STOCKHOLM, Sweden (AP) — The top U.N. envoy to Darfur is resigning to make room for a new full-time chief negotiator, the Swedish Foreign Ministry said Thursday.
Envoy Jan Eliasson, a former Swedish foreign minister, said he would continue to work as a special adviser on Darfur, but that the situation was so serious that it was "extremely important" to take realistic action, state-run radio reported.
A person was killed this morning after being hit by an Orange Line train at Sullivan Square in Charlestown, according to an MBTA spokeswoman.
Forget about getting a building named after yourself. The cash-strapped Scripps Institution of Oceanography is offering what might be an even better deal to someone looking to make a mark in history: A rare hydrothermal vent worm will forever be emblazoned with your name if you fork over $50,000.
For those on a smaller budget, a mere $15,000 will land you in the annals of marine biology as the namesake of an orange, speckled nudibranch, also known as a sea slug.
Across the world, “name a species” fundraisers are spreading into a variety of scientific fields. In recent years, donors have vied for the rights to grant names to frog and shark species, among others.To supporters, naming programs are appropriate ways to raise money and draw attention to science during times of major financial stress. But critics see plenty of potential for abuse.
“There are concerns that profiteering is inappropriate,” says Joe Mendelson, curator of herpetology, the study of reptiles and amphibians, at Zoo Atlanta. “There are people out in the taxonomy community who say as soon as there’s money involved, this is flat-out wrong.” - Christian Science Monitor
Is this wrong or is this wrong?
Washington - It will be the photo-op seen 'round the world: Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton, together Friday on stage, a picture of Democratic unity in the town of Unity – the New Hampshire burg where each got 107 votes in the January primary.
But just as important for Senator Obama, in his quest to reunify his party after a divisive primary season, will be a private meeting the night before with a few dozen of Senator Clinton's top fundraisers .
While polls indicate that the rate of "defections" – Democrats who intend to vote for presumed GOP nominee John McCain – is already approaching the usual rate of the recent elections, Obama can take nothing for granted. And, having decided to forgo public financing on the wager that he can raise far more money on his own, now he has to deliver. Clinton donors, and their fundraising prowess, are key to that equation. - Christian Science Monitor
What stinks for Obama is that many of Clinton's supporters have already made up their mind to not vote for him.
I was making a quick paroozle of Sex Pistols videos on Youtube and I ran into this extremely rare video of Johnny Rotten/Lydon(of the Sex Pistols and Public Image Limited) on Judge Judy. It should be noted that Judge Judy never treats her guests like this. But, what's even stranger is the fact that there is no mention of John's fame or cultural status. Hell, I saw a photo of him from a school book on the 1970s from the Galvin Middle School Library! Anyway, I have mixed views about this television appearance. It is funny, and I am sort of a fan of Judge Judy (guilty pleasure) but at the same time, this is Johnny Rotten, a punk rock legend. Come on! It's obviously just an act. It is arguably his career's nadir. Well, in the end, he has always preferred being hated.
1) The Lifting
2) I've Been High
3) All the Way to Reno
4) She Just Wants to Be
5) Disappear
6) Saturn Return
7) Beat a Drum
8) Imitation of Life
9) Summer Turns to High
10) Chorus and the Ring
11) I'll Take the Rain
12) Beachball
After all these years, R.E.M. is still going strong. Their recent songs are every bit as good as the early classics. Their style has matured as well, like those of all great artists.
The guys have gone far from the punk of "Radio Free Europe". This record displays a rich landscape of sounds. From the psychedelic "The Lifting" to the uncharacteristic strumming of "I'll Take the Rain", every track has something different to offer.
If you're looking for quintessential R.E.M., "Imitation of Life" is for you. On this track, R.E.M. revisits their patented style on songs like "Losing My Religion". But even THIS track is somewhat atypical. It's upbeat - a rarity for this band.
The next one, "Summer Turns to High", would sound more at home in a Brian Wilson set list than in one for this band. The band's tribute to the legend nails his style, from the arpeggios of the piano and guitar, to the bass sound, to the powerful drums, to the glockenspiel. It's a baroque masterwork, yet another example of the band's maturity.
If you want punk or mandolin, try another album. Reveal is R.E.M.'s expansion to the piano, the vibes, the strings, the spacey effects. It's something different, but this band can pull it off.
