Friday, April 27, 2007

Countering The Neocons: Progressives Will Have To Get Proactive



There are things I agree with when it comes to the neocons. The day 9/11 happened, I said this is the beginning of something of the same magnitude as the Cold War. This is not an incident, this is an era.

But I have vehemently opposed the prescription. These right wingers are racist people who don't mind killing tens of thousands of innocent Iraqi people.

The progressives have also disappointed. Their anti-war position oftentimes sounds like they were saying Saddam should still have been in power. They want to end the war and withdraw.

Having an anti-war stance is not enough. We have to offer an alternative. We have to be able to say, you spent $500 billion in Iraq to topple Saddam, we are going to spend 1% of that money, and topple Mugabe, and we will do it in less than a year from now. Or maybe 0.1% of the money. $500 million will be enough. Or maybe 0.01% for $50 million.

Give me a million strong Matrix in New York City, and I see a total spread of democracy by 2020. I have not managed to sell this idea to the progressive groups in Manhattan, or elsewhere in the city.

There is only one way to win the so called War On Terror: you spread democracy in Arab country after Arab country after Arab country, one after the other after the other. You could do the neocon way that bleeds the country's finances and bleeds Arab bodies to death. Or we progressives could offer a viable alternative.

Spending money can help. I hate to have to repeat this again and again but, yes, Nepal is the answer. Nepal's April Revolution 2006 is the role model. Only we have to perfect the method each time, make it better and better and better.

Spread Democracy
The Matrix
Revolution

This will work like clockwork, country after country after country.

But the progressives in America are going to have to get behind this idea. The progressives in New York City are going to have to get behind this idea.

Oftentimes progressives in America can talk like there were a hieararchy, and the Republicans have the money, and they are at the top, and the middle income progressives are in the middle, and the Third World people are at the bottom of the heap, they don't matter, they don't factor in. The Republicans look down upon Democrats, the Democrats have the Third World people to look down upon.

This used to be a humanitarian issue, this used to be an idealism issue. Now this is a security issue. If we are not going to offer a strong progressive version of spreading democracy, Giuliani will have an ax to grind in 2008, because the Al Qaeda threat is very real. Retreating from the Arab world is not an option. But we do have to engage differently. We have to engage the progressive way.

Wash Mugabe Away With A Revolution
Darfur: A Clear Case For External Intervention
Obama Gameplan: Stable, Democratic Iraq
Will It Be Obama Versus Rudy?
Fox, Barack, Islam

Obama's Weapon On Clinton: Iraq
Democratic Vision For The 21st Century
The Energy Solution: Nuclear Energy
Iraq: Dumb War
Middle East: The Final Map
Lamont: The Iraq War Ferment In The Democratic Party
Anti War Rally With Jesse Jackson 4
Anti War Rally With Jesse Jackson 3
Anti War Rally With Jesse Jackson 2
Anti War Rally With Jesse Jackson
The First Major Revolution Of The 21st Century Happened In Nepal

I just read some good news on Russia. Putin is trying to turn Russia into a democracy of state funded parties. How many votes you get is how much money you get, in proportion. Also proportional elections with party lists. The dude is learning that formula from Nepal.

