A strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake has struck the western Mexico-U.S. border region. The U.S. Geological Survey said the Sunday afternoon earthquake was centered in Baja California, south of Mexico's border with the United States. It was reported to be about 26 kilometers below ground, some 170 kilometers from Tijuana, Mexico.
The earthquake was felt in Los Angeles, California, and as far east as Phoenix, Arizona. Residents of southern California reported a long, rolling quake that shook furniture and dishes.
So far, there have been no reports of serious injuries. There have been some power outages and reports of stalled elevators in Los Angeles.
The USGS has recorded several aftershocks. The biggest was a 5.1-magnitude temblor in Imperial, California, just north of the border.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/05/2010 00:00 ||
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Ito : Escaped Killer : Won't wanna live or work there : NOW !!
#3
This represents an upward adjustment by Halliburton Earthquake Division of Mexico on the potential threats list. We'll see if they get the message in Mexico City.
#6
TOPIX > MASSIVE QUAKES BARELY DISTURB/SHAKE EARTH'S RHYTHMS [Recent high-magn Quakies are relatively minor compared to more potent natural forces at work in Earth-Space]; + EARTHQUAKES ALSO STRIKE THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, RYUKYUS ISLANDS AND TONGA.
Dozens of unidentified fighters have attacked a provincial capital in northern Democratic Republic of Congo in a battle that has so far left one UN peacekeeper dead, UN officials say.
At least 30 fighters believed to be part of a mushrooming ethnic conflict in the region crossed the Congo River by boat to Mbandaka, capital of Congo's northern Equateur province, attacking the governor's residence. They then took control of the city's airport in a surprise assault on Congolese and UN forces, a UN official said.
"There is heavy fighting going on right now, especially around the airport," Madnodje Mounoubai, spokesman for the UN mission MONUC, said by telephone. "There is one [peacekeeper] dead - Ghanaian."
The Mbandaka assault is thought to be separate from an ongoing conflict between UN-backed forces and rebels in Congo's east and marks an escalation in the northern region, where violence erupted last year between ethnic groups over fishing access.
"We think [the fighters] are the Enyele, a group that started fighting six months ago claiming fishing rights, but now they are far from their land and we don't know what they want," Mr Mounoubai said.
More than 200,000 Congolese have fled their homes in Equateur in the past six months due to the violence between the Lobala and Boba tribesmen, said aid agency Refugees International. The Enyele are a sub-tribe of the Lobala.
In Sunday's fighting, more than 100 troops from Congo's national army chased the rebels, who UN sources said numbered at least 30, out of town towards the airport where MONUC has aircraft stationed. UN peacekeepers stationed at the airport along with UN contractors at a fire station beside it - both 7 kilometres from the riverside governor's residence - retreated into the surrounding bush.
Neither UN nor army sources could confirm if there were any civilians killed in the fighting, but sources in the area said hundreds were sheltering in churches after Easter Sunday services.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/05/2010 00:00 ||
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Last thing SA needs right now ...
South Africa is on alert for outbreaks of racial violence following the murder of white supremacist leader Eugene Terreblanche. Police maintain the controversial figure was the victim of a pay dispute with workers on his farm, but members of Terreblanche's Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB) believe his death was politically motivated.
Terreblanche, 69, was found on his bed at his farm in South Africa's North West province. A 21-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy have been arrested and charged with his murder.
It appears that in death, as in life, Mr Terreblanche provoked the extremes of South African society. His supporters have declared they will avenge his murder.
Andre Visagie, one of Mr Terreblanche's top supporters, expressed the sentiments of many AWB adherents. "The death of Mr Terreblanche is a declaration of war from the black community of South Africa to the white community," he said.
Such talk clearly worries president Jacob Zuma, who took the unusual step of addressing the nation about the murder.
"I would like to call for calm as I have done earlier to the nation," he said. "It has been shocking news indeed that he has been murdered. This is one of the sad moments for our country that a leader of his standing should be murdered by people. And those who have committed this terrible act must face the law and face the punishment that they deserve."
Police minister Nathi Mthethwa would not comment on speculation that Mr Terreblanche's death was politically motivated.
"I am not going to be drawn into political discussions. I refuse totally, flatly, to be drawn into political discussions," he said. "We have a case, Mr Terreblanche has been killed. Let's not obstruct police from doing their work."
Members of the AWB believe the killing was racially motivated and blame the African National Congress Youth League's leader, Julius Malema, for stirring up hatred towards Afrikaners.
