterrestrial life look for messages deliberately beamed across space -- an approach that would miss any civilization that does not advertise its existence as Earth's does. The new effort would search a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum used on Earth for more mundane purposes -- radar, television and FM radio broadcasts. "We may pick up spurious signals from people that never meant for us to hear them and get an inkling that something's going on," said David Aguilar, director of communications at the Center for Astrophysics. The electromagnetic spectrum spans radiation from high-energy waves such as gamma rays and X-rays to lower-energy microwave and radio waves, with visible light falling somewhere in the middle. A new low-frequency telescope under construction in the Australian outback will be remote enough to avoid most radio interference.

Doctors Deplore First U.S. 'Baby Supermarket'

The nation's largest faith-based association of doctors today said that a Texas fertility clinic is violating ethical principles in "grading babies like meat in a supermarket."
Dr. David Stevens, CEO of the 17,000-member Christian Medical Association reacted to news [Embryo Bank] that the Texas-based IVF Clinic Abraham Center of Life is offering to match sperm and egg donors to meet criteria desired by consumers. "This designer baby scheme crosses ethical and moral boundaries by turning babies into commodities," Dr. Stevens asserted. "By stressing the educational level of sperm and egg donors, this center is preying on parents who have fallen victim to the false notion that babies are a status symbol, and that intelligence, race or appearance are somehow measures of worth. Do we really want to grade babies like meat in a supermarket? “This affront to human dignity shows why we cannot continue to allow such clinics to operate beyond moral and regulatory constraints." Dr. Gene Rudd, an Obstetrician-Gynecologist and CMA's Associate Executive Director, noted, “This is eugenics--the science of 'improving' a population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of certain characteristics. And we have seen in recent history where eugenics leads. "Besides the ethical wrongs, this embryo marketing scheme also poses potential harm to women who undergo hyperovulation procedures to harvest their eggs.”

666 Beta Systems Continue Technological Advance

A tap of the finger is how some customers pay for groceries at Piggly Wiggly stores in Indiana. That technology has opened doors in spy movies and sci-fi television shows for decades and is one way the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is trying to deter illegal immigration. Starting Monday, hundreds of Treasure Coast students will use the technology and their index fingers to buy school lunches. The Martin County School District is testing a biometrics imaging program at Murray Middle School, where finger pad scanners replace identification cards students have been using — and losing — as a payment option in the school's new cafeteria. Martin County is not alone in wanting to test the technology — which helps identify someone based on personal characteristics such as fingerprints, facial features or iris patterns. School officials in St. Lucie and Okeechobee counties haven't announced plans to use biometrics yet, but Indian River school officials are looking into using the finger scans. "It's cool," said sixth-grader Sarah Eaves, 12, who estimates she has lost her student identification card at least seven times. "It should be better because you always have your fingers with you." To cut down on credit card fraud and identity theft, grocery stores and banks throughout the nation are using similar systems. School officials hope the addition of the biometrics technology not only will save students time and the district money, but lower theft, fraud and bullying. "It practically eliminates bullying," said Rae Hollenbeck, Martin County School District food services director. "They have their fingers so nobody can steal their lunch money. They put their finger down, and they get their lunch."

Bush Rapidly Pushing America Toward Police State

President George W. Bush's brand of conservatism is something completely foreign to traditional norms. He has outspent even the most liberal administrations. He has led the nation into undeclared foreign wars under false pretenses. He has bloated the size and scope of the federal government like no president since Franklin D. Roosevelt. He has consistently promoted "civil unions" for homosexuals. He has increased federal funding for abortion providers at home and abroad. In addition, over the objections of a Republican-controlled Congress, Bush even supported the Clinton gun ban. However, it is President Bush's preoccupation with turning America into a total surveillance society that separates his administration from any and all others. Before this administration, no conservative president had endorsed the concept of turning the United States into the fulfillment of Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, but that is exactly what G.W. Bush is attempting to do. Under the rubric of fighting terrorism, President Bush has done more to strip the American people of constitutionally-protected freedoms than any administration since Abraham Lincoln. The latest example of Bush's tyrannical tendencies comes in the form of his most recent "signing statement." And please understand that President Bush has issued more "signing statements" than any president in history. In fact, before President Reagan, there was a total of only 75 "signing statements" by all previous administrations. Then, Presidents Reagan, George H.W. Bush, and Bill Clinton issued 247 "signing statements" combined. So far, President George W. Bush has issued 147 "signing statements" that have challenged constitutional restrictions (upon him) to more than 750 statutes. (Source: The Boston Globe). After signing a postal reform bill called H.R. 6407, the "Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act," President Bush issued a "signing statement" that declared his (Bush's) right to open the private mail of American citizens without a judge's warrant.

