Hundreds of people took to the streets of Moscow for a second successive day on Tuesday to demand an end to Vladimir Putin's 12-year rule, defying a crackdown by tens of thousands of police reinforced by crack Interior Ministry troops.
Police said they had detained about 250 people in central Moscow when they tried to stage an unapproved rally and held about 200 more in St Petersburg, where opposition forces have also been emboldened by the prime minister's worst election setback since he took power in 1999.
After permitting the biggest opposition rally in Moscow for years on Monday evening, the police were out in large numbers. The Interior ministry said about 2,000 special troops were supporting almost 50,000 police, and some moved through the city centre in armored vehicles in a show of force.
Social Justice: Current Affairs, Business, Politics, and all the reasons in the world to Thrive on Creative Discontent!
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Want to build a nuclear power plant, then I hope your babies don't drink milk...
Radioactive cesium was found in milk powder made by a Meiji Holdings Co. unit in Japan, prompting a voluntary recall of 400,000 cans of the infant formula, Kyodo News said today.
Meiji shares tumbled the most in more than eight months after the report, which said the contamination may be the result of radiation leaked from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Products affected by the recall have the following expiry dates in 2012: Oct. 4, Oct. 21, Oct. 22. and Oct. 24, Kyodo reported.
Meiji slumped as much as 13 percent (2269) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The shares traded down 9.6 percent at a 30-month low of 3,025 yen at 2:28 p.m. local time, set for the biggest one- day slide since March 15.
Meiji shares tumbled the most in more than eight months after the report, which said the contamination may be the result of radiation leaked from the Fukushima nuclear power plant. Products affected by the recall have the following expiry dates in 2012: Oct. 4, Oct. 21, Oct. 22. and Oct. 24, Kyodo reported.
Meiji slumped as much as 13 percent (2269) on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. The shares traded down 9.6 percent at a 30-month low of 3,025 yen at 2:28 p.m. local time, set for the biggest one- day slide since March 15.
NASA finds Earth 2 but with intelligent life v our petri dish of growing bacteria
NASA's planet-hunting Kepler spacecraft has confirmed the discovery of its first alien world in its host star's habitable zone — that just-right range of distances that could allow liquid water to exist — and found more than 1,000 new exoplanet candidates, researchers announced Monday.
The new finds bring the Kepler space telescope's total haul to 2,326 potential planets in its first 16 months of operation. These discoveries, if confirmed, would quadruple the current tally of worlds known to exist beyond our solar system, which recently topped 700.
The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one that could conceivably harbor life, scientists said.
The new finds bring the Kepler space telescope's total haul to 2,326 potential planets in its first 16 months of operation. These discoveries, if confirmed, would quadruple the current tally of worlds known to exist beyond our solar system, which recently topped 700.
The potentially habitable alien world, a first for Kepler, orbits a star very much like our own sun. The discovery brings scientists one step closer to finding a planet like our own — one that could conceivably harbor life, scientists said.
Now Mitt what are you trying so hard to hide???
Mitt Romney spent nearly $100,000 in state funds to replace computers in his office at the end of his term as governor of Massachusetts in 2007 as part of an unprecedented effort to keep his records secret, Reuters has learned.
The move during the final weeks of Romney's administration was legal but unusual for a departing governor, Massachusetts officials say.
The effort to purge the records was made a few months before Romney launched an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He is again competing for the party's nomination, this time to challenge Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.
Five weeks before the first contests in Iowa, Romney has seen his position as frontrunner among Republican presidential candidates whittled away in the polls as rival Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has gained ground.
When Romney left the governorship of Massachusetts, 11 of his aides bought the hard drives of their state-issued computers to keep for themselves. Also before he left office, the governor's staff had emails and other electronic communications by Romney's administration wiped from state servers, state officials say.
Those actions erased much of the internal documentation of Romney's four-year tenure as governor, which ended in January 2007. Precisely what information was erased is unclear.
The move during the final weeks of Romney's administration was legal but unusual for a departing governor, Massachusetts officials say.
The effort to purge the records was made a few months before Romney launched an unsuccessful campaign for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. He is again competing for the party's nomination, this time to challenge Barack Obama for the presidency in 2012.