Last month Mr Malema sang a song that advocated killing white farmers and included the line: "Kill the Boer."
Mr Terreblanche had recently tried to revive his white supremacist organisation.
In the 1980s and early 1990s he railed against black majority rule and fought bitterly for the preservation of apartheid. But the end of white minority rule and the birth of a democratic South Africa saw Mr Terreblanche become an irrelevance, until now.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/05/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
Such talk clearly worries president Jacob Zuma, who took the unusual step of addressing the nation about the murder.
So thoughtful of you Jacob, in light of the upcoming World Cup 2010 events, etc. After the Cup, it will be back to the ANC sponsored killing and celebration as usual.
Looks like AGIM, AL-SHABAAB, + SOMALI PIRATE BOYZ, etal just got a new land to play with. Ive been wondering how soon before the ISLAMIST JIHAD STRIKES SOUTH AFRICA = MANDELA-LAND, e.g. THIRD-FOURTH QUARTER 2010.
An extraordinary war of words between the Catholic and Protestant churches culminated yesterday in the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, apologising for remarks that are not due to be broadcast until tomorrow. That just has to be a record, he's apologizing before he's said anything ...
Catholics in Ireland reacted furiously to comments made by Dr Williams in a pre-recorded interview -- but released by the BBC -- in which he said that the Catholic Church in Ireland had lost "all credibility" over the way it dealt with paedophile priests.
Within hours, however -- but not before the Archbishop of Dublin, Diarmuid Martin, said he was "stunned" by the remarks -- Dr Williams issued an apology, saying he had "no intention of criticising or attacking" the Catholic Church. Stepped in it big time, didn't he ...
What did he think he was doing, if he didn't intend what he actually did? That's as bad as the pro forma "I'm sorry if I offended anyone" when it blindingly clear that someone or group in particular was most definitely offended. Everyone says the man is so intelligent, when it's clear he's merely over-educated.
The row overshadowed the most important festival in the Christian calendar, Easter Sunday, which marks the resurrection of Christ, and was threatening to derail the Pope's visit to Britain in September. I wasn't aware Easter could mark anything else, but perhaps the arch-druid could enlighten us ...
Clearly you are not numbered among the over-educated.
"The unequivocal and unqualified comment in a radio interview of the Archbishop of Canterbury that the Catholic Church in Ireland has 'lost all credibility' has stunned me," Archbishop Martin said. "I have been more than forthright in addressing the failures of the Catholic Church in Ireland. I still shudder when I consider the harm that was caused to abused children. But... I have rarely felt personally so discouraged as when I woke to hear Archbishop Williams's comments." His Church of Ireland counterpart, Dr John Neill, said he listened to the words with "deep regret".
Catherine Pepinster, the editor of the Catholic newspaper The Tablet, said many Catholics would be surprised by Dr Williams's "intemperate" and "extreme" remarks. Surprised, no, not exactly, but furious ...
Dr Williams is said to have telephoned Archbishop Martin to "express his deep sorrow and regret" over the remarks. The Archbishop of Canterbury has a track record for gaffes, and it is likely his latest comments will be considered another clanger. He's the Joe Biden of the Church of England.
Says something about the current state of the senior hierarchy of the Church of England that they knowingly put such a person as head, not back-up.
#3
But he's so brilliant! Everybody says so, Nimble Spemble, and brilliant people think well. I know this, because I've watched lots of them do it. Granted, none of them were the current Archbishop of Canterbury, nor President Obama for that matter, but nonetheless I have actual experience observing truly brilliant people at thought.*
* No, of course I can't justify adding in that last phrase. ;-)
David Cameron believes Labour's record on crime and anti-social behaviour will feature heavily in the general election campaign which is likely to be triggered by Gordon Brown on Tuesday. The Tory leader will demand that police "harass" troublemakers, as he distances himself from the party's recent "hug-a-hoodie" reputation.
The move comes after weekend polls suggested the Tories now have a 10 point lead over Labour, enough to given them an overall majority.
Chris Grayling, the shadow home secretary, told The Daily Telegraph that a Conservative government would usher in a new era of policing with senior officers returned to the frontline and offenders dealt with swiftly. He said he expects prison numbers to rise in the first years of a new Tory administration as new policies on sentencing, including scrapping early release and tougher terms for knife crime, come into force.
