Mousavi Calls for More Iran Protests as 10 Killed

Mousavi Calls for More Iran Protests as 10 Killed

June 21 (Bloomberg) -- At least 10 people were killed during clashes with Iranian police and defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi called for further demonstrations in defiance of Iran’s supreme leader.

If Iranians “are not able to defend their rights in a civil, peaceful reaction, there will be dangerous ways ahead,” Mousavi, who claims officials rigged President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s June 12 re-election, said in a statement on his Web site.

Ten people were killed yesterday and more than 100 injured in rioting, state television reported today, quoting deputy chief of police Ahmadreza Radan. He said security forces did not use firearms and “terrorist groups” among the protesters were responsible for the casualties. CNN television, citing staff at a Tehran hospital, said 19 people were killed.

In a sign of widening divisions within the regime, Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said a majority of Iranians contest the official results of the election, state-run Press TV reported on its Web site today, citing comments he made yesterday on Channel 2.

Iran’s Security Council and police yesterday warned Mousavi against holding rallies. The day before, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, supreme leader of the Persian Gulf nation of 73 million, ordered a halt to the demonstrations.

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians have opposed Ahmadinejad’s re-election in the largest demonstrations since the Islamic Revolution that ousted the shah in 1979. The protests and split within the ruling elite mark an unprecedented challenge to the authority of Khamenei, the successor of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, leader of the Islamic Revolution. Read more...
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aouxH5.pYY1w

Floating cities drift in from future

Floating cities drift in from future
(02:06) Report Reuters Video

Jun 15 - The low-lying Netherlands has become a laboratory for innovative architectural designs aimed at utilizing the one thing they have in abundance - water.
Rob Muir reports

THE INFLUENCE GAME: After 'cow tax' campaign, Congress and EPA steer clear of cattle burps

THE INFLUENCE GAME: Excuse me! Lobby wins on burps
THE INFLUENCE GAME: After 'cow tax' campaign, Congress and EPA steer clear of cattle burps

WASHINGTON (AP) -- One contributor to global warming -- bigger than coal mines, landfills and sewage treatment plants -- is being left out of efforts by the Obama administration and House Democrats to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

Cow burps.

Belching from the nation's 170 million cattle, sheep and pigs produces about one-quarter of the methane released in the U.S. each year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. That makes the hoofed critters the largest source of the heat-trapping gas.

In part because of an adept farm lobby campaign that equates government regulation with a cow tax, the gas that farm animals pass is exempt from legislation being considered by Congress to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

The EPA under President Barack Obama has said it has no plans to regulate the gas, even though the agency recently included methane among six greenhouse gases it believes are endangering human health and welfare.

The message circulating in Internet chat rooms, the halls of Congress and farm co-ops had America's farms facing financial ruin if the EPA required them to purchase air-pollution permits like power plants and factories do. The cost of those permits amounted to a cow tax, farm groups argued.

"It really has taken on a life of its own," said Rick Krause, a lobbyist with the American Farm Bureau Federation, which coined the term cow tax and spread it to farmers across the country. "This is something that people understand. All that we have to say is that (cows) are the next step with these proposed permit fees. And people are still talking about it."

Administration officials and House Democratic leaders have tried to assure farm groups that they have no intention of regulating cows. That effort, however, has done little to ease the concern of farmers and their advocates in Congress about the toll that regulating greenhouse gases will have on agriculture. Read Article... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/THE-INFLUENCE-GAME-Excuse-me-apf-2452272823.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=1&asset=&ccode=

Performing Yoga in a novel location

Performing Yoga in a novel location
(00:51) Rough Cut Reuters Video

Jun. 20 - An Indian practitioner of Yoga in India has mastered the art of performing various Yogic postures while floating in water.

The Centenary of the International Paris Air Show will be an unprecedented celebration for all air and space enthusiasts!

The Centenary of the International Paris Air Show will be an unprecedented celebration for all air and space enthusiasts!
http://www.paris-air-show.com/

(Source New York Times)The Paris Air Show, first held 100 years ago, is the world’s largest international trade fair for the aerospace industry. Officially called the Salon International de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace, Paris-Le Bourget, the show takes place every two years at the field where Charles Lindbergh arrived after his historic Atlantic crossing.

Ever since it was first put on in the Grand Palais in 1909, six years after Orville and Wilbur Wright’s initial flight, the event has been a showcase of aerial technology. One highlight remains the aerial acrobatics that take place as planes as large as the double-decker Airbus A380 are put through their paces overhead.