Five weeks before the first contests in Iowa, Romney has seen his position as frontrunner among Republican presidential candidates whittled away in the polls as rival Newt Gingrich, the former speaker of the House of Representatives, has gained ground.
When Romney left the governorship of Massachusetts, 11 of his aides bought the hard drives of their state-issued computers to keep for themselves. Also before he left office, the governor's staff had emails and other electronic communications by Romney's administration wiped from state servers, state officials say.
Those actions erased much of the internal documentation of Romney's four-year tenure as governor, which ended in January 2007. Precisely what information was erased is unclear.
Imagine an X-KGB operative rigging his election....doesn't require any imagination...
MOSCOW — Western election monitors said on Monday that they had observed blatant fraud, including the brazen stuffing of ballot boxes, in the parliamentary elections that delivered surprisingly big losses to United Russia, the party led by Prime Minister Vladimir V. Putin.
The election on Sunday left United Russia clinging to a slim majority, and while the monitors declined to draw firm conclusions, it was clear from their report that vote stealing and other alleged malfeasance could have shifted the outcome in United Russia’s favor.
The scathing report by international observers, combined with dramatic, mostly amateur, footage of alleged election malfeasance posted on the Web, made clear that the authorities would face continuing questions about the fairness of the vote despite the main party’s steep losses.
On Monday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered on a promenade by the Chistye Prudy metro station in central Moscow, and voiced their opposition to the government at an event organized by the Solidarity Party. Throngs chanted “Russia without Putin!” and “Putin is a Thief.” Police officials estimated the crowd at about 2,000 though some participants said it was larger. There was a heavy police presence and some protesters were detained.
Earlier in the day, thousands of supporters of United Russia held a celebratory event in Revolution Square that took place without incident.
With more than 95 percent of the votes processed, United Russia led with a shade under 50 percent, trailed by the Communists with 19 percent, Just Russia with 13 percent and the Liberal Democrats with nearly 12 percent, according to the Central Election Commission.
After the redistribution of votes for parties that did not clear a minimum threshold to enter the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, United Russia will have 238 seats, or just under 53 percent, down from the 315, or 70 percent, that it holds now, election officials said.
The observers, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said their main concerns were about an overall flawed framework that marred the campaign, including no separation between the government and the main political party; the lack of independence for election administrators and the absence of a free, independent mass media.
Some opposition parties were prohibited from running in the elections at all, the observers said. Those that could run faced huge disadvantages as United Russia employed government resources in support of its political aim, the observers said.
Tiny Kox, a senator from the Netherlands and a leader of the monitoring mission, said he personally observed violations including a case at one Moscow polling station where first the voter lists disappeared and then the ballot boxes were opened and clearly stuffed.
“It’s a major violation of the protocol,” he said, “and I think it’s a major insult to all those who voted that day, all these millions of Russian voters.”
But Mr. Kox and other officials said they were precluded from rendering any judgments on how the irregularities might have influenced the results. Observers were not present for the 2007 parliamentary elections because of disputes with Russian election officials. And with tensions high this time as well, officials seemed to be taking extra care not exceed the basic parameters of their role as monitors under multilateral agreements.
Opposition leaders, however, were less circumspect in accusing United Russia of tilting the outcome. “These elections were unprecedented in their filth, pressure and falsification,” said Gennadi A. Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party, which finished second, winning about 90 seats.
Mr. Zyuganov said his party would immediately demand a greater say in the running of the government, including the installation of one of its members as deputy speaker of parliament.
Sergei Mironov, the leader of the Just Russia party, also leveled allegations of fraud. At a news conference, Mr. Mironov on Monday said the party was specifically intent on investigating a case of ballot-box stuffing in St. Petersburg, including reports of bundles of premarked ballots. He said the party also wanted an explanation of extremely high voter turnout in two regions, Chechnya and Mordova, southeast of Moscow.
Of United Russia, he said, “They were swindlers and committed gross violations.”
In response to the reports of voting irregularities, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sharply criticized what she called “troubling practices” before and during the parliamentary elections in Russia. She cited the harassment of Golos, Russian’s only independent election observer organization, reports of ballot stuffing and cyberattacks on Web sites on Election Day.