He said: "I want to see more 'in your face' policing. I want to see the trouble-makers being stopped, getting harassed, getting challenged and being dealt with immediately."
His remarks on policing, which were made in an interview he gave to The Daily Telegraph last week, mark a significant hardening of the Tory policy under Mr Cameron who drew widespread criticism for a speech early in his leadership when he talked about showing more understanding to those youngsters falling into crime. He was derided for what became known as his "hug-a-hoodie" policy.
Mr Grayling said he thought there was "risk aversion" among frontline officers who "are trapped by the system."
Changes in leadership of policing will be central to the new Tory plans for law and order. He cites the example of Garry Newlove who was murdered by youths after he confronted them about vandalism outside his Cheshire home in 2007. Helen, his widow, last week held meetings with Mr Grayling to talk about the case.
And Mr Grayling has also highlighted the cases where people defending their property or trying to report crimes have been arrested by police. In the interview he talked about how Sal Miah called 999 when he found two teenagers raiding his restaurant's cellar.
But when officers arrived, they arrested the 35-year-old on suspicion of assault and battery. He was released with a police caution.
This is a policy with interesting possibilities. You listening Timothy Geitner?
North Korea executed two senior economic officials last month - not one as previously reported - over a botched currency revamp that forced markets to close temporarily and fuelled social tensions, a media outlet that specialises in the North has reported.
The communist North redenominated its won in December as part of efforts to fight inflation and reassert control over its burgeoning market economy.
That reportedly sparked unrest after many North Koreans were stuck with piles of worthless bills. A government economist said last week markets were forced to close for several days due to problems setting prices.
The two officials were executed by firing squad March 12 at a stadium in the North Korean capital, Pyongyang, before an audience of members of the ruling Workers Party and finance officials, the Seoul-based Daily NK reported yesterday, citing a source in Pyongyang it did not identify.
South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles relations with the North, and the National Intelligence Service said they could not immediately confirm the report.
The officials were the ruling party's finance and planning department chief who spearheaded the reform, Pak Nam Gi, and a vice chief of the State Planning Commission, Daily NK said. Pak's execution was reported last month by other South Korean media but there has been no official confirmation. The agency did not have the name of the second official.
The military has given up the search for missing sailors and started efforts to salvage the Navy corvette Cheonan, which sank due to an unexplained explosion on March 26.
The decision follows a request from the families of missing sailors after several people died or were injured in search operations in treacherous waters. Navy Warrant Officer Han Joo-ho died on March 30 and the Kumyang 98, a dragnet trawler, sank during search operations in waters off Baeknyeong Island last Friday evening and crew died or went missing. Experts speculate that the salvage operations will take at least 10 days even if the weather and other conditions are good.
Navy Commodore Lee Ki-sik, the director of intelligence operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said as of midnight Sunday "we switched the focus to salvaging the sunken ship first."
The Navy sent two more minesweepers equipped with sonar to the scene of incident.
On Saturday evening, Navy Ship Salvage Unit members recovered the body of Senior Chief Petty Officer Nam Ki-hoon (36) from the ceiling of the senior chief petty officers' mess hall in the stern. But 45 sailors remain unaccounted for.
Meanwhile, the exact time of the incident is becoming clearer. The Navy said there was an exchange of communication between the Cheonan and the Second Navy Fleet Command around 9:19 p.m. on March 26. The time of the explosion has been given as 9:22 p.m. Army Lt. Gen. Park Jung-yi, the chief of a joint civilian-military investigation team, said "routine" communications were exchanged around 9:19 p.m.
Posted by: Steve White ||
04/05/2010 00:00 ||
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#1
ION PAKISTANI DEFENCE FORUM > NORTH KOREA WAR PLANS PUBLISHED BY GOVT. | NORTH KOREAN MILITARY TACTICS IN A WAR WITH THE US [massive DRPK retaliation].
* WMF > DIFFICULT SURVIVAL: INDIA'S POOR FINALLY RAISE THE MILITANT/HARD BANNER OF MAOIST THOUGHT | PERVASIVE PERM CORRUPTION IS INDIA'S SELF-INFLICTED WOUND.
