Rove E-Mail Sought by Congress May Be Missing http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/12/AR2007041202408_pf.html
A lawyer for the Republican National Committee told congressional staff members yesterday that the RNC is missing at least four years' worth of e-mail from White House senior adviser Karl Rove that is being sought as part of investigations into the Bush administration, according to the chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. GOP officials took issue with Rep. Henry Waxman's account of the briefing and said they still hope to find the e-mail as they conduct forensic work on their computer equipment. But they acknowledged that they took action to prevent Rove -- and Rove alone among the two dozen or so White House officials with RNC accounts -- from deleting his e-mails from the RNC server. Waxman (D-Calif.) said he was told the RNC made that move in 2005. In a letter to Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, Waxman said the RNC lawyer, Rob Kelner, also raised the possibility that Rove had personally deleted the missing e-mails, all dating back to before 2005. GOP officials said Kelner was merely speaking hypothetically about why e-mail might be missing for any staffer and not referring to Rove in particular. Democrats are suspicious that Rove and other senior officials were using the political accounts, set up by the RNC, to avoid scrutiny from Congress. E-mails already in the public record suggest that at least some White House officials were mindful of a need not to discuss certain matters within the official White House e-mail system.
Yesterday, congressional Democrats denounced the White House after administration officials acknowledged this week that e-mails dealing with official government business, including the firing of U.S. attorneys, may have been lost because they were improperly sent through political messaging accounts. Twenty-two White House officials -- and a total of about 50 over the course of the administration -- have been given such accounts to avoid doing political work on government equipment. Sen. Patrick J. Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, accused the White House of lying about the matter. He was joined by the ranking Republican on the committee, Sen. Arlen Specter (Pa.), in calling on the White House to join Congress in setting up a "fair and objective process for investigating this matter." The disclosures came as White House counsel Fred F. Fielding rejected demands for a compromise on providing testimony and records to Congress related to the prosecutor firings. In a letter to the heads of the House and Senate Judiciary committees, Fielding said the White House is standing firm with its "unified offer," which would include providing a limited set of documents. The White House has proposed allowing Rove and other aides to be interviewed privately, without a transcript and not under oath.
The RNC yesterday turned over to the White House a copy of e-mail records for administration officials still on the RNC server to determine whether any of them are privileged or whether they can be provided to congressional investigators. Officials indicated that they would include post-2005 e-mails from Rove. GOP officials said they are also trying to determine whether they can recover other e-mail that may have been deleted through regular purges of e-mails or by deliberate deletion by White House staff. Waxman said the RNC indicated that it had destroyed all e-mail records from White House officials in 2001, 2002 and 2003. In 2004, the RNC exempted White House officials from its policy of purging all e-mail after 30 days, so any lost e-mail after that date would have been presumably deleted by a White House official. Republican officials also said there was nothing nefarious in their decision to take precautions to preserve Rove's e-mail.
Erasing an e-mail message beyond hope of retrieval is not easy, experts said.
Mangoes and bikes seen lifting India-US trade to new highs http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Mangoes_and_bikes_seen_lifting_Indi_04132007.html
India and the United States said on Friday that bilateral trade was expected to touch new heights, revved up by imports of US motorcycles and the sale of Indian mangoes to Americans. After years of blocking the import of Indian fruits, the United States last year allowed Indian mangoes into its domestic markets during a visit to New Delhi by US President George W. Bush in March 2006.
Darfur Collides With Olympics, and China Yields http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/13/washington/13diplo.html?_r=2&hp=&oref=slogin&pagewanted=print&oref=sloginFor the past two years, China has protected the Sudanese government as the United States and Britain have pushed for United Nations Security Council sanctions against Sudan for the violence in Darfur. But in the past week, a senior Chinese official traveled to Sudan to push the Sudanese government to accept a United Nations peacekeeping force. China has extensive business and oil ties to Sudan and generally avoids telling other countries how to conduct their internal affairs. Groups focusing on many issues, including Tibet and human rights, have called for boycotts of the Games next year. But none of those issues have packed the punch of Darfur, where at least 200,000 people — some say as many as 400,000 — mostly non-Arab men, women and children, have died and 2.5 million have been displaced, as government-backed Arab militias called the janjaweed have attacked the local population. President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan has repeatedly refused American, African and European demands that he allow a United Nations peacekeeping force to supplement an underequipped and besieged African Union force of 7,000 soldiers who have been trying, with dwindling success, to restore order in the Darfur region. During closed-door diplomatic meetings, Chinese officials have said they do not want any of their Darfur overtures linked to the Olympics, American and European officials said. National pride in China has been surging over the coming Olympics, with a gigantic clock in Tiananmen Square counting down the minutes to the Games, and Olympic souvenir stores sprouting all over with the “One World, One Dream” Beijing Olympics motto. In public, Bush administration officials have been relatively restrained in welcoming China’s new diplomatic zeal. But there is growing concern inside China that Darfur is hurting Beijing’s image.
