Hillary Clinton visit: Burma hails new chapter in ties

Mrs Clinton is the first secretary of state to visit Burma since 1955

Burmese President Thein Sein has hailed a "new chapter" in relations with the US during talks with Hillary Clinton in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

Mrs Clinton, the most senior American to visit the country in half a century, told the president she was "encouraged" by recent policy changes.

The US maintains tight sanctions on senior figures in Burma's hierarchy.

But a series of reforms this year has led to speculation that decades of isolation could be about to end.

However, US officials have stressed that there is unlikely to be any major announcements on sanctions during Mrs Clinton's trip.

Analysts say the US is more likely to consider symbolic gestures such as upgrading its mission in Burma to a full embassy.

Mrs Clinton's talks with Burma's leadership got under way on Thursday when she met Foreign Minister Wunna Maung Lwin before the talks with President Thein Sein. Read More....

Facebook settles with FTC over deception charges

NEW YORK (AP) — Facebook is settling with the Federal Trade Commission over charges it deceived consumers with its privacy settings to get people to share more personal information than they originally agreed to.

The FTC had charged that the social network told people they could keep the information they share private, then allowed it to be made public.

The charges go back to at least 2009, when Facebook changed its privacy settings so that information users may have deemed private, such as their list of friends, suddenly became viewable to everyone.

"They didn't warn users that this change was coming, or get their approval in advance," the FTC said.

The FTC said the settlement requires Facebook to get people's approval before changing how it shares their data.

In a blog post, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company has made a "bunch of mistakes." But he adds that this has often overshadowed the good work Facebook has done. He says Facebook has addressed many of the FTC's concerns already.

The settlement is similar to one Google agreed to earlier this year over its Buzz social networking service. Like Google, Facebook has agreed to obtain assessments of its privacy practices by independent, third-party auditors for the next 20 years.

Facebook isn't paying anything to settle the case, though future violations could lead to civil fines.

Zuckerberg said Facebook has created two new executive positions — a chief privacy officer of products and a chief privacy officer of policy as part of its response to the settlement.

Egypt votes in first post-Mubarak elections

Egyptians are voting in the opening stage of the first elections since former President Hosni Mubarak was toppled in February. As dawn broke, people were already queuing to cast their ballots outside polling stations in the capital, Cairo.

But protesters who want the vote to be postponed still occupy Tahrir Square.

The head of the country's military council, which took over after Mr Mubarak was unseated, has said the country is "at a crossroads".

"Either we succeed - politically, economically and socially - or the consequences will be extremely grave and we will not allow that," Field Marshall Hussein.

Tantawi said in a statement on Sunday.

He urged top presidential candidates Mohammed ElBaradei and Amr Moussa to give their support to his nomination for prime minister, 78-year-old Kamal Ganzouri. Read More...

Old fashioned Thanksgiving for 300 troops

CHERRY HILL, N.J. - November 24, 2011 (WPVI) -- Some 300 soldiers and sailors got a pleasant surprise Thursday afternoon, the Thanksgiving dinner they thought they'd go without.

It was a dramatic show of patriotic pride as hundreds of motorcycles escorted seven buses full of soldiers to a surprise Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel in Cherry Hill.

And when the 270 troops from Joint base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst got off those buses, they were greeted by a huge, cheering crowd forming an honor guard to welcome and thank them for their service.

Thanksgiving dinner at a hotel in Cherry Hill

"I almost started crying to be honest," said one soldier.

Some are just home after a tour in Iraq, others are heading to Afghanistangrateful strangers offering hugs and high-fives, the soldiers and sailors were touched. soon, and as they made their way through the line of

"This is going to be my third time mobilizing and we've had some stuff at the base, but never like a whole community turnout," said Sgt. George Luedkte. "This is just amazing."

"It blew my mind ma'am, the escorts and everything. It's amazing. I thank everyone for coming out, all the support," said Petty Officer Adam Henry.

