pc-tech-upper-hutt

News:Liberty attacks new school search powers for phones

2011-02-04T12:35:00.000-08:00

By Angela Harrison Education correspondent, BBC News

New search powers being given to schools over mobile phones are more suitable for terror inquiries, human rights pressure group Liberty says.

England's head teachers will be allowed to search for phones without consent in a bid to combat cyber-bullying.
The Education Bill, to be debated in the Commons next week, also allows heads to delete data from the phones.
The government says heads asked for the powers and will be expected to use them sensibly.
In the past, schools were able to confiscate mobile telephones but were not legally allowed to search for them without pupils' consent.more here

News:Garrido 'fit to stand trial' over Jaycee Dugard kidnap

2011-02-03T19:14:00.000-08:00

A California judge has ruled that a man accused of kidnapping Jaycee Dugard, a young woman held captive for 18 years, is mentally competent to stand trial.

Phillip Garrido is now due back in court later this month to enter a plea. The judge ruled he was fit for trial after reviewing psychiatric reports.
Mr Garrido and his wife, Nancy, are accused of abducting Ms Dugard in 1991, aged 11, from a street near her home.
Mr Garrido allegedly fathered her two daughters while keeping her captive.
Ms Dugard was discovered and the couple arrested in California in August 2009.
The 18 counts against the couple include kidnapping for sexual purposes, rape, lewd acts on a child, false imprisonment and production of child pornography with the victim, according to the indictment document.
In addition, Mr Garrido is charged under special allegations stemming from a 1977 rape conviction, including being a habitual sex offender.
more here

News:Girl of four died in sat-nav error crash in Blackrod

2011-02-03T17:44:00.000-08:00

A four-year-old girl died in a car crash after her parents followed sat-nav instructions which contradicted road signs, an inquest heard.

Ariana Bardhaj was killed when her parents' car collided with another vehicle as they drove along the A6 in Blackrod, Bolton, on 11 September.
Fernando and Trish Bardhaj, of Blackpool, said they had not seen the no right turn signs into Station Road.
Giving a narrative verdict, the coroner said Ariana died of multiple injuries.
The hearing at Bolton Coroners' Court heard that learner driver Mr Bardhaj had just taken over the driving from his wife. more here

Cyber war-rules for engagement

2011-02-03T12:09:00.000-08:00

The world needs cyber war "Rules of Engagement" to cope with potentially devastating cyber weapons, Russian and US experts will tell world leaders at a security conference on Friday.

The cyber proposal, seen exclusively by Newsnight, comes from the influential EastWest Institute in New York.
It describes "rendering the Geneva and Hague conventions in cyberspace".
Cyber security is on the agenda at the annual Munich Security Conference for the first time this year.more here

News:Pakistan urged to free schoolboy arrested for blasphemy

2011-02-02T19:32:00.000-08:00

Human Rights Watch has called on the Pakistani government to release a teenager who has been charged under the country's controversial blasphemy law.

Muhammad Samiullah, 17, is under arrest in the southern city of Karachi.
He is accused of blaspheming against the Prophet Muhammad in an examination paper. Human Rights Watch called the boy's case "truly appalling".
The blasphemy law has been in the spotlight since a Christian, Asia Bibi, was sentenced to death in November.
She denies insulting the Prophet Muhammad in her Punjab village in June 2009.
In January, a bodyguard of Punjab governor Salman Taseer assassinated him for supporting calls to amend the law, leading to what correspondents say is a climate of fear with few people daring to even mention the legislation.
Critics of Pakistan's blasphemy law say it has been used to persecute minority faiths in Pakistan, and is sometimes exploited for grudges.
more here

News:Mauritania: 'Al-Qaeda men die' as troops fire on car

2011-02-02T11:27:00.000-08:00

Mauritanian soldiers have fired on a car packed with explosives outside the capital killing three suspected members of al-Qaeda's North African branch.

The army said several soldiers were also injured in the operation in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
It believes the three men were about to mount an attack in Nouakchott.
An army spokesman said the car was one of three all-terrain vehicles tracked by the security forces since crossing from Mali.
"The car was transporting three terrorists trying to infiltrate the capital by launching a kamikaze attack," Col Mohamed Ould Ahmed told the Associated Press news agency. more here

News:Six exoplanets in close orbit around far-flung star

2011-02-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

By Jason Palmer Science and technology reporter, BBC News

A solar system including six planets around a star 2,000 light-years away has been spotted by astronomers.

The planets range between two and four-and-a-half times the radius of Earth, and between two and 13 times its mass.
Five of the planets orbit the star closer than Mercury orbits our Sun.
The find, published in Nature, is the first from the latest data release from the Kepler space telescope - which includes details of more than 1,000 additional exoplanet candidates.
The planets are likely to have atmospheres made of light gases, but also likely to be too hot to support life. more here

News:Discovery rolls out to launch pad

2011-02-01T17:02:00.000-08:00

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC NewsThe orbiter completed its slow journey to the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39A overnight, Monday into Tuesday.
Every step of the 5.4km (3.4-mile) crawl was bathed in bright xenon light.
Discovery's flight to the space station is scheduled to begin on 24 February. With its crew of six astronauts, the ship will deliver a storeroom to be attached to the 350km-high platform, along with further supplies and spares.
Stacked with its external fuel tank and solid rocket boosters, Discovery took seven hours to complete the roll from Kennedy's vast Vehicle Assembly Building to complex 39A. Many Kennedy employees, along with their families, came to witness the event. more here

A biblical connundrum sorted

2011-02-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

For those of you who read the Bible, there is a well known passage that gets people tied up in knots. It occurs at John 1:1 (which is expressed with slight variations depending on the version you have).
Using the King James version (which is printed variously) it is possible to resolve easily.
First, let's read the contents of verse 1:
In the beginning was the Word and the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
This verse varies in different versions. In some it is promoting the church's trinitarian doctrine. In others it is translated differently, however the essential elements are present in practically every case. This version has long been wrongly used to support the trinitarian concept of God. The verse just quoted is an example of it.

So how can we sort out the truth from the dogma?

It isn't very hard if you know one more thing. Simply put, "the Bible interprets itself". I'm not kidding here. So here is where some demand proof of what to many is a surprising statement.

The answer is found in verse 18 of the same chapter. In the original english:"No man has seen God at any time; the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the father, he hath declared him."

Having stated that, you probably want an explanation.
All you need is to refer back to the opening statement and ask one simple question. "How many people have seen Jesus?". The answer is obvious isn't it? A great many saw him from the time he was born until he ascended to heaven. Therefore, Jesus could not possibly be part of a trinitarian arrangement or a 3 in one God!
Now do you see how the Bible works?

News:France seizes ex-Tunisia leader Ben Ali's 'family jet'

2011-02-01T13:42:00.000-08:00

1 February 2011
The French authorities have seized a private jet said to belong to the family of ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali.

It comes after three French NGOs filed a legal case against Mr Ben Ali over allegations of corruption.

Mr Ben Ali and his family built up significant assets during his 23 years in power.

On Monday, EU foreign ministers agreed to freeze his assets in response to a request by Tunisia.

Swiss officials have already frozen tens of millions of francs, and grounded a Falcon 9000 jet in Geneva.

Mr Ben Ali resigned and fled to Saudi Arabia on 14 December after weeks of anti-government protests.

more here

News:Swiss care worker 'sexually abused 114 people'

2011-02-01T12:15:00.000-08:00

A Swiss male social worker has confessed to abusing 114 children and disabled adults in care homes, over three decades, prosecutors say.

The unnamed man, who worked in nine care homes, also admitted to eight cases of attempted abuse, most of them taking place in the Bern area.

An investigation was launched after two of his alleged victims reported him.

A Bern police official said evidence against the man included photos and video recording the abuse.

"One of the central questions of this investigation is how such levels of abuse could go undetected for so long," said Gabriele Berger, head of Bern police's special investigations unit.

The man had been investigated over allegations of sexual abuse in 2003 but that inquiry was dropped due to conflicting evidence, she said, adding that it would now be re-opened.more here

News: Iran summons US hiker Sarah Shourd for spying trial

2011-01-31T12:08:00.000-08:00

An American woman who spent 14 months in an Iranian jail has been summoned to Tehran to stand trial for spying, an Iranian government official has said.

