Newsdata: March 2010

Tuesday, 30 March 2010

Moscow : blast on city metro train killed at least 25

MOSCOW (AFP) said – Between 12 and 15 people were killed in a second explosion on Monday in Moscow's metro system following a first blast at another station, news agencies cited emergency services officials as saying.The first explosion hit a train at central Moscow's Lubyanka metro station during the height of the city's morning rush-hour.

Sky's Russia correspondent, Amanda Walker, said: "The explosion happened at the busiest time.

"It seems to be a very serious situation at the moment."

Emergency ministry spokeswoman Irina Andrianova says the dead includes 14 people who were in the train's second car where the blast occurred. Eleven people were on the platform.

The Interfax news agency says a second explosion hit Park Kultury station, killing travellers.

Friday, 19 March 2010

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin Said:No more delays on nuclear plant in Iran

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has announced on the day of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton's arrival that a Russian-built nuclear plant in Iran will be started up despite a request from the United States for a delay.

Bill Clinton did not criticize the long-delayed project directly but said the Obama administration opposes the timing of the nuclear plant's startup. Clinton sees Putin today.

The United States and European Union countries suspect Iran is using a civilian nuclear program to make an atomic bomb.

They question the need for nuclear power given that Iran has the world's fourth-largest oil reserves and has no industrial need for additional power from nuclear plants.

At a news conference with Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Clinton said that although Iran is entitled to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, it must reassure the world it is not trying to build a nuclear weapon.

"In the absence of those reassurances, we think it would be premature to go forward with any project at this time, because we want to send an unequivocal message to the Iranians," she said.

The United States and European Union countries suspect Iran is using a civilian nuclear program to make an atomic bomb.

They question the need for nuclear power given that Iran has the world's fourth-largest oil reserves and has no industrial need for additional power from nuclear plants.

Lavrov asserted that, whatever the U.S. concerns, his country will finish its work on the Bushehr nuclear power plant shortly.

"The project will be completed," Lavrov said. "We are now in the final stage, and this nuclear power plant will be launched."

Lavrov said U.S.-Russian negotiations on a treaty to reduce long-range nuclear weapons are close to completion.

The accord would replace the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, or START, which expired in December.

Lavrov said the two countries are discussing the time and place for President Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to sign the deal, which must be ratified by each country's legislature.

"We are now at the finish line," Lavrov said.

Clinton was a bit more circumspect.

"We have a saying in the United States: Don't count your chickens before they hatch," she said. "And that means that we are beginning our discussions."

Saturday, 13 March 2010

Daylight Saving Time: Coming to A Clock near You

This weekend is the annual rite of spring -- springing forward and advancing the clock one hour.

For some, daylight saving time cheats them out of an hour of sleep. For others, daylight saving time means more time in the afternoon to savor the sunshine.
Doctors agree that it does take time for the human body to adjust to the change.

"It turns out that it takes up 2-3 days sometimes even longer to make up and adjust to that extra hour loss," said Dr. Sonia Ancoli-Israel of the University of California San-Diego School of Medicine.
"I go out on Friday night so I don't lose the hour," she said. "Actually, I really like it because especially this time of year with the weather and getting the extra hour of daylight."

Lora Tjomstol knows all about daylight saving time. Her birthday is March 12, and it forces her to navigate weekend plans around the time change.

According to CBS News, there are other impacts. The number of serious heart attacks increases 6 to 10 percent on the first three workdays after the change.

Also, Wall Street economists say sleep deprived traders often produce large negative returns on that Monday.

The Florida Highway Patrol is also warning drivers and pedestrians to be especially careful on the Monday morning commute to work or school. It will likely be dark and everyone needs to pay close attention to the roads.

The Broward Sheriff's Office also reminds everyone that an annual date like daylight saving time is the perfect opportunity to ensure smoke alarms are in good working condition.

Student loans should be in healthcare package:Nancy Pelosi

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday the final version of a broad healthcare overhaul would include a revamp of the student loan program but not a government-run health insurance option.

Nancy Pelosi said"the House could take up the final changes to the overhaul within a week as congressional leaders launch a final push to pass President Barack Obama's top legislative priority."

Barak Obama has chosen organizations to receive his Nobel Peace Prize money

Washington, D.C. -- President Barack Obama has made good on a promise to give his $1.4 million in Nobel Peace Prize money to charity.

On Thursday, Obama released the names of the organizations that will benefit, among them the Central Asia Institute, which promotes girls’ education in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The institute was co-founded by Greg Mortenson — humanitarian, two-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and New York Times best-selling author — who spoke earlier this month in Auburn.