"I'll tell you what it's amazing. This is my 3rd deployment back home, and this is the biggest welcoming I've ever had," Sgt. Henry Palma.

The 8th Annual Jeremy Kane Feed the Troops Thanksgiving Celebration is hosted by the Jewish War Veterans, and is named after a local soldier who was killed in action last year.

The goal is to treat soldiers to a great dinner when they are far from home.

"We know that these young people would rather be home with their loved ones, but since they can't do that, we become their family," said Commander Harold Waitsman.

"My wife and daughter are in Japan right now, so it's really tough to be away, but again, I'm proud to serve my country," said Sgt. Rolando Decker.

"The best thing we've had in like 8 or 9 months," said another soldier.

The soldiers who recently returned from Iraq were feasting on their turkey dinners and were more than grateful.

"It doesn't come out of a bag or a chow hall," said Sgt. David Reeder. "These guys went to a lot of trouble to make this and it's good."

It's not the same as being home for the holiday, but the hope is that it would be one Thanksgiving the soldiers and sailors will never forget.

Protests in Maharashtra after attack on Sharad Pawar

MUMBAI: The attack on union agriculture minister Sharad Pawar in Delhi sparked protests in his home state Maharashtra and invited strong condemnation from political parties.

`Rasta roko' protests were held in Solapur and Nashik to condemn the attack on Pawar, who was slapped by a youth at a public function claiming he was angry with corruption and price rise.

Senior NCP Minister Laxman Dhoble led the rasta roko at Mohol in Solapur district. The protesters shouted slogans, condemning the attack.

NCP workers blocked vehicular traffic at Trimbak Road and Kalwan in Nashik district to condemn the attack on their party chief.

In adjoining Navi Mumbai, the agro produce market was closed in protest. In Baramati, Pawar's native place in Pune district, traders observed spontaneous bandh.

Political parties were quick to denounce the assault. Maharashtra BJP President Sudhir Mungantiwar condmed the attack, describing it as cowardly.

Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Assembly Eknath Khadse said, "In a democracy, such attacks are condemnable. One can protest using non-violent means but such an attack cannot be justified."

Home Minister and NCP leader R R Patil said Pawar's security needs to be stepped up in the aftermath of the incident. 71-year-old Pawar, who went to attend a literary function at a public auditorium on Parliament Street, was slapped by Harvinder Singh, a transporter in his thirties who had also assaulted former Telecom Minister Sukhram outside Rohini Court on Saturday after he was sentenced in a corruption case.

The NCP workers also held protests at Mulund and Worli areas of Mumbai. Some party workers were taken into custody in suburban Mulund for trying to disturb law and order, said a police official.

Tight security is being maintained across Mumbai following the incident, said police.

Pakistani ambassador’s departure under fire leaves void in US-Pakistani relations

Pakistani ambassador’s departure under fire leaves

WASHINGTON — The departure of Pakistan’s man in Washington, Ambassador Husain Haqqani, leaves U.S.-Pakistani relations temporarily adrift, with few trusted go-betweens after months of bruising political sparring that followed the Navy SEAL raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Haqqani resigned Tuesday over what has become known as “memo-gate” — allegations that he sought U.S. help to head off a possible Pakistani military coup after the bin Laden operation.

Former information minister Sherry Rehman, an important player in President Asif Zardari’s ruling political party, was appointed Wednesday to replace Haqqani. With elections in Pakistan slated for March, however, Rehman will be diplomatically toothless if Zardari’s government falls.

Haqqani’s departure robs the two sides of a man who simultaneously was one of the Pakistani military’s biggest critics and a constant, needling thorn in Washington’s side, refusing American requests to expand the CIA’s drone campaign against militants or increase American intelligence personnel on the ground. Read More...

Egypt’s Cabinet Offers to Resign as Protests Rage

CAIRO — The cabinet offered its resignation on Monday to Egypt’s transitional military rulers as security forces carried out an increasingly lethal crackdown on three days of violent street protests, reviving the uncertainty about Egypt’s future that marked the earliest days of the Arab Spring.