IMO read, NUTHIN TO LOSE SAVE THE LINGERING POVERTY, LACK OF OPPORTUNITY INDJUH'S GOVT IS WORKING HARD TO DO LITTLE OR NUTHIN TO CHANGE.
and
SAME > BEIJNG SURPRISED: RUSSIA'S SUPPORT OF UN INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS AGZ NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM AGAIN PROVES THAT IT IS AN UNRELIABLE, PERFIDIOUS CHINESE ALLY. Russia's action may hamper Chin's bilateral ventures wid the NOKORS, + Russ gave no consideration or respect for Chin's unilater efforts to promote NOKOR stability, Regional Peace.
Ending the Russian stranglehold would be a very good thing, and make freezing in winter so much less likely for the countries of Europe.
American technology to produce shale gas is unleashing a scramble for drilling rights in Poland, where experts believe vast reserves of unconventional gas exist that could help to weaken Russia's grip on Europe's energy supplies. Unless Obama and the US Department of Interior reserve all the land for wilderness, just like they do in Utah and Colorado ...
ConocoPhillips is poised to launch Poland's first shale gas drilling programme next month near Gdansk on the Baltic coast. Two other American oil groups -- Exxon-Mobil and Marathon -- and Talisman Energy, of Canada, are set to follow. So American oil companies can search for natural gas in Poland but not in the US ...
The technology has transformed America's energy industry and driven gas prices to their lowest level in years.
Wood Mackenzie, the oil and gas research group, estimates that there could be as much as 48 trillion cubic feet (1,36 trillion cubic metres) of unconventional gas stretching across northern and central Poland. The gas, which does not lie in conventional reservoirs but inside tight rock formations, has become accessible only recently through the use of new hydraulic fracturing technology developed in the United States.
If confirmed, Wood Mackenzie's estimate would boost the European Union's proven reserves of natural gas, which stand at 101 trillion cubic feet, by 47 per cent and be enough to make Poland, which imports 72 per cent of its gas, self-sufficient for the foreseeable future. And, not coincidentally, to free itself from the embrace of the Russian bear.
#3
It's gonna chafe Puty-Put's buttocks if he can't twist the valve shut every January and make Europe dance. I guess he'll have to re-invade Georgia or another neighbor to get his jollies.
Posted by: Dar ||
04/05/2010 19:32 Comments ||
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Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretary who played a key role in financial deregulation during Bill Clinton's presidency and who has kept a low profile since stepping down as a special adviser to Citigroup in January 2009, is to be questioned by the US financial crisis inquiry commission this week.
The committee, created by Congress and given sweeping powers in May 2009, is also to question Chuck Prince, the former chief executive of Citi, as well as Alan Greenspan, former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board.
The line-up suggests the committee is narrowing the scope of its investigation ahead of a final report to Congress in December.
Phil Angelides, the commission's chairman, said he would ask Mr Greenspan, who led the Fed between 1987 and 2006, why the central bank did not curb subprime lending before the housing bubble burst.
Mr Angelides, a former California state treasurer, said: "The fact is that the Fed, as the main regulator, had the power to impose rules that would apply to everybody.
"We need to peel the veil from these events so that the American people find out what really happened."
On Sunday, Mr Greenspan appeared to be clinging to his free market ideology, telling ABC News there remained "no alternative" to competitive markets in democratic societies and that regulators could not have foreseen the events that would follow the collapse of Lehman Brothers. He's not clinging to free market ideology. He was all for regulation as Fed chairman. He just didn't want to regulate the people who needed regulating the most, because he was friends with most of them.
Bill Thomas, vice-chairman of the FCIC and the former Republican chairman of the House's ways and means committee, said he would ask Mr Greenspan: "what did you know, when did you know it and if you didn't know it, why didn't you know it?".
Mr Angelides and Mr Thomas said the questioning of Mr Prince and Mr Rubin, who have kept a low profile since leaving Citi, will focus on how a once-mighty financial giant lost more than $50bn and had to be bailed out by the US government.
Mr Angelides said Mr Prince would be confronted with his famous assertion - in an interview with the Financial Times in July 2007 - that Citi was "still dancing" to the tune of the cheap credit-fuelled boom.
None of Mr Rubin, Mr Prince nor Mr Greenspan could be reached for comment.
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2010. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from FT.com and redistribute by email or post to the web.
Congressional Republicans on Sunday ducked opportunities to back Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, following revelations of questionable spending by RNC staff.
Sen. Jon Kyl (R., Ariz.), appearing on Fox News Sunday,' said he wasnt in a position to either say [Steele] should step down or not.'
But this kind of thing has got to stop or they wont get any contributions. The people that contribute to the committees, both Democrat and Republican, want to know that their money is well spent for the cause, and it needs to be that way,' Kyl, the Senate minority whip, said.
