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The Department of Defense has just released the 2010 edition of the Manual for Military Commissions. It can be found here in pdf.

HT: Professor Bobby Chesney, who highlights provisions on hearsay and material support, excepted below:

SECTION VIII

HEARSAY

Rule 801. Definitions

The following definitions apply under this rule:

(a) Statement. A “statement” is (1) an oral or written assertion or (2) nonverbal conduct of a person,

if it is intended by the person as an assertion.

(b) Declarant. A “declarant” is a person who makes a statement.

(c) Hearsay. “Hearsay” is a statement, other than the one made by the declarant while testifying at

the trial or hearing, offered in evidence to prove the truth of the matter asserted.

(d) Statements which are not hearsay. A statement is not hearsay if:

(1) Prior statement by witness. The declarant testifies at the trial or hearing and is subject to

cross-examination concerning the statement, and the statement is (A) inconsistent with the

declarant’s testimony, and was given under oath subject to the penalty of perjury at a trial, hearing,

or other proceeding, or in a deposition, or (B) consistent with the declarant’s testimony and is

offered to rebut an express or implied charge against the declarant of recent fabrication or improper

influence or motive, or (C) one of identification of a person made after perceiving the person; or

(2) Admission by party-opponent. The statement is offered against a party and is (A) the

party’s own statement in either the party’s individual or representative capacity, or (B) a statement

of which the party has manifested the party’s adoption or belief in its truth, or (C) a statement by a

person authorized by the party to make a statement concerning the subject, or (D) a statement by

the party’s agent or servant concerning a matter within the scope of the agency or employment of

the agent or servant, made during the existence of the relationship, or (E) a statement by a coconspirator

of a party during the course and in furtherance of the conspiracy. The contents of the

statement shall be considered but are not alone sufficient to establish the declarant’s authority under

paragraph (C), the agency or employment relationship and the scope thereof under paragraph (D),

or the existence of the conspiracy and the participation therein of the declarant and the party against

whom the statement is offered under paragraph (E).

Rule 802. Reserved.

Rule 803. Admissibility of hearsay

(a) Hearsay evidence may be admitted in trials by military commission if the evidence would be

admitted under the rules of evidence applicable in trial by general courts-martial, and the evidence

would otherwise be admissible under these Rules or this Manual.

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(b) Hearsay evidence not otherwise admissible under the rules of evidence applicable in trial by

general courts-martial may be admitted in a trial by military commission only if—

(1) the proponent of the evidence makes known to the adverse party, sufficiently in advance

to provide the adverse party with a fair opportunity to meet the evidence, the proponent’s intention

to offer the evidence, and the particulars of the evidence (including information on the

circumstances under which the evidence was obtained); and

(2) the military judge, after taking into account all of the circumstances surrounding the

taking of the statement, including the degree to which the statement is corroborated, the indicia of

reliability within the statement itself, and whether the will of the declarant was overborne,

determines that—

(A) the statement is offered as evidence of a material fact;

(B) the statement is probative for which it is offered;

(C) direct testimony from the witness is not available as a practical matter, taking

into consideration the physical location of the witness, the unique circumstances of military and

intelligence operations during hostilities, and the adverse impacts on military or intelligence

operations that would likely result from the production of the witnesses; and

(D) the general purposes of the rules of evidence and the interests of justice will best

be served by admission of the statement into evidence.

(d) The disclosure of information under this section is subject to the requirements and limitations

applicable to the disclosure of classified information in Mil. Comm. R. Evid. 505 and 506 as

applicable.

Rule 804.

Reserved.

Rule 805. Hearsay within hearsay

Hearsay included within hearsay is not excluded under the hearsay rule if each part of the combined

statements would be admissible in a military commission convened under chapter 47A of Title 10.

Rule 806.

Reserved.

Rule 807. Attacking and supporting credibility of declarant

When a hearsay statement, or a statement defined in Mil. Comm. R. Evid. 801(d)(2)(C), (D), or (E),

has been admitted in evidence, the credibility of the declarant may be attacked, and if attacked may

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be supported, by any evidence which would be admissible for those purposes if declarant had

testified as a witness. Evidence of a statement or conduct by the declarant at any time, inconsistent

with the declarant’s hearsay statement, is not subject to any requirement that the declarant may

have been afforded an opportunity to deny or explain. If the party against whom a hearsay

statement has been admitted calls the declarant as a witness, the party is entitled to examine the

declarant on the statement as if under cross-examination.