Egypt’s military had been seen as the linchpin of the political transition after the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak.

It was the institution Islamists hoped would steer the country to early elections that they were poised to dominate. Liberals regarded it as a hedge against Islamist power. And the Obama administration considered it a partner that it hoped would help secure American interests.

But the cabinet’s offer to resign, in a bow to the protesters’ demands, was the latest blow to the tenuous legitimacy of the ruling military council, just a week before Egypt is scheduled to hold its first parliamentary elections since Mr. Mubarak’s ouster nine months ago.



If you want to see more photos, visit this page: http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2011/11/21/world/middleeast/2011122EGYPT_SS.html
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Reeling from the swift collapse of the military’s authority, the Muslim Brotherhood, Egypt’s largest Islamist group, urged protesters to show restraint or risk delaying the elections. But other Islamists, some more conservative and others more moderate, joined secular parties in calling for a protest Tuesday — expected to be the largest yet — demanding that the military hand power to a civilian authority. Read More...

15 dead, 34 injured in Delhi fire

New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) At least 15 people were killed and more than 34 injured in a fire at a congregation of eunuchs at a community park in east Delhi Sunday, fire brigade officials said.

However, Delhi Health Minister A.K. Walia, who visited the injured in hospital, put the number of dead at 12, while police said 10 people were killed.

The first intimation of the fire at the park in Nand Nagri's E2 block, where the three-day Akhil Bharatiya Kinnara Samaj Sarvdharma Mahasammelan started Sunday, was received around 6.50 p.m., a fire brigade official said.

Walia, who visited the Guru Tegh Bahadur hospital where most of the injured were taken, announced compensation for the victims but did not specify the amount.

The minister also ordered a thorough probe into the incident. 'The deputy commissioner (revenue) of east Delhi (J.P. Sharma) has been asked to investigate the incident and file his report to the state government at the earliest,' he told reporters. Read More...

How to write a great resume

With employers receiving hundreds of resume on a daily basis, how do you ensure your resume hooks an employer’s attention in just a glance? Writing a resume involves a lot of tips and tricks. A great CV must follow certain dos and don’ts. Although there are tons one can add on to this list, here are a few basic points your resume cannot miss.

1. Know the purpose of your resume

The first thing that you need to understand is that a resume is not going to fetch you a job. It is the first step to get an interview call which will in turn land you in a job.

2. Back up your strengths

While most of us like to flaunt off our strengths, a resume is just not the right place do to so. Any company or recruiter will get a better idea of your strengths when you relate it with your work/college experience, lest it might appear too vague.

3. Usage of language

Like it or not, employers can judge your resume in no time. Using the apt language is the key to get interview calls. Simple English is appreciated over long, complex sentences. Avoid jargon, keep the titles short and crisp, be descriptive and stick to ...

4. Order of details

Ensure your education details follow ascending or descending order. Your prior work experience can help the recruiter gauge your skills and abilities. So put them first. While adding your other achievements, add the most recen

5. Typography

Big fonts make the recruiter’s job easier. However, 11 or 12 is the smallest you can go. Do not use capitals all over your resume. Remember your goal is to communicate the message as crisply as possible. Stick to one font style.

6. Keep negativity at bay

Spare your resume from any kind of negative information. Things that you hated about previous employer, personal opinions etc can create a negative impression about you.

7. Irrelevant information

Don’t include irrelevant information like your religion, age or political affiliation. Just skip these! It might interrupt your chances of landing in an interview.

8. Sell your fish

Remember you have to market yourself through your resume. However, never overdo it, as you might end up blowing your own trumpet. As long as you avoid this, your marketing efforts are sure to fetch you a job.

9. Length of your resume

No matter how long you have worked, never let your resume run for more than one or two pages at the maximum. Bear in mind that no one will have the patience to flip them. Keep it short and to the point.