Crimes Linked To Satanism Growing rapidly in Italy

Priests are to work alongside Italian police officers to tackle a rising tide of crimes linked to devil worship. The clerics have been seconded to the Squadra Anti Sette (SAS) anti-sect squad by the Vatican after church officials became concerned about the number of churches being desecrated by Satanists. In recent months there has also been a string of murders that have been linked to devil worship. One of the Vatican's specialists on Satanism and the occult, Don Oreste Benzi, has been brought to work with police. The natural curiosity of young people meant they were particularly attracted to the occult, and drugs were also used to influence and manipulate them. "We will provide the units with priests who have experience in the field of devil worship and the occult," he said. "They will help the SAS to combat this problem, which is growing at an alarming rate across Italy. Already in the past we have seen churches desecrated and lives taken away through devil worship. "We are not just talking about murders but the psychological grip that these sects have on young people, especially taking them away from traditional social values and exposing them to all sorts of horrors. "We estimate that there are at least 8,000 Satanic sects across the country with more than 600,000 members and the numbers are growing all the time.

Britons To Be Scanned For FBI Database when they visit the U.S.

Millions of Britons who visit the United States are to have their fingerprints stored on the FBI database alongside those of criminals, in a move that has outraged civil rights groups. Under new plans to combat terrorism, the US government will demand that visitors have all 10 fingers scanned when they enter the country. The information will be shared with intelligence agencies, including the FBI, with no restrictions on their international use.

U.S. Selecting Hybrid Design for Warheads

The Bush administration is expected to announce this week a major step forward in the building of the country’s first new nuclear warhead in nearly two decades. It will propose combining elements of competing designs from two weapons laboratories in an approach that some experts argue is untested and risky. The new weapon would not add to but replace the nation’s existing arsenal of aging warheads, with a new generation meant to be sturdier, more reliable, safer from accidental detonation and more secure from theft by terrorists. The announcement, to be made by the interagency Nuclear Weapons Council, avoids making a choice between the two designs for a new weapon, called the Reliable Replacement Warhead, which at first would be mounted on submarine-launched missiles. The effort, if approved by President Bush and financed by Congress, would require a huge refurbishment of the nation’s complex for nuclear design and manufacturing, with the overall bill estimated at more than $100 billion.

Children Missing In India: Harvested For Organs - Or Sexual Abuse

Organ trafficking or sexual abuse may account for the disappearance of 38 children from Nithari village near Noida, 25km from Delhi, in Uttar Pradesh. Remains of 17 of them were found at the beginning of the year. The owner of the house where the victims were buried, Moninder Singh, and his domestic, Surender, were arrested and have confessed but this has not stopped the tragedy from taking on strong political overtones. At first, before the national press splashed the ugly story as front page news, a special envoy of the Prime Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mulayam Singh Yadav, who is his brother Shivpal Yadav, had described the murders as a “small and routine incidents” after visiting Nithari. Shipval defended the performance of the local police – accused of allowing months to pass before taking action – although the government had sacked six officers the day before and suspended another three because of their negligence in the case. The All India Christian Council believes such an attitude could only be explained by the fact that the victims came from poor or Dalit families, often from other states or belonging to religious minorities. The council sent a team to visit the afflicted families. The parents of the children who went missing say the children of rich or high caste families living in the surroundings had not lost their children. Even if they had gone missing, they were restored to their parents safe and sound, thanks to the help of the police and the authorities.

Democrats Saying: Nuclear Iran Unacceptable

Iran with nuclear weapons is unacceptable, new House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told The Jerusalem Post hours after entering the party leadership position. The Maryland Democrat said the view is shared by his party, rejecting assertions that the Democrats would be weaker than the Republicans on Iran. He also said that the use of force against Teheran remained an option.

N. Korea Escalates 'God Status' of Kim Jong II

North Koreans are taught to worship Kim Jong Il as a god. In a manner unique among nations, the North exerts extraordinary control through deification - a cult ideology of complete subservience - that goes beyond the "Stalinist" label often used to describe the newly nuclear North. While outsiders can see film clips of huge festivals honoring Mr. Kim, the extraordinary degree of cult worship is not well known, nor that programs promoting the ideology of Kim are growing, according to refugees, diplomats, and others who have visited the Hermit Kingdom. In fact, in a time of famine and poverty, government spending on Kim-family deification - now nearly 40 percent of the visible budget - is the only category in the North's budget to increase, according to a new white paper by the Korea Institute for International Economic Policy in Seoul. It is rising even as defense, welfare, and bureaucracy spending has decreased. The increase pays for ideology schools, some 30,000 Kim monuments, gymnastic festivals, films and books, billboards and murals, 40,000 "research institutes," historical sites, rock carvings, circus theaters, training programs, and other worship events.