Sarah Shourd and two American men were arrested as they hiked near the Iraq border in July 2009.
They maintain they were tourists but Tehran has charged them with spying.
Ms Shourd was released on bail in September and returned to the US. Her fiance Shane Bauer and their friend Josh Fattal remain in prison in Tehran.
Ms Shourd has said the trio were hiking in Iraqi Kurdistan and did not intentionally stray over the border with Iran. more here

News:Microsoft warning over browser security flaw

2011-01-31T11:49:00.000-08:00

31 January 2011 Last updated at 13:54 GMT

Microsoft has issued a "critical" warning over a newly-discovered flaw in Windows.

In a security advisory, the company warned of a loophole that could be used by malicious hackers to steal private information or hijack computers.
The bug potentially affects every user of the Internet Explorer web browser - around 900 million people worldwide.
Microsoft has issued a software patch to defend against attacks, and said it was working to develop a long-term fix.
The security advisory, which was published on Friday, details how the vulnerability can be used to manipulate users and take over their machines. more here

News:Gang injunctions launched in England and Wales

2011-01-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

30 January 2011 Last updated at 23:59 GMT By Dominic Casciani BBC News

Powers to restrict the movements of people accused of gang membership have come into force in England and Wales.

Gang injunctions can now be used to ban people from wearing certain colours - or even walking aggressive dogs.
The powers are similar to Anti-Social Behaviour Orders and were conceived by the former Labour government after appeals from councils for help.
Ministers say the injunctions should not replace prosecutions of gang members involved in violent crime.
Police and local councils can seek gang injunctions in the county courts against adults who they believe are involved in gang-related violence and crime.
more here

News:Somalis accused of piracy are flown to South Korea

2011-01-30T10:57:00.000-08:00

A group of Somalis suspected of piracy have been flown to South Korea to face possible criminal charges.

Five men were seized when South Korean special forces stormed the Samho Jewelry, a cargo ship which had been hijacked in the Arabian Sea.

South Korean officials say eight of the 13 pirates on board at the time were killed during the rescue mission. more here

News:Climber found reading map after 1,000ft fall

2011-01-29T22:56:00.000-08:00

A climber who fell 1,000ft (305m) down a mountain and survived was found by his rescuers standing up reading a map.

The 35-year-old lost his footing at the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mor near Ben Nevis in the Highlands and plummeted down the near-vertical eastern slope.

Lt Tim Barker, from the helicopter rescue crew, said: "It seemed impossible... he must have literally glanced off the outcrops as he fell."

He added that the climber was shaking from "extreme emotional shock".

Lt Barker, the Royal Navy's Sea King helicopter crew's observer, said: "We began to hover-taxi down the slope and spotted a man at the bottom, standing up.

"We honestly thought it couldn't have been him, as he was on his feet, reading a map. Above him was a series of three high craggy outcrops.
A climber who fell 1,000ft (305m) down a mountain and survived was found by his rescuers standing up reading a map.

The 35-year-old lost his footing at the summit of Sgurr Choinnich Mor near Ben Nevis in the Highlands and plummeted down the near-vertical eastern slope.

Lt Tim Barker, from the helicopter rescue crew, said: "It seemed impossible... he must have literally glanced off the outcrops as he fell."

He added that the climber was shaking from "extreme emotional shock".

Lt Barker, the Royal Navy's Sea King helicopter crew's observer, said: "We began to hover-taxi down the slope and spotted a man at the bottom, standing up.

"We honestly thought it couldn't have been him, as he was on his feet, reading a map. Above him was a series of three high craggy outcrops.
more here

News:Dutch freeze contacts with Iran over hanging

2011-01-29T17:14:00.000-08:00

29 January 2011
The Dutch government has frozen all contacts with Iran in protest over the hanging of a Dutch-Iranian woman.

The Dutch foreign ministry said it was "shocked, shattered by this act by a barbaric regime".

Sahra Bahrami, aged 46, was hanged for drug smuggling early on Saturday, Iranian officials said.

Her family accuses Tehran of fabricating the case against her after she was detained for taking part in anti-government protests in 2009.more here

News:Sub-Antarctic reserves to be created

2011-01-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

Published: 5:15PM Saturday January 29, 2011 Source: NZPA
Three massive marine reserves - covering more than 435,000 hectares - are to be created around the sub-Antarctic Islands, the Government announced today.

A marine reserve will cover the entire territorial sea - out to 12 nautical miles, or 22.2km - surrounding Antipodes Island.

Two further marine reserves around the Bounty Islands and Campbell Island will cover 58% and 39% of those islands' territorial seas respectively, said Minister of Conservation Kate Wilkinson and Fisheries Minister Phil Heatley.

New prohibitions on Danish seining will be introduced in the remaining territorial sea around the island groups, ensuring the entire area - 688,548ha - achieved Marine Protected Area status, they said. more here

News:Frisky bacteria war on drugs revealed

2011-01-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

29 January 2011 Last updated at 01:26 GMT By James Gallagher Health reporter, BBC News
Ever since medicine declared war on bacteria with the discovery of penicillin, the two have been locked in an arms race.

Antibiotics are met by resistance from germs; so researchers develop new drugs and germs become resistant again.

Now some scientists believe genetics will be the new weapon in the fight, with doctors consulting bacterial genomes when treating disease.

This week a team at the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute published a paper in the journal Science, which they say shows the first genetic picture of the evolutionary war between medicine and bacteria.
more here

News:Challenger disaster: Nasa marks 25th anniversary

2011-01-28T19:09:00.000-08:00

The US space agency has held a day of remembrance for astronauts who have died in the line of duty, particularly the seven who died in the 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster.

Flags flew at half-mast at Nasa installations across the country.

"The legacy of those who have perished is present every day... and inspires generations of new space explorers," Nasa Administrator Charles Bolden said.

Friday is the 25th anniversary of the Challenger disaster.

The shuttle exploded 73 seconds after launch at an altitude of 14,000 metres (46,000ft), killing all on board.
more here

News:Amazon Kindle e-book downloads outsell paperbacks

2011-01-28T10:49:00.000-08:00

Amazon has announced that in the US it sold more e-books for its Kindle device than it sold paperback books in the last three months of 2010.

But its profit margins were down as it spent money on discounting, acquisitions and building new depots.

Amazon shares fell 9% in after-hours trading as its sales were not as good as had been expected.

Three month net sales passed $10bn for the first time, up 36% to $12.95bn, but analysts had predicted a higher figure.

Three month net income came in at $416m (£262m), which was up 8% from the same period last year.

The world's biggest online retailer's operating margin declined to 3.7% from 5% at the end of 2009 and the company warned that it would be between 2.8% and 3.8% in the first three months of 2011.

Its recent acquisitions have included Diapers.com and the DVD mail-order and streaming business Lovefilm. more here
Note: My own book is on Amazon and at this link: Return by John Durham

News:Nelson Mandela in hospital: Tight South Africa security

2011-01-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

27 January 2011 Last updated at 17:49 GMT
Former South African President Nelson Mandela has stayed in hospital for a second day under medical supervision.

Current President Jacob Zuma said Mr Mandela, 92, had flown from Cape Town to Johannesburg and had gone to a clinic on Wednesday for a check-up.

Among his visitors at the Johannesburg hospital were his wife, Graca Machel, and ex-wife, Winnie Madikizela-Mandela.

Security was tight outside the hospital and police were called to control traffic as a scrum of journalists grew.

Media have also gathered outside Mr Mandela's home in Houghton, a wealthy suburb of north-east Johannesburg.

Mr Zuma, speaking from Davos in Switzerland where he is attending the World Economic Forum, said: "Given his age he has been taken into a hospital for a check-up. I'm sure check-ups are more frequent than when he was a healthy young man."

The ruling ANC party called for calm, urging South Africans "not to press any panic buttons".

Children at a local school have hung messages of support outside the Milpark Hospital.
more here

Looking for work?

2011-01-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

There is a local service that finds jobs for people in the Wellington/Hutt area. It is called Student Job Search.
Job search
I contacted them today to find a student capable of correcting a server issue. They were very helpful. Now I look forward to hearing from the person they select. This could be quite interesting.

News:Hubble telescope detects the oldest known galaxy

2011-01-26T14:12:00.000-08:00

By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News
The Hubble Space Telescope has detected what scientists believe may be the oldest galaxy ever observed.

It is thought the galaxy is more than 13 billion years old and existed 480 million years after the Big Bang.

A Nasa team says this was a period when galaxy formation in the early Universe was going into "overdrive".

