Romney to be honored Friday at D.C. luncheon

Mitt Romney will make it to Washington, D.C. for inauguration week after all.

The 2012 GOP presidential nominee and his wife Ann are scheduled to attend a luncheon in their honor Friday at Washington's J.W. Marriott hotel, National Journal reported this afternoon. The reception will be hosted by two of Romney's biggest campaign fundraisers: Virginia philanthropist Catherine Reynolds and hotel tycoon Bill Marriott, Jr.

Romney, a longtime friend to the Marriott family, serves on Marriott International's board of directors. While on the trail, he and his traveling staff stayed almost exclusively at Marriott hotels.

Having opted to spend Inauguration Day at his home in La Jolla, Calif., on Monday, Romney became the first presidential nominee since Michael Dukakis in 1989 to not attend the ceremonial event. But he's made at least one appearance in the nation's capital since the election: Several weeks following his loss, he enjoyed a lunch of white turkey chili with President Obama at the White House.

Read More..

Clinton on Benghazi: Afghanistan Diverted Resources

House Republicans slammed Secretary of State Hillary Clinton today for her lack of awareness of State Department cables warning of security threats in Benghazi, Libya, prior to the Sept. 11 attack that killed four Americans, including Amb. Chris Stevens.

In the second congressional hearing of the day reviewing a report by the Accountability Review Board on the State Department's security failures, Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, asked Clinton this afternoon why her office had not responded to a notification from Stevens about potential dangers in Libya.

"Congressman, that cable did not come to my attention," Clinton calmly told the House Foreign Affairs Committee hours after her Senate testimony this morning. "I'm not aware of anyone within my office, within the secretary's office having seen that cable."

She added that "1.43 million cables come to my office. They're all addressed to me."

Hillary Clinton's Fiery Moment at Benghazi Hearing

Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., asked Clinton whether she thought that signaled the need for a shifting of priorities to make sure she is notified about these kinds of threats in the future.

"That's exactly what I'm intent on doing," Clinton said. "We have work to do. We have work to do inside the department. We have work to do with our partners in DOD and the intelligence community."

Such answers failed to appease members like Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., who accused Clinton of letting "the consulate become a death trap."

Clinton also told the House committee that an emphasis on security in Iraq and Afghanistan in the past decade diverted resources from other outposts around the world.

She told Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., that legislation he championed reorganizing the State Department in the 19990s had "been very important in protecting our people around the world," but that the need for funding was ongoing and unmet.

Clinton reprised her role as defender of the State Department this afternoon in the second half of congressional testimony on the security failures that led to the deaths of Stevens and the other Americans.

Stevens understood the significance of the mission, she told the committee several hours after a morning Senate appearance.

"That's why Chris Stevens went to Benghazi in the first place," she said. "Nobody knew the dangers better than Chris, first during the revolution and then during the transition. A weak Libyan government, marauding militias, even terrorist groups … a bomb exploded in the parking lot of his hotel. He never wavered. He never asked to come home. He never said let's shut it down, quit, go somewhere else."

Representatives repeatedly asked about U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice's assertion on Sunday morning talk shows in September that the attack was fueled by outrage over a video attacking Islam.

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Hillary Clinton Cites Lack of Funding in Global Outposts Watch Video

Clinton: Security Request Not Brought to My Attention Watch Video

Hillary Clinton Gets Choked Up at Benghazi Hearing Watch Video

Clinton's response was to refer to the ARB report, which said the motivations behind the attack were complicated and still not all known. She maintained that Rice was speaking based upon talking points given to her by the intelligence community.

Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., asked why the secretary of state herself did not appear in Rice's place to give those televised explanations to the country.

"Well, I have to confess here in public [that] going on the Sunday shows is not my favorite thing to do. There are other things that I prefer to do on Sunday mornings," Clinton replied. "And I did feel strongly that we had a lot that we had to manage, that I had to respond to. And I thought that should be my priority."

The afternoon appearance followed morning testimony from an energized Clinton, who stood her ground and told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee that she has overseen plans to secure diplomatic outposts around the world while cuts in State Department funding undermine those efforts.