Facial-ID Tech Raises Privacy Concerns

The idea is to label every face, even ones in the background, whether posted on a Web journal, a photo-sharing site like Yahoo Inc.'s Flickr or a social-networking hangout like News Corp.'s MySpace. The service won't index images on personal computers or password-protected sites. Polar Rose plans to sell ads and premium services but won't charge for the basic use of its plug-ins or search engine, which is still in a "beta" test phase. But there's still a cost: privacy.

Residents of planned union to be 'North Americanists'

Arizona State University is teaching that the U.S., Mexico and Canada need to be integrated into a unified superstate, where U.S. citizens of the future will be known as "North Americanists," according to the taxpayer-funded "Building North America" program. The program openly advocates for the integration of economic issues across the continent, and in many places goes further – such as the call for a common North American currency. One teaching module made available online for professors to integrate into their teachings was written by George Haynal, senior fellow at the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, and implied a joint military is required. Since the security of the continent "is a joint need; it should be supplied as a common enterprise." "Given the nature of the threats against our security in the current environment, the first task is to reinvent 'borders.' We must exercise the responsibility for protecting our society against external threats where we can do so most effectively, not where infrastructures happens to be in place," he added. "Multilateral cooperation is going to be essential among governments." "It is clear, to me at least, that we must … move beyond NAFTA and do so with a purposeful determination," he wrote. Another teaching paper advocates the adoption of a unified North American currency, the "amero," modeled after the euro currency of the European Union.

Software Minds Will Make Us Telepathic

Does telepathy exist? It will soon. In the next 25 years, we'll learn how to augment our 100 trillion relatively slow inter-neuronal connections with high-speed virtual connections via nanorobotics. This will allow us to greatly boost our pattern-recognition abilities, memories, and overall thinking capacity, as well as to directly interface with powerful forms of computer intelligence and with each other. Which means we'll also be able to move beyond the brain's present performance capacity.

Israel has plans for nuclear strike on Iran

Israel has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons, Britain's Sunday Times newspaper said. Citing what it said were several Israeli military sources, the paper said two Israeli air force squadrons had been training to blow up an enrichment plant in Natanz using low-yield nuclear "bunker busters." Two other sites, a heavy water plant at Arak and a uranium conversion plant at Isfahan, would be targeted with conventional bombs, the Sunday Times said. The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously last month to slap sanctions on Iran to try to stop uranium enrichment that Western powers fear could lead to making bombs. Tehran insists its plans are peaceful and says it will continue enrichment. Israel has refused to rule out pre-emptive military action against Iran along the lines of its 1981 air strike against an atomic reactor in Iraq, although many analysts believe Iran's nuclear facilities are too much for Israel to take on alone.

North Korea's Threat Of Biochemical WMDs

While its nuclear test spurs outrage, North Korea has grown a vast biochemical weapons arsenal in secrecy. Fifty miles south of the Chinese border lies the rural town of Chongju. Like many North Korean towns, it is a small, impoverished place where people scratch a bare existence from government-controlled farms. What photographs exist of Chongju reveal a brown landscape of depleted-looking fields and shanty-style houses. It is hard to believe anything of value grows here. But, according to intelligence reports, something precious to the North Korean regime may be under cultivation in Chongju. Beyond the shacks stands an installation suspected of being a component in North Korea's bioweapons (BW) research and development program. The effort is steeped in a level of secrecy possible only in a totalitarian state, but it is thought to encompass at least 20 facilities throughout the country and another 12 plants churn out chemical weapons.

Iranian official: If threatened, we will use nuclear weapons

Iran's chief nuclear envoy Ali Larijani recently said that Iran is committed to the peaceful use of nuclear technology but warned the situation could change if his country is threatened. "We oppose obtaining nuclear weapons and we will peacefully use nuclear technology under the framework of the Nonproliferation Treaty, but if we are threatened, the situation may change," He told a news conference after two days of talks in Beijing. Iran's nuclear chief said his country has produced and stored 250 tons of the gas used as the feedstock for uranium enrichment. Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh, who is also the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, said Iran has kept the uranium hexaflouride gas, or UF-6, in underground tunnels at a nuclear facility in Isfahan to protect it from any possible attack. "Today, we have produced more than 250 tons of UF-6. Should you visit Isfahan, you will see we have constructed tunnels that are almost unique in the world," State-run television quoted Aghazadeh as saying.