Despite the layoffs, losses and plunging revenues in the industry, nearly 2,000 exhibitors signed on for the 2009 show (June 15-21) — major aircraft manufacturers like Airbus and Boeing, global military contractors like EADS and Lockheed Martin, and representatives of various countries, states and cities, international airports and makers of aircraft-related wares.

Special Report: Aviation
Bleak Times Set the Tone at Paris Air Show ( NYT Permalink)
By DANIEL SOLON Published: June 15, 2009
The 100th anniversary of the Paris Air Show comes against a backdrop of tragedy and economic stress, after a fatal Air France crash and forecasts of huge aviation industry losses.


The Paris Air Show: A Look Back (NYT Permalink)
Le Bourget Paris Air Show
Published: 20090614

Press Kit 2009: http://www.paris-air-show.com/Portals/1/PKjuin.pdf

NASA produced Paris Air Show Video

Iran’s Tensions, Foreshadowed in Its Cinema

Film
Iran’s Tensions, Foreshadowed in Its Cinema (NYT Permalink)
By A. O. SCOTT Published: June 20, 2009
From the early 1990s until the middle of this decade, Iran’s historically rich movie culture entered a remarkable period of rejuvenation.

Where Housing Will Be in 2012

Where Housing Will Be in 2012

(Source Yahoo Finance, Business Week)
Home prices are likely to fall for the next year, then stabilize, with a rebound in 2012 as the overall economy takes off again
Americans have not seen a boring housing market since the last millennium. You know -- the average, ordinary kind of market where supply just about matches demand, prices are steady, and real estate ceases to be a topic of daily conversation. Instead, we've had six years of upside craziness followed by three years of downside terror. Now we're in a tug-of-war between those who think we've finally found a bottom and those who are convinced that the overhang of unsold homes is going to push prices considerably lower.

By 2012 we may finally get back to blissful boredom. With any luck, three years should be long enough for the U.S. economy to recover and for the nation's housing inventory to shrink to more normal levels. At that point, housing will return to its old ways, with prices governed not by national mood swings and global credit crises but by local issues ranging from zoning to immigration to job growth
Prices? While they're likely to keep falling a while longer under the weight of foreclosures, the market is definitely closer to the bottom than the top. "We expect prices to drop for another year and then stabilize before starting to rise with incomes," says Standard & Poor's Chief Economist David Wyss. Moody's Economy.com predicts the S&P/Case-Shiller U.S. National Home Price Index, maintained by data specialist Fiserv, will fall about 16% this year before regaining ground. Based on the National Association of Realtors national median home price of $180,000 for the fourth quarter of 2008, that would mean a median of $152,000 at the end of 2009 and then a rebound to $179,000 by the end of 2012.

All Real Estate Is Local

Of course, the national median price is an artificial construct, since there is no such place as National Median, U.S.A. That's why the following pages provide up-close looks at seven markets: Omaha; Seattle; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; Salt Lake City; Nashville; Austin, Tex.; and Merced, Calif. Each illustrates a different trend that will have a big impact on sales and prices across the U.S. Read Article... http://finance.yahoo.com/real-estate/article/107219/what-your-home-will-be-worth-in-2012.html?mod=realestate-buy

iPhone Vs gPhone

iPhone Vs gPhone

More WebProNews Videos

Bozeman wants applicants to hand over passwords for Internet groups

City asks applicants for Internet passwords
Bozeman wants applicants to hand over passwords for Internet groups

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- Job applicants with the city of Bozeman are finding that their private Internet discussions and pictures may not be so private after all.
The city is asking job seekers for the user names and passwords to Internet social networking or Web groups to which they belong. The decision is sparking an outcry from those who say the policy goes way too far.

The issue has spawned hundreds of comments on Web forums and sharp criticism from legislators and the ACLU.

"I liken it to them saying they want to look at your love letters and your family photos," said Amy Cannata, with the American Civil Liberties Union of Montana. "I think this policy certainly crosses the privacy line."

The city argues that it only uses the information to verify application information -- and says it won't hold it against anyone for refusing to provide it. City officials say such checks can be useful, especially when hiring police officers and others in a position of public trust.

Bozeman officials have been hammered with e-mails and phone calls ever since KBZK-TV of Bozeman reported the policy on Wednesday, including an excerpt from the city application form that states "Please list any and all current personal or business Web sites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc."

