Mass migration, Internet major threats to UK's national security: Ex-Home Secretary
London, Nov.17 ANI: Former British Home Secretary John Reid has warned that mass migration and the Internet are major threats to the country's national security.According to The Telegraph, Reid also listed cyber attacks, pandemics, global warming and energy shortages as threats.The MP for Airdie and Shotts said he is setting up a new think tank called the Institute of Security and Resilience Studies to assess long-term threats to the UK and other countries.International migration had increased the range of threats against the UK after the end of the Cold War in the early 1990s, he added. "The chief characteristic of the world we have to face is mobility. Forty years ago, the Cold War meant that the borders were inviolate, extremist religious groups and ethnic tensions were suppressed, there was no Internet and travel was difficult. Now, you have a completely mobile world. So the great questions of mass migration, international crime and international terrorism were much higher than they were previously," he told the paper. "We have to recognise that on the net you can practically get the full DNA of the First World War flu that killed 24 million people. National emergencies are no longer one-off events. Crises are looked upon as very exceptional circumstances. Actually they occur a lot more than people think, a lot more often than people know and they are getting more regular," he added."Countries, societies and economies that cannot develop better the capacity to prevent, resist and recover will be left vulnerable and exposed," Reid said, adding that his new institute would work on long term solutions with academics and the private sector to try to come up with long term solutions to help ministers on a "non-partisan" basis.It will be run as a charity and based at University College, London. It should be up and running by this time next year, he said.Reid, who will be the chairman, said he would draw on his experience running most of the major departments of state - defence, health and the home office as well as Northern Ireland before devolution. ANI
2008-11-17 10:01:08Indo-German Environment Forum begins on Tuesday
New Delhi, Nov 17 ANI: The first Indo-German Environment Forum programme begins on Tuesday. It aims to strengthen cooperation in the field of environment. It will focus on issues relating to climate, energy, water and waste policies. The main purpose of this forum is to share the lessons through extremely fruitful engagement and to widen the scope of commonly, agreed environmental agenda of both the countries. Both the countries share a belief that environmentally harmful processes should be stopped and overexploitation of non renewable resources be controlled. Besides bilateral and multi lateral cooperation, other major actors such as private sector, the civil society and voluntary organizations will also be engaged. Through this interactive forum, the Ministry of Environment and Forest will broaden environmental stakeholdership through environment of more and more partners. Germany has largely succeeded in decoupling economic growth from the consumption of natural resources and has also set itself ambitious targets by 2020. Germany aims to achieve a 40 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to 1990. That is ten percentage points more than the 30 per cent reduction aim of the EU. Such stringent targets call for an ambitious environmental policy and innovative technologies. India is already German industries fourth biggest export market in Asia. Indo-German trade volume totaled 12 billion euro in 2006-07. There are currently around 1500 German companies operating in India out of which 700 are Indo-German joint ventures offering services and projects in Germany. The forum will find out ways to support mutual beneficial partnerships and inter-dependencies. Germany has quite high benchmarks as an experienced and competent partner in the field of environmental with state-of-the-art technological solutions. These cover areas of environmental planning and legislation, clean technologies, environmentally friendly production methods and hazardous waste management and infrastructural development. The focus of the Forum-'sanitation, water and waste management, energy efficiency, climate change and CDM' has been selected keeping in view their relevance to the Indian needs. The two-day forum programme has been organized by the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany, Asia-Pacific Committee of German Business APA, Germany Federation of Indian chambers of Commerce and Industry FICCI, India in cooperation with Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, Germany, Federal Ministry for Economic cooperation and Development, Germany, Ministry of Power, India, Ministry of New Renewable Energy, India, Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit GTZ GmbH, Germany and Indo German Chamber of Commerce, India. The Forum will serve a useful purpose through putting the bilateral business perspectives in place and thus build up this bilateral relationship and strengthen this strategic alliance in the times to come. The Indo-German Environment Forum is coinciding with the golden jubilee of the Indo-German bilateral cooperation. ANI