Citing a report by the department's Accountability Review Board on the security failures that led to the deaths of four Americans in Benghazi, Libya, during an attack last year, Clinton said the board is pushing for an increase in funding to facilities of more than $2 billion per year.

"Consistent shortfalls have required the department to prioritize available funding out of security accounts," Clinton told the Senate this morning, while again taking responsibility for the Benghazi attack. "And I will be the first to say that the prioritization process was at times imperfect, but as the ARB said, the funds provided were inadequate. So we need to work together to overcome that."

Clinton, showing little effect from her recent illnesses, choked up earlier in discussing the Benghazi attack.

"I stood next to President Obama as the Marines carried those flag-draped caskets off the plane at Andrews," Clinton said this morning, her voice growing hoarse with emotion. "I put my arms around the mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters."

The outgoing secretary of state was the only witness to giving long-awaited testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee this morning, and appeared before the House Foreign Affairs Committee at 2 p.m.

The secretary, who postponed her testimony in December, started today by giving context to the terrorist attack.

"Any clear-eyed examination of this matter must begin with this sobering fact," Clinton began. "Since 1988, there have been 19 Accountability Review Boards investigating attacks on American diplomats and their facilities."

But the secretary did not deny her role in the failures, saying that as secretary of state, she has "no higher priority and no greater responsibility" than protecting American diplomats abroad like those killed in Benghazi.

"As I have said many times, I take responsibility, and nobody is more committed to getting this right," Clinton said. "I am determined to leave the State Department and our country safer, stronger and more secure."

Among the steps Clinton has taken, she said, is to "elevate the discussion and the decision-making to make sure there's not any" suggestions that get missed, as there were in this case.

Clinton testified that the United States needs to be able to "chew gum and walk at the same time," working to shore up its fiscal situation while also strengthening security, and she refuted the idea that across-the-board cuts slated to take place in March, commonly referred to as sequestration, were the way to do that.

"Now sequestration will be very damaging to the State Department and USAID if it does come to pass, because it throws the baby out with the bath," Clinton said, referring to the United States Agency for International Development, which administers civilian foreign aid.

While the State Department does need to make cuts in certain areas, "there are also a lot of very essential programs … that we can't afford to cut more of," she added.

More than four months have passed since the attack killed U.S. Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans in Libya. These meetings, during which Clinton discussed the report on State Department security failures by the Accountability Review Board, were postponed because of her recent illness.

Clinton told the Senate that the State Department is on track to have 85 percent of action items based on the recommendations in the ARB report accomplished by March, with some already implemented.

Read More..

MIT website hacked in tribute to Aaron Swartz

Hal Hodson, technology reporter

A tribute to internet activist Aaron Swartz replaced the homepage for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology today, in an apparent act of protest over the university's role in the legal case that led up to Swartz's suicide on 11 Jan.

For a short time, visitors to the MIT.edu home page found a message that read: "R.I.P. Aaron Swartz. Hacked by grand wizard of Lulzsec, Sabu. God Bless America. Down With Anonymous." The background was watermarked with words from a blog post, written by Swartz, titled "Immoral".

Attributing the defacement to "grand wizard of Lulzsec, Sabu" lent the page a sarcastic air, as it's widely known that the former Lulzsec leader was outed as an FBI informant last year.

The attack on MIT's website came amid widespread criticism of how the university handled the case against Swartz, including an article in The New York Times that quoted Swartz's father as saying: "We don't believe [MIT] acted in a neutral way. My belief is they put their institutional concerns first."

According to MIT's service status page, network service was restored within the university as of 1:30 pm EST. The university had not yet returned New Scientist's request for comment when this story was published.

This is the second time since Swartz' death that the MIT site has been the target of attacks. Previously, an MIT sub-domain was replaced with a manifesto for reform of computer and copyright laws. The authors claimed to be operating as a part of the online activist group, Anonymous.

Read More..

US urges Bangladesh to hold free, fair trials

WASHINGTON: The United States urged Bangladesh to hold free and fair trials after a war crimes court sentenced a fugitive TV preacher to death Monday amid allegations the tribunal is politically motivated.