Giving Robots Human Qualities

Professors at UC Merced are researching ways to make robots think like us, move like us -- and one day, maybe even look like us. Marcelo Kallmann, 36, an assistant professor of computer science at UC Merced's School of Engineering, is researching ways to enhance the artificial intelligence of computers to include mimicking humanlike movements. He refers to those functions a "intelligent motion." "What I mean by intelligent motion is all the kind of motions that (humans) do so easily," Kallmann said. "What is interesting is that we (are) bringing techniques from all kinds of robotics, computer games (and) computer animation," he said. The idea is for computers to eventually have the ability to learn how to modify their own complex motions in a varied and changing environment, similar to how a tennis player would need to modify his technique to play a game of Ping-Pong.

Banks in Britain could be crippled by flu pandemic

Thousands of people could be left literally penniless in the event of a flu pandemic as staff absences lead to a partial breakdown of Britain's cash distribution system, a report by Britain's financial watchdogs has warned. The report follows a test of how Britain's financial system would cope in the event of an influenza pandemic, held by the Financial Services Authority, the Bank of England and the Treasury. The test, which ran for the six weeks between October 13 and November 24, warned absence rates at financial companies could top 60 per cent in some business units at the outbreak's worst point. This would lead to bank branch closures and empty cash machines. The tripartite report also warned that some banks would not be able to replace expired cards - potentially leaving people with no access to money. The report said: "Across the financial sector the heaviest impact of the (simulated) pandemic was upon the more labour-intensive parts, notably the provision of customer-facing retail financial services."
It warned of "bottlenecks" restricting the distribution of cash in some areas and said: "Growing staff shortages forced the high-street banks to close an increasing number of branches, which reduced the availability of retail banking services to the public, including ATMs."

TSA Nears Decision on Contract for Government ID Cards

Competition is heating up among contractors to supply the government with identity technology as one agency prepares to award a major contract and another readies a request for bids. The field of competitors to provide a new identification card for transportation workers has been narrowing, and the Transportation Security Administration indicated last week that an award would be made early this year. The winner would be responsible for screening the backgrounds of about 750,000 workers at airports, seaports and other critical transportation facilities, and issuing them ID cards equipped with microchips.

Scientists say 2007 may be warmest yet

Deepening drought in Australia. Stronger typhoons in Asia. Floods in Latin America. British climate scientists predict that a resurgent El Nino climate trend combined with higher levels of greenhouse gases could touch off a fresh round of ecological disasters — and make 2007 the world's hottest year on record. "Even a moderate (El Nino) warming event is enough to push the global temperatures over the top," said Phil Jones, director of the Climatic Research unit at the University of East Anglia. There is a 60 percent chance that the average global temperature for 2007 will match or break the record, Britain's Meteorological Office said Thursday. The consequences of the high temperatures could be felt worldwide. El Nino, which is now under way in the Pacific Ocean and is expected to last until May, occurs irregularly. But when it does, winters in Southeast Asia tend to become milder, summers in Australia get drier, and Pacific storms can be more intense. The U.N.'s Food Aid Organization has warned that rising temperatures could wreak agricultural havoc. In Australia, which is struggling through its worst drought on record, the impact on farmers could be devastating. The country has already registered its smallest wheat harvest in a decade, food prices are rising, and severe water restrictions have put thousands of farmers at risk of bankruptcy.

Testing Of Hypersonic Weapons Projects To Begin

Ultrafast missiles designed to strike targets around the globe will be the first technologies to use hypersonic flight, with early prototypes set to begin flight tests this year, according to plans announced by the US and Australia. For decades, researchers have dreamed of building hypersonic aircraft that could whip around the world in just a few hours. But the first fruits of their labour will instead be compact, long-range missiles that can be launched at enemy targets at the same high speeds. Missiles are easier to develop because "you don't need them to come back" and because they are about 10 times smaller than hypersonic aircraft would have to be, says Kevin Bowcutt, a senior hypersonics specialist at the US aerospace firm Boeing Phantom Works. NASA set the record for hypersonic flight in 2004 with its X-43A test vehicle, which reached 9.6 times the speed of sound, or Mach 9.6. However, by then the agency had already pulled the plug on its planned follow-on vehicle so it could focus on reaching the Moon and Mars. Now, the militaries of the US and Australia are leading the development of the high-speed technology. The projects include a test vehicle called the X-51A, run jointly by the US Air Force and the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), and a separate DARPA-led vehicle called Falcon. In addition, a joint US-Australian programme called HIFiRE (Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation) has just announced plans for 10 test flights over the next five years.