***** out of five
LONDON (AFP) - The number of girls under the age of 14 having an abortion jumped by over 20 percent in 2007, new figures from the Department of Health show, leading to calls for more government-backed sexual health counselling and contraception services.
The total number of abortions rose in all age groups in England and Wales according to the statistics released Thursday, but most striking was the rise in terminations among teenagers as a higher proportion of pregnancies are aborted.
The Department of Health said the number of abortions among under-14s had gone from 135 in 2006 to 163 in 2007, an increase of 21 percent.
There was also a 10 percent rise among the under-16s to 4,376 abortions. - Yahoo! News
I think I got it now: the only thing I like about England is the music.
LONDON — Heinz Co. said viewer complaints prompted it to pull a British television advertisement for mayonnaise that showed two men kissing.
The ad for Heinz Deli Mayo depicted a kitchen scene involving two children, a father and a male deli cook with a New York accent, whom the children addressed as "Mum." At the end of the ad, the cook kisses the father as he leaves for work.
The Advertising Standards Authority said it received 202 complaints, some that said the advertisement was offensive, inappropriate and unsuitable for children.
Heinz said the ad was withdrawn because of "consumer feedback." Spokesman Nigel Dickie said Tuesday that the company apologized if it had offended anyone. - Comcast.net
Damn straight that be pulled off the tube.
Zimbabwe's opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai has called for greater African involvement in Zimbabwe's crises.
U.S. President George Bush has met with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani at the White House. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports the outlook for an agreement on the future nature of the American presence in Iraq was among the many issues discussed.
The focus was on the positive as the two men met briefly with reporters at the end of their formal talks.
President Bush cited progress in Iraq.
Patan, Nepal - Like any typical schoolgirl, 13-year-old Chanira Bajracharya struggles to finish hours of homework each day. That doesn't stop her from stealing away to watch TV (she enjoys HBO; her younger brothers often change it to Nickelodeon) or use the computer. She even has Barbies, but now that she's older, painting has replaced organizing tea parties as her favorite pastime.
The similarities end there. To start, no one – including her family – may scold her. Chanira eats whatever she desires, though she's yet to abuse this power by demanding an endless supply of ice cream. And don't even mention chores.
It may seem like she's hit the jackpot, but in exchange for this life of relative luxury, she's forbidden to leave her five-story home, save for religious holidays. She must also endure a constant stream of Hindu followers who come seeking her healing powers or to snap a photo of her.
You see, she's no mere mortal: Chanira is one of three main kumaris, or "living goddesses," here in the fabled Kathmandu Valley. The practice of worshiping young girls – and then casting them aside once they reach puberty – is unique to this Himalayan nation. - Christian Science Monitor
Prateek, would you like to explain this phenomenon?
Washington - Sentencing a child rapist to death is cruel and unusual punishment that violates the Eighth Amendment.
In a major ruling sharply restricting crimes carrying potential death sentences, the US Supreme Court on Wednesday invalidated part of a Louisiana statute that made aggravated sexual assault against a child under 12 a capital offense.
The majority justices ruled 5 to 4 that capital punishment is constitutionally impermissible for person-on-person violent crime that does not result in the death of the victim. The case is Kennedy v. Louisiana.
"The death penalty is not a proportional punishment for the rape of a child," Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion. - Christian Science Monitor
Did the rapist also murder somebody? Even then he or (far less likely) she shouldn't be given the "death" treatment.
KHARTOUM (AFP) — Sudanese authorities have expelled the head of the Dutch branch of the charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) from the war-stricken region of Darfur, a humanitarian source said on Wednesday.
New York - America's aviation system could be at risk of collapsing by the beginning of next year.The TSA isn't helping either; flights can be/are very easily canceled because of security threats. Flights also aren't filling up the way they used to (read, wasting gas).
That warning from aviation experts has prompted some industry leaders to call for re-regulation, something considered almost heresy until now. Others are urging Washington to do more to rein in the oil speculators pushing up fuel costs.
But there is agreement among airline officials and analysts that Washington and the two presidential candidates need to recognize the severity of the crisis and take some action now to avert an economically crippling collapse in the near future.
"Unless something is done to move toward some kind of fix, we're going to see every one of our major airlines in bankruptcy," says Robert Crandall, former chairman of American Airlines. "If that isn't enough of a crisis to alert everybody, then I don't know what it will take." - Christian Science Monitor