The International Crimes Tribunal, a domestic body with no international oversight, ordered Maolana Abul Kalam Azad to be hanged for genocide and murder during the bloody 1971 liberation war against Pakistan.

"The United States supports bringing to justice those who commit such crimes," State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said in a statement.

"However, we believe that any such trials must be free, fair and transparent, and in accordance with domestic standards and international standards Bangladesh has agreed to uphold through its ratification of international agreements."

Azad, who for years presented a widely watched show on Islam on private and state-run television channels, is a former leading light of Bangladesh's largest opposition Islamic party Jamaat-e-Islami.

The 63-year-old TV host has been on the run for about a year.

In total, 11 top opposition figures -- nine from Jamaat and two from the main opposition Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) -- stand accused of war crimes.

Both Jamaat and the BNP have called the cases "politically motivated and farcical" and international rights groups have questioned the proceedings and found loopholes in the war crime laws.

The Bangladeshi government says the trials are fair and meet international standards.

"The United States urges the government of Bangladesh to adhere to the due process standards that are part of its treaty obligations, and to fully respect the rule of law" as it addresses atrocities committed during the liberation war, Nuland said.

-AFP/fl

Read More..

Republican Senate leader: 'The era of liberalism is back'

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Photos: Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

Best of 2013 inauguration

<<

<

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

33

34

35

36

37

38

39

40

41

42

43

44

45

46

47

48

49

50

51

52

53

54

55

56

57

58

59

60

61

62

63

64

65

66

67

68

69

70

71

72

73

74

75

76

77

78

>

>>

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• House GOP leaders pushing 10-year plan to balance budget


• Conservatives criticize progressive themes in President Obama's inaugural address


• The House will vote Wednesday on a plan to spark budget negotiations


• Some House Republicans oppose leadership's plan to suspend debt ceiling

Washington (CNN) -- The first day of business of President Barack Obama's second term began with a prayer service Tuesday, but it will take more than spiritual guidance to change the divisive culture of Washington politics.

Conservative critics of the president wasted no time ripping into an inaugural address laden with progressive themes such as climate change, gun control, gay rights and immigration reform.

More specifically, they targeted the president's vigorous defense of costly but popular entitlement programs such as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.

"One thing that is pretty clear from the president's speech yesterday -- the era of liberalism is back," said Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky. "An unabashedly, far left-of-center inauguration speech certainly brings back memories of the Democratic Party of ages past."

If Obama "pursues that kind of agenda, obviously it is not designed to bring us together and certainly not designed to deal with the transcendent issue of our era, which is deficit and debt. Until we fix that problem, we can't fix America."

Republicans pause on partisanship

Obama's inaugural address "was trying basically to throw a bone to every left-wing activist group he could," said Rep. Dave Schweikert, R-Arizona.

Americans for Prosperity, a conservative group that focuses on fiscal policy, labeled Obama's speech "harshly ideological" and akin to "a liberal laundry list."

The group will "be in the vanguard of the effort to oppose the president's big government policies," its president, Tim Phillips, said in a statement Monday.

In his inaugural address, Obama insisted that programs such as Social Security and Medicare -- long targets of conservatives seeking to cut the size of government -- remain vital to the maintenance of America's safety net for the elderly, poor and disabled.

"We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it," Obama declared, adding that tough decisions on how to address the nation's chronic federal deficits and debt must avoid choosing between "caring for the generation that built this country and investing in the generation that will build its future."

While some Republicans sounded less combative, they said they were nevertheless disappointed by the president's inaugural remarks.

Obama "could have found some way to be more constructive," Rep. Peter King, R-New York, told CNN. "I think he should have done more to say there's honest disagreement" instead of characterizing the debate as "the voice of reason on his side" and "shrill cries on the other side."

King acknowledged that some on the right "are never going to agree" with Obama but insisted the president needs to indicate a willingness to compromise with the GOP to make progress on the major issues facing the country.

House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia, told CNN on Monday that while "there are plenty of areas of disagreement ... there also are some things fundamentally we agree on, and that is this country is one of opportunity."

