News Stories

[428]

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Not just sand, but terror mechanic problems too (MSK used to work as a mechanic).

Indonesia's law enforcement is probably crippled by the recent elections, thus the nuts decide it is a good time to strike. And it is.

MSK was from Malaysia or Indo?

Edit: Yeah, Indo. Kendal, Central Java, Indonesia




Click for full story...


Then we have this.

[Shadow Kira01]

Space shuttle Endeavour closes in on space station

Originally Posted by SaintessHeart

Anyway, I heard this morning that some nut bombed a Ritz Carlton Hotel somewhere in Malaysia. Can anyone verify it?

Man U scraps Indonesia match after hotel blasts

Athletes, drugs, and gangsters do have a relation you know.. Its not like that every time a bomb goes off and its terrorism or conspiracies involving Muslims.

[428]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

Ultra-Orthodox Jews visit Hamas
Now that's something you never expected.

Read carefully!

The Neturei Karta believe that a Jewish state can only be established by the Messiah and thus denounce Israel as heretic and embrace its enemies.

Of course it's normal!

[Shadow Kira01]

Wait..

Who is the Messiah? How will they know the individual is the Messiah when they see them?

I cannot comprehend.

[Saleh]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

Space shuttle Endeavour closes in on space station



Man U scraps Indonesia match after hotel blasts

Athletes, drugs, and gangsters do have a relation you know.. Its not like that every time a bomb goes off and its terrorism or conspiracies involving Muslims.

And what is that? Btw there was an interesting report from associated press regarding this incident. Jemaah Islamiyah, Islamic Terrorism organization is currently in the spotlight for this attack. It could have been an international disaster if M.U was hit by it.

[428]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

Wait..

Who is the Messiah? How will they know the individual is the Messiah when they see them?

I cannot comprehend.

If they were Christians, I would invoke Revelations. But then, they're Jews, and as I know, Jews don't believe them same things we do, so...

Moving on...

Iraq Suffers as the Euphrates River Dwindles

The shrinking of the Euphrates, a river so crucial to the birth of civilization that the Book of Revelation prophesied its drying up as a sign of the end times, has decimated farms along its banks, has left fishermen impoverished and has depleted riverside towns as farmers flee to the cities looking for work.

[Akari Misaki]

Originally Posted by Shadow Kira01

Man U scraps Indonesia match after hotel blasts

Athletes, drugs, and gangsters do have a relation you know.. Its not like that every time a bomb goes off and its terrorism or conspiracies involving Muslims.

It's a good thing I didn't buy the match ticket D:
many people are looking forward for this match and yet...
some rumor were spreading via SMS/mail that 6 other bomb will hit jakarta today but I don't see any of it until now (thank goodness...)

[MrTerrorist]

Originally Posted by 428

Read carefully!

I know their views on Israel, it's just rare to see Orthodox jews visiting Hamas since most Orthodox Jews (and all of Israel) don't like Hamas, but in this case, their Ultra Orthodox Jews who don't like the nation Israel(in their view only the Messiah can formed Isreal, not the Jewish people) are visiting Hamas.

I bet Hamas is having a field day & might use this event to say:
"Look, we're not Anti Semitic, we just don't like the nation of Israel pestering our citizens & all that other crap. See here? We invited some jewsih people & talking with them, so that doesn't mean were Anti Semitic. Heck we like Jewish people, we just don't like them taking our lands!"

I hope you do realize that this comment above was just sarcasm of what they might say.

[428]

Originally Posted by MrTerrorist

I know their views on Israel, it's just rare to see Orthodox jews visiting Hamas since most Orthodox Jews (and all of Israel) don't like Hamas, but in this case, their Ultra Orthodox Jews who don't like the nation Israel(in their view only the Messiah can formed Isreal, not the Jewish people) are visiting Hamas.

I bet Hamas is having a field day & might use this event to say:
"Look, we're not Anti Semitic, we just don't like the nation of Israel pestering our citizens & all that other crap. See here? We invited some jewsih people & talking with them, so that doesn't mean were Anti Semitic. Heck we like Jewish people, we just don't like them taking our lands!"

