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Archive for July 18, 2011

News of the World phone-hacking whistleblower found dead

July 18, 2011 1 comment

guardian

Death of Sean Hoare – who was first named journalist to allege Andy Coulson knew of hacking – not being treated as suspicious

Sean Hoare

Former News of the World reporter Sean Hoare has been found dead. Photograph: BBC

Sean Hoare, the former News of the World showbiz reporter who was the first named journalist to allege Andy Coulson was aware of phone hacking by his staff, has been found dead, the Guardian has learned.

Hoare, who worked on the Sun and the News of the World with Coulson before being dismissed for drink and drugs problems, is said to have been found dead at his Watford home.

Hertfordshire police would not confirm his identity, but the force said in a statement: “At 10.40am today [Monday 18 July] police were called to Langley Road, Watford, following the concerns for the welfare of a man who lives at an address on the street. Upon police and ambulance arrival at a property, the body of a man was found. The man was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.

“The death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious. Police investigations into this Read more…

Categories: Strange Events Tags: , , , , ,

Typhoon Ma-on approaches Japan

July 18, 2011 Comments off

netglobers

Typhoon Ma-on is threatening the Japanese island of Shikoku. According to forecasters, the typhoon is likely to make landfall on Wakayama Prefecture (Honshu Island) early on July 20th. Later on Wednesday, July 20th or early on Thursday, July 21st, the typhoon, weakened by that time into a category-one storm, is expected to hit the south of Kanto Plain and Tokyo-Yokohama metropolitan area. Consequently, heavy downpours and strong winds are forecast while flash floods and landslides remain possible. Power cuts, telecommunication and water outages are possible in affected areas. Transport disruptions are also expected as the typhoon could force the closure of several airports including Osaka International airport, Tokyo International Airport (Haneda) and Narita International Airport. Ferry and train services (including the high-speed trains Shinkansen) are likely to be disrupted in southern and central Honshu.

Typhoon Ma-on will generate heavy Read more…

Categories: Japan, Weather Tags: , , , , , ,

Why China Wants South China Sea

July 18, 2011 Comments off

the-diplomat.com

By Tetsuo Kotani

Beijing is interested in more than just energy and fishery resources. The area is also integral to its nuclear submarine strategy.

 

In an effort to underscore its importance to Asia, geostrategist Nicholas Spykman once described it as the ‘Asiatic Mediterranean.’ More recently, it has been dubbed the ‘Chinese Caribbean.’ And, just as Rome and the United States have sought control over the Mediterranean and Caribbean, China now seeks dominance over the South China Sea.

It’s clear that China’s claims and recent assertiveness have increased tensions in this key body of water. Yet while most attention has focused on Beijing’s appetite for fishery and energy resources, from a submariner’s perspective, the semi-closed sea is integral to China’s nuclear strategy. And without understanding the nuclear dimension of the South China Sea disputes, China’s maritime expansion makes little sense.

Possessing a credible sea-based nuclear deterrent is a priority for China’s military strategy. China’s single Type 092, or Xia-class, nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, equipped with short-range JL-1 submarine-launched ballistic Read more…

Categories: China, military Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Global temperatures were seventh warmest on record for June

July 18, 2011 Comments off

noaa

The globe experienced the seventh warmest June since record keeping began in 1880. The Arctic sea ice extent was the second smallest extent for June on record.

The monthly analysis from NOAA’s National Climatic Data Center is part of the suite of climate services NOAA provides government, business and community leaders so they can make informed decisions.

Global Temperature Highlights:  June

  • The combined global land and ocean average surface temperature for June 2011 was the seventh warmest on record at 60.94 F (16.08 C), which is 1.04 F (0.58 C) above the 20th century average of 59.9 F (15.5 C). The margin of error associated with this temperature is +/- 0.13 F (0.07 C).
  • Separately, the global land surface temperature was 1.60 F (0.89 C) above the 20th century average of 55.9 F (13.3 C), which was the fourth warmest June on record. The margin of error is +/- 0.23 F (0.13 C). Warmer-than-average conditions occurred across most of Russia, Europe, and China, the Middle East, eastern Canada, Mexico, and the southern United States. Cooler-than-average regions included the northern and western United States, part of western Canada, and most of Australia.
  • The June global ocean surface temperature was 0.85 F (0.47 C) above the 20th century average of 61.5 F (16.4 C), making it the Read more…
Categories: Earth changes, Weather Tags: ,

Government Increases Hysteria Over Cyber Attacks in Push to Crack Down on Internet

July 18, 2011 Comments off

infowars

Last week Republican senator John McCain called for the government to establish a special panel to come up with legislation to address supposed cybersecurity threats facing the United States.

“The only way to move comprehensive cyber security legislation forward swiftly is to have committee chairmen and ranking members step away from preserving their own committees’ jurisdiction … (and) develop a bill that serves the national security needs of all Americans,” McCain said.

As if on cue, the Pentagon announced two previously unpublicized attacks following McCain’s call for a bipartisan action.

On Thursday, out-going deputy secretary of defense Bill Lynn said a foreign intelligence service had stolen 24,000 files on a sensitive weapons system from a defense contractor’s network.