Canadian Court Rules Boy Has Dad And 2 Moms

Ontario's highest court has given legal parental status to the lesbian partner of a biological mother, essentially giving a young boy three parents. The case is believed to be the first in Canada in which a child has more than two legal parents, said Peter Jervis, a lawyer for the partner. He said while there have been birth-registry cases in which lesbian couples sought parentage of their children, the fathers in those cases were not active or were unknown due to sperm donations. In this case, the biological father, a friend of the lesbian couple, remains involved in the 5-year-old boy's life at the request of the two women. The father would have lost his parental rights if the lesbian partner had been able to adopt the boy under Ontario law. The lesbian partner brought the case against the biological mother and father, seeking a declaration for parentage, they fully supported the legal action.

Quest for Immortality Drives New Biotech Eugenics

The problem is not just the immoral destruction of the embryos from which stem cells are extracted. The larger cultural issue is an ethic of immortality that undergirds the push for embryonic stem-cell research. It's an ethic that has already warped our culture's perspective and now threatens to warp our Christian worldview, too. Leon Kass, a member and former chair of the President's Council on Bioethics and professor at the University of Chicago, argues that "victory over mortality is the unstated but implicit goal of modern medical science." He writes, "In parallel with medical progress, a new moral sensibility has developed that serves precisely medicine's crusade against mortality: Anything is permitted if it saves life, cures disease, prevents death."

Iran Website Predicts 'Mahdi' By Springtime

An official state media website in Iran has posted a message heralding the coming of the Shiite messianic figure, Imam Mahdi, noting he could arrive with Jesus by the spring equinox. ‘Imam Mahdi (may God hasten his reappearance) will appear all of a sudden on the world scene with a voice from the skies announcing his reappearance at the holy Ka'ba in Mecca,’ the message says. The Islamic Republic of Iran broadcasting website said in a program called ‘The World toward Illumination,’ that the Mahdi will form an army to defeat the enemies of Islam in a series of apocalyptic battles, in which the Mahdi will overcome his archvillain in Jerusalem. The Iranian series also claims the Mahdi will reappear on Earth with Jesus: ‘We read in the book Tazkarat ol-Olia, 'the Mahdi will come with Jesus son of Mary accompanying him.' ... Imam Mahdi will be the leader while Prophet Jesus will act as his lieutenant in the struggle against oppression and establishment of justice in the world. Jesus had himself given the tidings of the coming of God's last messenger and will see Mohammad's ideals materialize in the time of the Mahdi.’

How Quickly Are Animals And Plants becoming extinct

As 2006 drew to a close, the polar bear was about to be classified as a threatened species by the United States Government. Melting Arctic sea ice could significantly reduce numbers of the world's largest terrestrial carnivore over the next 50 years. And, just before Christmas, a 38-day search for the Yangtze River dolphin ended without finding a single member of the species. It is feared that the aquatic mammal may be the latest in a long line of extinct animals.

UAV Helicopters Ready for Law Enforcement and Urban Warfare

Initial efforts will be directed towards 7.62 mm armament with future attention towards other calibers, grenade launchers and other fire power that might be adapted or suitable for this aircraft. This new enhancement will add additional capabilities to the current 2.75 inch missile project ultimately providing expeditionary and front line warfighters with a portable compact attack helicopter. Such a weapons package can provide a front-line, first strike capability, especially for engaging in urban environments which are the typical new battlefield settings.

Hurricane center chief issues final warning of 'The Big One Is Still Coming'

Frustrated with people and politicians who refuse to listen or learn, National Hurricane Center Director Max Mayfield ends his 34-year government career in search of a new platform for getting out his unwelcome message: Hurricane Katrina was nothing compared with the big one yet to come. Mayfield, 58, leaves his high-profile job with the National Weather Service more convinced than ever that U.S. residents of the Southeast are risking unprecedented tragedy by continuing to build vulnerable homes in the tropical storm zone and failing to plan escape routes. He pointed to southern Florida's 7 million coastal residents. "We're eventually going to get a strong enough storm in a densely populated area to have a major disaster," he said. "I know people don't want to hear this, and I'm generally a very positive person, but we're setting ourselves up for this major disaster."

Pat Robertson predicts 'mass killing' in U.S. in 2007

In what has become an annual tradition of prognostications, religious broadcaster Pat Robertson said Tuesday God has told him that a terrorist attack on the United States would result in "mass killing" late in 2007. "I'm not necessarily saying it's going to be nuclear," he said during his news-and-talk television show "The 700 Club" on the Christian Broadcasting Network. "The Lord didn't say nuclear. But I do believe it will be something like that." Robertson said God told him during a recent prayer retreat that major cities and possibly millions of people will be affected by the attack, which should take place sometime after September. Robertson said God also told him that the U.S. only feigns friendship with Israel and that U.S. policies are pushing Israel toward "national suicide." Robertson suggested in January 2006 that God punished then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon with a stroke for ceding Israeli-controlled land to the Palestinians.