I hope you do realize that this comment above was just sarcasm of what they might say.

US will have a field day on this. While we all laugh at the stupidity of it all.

[Shadow Kira01]

NKorea, China top Japan's security concerns

TOKYO (AP) -- North Korea is an increasing threat to regional security and may be capable of building a nuclear device small enough to launch on a missile sooner than expected, Japan's Defense Ministry said in an annual report released Friday.

The report cited North Korea as Japan's chief security concern, but also noted that other nations in Asia - particularly China - are improving their military abilities.

Worries over North Korea have "grown more serious" since it conducted a nuclear test in May, the second since the North's first underground atomic test in October 2006. The tests led to U.N. Security Council sanctions.

"It is difficult to rule out the possibility that North Korea could achieve miniaturization of nuclear weapons and development of nuclear warheads in a relatively short time," the report said, adding that the North is likely importing missile-related materials and technologies.

"Developments in North Korea, including the possible impact of the health issues of Kim Jong Il and the question of succession, need to be closely monitored," the report said.

Since 1994, Kim has ruled the impoverished communist nation with absolute authority. But he reportedly suffered a stroke last August, leading to speculation that chaos could result if he fails to name a successor before he dies.

Kim has reportedly picked his third son, Jong Un, as his successor, but questions remain about how the transition will proceed.

The report also said China's military development is also a major concern to Tokyo. It said the Chinese navy is reinforcing its submarines and surface combat ships with upgraded air defense and anti-ship missile capabilities.

Further, China has intensified maritime activities near Japan and appears to be seeking to add an aircraft carrier to its fleet, the report said.

Japan has stepped up monitoring off its southwestern shores around islets in the East China Sea claimed by Tokyo, Beijing and Taipei.

Chinese warships and survey vessels have been more frequently spotted in the area, including waters off Okinawa Island, about 1,000 miles (1,600 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo, the report said.

In response, Japan will increase its presence there as part of an overall troop realignment.

The report also said the Defense Ministry is examining projects to bolster national defense under a law passed last year allowing space technology for the first time to be used for defense purposes.

It did not specify what programs are being considered.

[james0246]

Walter Cronkite, Iconic Anchorman, Dies:

Walter Cronkite, an iconic CBS News journalist who defined the role of anchorman for a generation of television viewers, died Friday at the age of 92, his family said.

Mr. Cronkite anchored the “CBS Evening News” from 1962 to 1981, at a time when television became the dominant medium of the United States. He figuratively held the hand of the American public during the civil rights movement, the space race, the Vietnam war, and the impeachment of Richard Nixon. During his tenure, network newscasts were expanded to 30 minutes from 15.

More than any of the other recent celebrity deaths, this one, while not shocking, still hits me the hardest...

[solomon]

wow, james. You that much of an ol' head or a just a news junkie like me? I wasn't expecting this until i remembered the man had an illness, he seemed like a real class act. He was the prefered caster for most of my folks (although we enjoyed Dan Rather too, just not as much).

[Shadow Kira01]

US, Japan agree to strengthen nuclear defenses

TOKYO (AP) -- The United States and Japan agreed Saturday to strengthen the U.S. defense of its close ally against any nuclear attack by North Korea - Japan's top security concern.

The U.S. has established a "nuclear umbrella" to protect Japan and other non-nuclear allies from possible attack. The umbrella comprises U.S.-based nuclear weapons, including ballistic missiles with nuclear warheads, and nuclear submarines, in a system that has been in place since the Cold War. Japan does not allow nuclear weapons on its territory.

U.S. and Japanese officials in charge of defense and foreign affairs decided Saturday to hold regular talks on how to boost the effectiveness of the defense system, a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said on condition of anonymity, citing protocol.

They also agreed to increase efforts to encourage North Korea to return to international disarmament talks.