The image, which has been published in Nature journal, was detected using Hubble's recently installed wide field camera.

According to Professor Richard Bouwens of Leiden Observatory in the Netherlands: "We're seeing these galaxies - 'star cities' - that are building themselves up over cosmic time."
more here

News:Serbia football fans jailed for 2009 Brice Taton murder

2011-01-25T14:14:00.000-08:00

A Serbian court has jailed 14 football hooligans for up to 35 years for the 2009 murder of a French fan in the capital, Belgrade.

Brice Taton, 28, was attacked in a bar ahead of a Europa League match between Partizan Belgrade and Toulouse.

The longest prison sentences - 35 and 32 years - were imposed in absentia on two ringleaders who remain at large.

Two men were given 30-year prison terms. The other defendants received 12 to 14-year sentences.

Mr Taton sustained head and chest injuries when French fans were attacked in the central Belgrade bar by a 30-strong group of men armed with iron bars and baseball bats in September 2009.

He died 12 days later. Two other French fans were injured in the attack.

more here

News:Argentina woman survives 23-storey hotel fall

2011-01-24T18:37:00.000-08:00

A young woman has survived after falling from the 23rd floor of a hotel in the Argentine capital, Buenos Aires.

Her fall was broken by a taxi, whose driver got out moments before the impact crushed the roof and shattered the windscreen.

Eyewitness said the woman had climbed over a safety barrier and leapt from a restaurant at the top of the Hotel Crown Plaza Panamericano.

She was taken to intensive care for treatment for multiple injuries.
more here

News:Hillary Clinton backs Mexico drug war

2011-01-24T18:00:00.000-08:00

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, on a visit to Mexico, has reiterated her support for President Felipe Calderon's fight against drugs gangs.

Mrs Clinton said there was "no alternative" to confronting the cartels, despite rising violence that left more than 15,000 dead last year.

She said the US recognised the need to stop the flow of money and guns from the US to the cartels. more here

Studying Cent-OS

2011-01-23T20:01:00.000-08:00

I managed to download a copy of Cent OS this morning. There was a manual available so I got that as well. It will probably take a month to study the documentation (a mammoth job) but perhaps a worthwhile one. Meantime, existing services will continue unchanged.

News:More Anglican priests to join Catholic Church

2011-01-23T12:50:00.000-08:00

23 January 2011 Last updated at 11:17 GMT
Seven Anglican priests and 300 members of six congregations are to join a new section of the Catholic Church, the Catholic Diocese of Brentwood says.

The move involves three parishes in Essex, and three in east London.

It is the largest known influx to date into the Ordinariate, which Pope Benedict established for Church of England members unhappy over issues such as the ordination of women.

Three former Anglican bishops have been appointed to lead the Ordinariate.

Ordinariates allow Anglicans opposed to developments including women bishops, gay clergy and same-sex blessings to convert to Rome while maintaining some of their traditions.

The Bishop of Brentwood, the Right Reverend Thomas McMahon, told BBC Essex the Anglicans were unhappy about the church's general move away from the traditions it once shared with Catholics, but described the decision as "a very big move".
more here

News:Ex-Vivendi bosses convicted in French court

2011-01-21T18:49:00.000-08:00

A French court has fined the chairman and chief executive of Warner Music Group, Edgar Bronfman Jr, 5m euros ($6.7m; £4.2m).

The fine relates to insider trading when he was a leading executive at Vivendi. He had denied wrongdoing.

He was given a 15-month suspended sentence as well as the fine.

The court also gave Vivendi's ex-boss Jean-Marie Messier a three-year suspended jail term for his part in the scandal.

Bronfman's lawyer Thierry Marembert said his client would appeal against the decision and "continue to vigorously defend against this charge".

Messier was ousted from Vivendi, where he had been chairman and chief executive, in 2002 after he gave upbeat reports of the group's finances when it was actually 35bn euros in debt. more here

Article:Fighting back against web attacks

2011-01-21T17:35:00.000-08:00

Hi-tech criminals are not very good at securing the tools they use to attack websites, suggests research.

Security experts have found that many of the kits used by cyber criminals are riddled with bugs and vulnerabilities.

Exploiting the bugs might mean that the attack tools can be turned against those using them.

The bugs found by the researchers could be used to identify who is using the tools and even launch a counter-attack.
more here

News:Pope makes moral appeal to Italian public officials

2011-01-21T13:43:00.000-08:00

Pope Benedict XVI has said public officials must offer a strong moral example, his first apparent comment on the sex scandal engulfing Italy's PM.

Though Silvio Berlusconi's name was not explicitly mentioned, the Pope's words echo those of a senior Vatican official who said the issue was troubling.

Mr Berlusconi's lawyers have said he will not attend questioning on charges that he paid for sex with a minor.

He has denied the allegations, which he insists are politically motivated.

"Society and public institutions must rediscover their soul, their moral and spiritual roots," Pope Benedict said in front of an audience of police chiefs in the capital, Rome.

"The singular vocation that the city of Rome requires today of you, who are public officials, is to offer a good example of the positive and useful interaction between a healthy lay status and the Christian faith."

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone said earlier that those in authority should show a more "robust morality".

Italy's President Giorgio Napolitano has also been outspoken on the matter, saying more "sobriety and responsibility" is needed from public figures in times of austerity.

more here

News:BBC News US & Canada 20 January 2011 Last updated at 17:55 GMT FBI charges 127 alleged mobsters in north-east US US federal agents have charged 127 suspected mobsters in multiple investigations into New York's organised crime families. The arrests were made on Thursday morning throughout New York City, New Jersey, Rhode Island and other areas in the north-east US, FBI officials said. The arrests are tied to charges of murder, extortion and narcotics. Attorney General Eric Holder said the arrests amounted to the largest mafia crackdown in the history of the FBI. "We are committed and determined to eradicating these criminals enterprises and bringing their members to justice," Mr Holder said during a news conference in Brooklyn. Mr Holder said mafia-controlled taxes, which can affect ports and small businesses, have a negative impact on the US economy. "It [the mafia] is an ongoing threat to the economic well-being of this country," he said. Officials said alleged leaders of the Gambino, Genovese, Lucchese, Bonanno, Colombo and DeCavalcante families were among those who had been arrested. Decades of offences The arrests were made as the result of information obtained through wiretaps, co-operation from informants and other central intelligence, said Janice Fedarcyk, FBI's New York division. Former mob members, who recorded thousands of hours of conversations with mafia family bosses, also assisted in the investigation, authorities said. Suspects arrested on Thursday are being charged with crimes that include arson, extortion, gambling, loan sharking and labour racketeering. Mr Holder said the charges spawned from decades of offences, including murders within rivalling crime families, a killing during a botched robbery and even a double homicide after an argument in a pub. The sweep began before dawn on Thursday with some 800 federal agents and police officers arresting a range of individuals in the US, from suspected small-time bookers to senior family leaders. One person was also arrested in Italy in connection with the investigation. Mr Holder said all five major crime families in the New York City area were targeted in the investigation, which led to the largest FBI-led mafia crackdown in US history.

2011-01-20T11:19:00.000-08:00

News:Ousted Tunisian leader Ben Ali's family 'arrested'

2011-01-19T17:53:00.000-08:00

Some 33 members of ousted Tunisian President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali's family have been held, state TV says.

It said that they were arrested as they tried to leave the country.
In a televised speech, interim leader Fouad Mebazaa vowed a "total break" with the past, an independent justice system and media freedoms.
In a separate development, the new government said it had freed all political prisoners. The reported move comes after weeks of mass protests.
More than 100 people have reportedly died in the unrest, the UN said, promising to carry out an investigation. more here

Dutch scientist advocates bugs as a green super food

2011-01-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

Dutch scientist advocates bugs as a green superfood
The Callis farm supplies Prof van Huis and Chef van Gurp with insects
Dutch scientist Arnold van Huis has advocated bugs as a healthy, green, alternative food, saying it is time to break old eating habits.
Insect dishes could be the answer to the global food crisis, shrinking land and water resources and climate-changing carbon emissions, he argued.
“Children don’t have a problem with eating insects,” he told Reuters.
Prof van Huis gives lectures, tastings and cookery classes with a master chef who prepares Dutch-farmed bugs.
The problem for adults is psychological, he said, and “only tasting and experience can make them change their minds”.
Insects are a long-established food in some parts of the world such as Mexico and Thailand.
Worm sprinkles

more here

Spain raids 'Europe's largest cocaine lab'

2011-01-18T12:22:00.000-08:00

Spain raids 'Europe's largest cocaine lab'

Spanish police have raided a huge drug-production lab near Madrid, seizing 300kg of cocaine and 2m euros in cash.