Mortenson and his organizations, Pennies for Peace and the Central Asia Institute, have built more than 131 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to his Web site, gregmortenson.com, more than 58,000 children have been educated through these schools. His visit was part of the Auburn Education Foundation’s Inspiring Speaker Series.

Obama put Fisher House, an organization that provides housing for the families of those being treated at major military and Veterans Affairs medical centers, at the top of the list with a $250,000 donation. Fisher House was followed by the Clinton Bush Haiti Fund, the project his two immediate predecessors are running to raise money for relief and reconstruction efforts in Haiti, which will get $200,000. The Central Asia Institute will receive $100,000, according to Reuters News Service.

“These organizations do extraordinary work in the United States and abroad helping students, veterans and countless others in need,” Obama said in a statement. “I’m proud to support their work.”

White House officials said that the money would go directly from the Nobel Committee to the charities and that it would be released in the next few days

Nobel Prize:2010 Nomination in internet

If some people have their way, you could be the winner of this year's Nobel Peace Prize. "You" in this case being used broadly to mean the billions of people who log online daily.
The Nobel Institute, which awards the annual prize, does not release the list of nominees, but nominators sometimes announce their selections.
Nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize are not open to the public. Only a select group of people, including previous laureates, members of national governments and select university members and scientists, can nominate candidates for future prizes.
Some groups have been advocating the Internet for the prize for months, but the nomination was officially accepted only this week, during the first meeting of the Norwegian Nobel Committee on March 9.

Yes, the Internet is one of a record 237 nominations for the coveted prize this year.

According to the BBC, the Internet submission was backed by Shirin Ebadi, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003 for her human rights work, and by Nicholas Negroponte, founder of the $100 laptop project, One Laptop per Child.

The Internet nomination is also heavily backed by the Italian version of Wired magazine, which last November launched the Web site "Internet for Peace" to raise awareness for the campaign.

A statement on the Web site calls the Internet "a tool for peace." Anyone who uses it "can sow the seeds of non-violence. And that's why the next Nobel Peace Prize should go to the Net. A Nobel for each and every one of us."

The prize will be awarded on Oct. 8, and will include a cash award of $1.4 million.

If the Internet were to actually win this year's Nobel Peace Prize, it would not be the first non-human winner.

The 1965 prize went to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF); the 1985 prize was awarded to the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War; and the 2007 prize was split between Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and Al Gore for their efforts to counteract global warming.

The Internet nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize is similar to Time magazine's dedication of its Person of the Year issue to "You"

Friday, 12 March 2010

U.S.A Court approves God for US money

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) – A federal appeals court in California ruled that the references to God on US bank notes and in the pledge of allegiance to the US flag are constitutional and not religious in nature.

By a two-to-one margin, the three judges overturned their own 2002 ruling that sided with atheist Michael Newdow's complaint that the God mentions established religion and violated the constitutionally mandated separation of church and state"We hold it does not -- the pledge is constitutional," said the majority ruling, referring to the vow of allegiance made by children in public schools every morning to the US flaghe panel's decision applies equally to the phrase, "In God we trust," printed on every US bank note and coin in circulation.

"The pledge of allegiance serves to unite our vast nation through the proud recitation of some of the ideals upon which our Republic was founded and for which we continue to strive," the two judges said.

The lone dissenter argued however that the majority's were wrong in asserting that the words "under God" found in the 1954 amendment to the pledge.It were simply a reference to the limited powers of the federal government.the dissenting judge said"That is, of course, an argument dreamt up by my colleagues that can nowhere be found in the congressional record."
"My colleagues have apparently forgotten that it is the Constitution that sets forth the limitations on government power -- not, as far as our laws are concerned, God," the judge added.

Release of The Twilight: Eclipse trailer

In twilight ECLIPSE, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger as Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob -- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella is confronted with the most important decision of her life.
Also Known As:
Eclipse
The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
Production Status: In Production/Awaiting Release
Genres: Drama, Romance, Thriller, Adaptation, Sequel and Teen
Release Date: June 30th, 2010 (wide)
Distributors:
Summit Entertainment, LLC
Production Co.:
Temple Hill Entertainment, Imprint Entertainment
Studios:
Summit Entertainment, LLC
Filming Locations:
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Produced in: United States
Personally I think this is just a teaser because it doesn't contain any of the characters yet and they are the ones that have made the series so popular so it's a no-brainier they won't leave it at this.......just can't wait to see what else is going to be released soon....