10. Read and re-read

Once you are done, proof read your resume. Check for spelling errors, facts and other important factors. You could also take help from a friend, family or someone who has more experience than yourself.

'India will have to work within its laws,' PM tells Obama on Nuclear Liability law

 PM tells Obama on Nuclear Liability law

Bali: At an hour-long meeting with US President Barack Obama, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stood firm on the contentious issue of India's nuclear liability rules.

"I explained to President Obama that we have a law in place and the rules have been formulated. These will lie in Parliament for 30 days. Therefore, we have gone some way to respond to concerns of American companies and within the four corners of the law of the land, we are willing to address any specific grievances," Dr Singh told reporters after the meeting. The two leaders met on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Bali. Read More...

Facebook hit with unsolicited porn, violent videos

Facebook Hit - Unsolicited Porn, Violent Videos

REUTERS - Facebook Inc said on Tuesday that it is investigating a rash of unsolicited graphic images that hit some users' accounts this week.

The images, Internet links and videos depicting pornography and violence have hit some people's Facebook newsfeeds in recent days.

"We experienced a coordinated spam attack that exploited a browser vulnerability," Facebook spokesman Andrew Noyes said in a statement emailed to Reuters. "Our efforts have drastically limited the damage caused by this attack, and we are now in the process of investigating to identify those responsible."

Facebook does not know yet who was behind the attack and a motive was not clear, Noyes added during an interview with Reuters.

Facebook users were tricked into pasting and executing "malicious" javascript in their browser URL bar, which led to them unknowingly sharing the content, Noyes explained.

Facebook engineers have been working to reduce this browser vulnerability, he added.

Facebook and other "Web 2.0" sites are easy targets for such attacks because they pull in a lot of content from outside sources, according to Paul Ferguson, senior threat researcher at Trend Micro Inc.

"It seems every other day there is some new Facebook 'threat,' but this is just the new reality of Web 2.0 and social networking," Ferguson said. "It is 'low-hanging fruit' for criminals."

(Reporting by Alistair Barr in San Francisco and Jim Finkle in Boston, editing by Gerald E. McCormick and Matthew Lewis)

New Agreement Will Expand U.S. Military Presence in Australia

U.S. President Barack Obama and Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard meet in her office at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia.

[Nov 16, 2011] CANBERRA, Australia – President Barack Obama announced an agreement Wednesday to expand the U.S. military presence in Australia, underscoring concerns in the region over an increasingly assertive China.

The agreement, formally unveiled by Obama during a joint news conference with Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, will allow up to 250 U.S. Marines to be stationed in northern Australia beginning next year.

Obama insisted that any notion that the United States fears China or wants to exclude the growing power from American economic alliances in the Asia-Pacific region is mistaken. But he said the United States will keep sending a clear message that China needs to accept the responsibilities that come with being a world power. Read More...

Obama: US budget talks could disrupt holiday plans

 Obama: US budget talks

* Year-end deadline looms for action on deficit, jobs

* Obama struggles to get support for jobs bill

* At fundraiser, defends healthcare law - By Caren Bohan and Laura MacInnis

HONOLULU, Nov 14 (Reuters) - President Barack Obama said on Monday year-end wrangling over the budget and jobs measures might delay the start of his December holiday vacation in Hawaii, as U.S. political gridlock showed no sign of easing.

"It is great to be home, great to feel that Aloha spirit," Obama told a fundraiser in his native state of Hawaii, where he had spent the weekend hosting world leaders at an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

Obama said his wife Michelle and their two daughters would return to Hawaii soon for their traditional Christmas vacation trip but said his own plans hinged on whether Washington could break a deadlock on key pieces of legislation.

"We'll see if Washington gets its business done, so I can get here as well. But that's always a challenge," Obama said.