Golos was fined about $1,000 for violating the law by publishing reports of campaign abuses.
The election on Sunday left United Russia clinging to a slim majority, and while the monitors declined to draw firm conclusions, it was clear from their report that vote stealing and other alleged malfeasance could have shifted the outcome in United Russia’s favor.
The scathing report by international observers, combined with dramatic, mostly amateur, footage of alleged election malfeasance posted on the Web, made clear that the authorities would face continuing questions about the fairness of the vote despite the main party’s steep losses.
On Monday evening, thousands of demonstrators gathered on a promenade by the Chistye Prudy metro station in central Moscow, and voiced their opposition to the government at an event organized by the Solidarity Party. Throngs chanted “Russia without Putin!” and “Putin is a Thief.” Police officials estimated the crowd at about 2,000 though some participants said it was larger. There was a heavy police presence and some protesters were detained.
Earlier in the day, thousands of supporters of United Russia held a celebratory event in Revolution Square that took place without incident.
With more than 95 percent of the votes processed, United Russia led with a shade under 50 percent, trailed by the Communists with 19 percent, Just Russia with 13 percent and the Liberal Democrats with nearly 12 percent, according to the Central Election Commission.
After the redistribution of votes for parties that did not clear a minimum threshold to enter the Duma, Russia’s lower house of parliament, United Russia will have 238 seats, or just under 53 percent, down from the 315, or 70 percent, that it holds now, election officials said.
The observers, from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, said their main concerns were about an overall flawed framework that marred the campaign, including no separation between the government and the main political party; the lack of independence for election administrators and the absence of a free, independent mass media.
Some opposition parties were prohibited from running in the elections at all, the observers said. Those that could run faced huge disadvantages as United Russia employed government resources in support of its political aim, the observers said.
Tiny Kox, a senator from the Netherlands and a leader of the monitoring mission, said he personally observed violations including a case at one Moscow polling station where first the voter lists disappeared and then the ballot boxes were opened and clearly stuffed.
“It’s a major violation of the protocol,” he said, “and I think it’s a major insult to all those who voted that day, all these millions of Russian voters.”
But Mr. Kox and other officials said they were precluded from rendering any judgments on how the irregularities might have influenced the results. Observers were not present for the 2007 parliamentary elections because of disputes with Russian election officials. And with tensions high this time as well, officials seemed to be taking extra care not exceed the basic parameters of their role as monitors under multilateral agreements.
Opposition leaders, however, were less circumspect in accusing United Russia of tilting the outcome. “These elections were unprecedented in their filth, pressure and falsification,” said Gennadi A. Zyuganov, the leader of the Communist Party, which finished second, winning about 90 seats.
Mr. Zyuganov said his party would immediately demand a greater say in the running of the government, including the installation of one of its members as deputy speaker of parliament.
Sergei Mironov, the leader of the Just Russia party, also leveled allegations of fraud. At a news conference, Mr. Mironov on Monday said the party was specifically intent on investigating a case of ballot-box stuffing in St. Petersburg, including reports of bundles of premarked ballots. He said the party also wanted an explanation of extremely high voter turnout in two regions, Chechnya and Mordova, southeast of Moscow.
Of United Russia, he said, “They were swindlers and committed gross violations.”
In response to the reports of voting irregularities, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton sharply criticized what she called “troubling practices” before and during the parliamentary elections in Russia. She cited the harassment of Golos, Russian’s only independent election observer organization, reports of ballot stuffing and cyberattacks on Web sites on Election Day.
Golos was fined about $1,000 for violating the law by publishing reports of campaign abuses.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Democracy is a never ending fight and responsibility....get started now for 2012; they're ahead of us
Soulless and insatiably greedy multinational corporations dominate our politics, our economics and our lives. The problems they’ve created for our people, our nation and the world are legion.
It’s enough to feel hopeless and helpless.
But there is hope. And you are helping.
All of us, working together, have more power than the corporate giants. We can and do make great things happen.
Think about all we’ve done together — as Public Citizen — over the past year.
Public Citizen massively expanded our Democracy Is For People campaign to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. More than a million people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment to keep corporate cash from overwhelming our elections.