2008-11-17 10:02:08Obamas' on their personal transition
Chicago, Nov.17 ANI: The Obamas' are looking forward to their stay at the White House 65 days from now, and do hope that the transition at the personal level will be smooth for them and their daughters 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha.They will be the youngest first family to move into the White House since the Kennedys did in 1960. Talking to Steve Kroft in CBS 60 minutes, the Obamas' said the idea they would be the 44th President of the United States and the next First Lady was yet to sink in, but added that the election more than anything had shown them what a great country they were living in.Both said that the day Barack was declared elected, was a day of huge emotion and significance as far as American history was concerned."There's no doubt that there was a sense of emotion that I could see in people's faces and in my mother-in-law's face. You know, I mean, you think about Michelle's mom, who grew up on the west and south sides of Chicago, who worked so hard to help Michelle get to where she is, her brother to be successful. She was sitting next to me, actually, as we were watching returns. And she's like my grandmother was, sort of a no-fuss type of person. And suddenly she just kind of reached out and she started holding my hand, you know, kind of squeezing it. And you had this sense of, 'Well, what's she thinking' For a black woman who grew up in the 50s, you know, in a segregated Chicago, to watch her daughter become First Lady of the United States. I think there was that sense across the country. And not unique to African-Americans. I think that," said Obama. "I think people felt that it was a sign of the enormous progress that we've made in the core decency and generosity of the American people," he added.Michelle said that when she took the two girls to school the next day, she could not help envisioning "the girls running into their rooms and, you know, running down the hall and with a dog." "And, you know, you start picturing your life there. And our hope is that the White House will feel open and fun and full of life and energy, and sleepovers," she added. ichelle further told CBS interviewer Steve Kroft that the family was going about their personal transition in a sort of a slow and deliberate way."The interesting part about this year is that it is slowly transitioned us into this. So today doesn't feel as normal as it did yesterday. If we had compared it to the January before he announced, it would seem truly odd. But we have gradually, you know, had more and more changes. And I think, for us, that's helped us get adjusted to do it. So today isn't a shock," she said. Interjecting, Barack said: "One of the great joys of this campaign is the seeing how the girls have adjusted to this thing. They have stayed their normal, cheerful, happy, courteous, curious selves. And that was one of my biggest worries. And remains one of my biggest worries. You know, when we think about, I know Michelle and I have talked about this a lot. How do we just maintain that precious normalcy in our two girls And, you know, 'cause right now they're not self-conscious. They're. you know, they don't have an attitude.""And I think one of our highest priorities, over the next four years, is retaining that. If at the end of four years, just from a personal standpoint, we can say they are who they are. They remain the great joys that they are. And this hasn't, you know, created a whole bunch of problems for them. Then I think we're gonna feel pretty good," he added. Asked how their lives had changed in the last ten to twelve days, they both said there was now more calm and back to routine approach.Obama, however, said there were still some things that they we're not adjusted to like not being able to go for a walk to which Michelle replied that she was not much of a walker any way and didn't miss it. When Michelle asked Barack whether he wanted to go for a walk, he said he'd love to take her for a walk, but she said she wouldn't go.Obama said that the loss of anonymity would take some time getting used, he wasn't complaining because that's what he and his family signed up for two years ago. "One of the challenges I think that we're going to be wrestling with is how to stay pretty normal,." he said. ANI
2008-11-17 10:00:002010 switch-on for wave project
A ground-breaking wave energy project could be ready to send power back to the mainland in 2010.