The French Revolution And DFNYC




In The News

Analysis: Dems Keep It Cordial in Debate Forbes

It was less of a debate and more like a polite first date ...... the Democrats vying for the White House were downright complimentary, calling each other by their first names more like friends than rivals. ..... "Nobody made any significant mistake, but nobody distinguished themselves." ..... They all were to attend the state party's biggest fundraiser Friday evening, then party together at a fish fry thrown by Rep. Jim Clyburn in a downtown Columbia parking garage. ....... Clinton said the fact that most of the public doesn't like her is actually a form of flattery because it shows she stands up for what she believes in. Obama, questioned about whether he's light on substance, laid out a three-point health care plan. ........ Obama responded that it would be a mistake to initiate war with Iran, but the country's nuclear programs pose a major threat to the United States. ..... Obama smiled to cool the heated exchange. "I'm not planning to nuke anybody right now, Mike, I promise," he said to laughter from the crowd.
Gravel to Obama: 'Who Do You Want to Nuke NewsMax.com
Obama wins Round One on points - just barely New York Daily News
Pity Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama Huffington Post Expect pundits to proclaim Barack Obama the winner of this first debate.
Govt calls NFIN for talks on May 5 Nepalnews.com
With the return of democracy, Nepal struggles with big questions
International Herald Tribune
Giuliani shaping up to be the best option The Brandeis Hoot
Bihar ahead of Bengal in development : Thakur NewKerala.com
The Democratic Debate: Winners and Losers
Washington Post Clinton entered the debate with high expectations and managed to meet them -- not an easy task. She was informed, concise and under control at all times. She showed her tough side when asked what she would do in the event of simultaneous terrorist attacks against two American cities
AOL Launches AOL.in Portal In India WebWire (press release)
Saudis say they've busted massive terror plot
CNN "They had the personnel, the money, the arms. Almost all the elements for terror attacks were complete except for setting the zero hour for the attacks." ...... the operation confiscated 20 million Saudi riyals ($5.3 million) ...... Al-Arabiya and Al-Jazeera reported that the militants wanted to use airplanes to attack refineries. ..... A principal goal of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has been to bring down the Saudi monarchy
'Mutual destruction' danger in US anti-missile plan: Putin New Straits Times
Putin retaliates for American antimissile plan Los Angeles Times In his wide-ranging address to parliament, Putin also reaffirmed his intention to step down next year as required by the Russian Constitution ...... Putin said changes in electoral law to provide for members of parliament being chosen purely on a proportional voting basis from party lists, rather than having some members elected from individual districts as in the past, would make December elections more democratic. The president, however, indicated that his concept of democracy did not allow for empty promises designed to appeal to the public — something many voters in the United States and other countries might think of as being a basic characteristic of democratic systems. ......... "In accordance with election results, parties get the right to state financing," Putin said. "And Russian taxpayers have the right to expect that their money will not be spent for empty populist promises or undermining the foundations of the state structure."
Google Desktop 5 Speaks 29 Languages PC World available in 29 languages, including Hindi ..... Microsoft Corp.'s introduction of new desktop search functionality in Vista
Army testing Mobile WiMax ZDNet.com blogs
Our neighbour betrayed us: Amitabh Bachchan
SantaBanta.com Says the Big B angrily, "That's because some of the people who came to the wedding surreptitiously took photographs with their mobile cameras and disgracefully put them on the net. In fact I've caught out the person who has taken the photographs. He's my neighbour. I've had a very serious talk with him. He has apologized profusely. He says he wasn't giving it to the press. While he was sending the pictures to his sister in the US they got intercepted on the net." ....... "I don't think sections of the media has the right to dictate to me about how to conduct my life and how to deal with my family and social obligations. ..... My family's privacy is very important to me. And I'll protect it with my dying breath. No one can dictate to me about how I should conduct my life, or my son's wedding. ....... We made the shamianas air-conditioned and sound proof for the comfort of the guests and so that people outside wouldn't get disturbed. We had no fireworks to avoid sound pollution. ........ you can't block my car when I'm taking my new daughter-in-law home after the wedding. Why spoil the most important moment in my son and his wife's life?" ...... One was the wedding card and the other is the information card which will go to all our friends. ...... It informs about the wedding with a shagun and mithai and asks everyone to bless the couple. .... We've sent this card to everyone, in the film industry, the political circles because of Amar Singhji and Jaya, and whoever has been a part of our lives. Even after all this if some people choose to be hurt what can we say?"
Vista, Office 2007 Drive Microsoft Profits Up PC World
Scientists Identify 7 New Diabetes Genes New York Times the biology of a disease that affects 170 million people worldwide. ..... the pursuit of the genes that underlie common diseases like diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer and schizophrenia. ...... diabetes research has been what his professor warned would be “a geneticist’s nightmare.
One small step for man, a giant leap for Hawking Sydney Morning Herald
Not the type of guy to be kept down Los Angeles Times
'One Laptop Per Child' price jumps from $100 to $175
TG Daily mass production is expected to begin in October, and the 75% price increase will not affect the prospect of reaching three million orders for the green-and-white laptops. ...... So far, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil, Pakistan, Thailand, Nigeria, and Libya have all placed orders. Peru and Russia are also in talks to buy large quantities of the inexpensive machines ..... Quanta, the contracted manufacturer for the computers, will make about $78 profit per laptop with the new price. They will come pre-installed with a proprietary version of Windows, but can also run its own homegrown operating system
Sony announces video chat add-on for PS3 ZDNet
Pentagon: Top al Qaeda leader taken to Guantanamo CNN al-Hadi was believed to have been captured in 2002 ..... There are now about 385 detainees at Guantanamo Bay.