The police arrested 25 people and said the facility was the "largest and most sophisticated" cocaine lab in Europe.

They said the suspects included Spaniards and Colombians, and they had imported the drug by hiding it in shipping containers of coffee.

Spain is a major transit point for drugs from the cocaine-producing nations of Latin America.

The police raided the lab, in the village of Villanueva de Perales, after a two-year investigation.

As well as cash and drugs, police also seized 33 tonnes of chemicals used to process cocaine, a cache of weapons, 18 luxury vehicles, 470 mobile phones and share certificates worth 50m euros (£42m; $67m)
more here

News:Wikileaks given data on Swiss bank accounts

2011-01-17T18:47:00.000-08:00

Mr Elmer said he took responsibility for the data he was handing over to Wikileaks
Continue reading the main story
Wikileaks Revelations

Q&A: Arrest of Wikileaks' founder
Cables at a glance
Wikileaks activists go analogue
A world after Wikileaks

A former Swiss banker has passed on data containing account details of 2,000 prominent people to Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.more here

News:Haiti urged to arrest visiting 'Baby Doc' Duvalier

2011-01-17T18:39:00.000-08:00

Human rights groups have urged the Haitian government to arrest and prosecute former President Jean-Claude Duvalier for abuses committed during his 1971-86 leadership.

Mr Duvalier, 59, also known as "Baby Doc", has just returned to Haiti.

He said he had "come to help" after last year's earthquake, but Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International said he should face justice.

It is not clear whether any warrants exist for his arrest.

Mr Duvalier was just 19 when he inherited the title of "president-for-life" from his father, the notorious Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier, who had ruled Haiti since 1957.

"Baby Doc" is accused of massive corruption, repression and human rights abuses during his 1971-1986 rule.

Critics allege he embezzled millions of dollars from the impoverished Caribbean nation, a charge he denies.

Like his father, he relied on a brutal private militia known as the "Tontons Macoutes", which controlled Haiti through violence and intimidation.
'Slap in the face'
more here

News:Smoking 'causes damage in minutes', US experts claim

2011-01-16T11:13:00.000-08:00

16 January 2011
Smoking damages the body in minutes rather than years, according to research in the US.

The report, published in Chemical Research in Toxicology, shows that chemicals which cause cancer form rapidly after smoking.

Scientists involved in the small-scale study described the results as a stark warning to people considering smoking.

Anti-smoking charity Ash described the research as "chilling" and as a warning that it's never too early to quit.

The long term impact of smoking, from heart disease to a range of cancers, are well known. This study suggests the damage begins just moments after the first cigarette is smoked.
more here

News:Google, Facebook and Yahoo to test new net addresses

2011-01-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

A global trial of the net's new addressing system is being planned for 8 June.

The test is being held to raise awareness about the imminent change from version 4 of the addressing scheme to version 6.

Net giants Google, Facebook, Akamai and Yahoo have committed to taking part in the "test flight" of IPv6.

Net firms are being encouraged to switch to IPv6 as addresses in the old scheme will run out by November 2011.

"The good news is that internet users don't need to do anything special to prepare for World IPv6 Day," said Lorenzo Colitti, a network engineer at Google in a blog post. more here

Advance in treating skin cancer

2011-01-12T17:13:00.000-08:00

According to the American Cancer Society, skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the US, accounting for more than 50% of all cancers and 10,000 deaths annually; in terms of incidence skin cancer is more common than all other cancers combined. It also has the fastest growing incidence of all cancers, increasing by 6-7% per annum.
Skin cancer is divided into two general types: non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC), and melanoma skin cancer. Melanoma is a relatively rare and very aggressive cancer; although accounting for only 4% of all skin cancers, melanoma causes more than 80% of skin cancer related deaths. Peplin is focused on non-melanoma skin cancer and primarily basal cell carcinoma, the most common form of skin cancer.
more here

News:Control orders: BBC learns detail of replacement regime

2011-01-11T11:02:00.000-08:00

The coalition is planning to replace control orders with a new package of restrictions to keep terror suspects under surveillance, the BBC's James Landale and Laura Kuenssberg have learned.

One working title for the new curbs are "surveillance orders".

They would restrict suspects' movements but end overnight curfews.

The future of the controversial anti-terror measure has been a cause of tension between Tories and Lib Dems.

Introduced under the former Labour government in 2005, control orders allow ministers to place a terrorism suspect under close supervision that some say is similar to house arrest.

Opponents say this infringes civil liberties, but supporters argue it is necessary to protect the public. The Lib Dem manifesto pledged to get rid of the "house arrest" element.more here

News:Somalia's al-Shabab bans mixed-sex handshakes

2011-01-09T12:35:00.000-08:00

Men and women have been banned from shaking hands in a district of Somalia controlled by the Islamist group al-Shabab.

Under the ban imposed in the southern town of Jowhar, men and women who are not related are also barred from walking together or chatting in public.

It is the first time such social restrictions have been introduced.

The al-Shabab administration said those who disobeyed the new rules would be punished according to Sharia law. more here

News:German minister urges tough action over dioxins scandal

2011-01-09T10:39:00.000-08:00

The German government has called for tough legal action against those responsible for introducing a toxic chemical into livestock feed.

Agriculture Minister Ilse Aigner said the judiciary must "clamp down hard".

Germany has frozen sales from thousands of farms after high levels of dioxin - which can cause cancer - were found in animal feed and eggs.

The contamination stems from a plant in Northern Germany, which is being investigated by prosecutors.

"This is a big blow for our farmers. They have totally innocently been dragged into this situation by the sick machinations of a few people," Ms Aigner told the Bild am Sonntag newspaper.
more here

News:Colombia extradites 'Queen of Amphetamines' Henao to US

2011-01-07T18:45:00.000-08:00

Colombia has extradited a woman known as The Queen of the Amphetamines to the United States, where she will face charges of drug trafficking.

Beatriz Elena Henao was on Interpol's list of its top 10 most wanted women.

She is accused of being an international drug dealer, shipping large quantities of amphetamines to the US, Spain, and the Netherlands.

Police say her knowledge of English, German, Dutch, and Spanish, made it easy for her to sell the drugs abroad.
more here

News:Dioxin scare: German feed fat 'contains 77 times limit'

2011-01-07T14:39:00.000-08:00

Newly released test results have revealed much more of a toxic chemical in tainted animal feed than previously thought.

The tests at the plant in northern Germany where the contamination happened revealed levels of dioxin at 77 times the permitted level.

The plant produces fats to be used in industrial processes like paper-making as well as to enrich feeds for animals.

The dioxin-laden industrial substance went into the animal feed ingredient.

Initially the scare was confined to Germany, but then it emerged that a batch of affected eggs had been exported to the Netherlands for processing and from there to Britain. The processed eggs were destined for use in the production of a variety of foodstuffs including mayonnaise, cakes and quiches.

more here

Dioxin animal feed scare

2011-01-06T18:05:00.000-08:00

Dioxin animal feed scare shuts German farms
Chickens in the western town of Schleiden Hundreds of farms had already been banned from selling eggs
Continue reading the main story
Related stories

* German dioxin worse than feared

More than 4,700 German farms have been closed after large amounts of animal feed were found to be contaminated with dioxin, a poisonous chemical.

Officials insist the levels of dioxin do not pose a risk to humans, and that the closures are only a precaution.

Most of the affected farms are in Lower Saxony region, north-west Germany.

Meanwhile, the EU has warned that eggs from farms affected by dioxin have entered the UK in processed products destined for human food.

Last week, more than 1,000 farms were banned from selling eggs after dioxin was found in eggs and poultry.

Dioxin is linked to the development of cancer in humans.

Dioxin scare

News:Global spam e-mail levels suddenly fall

2011-01-06T14:55:00.000-08:00

The amount of junk e-mail being sent across the globe has seen a dramatic fall in recent months.

The volume of spam has dropped steadily since August, but the Christmas period saw a precipitous decline.
One security firm detected around 200 billion spam messages being sent each day in August, but just 50 billion in December.
While the reasons for the decline are not fully understood, spam watchers warn the lull may not last.
more here

News:Birmingham nursery worker charged over sex offences

2011-01-06T12:24:00.000-08:00

A nursery worker has been charged with sexual offences against a child.