Marine Band: Beyonce lip-synched

Differences involve "the way we get there to help everybody," Cantor said, adding that "hopefully, we can bridge those differences."

The Republican response reflected in part a continuing split between conservatives resisting concessions to the president and GOP moderates trying to buff up the party's tarnished reputation in light of a growing public perception of congressional dysfunction.

A House vote set for Wednesday on suspending the federal debt ceiling for three months will provide the first test of GOP resolve.

The measure represents the latest in a series of Republican concessions on spending and debt issues, with House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, and his leadership team proposing the debt ceiling increase without any spending cuts they had previously demanded to offset the cost.

In return, they demand that the Democratic-controlled Senate pass a budget for the first time in four years, which would provide a platform for a detailed congressional debate on spending.

Otherwise, the measure calls for legislators to forgo their salaries until they complete a spending plan.

Granderson: Obama's rallying cry

Boehner told House Republicans in a meeting Tuesday afternoon that passing a short-term debt ceiling suspension "buys time for the House and Senate both to pass a budget," according to a GOP source at the gathering.

The source noted that former vice presidential nominee and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, will work with House GOP leaders to draft a budget by an April 15 deadline. The budget would place federal spending on a trajectory to eliminate the deficit within 10 years, a goal shared by the speaker.

"It's time for the Senate to act," Boehner told reporters after the GOP meeting. "You can't continue to spend money you don't have."

Obama, who rejects any negotiations over the debt ceiling, has welcomed the House plan as a step forward because it prevents immediate brinksmanship over whether the government will meet its financial obligations. A political battle over raising the debt ceiling in 2011 contributed to the first-ever downgrade of the U.S. credit rating.

The White House Office of Management and Budget released a statement Tuesday afternoon noting that while "the administration supports a long-term increase in the debt limit that would increase certainty and economic stability, ... the administration would not oppose a short-term solution to the debt limit."

The White House "looks forward to continuing to work with both the House and the Senate to increase certainty and stability for the economy," the statement concluded.

However, some conservative House Republicans oppose Boehner's debt ceiling measure, setting up a possible repeat of previous votes in which the speaker failed to get enough support from his GOP conference to push through a bill.

"I think it's a terrible idea," Rep. Tom McClintock, R-California, told Fox Business Network on Monday, arguing the plan "gives the most spendthrift administration in this country's history literally an open credit card to borrow as much as they can."

Rep. Louie Gohmert, R-Texas, also disagreed with giving up the leverage of the debt ceiling without any guaranteed spending cuts in return.

"At some point, we have got to use the leverage we have to bring this spending down and to actually make the president do what he said in his speech," Gohmert told FBN.

In addition, Gohmert complained that Boehner's plan essentially gives the "millionaires club" in the Senate the power to determine whether he and other House members who need their congressional salaries will get paid.

At the White House, spokesman Jay Carney called the House GOP plan "a welcome thing" and rejected accusations that Obama's address Monday amounted to liberal ideology.

"He focuses on the fact that we are Americans first, and I hardly thing the pursuit of equal rights, pursuit of comprehensive immigration reform, pursuit of sensible policies that deal with climate change and enhance our energy independence are ideological," Carney said Tuesday.

In the Senate, Majority Leader Harry Reid outlined an agenda that closely conformed to the priorities of the president's inaugural address the day before.

"The last Congress was too often characterized by sharp political divides -- divides that hampered efforts to foster success for all Americans," the Nevada Democrat said, telling his colleagues that "it is possible to hold fast to your principles while making the compromises necessary to move our country forward."

At the same time, Reid said Senate Democrats "will stand strong -- strong -- for the standard of balance, and we will remain resolute -- resolute -- in the pursuit of fairness for all Americans, regardless of where they were born or the color of their skin, regardless of the size of their bank accounts, regardless of their religion or their sexual orientation."

McConnell also called for compromise but said it was Democrats who must be willing to meet in the middle.