Among other expenses, the RNC paid nearly $2,000 for an event for its Young Eagles donors group at a bondage-themed nightclub in West Hollywood, Calif. No evidence suggested that Steele, a former Maryland lieutenant governor, personally knew of the event. However, some conservative leaders have been rankled by what they view as the chairmans flamboyant style.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.), in charge of recruiting Republican House candidates, likewise offered little support when asked on Fox News Sunday' if he had full confidence in Steele.
If we are going to show the American public that we believe in accountability and bringing it back to Washington, we have to make sure that the RNC has the accountability just the same,' he replied. Youve got to bring the trust back, and that may mean shaking some other roles inside the RNC as well.'
#1
GOP operatives have learned nothing about how these scandals work. The Mark Foley thing was small potatoes, but was publicized at just the right moment by the opposition to do maximum damage. Dems will always get a pass for this sort of stuff, unless, like Massa, they don't toe the line. OTOH, if the GOP is squeaky clean (and it isn't) the opposition will just make stuff up. Why make it easy for them with crap like the bondage club thing? Cause it's the Stupid Party, that's why...
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
04/05/2010 11:02 Comments ||
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Four in 10 Tea Party members are either Democrats or Independents, according to a new national survey.
The findings provide one of the most detailed portraits to date of the grassroots movement that started last year.
The national breakdown of the Tea Party composition is 57 percent Republican, 28 percent Independent and 13 percent Democratic, according to three national polls by the Winston Group, a Republican-leaning firm that conducted the surveys on behalf of an education advocacy group. Two-thirds of the group call themselves conservative, 26 are moderate and 8 percent say they are liberal.
#1
"If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle."
- Sun Tzu
May the Socialist continue in their popular perceptions of their opponents.
#2
I don't know how many people are in the Tea Party. Does anyone have an estimate? It would be wise for the Trunks to embrace conservative values/Tea Party values. Time to get away from loser RHINO thinking. Time to dump the donks. Time to remake government.
#3
No clue how many are in the tea party per se. I've been to five rallies so far, all in medium/small towns. Figure on average 1% of the population of the town was in attendence (300 people at town of 30,000; 600 at a town of 60,000; etc). Plus all the people honking in support as they drove by. Key is NOT to have identifiable leaders or statistics for MSM or the government to attack. Very difficult to fight a faceless/leaderless yet motivated foe. Saul Alinsky cuts both ways . . .
#4
4 in 10 Tea Party members are Democrat or Independent. 6 in 10 are Republicans. I was wondering if the Tea Party numbers are large enough to determine elections.
#5
It's not aggregate numbers but focus and emphasis that matter. If the Tea Partiers give in to the kookier, Ron Paul-esque stuff, they will scare away the center and will easily be marginalized. If they keep the message SIMPLE and BROADLY focused on our fiscal implosion, they'll appeal to many millions of independents and Democrats, and have a huge impact.
The Tea Party Narrative Just Jumped the Shark Tea Party supporters skew right politically; but demographically, they are generally representative of the public at large. Thats the finding of a USA Today/Gallup poll conducted March 26-28, in which 28% of U.S. adults call themselves supporters of the Tea Party movement.
Gallup actually gives better numbers for party affiliation than the GOP leaning Winston Group; 48% Republican and 43% independent with 8% self identified Democrats.
Via InstaPundit
Posted by: ed ||
04/05/2010 15:06 Comments ||
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#7
Just read on Instapundit that Tea Party was more popular than Obama: 48% to 44%.
NEW DELHI: In a coincidence that has the potential of raising tension levels, the Indian and Pakistani militaries would be conducting major wargames later this month virtually within shouting distance from each other.
Both exercises, involving thousands of troops, aim to test offensive strategies in the event of an armed conflict with the other side and will have active participation of their respective air forces.
The Indian Army will launch its month-long wargames in mid-April in the Thar desert. Called 'Yodha Shakti', the games will involve one of its three principal 'strike' formations, the Mathura-based 1 Corps.
It will practice a 'pro-active' war strategy revolving around the objective of mobilizing fast under 'the cold start' doctrine and striking hard across the border to pulverize the enemy.
Around the same time - from April 10 to May 13 - Pakistan will conduct its 'Azm-e-Nau-III' (new resolve) exercise, described as its biggest wargames in two decades, to train for a conventional war with India.