Killer germ set to 'emerge in force' from Canada

A superbug that causes infections from large, boil-like lesions to hemorrhagic pneumonia and, in rare cases, flesh-eating disease is poised to "emerge in force" across Canada, a new report warns. While the prospect of a flu pandemic has governments scrambling to develop emergency plans, an epidemic of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or CA-MRSA, is raging in the U.S. and beginning to entrench itself here, infectious disease experts report today in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. In the U.S., clusters have been reported in groups from NFL players to toddlers in day care. In Canada, outbreaks have occurred in Alberta, B.C., Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. The Calgary Health Region sees between 40 and 70 cases per month. Infections are also being reported in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City. Doctors are now investigating the possible transmission of the community-acquired staph strain among a small group of Calgary hospital patients, which would be one of the first cases of CA-MRSA being transmitted between hospital patients. "Not a day goes by where I'm in clinic that I'm not pulling out a scalpel to drain one of these things," says Dr. John Conly, co-author of the report and an infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the University of Calgary. "We're seeing far too many of them." The organism is an "old foe with new fangs," a pathogen that is virulent, drug-resistant and has an uncanny ability to "disseminate at large," according to the CMAJ report. So far, its prevalence is thought to be low, but rising in most parts of the country. "Front-line physicians need to be aware of the increasing prevalence and the potential severity of CA-MRSA infection," the researchers write. The germ killed a healthy 30-year-old Calgary man and a three-month-old baby in Toronto, both died of necrotizing pneumonia, or lung abscesses.

UAVs Rapidly Becoming More Advanced

Robotic air vehicles are beginning to replace some of the Air Force’s manned combat aircraft. Now in early production is a souped-up version of the Predator, the MQ-9 Reaper. Its combat payload—missiles and bombs carried on underwing hardpoints—roughly equals that of an F-16 fighter. In the Reaper, the Air Force has found a craft that truly combines the powers of a potent strike fighter with the capabilities of a reconnaissance drone.

New Evaluation Brigade To Test Emerging Warfighter Technologies

A new brigade here will test some of the most revolutionary concepts and systems being developed for future warfighters, report how they operate under field conditions, and ultimately speed their fielding to troops on the battlefield. The new Evaluation Brigade Combat Team being stood up here will test 18 major systems being developed for the Army's Future Combat Systems program, explained Col. Michael Wadsworth, chief of training and leader development for the Future Force Integration Directorate here.
"This is the most ambitious and far-reaching modernization the Army has had since World War II," he said. The program's goal, Wadsworth explained, is to tap into the most advanced technologies possible "to enable soldiers and leaders to see the enemy first and understand his intentions. "And once we understand what the enemy is going to do," he added, "we can act first and finish decisively, which is the whole notion of the Future Combat System." The FCS will offer soldiers detailed battlefield information, provided through an advanced data and communications network to give them the upper hand in combat. By knowing what the enemy is up to, FCS-equipped brigade combat teams will be able "to act first on their own initiative to defeat the enemy on terms favorable to us," Wadsworth said.

5 Technologies To Watch In 2007

(1) Radio Frequency Identification (RFID): After years of promise, Wal-Mart and the Defense Department are among the organization which have moved RFID into the mainstream, using the technology to track everything from pill bottles to palettes to people. As more vendors get on board, there are some solid enterprise integration efforts developing back-end supply-chain and inventory systems that can deliver real productivity benefits to savvy enterprises. (2) Web Services: The Web has become a force of nature and a solid applications delivery platform. Whatever you call this latest buzz, Web applications have changed the way we will deploy enterprise software.
(3) Server Virtualization (for free): In 2006, we saw the leading virtual server software vendors begin to give away their products. In 2007, more and more IT shops will consolidate their servers using virtual machines (VMs). (4) Advanced Graphics Processing: In the coming year, we'll see two forces changing the nature of graphics in the enterprise: greater use of 3D and the use of graphics processors for computation. (5) Mobile Security: The perimeter is gone and the enterprise needs to protect itself from potentially infected remote users. There are numerous endpoint security solutions and architectures galore.