(25) PROVIDING MATERIAL SUPPORT FOR TERRORISM.

a. Text. “Any person subject to this chapter who provides material support or resources, knowing

or intending that they are to be used in preparation for, or in carrying out, an act of terrorism (as set

forth in paragraph (24) of this section), or who intentionally provides material support or resources

to an international terrorist organization engaged in hostilities against the United States, knowing

that such organization has engaged or engages in terrorism (as so set forth), shall be punished as a

military commission under this chapter may direct.”

b. Elements. The elements of this offense can be met either by meeting (i) all of the elements in A,

or (ii) all of the elements in B, or (iii) all of the elements in both A and B:

A. (1) The accused provided material support or resources to be used in preparation for, or

in carrying out, an act of terrorism (as set forth in paragraph (24));

(2) The accused knew or intended that the material support or resources were to be used for

those purposes; and

(3) The conduct took place in the context of and was associated with an hostilities.

B. (1) The accused provided material support or resources to an international terrorist

organization engaged in hostilities against the United States;

(2) The accused intended to provide such material support or resources to such an

international terrorist organization;

(3) The accused knew that such organization has engaged or engages in terrorism; and

(4) The conduct took place in the context of and was associated with hostilities.

c. Definition. “Material support or resources” means any property, tangible or intangible, or service,

including currency or monetary instruments or financial securities, financial services, lodging,

training, expert advice or assistance, safehouses, false documentation or identification,

communications equipment, facilities, weapons, lethal substances, explosives, personnel (one or

more individuals who may be or include oneself), and transportation, except medicine or religious

materials.

d. Maximum punishment. Confinement for life.

Two weeks ago, Microsoft killed Xbox Live support for the original Xbox, making it impossible to play old games like Halo 2 online. But 13 people are still playing by keeping their old consoles on and connected 24/7. More »

While Greece and Portugal may be dominating debt crisis headlines at the moment, Spain is the lingering country that could be “too big to bail.”

Spain’s economic problems are somewhat similar to Greece and Portugal, in that the country has had extremely low growth since the financial crisis erupted, do to a slowdown in its key industry, home-building. Unemployment has boomed as a result, and it now hovers around 20%.

But according to economist Luis Riestra, the country also has a much bigger banking crisis on its hands, with local banks, called cajas, needing a federal bailout that may cost 15% of GDP. Bigger Spanish banks also remain under pressure.

The country is going to the markets to sell its debt, with the risk of not meeting goals increasing as the rollover debt deadline of July looms.

The size of debt it needs: 66 billion euros ($89 billion) of rollover debt and an additional 110 billion euros ($149 billion) of new debt, according to Riestra.

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Now Check Out What Got Spain Into This Situation

The background is here >

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Get your calendars ready for marking, people. Konami has announced the US release dates for the downloadable Rocket Knight.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Get ready for a new season of big hair and even bigger drama in the Garden State. The wealthiest ladies in Franklin Lakes, NJ — Caroline Manzo, Dina Manzo, Jacqueline Laurita, and Teresa Giudice — dropped by NBC’s TODAY Wednesday to dish the dirt on the forthcoming second season of Bravo’s ratings hit The Real Housewives of New Jersey.

Noticably absent from the gabfest was former “prostitution whore” Daniella Staub — who has refused to join her castmates on their Season 2 promo tour.

The Real Housewives of New Jersey return to Bravo in a special season premiere event on Monday, May 3 @ 10 PM.

Missed Grant City, have you? Well, Namco Bandai has a little something to make you want to stay longer. The publisher has announced downloadable content for Dead to Rights: Retribution, adding extra gameplay modes and options to

Each week we write about the science behind environmental protection. Previous Science Wednesdays.

Instant messaging. Tweets. Facebook. E-mail. Blogs. Voicemail.

Like a lot of people, I sometimes feel a bit overwhelmed with the number of choices available these days for communicating.

And I’m sure I’m not alone with feeling that despite all the new technology and “social media” at our disposal, we sometimes need to step away from the keyboard, turn off our cell phones, and actually get together to see one another.

More face time, less Facebook.

That’s why I’m so excited to be deep into planning for the 2010 National Tribal Science Forum . The Forum is designed for Tribal scientists and environmental professionals to network, exchange ideas, and share data with EPA and other federal partners.