Kurt Campbell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs who attended the meeting, told Japanese public broadcaster NHK that a first meeting is expected in Washington in several weeks for "a deep discussion about the elements of nuclear deterrence."

He added that the U.S. is committed to providing the deterrence for Japan and that "our extended nuclear umbrella remains strong and stable."

Campbell and Assistant Secretary of Defense Wallace Gregson completed the bilateral talks Saturday with Japanese counterparts Kazuyoshi Umemoto, the Foreign Ministry's director general for North America, and Nobushige Takamizawa, the Defense Ministry's director general.

The meeting finished a day after the Defense Ministry said in an annual report that North Korea is an increasing threat and may be capable of building a nuclear device small enough to be launched on a missile sooner than expected. It also noted that North Korean leader Kim Jong Il's health and a leadership succession could be destabilizing factors.

Six-nation talks on North Korea came to a halt in April when the North withdrew to protest a U.N. statement condemning what Pyongyang described as a satellite launch. Japan, the U.S. and their allies said the launch was a long-range missile test.

North Korea conducted its second underground nuclear test in May, drawing further condemnation and sanctions.

Campbell said Friday it was not too late for North Korea to return to the talks. But Kim Yong Nam, the North's No. 2 official, has said Pyongyang is not ready to resume the talks because the U.S. and its allies do not respect its sovereignty.

The talks involve the two Koreas, the U.S., Japan, China and Russia.

The North's nuclear development has prompted some hawkish Japanese lawmakers to call for a debate over whether Japan should acquire nuclear arms as a deterrent.

But possession of nuclear weapons is a sensitive topic in Japan, the only country to suffer a nuclear attack.

The ministry official said the U.S. nuclear umbrella is "an extended deterrent" for Japan.

Under a bilateral security alliance, about 50,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Japan, most of them on southern Okinawa island. Tokyo and Washington have also boosted cooperation on a missile defense system.

All of this don't mean anything, considering that the House of Representatives will be dissolved on July 21st and that a new government will be replacing the current one at the start of September.

Although the Democratic Party of Japan under the leadership of Hatoyama Yukio feels that it is reckless to halt those refueling missions but I am sure he finds it even more reckless to allow American nukes into the country as that it violates the non-nuclear principles. Speaking of which, I wonder what sort of policy reforms Hatoyama Yukio had compiled a few days ago. Perhaps, it is entirely possible for the non-nuclear principles to be reformed as that the most influential figure of the political party, Ozawa Ichiro don't mind Japan possessing nukes.

MPD, agriculture ministry team up to fight mislabeling

Created on a computer owned by the firm, the certificates read "Country of Origin: Japan (Osumi region, Kagoshima Prefecture)" in Chinese characters. The second of the two kanji characters of Osumi looked similar to the genuine one, but was wrong and yet no one noticed.

It is rare for people to actually examine a package before consumption in most cases. Perhaps, most people never pays attention to this sort of detail on a food package. Speaking of which, the only time I pay attention to the details of a food package would be during purchase and that the only things which really matter would be the origin of the product and the expiry date. Everything else is pretty much ignored.

[Saleh]

A bit older report from Kyodo.

Japan defense white paper ratchets up vigilance of China, N. Korea (July, 17)