2008-11-17 05:13:09WASHINGTON
INT15International/Diaspora/ScienceScientist Jagadish Bose inducted into Pioneers Hall at US museumBy Arun KumarWashington, Nov 17 IANS With India and the United States recognising a strategic partnership as "indispensable and inevitable", Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen foresees the two nations working more closely in harnessing space and nuclear energy."India and the United States recognise that a strategic partnership between the two countries is both indispensable and inevitable in 21st century," he said in an address to the Historical Electronics Museum in Baltimore.The museum celebrated the life and work of India's pioneering scientist, Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose, on the 150th year of his birth Nov 15 by inducting him into Pioneers Hall of the Museum with a permanent exhibit. Sen's speech was read out by Dr. Rolan Anders, Museum Board Chairman.The event was not only an occasion to remember the great contribution of Sir Jagadish, but to also reflect on the enormous potential that India and the US have for working together to bring the benefits of modern science and technology to their people, Sen said."As we look to the future, we find ourselves increasingly engaged in critical issues such as renewable and alternative energy, clean energy technology, energy efficiency, increasing food productivity and fighting diseases," he said."Our two nations will be working more closely in harnessing space and nuclear energy for the benefit of our people."Their capacity to translate these into stronger partnership is derived from a shared commitment for democracy, pluralism and individual liberty, Sen said."But, it also derives its momentum from a rich history and a promising future of collaboration in harnessing science and technology for our common good."Through all the turns in the relations between India and the United States, science stood as an enduring symbol of their relationship, Sen said noting the Green Revolution in the 1960s made India self-reliant in food production."The S & T Forum set up in 2000; the India-US S&T Umbrella Agreement of 2005; the establishment of the India-US Bi-National S&T Commission in 2006; and the E-learning initiative of 2006 that has brought 20 leading US universities into collaboration with 42 technical institutions in India are important initiatives," he said.Congratulating the museum for celebrating Bose's 150th birth anniversary, Sen hoped "that his remarkable life would inspire young scientists and that, in honouring him today, we will also seek a future of deeper India-US engagement in science."The event was attended by about 100 scientists and technologists from across the US.Dr Tapan Sarkar, Professor at Syracuse University, Dr. Raj Mittra, Professor at Penn State University, and Dr Peter Siegel from Jet Propulsion Laboratories and Caltech made presentations on different aspects of Bose's contribution.The evening also included a Musuem tour on Bose's work and a musical performance by Indian artists.--Indo-Asian News Serviceak/ tb496 Words*17111113
2008-11-17 03:00:00Gas group to discuss Charter in Moscow
Moscow, Nov 15 UNI The Ministers of the world's leading gas producers will meet in Moscow on December 23 to discuss the Founding Charter of the Gas Exporting Countries...
2008-11-15 21:17:18Energy Conversion Devices swings to profit
Energy Conversion Devices, a maker of materials used for producing solar energy, swung to a profit in its latest quarter as revenues doubled, the company reported Monday. ECD, which produces...
2008-11-15 21:18:13Prepay energy meters: Your stories
As a watchdog accuses energy companies in the UK of profiting from their poorest customers, BBC News website readers share their experiences of how hard they find it to pay their bills.
2008-11-15 12:33:07Natural gas rush stirs environmental concerns AP
AP - Advanced drilling techniques that blast millions of gallons of water into 400-million-year-old shale formations a mile underground are opening up "unconventional" gas fields touted as a key to the nation's energy...
2008-11-15 11:38:22Warner saving career, Cardinals with his surprising play
RENTON -- When Kurt Warner talks about his latest reclamation project, he does so with the energy of a 22-year-old rookie.
2008-11-15 11:43:22
Explore the Worldviewer.com Network Sites
Art - craftiworld.com | - corrosioncontroliworld.com | Record - vinyliworld.com | - farmingiworld.com | Ldl - cholesteroliworld.com | - glassiworld.com | Sony - cassettesiworld.com | - electronictoysiworld.com | Whistler - entiworld.com | Trims - fabricsiworld.com | Horses - horsesiworld.com | Ventilation systems - refrigerationiworld.com | Rayon - rayoniworld.com | - industriesiworld.com | Offshore - oiliworld.com | Research reactor - nucleariworld.com | - cologneiworld.com | - cleaningsuppliesiworld.com | Salvage merchandise store returns - overstockiworld.com | - heatpumpsiworld.com
