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Obama likely to revise Bush’s counter-terrorism efforts

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:48:00 -0500

US President-elect Barack Obama is preparing to scrap the way President Bush oversaw domestic security in the White House and name a former Central Intelligence Agency official to coordinate future counter-terrorism efforts.

Quoting people close to the Obama transition team, the New York Times said that a plan is being discussed to eliminate the independent homeland security adviser’s office and assign those duties to the National Security Council to streamline overlapping functions.

The paper also reveals that a deputy national security adviser would be charged with overseeing the effort to guard against terrorism and to respond to natural disasters.

Democrats close to the transition said Obama’s choice for that job was John O. Brennan, a longtime C.I.A. veteran who was the front-runner to head the spy agency until withdrawing in November amid criticism of his views on interrogation and detention policies.

His appointment would not require Senate confirmation.

Though Obama has made no final decision about how to structure domestic security in his White House, his advisers plan to wait until his inauguration to conduct a formal review.

Several key advisers have publicly advocated folding it into the National Security Council, and those involved in discussions said the only real questions appeared to be how to do that and how to explain it without looking like domestic security was being downgraded as a priority.

Bush’s aides, including the national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, have privately urged Obama’s advisers not to get rid of the separate homeland security office, warning that it would load too many responsibilities on the National Security Council and risk important matters’ falling through the cracks.

In his new capacity, Brennan would report to Marine General (retired) James L. Jones, who is slated to serve as Obama’s national security adviser.

The idea of merging the two councils has been recommended by a number of reports, most notably in November by the Center for American Progress Action Fund and by Third Way. Among those preparing their report were John D. Podesta, Obama’s transition co-chairman, and members of his team. (ANI)

Did a tentacle-shaped UFO destroy wind turbine in UK?

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:47:00 -0500

A wind turbine in Conisholme, Lincolnshire, has been destroyed – and locals are blaming UFOs for it.

Locals have reported sightings of a bizarre tentacle-shaped UFO above a local wind farm, on the night before the wind turbine was mysteriously destroyed.

Several residents said that they were woken by the smash after strange lights were spotted streaking towards the 290ft-tall generator on a wind farm.

Dorothy Willows, who stays half a mile from the scene, was in her car when ‘strange lights’ loomed in the evening sky.

She was among dozens who spotted the mysterious flashing orangey-yellow spheres over Lincolnshire — where the turbine was left wrecked.

“The lights were moving across the sky towards the wind farm. Then I saw a low flying object. It was skimming across the sky towards the turbines,” the Sun quoted Dorothy, of Louth, as saying.

Hours later there was an almighty smash.

Dorothy said: “My husband Stephen was woken at 4am by the bang.”

John Harrison, another witness, described how he looked out of his landing window and saw a “massive ball of light with tentacles going right down to the ground” over the wind farm.

“It was huge. With the tentacles it looked just like an octopus,” he said.

Baffled power chiefs said of the smash, which left one of the wind turbine’s giant 65ft blades torn off, in Conisholme, Lincs: “We have a team investigating.”

There was no trace of the missing blade.

A UFO expert said: “We are very excited.” (ANI)

Fear of Mumbai like attack grips US

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:47:00 -0500

Fears of Mumbai like attacks in the U.S. have gripped the policymakers of the United States, who believe that US cities too are vulnerable to such attacks, which shook the whole world last November.

“US cities are vulnerable to an attack like the gun-and-grenade assaults that terrorized Mumbai for three days and killed 179 people,” the News quoted Ken Wainstein, the White House Homeland Security Adviser, as saying.

"You can envision that happening in any American city, and it''s chilling when you think about it," Wainstein said.

The methodology of the Mumbai attacks has created new problems for intelligence agencies, as it considers that the November, 2008 attacks may have established a new model for terrorism.

Wainstein said that the possibility of attacks in any of the mega cities of the world has increased after Mumbai witnessed one of the deadliest terror activities recently.

"That''s the kind of thing that is all too realistic anywhere in the world,” Wainstein said while delivering a speech at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.

Meanwhile, the Senate Homeland Security Committee will meet today to study the response by Indian officials in the Mumbai attacks, and what is needed to prevent such an attack in the United States.

"We''re going to go through where they screwed up, and how do we fix it - how do we make sure we don''t make the same mistakes?" committee spokesman Seamus Hughes said. (ANI)

No credible threat information related to Obama’s oath taking ceremony: DHS

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:45:00 -0500

The US Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies have released a bulletin reminding local law enforcement that the inauguration could present an enticing target for potential terrorists.

But the bulletin states that there is currently no credible threat information related to President elect Barck Obama’s oath taking ceremony on January 20, CBS News reported.

The DHS has no plans to adjust any of the national threat levels, but is reminding the public to remain vigilant.

The Secret Service also announced on Wednesday that bridges connecting Northern Virginia to Washington, D.C., will be closed to most traffic on Inauguration Day, and a 3.5 square miles corridor of the nation’s capital will be shut off starting on January 19, the day before the Inauguration.

The security perimeter is larger than what has been cordoned off for previous inaugurations.