Congress faces a Dec. 23 deadline to approve measures reducing the U.S. deficit by at least $1.2 trillion over 10 years, but a panel of 12 lawmakers who must nail down details of the plan by Nov. 23 still have yet to agree a deal.

Obama also hopes to push through key elements of his $447 billion jobs package by the end of the year, including an extension of payroll tax cuts due to expire by the end of this year without action by the U.S. Congress.

The U.S. Senate last week overwhelmingly passed a measure that would provide tax credits to companies that hire military veterans. But Obama is struggling to get bipartisan support for larger parts of the jobs plan.

He criticized congressional Republicans for resisting initiatives including the payroll tax cuts and funds to fix roads and bridges.

"These aren't partisan issues. These are common-sense approaches to putting people back to work at a time when the unemployment rate is way too high. But politics seems to override everything in Washington these days," Obama said.

More action on jobs could be critical for Obama because his hopes of re-election in 2012 may hinge on whether he can persuade voters he is doing enough to boost the sluggish U.S. economy and bring down the unemployment rate of 9 percent. Read More!!!

The Big Question: Happy Children's Day?

Happy Children’s Day!!!

THE childhood is a very significant moment and most memorable in the life of every human being. Therefore, be sure to make every moment spent with your baby becomes more special.

Now that we have got that out the way, let's look at some hard facts. India has more malnourished children than the poorest regions in Sub-Saharan Africa! That’s not just in terms of sheer numbers (as you’d expect from the country with the world’s largest population), it's also as a percentage, and that is inexplicable. India has an under -five child mortality rate of 65 per thousand, this means that 65 children out of a 1000 die before they turn five years old, the corresponding number for China is a mere 19. In 2009, 1.72 million children died before they turned five, the most in the world.

17 million children work, as per official estimates, and despite making education a fundamental right for children aged between 6 and 14, only fifty percent of these children attend school. Gruesome facts that are not very reassuring if you are a child in India. Read More...

Record-breaking Day in Cape Town

Record-breaking Day in Cape Town

In an epic day of cricket at New lands, Cape Town, several records were shattered - but not in a manner the two teams would appreciate.

Australia folded for 47 in their second innings, a collapse so dramatic, it took only a few minutes for South Africa's supporters to get over the fact that their team had made just 96.

It was a day that belonged more in the 19th century, when such collapses were more commonplace due to uncovered wickets and lack of protective gear for batsmen.

Not Since 1896...

In this extraordinary day, 23 wickets fell, with both teams batting twice. Australia completed their first innings by losing two wickets today. South Africa went to lunch at 49-1.

By the end of the noon session, 12 more wickets had fallen on both sides, for 60 runs.

Eight more wickets fell in the evening session, but only one on the South African side, displaying that it wasn't the pitch causing the damage but the batsmen's poor judgement.

The last time more wickets fell in a single day's play in a Test match was 115 years ago in 1896. Australia, playing England at the Oval, were bowled out for 44 chasing 111, right after bowling England out for 84.

Australia were 21-9 at one stage. It was the 26-run last-wicket partnership between Peter Siddle and Nathan Lyon that helped them avoid breaking New Zealand's record for the lowest Test score. But their 47 still is the 10th lowest score in a Test innings.

Lyon, batting at No. 11, top-scored with 14.

Bangalore Metro work Mapping

Reach 3 'On track'

BANGALORE: The excitement surrounding the city’s first metro rail facility surely seems to have settled. Now with Reach 1 operational, the City Express tracks the progress of the rest of the project under construction across the city. The grand Namma Metro project, spread across four corners of the city, is primarily divided into two corridors: the East-West and the North-South. While the East-West corridor covers 17.90 kilometres with 16 stations between Byappanahalli and Mysore Road, the North-South covers 23.87 kilometres with 24 stations from Hesarghatta to Puttenahalli.

Divided into four parts or Reaches, Reach 3 (Yeshwantpur to Swastik), Reach 3a (Yeshwantpur to Peenya Depot), and Reach 3b (Peenya to Hesarghatta cross) are nearing completion and the entire route is expected to be operational by December, 2012. Work on Reach 2 and 4, both of which have portions running underground, is on track. Read More...