South Carolina Debate

Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 1 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 2 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 3 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 4 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 5 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 6 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 7 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 8 of 9
Democratic Debate for 2008 Presidency SCSU part 9 of 9













In The News

Clinton Asserts Edge Over Obama In Debate CBS News
Hollywood Actor Apologizes for 'Obscene' Kiss in India Voice of America
Aishwarya ‘Bachchan’ to live with her in-laws
Gulf Times
Clinton edges ahead after first Democratic debate
Times Online

Your Next President @ MySpace PC World The new show, called Independent, will be something like American Idol for politics.
Mr. Smith Goes To MySpace Wired News
Google eclipses Microsoft as world's most visited web site Mobile Digest
Google is world''s ''top brand'' Equimedia Marketing News
Ms Rai? No, she’s Mrs Bachchan, says Big B Times of India
Nepali Media Boom In North America Nepali Monitor
Dell Swaps Hard Drives For Flash On More Notebooks InformationWeek
Astronomers Discover Earth-like Planet Outside Solar System Voice of America
Barack Obama Fires Back at Rudy Giuliani for Terrorist Comment My Fox Colorado.com Rudy Giuliani today has taken the politics of fear to a new low ...... We know we can win this war based on shared purpose, not the same divisive politics that question your patriotism if you dare to question failed policies that have made us less secure. ..... In 2004, President Bush was re-elected after claiming that Democratic Sen. John Kerry would waver in the face of terrorist threats. Vice President Dick Cheney suggested a vote for Kerry would risk another terrorist attack.
It's 20 lightyears away - but still close to Earth New Zealand Herald Scientists have discovered a planet not much bigger than Earth that could be covered in oceans and has the right temperature to support life - and it is only 20.5 lightyears away. ....... Its "year" lasts only 13 days because it is 14 times closer to its star ...... surface temperatures would be between zero and 40C - just right for oceans to have formed and life to have begun. ...... Any living creatures on it would need thick bones and sturdy legs, because they would be twice as heavy as on Earth. ...... "There are caveats, one being that the environment around a red dwarf is very full of radiation. ...... They employed a method that looks for the "wobble" on a star caused by the gravity of a large object orbiting it. By measuring the wobble motion, astronomers can calculate a planet's orbit and mass.
Obama lays siege to Clinton's black support on home patch New Zealand Herald Obama is laying siege to the black support in New York state that Hillary Clinton used to be able to take for granted. ...... About one in five Democrats who vote on primary day in New York next February will be black .... a new poll on Tuesday showed him dead even with her nationally for the first time. ....... Obama appears to be stirring ethnic pride and excitement ...... His presence as a legitimate politician at a national level brings a certain pride. ....... Dismissing reports of a mass desertion is Congressman Charles Rangel, the most senior black elected official in the state, who is working hard to bolster Clinton's position. "I don't know Obama supporters in New York."
Obama pulls even with Hillary Clinton Blogger News Network
Clinton loses black leaders to Obama Telegraph.co.uk a "significant number" of black officials who had been seen as firmly in the Clinton camp have said they are now "undecided" because they are "impressed with the strength of Mr Obama's campaign in recent weeks". ...... This shift has occurred despite Mr Obama doing almost no campaigning in New York.
Obama Team Sees South Carolina as Key to Victory U.S. News & World Report