Originally Posted by Kyodo

China has begun work to make its military capable of assuming missions other than the Taiwan issue, while North Korea may destabilize in the near future due to health problems of leader Kim Jong Il, the Defense Ministry warns in an annual white paper released Friday.
In such circumstances, Japan is exploring the military use of outer space and working to update the National Defense Program Guidelines that define its basic security policy and targeted capabilities for the coming years, the paper says.
In a Cabinet meeting, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada presented and won approval to the 427-page ''Defense of Japan 2009'' report that basically covers the year to May. Its English version will be released later.
Beijing ''has begun work to acquire the capability to engage in missions other than dealing with the Taiwan issue in recent years,'' the latest report says, citing such Chinese moves as its space development efforts and active naval activities beyond adjacent waters.
''The military balance between China and Taiwan has changed to the advantage of China,'' it also notes on the ground that, according to ministry officials, China outnumbered Taiwan in terms of advanced fighters in 2009.
Chinese destroyers and other vessels have boosted activities in waters near Japan as seen last October when a fleet of combat ships was for the first time spotted sailing between Hokkaido and the Honshu main island in open waters through the Tsugaru Strait into the Pacific, it says.
In addition, the Chinese Navy's deployment since December of vessels to the Gulf of Aden for an antipiracy mission -- its first activity out of nearby waters -- shows its capability to operate in a distant sea as well as an enhanced emphasis on protecting its sea lanes, it says.
Also pointing at Beijing's interest in possessing aircraft carriers, the report cautions, ''The scope of its capabilities appears to be expanding beyond waters near China.''
On North Korea, the report states, ''It is difficult to dismiss the possibility that the regime will destabilize in time of a change in power structure that may take place in the near future,'' given Kim's reported health problems and age of 67.
Its May 25 nuclear test ''shows the good possibility'' that Pyongyang has made further progress in its nuclear program, and ''it is difficult to eliminate the possibility that North Korea, in a relatively short time, realizes downsizing and making into warheads of nuclear weapons,'' it says.

*snip*

Those following N. Korea's movement may also be interested in NapsNet's daily report. Hopefully things will be resolved peacefully.

Edit -

Iraq Restricts U.S. Forces

Originally Posted by Washington Post

BAGHDAD, July 17 -- The Iraqi government has moved to sharply restrict the movement and activities of U.S. forces in a new reading of a six-month-old U.S.-Iraqi security agreement that has startled American commanders and raised concerns about the safety of their troops.

In a curt missive issued by the Baghdad Operations Command on July 2 -- the day after Iraqis celebrated the withdrawal of U.S. troops to bases outside city centers -- Iraq's top commanders told their U.S. counterparts to "stop all joint patrols" in Baghdad. It said U.S. resupply convoys could travel only at night and ordered the Americans to "notify us immediately of any violations of the agreement."

The strict application of the agreement coincides with what U.S. military officials in Washington say has been an escalation of attacks against their forces by Iranian-backed Shiite extremist groups, to which they have been unable to fully respond.

If extremists realize "some of the limitations that we have, that's a vulnerability they could use against us," a senior U.S. military intelligence official said. "The fact is that some of these are very politically sensitive targets" thought to be close to the Shiite-dominated Iraqi government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.

The new guidelines are a reflection of rising tensions between the two governments. Iraqi leaders increasingly see the agreement as an opportunity to show their citizens that they are now unequivocally in charge and that their dependence on the U.S. military is minimal and waning.

The June 30 deadline for moving U.S. troops out of Iraqi towns and cities was the first of three milestones under the agreement. The U.S. military is to decrease its troop levels from 130,000 to 50,000 by August of next year.

U.S. commanders have described the pullout from cities as a transition from combat to stability operations. But they have kept several combat battalions assigned to urban areas and hoped those troops would remain deeply engaged in training Iraqi security forces, meeting with paid informants, attending local council meetings and supervising U.S.-funded civic and reconstruction projects.

The Americans have been taken aback by the new restrictions on their activities. The Iraqi order runs "contrary to the spirit and practice of our last several months of operations," Maj. Gen. Daniel P. Bolger, commander of the Baghdad division, wrote in an e-mail obtained by The Washington Post.

*snip*

[duncanMKZ]

Japanese space module Kibo not set to unleash destruction on unsuspecting Earth

19 July 2009

Astronauts from the space shuttle Endeavour have completed the next stage of Kibo, the Japanese module for the International Space Station.

"Kibo is intended to advance science - to do good," said Tetsuro Yokoyama, the kindly deputy manager of the project.

"And yet, everything may change," added his assistant, the shadowy figure known as Desslok.