The manoeuvres will be held near the border in the country's Punjab and Sindh provinces - close to Rajasthan's Thar desert.
Pakistan's exercise will be massive. "It's aimed at validating and refining newly evolved doctrines," the head of Pakistan army's military training directorate, Muzammil Hussain, said in Rawalpindi. Azm-e-Nau-III will mobilize 20,000 troops in the beginning, rising to 40,000 to 50,000 towards the end, he said.
The Indian Army, learning lessons from the slow mobilization during Operation Parakram - the 10-month forward troop mobilization after the December 2001 terrorist attack on Parliament - will practice launching self-contained and highly-mobile 'battle groups,' with Russian-origin T-90S tanks and upgraded T-72 M1 tanks at their core, within 96 hours.
"The exercise will be a two-sided, day-and-night affair, with rapid and deep offensives being undertaken by the battle groups to assault and capture 'enemy' territory. It will also validate our logistics infrastructure as well as new acquisitions," said a senior officer.
The wargames will also have a big IAF component in the drive to achieve greater synergy. Both the western and southwestern IAF commands have stepped up coordination with the different Army commands in the western theatre to synergize efforts to build "an integrated and organic" air-land war-fighting machinery.
Though the Indian armed forces may be now raising two new infantry divisions and an artillery brigade as well as deploying Sukhoi-30MKI fighters in the eastern sector to counter China, they are not diluting their traditional focus on the western front with Pakistan.
The forces, in fact, are reinforcing their offensive punch along the entire western front. For one, IAF will operationalize a forward airbase at Phalodi in Rajasthan on Tuesday. Jaguars will be the first fighters to land at the new airbase on Tuesday to mark its inauguration by IAF chief Air Chief Marshal P V Naik.
The Phalodi airbase, strategically located since it falls in the middle of the 'triangle' constituted by Jaisalmer, Nal (Bikaner) and Jodhpur airbases, aims to plug operational and air defence gaps in the western front.
"The 24x7 airbase, equipped to handle potent fighters like the Sukhoi-30MKIs and heavy-lift aircraft, will provide us
with requisite flexibility," said a senior officer.
This comes even as the newish South-Western Army Command (SWAC) at Jaipur, established as the sixth operational command of the 1.13-million strong Army in 2005, is fully up and running now.
With the Mathura-based 1 'Strike' Corps and Bhatinda-based 10 'Pivot' Corps under it, SWAC is responsible for offensive operations on the western front in conjunction with the Chandimandir-based Western Army Command (WAC), which controls the Ambala-based 2 'Strike' Corps.
Northern and Southern (which has the Bhopal-based 21 'Strike' Corps) Army Commands, at Udhampur and Pune respectively, will of course play crucial roles in the event of a war but it will be SWAC and WAC which will assume the pivotal roles.
Posted by: john frum ||
04/05/2010 16:11 ||
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#1
CHINESE MILITARY FORUM > [USPACOM Chief WILLARD] ADMIRAL: CHINA'S BUILDUP IN PACIFIC AIMED AT POWER PAST ASIA. Developin' and Projectin' and Protectn'.
IOW, CHINA is POLITELY PCORRECTLY MOTHERLY trying to kill America = Amerika the "CHICAGO WAY", ala GLEN BECK.
PHILIPPINES + TAIWAN + KOREAS-JAPAN + SAKHALIN [Russia] > PLAN "BREAKOUT" ARC for SUPERPOWER-WANNABE CHINA.
The Indian Air Force (IAF) will open a new air base in Rajasthan Tuesday to bridge the strategic air gap' between three of its forward bases in the state. The new base, the sixth in the state, is nearly 100 km from the international border with Pakistan.
This airbase will further the strategic gap in air defence in the western sector. The new base is supported with modern infrastructure,' an IAF officer here said.
The new air base at Phalodi is located between Jaisalmer and Jodhpur and will straddle the distance between the two bases. It is ready to undertake all types of operations.
"It will serve fighter aircraft and helicopters. As of now, no squadron has been based at Phalodi," the officer said. Sources, however, maintained that the frontline Sukhoi Su-30MKI combat jets could be deployed at Phalodi.
The IAF chief, Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, will inaugurate the new air base and witness a flypast by Jaguar, MIG-21 and MIG-29 fighters.
The IAF's other bases in Rajasthan are located at Suratgarh, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Barmer. The first three are close to the international border with Pakistan and are backed by by the bases at Jodhpur and Barmer.