Bozeman City Commissioner Jeff Rupp said he was unaware city officers had implemented the policy, and expects the city commission will be talking about it. But Rupp said it is not as bad as it sounds since applicants are not scored negatively for refusing to answer the question. Read Article... http://finance.yahoo.com/news/City-asks-applicants-for-apf-3157638444.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=5&asset=&ccode=

Jobless rate in Western US tops 10 percent

Jobless rate in Western US tops 10 percent
Jobless rate in Western US tops 10 percent in May, first time since 1983; 8 states set records

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Jobless-rate-in-Western-US-apf-3224283879.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=3&asset=&ccode=

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The unemployment rate in the West jumped over 10 percent last month, the first time that regional threshold has been broken in about 25 years. On the state level, eight set record-highs and only two -- Nebraska and Vermont -- did not report increases.

The Labor Department reported Friday that 48 states and the District of Columbia saw employment conditions deteriorate last month. The fallout from the longest recession since World War II, was the worst in Michigan as automakers cut tens of thousands of jobs. Its unemployment rate rose to 14.1 percent.
The West region reported the highest jobless rate at 10.1 percent. The last time any region had a rate of at least 10 percent was September 1983, when the country was emerging from a severe recession.
The region is home to California, where the jobless rate jumped to a record 11.5 percent last month, Nevada, where it's a record 11.3 percent, and other states that have been slammed when the housing boom went bust -- snatching jobs and wealth.
The other six states that set new highs on records dating to 1976 were: North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia.
Nebraska's jobless rate dipped last month, while Vermont's was flat.
On the layoffs front, Arizona and Florida suffered the largely monthly percentage decreases, followed by Oklahoma and Arkansas, Kentucky and Michigan.

Joblessness is rising as companies lay off workers and turn to other cost-saving measures, such as trimming hours and freezing or slicing wages, to survive the recession. Housing, credit and financial problems -- the worst since the 1930s -- have sent the economy into a tailspin.

Factories, construction companies, retailers and financial companies are among the industries that have slashed the most jobs. U.S. manufacturers have suffered a double whammy: customers in the U.S. have pulled back along with foreign customers, who are dealing with their own economic troubles.

Hydrogen-powered car

Hydrogen-powered car

(Source New Scientist)A concept car unveiled in London, UK, releases nothing more toxic than water.

Nato to tackle cyber attacks

Nato to tackle cyber attacks
Nato is so concerned by cyber warfare that it is hosting a conference in Estonia to tackle the issue.

(Source BBC News)The small Baltic state was the victim of a cyber attack two years ago which is thought to have originated from Russia.
Brian Hanrahan reports from Tallinn

Air France crash sparks black box debate

Air France crash sparks black box debate

PARIS (Reuters) - While search teams scour the Atlantic ocean for the black boxes of Air France flight AF447 before their signals die out, aviation experts are considering satellite data streaming to collect vital flight data in future.

An airliner's black box -- which is made up of a flight data recorder and cockpit voice recorder -- is designed to withstand a crash and emit a signal for about 30 days afterwards. If it is not found by then, the data is unlikely to be recovered.

Many military aircraft already use data streaming, sending flight information real-time via satellite to ground stations.

But the massive bandwidth and sophisticated infrastructure needed to manage and process data from tens of thousands of commercial flights per day could make it prohibitively expensive.

"There have been studies on this for years. There are arguments both for and against, and also there are costs," Paul-Louis Arslanian, France's chief air disaster investigator said, after reporting that the search was progressing, but hampered by difficult search conditions.

"Data streaming is currently technologically possible, but technologically impractical," Dan Elwell, Vice President Civil Aviation of the U.S.-based Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) industry group, told Reuters at the Paris Air Show.

"There are opportunities there to improve the data stream and how we get it on and off the aircraft," said Bob Smith, Vice President for Advanced Technology at Honeywell, which made the black box that was on the Air France aircraft. Read Article...
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE55H14J20090618

Stimulus Watch: Follow along from home as Obama counts jobs toward 3.5 million stimulus goal

Stimulus Watch: Follow along as Obama counts jobs
Stimulus Watch: Follow along from home as Obama counts jobs toward 3.5 million stimulus goal

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Few things in President Barack Obama's economic stimulus plan have engendered as much skepticism or criticism as his oft-repeated promise to create or save 3.5 million jobs by the end of next year.
Republicans in Congress have labeled it fuzzy math. Former Republican House Speaker New Gingrich called it a "meaningless metric." And Tony Fratto, a former spokesman for President George W. Bush, said it was a political trick unrivaled in his 20 years in Washington.

The fight over Obama's promise has thrust a mundane economic formula responsible for the jobs estimate into Washington's political spin machine. The formula is being misused by the president, whose advisers acknowledge it was never intended as a way to count jobs. And it's being mischaracterized by Republicans, who previously have used such formulas to promote their own stimulus plans.

There's no black magic at the heart of the formula, just two economic assumptions.