Full story... http://dailyweek.com/stories/20090719_kibo/kibo.html

[Patriot's Blade]

Originally Posted by duncanMKZ

Japanese space module Kibo not set to unleash destruction on unsuspecting Earth

19 July 2009

Astronauts from the space shuttle Endeavour have completed the next stage of Kibo, the Japanese module for the International Space Station.

"Kibo is intended to advance science - to do good," said Tetsuro Yokoyama, the kindly deputy manager of the project.

"And yet, everything may change," added his assistant, the shadowy figure known as Desslok.

Full story... http://dailyweek.com/stories/20090719_kibo/kibo.html

what!? now i wonder on how aliens will react to Kibo if they did come & visit us

well, i'm not surprised if they suddenly convert that thing with a Mazinger or a Gundam head unit

[SaintessHeart]

Originally Posted by DRAGUN H.E.X.

well, i'm not surprised if they suddenly convert that thing with a Mazinger or a Gundam head unit

A Zeong? Then using the rest of the Space Station as a orbital strike cannon?

[Saleh]

Edit -
Germany Considers Forced Capitalization of Banks

Originally Posted by Spiegel

The German government is worried that the current shortage of bank credit plaguing industry will worsen later this year and is considering tackling the problem by forcibly taking stakes in banks, similar to the policy adopted by authorities in the United States and Britain, a German newspaper reported on Monday.

The plan envisages the government forcing banks to take state aid and to part-nationalize them in return, Süddeutsche Zeitung reported, citing unnamed sources.


So far, both Chancellor Angela Merkel and Finance Minister Peer Steinbrück have rejected such mandatory aid and have allowed banks to choose whether to tap the government's bank stabilization fund set up last year.

But analysts at the Chancellery, Finance Ministry and Economy Ministry now concur that Germany is at risk of a credit crunch that could worsen the recession, already the deepest since the 1930s, Süddeutsche reported.

Businesses Report Trouble Getting Credit

At present small businesses as well as large corporations say they are having problems securing bank loans. The banks have tightened their lending because they have had to make risk provisions to cover remaining toxic assets in their balance sheets, because an increasing number of companies cannot repay their loans in the current economic downturn, and because new international balance sheet rules are forcing banks to put back more equity capital to cover their loans.

The government has argued that it's time banks boosted their lending because several of them have taken billions of euros in government aid.

The government has not decided yet whether to go ahead with forced part-nationalization, the report said. One source at an unnamed ministry said it had been a mistake to make the aid system voluntary, but others in the government remain skeptical about forced measures, arguing that major banks in the US and Britain hadn't boosted their spending either, even though their governments have taken stakes in them.

So far, the German government has taken stakes in Hypo Real Estate and Commerzbank. But more banks are expected to avail themselves of government aid in the months to come because banks are having to undergo so-called stress tests to ascertain whether they qualify for the planned " scheme, under which they can free up their balance sheets by depositing their toxic assets in separate institutions. Those stress tests could reveal new problems at banks and force them to seek government aid.

Any law entitling the government to forcibly nationalize banks could probably only be passed after the Sept. 27 federal election, the Süddeutsche report said. The government is also considering an alternative -- expanding the lending activities of state development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW).

Merkel reiterated on Sunday that she was concerned about the lack of lending and signalled she would put additional pressure on banks to prevent a credit crunch. If loans don't increase, "the government will invite them back and have a serious word with the banks," she told ARD television.

French Senate adopts amended version of anti-piracy bill

AFP - The French Senate Wednesday adopted a revamped version of a contested Internet piracy bill, after the original text was struck down as unconstitutional in a blow to President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Adopted by the upper-house Senate, where Sarkozy's right-wing UMP party holds a clear majority, the new bill will head to the National Assembly in the coming weeks for its definitive adoption.

Championed by Sarkozy and singer-turned-first lady Carla Bruni, the original anti-piracy law was adopted in May after a stormy parliament battle, but was blocked the following month by France's top legal authority.

The Constitutional Council objected to a key provision, which gave a new state agency, known by the acronym Hadopi, the power to shut down web access for up to a year for those who download music and films illegally.