Some 400 participants from Tribal Nations and the EPA will get together to partner and share expertise and information about tribal environmental programs. I expect the gathering will spark lots of great discussions about issues of vital interest to Indian Country.

The theme of the Forum is “Mother Earth: Indigenous Knowledge to Promote Positive Change.” It is sponsored by EPA and will be hosted by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa.

This will be the second Tribal Science Forum sponsored by EPA. More than 300 participants attended the 2006 forum, representing 125 American Indian tribes and Alaska Native Villages, intertribal consortia, academic institutions, nonprofit organizations, and federal, state, and local governments. Representative included the American Indian Higher Education Council, tribal leaders, students, elders, and environmental program directors.

This time around, I’m expecting somewhere around 400 participants to join me and my colleagues from the National-EPA Tribal Science Council. Like them, I’m looking forward to sharing ideas and advancing tribal science in person.

Interested in joining us? Visit the forum website

About the Author: Monica L. Rodia is the Executive Secretary for the Tribal Science Council in EPA’s Office of Science Policy.

Editor’s Note: The opinions and comments expressed in Greenversations, including those in Science Wednesday, are those of the author. They do not reflect Agency policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.

From the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas

ALLEGED HEAD OF THE QUINTERO DRUG TRAFFICKING ENTERPRISE EXTRADITED TO U.S. FROM MEXICO

Eight-year battle by defendant to avoid extradition ends with one way trip to San Antonio

(SAN ANTONIO, Texas) – Juan Jose Quintero-Payan, 68, of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, has been extradited to Texas to face charges of four felony violations of the drug and racketeering statutes, José Angel Moreno and John E. Murphy, United States Attorneys for the Southern and Western Districts of Texas, respectively, announced today along with Zoran Yankovich, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

Following the return of a sealed superseding indictment by a San Antonio grand jury and the issuance of a provisional arrest warrant in 2002, Quintero was arrested in Mexico. Quintero fought against his extradition for eight years. On Friday, April 23, 2010, Quintero was extradited by Mexico and transported to San Antonio in the company of U.S. agents. The indictment was unsealed on Monday, April 26, 2010, following Quintero’s initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Pamela A. Mathy in San Antonio. Quintero has been ordered to remain in federal custody without bond pending further criminal proceedings.

Moreno praised the dedication of the agents and prosecutors as well as the Office of International Affairs in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division who have worked throughout the years to bring Quintero to justice. “The successful extradition of Mr. Quintero-Payan shows that joint international efforts work and that the rule of lawlessness is ultimately subservient to the rule of law,” he said.

The indictment alleges Quintero was the leader of a criminal enterprise whose operations spanned from South America and Mexico to the United States and the Cayman Islands during the years of approximately 1978 to 2002, when the current superseding indictment was filed. The charged conduct includes the movement of numerous large loads of marijuana to the United States from Mexico, in amounts of up 15,000 pounds at a time, using tanker trucks. As per the charges, cocaine shipments as large as 700 kilograms were acquired from unnamed foreign sources via airplane for re-shipment to the United States.

The indictment details the movement of more than $20 million dollars in United States currency into banks in California and Texas and other deposits into banks in New York and the Cayman Islands. A network of real estate was allegedly acquired in Texas and California related to the drug enterprise’s operations to include ranches, airstrips and residences.

The charges are the result of a continuing cooperative effort between prosecutors in the Western District of Texas and Southern District of Texas in “Operation Cash Crop,” an Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation involving the DEA, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Narcotics Service of the Texas Department of Public Safety and the then United States Customs Service, now Immigration and Customs Enforcement of the Department of Homeland Security.

“Through close and sustained cooperation with our partners in Mexico, we are bringing alleged cartel leaders to justice – on both sides of the border,” Yankovich said. “Mexico’s continued cooperation in targeting significant drug traffickers is critical to our mutual efforts to protect the public from the negative impact of the drug trade.”

The initial indictment arising from “Operation Cash Crop” was first brought in 1985 in San Antonio, Texas. Those charges were superseded in March 1986 naming Quintero and 49 other defendants. Portions of those charges were tried in 1986 in San Antonio. Additional prosecutions have occurred in San Antonio and in Brownsville, Texas, as a result of this investigative effort. Quintero has been extradited to face prosecution on a 2002 superseding indictment.