PROJECT 11 shot in 11 countries releases on 11.11.11

PROJECT 11, a short film slated for release on 11.11.11 has been shot in 11 countries across the world in a shoe string budget of 9 lakhs, entirely self funded by the makers. In this unique initiative by two film enthusiasts, PROJECT 11 is probably the first of its kind in short the film genre which bridges a vast geographical divide. The film was made with an idea to raise funds for their feature film on the same lines. They decided to release it on 11.11.11, which is a once in a lifetime date.


 

PROJECT 11 is a High-Concept thriller, which blurs the line between the real and the virtual world. The film has been shot in 11 different cities in the world. This experimental film has 11 eminent directors collaborating from world over.  Take a look at the trailer here. Read More....

Ashwin, Tendulkar boost India victory hopes

Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid During the 3rd Day Session

New Delhi, November 8 (AFP): Debutant Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed six wickets and Sachin Tendulkar completed 15,000 Test runs to boost India's hopes of winning the opening Test against the West Indies on Tuesday.

Tendulkar was unbeaten on 33 as India reached 152-2 in their second innings at stumps on the third day after being set a challenging 276-run target to win the match on a low, slow pitch.

India now need 124 more runs to win the match with eight wickets in hand.

Tendulkar, needing just one more century to score an unprecedented 100 international hundreds, completed 15,000 runs during his unbeaten 87-ball knock when he took a single off leg-spinner Devendra Bishoo.

The master batsman, the world's leading scorer in both Test and one-day cricket, looked at the sky and raised his bat before being congratulated by team-mate Rahul Dravid (30 not out) and the West Indies players.

The West Indies were bowled out for 180 in their second innings, with off-spinner Ashwin bagging 6-47. Read More...

Gingrich: Cain should give a 'clear and compelling explanation'

Presidential contenders Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich engage in a policy debate in Texas on Saturday. (Eric S. Swist / Associated Press)

The Republican presidential contenders have avoided saying much of anything about the accusations of sexual harassment lodged against Herman Cain over the last week. But several of the candidates seemed to be seeking a new level of distance from the former Godfather’s Pizza chief executive on Monday night after a woman stepped forward publicly to accuse him of unwanted sexual advances.

“The allegations are very serious,” Mitt Romney told Fox News host Bill O’Reilly during a radio interview. “I’ve got no counsel for the Cain campaign. I’ll let them keep their own counsel and I’m going to focus on my message.”

Newt Gingrich, who displayed exceptional warmth toward Cain during a Saturday debate in Texas, struck a similar tone during O’Reilly’s three-hour radio forum that featured back-to-back interviews with most of the candidates.

Gingrich described Cain as a friend and “a very optimistic, positive guy,” but said the emergence of Sharon Bialek – the first of the four women who has been willing to reveal her identity – “in the open” had altered the dynamics.

“He is going to have to have a clear and compelling explanation for this whole story,” Gingrich said.

“This is a challenge for Herman and he’s got to solve it,” Gingrich added when asked if he expected it to come up in Wednesday night’s debate.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry suggested that the scrutiny was to be expected of any front-runner in the race:  “Any time that you rise to the top of the polls… you’re going get to get whacked,” Perry told O’Reilly. “As you said” – he told the Fox News host – “it’s Herman’s turn in the barrel.”

Miss World 2011 crowned

Miss Venezuela, Ivian Sarcos, was crowned the 61st Miss World with Miss Philippines, Gwendoline Ruais as the 1st runner up and Miss Puerto Rico, Amanda Perez, the 2nd runner up.

Mars500 Crew 'Lands' After 520-Day Simulated Mission To Mars

After breaking a world record for isolation as part of their simulated "trip" to Mars and back, the Mars500 crew has stepped out of their mock interplanetary spacecraft for the first time in 520 days. The isolation experiment which began on June 3, 2010 and ended November 4, 2011 is a revolutionary step toward a "real" manned missions to Mars.