"Over the past four years, while the president focused on re-election and too many Senate Democrats focused on avoiding tough decisions, the debt grew by more than $6 trillion," McConnell said. "In short, Democrats have put off all the hard stuff until now. And our problems have only gotten worse. But that was the first term."

Saying "a lot of Democrats are afraid of a process that exposes their priorities, particularly on spending and debt," McConnell made clear that Republicans reject any further increases in tax revenue after the fiscal cliff deal at the end of the last Congress that raised rates on top income earners.

"Since the revenue question has been settled," he said, "I'm sure the American people are eager to see what other ideas Democrats might have to bring down our ruinous deficits."

CNN's Dana Bash, Ted Barrett and Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

Read More..

Indian Kashmir officials publish nuke prep warning

SRINAGAR, India Officials in Indian-controlled Kashmir are warning residents to be prepared for a possible nuclear war by building build bomb-proof basements and collecting two weeks' worth of food and water.

Local officials said the advisory was routine, though it was the first time it had been published in a newspaper. They said it did not signal new concerns about a nuclear attack in the region, repeatedly fought over by nuclear-armed rivals India and Pakistan.

A series of deadly skirmishes along the cease-fire line in recent weeks has heightened tensions between the two countries, and the timing of the advisory surprised many residents in Srinagar, the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"This is fueling an atmosphere of fear. Educating people is fine but not this brazen way," said resident Fayaz Ahmed.

Play Video

Pakistan's foreign minister: We will work with India to solve our problems

The notice, published Monday by the Kashmir police in the Greater Kashmir newspaper, advised people to build toilet-equipped basements large enough to house their entire families for two weeks. If there is no basement, residents should construct bunkers in their front yards, the notice advised.

The shelters should be stocked with candles, battery-operated lights and radios, it said, adding that stores of nonperishable food and water should be regularly replaced to ensure it is fresh.

The notice said that during a nuclear attack, motorists should dive out of their cars toward the blast to save themselves from being crushed by their soon-to-be tumbling vehicles.

"Expect some initial disorientation as the blast wave may blow down and carry away many prominent and familiar features," it advises.

It also warns residents to keep people contaminated by fallout out of their shelters.

Yoginder Kaul, inspector-general at the civil defense and state disaster response force, said the advisory was part of a normal campaign to educate the public, and the information has been available on a government website for some time.

"We routinely train and educate people regarding different natural and man-made disasters and that's our duty. This advertisement too was part of such a campaign. Please, let's not read into this beyond that. Let it be clear that this is purely in the nature of educating people and not connected with anything else," he said.

Both India and Pakistan claim the divided Kashmir region in its entirety and have fought two wars over it.

Earlier this month, three Pakistani soldiers and two Indian soldiers were killed in the worst bout of fighting in Kashmir since a cease-fire accord was signed by the countries in 2003.

In light of the violence, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Sunday he was reviewing future ties with Pakistan.

Read More..

Al Qaeda Commander Killed for the 3rd Time

The second in command of al Qaeda's Yemen affiliate was reportedly killed in an airstrike in Yemen in December, according to a news report by Arabic television network Al Arabiya, the third time the former Guantanamo detainee has been reported dead since 2010.

According to the report, Said al-Shihri died last month after sustaining severe injuries from a joint U.S.-Yemeni airstrike that targeted a convoy in which he was riding. The al Arabiya account, based on information from "family sources," said that the airstrike left al-Shihri in a coma. He allegedly died soon after and was buried in Yemen.

On Tuesday afternoon, hours after the initial report, a Yemeni government official denied having any information regarding the death of al-Shihri, according to Arabic news site al-Bawaba.

No photos of a body have yet surfaced and no mention of his death has appeared on jihadi forums.
This is the third time al-Shihri, the second in command of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), has been reported killed since 2009. In 2010, the Yemeni government claimed it had captured him. In September 2012, Yemeni news sites reported he was killed in an American drone strike.

PHOTOS: Terrorists Who Came Back from the Grave

READ: Gitmo Detainee turned terror commander killed: Reports

Al-Shihri, a "veteran jihadist," traveled to Afghanistan shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks to fight coalition troops, only to be captured weeks later, according to West Point's Combating Terrorism Center. He was sent to the U.S. prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where he stayed for six years before being released to Saudi Arabia. There, he entered a so-called "jihadi rehab" program that attempted to turn terrorists into art students by getting them to get "negative energy out on paper," as the program's director told ABC News in 2009.