Estimates have varied over the last few weeks, but officials expect two to three million people to cram into Washington to witness Barack Obama taking the oath of office. (ANI)

Warne did not take Pietersen’s offer to be England coach seriously

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:45:00 -0500

The offer from Kevin Pietersen to replace Peter Moores as England head coach was ‘not taken seriously’ by legendary spinner Shane Warne.

Writing in The Times today, Warne reveals that he did receive a tongue-in-cheek approach from Pietersen via text message, but turned it down.

Warne, who would require a salary way beyond the 250,000 pounds earned by Moores, distanced himself from the England job.

“I could not give a full-time position the time to do it properly. Following a team around the world is what I have given up. If I was happy to do that, I would still be playing,” Warne writes.

However, Warne adds that “if an offer comes that sounds too good to be true, I would have to stop and think.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that Pietersen, who played under the former Australia leg spinner’s captaincy at Hampshire, wanted to reassemble the successful trio of Warne, Darren Berry and Jeremy Snape, who supervised the charge of the unfancied Rajasthan Royals to the Indian Premier League title last May.

However, the managing director of England cricket Hugh Morris said that Pietersen did not mention Warne’s name in any discussions held during the breakdown of the former captain’s relationship with Moores. (ANI)

Strauss believes his troubled team has time to be ready for Ashes

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:44:00 -0500

England’s new cricket captain Andrew Strauss believes that his troubled team has time to heal before taking on Australia in the Ashes.

Strauss vowed to restore unity in the squad following Kevin Pietersen’s dramatic resignation as skipper and the sacking of coach Peter Moores on Wednesday due to a rift between the two.

“Its important to realise the Ashes is still quite a long way away. There’s time for things to heal, for England to get back to playing the kind of cricket we know we need to play to beat Australia,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Strauss, as saying.

The England players fly out for a tour of the West Indies on January 21 and opening batsman Strauss said the trip would be an important first step in the team’s bonding.

“I think I am right person to do the job. We are about playing and winning cricket matches, I''m sure that will unite us,” he said.

Strauss did not believe that the conflict had divided the England dressing room as much as some reports suggested.

“I don’t think the rifts are nearly as bad as people have made them out to be and England cricketers want to go out and play good cricket,” he said.

Strauss also revealed he had spoken to Pietersen after being approached to take over the captaincy and explained his reasons for accepting.

“KP has been very supportive of me so far. I fully believe that in everything Kevin did as England captain that he acted solely in what he felt was in the best interests of the team.

“I know Kevin extremely well and appreciate he may be bruised at the moment but he will bounce back and will be one of the most important figures going forward,” he added. (ANI)

Vettori reclaims top spot in ICC rankings for ODI bowlers

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:43:00 -0500

New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori has made a superb start to 2009 by becoming the number-one ranked ODI bowler in the world again.

The left-arm spinner, who turns 30 later this month, has taken six wickets in the first three matches of the current series against the West Indies at an impressive average of just 12.33 and a thrifty economy rate of 3.08.

In the process he has moved above Australia’s Nathan Bracken into top spot in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI bowlers.

It is not the first time Vettori has been at the summit, having spent much of the first half of last year in first position. But Bracken toppled him in June 2008, coincidentally also while playing against the West Indies, but now the 31-year-old New South Welshman has been consigned to second spot once again.

Nevertheless, Bracken has the perfect opportunity to retake number-one place having been named in Australia’s one-day squad for the upcoming five-ODI series against South Africa.

Things are continuing to go well for Vettori’s team-mate Kyle Mills as his four wickets claimed in the series so far have earned him another place and put him in fourth, just ahead of Mitchell Johnson of Australia.

West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell has managed to move up two places to 17th position in the bowling rankings following a good start to the ODI series in New Zealand for him.

The big mover is young Black Cap Tim Southee who has managed to gain 20 places to put him in 75th position.

Another top-class player who has not fired on all cylinders during this series to date is West Indies talisman Chris Gayle. The hard-hitting left-hander has lost one place in the Reliance Mobile ICC Player Rankings for ODI batsmen and has dropped out of the top five, into sixth position.

His place has been taken by India’s Yuvraj Singh, who returns to the top five after a brief spell occupying sixth place. Top spot is still reserved for Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is closely followed by Michael Hussey of Australia in second place and Proteas’ captain Graeme Smith in third. (ANI)

Antipsychotic drugs ‘double death risk in Alzheimer’s patients’

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:42:00 -0500

Anti-psychotic drugs prescribed to treat aggression in Alzheimer''s patients can double their risk of dying, according to a study published in the journal Lancet.

The study, funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust, was led by Prof Clive Ballard’s King’s College London team.

To reach the conclusion, researchers reviewed 165 Alzheimer’s patients who were being prescribed antipsychotics.

Eighty three continued treatment and the remaining 82 had it withdrawn and were instead given oral placebos.

Findings showed a significant increase in risk of death for patients who continued taking antipsychotic medication. The difference between the two groups became more pronounced over time, with 24-month survival rates for antipsychotic-treated patients falling to 46 percent versus 71 percent on the placebo and at 36 months it was 30 percent versus 59 percent.