Lynn said the Defense Industrial Base Cyber Pilot was established to work with the private sector in the battle against cyber foes.

“Our success in cyberspace depends on a robust public Read more…

Categories: internet, United States Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

$5,000 Gold Later This Decade?

July 18, 2011 Comments off

goldalert

later this decadeGold bullion may reach $5,000 per ounce later this decade, bolstered by rising demand from India and China and slowing production growth, according to Standard Chartered Plc.

Yan Chen, head of metals and mining for the firm, stated that “We are looking for the gold price to reach about $2,000 by 2014,” in a Bloomberg television interview.  ”There’s a chance that the gold price can be as high as $5,000 by 2020,” as income growth in China and India fuel demand for the yellow metal.

Chen’s comments came in the wake of yet another new all-time record high for gold prices, which this morning reached $1,603.80 per ounce.  Gold has been supported of late by the ongoing sovereign debt crisis in Europe, the uncertainty over the debt ceiling in the United States, and the prospects of a third round of quantitative easing (QE3) by the Federal Reserve.

The Standard Chartered strategist went on to say that “The gold market will be in deficit in the next couple of years.  The central banks are now back buying gold massively, turning from net seller of gold into net buyer.”

Categories: Coming Events, GOLD Tags: , , , , , ,

Poor Man’s Gold is Breaking Out — Sell Your House and Buy Silver?

July 18, 2011 1 comment

businessinsider

   Investors have pushed silver above the recent channel high at around $39 or so per ounce and I fully expect a retest of $50 if any more talk is given about QE3 — Silver rises because of the rising digital money supply, not from speculation. Owning cash is speculative whereas owning metals is conservative or a safe haven at current prices.

Many people will tell you that silver and gold are in a bubble but the fact is that commodities in general are one of the only asset classes that work here because the consolidated banking system is holding our economy hostage and Bernanke is solely focused on saving the banks. Right now, shorting European banks and going long silver and gold looks to be about as good of a “trade” as possible — investors are essentially betting that Europe will face massive credit problems because of the obvious insolvency of Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, and Ireland.

The next shoe to drop is the US… We are facing the exact same issues as Read more…

Categories: Coming Events, Silver Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Reservoirs Can Trigger Earthquakes Say Chinese Geologists Studying Complex Interaction Of Earth And Water

July 18, 2011 1 comment

nanopatentsandinnovations

Chinese geologists suggest that earthquakes can be triggered by reservoirs in a study of the Zipingpu Reservoir and Longmenshan Slip.

This figure is a presentation of viscous stress and Reynolds stress at multiple micro-spatial scales under ultra-high temperature and pressure conditions.

Credit: ©Science China Press

The extended Coulomb failure stress (ECFS) criteria and anisotropic porosity and permeability tensor at micro/meso/macro scale under ultra‑high temperature and pressure (UTP) conditions were developed employing the flow driven pore‑network crack (FDPNC) model under multiple temporal–spatial scales and the hybrid hypersingular integral equation‑lattice Boltzmann method (HHIE‑LBM). The correlation of the Zipingpu reservoir and Longmenshan slip was then analyzed and the fluid–solid coupled three‑dimensional facture mechanism of the reservoir and earthquake fault was explored.

Describing the correlation of a reservoir and Read more…

Categories: Earth, Earth changes, Earthquake Tags: , , ,

China discloses J-10 fighter jet base to S. Korean defense chief

July 18, 2011 Comments off

yonhapnews

SEOUL, July 17 (Yonhap) — China disclosed a J-10 fighter jet base to the visiting South Korean defense minister last week, a defense official in Seoul said Sunday, a move signaling Beijing’s intent to further strengthen bilateral defense and military exchanges.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin visited a Chinese air force training base in Changzhou, Jiangsu province, on Saturday, the last day of his three-day visit to China for talks with his Chinese counterpart, Liang Guanglie, the official said.

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin (third from R) visits China’s J-10 fighter jet base in Changzhou, south of Beijing, on July 16. (Yonhap)

During his visit to the base, about 200 kilometers south of Beijing, Kim watched the takeoff and landing of a J-10 jet, a China-developed fighter with an operational radius of 1,250 km, before having lunch with Chinese military officers there.

Liang said during his dinner with Kim on Friday that the J-10 jet base has never Read more…

Categories: China Tags: , , ,

Brazil to build nuclear submarines which will dramatically alter balance of power in South America

July 18, 2011 Comments off

dailymail

Sub: Brazil plans to build its first nuclear submarine in the next few yearsThe Brazilian government has started work on a submarine programme which will include the construction of South America’s first nuclear subs.

The move will boost Brazil’s claim to be the strongest force in the region, and strengthen the country’s military assertiveness.

This new-found power may harm Britain in the event of another flare-up over the Falklands, according to U.S. news agency Global Post, as Brazil thinks the islands should belong to Argentina.

The defence plan was announced in 2008, and will eventually involve the construction of five new submarines. Each will cost around $565 million.

The first, being built in collaboration with a French contractor, is due to come into service in 2016.

By the time the programme is complete, Brazil will Read more…

Categories: Brazil, military Tags: , , , , , ,