Iran: 3,000 Centrifuges 'Operational By March 2007'

Some 3000 centrifuges currently being installed at the Iranian nuclear reactor in Natanz will be operational by March of this year, Iranian government Spokesman Gholam-Hussein Elham said during a recent press conference, according to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency. In his press conference, Elham was quoted as saying that ‘Iran has demonstrated its prowess and the rest of the capabilities will soon be revealed as well.' The IRIB also claimed that ‘the installation and working of 3000 centrifuges’ were being monitored by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Scientists Challenge Notion Of Free Will: See "Magical Power" Compelling Us

The traditional definition is called “libertarian” or “deep” free will. It holds that humans are free moral agents whose actions are not predetermined. This school of thought says in effect that the whole chain of cause and effect in the history of the universe stops dead in its tracks as you ponder the dessert menu. At that point, anything is possible. Whatever choice you make is unforced and could have been otherwise, but it is not random. You are responsible for any damage to your pocketbook and your arteries. “That strikes many people as incoherent,” said Dr. Silberstein, who noted that every physical system that has been investigated has turned out to be either deterministic or random. “Both are bad news for free will,” he said. So if human actions can’t be caused and aren’t random, he said, “It must be — what — some weird magical power?” But whatever that power is — call it soul or the spirit — those people have to explain how it could stand independent of the physical universe and yet reach from the immaterial world and meddle in our own, jiggling brain cells.

The Upcoming Great Deception

What is this great deception? A deception so vast and sinister that it will envelop the entire world in an instant when the last trumpet blows and the Lord descends from the clouds to gather up all the righteous dead and those of us who are alive and are His bride and we will ascend to be with Him in the air (1Cor. 15:52, 1Thess. 4:16-17). Paul called this event the harpazo (original Greek), the catching away (1Thess. 4:17). It became raptiere in the Latin Vulgate and Rapture in English. It is my sincere belief that this deception will be that those left behind will believe that we who were taken, and millions will suddenly disappear, were actually abducted by UFOs rather than have been caught up to be with the Lord in the air. Most people would rather believe in aliens and UFO abductions than in the power of Jesus Christ and in His word, the Bible. "The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing (1 Cor. 1:18). People love conspiracy theories and this conspiracy of Satan and his minions is the mother of all conspiracies and is in my humble opinion the truth. Could I be wrong? Absolutely, I could be wrong, because only God knows what will happen, but after years of study and prayer, I believe that this scenario is a very real possibility.

Euro notes cash in to overtake dollar

The US dollar bill’s standing as the world’s favourite form of cash is being usurped by the five-year-old euro. The value of euro notes in circulation is this month likely to exceed the value of circulating dollar notes, according to calculations by the Financial Times. Converted at exchange rates, the euro took the lead in October. The figures highlight the remarkable growth in euro notes since their launch on January 1 2002, three years after the start of Europe’s monetary union, which in January welcomes its 13th member – Slovenia, the former Yugoslav republic. “After the launch, we expected growth to stabilise – but it has continued over five years,” Antti Heinonen, head of the European Central Bank’s bank notes directorate, told the Financial Times. By the end of October the $759bn-worth of US dollar notes in circulation was only a fraction ahead of the value of euro notes, converted at exchange rates at that time. But since October the euro has risen strongly against the dollar and this month the value of euro notes has risen to more than €610bn, or in excess of $800bn at the latest exchange rates. That level is unlikely to have been beaten by the greenback.

Antarctic ozone layer 90 to 99 per cent gone

A study released today shows just how dramatic the ozone loss in the Antarctic has been over the past 20 years compared to the same phenomenon in the Arctic.
The study found "massive" and "widespread" localised ozone depletion in the heart of Antartica's ozone hole region, beginning in the late 1970s, but becoming more pronounced in the 1980s and `90s. The US government scientists who conducted the study said that there was an almost complete absence of ozone in certain atmospheric air samples taken after 1980, compared to earlier decades. In contrast, the ozone losses in the Arctic were sporadic, and even the greatest losses did not begin to approach the regular losses in the southern hemisphere, the researchers said.

New Research Could Lead To 'Invisible' Electronics

Imagine a car windshield that displays a map to your destination, military goggles with targets and instructions displayed right before a soldier's eyes or a billboard that doubles as a window. Only in science fiction you say? Northwestern University researchers report that by combining organic and inorganic materials they have produced transparent, high-performance transistors that can be assembled inexpensively on both glass and plastics. The results of this breakthrough, which brings such futuristic high-quality displays closer to reality, were published in the November 2006 issue of the journal Nature Materials. Researchers have long worked on developing new types of displays powered by electronics without visible wires. But, until now, no one was able to develop materials for transistors that could be "invisible" while still maintaining a high level of performance. "Our development provides new strategies for creating transparent electronics," said Tobin J. Marks, the Vladimir N. Ipatieff Research Professor in Chemistry in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences at Northwestern and professor of materials science and engineering, who led the research. "You can imagine a variety of applications for new electronics that haven't been possible previously -- imagine displays of text or images that would seem to be floating in space." Prototype displays using the transistors developed at Northwestern could be available in 12 to 18 months, said Marks.