The Mars500 experiment, conducted by the European Space Agency (ESA) at the Institute of Biomedical Problems in Moscow, is a psychological and physical study about how long periods of isolation affects humans. Long-term isolation experiments are important because without them we won't know if people will be able to survive longterm space travel...or if they'll go completely insane.

Mars500 Crew 'Lands'

The Mars500 experiment took place for 520 days--the approximate time to include, "a long flight to Mars, insertion into orbit around the planet, landing, surface exploration, return to orbit, a monotonous return flight and arrival at Earth," as the ESA puts it. The crew also performed more than 100 experiments just like what would happen in a real mission to Mars, except these experiments were all related to the "problems of long-duration missions in deep space," according to the ESA.

While on board, the Mars500 crew--all men in this case--had access to only 550 cubic meters (around 19,400 cubic feet) of area and experienced communication delays between 8 and 736 seconds. This experiment certainly tested isolation to the extremes of all sorts, with only one exception--there was gravity, which obviously would not be the case in deep space.

At 10:00 GMT, the hatch to the "spacecraft" was opened and the crew of all volunteers--three Russians, one Chinese, and two Europeans--walked out to meet family, friends, and doctors. Now that the experiment is complete, the crew will undergo medical and psychological evaluations. No one is sure what will happen next--an actual mission to Mars? No one knows. But the experiment will prove to be vital for future long-term space travel.

Biggest jump ever seen in global warming gases

Global Warming Gases

WASHINGTON (AP) — The global output of heat-trapping carbon dioxide jumped by the biggest amount on record, the U.S. Department of Energy calculated, a sign of how feeble the world's efforts are at slowing man-made global warming.

The new figures for 2010 mean that levels of greenhouse gases are higher than the worst case scenario outlined by climate experts just four years ago.

"The more we talk about the need to control emissions, the more they are growing," said John Reilly, co-director of MIT's Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change.

The world pumped about 564 million more tons (512 million metric tons) of carbon into the air in 2010 than it did in 2009. That's an increase of 6 percent. That amount of extra pollution eclipses the individual emissions of all but three countries — China, the United States and India, the world's top producers of greenhouse gases.

It is a "monster" increase that is unheard of, said Gregg Marland, a professor of geology at Appalachian State University, who has helped calculate Department of Energy figures in the past.

Extra pollution in China and the U.S. account for more than half the increase in emissions last year, Marland said.

"It's a big jump," said Tom Boden, director of the Energy Department's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center at Oak Ridge National Lab. "From an emissions standpoint, the global financial crisis seems to be over."

Boden said that in 2010 people were traveling, and manufacturing was back up worldwide, spurring the use of fossil fuels, the chief contributor of man-made climate change. Read More....

Euro zone contemplates future without Greece

European leaders were preparing on Thursday for the possibility of Greece leaving the euro zone to preserve the 12-year-old single currency.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel told Prime Minister George Papandreou at a torrid meeting in Cannes that Athens would not receive a cent more in aid -- Greece  was due an 8 billion euros aid payment this month -- until it votes to meet its commitments to the euro zone.

In Athens, Greece's powerful finance minister broke ranks with his prime minister, rejecting a proposed referendum on staying in the euro, hours after they received an ultimatum from France and Germany to make up their minds.

The growing chaos in Greece and uncertainty over the euro zone sent stocks and commodity prices lower in Asia, and fueled a rush into safe-haven German bonds.

On his return with Papandreou to Athens from Cannes, Finance Minister Evangelos Venizelos issued a defiant statement, saying Greece's euro membership was a historic achievement and "cannot depend on a referendum".

A finance ministry source said Venizelos, who was kept in the dark by his Socialist rival about Monday's referendum call, opposed risking a public vote at this crucial moment. Read More...