Public Citizen helped launch the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, a broad alliance that is challenging the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s attack on fundamental consumer, health and safety protections.
Public Citizen petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove several dangerous drugs from the market. We are proud to be Big Pharma’s worst enemy.
Public Citizen forced Richard Nixon’s 1975 grand jury testimony — in which the former president discusses the infamous gap in his secret tapes — to be unsealed.
Public Citizen obtained leaked documents revealing that speculation by Goldman Sachs was the primary driver of inflated gas prices.
Public Citizen and our allies have continued to thwart expansion of the World Trade Organization, where giant corporations aim to extend rules that give them power to undermine consumer and environmental protections in the U.S. and other countries.
Public Citizen worked with allied organizations to delay approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline, which would cause more oil spills, drive up gas prices and dramatically worsen climate change.
Public Citizen issued a report proving that caps on medical liability in Texas do nothing to reduce the costs or improve the effectiveness of health care for the state’s citizens.
Public Citizen successfully defended a group of young climate activists who were sued by Koch Industries for the “crime” of exercising their First Amendment free speech rights.
Public Citizen issued a report showing that more than half of doctors disciplined by their hospitals are not subject to subsequent state action. We continue to be the leading advocates for physician accountability.
Public Citizen made major gains in our campaign to review and repair World Trade Organization rules that impose limits on financial regulation. All of the major developing countries asked for a review — only to be blocked by the United States and other rich countries.
Public Citizen helped pass 14 energy efficiency and renewable energy bills in the Texas legislative session.
Public Citizen generated a record number of comments submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators on CEO pay.
Public Citizen overcame White House delays to force issuance of an important new rule to protect child agricultural workers. We also petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a new rule protecting workers from excessive heat exposure.
Public Citizen worked closely with the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on nuclear disaster preparedness legislation.
After halting consideration of three Bush-era free trade agreements for four years, Public Citizen delivered the largest Democratic opposition vote to any Obama initiative in his presidency when Obama flip-flopped on his campaign commitments and pushed the deals for approval.
Public Citizen coordinated a large national coalition on shareholder protection — aiming to advance the modest principle that a corporation should not spend money on elections without authorization from its shareholders.
Public Citizen’s Solar Si, Nuclear No campaign resulted in all the major partners pulling out of the South Texas nuclear plant.
Public Citizen argued our 60th case before the United States Supreme Court. We are involved with nearly a third of Supreme Court cases.
Public Citizen led the push for tight restrictions on energy speculators, urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to establish firm position limits in energy derivative markets.
Public Citizen celebrated its first four decades as the people’s lobbyist with a series of events nationwide, culminating in our inspirational 40th Anniversary Gala in October.
All of that is merely a sampling of what Public Citizen did this year. Just think what we will do in 2012 and beyond! And there is nothing — nothing — that we accomplish without activists, members and supporters like you from coast to coast and from all walks of life.
It’s enough to feel hopeless and helpless.
But there is hope. And you are helping.
All of us, working together, have more power than the corporate giants. We can and do make great things happen.
Think about all we’ve done together — as Public Citizen — over the past year.
Public Citizen massively expanded our Democracy Is For People campaign to overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission ruling. More than a million people have signed petitions for a constitutional amendment to keep corporate cash from overwhelming our elections.
Public Citizen helped launch the Coalition for Sensible Safeguards, a broad alliance that is challenging the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s attack on fundamental consumer, health and safety protections.
Public Citizen petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove several dangerous drugs from the market. We are proud to be Big Pharma’s worst enemy.
Public Citizen forced Richard Nixon’s 1975 grand jury testimony — in which the former president discusses the infamous gap in his secret tapes — to be unsealed.
Public Citizen obtained leaked documents revealing that speculation by Goldman Sachs was the primary driver of inflated gas prices.
Public Citizen and our allies have continued to thwart expansion of the World Trade Organization, where giant corporations aim to extend rules that give them power to undermine consumer and environmental protections in the U.S. and other countries.
Public Citizen worked with allied organizations to delay approval of the Keystone XL dirty oil pipeline, which would cause more oil spills, drive up gas prices and dramatically worsen climate change.