While the charges carry a statutory penalty of up to life imprisonment, at the time the extradition request was made, Mexico conditioned extradition on assurances that a sentence of life imprisonment would not be imposed. A copy of the superseding indictment returned in 2002 is attached.

Assistant United States Attorney Charles Lewis of the Southern District of Texas will be prosecuting the Quintero case in the San Antonio Division of the Western District of Texas.

HT: Bobby Chesney

Filed under: Motorsports, Government/Legal, Celebrities

Despite getting nabbed for street racing, driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance, the grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France is reportedly off the hook and back on the race track. A Florida judge dismissed the charges against J.C. France after it became apparent that the Daytona Beach officer that arrested the heir to the racing throne was actually outside of his jurisdiction. As a result, France is off scot free.

Last year, France was caught allegedly street racing in a 2007 Lamborghini against his half-brother and roommate Russel Van Richmond. After the charges were filed, France was suspended from racing in the NASCAR-owned Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Daytona Prototype Series where he drives for the Brumos Porsche-Riley team.

For his transgressions, France has missed out on a grand total of four races. We can’t seem to tell whether this is a blatant example of the good ol’ boy system run amok or a painful reminder of just how inadequate the NASCAR drug testing system still is. Either way, we hope France takes some time to realize just how lucky he was to not have killed anyone last October or to have wound up behind bars with a lifetime ban from racing.

[Source: Courant | Image: TMZ]

Report: NASCAR founder’s grandson allowed to race after botched arrest for street racing, cocaine possession originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Apr 2010 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL has seen better days and, as its efforts to turn around don’t seem to be paying off, it has one less headache to worry about. The company has announced that it has sold ICQ, one of its two IM services, to Russian Internet giant Digital Sky Technologies (DST). ICQ was bought for $187.5 million, a decent sum considering it hasn’t been doing … (read more)

Rate of Temperature Change in the United States, 1901–2008. This figure shows how average air temperatures have changed in different parts of the United States since the early 20th century (since 1901 for the lower 48 states, 1905 for Hawaii, and 1918 for Alaska). Source: U.S. EPA, Climate Change Indicators in the United States [PDF], April 2010.

Nick Sundt over at the WWF climate blog has put together a nice summary of the findings of the EPA’s new US Climate Change Indicators Report (with links to the key PDFs), which I repost below:

The evidence of climate change is growing all around us.  In this posting, we provide a summary of the key findings of the new report from the  U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Climate Change Indicators in the U.S.

For more information on the report, see our posting, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Issues Compendium of “Climate Change Indicators” for the U.S. (27 May 2010).  A PDF version of the Summary of Key Findings is available online. With the exception of bracketed text, the following is excerpted directly from the report.

Greenhouse Gases
[Details on these indicators are available here: Greenhouse Gases (PDF) (12 pp, 4.7MB)]

U.S. Greenhouse Gas Emissions. In the United States, greenhouse gas emissions caused by human activities increased by 14 percent from 1990 to 2008. Carbon dioxide accounts for most of the nation’s emissions and most of this increase. Electricity generation is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, followed by transportation. Emissions per person have remained about the same since 1990.

Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Worldwide, emissions of greenhouse gases from human activities increased by 26 percent from 1990 to 2005. Emissions of carbon dioxide, which account for nearly three-fourths of the total, increased by 31 percent over this period. Like in the United States, the majority of the world’s emissions are associated with energy use.

Atmospheric Concentrations of Greenhouse Gases. Concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have risen substantially since the beginning of the industrial era. Almost all of this increase is attributable to human activities. Historical measurements show that the current levels of many greenhouse gases are higher than any seen in thousands of years, even after accounting for natural fluctuations.

Climate Forcing. Climate or “radiative” forcing is a way to measure how substances such as greenhouse gases affect the amount of energy that is absorbed by the atmosphere. An increase in radiative forcing leads to warming while a decrease in forcing produces cooling. From 1990 to 2008, the radiative forcing of all the greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere increased by about 26 percent. The rise in carbon dioxide concentrations accounts for approximately 80 percent of this increase.
Weather and Climate
[Details on these indicators are available here: Weather and Climate (PDF) (14 pp, 3.3MB)]

U.S. and Global Temperature. Average temperatures have risen across the lower 48 states since 1901, with an increased rate of warming over the past 30 years. Seven of the top 10 warmest years on record for the lower 48 states have occurred since 1990, and the last 10 five-year periods have been the warmest five-year periods on record. Average global temperatures show a similar trend, and 2000–2009 was the warmest decade on record worldwide. Within the United States, parts of the North, the West, and Alaska have seen temperatures increase the most.