READ: Trading Bombs for Crayons: Terrorists Get 'Art Therapy'

But just months after he supposedly entered the fingerpainting camp, al-Shihri reappeared in Yemen where he was suspected to have been behind a deadly bombing at the U.S. embassy there.

At the time, critics of the "jihadi rehab" program used al-Shihri as evidence that extremists would just go through the motions in order to be freed.

Click Here for the Blotter Homepage.

Read More..

Today at New Scientist: 21 January 2013

Twitter reveals how Higgs gossip reached fever pitch

Anyone who fondly remembers the heady days of excitement preceding the Higgs boson announcement last year can now relive the experience

Vibrating navigator shows cyclists the way

A buzzing GPS-fuelled belt that tells cyclists when to turn might help them keep their eyes on the road and save lives

Call off the pregnancy police - women want the truth

Pregnant women can do without being made to feel guilty and burdened by wrong or contradictory advice. Just give them the facts, says Linda Geddes

Supernova-powered bow shock creates cosmic spectacle

The infrared vision of NASA's Spitzer Space Telescope shows how a massive speeding star is electrifying its surroundings

First video of squid sex reveals deep-sea Kama Sutra

Watch a pair of squid caught in the act for the first time in an unexpected sexual position

Let's be clear on health risks from radiation

Should Californians have had iodine after Fukushima? In Radiation Robert Peter Gale and Eric Lax clear up the confusion over radiation and health

Wind power delivers too much to ignore

Although aesthetic concerns need to be heard, qualms about wind's reliability are wide of the mark, argues an energy policy researcher

Quadruple DNA helix discovered in human cells

The classic double helix has been joined by a four-stranded version that may play a role in cancer

Turn up the bass to scare birds away from planes

Subwoofers that blast out sounds too low to be heard by humans can keep birds out of busy air space, and prevent them colliding with planes

Earth may be crashing through dark matter walls

If the universe is a patchwork quilt of exotic force fields, we should be able to detect dark matter whenever we cross between patches

Blinded by sun? Let your steering wheel guide you

A steering wheel that buzzes when drivers are dazzled by bright lights and drift from their lane could help curb accidents

NASA planet-hunter is injured and resting

The Kepler space telescope has put its search for alien Earths on hold while it recovers from a stressed reaction wheel

High-tech Dreamliner's wings clipped by battery trouble

Boeing's 787 Dreamliner is replete with cutting-edge technology. But problems with its complex systems now have the planes grounded around the world

Read More..

Israelis vote in elections seen swinging to the right

JERUSALEM: Israelis vote Tuesday in a general election expected to return Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to power at the head of a government of hardline right-wing and religious parties.

The ballot to choose Israel's 19th parliament is likely to usher in a government that will swing further to the right, undermining the chances of a peace deal with the Palestinians and raising the prospect of greater diplomatic isolation for the Jewish state.

Those elected will face key diplomatic and foreign policy questions, including Iran's nuclear programme, which much of the world believes is a cover for a weapons drive, and pressure to revive peace talks with the Palestinians.

No less pressing are the domestic challenges, including a major budget crisis and looming austerity cuts, which are likely to exacerbate already widespread discontent over spiralling prices.

Opinion polls have consistently shown that Netanyahu's rightwing Likud party, running on a joint list with the hardline secular nationalist Yisrael Beitenu, is well ahead of its rivals.

But as the day of reckoning neared, the numbers showed falling support for Likud-Beitenu, which is now seen taking 32 seats -- 10 fewer than it currently holds -- although the centre-left Labour party, its closest contender, is following a distant second with 17.

Final polls late last week had showed the right-wing-religious bloc taking between 61 and 67 seats, compared with 53 to 57 for the centre-left and Arab parties.