Carl Bernstein Writes Hilary Clinton Bio Post Chronicle Carl Bernstein's stunning portrait shows us, for the first time, the true trajectory of her life and career,'' Sonny Mehta ...... the Pulitzer Prize-winning series of articles on the Watergate scandal that helped bring down President Nixon. ...... such best sellers as Plan of Attack and State of Denial becoming must-reads for Washington gossip. ..... Clinton's ``complex relationship with her disciplinarian father'' to ``her courtship with Bill Clinton and the amazing dynamic of their marriage, during the most trying of circumstances and times. ...... her own political brilliance and blind spots .... Bernstein worked eight years on the book and ``interviewed more than 200 people ....... ``Bernstein reaches conclusions that stand in opposition to what Sen. Clinton has said in the past and has written in the past' ....... The new book will arrive two months before another scheduled Clinton biography, Her Way, by New York Times reporters Jeff Gerth and Don Van Natta Jr.
New book puts Hillary Clinton under scrutiny Akron Beacon Journal
Nepal to probe Terai unrest Zee News
DNC: Rudy Too Arrogant for America PR Newswire (press release)
In Bihar corruption is but a way of life
Daily News & Analysis
Is McCain-Feingold In Trouble ?
Liberty Papers
Launch of the first Italian satellite in India Avionews
Dow Bursts Through 13000
New York Times that it would spend $15 billion more to buy back its own shares or the $25 billion buyout of Sallie Mae by private equity firms and two big banks. ...... the announcement earlier this week by I.B.M.“There is a lot of money sloshing around,” said James Dunnigan, chief investment officer for the wealth management business of PNC ....... problems in the mortgage business have been limited to loans that were made to people with weak, or subprime, credit ..... most of the money that has poured into the market in recent years has come from institutional investors, rather than individuals........ “The whole rally here has been driven by institutional investors and companies themselves doing share buybacks” ....... international stocks, which have outstripped their American peers in part because the dollar has lost ground against the euro and British pound. ...... A $1 change in a stock like 3M that trades at about $76 a share has the same effect on the index as a $1 rise in Microsoft that trades at about $28, even though Microsoft’s market value is about five times that of 3M.
Oil Worker Deaths a Wake Up Call for Globalizing China Washington Post









Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Long Walk To Freedom: Just A Third World Guy Dazzled By The City


मेरो अाइसी (IC) कम्पनी ज्योितकनेक्ट

This past Friday evening, I proceeded to walk from Little Bangladesh, where I live, all the way to Jackson Heights. Little Bangladesh is south of Prospect Park. Now that park itself is quite walkey, you can walk around it, you can walk inside it. I love to walk. It is my favorite form of exercise. With other forms of exercise, it is like you have to suspend the process of thinking. Walking is thinking on steroids. No need to warm up or warm down. And the scenery changes.

Little Bangladesh is mini Jackson Heights. You can do all the Desi grocery shopping you want here.

New York City is the most diverse place on earth. Queens is the most diverse borough and where almost all my fellow Nepalis live, my comrades from the April Revolution. Jackson Heights in the most diverse locality in Queens.

I am thinking I am going to have my company's global headquarters in Jackson Heights. J for JyotiConnect, J for Jackson Heights. (Entrepreneurs: Spikes)

I have walked literally all over southern Brooklyn. I have been south to the water many times. I have been east to the water many times. Walking over to Coney Island is no big deal. Recently I formed a little walk rectangle. You go south and follow the D, M line and then you follow back up along the F line. I have walked west and the north to downtown Brooklyn.