Paul Wilson, 20, of Nechells, Birmingham, a member of staff at the Little Stars Nursery in Nechells, was arrested early on Wednesday.
The Crown Prosecution Service said he has been charged with two offences against a child under 13 years, between 1 January 2009 and 30 July 2010.
Mr Wilson is due to appear before Birmingham Magistrates' Court on Friday.
Jayne Salt, head of CPS West Midlands Complex Casework Unit, said: "Having carefully examined all of the available information which was submitted to us by the police, we have decided that there is sufficient evidence and it is in the public interest to charge Paul Wilson."
more here

News:Wreckage is from 'pristine star'

2011-01-05T12:33:00.000-08:00

By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News

UK and US scientists have found the remnants of a star that exploded more than 13 billion years ago.

It would most probably have been one of the very first stars to shine in the Universe, they say.
All that is left of this pioneer is the gas cloud it threw out into space when it blew itself apart.
It was identified when its contents were illuminated by the brilliant light coming from the surroundings of a distant black hole.
The cloud's atoms occur in abundances that are quite unlike that found in the nearby cosmos today and are more what one would expect from stars that were originally made only of hydrogen and helium.
The research required the observations of two of the world's most powerful telescopes - the Keck facility in Hawaii and the Very Large Telescope in Chile.
more here

7/7 firefighter Simon Ford jailed for drug smuggling

2011-01-05T10:18:00.000-08:00

A firefighter commended for his work in the 7 July London bombings has been jailed for 14 years for smuggling 110kg of cocaine into the UK.

Simon Ford, 41, was one of 33 people convicted for being part of a drugs and money laundering operation.
It followed a series of raids by police on properties in London, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire in 2008.
Ford was jailed last year but reporting restrictions were imposed while 16 related trials were concluded.
Southwark Crown Court heard the operation was run out of Royal Oak Taxis in Paddington, west London, an outwardly legitimate firm that rented and repaired black cabs.
But behind the scenes was a massive operation for organised crime networks, estimated to have laundered between £70m and £80m.
more here

News:Scarborough couple's home saved by £1m lottery win

2011-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

A couple from Scarborough who were made one of 25 National Lottery winners over Christmas have said their £1m win would save them from losing their home.

Grandparents Derek and Sandra Streets had to remortgage their two-bedroom bungalow when the firm Mr Streets worked for went out of business.
Mr Streets said: "The win has meant we can stay there forever now."
They were among 25 £1m winners of the Christmas Eve EuroMillions Millionaire Raffle.
Mr Streets, 61, and his wife, 62, played online and received an e-mail on Christmas Day to say they had won.

more here

Check out my novel

2011-01-02T20:05:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen it already, have a look. The survivors of mankind live in a sealed environment underground. It is the only life they remember any more. They have been here for countless generations, eking out a life for themselves. That is until one young man discovers a secret that has been hidden for a thousand years. It will change everything, but will he want it to change?
more here

News:South Korea tightens rules to combat illegal whaling

2011-01-02T19:42:00.000-08:00

South Korea says it is tightening rules to combat illegal whaling.

Although commercial whale hunting is banned in the country, the trading of whales that are found dead is still legal.
The new rules will require fisherman to report to police immediately if they discover dead whales in their nets or washed ashore.
The move comes after critics said some fishermen were exploiting a loophole in the law.
The new regulations mean that, from Monday, samples from all dead whales must be given to the authorities for testing, and their meat can only be sold after a full investigation into how the animal died. more here
Question: Will it reduce the slaughter of whales in the long term? Will it be enough for them to survive?

News:US praises Ukraine for disposing of enriched uranium

2011-01-01T11:29:00.000-08:00

31 December 2010

Ukraine has been praised by US President Barack Obama after more of its highly enriched uranium was shipped to Russia for disposal.

Enough of the substance to build two atomic bombs was removed this week in an operation involving five flights from three Ukrainian cities.
Some 50kg (110lb) of the fuel was loaded into 21 special casks.
Ukraine agreed to get rid of the uranium at a nuclear security summit in Washington in April.
In return, the US is providing low-enriched uranium that can be used for Ukraine's research reactors, as well as building a "neutron source facility" nuclear research project for the country.
Russia will blend the Ukrainian uranium down, making it useless for bomb-making. more here

News:Pope Benedict XVI to hold religious peace summit

2011-01-01T10:59:00.000-08:00

Pope Benedict XVI has said he will organise a summit in Assisi with religious heads to discuss how they can promote world peace.

In a New Year message, the Pope also condemned inter-religious violence, including attacks against Christians in the Middle East.
The summit in the Italian city will be held in October, 25 years after Pope John Paul organised a similar event.
His announcement came hours after a bomb went off at a church in Egypt.
At least 17 people died in the blast at the Coptic Christian Church in the northern Egyptian city of Alexandria, sparking a clash between Christians and Muslims.
more here

It seems Google doesn't like more than 1 blog per person

2011-01-01T09:57:00.000-08:00

After partially establishing a second blog it appears Google is not set up to allow 2 fully functional blogs per person. For that reason I feel compelled to abandon the second one. It is disappointing, but understandable.

News:Australia's Queensland faces 'biblical' flood

2011-01-01T09:52:00.000-08:00

1 January 2011 Last updated at 11:58 GMT
A senior official has described the flooding in Queensland, Australia, as a disaster of "biblical proportions".

State Treasurer Andrew Fraser said the economic impact would be severe, with huge costs compounded by lost income from mining, farming and tourism.

Rockhampton, where 77,000 people live, is the latest city bracing for impact, amid warnings of 30ft (9m) floodwaters.

More than 20 other towns have already been left cut off or flooded across an area larger than France and Germany.

The crisis has been triggered by Australia's wettest spring on record. At least six river systems across Queensland have broken their banks. The floods have affected about 200,000 people, and many have been evacuated.

"We're still directly battling floodwaters, we haven't seen the peak of the flood yet at centres like Rockhampton," said Prime Minister Julia Gillard, who toured the stricken areas.
more here

This is the start of my personal blog

2010-12-31T13:04:00.000-08:00

Having built another blog already (this one), it seemed there was an opportunity to create a second one. It is to be found here mypcplug
It is there for personal use to be shared by those who know me or have reason to raise issues away from the main forum of pchelpers. Welcome to the blog (2)!

News:Skype crash: Software bug and server overloads blamed

2010-12-30T11:07:00.000-08:00

Server overloads and a bug in Skype for Windows caused the two-day outage for the net phone firm.

Details of what caused the service to be unusable for millions of users prior to Christmas have been posted on the firm's blog.

The two events combined to create a cascade of problems that managed to knock out much of the network underpinning the phone service.

Skype is assessing how its network is built to stop the problem recurring.
more here

News:Earth project aims to 'simulate everything'

2010-12-29T10:43:00.000-08:00

By Gareth Morgan Technology reporter
It could be one of the most ambitious computer projects ever conceived.

An international group of scientists are aiming to create a simulator that can replicate everything happening on Earth - from global weather patterns and the spread of diseases to international financial transactions or congestion on Milton Keynes' roads.

Nicknamed the Living Earth Simulator (LES), the project aims to advance the scientific understanding of what is taking place on the planet, encapsulating the human actions that shape societies and the environmental forces that define the physical world.

more here

News:Web attack takes Anonymous activists offline

2010-12-29T10:28:00.000-08:00

The notorious message board 4Chan has been taken offline by an overwhelming web attack.

Thanks to the attack, the discussion boards of the site have been hard to reach or offline for almost 24 hours.

The attack might be retaliation for similar attacks that some 4Chan members, as part of the Anonymous group, mounted in support of Wikileaks.

It is not yet clear who is carrying out the attacks and no-one has come forward to claim responsibility.
more here

News:Call for help for self-employed

2010-12-28T19:34:00.000-08:00

Self-employed people need more help if they are to expand their businesses and employ others, according to the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB).

The FSB in Scotland said one-to-one support was needed if they were to make a dent in unemployment figures.

Three of Scotland's main business organisations have sent out New Year messages aimed at politicians going into the Holyrood election next May.
more here

News:Trowbridge driver lost for three days

2010-12-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

A Wiltshire grandfather spent three days trying to find his way home from Gatwick Airport after becoming disorientated in snowy conditions.