In a largely uneventful campaign, the surprise element has been Naftali Bennett, the young, charismatic new leader of the far-right nationalist religious Jewish Home who took over the party in November and is a rising star for the settler lobby.

The party, which firmly opposes a Palestinian state and won just three seats in 2009, is on course to win 15, making it the second faction in parliament and a likely partner in any future coalition government.

Bennett's explosion onto the political scene has spooked Netanyahu, pundits say, with the premier pushing hard to stem the flow of right-wing votes to Jewish Home by burnishing his own credentials as a defender of Israeli settlement in the occupied territories.

Some 5.65 million Israelis are eligible to vote in Tuesday's parliamentary elections.

Voters will be able to cast ballots at 10,132 polling stations which will open at 0500 GMT and close 15 hours later, with television exit polls due to be broadcast immediately afterwards.

Security has been tightened across the country and more than 20,000 police officers have been deployed to secure the vote.

With Netanyahu almost certain to return to the premier's office, the big question is the makeup of the coalition he will piece together and how it will steer Israel on key issues such as settlement activity, talks with the Palestinians and Iran.

But pundits were unanimous he would pick his natural allies to form the next government, which was widely expected to be dominated by right-wing and religious parties.

"In the next coalition, which will include Likud-Beitenu, Jewish Home, Shas, United Torah Judaism and perhaps Yesh Atid as well, there will be a majority, for the first time in history, for the ultra-Orthodox and religious MPs," wrote Shalom Yerushalmi in Maariv newspaper.

"This is mainly a great victory for the settlers, who have become the leading ideological force in the country."

-AFP/fl

Read More..

3 Americans killed in Algeria

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: 7 Japanese are confirmed dead, 3 are unaccounted for, a Japanese minister says


• NEW: An Algerian official says the gas plant will reopen and foreign workers will return


• In addition to 37 confirmed dead, 5 hostages are unaccounted for, Algeria's leader says


• The militants, who were of eight nationalities, came from northern Mali

(CNN) -- At least 37 hostages died in the terrorist seizure of a natural gas facility in eastern Algeria and the subsequent special forces assaults on it, the country's prime minister said Monday.

Five other hostages are missing from the In Amenas complex and could be dead, Prime Minister Abdul Malek Sallal said.

Before Sallal's statement, officials from other countries and companies that employed foreign workers at the sprawling plant had confirmed 29 hostage deaths.

Seven of the 37 confirmed dead haven't been identified yet, according to the prime minister. Those who have been identified include seven Japanese, six Filipinos, three Americans, three Britons and one Algerian, officials from those countries said.

Some 29 militants also died, while three were captured, Sallal said, according to the state-run Algerian Press Service.

The standoff ended Saturday, after four days, when Algerian special forces stormed the complex for the second time. The government said it did so because the militants were planning to blow up the installation and flee to neighboring Mali with hostages.

"If it exploded, it could have killed and destroyed anything within 5 kilometers or further," Sallal said.

Read more: Bloody Algeria hostage crisis ends after 'final' assault, officials say

Militant says Mali unrest spurred assault; others say it followed ample planning

The crisis began Wednesday when Islamist extremists in pickup trucks struck the natural gas complex some 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of the Libyan border, gathered the Westerners who worked there into a group and tied them up.

After taking over, the well-armed militants planted explosives throughout the complex, Sallal said. They came from eight countries: Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt, Mali, Niger, Canada and Mauritania.

Algeria's military talked with the militants, but their demands that prisoners in the North African nation be released were deemed unreasonable, according to the prime minister. The country's special forces waged the assaults to free the hostages and were backed by the Algerian Air Force.

Read more: Nations scramble to account for missing after Algeria hostage crisis

At one point, the militants tried to flee the compound in vehicles that carried explosives and three or four hostages as human shields, Sallal said. At least two of the vehicles flipped and exploded during the attempt, he said.

Sallal said the terrorists had entered the country from northern Mali, where Malian and French authorities are battling Islamist rebels.

One-eyed veteran Islamist fighter Moktar Belmoktar has claimed responsibility for the hostage-taking on behalf of his al Qaeda-linked group, according to Mauritania's Sahara Media news agency.