But this was going to be much longer. And I was going to use my mind compass. Half way there I found myself in front of the big two buildings that house hundreds of Nepalis in Ridgewood. I asked a Hispanic guy there if he knew Jackson Heights.

"Yeah. But you nowhere near Jackson Heights."

A little later, I ordered a large pizza for eight bucks. Heck, that beats even the dollar pizza near Times Square, I think 42nd and 9th.

The walk was Friday evening. I took the F train back home from Jackson Heights.

Saturday evening was a huge Nepali New Year celebration. A legendary Nepali musician was on stage. He had been invited all the way from Nepal. I mentioned my walk to a few friends. I was getting calls about it the following day.

Another long walk like that I took was from up in the Bronx down to Little India in Manhattan. I had been to this Bill Clinton event (Bill Clinton Had Icecream For Lunch). A few days later I went back to the spot where I had shaken his hand ("Mr. President, you are Elvis!") and then decided to walk back. I was going to walk all the way to Little Bangladesh. But then I proceeded to eat at the Curry In A Hurry place in Little India, and I no longer felt like walking, so I took the train. Little India is Lex and 26th, I believe.

I have walked all over Manhattan. I walked all over Harlem on election day. (On November 7: In Harlem: For Obama)

I am in total love with New York City.

I own this city. It is just not official yet.

News: Thieves Steal New York Mayor Bloomberg's Car

Overheard

Audio Clip
My Back Against The Wall
Madonna: I Love New York
If You Want To
Amitabh In Town
Me, Ethiopian
KY, IN
Not Going Anywhere Outside The City
Moved
Police Brutality




Deuba In Jackson Heights 9
Deuba In Jackson Heights 7
Deuba In Jackson Heights 10

In The News

Police Search For Suspect In Fatal Jackson Heights Shooting NY1, NY
Police raid on Pakistani restaurant causes panic Daily Times, Pakistan
Jackson Heights woman, 18, dies in shooting Times Ledger, NY
Jackson Heights Making the Cut: A Matter of Interpretation New York Times, NY During Semana Santa, the Holy Week before Easter, it is customary among Latin American Catholics to refrain from eating red meat in favor of fish. Even so, the carnicerías, or butcher shops, of Jackson Heights, Queens, were bustling last week with Hispanic customers tempted by glossy lobes of liver

New York City passes ban on metal bats Inside Bay Area, CA
Metal Bats Banned in New York City High School Games AOL SPORTS
New York City's ban on metal bats not a hit with area players, coaches The Journal News.com
New York City bans use of metal batsIn-Forum (subscription)
New York City radio hosts suspended indefinitely over racially ...
San Diego Union Tribune, CA
New York CBS radio hosts suspended for racially charged segment Canada.com
US high court weighs whether New York City can sue foreign ... International Herald Tribune, France
Court weighs whether New York City can sue foreign countries over ... San Diego Union Tribune
New York Mayor Unveils Multi-Billion Dollar Green City Plan
Environment News Service
New York Pledges 1 Million New Trees by 2017 myfoxny.com
ATA sees problems with New York pricing plan eTrucker
New York City congestion charge gets mixed reaction Raw Story
New York City leaders put the brakes on unregulated pedicab industry San Diego Union Tribune, CA
Overriding Veto, Council Limits Pedicabs to 325 in New York New York Times
Pedicab Smackdown: City Council Defies Bloomberg, Reins in 'Green ... Village Voice
Cities Have Trouble Keeping Up With Cyclists Wired News
New York City Ballet Opens Spring Season With Tribute to Lincoln ... PlaybillArts, NY
A New Take on Young Love New York Sun
Lord of the dance Newsday
From Bowser to New York City
Parksville Qualicum News, Canada
UN Welcomes New York City's 'Green Initiative'
NewsBlaze, CA
Famed Horse Stable In New York City To Close
myfoxny.com, NY