Chinese reporter rebuked for hospital urine expose http://rawstory.com/news/afp/Chinese_reporter_rebuked_for_hospit_04112007.html
The reporter, a local television journalist, made national headlines last month after going to 10 hospitals in Hangzhou, the capital of east China's Zhejiang province, replacing his supposed urine sample with tea. His scam was aimed at exposing the corrupt practices of China's health system, where doctors and hospitals are infamous for putting profits ahead of their patients' care -- and it worked spectacularly. Five of the hospitals claimed they discovered problems in his "urine" that required treatment and prescribed drugs that cost more than more than 200 yuan (25 dollars), roughly a week's salary for many of China's working class. His investigative techniques breached the journalists' code of ethics and harmed the reputations of the doctors, the official Xinhua news agency quoted health ministry spokesman Mao Qun'an as saying. Mao defended the hospitals, saying perhaps the tea may have had chemical elements in it that resembled infected urine. Xinhua cited doctors, chemical experts and other journalists as ridiculing that suggestion.
Some 200,000 people demonstrate against violence in Colombia
http://rawstory.com/news/dpa/Some_200_000_people_demonstrate_aga_04132007.html
At least 200,000 people protested in the Colombian city of Cali against violence in the South American country,following a bomb attack in the city. On Thursday, demonstrators wearing white T-shirts and carrying signs with the words "FARC-Murderers" took to the streets of Cali, the third-largest city in Colombia. The protest was organized by city authorities and by the governorship of the Valle del Cauca province. On Monday, the explosion of a bomb before the police headquarters in Cali claimed the life of a passer-by and injured 34 people. The authorities blamed the attack on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), which has been fighting the central government for over 40 years. Rebels finance their activities amongst other things through drug traffic, and continue to have substantial military strength and some 40,000 fighters despite all efforts to
weaken them.
Brazil landless farmers torch tonnes of sugar http://lite.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N13447755.htm
Landless peasants torched at least 30 tonnes of unplanted sugar cane this week in Brazil's main ethanol-producing state, pledging to invade other farms they say are illegally leasing land to producers of the alternative fuel, a peasant group said on Friday. Ethanol is starting to come under fire from left-leaning critics, who say expanding cane fields in Brazil could crowd out small farmers and food crops. The issue is adding a new dimension to an age-old struggle for land in Brazil, where millions live in poverty but where nearly half of the arable land is owned by 1 percent of the population, according to official data. The government has planned to redistribute property in some areas as part of a land reform program, but legal disputes have delayed the issuing of titles. Some Latin American allies on the left, including Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, have spoken out against ethanol. Cuban President Fidel Castro has penned editorials saying ethanol will take land away from crops for food.
Severe storms precede Nor'Easter http://headlines.accuweather.com/news-top-headline.asp?partner=accuweather&traveler=0
On its way to becoming a major Nor'easter off the Northeast coast, a potent storm will slam places just east of the Colorado and New Mexico Rockies with a major snowstorm and spread dangerous thunderstorms across the southern Plains and South during the next two days. The raging Nor'easter will then blast the Northeast coast with flooding rain and gale-force winds, while a record-breaking snowstorm could be in store for the interior.
Storms to begin Sunday night http://www.weather.com/newscenter/fcstsummary.html?from=wxcenter_news
Look for heavy rain and fierce winds by Sunday night and Monday morning from the Middle Atlantic region to New England. Coastal flooding and wind damage are possibilities. Interior sections of the Northeast, especially the higher elevations, may see some record snowfall from Sunday night through Tuesday.
The prospect of all-female conception http://news.independent.co.uk/world/science_technology/article2444462.ece
Women might soon be able to produce sperm in a development that could allow lesbian couples to have their own biological daughters, according to a pioneering study published today. Scientists are seeking ethical permission to produce synthetic sperm cells from a woman's bone marrow tissue after showing that it possible to produce rudimentary sperm cells from male bone-marrow tissue. The researchers said they had already produced early sperm cells from bone-marrow tissue taken from men. They believe the findings show that it may be possible to restore fertility to men who cannot naturally produce their own sperm. Creating sperm from women would mean they would only be able to produce daughters because the Y chromosome of male sperm would still be needed to produce sons. The latest research brings the prospect of female-only conception a step closer.