Belmokhtar said the attack was in retaliation for Algeria allowing France to use its airspace to battle Islamist militants in Mali. But regional analysts believe the operation was too sophisticated to have been planned so quickly, and Sallal said the hostage scheme had been hatched over months.

Algerian minister says gas plant will restart, foreign workers will return

The targeted gas facility is run by Algeria's state oil company, in cooperation with foreign firms such as Norway's Statoil and Britain's BP. Some 790 people worked there, including 134 foreign workers, Algeria's prime minister said.

Read more: Algerian forces seek 'peaceful' settlement of dramatic, deadly hostage crisis

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Monday the effort to evacuate workers is complete and that U.K. officials are now focused on bringing the bodies of slain British hostages back home.

Cameron praised Algerian forces for their work in ending the crisis, despite concerns from some nations earlier that the Algerians had unnecessarily put hostages at greater risk.

"This would have been a most-demanding task for security forces anywhere in the world, and we should acknowledge the resolve shown by the Algerians in undertaking it," the British leader said. "The responsibility for these deaths lies squarely with the terrorists."

Such Islamist militant activity is not new to Africa, including recent violence in Mali and Somalia.

Algeria's status as Africa's largest natural gas producer and a major supplier of the product to Europe heightens its importance to those who want to invest there. That interest is coupled with pressure to make sure foreign nationals, and their business ventures, are safe.

Energy and Mining Minister Youcef Yousfi, who a day earlier insisted Algeria can keep its gas facilities secure without foreign forces' help, said he believes the targeted gas facility will be back running "in the shortest possible time" and that foreign workers will soon return. Several foreign companies, including Statoil and BP, evacuated their workers from Algeria after the incident.

"I don't think that these workers have left definitively Algeria," Yousfi told reporters, according to the Algerian Press Service. "Maybe some left ... to reassure their families, but I want to ensure that no company or no worker permanently left the country."

Nations mourn dead, try to account for others

Here is a breakdown on the status of hostages from around the world who were involved in the crisis:

Colombia

Colombia's president said one of its citizens is presumed dead.

France

No known French hostages are unaccounted for, the defense ministry said.

A man identified as Yann Desjeux died after telling French newspaper Sud Ouest that he and 34 other hostages were treated well. It was unclear what led to his death.

Japan

Japanese Vice Foreign Minister Minoru Kiuchi and officials from JGC, a Yokohama-based engineering firm, saw and identified the bodies of seven Japanese citizens killed in the crisis, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced late Monday.

Three Japanese remain unaccounted for, according to Suga.

Malaysia

Three hostages were on their way back home, state media reported. There is a "worrying possibility" that another is dead while a fifth is unaccounted for, the agency said.

Read more: Algeria attack may have link to Libya camps

Norway

Five Norwegians are missing, while eight are safe, according to Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.

Philippines

Six Filipinos are confirmed dead and four are missing, the nation's foreign affairs ministry said. In addition, 16 Filipinos are alive and accounted for, according to a ministry spokesman.

Romania

One Romanian lost his life while four others were freed, the country's foreign ministry said.

United Kingdom

Three British citizens were killed, the Foreign Office said Sunday. Three other British nationals and a UK resident are also "believed dead," according to British officials. The Foreign Office confirmed the name of one slain hostage, Garry Barlow, in a statement Monday.

"Garry was a loving, devoted family man, he loved life and lived it to the full. He was very much loved by myself, his sons, mother and sister and the rest of his family and friends and will be greatly missed," the Foreign Office quoted his wife, Lorraine, as saying.

Twenty-two other Britons who were taken hostage have safely returned home.

United States

U.S. State Department spokesman Victoria Nuland on Monday said three Americans had been killed and identified them as Victor Lynn Lovelady, Gordon Lee Rowan, and Frederick Buttaccio, who had been previously identified.

Seven U.S. citizens survived the crisis, added Nuland, who declined to comment further citing privacy considerations.

Read more: Algeria attack may have link to Libya camps

CNN's Yoko Wakatsuki and Greg Botelho contributed to this report.

Read More..