The first is that every dollar the government spends ripples through the economy, causing more than $1 worth of effect, such as: The government builds a highway. Road contractors have more money. They pay for food, rent and entertainment. Grocers, landlords and movie theaters benefit. Now they have more money. And so on.
The White House estimated that $1 in stimulus spending would have about $1.50 in effect on the economy, and that $1 in stimulus tax cuts would have about a 99-cent effect. (Economists predicted workers wouldn't immediately spend their entire tax cut.)

The second assumption is that the U.S. work force expands by about 1 million jobs with every 1 percent increase in the overall economy. If Washington spends enough to send a 1 percent ripple through the economy, the formula says, there will be 1 million more jobs.

Hence the politically savvy term "created or saved."
There are dips and turns in the formula. The $1.50 and 99 cent numbers vary, for instance, depending on how the money gets spent and how quickly it's spent. But the formula is essentially stimulus money times a multiplier, divided by gross domestic product. Come up with 3.5 percent, create 3.5 million jobs.

"This was the right model for February," said economist Christina Romer, the Council of Economic Advisers chairwoman who helped come up with the estimate. "We needed to know: 'How big does this need to be? What's the best way to do it?'"
Conservative economists have argued that the multipliers are flawed. Obama's advisers conceded up front that it was just an estimate. Cutting $288 billion in taxes might create more jobs. Spending $499 billion might create fewer.

Mushy? Definitely. Unprecedented? Hardly.

Bush used essentially the same formula in 2001 when pitching his own stimulus proposal.
"The bipartisan agreement reached this week can save 300,000 American jobs that might otherwise be lost," Bush said in a radio address.
But the economic model was only intended to predict that jobs would be created, not count them. Think of the formula as a weather forecast. Obama is using it as a thermometer.

When White House officials say they've created 150,000 jobs they're arriving at that figure based on how much has been spent, plugging that dollar amount into the formula, and announcing jobs. Under that strategy, as long as the administration spends all the stimulus money, it will hit its job-creation target, regardless of what actually happens in the overall economy.

That's not how economists count jobs, and Romer says it's not how she's counting stimulus jobs. The formula was a prediction, she said, but counting requires actual numbers: unemployment figures, manufacturing and construction data, and county-by-county, state-by-state job reports.
"Once we've spent the money, we can't just assume the model was right," she said, adding, "The proof is going be whether or not the overall economy recovers."

But with unemployment expected to keep rising in the near future, it's not clear that Obama and Vice President Joe Biden plan to stop citing the formula's calculations any time soon. Obama has promised to create 600,000 jobs by the end of the summer, a goal he is certain to hit as long as the government keeps spending money at a speedy clip.
If the economy improves, none of this may matter to voters. But if the economy continues to falter, Obama can expect more criticism about the formula and the 3.5 million-job promise it created. http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Stimulus-Watch-Follow-along-apf-2360654488.html?x=0&sec=topStories&pos=4&asset=&ccode=

Software aiding Iran activists

Software aiding Iran activists
1:55
A simple software is helping Iranian activists accomplish their mission.

Iranian bloggers upload clash video

Iranian bloggers upload clash video
(00:52) Rough Cut Reuters

Jun 17 - Iranians have been using the Internet to distribute amateur video of post-election unrest.

This amateur video posted on Wednesday (June 17) purports to show members of the Basij militia firing at a crowd of demonstrators from the roof of their building on Monday (June 15).

Iranian state media says seven people were killed during the vast opposition protest in central Tehran.

On Wednesday it appeared that supporters of Iran's defeated presidential candidate Mirhossein Mousavi were aiming to keep up the pressure with new protests. They dispute a poll in which hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was officially declared to have won a resounding victory.

# PLEASE NOTE: Reuters coverage is now subject to an Iranian ban on foreign media leaving the office to report, film or take pictures in Tehran.

TEHRAN -- Pro-government and opposition demonstrators poured into the streets of Iran's capital Tuesday for a fourth day of sometimes-violent rallies

TEHRAN -- Pro-government and opposition demonstrators poured into the streets of Iran's capital Tuesday for a fourth day of sometimes-violent rallies, as the country's religious leaders agreed to a partial recount of Friday's disputed presidential vote.