Wolfowitz says sorry for helping partner's career http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/article2444492.ece
Mr Wolfowitz, a former US deputy Defence Secretary and one of the leading architects of the invasion of Iraq, helped his girlfriend of five years, Shaha Riza, get transferred to a high-paying job at the State Department. His involvement brought accusations of favouritism and calls for him to stand down. Mr Wolfowitz, selected as World Bank president by the Bush administration two years ago, has been a controversial appointment. At the time he took over, a poll suggested 90 per cent of employees were opposed to him taking the job. Ms Riza had been working as a communications adviser in the bank's Middle East Department before being detailed to a job at the State Department. The bank's rules prohibit employees from supervising anyone with whom they had a personal relationship.
London exile Berezovsky says force necessary to bring down President Putin
http://www.guardian.co.uk/russia/article/0,,2056321,00.html
The Russian tycoon Boris Berezovsky has told the Guardian he is plotting the violent overthrow of President Putin from his base in Britain after forging close contacts with members of Russia's ruling elite. In comments which appear calculated to enrage the Kremlin, and which will further inflame relations between London and Moscow, the multimillionaire claimed he was already bankrolling people close to the president who are conspiring to mount a palace coup. Although Mr Berezovsky, with an estimated fortune of £850m, may have the means to finance such a plot, and although he enjoyed enormous political influence in Russia before being forced into exile, he said he could not provide details to back up his claims because the information was too sensitive.Last night the Kremlin denounced Mr Berezovsky's comments as a criminal offence which it believed should undermine his refugee status in the UK. It will not be the first time the British government has faced accusations from the Kremlin that it is providing a safe haven for Mr Berezovsky. Russian authorities last sent an extradition request to London. That failed, however, when a district judge ruled Mr Berezovsky could not be extradited as long as he has asylum status.
Iris Project will allow voice, video and data communications for US troops using standards developed for the internet. Eventually Iris could extend the net into space, allowing data to flow directly between satellites, rather than sending it via ground stations. Arpanet (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), the predecessor of the internet, was developed by the United States Department of Defense. The Iris (Internet Router Protocol in Space) project has been given the go ahead after winning funding from the US Department of Defense, under its Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) programme. The programme aims to develop advanced concepts and put "innovative concepts into the hands of war fighters in the field." The Iris project is one of seven that has been given funding this year. Others include development of smart sensors and counter camouflage technology. The specially designed equipment will be developed by network specialist Cisco while the geostationary satellite, IS-14, will be built by Intelsat. When launched in 2009 it will allow troops to communicate over the internet from the remotest regions from Europe Africa and the Americas. With IP becoming more prevalent for use in space, Nasa and internet pioneer Vint Cerf have also investigated the possibility of using internet technology across the solar system. Although some work has been carried out on the necessary standards and protocols, no definite schedule has been announced for this interplanetary internet.
Airliner avoids India missile http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6551857.stm
An Indonesian passenger jet was forced to turn round in Indian airspace to avoid a nuclear-capable missile test flight, the Indonesian government says. The Indonesian foreign ministry has demanded an explanation from India over the incident. Officials from Garuda airlines say they received no advance notice of the test. The Indian government says it successfully test-fired the Agni-III surface-to-surface missile off the country's eastern coast on Thursday. The Garuda airliner was carrying 413 Muslim pilgrims from the capital, Jakarta, to Saudi Arabia, when the Indian control tower told pilots the missile had been launched, said Ari Sapari, the national carrier's director. The jet's exact location in relation to the missile, which trailed orange and yellow smoke as it rocketed skyward, had not yet been made public. There has so far been no response from India to the Indonesian complaints. The missile is designed to reach 3,000 km (1,900 miles) and puts China's major cities well into range, as well as targets deep in the Middle East. The missile was launched from Wheeler Island off the eastern state of Orissa and is also said to be capable of carrying up to a 300-kiloton nuclear warhead.
U.S. CDC alarmed at rise of drug-resistant gonorrhea http://today.reuters.com/news/articlenews.aspx?type=healthNews&storyid=2007-04-12T211053Z_01_N12341058_RTRUKOC_0_US-GONORRHEA-USA.xml&src=rss&rpc=22
Gonorrhea in the United States is now resistant to all but one class of antibiotic drugs, threatening doctors' ability to treat the common sexually transmitted disease, officials said on Thursday. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it will no longer recommend antibiotics called fluoroquinolones to combat the bacterial disease because of the emergence of drug-resistant strains in recent years that thwart them. The CDC said there is no indication the bacterium that causes gonorrhea is becoming resistant to the remaining class of antibiotics it recommends, known as cephalosporins.
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