Public Citizen issued a report proving that caps on medical liability in Texas do nothing to reduce the costs or improve the effectiveness of health care for the state’s citizens.
Public Citizen successfully defended a group of young climate activists who were sued by Koch Industries for the “crime” of exercising their First Amendment free speech rights.
Public Citizen issued a report showing that more than half of doctors disciplined by their hospitals are not subject to subsequent state action. We continue to be the leading advocates for physician accountability.
Public Citizen made major gains in our campaign to review and repair World Trade Organization rules that impose limits on financial regulation. All of the major developing countries asked for a review — only to be blocked by the United States and other rich countries.
Public Citizen helped pass 14 energy efficiency and renewable energy bills in the Texas legislative session.
Public Citizen generated a record number of comments submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulators on CEO pay.
Public Citizen overcame White House delays to force issuance of an important new rule to protect child agricultural workers. We also petitioned the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to adopt a new rule protecting workers from excessive heat exposure.
Public Citizen worked closely with the office of U.S. Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) on nuclear disaster preparedness legislation.
After halting consideration of three Bush-era free trade agreements for four years, Public Citizen delivered the largest Democratic opposition vote to any Obama initiative in his presidency when Obama flip-flopped on his campaign commitments and pushed the deals for approval.
Public Citizen coordinated a large national coalition on shareholder protection — aiming to advance the modest principle that a corporation should not spend money on elections without authorization from its shareholders.
Public Citizen’s Solar Si, Nuclear No campaign resulted in all the major partners pulling out of the South Texas nuclear plant.
Public Citizen argued our 60th case before the United States Supreme Court. We are involved with nearly a third of Supreme Court cases.
Public Citizen led the push for tight restrictions on energy speculators, urging the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to establish firm position limits in energy derivative markets.
Public Citizen celebrated its first four decades as the people’s lobbyist with a series of events nationwide, culminating in our inspirational 40th Anniversary Gala in October.
All of that is merely a sampling of what Public Citizen did this year. Just think what we will do in 2012 and beyond! And there is nothing — nothing — that we accomplish without activists, members and supporters like you from coast to coast and from all walks of life.
Russia votes for change from Putin!!!
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin’s party may win a reduced majority in Russia’s parliament, partial election results show, forcing it to work with other political groups.
United Russia’s backing fell to 50 percent from 64 percent in 2007, the Moscow-based Central Election Commission said on its website, with votes from 72 percent of precincts counted. The party’s results at yesterday’s election had been estimated at 45.5 percent and 48.5 percent by two exit polls.
“Given the new composition of the Duma, on individual issues and on certain questions, we will have to enter into coalition bloc agreements,” President Dmitry Medvedev told supporters at the party’s campaign headquarters late yesterday. “This is normal, this is parliamentarianism. This is democracy.”
The loss of United Russia’s two-thirds majority, which allowed it to change the Constitution singlehandedly, is the first time the party’s support fell from one nationwide election to the next since it was set up 10 years ago. Putin, 59, next year may be forced to make unpopular cuts in social spending and raise the pension age to balance the budget.
The premier, who plans to return as president next year to give him potentially almost a quarter-century in power if he runs again in 2018, lost support as stalling wage growth and the government’s shortcomings in curbing corruption repelled voters.
United Russia’s backing fell to 50 percent from 64 percent in 2007, the Moscow-based Central Election Commission said on its website, with votes from 72 percent of precincts counted. The party’s results at yesterday’s election had been estimated at 45.5 percent and 48.5 percent by two exit polls.
“Given the new composition of the Duma, on individual issues and on certain questions, we will have to enter into coalition bloc agreements,” President Dmitry Medvedev told supporters at the party’s campaign headquarters late yesterday. “This is normal, this is parliamentarianism. This is democracy.”
The loss of United Russia’s two-thirds majority, which allowed it to change the Constitution singlehandedly, is the first time the party’s support fell from one nationwide election to the next since it was set up 10 years ago. Putin, 59, next year may be forced to make unpopular cuts in social spending and raise the pension age to balance the budget.
The premier, who plans to return as president next year to give him potentially almost a quarter-century in power if he runs again in 2018, lost support as stalling wage growth and the government’s shortcomings in curbing corruption repelled voters.
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