Moroccan-born Mohammed Bellazrak's family reported him missing after he failed to return to Trowbridge after dropping his wife off for a flight.

Police in Oxfordshire eventually flagged down the 72-year-old after his car triggered a camera in Oxford.

They found he had spent from 23 - 25 December driving, trying to get back.

Analysis from number-plate recognition systems showed he had driven around various towns in Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Oxfordshire and on the M4.

Mr Bellazrak had no mobile phone with him, and he told newspaper reporters that his sat-nav was not working.more here

News:Toyota pays $10m to fatal Lexus crash family

2010-12-26T11:07:00.000-08:00

Toyota has paid $10m (£6.5m) to the family of four people killed in a runaway Lexus car in the US in 2009.

The amount, agreed in September but kept confidential, was released by a lawyer for the dealership that lent the Lexus to the family.

Toyota, which did not admit or deny liability in the settlement, said in a statement it was disappointed the amount had been made public.

The crash triggered a series of recalls involving millions of Toyota models.more here

News:Ka-Sat net-dedicated spacecraft ready for launch

2010-12-25T18:08:00.000-08:00

25 December 2010 Last updated at 17:31 GMT
By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News
Europe is about to get a second satellite dedicated to delivering broadband internet connections.

The six-tonne Ka-Sat will be launched atop a Proton rocket from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in a flight expected to last nine hours and 12 minutes.

The Eutelsat-operated spacecraft will concentrate its services on customers in the so-called "not-spots" of Europe.

It is estimated that tens of millions of households in these areas cannot get a decent terrestrial connection.

Ka-Sat will provide homes with speeds generally up to 10Mbps.
more here

News:Coded American Civil War message in bottle deciphered

2010-12-25T11:02:00.000-08:00

A message in a bottle delivered to a Confederate general during the American Civil War has been deciphered, 147 years after it was written.

In the encrypted message, a commander tells Gen John Pemberton that no reinforcements are available to help him defend Vicksburg, Mississippi.

"You can expect no help from this side of the river," says the message, which was deciphered by codebreakers.

The text is dated 4 July 1863 - the day Vicksburg fell to Union forces.

The small bottle was given to the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond, Virginia, by a former Confederate soldier in 1896.

Earlier this year the museum's collections manager, Catherine Wright, decided to investigate the wrapped note it contained.
more here

News:Haiti mobs lynch voodoo priests over cholera fears

2010-12-24T10:50:00.000-08:00

Voodoo priests in Haiti are being lynched by mobs who blame them for spreading cholera, the country's government has said.

At least 45 people have been lynched in recent weeks as Haiti continues to be ravaged by a cholera epidemic.

Haiti's communications minister has made an appeal for the lynchings to end and called for a campaign to ensure people understand how cholera spreads.

More than 2,500 Haitians have died from the water-borne disease since October.
more here

News:US attacks North Korea 'sacred war' threats

2010-12-23T16:13:00.000-08:00

The US has denounced North Korea for threatening a "sacred war" against the South, whose military has been holding live-fire drills near the border.

The state department's Philip Crowley told the BBC there was no justification for Pyongyang's "belligerent words".

In a day of rising tension, Seoul and Pyongyang traded strong rhetoric, with the South warning of a "powerful response" to any attack from the North.

A month ago, the North fired on a Southern island, killing four people.

Thursday's speech by Armed Forces Minister Kim Yong-chun marks the strongest statement from Pyongyang since the attack on Yeonpyeong island.

Analysts believe the hard-line stance might be timed to coincide with the 19th anniversary of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il taking control of the armed forces, which will be marked on Friday.
more here

News:A secret journey to take Serbian nuclear fuel to safety

2010-12-23T10:55:00.000-08:00

By Gordon Corera Security correspondent, BBC News

IAEA's John Kelly on the dangers of transporting nuclear fuel rods

A shipment of nuclear fuel has arrived in Russia after a top-secret international operation to remove it from Serbia, where it was feared terrorists could seize it to make a nuclear or dirty bomb.

In the dead of night, armed men in balaclavas surround a long convoy of trucks in the woods just outside Belgrade. Radios crackle as they prepare for a long journey.

Their mission is to escort a dangerous cargo, the kind terrorists would dearly like to get their hands on.

more here

Skype slowly recovers from global blackout

2010-12-23T10:39:00.000-08:00

23 December 2010 Last updated at 18:13 GMT

The free internet phone service Skype is slowly coming back online after an outage that affected millions of people around the globe.

The firm's engineers are still working to fix the problem, which first started at around 2030 GMT on 22 December.

Skype said the fault had been caused by a "software issue" on critical parts of its network.

At 1800GMT on 23 December, the firm said it was handling 16.5 million phone calls, 80% of its normal traffic.

"We take outages like this really seriously and apologise for the inconvenience," Skype chief Tony Bates told BBC News.
more here

Invisibility cloak

2010-12-22T16:54:00.000-08:00

Years ago I found out that some objects can be made completely invisible. At the time I was working at the stage 2 chemistry lab at the Central Institute of Technology (Heretaunga Campus) in room A402.
After investigating it, I learned that the solution of ferric chloride in the beaker had exactly the same refractive index as the glass rod standing in it. The effect was that the part in the liquid could not be seen at all!
So in case you are interested in this effect, maybe you can re-create it with a little time and care! Note: The approximate date of this experience was 1974/75.
Postscript: A claim was made recently concerning a real life invisibility cloak. If you would like to know more please go to more here

Internet rules to get go ahead by US regulators

2010-12-21T11:02:00.000-08:00

By Maggie Shiels Technology reporter, BBC News, Silicon Valley

Controversial new rules affecting the running of the internet are expected to be approved by US regulators today.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will vote on a principle known as net neutrality; a tenet that ensures all web traffic is treated equally.
The rules have been criticised for setting different standards for fixed line broadband and mobile operators.
Officials said the regulations are "the first time the Commission has adopted enforceable rules" to govern the web.
Tuesday's vote is the culmination of five years of fighting over how best to ensure the free flow of information in all its forms over the internet.

more here

News:Bolivia charges 39 over alleged plot to kill Morales

2010-12-19T16:48:00.000-08:00

Bolivian prosecutors have charged 39 people over an alleged plot to assassinate President Evo Morales and launch an armed rebellion last year.
They include opposition politicians and a former general who captured the guerrilla leader Che Guevara in 1967.

The alleged plot was uncovered in April 2009, when Bolivan police killed three suspected European mercenaries in the eastern city of Santa Cruz.

The accused have denied the charges, calling them politically motivated.

Most are already under arrest, but 17 are now living outside Bolivia.

The most prominent politician charged is Branco Marinkovic, a business leader and former head of the opposition Civic Committee of Santa Cruz, who is in exile in the US.

Among the former senior military officers charged is the retired General Gary Prado, who led the unit that captured and killed the Argentine-born guerrilla leader Ernesto "Che" Guevara. more here

News:Guatemala moves against Mexican Zetas drug gang

2010-12-19T16:31:00.000-08:00

19 December 2010 Last updated at 21:48 GMT
Guatemala has given the army special powers to reclaim control of the northern province of Alta Verapaz, which officials say has been overtaken by Mexican drug traffickers.

The move allows troops to hold suspects and conduct searches without warrants.

Security forces are looking for members of the Zetas drug gang, which has been expanding its operations from Mexico.

All cars entering and leaving the provincial capital, Coban, were being inspected.

The special powers will remain in place for at least 30 days, government spokesman Ronaldo Robles says. Source here

News:EU could turn to 'crowd sourcing' in cyber crime fight

2010-12-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

By Brian Wheeler Political reporter, BBC News
Cyber crime The public could help track down criminals operating in cyber space

Millions of internet users across the EU could be encouraged to join the fight against cyber crime if a ground breaking experiment in "crowd sourcing" goes ahead.

The director of Europol told peers he wants to get net users directly involved in catching cyber crime gangs.

Rob Wainwright briefed a Lords EU sub-committee on plans for a European cyber crime centre.

He said the extent of the problem was often underestimated in the EU.

And criminal gangs were becoming more sophisticated in their use of technology, which was spreading into the world of "offline" crime such as drug and people trafficking and VAT fraud, which netted criminals in the EU 100bn euros (£85bn) last year alone.more here

News:Bank of America stops handling Wikileaks payments

2010-12-18T10:38:00.000-08:00

18 December 2010 Last updated at 16:06 GMT
Bank of America has stopped handling payments for whistle-blowing website Wikileaks, joining several other major financial institutions.