(Source Wall Street Journal)
Amid the unrest, and more shooting by government-backed militia, authorities arrested prominent opposition leaders and clamped down on media covering the crisis. The demonstrations came hours after state media reported the top religious oversight council would examine Friday's vote, which saw President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad trounce opposition candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and two other challengers

Saab's Savior Is Best Known for Exotic Super Cars

Saab's Savior Is Best Known for Exotic Super Cars
6/16/2009

GM sells its Saab unit to Sweden's Koenigsegg, which is best known for its million-dollar sports cars. Sean Langlois explains the deal. (June 16)

Letting go of misconceptions about Amsterdam

Letting go of misconceptions about Amsterdam

(Source Examiner.com)
When attending professional networking events I often get enthusiastic responses to my career as a travel agent, but a recent evening was spent cornered by an avid travel enthusiast with some major misconceptions about Amsterdam. Our conversation of where we had been and where we would like to go continued throughout the evening like athletes comparing stats. My experience weighs heavily towards Europe and when I mentioned Amsterdam among my favorites that I would like to return to the familiar grin began to spread across my companions face. I know from experience that grin is simply a lead-in to one of my most despised questions, “Is it true Amsterdam is full of hashish smokers?”.
Yes, it is legal to smoke marijuana and there are around 350 coffeeshops licensed to sell the drug in very small amounts to anyone over 18 years of age. However, the streets are not covered by an intoxicating cloud that leaves the city stoned. It is not as widely used as many believe since you can still be arrested for possession of more than five grams and for intent to sell. Looking past the misconceptions you can see this country has so much to offer the inquisitive traveler looking for history, art, and culture.
The city of Amsterdam is the heart of the Netherlands and is often considered one of the trendiest cities in the world. It is cozy and intimate and instantly likable with a welcoming feel and a compact layout making it a walkable city. To get a feel for the city I would recommend starting with a cruise down the canals where you will be able to spot many of the sites or at least orient yourself to neighborhoods for later exploration. This is also a great activity to enjoy at night when tiny lanterns line more than 1200 bridges spanning the city’s 160 canals.
Once you have gotten the lay of the land it is time to enjoy the culture of Amsterdam. For the history buff there are a number of sites that will feed your curiosity about the country’s history and heritage. The Anne Frank Huis is a look at more recent history and a site everyone should visit. The original house now sits inside a modern shell, but the insight into the life of the young Jewish girl hiding away with her family during World War II is an unforgettable experience. Amsterdam’s Historisch Museum offers a great overview of the history of the city and Dutch culture. To see this heritage first hand and in use visit Zaanse Schanse located ten miles northwest of the city. This living Dutch museum introduces visitors to the iconic windmills, traditional crafts including cheese-making, and clog making. The area includes reconstructions of traditional buildings and restaurants serving traditional foods such as edam, kerststol, and hutspot.
The city is known as the center of art and design in the Netherlands and is recognized throughout Europe for its architecture and art museums. If an afternoon ogling art by some of the world’s most famous artists is more your scene you will enjoy the vast number of galleries both large and small. Rijkmuseum is the largest museum in the Netherlands and is considered one of the premier art collections in the world. This massive building houses over 5000 works of art including pieces by Rembrandt and Vermeer. Most of the building will be closed until early 2010 for renovations, but a small collection is still available for viewing during that time. The Van Gogh Museum contains nearly 700 paintings and drawings by Vincent , his friends, and contemporaries and is a good reflection of his life’s work. Read Article... http://www.examiner.com/x-9669-Minneapolis-International-Travel-Examiner~y2009m6d10-Letting-go-of-misconceptions-about-Amsterdam

Mobile money to poor seen $5 billion market in 2012

Mobile money to poor seen $5 billion market in 2012

HELSINKI (Reuters) - The market of mobile financial services to poor people in emerging markets will surge from nothing to $5 billion in 2012, U.S.-based microfinance policy and research center CGAP said on Monday.

Mobile money is one of the hottest topics in the wireless world, but so far take-up of services has been mostly limited to a few emerging markets, as in developed countries the popularity of online banking has been a brake on mobile money.

"Theres a lot of excitement, but very little understanding what's going on as the number of implementations is still limited," said Mark Pickens, microfinance analyst at CGAP.

The market began in early 2007 with a launch of Safaricom's M-PESA in Kenya, which has attracted 6.5 million customers, or one in six Kenyans.

Operators in several emerging countries have followed, and by end-2009 CGAP expects more than 120 mobile money implementations in developing markets.
The new estimates are part of GCAP's joint study with industry group GSMA on estimating the size of mobile financial markets. The study is due to be published next week at the Mobile Money Summit in Barcelona.

Pickens said on top of the $5 billion, telecoms operators could save up to $2 billion from lower customer turnover, and the takeup of financial services would lift by $1.10 their average monthly revenue per user (ARPU).
In Africa only one in five people have bank accounts, mainly because of the prohibitive cost to the banks of operating branches in far-flung parts of a continent where many of the population of one billion live on a few dollars a day or less. Read Article... http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE55E10T20090615