Voters Head To Polls In Brooklyn Special Election NY1, NY
Ghostface And Others To Raid Brooklyn HipHopDX, CA
Brooklyn Tech Won’t Move, Dept. of Ed Assures Alumni
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, NY
Separate Drive-By Shootings in Brooklyn
Gothamist, NY
A Madrasa Grows In Brooklyn
Evening Bulletin, PA
Brooklyn Residents Vow To Name Park For Controversial Activist
NY1, NY



Sunday, April 22, 2007

Obama Economic Plan


  • End the Iraq War.
  • Raise taxes a few points on the top 1%.
  • Balance the budget.
Bush has been so reckless financially, he has made America look like the Roman Empire before its fall. All those who earned the Nobel Prize for Economics are on one side, Bush is on the other side. He has defied the basic wisdom. This is dumb and getting dumberer.

Bush has created such havoc on the country's finances the next President of the United States who might balance the budget just might qualify for the Nobel Prize for Economics. When the national budget goes as off the radar screen as has under Bush, interest rates go up on all sorts of things like student loans. What you get in ill-conceived tax cuts, you more than give away in raised interest rates.

Like Howard Dean famously asked in 2004: "What tax cuts?"

Besides balancing the budget, the most important thing to do is to prepare the country and the world for a full blown information age.
Security issues are very important. The only real, long term security for America is to find a progressive way to spread democracy country after country after country. Do it like in Nepal not like in Iraq.
  • Total spread of democracy by 2020.
And then there is the big ass issue of global warming. That issue is bigger than terrorism and nuclear proliferation put together.
  • Global warming.
  • Terrorism.
  • Nuclear proliferation.
In The News

Obama organizing Iowans Chicago Tribune, USA A former community organizer on Chicago's South Side, Obama relayed his often-frustrating experiences of trying to get people to meetings and mobilized to make change. ........ Iowa Atty. Gen. Tom Miller, who endorsed Obama even before the state's former governor left the presidential race, said Obama is doing well in the state.
Barack Obama’s global warming plan Blogger News Network Obama’s plan is modeled after the one recently signed into law, through an executive order, by California governor Schwarzenegger. In January Schwarzenegger created a statewide low carbon fuel standard. Obama intends to take the California plan nationwide. .... My impression is that the Obama campaign, much like the Clinton campaign, is a bit short on ideas.
Clinton Would Make Husband Roving Ambassador
New York Sun he remains a very popular figure in much of the world and is considered an effective diplomat. ...... That's precisely what America needs in the wake of a war in Iraq that's left America isolated and hated throughout much of the world, Mrs. Clinton said. ....... he remains immensely popular among Democrats. ...... She said that Mr. Bush and Vice President Cheney have done lasting damage. "I don't think we know all the damage that this president and vice president have done," Mrs. Clinton said. ....... She said nothing will affect the issue until leaders of countries, such as Mexico, improve the economic lives for millions living in poverty.
Romney, Giuliani the favorites at key SC Republican conventions Eyewitness News Romney has collected more money from Tennesseans for his 2008 presidential run than any other candidate so far. Tennesseans have donated more than 550-thousand dollars to the various candidates, almost 238-thousand of which went to Romney.
Dems Weigh Iraq Options Washington Post there is no denying that Democrats do not have the two-thirds majority needed to override Bush's veto. And soon enough, everyone will be asking what happens next.
In Detailed Speech, Bush Says Iraq Buildup Is Working "The nature of a strategy aimed at securing the population is that the most important gains are often the least dramatic," he said. "Day by day, block by block, Iraqi and American forces are making incremental gains in Baghdad."
Bush Rebuffs GOP Pressure For Gonzales to Step Down Nearly every committee Republican appeared skeptical of Gonzales's handling of the firings and their aftermath. Telephone calls yesterday to dozens of GOP lawmakers, lobbyists, and current and former Bush administration officials found almost no support for the attorney general. ....... Bush traditionally has bristled at pressure to dismiss advisers under fire, particularly those close to him, such as Gonzales, a longtime confidant from Texas. When he has eased out top officials, he has usually dictated the timing so as not to appear to be caving in to critics. Giving in, he has reasoned, would only embolden his foes to seek more scalps. ...... "Everybody at the White House . . . all think he needs to go, but the president doesn't" ....... After weeks of seclusion to prepare for Thursday's testimony, he tried to return to a normal routine, presiding over an afternoon awards ceremony for National Crime Victims' Rights Week.
French paradox: Voters adamant and undecided Chicago Tribune three weeks of rioting across France that some say marked the beginning of the end of Jacques Chirac's presidency. ...... Across France, an estimated 1.8 million new voters have registered ..... "It's the only thing politicians understand," said Samir Mihi, 29 ...... Nicolas Sarkozy remained the front-runner ...... the far-right's perennial favorite, Jean-Marie Le Pen. ...... Polls last week showed Sarkozy leading with 27 percent to 29 percent, followed by Royal with 21 percent to 26 percent. ..... The top two finishers face each other in a May 6 runoff. ...... Chirac, a deeply unpopular figure in France these days, is not seeking a third term
Barack Obama speaks in Manhattan 7Online.com "Oh, that's somebody's blackberry. That's Sharpton's blackberry," said presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama. "Is that Hillary calling?"