It said it acted because "Wikileaks may be engaged in activities that are... inconsistent with our internal policies for processing payments".

In response, Wikileaks urged its supporters to stop doing business with the bank - one of the world's largest.

MasterCard, PayPal and other companies earlier cut off Wikileaks' payments.

The financial institutions acted after Wikileaks - together with several major media organisations - began publishing thousands of secret US diplomatic cables, causing tension between Washington and some of its allies.

Wikileaks founder Julian Assange was earlier this week freed on bail in the UK while facing extradition proceedings to Sweden over sexual assault allegations.
more here

Article:The woman who cannot feel fear

2010-12-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

Woman who cannot feel fear may help in treating PTSD
A woman who cannot feel afraid because of a missing structure in her brain could help scientists discover treatments for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Research published in Current Biology showed the woman felt no fear in a variety of scary situations.

These included exposure to snakes and spiders, horror films and a "haunted house".

The woman feels other emotions but said as an adult, she had never felt afraid.

She is the first known case of someone who is unable to process fear.

more here

News:Caste discrimination in the UK could be outlawed

2010-12-16T11:59:00.000-08:00

Discrimination on the grounds of caste exists in the UK, research suggests.

The study, by the National Institute of Economic and Social Research, found evidence of harassment in the workplace, in the provision of services and in education.

The government will now consider the evidence to determine whether there is a serious enough problem to impose a legal ban on caste discrimination.

The prejudice affects members of the mainly Hindu and Sikh communities.

A person's caste is their historic social standing and often refers to their forefathers' occupation. more here

News:Interpol warned of 'al-Qaeda plots' in US and Europe

2010-12-16T11:34:00.000-08:00

Interpol has confirmed it has received information about possible attacks by al-Qaeda cells in the US and Europe.

The global police agency's office in Baghdad received information about the alleged threats on Wednesday.

Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani earlier told the Associated Press that militants had confessed suicide attacks were planned for the Christmas period.

The suicide bombing in the Swedish capital Stockholm last weekend was one of the alleged plots revealed, he said.

Officials say they are 98% sure the bomber was Iraq-born Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, who grew up in Sweden and was living in the UK.

Abdaly owned a car that exploded in Stockholm, shortly before the blast nearby which killed the bomber. Two people were also injured.

Officials believe the bomber intended to kill "as many people as possible", possibly at the central train station or a popular department store.
more here

News:Wikileaks founder Julian Assange awaits bail hearing

2010-12-16T11:18:00.000-08:00

16 December 2010 Last updated at 05:39 GMT
Swedish authorities will be at the High Court on Thursday to try to block bail for Julian Assange, founder of the whistle-blowing website Wikileaks.
The 39-year-old Australian was granted bail earlier this week on condition he provides sureties of £240,000.

But he has remained in Wandsworth Prison after Swedish prosecutors appealed against giving him bail.

Mr Assange is fighting extradition to Sweden where he faces sex allegations involving two women, which he denies.more here

Imperfection

2010-12-15T17:26:00.000-08:00

This afternoon I was reminded of how far we all need to go before achieving perfection. As moderator of the pchelpers list, it is my job to look at postings which don't comply with its requirements. I have to make a decision regarding whether to allow or block suspect messages.

In this case Ekhart picked me up on an error of over quoting.

He was correct in doing so. I would have liked to produce a better result for list members, but wonder now how long perfection is going to take. Therefore on behalf of the list I apologize to everyone, especially to those who pick up such errors. All list and blog members are welcome to share the work and keep us alert to our better/best potential. Remembering that correction of error (even the result of age) helps keep us going the right way. Looking forward to one day having really perfect days!

News:Kosovo rejects Hashim Thaci organ-trafficking claims

2010-12-15T11:18:00.000-08:00

The Kosovo government has reacted angrily to a draft report alleging that serving leaders are responsible for crimes including organ-trafficking.

The Council of Europe report names Hashim Thaci - prime minister and wartime political leader of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) - 27 times.

The human rights body's inquiry reinforces several aspects of a 2009 BBC report into similar allegations.

Kosovo's authorities have rejected the claims as "baseless and defamatory".

The draft report, which is due to be published on Thursday, is the result of a two-year investigation by the special rapporteur of the Council of Europe, Dick Marty.

The EU's police and justice mission in Kosovo (Eulex) said it would look carefully at its findings.
more here

News:Dutch nursery abuse arrest prompts major inquiry

2010-12-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

A 27-year-old man who worked in at least two nursery schools has been arrested in Amsterdam on suspicion of abusing 30 to 50 young children.

Robert M - as he was named by police - was detained last Tuesday and more than 50 parents were contacted on Sunday.

A spokeswoman for the Dutch public prosecution service described the case as "huge" and "unprecedented".

The suspect was identified after a two-year-old boy's picture was shown on Dutch TV as part of a US inquiry.

Police said he had also worked as a childminder in the Amsterdam area.

They said they were trying to establish whether other people were involved in the alleged abuse of young children up to the age of four.

The man's male partner, 37, has been detained on suspicion of possession of child pornography.

Another employee at a nursery where Robert M, originally from Latvia, worked is also being held.
more here

News:Chinese archaeologists unearth 2,400-year-old 'soup'

2010-12-13T10:34:00.000-08:00

Chinese archaeologists have unearthed what they believe is a 2,400-year-old pot of soup, state media report.

The liquid and bones were in a sealed bronze cooking vessel dug up near the ancient capital of Xian - home to the country's famed terracotta warriors.

Tests are being carried out to identify the ingredients. An odourless liquid, believed to be wine, was also found.

The pots were discovered in a tomb being excavated to make way for an extension to the local airport.

"It's the first discovery of bone soup in Chinese archaeological history," the newspaper quoted Liu Daiyun of the Shaanxi Provincial Institute of Archaeology as saying.

"The discovery will play an important role in studying the eating habits and culture of the Warring States Period (475-221BC)."

The scientists said the tomb could have held the body of either a member of the land-owning class or a low-ranking military officer, the report said.more here

News:Stockholm blasts: Sweden probes 'terrorist attack'

2010-12-12T11:55:00.000-08:00

Two explosions in Sweden's capital Stockholm are being investigated as a "crime of terror", officials say.

A car blew up in a busy shopping area on Saturday afternoon, followed moments later by a second explosion nearby.

Witnesses said a man found dead after the second blast had been carrying an explosive device. Two people were hurt.

Swedish PM Fredrik Reinfeldt condemned the attacks as unacceptable in an open society with a functioning democracy that respects different cultures.

"Our democracy functions well," he told a press conference. "Those who feel frustration or anger have the opportunity to express it without resorting to violence."
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News:'Diamond exoplanet' idea boosted by telescope find

2010-12-10T13:07:00.000-08:00

By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News
A US-British team of astronomers has discovered the first planet with ultra-high concentrations of carbon.

The researchers say their discovery supports the idea there may be carbon-rich, rocky planets whose terrains are made up of diamonds or graphite.

"You might see land masses and mountains made up of diamonds," the lead researcher Dr Nikku Madhusudhan told BBC News.

The study in Nature journal raises new questions about how planets are formed.

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News:Amazon site unaffected by pro-Wikileaks attack

2010-12-09T11:34:00.000-08:00

'Coldblood', a member of the group Anonymous, tells Jane Wakefield why he views its attacks on Visa and Mastercard as defence of Wikileaks.
Attempts by online activists to bring down online retailer Amazon's website appear to have failed.

The group Anonymous had pledged to to attack the site at 1600 GMT but the site seems to be functioning normally.

The site was targeted because it withdrew services from whistle-blowing website Wikileaks

The tool through which attacks are carried out against websites perceived to be anti-Wikileaks has now been downloaded more than 31,000 times.

Security experts warned people to avoid joining the voluntary botnet.
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News:Private firm launches space-taxi prototype

2010-12-08T16:41:00.000-08:00

Published: 9:06AM Thursday December 09, 2010 Source: Reuters
A privately owned company put a spacecraft into orbit in a test flight that NASA hopes will eventually lead to cargo runs to the International Space Station after its space shuttles are retired next year.

The NASA-backed mission is intended to test a new system for delivering cargo - and eventually possibly crew - to the International Space Station.
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News:Wikileaks defended by Anonymous hacktivists

2010-12-08T16:11:00.000-08:00

Internet hacktivists have fired the latest salvo in the Wikileaks infowar.