Fighters like the MiG-21 and the MiG-27 operate from these bases.
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04/05/2010 10:32 ||
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Gordon Brown on Sunday said the large economies were close to agreeing a global tax on banks that would cost the financial sector billions of pounds a year but played down expectations that a deal could be struck at the next Group of 20 meeting in June.
The UK prime minister, who held talks with Angela Merkel, German chancellor, last week, said the scene was set for a global responsibility levy'.
He said Britain, France and Germany were now broadly agreed on the need for a levy, and he hoped the US would come on board.
Britain, France and Germany have talked about what we can do together,' he said. We are agreed on the need for a common basis.'
Last week, France and Germany jointly backed an internationally co-ordinated levy.
Mr Brown told the Financial Times he wanted to reignite the spirit of global co-operation, which had faltered in the year since last April's G20 summit in London.
Although a British election is expected in little more than a month, Mr Brown is engaged in frenetic international diplomacy to broker a global settlement for banks. The relationship between banks and society has to change,' he said.
He wants a global levy to be agreed at the G20 summit in Seoul in November, along with capital rules to reinforce banks against a future crisis.
Many bank watchers had been geared up for an initiative at the June summit in Toronto but Canada is sceptical. Mr Brown wants the tax agreed on a multilateral basis, using a common base if possible.
The US has used a levy on wholesale funding but Mr Brown says he has an open mind on whether the tax should target assets or liabilities.
He declined to say how much the tax might raise from UK banks, but cited the annual 1.2bn envisaged by Ms Merkel for German banks and $10bn (7.4bn) planned for the US levy as examples.
Given the relative size of the UK banking sector, that would suggest Mr Brown is eyeing a levy in Britain of several billion pounds.
Mr Brown said he had agreed with Ms Merkel it should be left to individual countries to decide how to spend the proceeds of the levy.
Germany wants to create an insurance fund to protect against future bank failures but Mr Brown fears this could create moral hazard and encourage risky behaviour by banks.
He is also concerned that any extension of the US bank tax designed to pay for past bail-outs could run into congressional problems.
The prime minister believes that the problems in the banking sector have not been fully resolved.
#1
Saw it coming, Banks have rooked people out of Trillions, now the Assorted Governments stand in awe, and with a largish hand out for "Their" Cut of the Boodle.
Posted by: Redneck Jim ||
04/05/2010 18:05 Comments ||
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The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill was a galvanizing moment for environmentalists. It helped launch the modern environmental movement and gave us a new symbol of environmental threat - the offshore oil platform.
But a lot has changed in the past four decades. The technology of oil drilling has made huge advances. New environmental threats have emerged - most important, global warming. The time has come for my fellow environmentalists to reassess their stand on offshore oil. Awright! AGW is now used for something useful!
It is not clear that the risks of offshore oil drilling still outweigh the benefits.
The risk of oil spills in the United States is quite low. One result of the 1969 oil spill is that we have detailed records on every oil spill into U.S. waters greater than one barrel and comprehensive studies of the sources of oil in marine waters throughout the world.
From 1971 to 2000, offshore facilities and pipelines were responsible for only 2 percent of the oil in U.S. waters. The bulk of it (63 percent) came from natural seepage, and 22 percent came from municipal and industrial runoff. Worldwide, natural seepage is the largest source (47 percent) of oil in water, followed by spills from ocean transportation (33 percent). In short, the risk of oil spills from platforms is small.
In contrast, there are relatively high environmental costs associated with importing oil as opposed to producing it in the United States. There are three problems with importing oil: First, spills from tankers and barges are the largest human-caused source of oil in the oceans. Oil is more likely to be spilled from a tanker than from a platform, and tankers have the potential to cause catastrophic spills. The groundings of the Exxon Valdez (off Alaska), the Castillo de Bellver (South Africa), the Amoco Cadiz (France), the Irenes Serenade (Greece) and the Torrey Canyon (Britain), to name a few, all had severe effects on local ecosystems. Tankers are harder to shut off than a pipeline.
Second, the countries from which we import oil have lower environmental standards than the United States has. Bingo. Give that man a prize for figuring it out.
In particular, many foreign oil producers choose to vent methane a powerful greenhouse gas - directly into the atmosphere rather than spend extra money to capture or flare it. Mexico, for example, produces less than half the oil that the United States produces but emits six times as much methane. Now, if crystal meth was made from methane...