Nepal: Police arrest MJF cadres Telegraphnepal.com
Another Indian investor wants to quit Nepal
India eNews.com
Romney, Giuliani the favorites at key SC Republican conventions
Eyewitness News
Mauritius to observe Bihar Day
Indian Muslims
Maoists storm Bihar station, trains stopped for six hours
The Statesman Maoists displayed their “might” for the second time in a fortnight, capturing the Narganjo station in Bihar’s Jamui district early today, leading to the suspension of train services on the Howrah-Patna section of Eastern Railway for more than six hours. ..... about 200 Maoists raided the station at 2 am and held the areas captive
Law lets gays create legal partnerships
Los Angeles Times
Fifth day of fighting and at least 200 dead in Somalia
Monsters and Critics.com
Indians rush to rescue N-deal The Australian at the heart of the dispute is India's insistence it retain its right to test strategic nuclear weapons and reprocess spent nuclear fuel. ..... The pact would allow India access to US civilian nuclear technology, overturning a decades-old ban that resulted from India's refusal to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. ...... The 123 Agreement refers to parts of the US Atomic Energy Act which specifically require Washington, by law, to end nuclear co-operation with India should it conduct another nuclear test - something the country has vowed not to do since it imposed a moratorium on itself after conducting underground explosions in 1998. In the hothouse atmosphere of Indian politics, however, agreeing to such a condition would be suicide for the coalition Government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. ...... Powerful opponents of the deal - including a number of the country's top nuclear scientists - insist that a fundamental issue of national sovereignty is involved and that to agree to a US pledge that it will never in the future carry out another nuclear test is outrageous. ....... The US has bluntly said it is not prepared to change its laws and regard India as a nuclear weapons state that has the right to test strategic nuclear weapons and reprocess nuclear fuel despite never signing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty. ....... The US fears reprocessed fuel could be used to produce weapons-grade plutonium for a new generation of nuclear weapons, undermining Mr Bush's argument that last year's unusual deal with India would aid non-proliferation. ........ Mr McCormack said: "Inasmuch as it bumps up against US law, we're not going to be able to change our law." ....... But Mr McCormack added: "When you're blazing a trail on an issue, and there's not a body of work or a history or a precedent to fall back on, every issue becomes important for one side or the other. But at the end of the day, I think we're going to get this done." .......... The intractable Indian position is that it has shown itself to be a responsible nuclear state but that it cannot be asked to compromise its right to test nuclear weapons in the future. ....... The deal with the US, approved last December, would allow civilian nuclear trade with India and is seen as the centrepiece of the developing relationship between New Delhi and Washington. There would be UN inspection of India's 14 civilian nuclear plants, but its eight military plants would be off limits. ........ The sense of anxiety, if not crisis, surrounding the future of the agreement and bilateral relations intensified last night when a bipartisan group of US senators asked India to cease its growing military co-operation with Iran.
US Congress set to defy Bush on Iraq war Reuters
Wolfowitz Scandal Takes Bank Hypocrisy to New Heights Foreign Policy In Focus
WiMax Gets Ready for Prime Time The Heartland Institute
Caterpillar, Google lift Dow to record
Gulf Times The US stock market ended the week with a rally that sent the Dow Jones Industrial Average to a record after earnings from Caterpillar to Google topped estimates. .... The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose to six-year highs. ..... Crude oil rose more than $1.50 a barrel in New York on concern that yesterday’s presidential election in Nigeria, Africa’s biggest oil producer, would result in a disruption of shipments. Militants in Nigeria’s delta region who have halted almost a quarter of the nation’s oil production say their campaign for control of local resources won’t be stopped by the election. Nigeria was the fifth-largest source of US oil imports last year. The country produces low-sulphur oil that is prized by US refiners.
Bollywood's Bachchan says sorry to Indian paparazzi Reuters.uk