A group called Anonymous has hit sites that have refused to do business with the controversial whistle-blowing site with a series of distributed denial-of-service attacks.

It mirrors similar attacks aimed at the Wikileaks site.

Targets include the Swiss bank that froze founder Julian Assange's assets and PayPal which has stopped processing donations to Wikileaks.

Anonymous is a loose-knit group of hacktivists, with links to the notorious message board 4chan.

more here

News:Private space capsule launched

2010-12-08T11:21:00.000-08:00

8 December 2010 Last updated at 15:46 GMT
A private US capsule that could soon be hauling cargo and even astronauts to the space station has launched on its first demonstration flight.

The Dragon ship launched from Florida on a Falcon 9 rocket at 1543GMT (1043 EST).

The capsule separated about 10 minutes after launch and has reached orbit, its manufacturer SpaceX said.

After completing several manoeuvres some 300km above Earth, the capsule will splash down in the Pacific.

Dragon and Falcon 9 are both products of California's SpaceX company.

The firm has a $1.6bn (£1bn) contract with the US space agency (Nasa) to provide 12 spacecraft with cargo capacity of at least 20 tonnes to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) through to 2016.

The initiative is part of a much wider American policy to place the carriage of freight and crew transport to the ISS in the hands of the private sector.
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News:Japan waits on Venus spacecraft

2010-12-07T11:01:00.000-08:00

Japan's space agency (Jaxa) is working to establish the status of its Akatsuki mission to Venus.

The spacecraft fired its main engine just before midnight GMT on Monday in a manoeuvre designed to allow the planet's gravity to capture the probe.

Akatsuki then briefly lost contact with Earth as it moved behind the Venus.

Scientists said they would know later on Tuesday whether the operation to insert the satellite into the correct orbit had been successful or not.

Akatsuki was launched to the inner-world by an H-IIA rocket in May. Its goals include finding definitive evidence for lightning and for active volcanoes.

It will not be alone at Venus; the European Space Agency's Venus Express craft arrived at the planet in 2006. The pair are due to conduct joint observations.

Venus is almost identical in size to our planet, and is thought to have a similar composition. But there the resemblance ends.
Continue reading the main story
AKATSUKI ('DAWN') VENUS ORBITER
Akatsuki (Jaxa)

* Will study atmosphere and surface
* Size: 1.0m by 1.4m by 1.4m
* Mass at lift-off: About 500kg
* 5 cameras; 1 radio experiment
* Designed for 4.5-year life
* Will sit in 300km by 80,000km orbit

The thick Venusian atmosphere is opaque to instruments that operate at visible wavelengths and so the Japanese probe carries five cameras that are sensitive in the infrared and ultraviolet parts of the electromagnetic spectrum.
more here

News:List of facilities 'vital to US security' leaked

2010-12-06T10:23:00.000-08:00

6 December 2010 Last updated at 03:01 GMT
By Jonathan Marcus BBC Diplomatic Correspondent
A long list of key facilities around the world that the US describes as vital to its national security has been released by Wikileaks.

The US State Department in February 2009 asked all US missions abroad to list all installations whose loss could critically affect US national security.

The list includes pipelines, communication and transport hubs.

Several UK sites are listed, including cable locations, satellite sites and BAE Systems plants.

This is probably the most controversial document yet from the Wikileaks organisation.
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News:China leadership 'orchestrated Google hacking'

2010-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

4 December 2010 Last updated at 23:40 GMT
Senior Chinese figures were behind the hacking of Google earlier this year which forced the search engine to quit the country, leaked US cables suggest.

One cable, released by whistle-blowing site Wikileaks, cites a "well-placed" contact as saying the action against Google was "100% political".

A politburo member is said to have been angered after Googling his name and finding critical comments online.

The cable says it is unclear whether China's top leaders were involved.

Other cables show Beijing has been "extremely concerned" about the use of high-resolution satellite imagery on Google's mapping software, Google Earth.

In January, Google said it had been subjected to a "sophisticated cyber attack originating from China" - it said the e-mail accounts of human rights activists were among those hacked.more here

Russian man pleads not guilty to global spam scheme

2010-12-04T10:24:00.000-08:00

4 December 2010
A Russian man accused of operating an e-mail spam business that at times accounted for one third of global spam has pleaded not guilty in a federal court in the US state of Wisconsin.

Oleg Nikolaenko is charged with running a global network of more than 500,000 virus-infected personal computers, in violation of a US anti-spam law.

Mr Nikolaenko asked to be allowed a form of house arrest, pending a trial.

But the judge ordered him held without bail, ruling he was a flight risk.more here

News:Bhopal: India wants compensation doubled

2010-12-03T11:07:00.000-08:00

India is seeking to more than double to $1.1bn (£700m) the compensation paid by a US chemical company for the 1984 Bhopal gas disaster.

The attorney general's office has filed a case at the Supreme Court to increase the $470m settlement reached in 1989.

The petition coincides with the 26th anniversary of the disaster.

Thousands of people died after the leak from Union Carbide's plant in the Madhya Pradesh state capital.

In June, an Indian court finally convicted seven former managers at the plant, handing down minor fines and brief prison sentences.

But many victims and campaigners have felt justice has still not been served against Union Carbide.

Dow Chemicals, which bought Union Carbide in 1999, has said in the past that the $470m settlement was fair and final.
more here

News:'Trillions' of Earths orbit red stars in older galaxies

2010-12-01T12:21:00.000-08:00

1 December 2010 Last updated at 18:48 GMT
By Pallab Ghosh Science correspondent, BBC News
Astronomers say the Universe may contain three times the number of stars as is currently thought.

Their assessment is based on new observations showing other galaxies may have very different structures to our Milky Way galaxy.

The researchers tell the journal Nature that more stars probably means many more planets as well - perhaps "trillions" of Earth-like worlds.

The Yale University-led study used the Keck telescope in Hawaii.
Continue reading the main story
“Start Quote

There are possibly trillions of Earths orbiting these stars”

End Quote Professor Pieter Van Dokkum Yale University

It found that galaxies older than ours contain 20 times more red dwarf stars than more recent ones.

Red dwarfs are smaller and dimmer than our own Sun; it is only recently that telescopes have been powerful enough to detect them.

According to Yale's Professor Pieter van Dokkum, who led the research, the discovery also increases the estimate for the number of planets in the Universe and therefore greatly increases the likelihood of life existing elsewhere in the cosmos.

"There are possibly trillions of Earths orbiting these stars," he said. "Red dwarfs are typically more than 10 billion years old and so have been around long enough for complex life to evolve on planets around them. It's one reason why people are interested in this type of star."
Spiral Galaxy and Elliptical Galaxy Two-thirds of the observable Universe consists of spiral galaxies (L) like our own Milky Way. The remainder is made up of older elliptical galaxies (R)

The findings also help to account for what astronomers describe as the "missing mass" in the Universe. more here

News:US soldier faces court martial over Afghan killings

2010-12-01T10:34:00.000-08:00

1 December 2010 Last updated at 15:52 GMT
The first of 12 US soldiers accused of being part of a group that killed Afghan civilians for sport faces court martial on Wednesday.

Charges against Staff Sgt Robert Stevens include conspiracy to commit assault and battery, dereliction of duty and aggravated assault.

These relate to an incident in March where he is said to have shot at three Afghan men near an Army base.

Eleven others are charged in the affair, including five with murder.

Sgt Stevens faces up to 27 years in prison if convicted by the military hearing in Washington state, the Army said.more here

News:EU launches antitrust probe into alleged Google abuses

2010-11-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

The European Commission has launched an investigation into Google after other search engines complained that the firm had abused its dominant position.

The body said it would look into whether the world's largest search engine lowered the ranking of competing services in its results.

The probe follows complaints by firms including price comparison site Foundem and legal search engine ejustice.fr.

Google said it would work with the Commission to "address any concerns".more here

News:Mapping ancient Rome with Google Street View

2010-11-29T12:26:00.000-08:00

Google's Street View programme, which takes photographs of public roads and puts them online as a navigation tool, has an ambitious new project - to capture the archaeological sites of Rome.

A team has already photographed the Colosseum with its hi-tech camera system and is now working on the Roman Forum.

The Street View scheme has been banned by some countries because of fears about privacy, but Google says it has put in new safeguards.

From Rome, Duncan Kennedy reports.
source here