This implies that after three years, less than a third of people on antipsychotics were alive compared to nearly two thirds using the dummy drug.

Antipsychotics are used to treat symptoms of agitation, delusions and aggressive behaviour. (ANI)

Genetic evidence indicates first Americans arrived as two separate migrations

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:42:00 -0500

In a new study, genetic evidence has revealed that the first Americans arrived as two separate migrations, traveling in different groups to arrive in their new home at about the same time.

After the Last Glacial Maximum some 15,000 to 17,000 years ago, one group entered North America from Beringia following the ice-free Pacific coastline, while another traversed an open land corridor between two ice sheets to arrive directly into the region east of the Rocky Mountains.

Those first Americans later gave rise to almost all modern Native American groups of North, Central, and South America, according to researchers from Universita di Pavia, Italy.

“Recent data based on archeological evidence and environmental records suggest that humans entered the Americas from Beringia as early as 15,000 years ago, and the dispersal occurred along the deglaciated Pacific coastline,” said Antonio Torroni of Universita di Pavia, Italy.

“Our study now reveals a novel alternative scenario: Two almost concomitant paths of migration, both from Beringia about 15,000 to 17,000 years ago, led to the dispersal of Paleo-Indians—the first Americans,” he explained.

Such a dual origin for Paleo-Indians has major implications for all disciplines involved in Native American studies.

For instance, it implies that there is no compelling reason to presume that a single language family was carried along with the first migrants.

When Columbus reached the Americas in 1492, Native American occupation stretched from the Bering Strait to Tierra del Fuego.

Those native populations encompassed extraordinary linguistic and cultural diversity, which has fueled extensive debate among experts over their interrelationships and origins.

Recently, molecular genetics, together with archaeology and linguistics, has begun to provide some insights.

In the new study, Ugo Perego and Alessandro Achilli of Torroni’s team analyzed mitochondrial DNA from two rare haplogroups, meaning mitochondrial types that share a common maternal ancestor.

Mitochondria are cellular components with their own DNA that allow scientists to trace ancestry and migration because they are passed on directly from mother to child over generations.

Their results show that the haplogroup called D4h3 spread from Beringia into the Americas along the Pacific coastal route, rapidly reaching Tierra del Fuego.

The other haplogroup, X2a, spread at about the same time through the ice-free corridor between the Laurentide and Cordilleran Ice Sheets and remained restricted to North America.

“A dual origin for the first Americans is a striking novelty from the genetic point of view and makes plausible a scenario positing that within a rather short period of time, there may have been several entries into the Americas from a dynamically changing Beringian source,” the researchers concluded. (ANI)

Global warming may leave half of world''s population without food by 2100

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:42:00 -0500

Global warming is likely to give rise to severe food shortage by the end of this century, according to researchers, who claim that the rapidly warming climate may alter crop yields in the tropics and subtropics.

And the worst hit will be the regions where the poorest people already live that is the tropics and subtropics.

According to the researchers, there is greater than a 90 percent probability that by 2100 the lowest growing-season temperatures in the tropics and subtropics will be higher than any temperatures recorded there to date.

"The stresses on global food production from temperature alone are going to be huge, and that doesn''t take into account water supplies stressed by the higher temperatures," said David Battisti, a University of Washington atmospheric sciences professor.

"This is a compelling reason for us to invest in adaptation, because it is clear that this is the direction we are going in terms of temperature and it will take decades to develop new food crop varieties that can better withstand a warmer climate.

"We are taking the worst of what we''ve seen historically and saying that in the future it is going to be a lot worse unless there is some kind of adaptation," he added.

During the study, the researchers combined direct observations with 23 global climate models that contributed to Nobel prize-winning research in 2007 and used the data as a filter to view historic instances of severe food insecurity,

They concluded that such instances are likely to become more commonplace.

Those include severe episodes in France in 2003 and the Ukraine in 1972. In the case of the Ukraine, a near-record heat wave reduced wheat yields and contributed to disruptions in the global cereal market that lasted two years.

The serious climate issues will not be limited to the tropics, the scientists conclude.

As an example, they cite record temperatures that struck Western Europe in June, July and August of 2003, killing an estimated 52,000 people.

The summer-long heat wave in France and Italy cut wheat yields and fodder production by one-third. In France alone, temperatures were nearly 6.5 degrees Fahrenheit above the long-term mean, and the scientists say such temperatures could be normal for France by 2100.

In the tropics, the higher temperatures can be expected to cut yields of the primary food crops, maize and rice, by 20 to 40 percent, the researchers said. But rising temperatures also are likely to play havoc with soil moisture, cutting yields even further.

"We have to be rethinking agriculture systems as a whole, not only thinking about new varieties but also recognizing that many people will just move out of agriculture, and even move from the lands where they live now," Naylor said.

Temperature increases from climate change are expected to be less in equatorial regions than at higher latitudes, but because average temperatures in the tropics today are much higher than at midlatitudes, rising temperature will have a greater impact on crop yields in the tropics.

The research appears in journal Science. (ANI)