Dow Jones closing in on 13000 points Taipei Times
• New York Sues Drexel Over Student Loans Consumer Affairs
Asian soccer can rival Europe, AFC chief says Guardian Unlimited
HP keeps worldwide PC market lead over Dell in 1Q
SouthCoastToday.com
Dell Once Again Offers Windows XP
Wyoming News
Dell does doubletake on Vista San Antonio Business Journal
Dell blinks on Windows Vista offering TECH.BLORGE.com
HP Extends Market Lead Over Dell DailyTech
Low-Salt Diet Shakes Off Heart Disease
MedPage Today
Sarkozy all smiles as France goes to the polls Times Online
Red Sox 7, Yankees 5 Red Sox Pound Yankees’ Soft Spot New York Times Chien-Ming Wang threw 55 pitches on Saturday...... fastballs that still reached 98 miles an hour in the seventh inning ...... Matsuzaka is still a mystery to the Yankees, who bid $33 million for the right to negotiate with him but fell well short of Boston’s $51 million bid. The players will study tape of him on Sunday, but for now, their exposure has been limited to highlights. ....... Center fielder Johnny Damon, who rested a sore back and hamstring, said he would start Sunday. But Manager Joe Torre said Jorge Posada’s bruised left thumb was too swollen for him to return this weekend. ..... Carl Pavano, who is on the disabled list with a mild elbow strain, threw off flat ground on Saturday, but Torre said Pavano still felt discomfort.
Tainted food kills 30 South African dogs BusinessWeek
Cut Your Salt Use and Cut Your Risk of Heart Disease
Forbes Reducing the amount of salt in your diet can lower your risk of developing heart disease by 25 percent and the risk of dying from heart disease by 20 percent ...... "Dietary intake of sodium among Americans is excessively high" ...... People in both trials reduced their salt intake by about 25 percent to 35 percent. .... "A prudent sodium intake is best achieved by avoiding salted, salt-cured and salt-smoked foods such as lunch meat, hot dogs, ham, olives, pickles and regular salted canned foods, and other prepared foods, which often use more salt than home-made equivalents" ...... The salt we shake onto our food contributes far less to most diets than salt processed into foods. Even foods we would never think of as salty, such as breakfast cereals, cookies, and even some soft drinks, often contain copious additions of sodium...... To see the benefits highlighted in this paper play out at the population level will require modification of the food supply, so that eating less salt requires a lot less work
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