Bush sees “Palestine” in 2007

US President George W. Bush is resolved to see at least one more policy dream fulfilled in the New Year: The declaration of a Palestinian state with provisional borders on the biblical Land of Israel before the end of 2007. So reads a report in the Jewish weekly, “Forward,” according to which Bush is trying to construct a fresh policy for resolving the intractable Arab-Israeli conflict. While many believe that the creation of “Palestine” will gravely compromise Israel’s security, America’s payoff would be that, if implemented, this plan “could help generate support for the United States among moderate Arab countries and possibly assist the American efforts to gain stability in Iraq.”
In pursuance of this goal, the Bush administration is also lobbying Congress to give $100 million dollars towards funding “Palestinian” forces loyal to PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The purpose here is to shore up the “moderate” Abbas against the increasingly popular Hamas terror group, which was elected to a majority in the PA a year ago.

Homophobia Spies Set For Classrooms

Schools that fail to show enthusiasm in rooting out prejudice against homosexuals should be reported to the police by pupils and parents, a Home Office report recommended yesterday. It called for parents and children to identify schools that ignore "homophobic" language in the playground and teachers who produce "homophobic" lessons. And it called for head teachers to bring lessons about "homophobia" on to school timetables and to involve their pupils in gay "awareness weeks".
The advice from Home Secretary John Reid's officials comes at a time of deep concern among churches that new gay rights laws due next spring will bar traditional teaching on sexual morality in schools and force them instead to include gay rights dogma in lessons. The paper on "homophobic hate crime" is aimed at guiding police forces, local authorities, social services and schools among other public bodies.

Fears as UK superbug linked to 15 deaths

A coroner warned of the dangers of the superbug Clostridium difficile (C-diff) after an outbreak was linked to 15 deaths in two months. Incidents of the fatal bacteria have increased sharply and were a contributory factor in all the deaths at four hospitals within a 50-mile radius in the Midlands. C-diff was linked to 12 deaths at the City Hospital and Queen's Medical Centre (QMC), in Nottingham, while two people who died at the King's Mill Hospital in Mansfield and an elderly woman who died at the Lincoln County Hospital, Kathleen Fletcher, also contracted it. Mrs Fletcher's family yesterday accused hospital managers of playing down the seriousness of the bug and doing little to stop its spread. The wards were closed four days after Lincoln County Hospital shut five wards to emergency admissions. Three have since reopened and around 10 people are thought to have been affected, including 81-year-old Mrs Fletcher, who died last Thursday from a combination of C-diff, pneumonia and deep vein thrombosis. Her son, Bryan Booth, 63, said: "It makes me angry that she caught this in the hospital and also that they never told us how serious it was or how easily it could spread. "All the time she had it we were kissing her and holding her hands and going in and out of her ward as we liked." Mrs Fletcher, from Lincoln, was admitted to hospital with a severe bladder infection six weeks ago.

Ex-Agent Reveals KGB Psychotronic Mind Control Techniques

A former KGB officer has divulged secrets of special mind control techniques that security services in developed nations used during and after the Cold War. General Boris Ratnikov, who served in the KGB department for Moscow and the Moscow Region, told Rossiiskaya Gazeta that people in power had resorted to various methods of manipulating individuals' thoughts since ancient times, and that it was hardly surprising that secret services adopted the practice when it acquired a scientific foundation in the 20th century. "You can hardly imagine the warfare that broke out in this area in the first half of the last century. It would hardly be an exaggeration to say that sometimes real 'astral battles' took place," Ratnikov said. Ratnikov, who subsequently served as deputy head and then senior consultant at the Federal Guard Service from 1991 to 1997, said his department was in charge of safeguarding top officials in post-Soviet Russia against any external influence on their sub-conscious. The general stated emphatically that he and his colleagues had never manipulated the minds of the then president, Boris Yeltsin, or of economic reformer Yegor Gaidar but claimed to have used mind-reading to save Russia's first president and the country from a war with China. In further comments on the psychotronic weapon, Ratnikov said that although Russia, the United States and other countries had the necessary technology, it was dangerous to use it because the operator of the weapon and even the person who gave the orders could suddenly fall gravely ill or even die.