Third, shipping oil to the United States requires burning a huge amount of diesel oil, the exhaust from which is greenhouse gas pumped into the atmosphere. Just as environmentalists argue that eating locally grown food is better for the planet because it saves transportation costs and energy, locally produced oil has less of a negative impact. Depending on the country of origin and the tanker size, 1 percent to 3 percent of the oil in every tanker is consumed merely for delivery. Or, we could use nuclear-powered tankers!
In 1969, we had many reasons to fear offshore oil drilling. But in the past four decades, offshore oil has become far safer, and our country faces new environmental risks. The real question about drilling off our coasts can be settled by due diligence: How much greenhouse gas is released into air when we drill for oil along our coasts, and how much is released when we import it? A rigorous study should be conducted to find out. If assessments show that domestic oil production contributes less to global warming, environmentalists should support it. We should not be living in the past. Aha. Guess who wants the grant money? The writer is a professor in the political science department at the University of California at Santa Barbara. He is affiliated with the university's Bren School of Environmental Science and Management and the environmental studies program. Wow. A California environmental professor awakened by Global Warming.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/05/2010 08:06 ||
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#1
I wouldn't get too excited if I were this environmentalist. Obama has promised a lot of people a lot of things to achieve his goals. Promises usually turn out to be bupkus (goat droppings or nothing of value).
Interesting facts from the article: From 1971 to 2000, offshore facilities and pipelines were responsible for only 2 percent of the oil in U.S. waters. The bulk of it (63 percent) came from natural seepage, and 22 percent came from municipal and industrial runoff. Worldwide, natural seepage is the largest source (47 percent) of oil in water, followed by spills from ocean transportation (33 percent). In short, the risk of oil spills from platforms is small.
Spills not so much of a problem. Unfortunately, my gut feeling is that Obama's drilling decision is most likely more political than real.
#2
What President Obama has promised is to look into the possibility of future offshore drilling in exchange for giving up approved leases to start drilling now. It's nice that the environmental idiots are starting to come round now that their hero said it's ok, but this is a bait and switch situation. On the other hand, i
#4
Obama needs money. Badly. How much are those off shore leases worth? Trillions? I can see how he would sell the leases, collect the money, THEN start the endless red tape runaround to delay any actual off shore production.
#5
Don't worry your pretty little head TW. It's not like the Obama admin will actually approve any offshore leases. When a Republican is next in office, just the thought of oil drilling will once again be equated with Hitler.
Posted by: ed ||
04/05/2010 13:07 Comments ||
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#6
Has hell frozen over finally? But if the USA get desperate at least the infrastructure will be started/underway/closer to being operational. We might get desperate enough.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
A strong 7.2-magnitude earthquake has struck the western Mexico-U.S. border region. The U.S. Geological Survey said the Sunday afternoon earthquake was centered in Baja California, south of Mexico's border with the United States. It was reported to be about 26 kilometers below ground, some 170 kilometers from Tijuana, Mexico.
An extraordinary war of words between the Catholic and Protestant churches culminated yesterday in the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, apologising for remarks that are not due to be broadcast until tomorrow.
American technology to produce shale gas is unleashing a scramble for drilling rights in Poland, where experts believe vast reserves of unconventional gas exist that could help to weaken Russia's grip on Europe's energy supplies.
Robert Rubin, the former Treasury secretary who played a key role in financial deregulation during Bill Clinton's presidency and who has kept a low profile since stepping down as a special adviser to Citigroup in January 2009, is to be questioned by the US financial crisis inquiry commission this week.
Congressional Republicans on Sunday ducked opportunities to back Republican National Committee chairman Michael Steele, following revelations of questionable spending by RNC staff.
The 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill was a galvanizing moment for environmentalists. It helped launch the modern environmental movement and gave us a new symbol of environmental threat - the offshore oil platform. 
In contrast, there are relatively high environmental costs associated with importing oil as opposed to producing it in the United States. There are three problems with importing oil: First, spills from tankers and barges are the largest human-caused source of oil in the oceans. Oil is more likely to be spilled from a tanker than from a platform, and tankers have the potential to cause catastrophic spills. The groundings of the Exxon Valdez (off Alaska), the Castillo de Bellver (South Africa), the Amoco Cadiz (France), the Irenes Serenade (Greece) and the Torrey Canyon (Britain), to name a few, all had severe effects on local ecosystems. 