Defended before the Senate by Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie, the new bill shifts the final decision on cutting off web users from the state agency to the courts.

On the third strike, the agency would report offenders to a judge, who would hand down either an Internet ban, a fine of up to 300,000 euros (415,000 dollars) or a two-year jail sentence, under a fast-track ruling system.

Account holders found guilty of "negligence" for allowing a third party to pirate music or films using their web connection, would risk a 1,500-euro fine and a month-long suspension.

One of the toughest ever drafted in the global fight against Internet piracy, the original bill enjoyed broad support from the music and film industry in France and abroad, but was opposed by consumer groups, the Internet industry and the left-wing opposition.

Opponents said it failed to give alleged pirates enough recourse to challenge accusations and argued that web innovations would make it possible for illegal downloaders to avoid detection.

The Constitutional Council had agreed that only a judge should have the power to strike an individual from the Internet, arguing that "free access to public communication services on line" was a human right.

Council members, who include former French presidents, based their ruling on the preamble to the French constitution, which lists freedom of communication and expression as a basic right.

Opposition lawmakers have complained that the reworked bill still gives web users too little opportunity to challenge piracy accusations.

Downloading animes in France could have serious consequence.

[Knight Hawk]

Adios, Chihuahua! Taco Bell dog dead at 15

She charmed millions without ever saying a word — and managed to make fast-food tacos adorable. Gidget, the Chihuahua best known for her Taco Bell ad campaign (and her famous overdubbed tagline, "Yo quiero Taco Bell"), died from a stroke on Tuesday night at age 15.

"She made so many people happy," says Gidget's trainer, Sue Chipperton. PEOPLE met both Gidget and Sue at a Hollywood animals photo shoot in February, where the pup was a consummate pro and delighted the crew with her playful nature.

"When she's on a set, she comes alive," Chipperton said at the time. But when the mostly retired canine actor wasn't joining her trainer on shoots, the 15-year-old was happy to just kick back. "She goes on hikes with me and she loves the sun," said Chipperton, who added that Gidget was happy to sleep "for 23 hours and 45 minutes a day. She'll lay outside when it's 105 degrees! I like to joke that it's like looking after a plant."
Story continues below ↓advertisement | your ad here

In addition to her gig as spokesdog for Taco Bell, Gidget appeared in a commercial for the '90s edition of Trivial Pursuit and played Bruiser's mom in Legally Blonde 2 (Moonie, the dog who played Bruiser, was her best friend and sometime roommate at Chipperton's house).

Other than a few other small cameos, Gidget's working life didn't continue much beyond her Taco Bell legacy. But she left quite an impression. "One time, I kid you not, she actually pushed her stand-in out of the way because he was still there when she arrived on set," Chipperton recalled with a laugh. "Gidget always knew where the camera was."

Yo quiero Taco Bell.

[Shadow Kira01]

Total eclipse seen 1st time in 46 yrs

AMAMI-OSHIMA, Kagoshima--The clouds below me gradually faded to gray, then it grew dark, a blackened sun appearing far above.

I experienced the total solar eclipse from the Yomiuri Shimbun plane Mirai, 13,000 meters above the western shore of Amami-Oshima island.

At 9:50 a.m., I first noticed the light reflecting off the plane's white wing growing fainter.

When I looked at the sun through protective eyewear, I could see it was partly obscured--a dark shadow creeping across the great golden sphere.

On removing the eyewear I saw that the light reflecting off the wing had already grown weaker again.

About an hour later, the moon was covering the sun. With the naked eye, I could see the sun's corona--not usually visible under the full glare of the sun--appearing like a thin white veil.

On my watch it read 10:48 a.m., yet stars were shining in the dark sky.

A sudden stream of bright light broke the total eclipse, creating the famous diamond ring effect. I had to catch my breath many times as I watched the fantastic scenes that are only visible during a total solar eclipse unfold before me.

(Jul. 23, 2009)