Heat Waves. The frequency of heat waves in the United States decreased in the 1960s and 1970s, but has risen steadily since then. The percentage of the United States experiencing heat waves has also increased. The most severe heat waves in U.S. history remain those that occurred during the “Dust Bowl” in the 1930s, although average temperatures have increased since then.

Drought. Over the period from 2001 through 2009, roughly 30 to 60 percent of the U.S. land area experienced drought conditions at any given time. However, the data for this indicator have not been collected for long enough to determine whether droughts are increasing or decreasing over time.

U.S. and Global Precipitation. Average precipitation has increased in the United States and worldwide. Since 1901, precipitation has increased at an average rate of more than 6 percent per century in the lower 48 states and nearly 2 percent per century worldwide. However, shifting weather patterns have caused certain areas, such as Hawaii and parts of the Southwest, to experience less precipitation than they used to.

Heavy Precipitation. In recent years, a higher percentage of precipitation in the United States has come in the form of intense single-day events. Eight of the top 10 years for extreme one-day precipitation events have occurred since 1990. The occurrence of abnormally high annual precipitation totals has also increased.

Tropical Cyclone Intensity. The intensity of tropical storms in the Atlantic Ocean, Caribbean, and Gulf of Mexico did not exhibit a strong long-term trend for much of the 20th century, but has risen noticeably over the past 20 years. Six of the 10 most active hurricane seasons have occurred since the mid-1990s. This increase is closely related to variations in sea surface temperature in the tropical Atlantic.
Oceans
[Details on these indicators are available here: Oceans (PDF) (10 pp, 3.1MB)]

Ocean Heat. Several studies have shown that the amount of heat stored in the ocean has increased substantially since the 1950s. Ocean heat content not only determines sea surface temperature, but it also affects sea level and currents. Sea Surface Temperature. The surface temperature of the world’s oceans increased over the 20th century. Even with some year-to-year variation, the overall increase is statistically significant, and sea surface temperatures have been higher during the past three decades than at any other time since large-scale measurement began in the late 1800s.

Sea Surface Temperature. The surface temperature of the world’s oceans increased over the 20th century. Even with some year-to-year variation, the overall increase is statistically significant, and sea surface temperatures have been higher during the past three decades than at any other time since large-scale measurement began in the late 1800s.

Sea Level. When averaged over all the world’s oceans, sea level has increased at a rate of roughly six-tenths of an inch per decade since 1870. The rate of increase has accelerated in recent years to more than an inch per decade. Changes in sea level relative to the height of the land vary widely because the land itself moves. Along the U.S. coastline, sea level has risen the most relative to the land along the Mid-Atlantic coast and parts of the Gulf Coast. Sea level has decreased relative to the land in parts of Alaska and the Northwest.

Ocean Acidity. The ocean has become more acidic over the past 20 years, and studies suggest that the ocean is substantially more acidic now than it was a few centuries ago. Rising acidity is associated with increased levels of carbon dioxide dissolved in the water. Changes in acidity can affect sensitive organisms such as corals.
Snow and Ice
[Details on these indicators are available here: Snow and Ice (PDF) (12 pp, 3.6MB) ]

Arctic Sea Ice. Part of the Arctic Ocean stays frozen year-round. The area covered by ice is typically smallest in September, after the summer melting season. September 2007 had the least ice of any year on record, followed by 2008 and 2009. The extent of Arctic sea ice in 2009 was 24 percent below the 1979 to 2000 historical average.

Glaciers. Glaciers in the United States and around the world have generally shrunk since the 1960s, and the rate at which glaciers are melting appears to have accelerated over the last decade. Overall, glaciers worldwide have lost more than 2,000 cubic miles of water since 1960, which has contributed to the observed rise in sea level.

Lake Ice. Lakes in the northern United States generally appear to be freezing later and thawing earlier than they did in the 1800s and early 1900s. The length of time that lakes stay frozen has decreased at an average rate of one to two days per decade.

Snow Cover. The portion of North America covered by snow has generally decreased since 1972, although there has been much year-to-year variability. Snow covered an average of 3.18 million square miles of North America during the years 2000 to 2008, compared with 3.43 million square miles during the 1970s.

Snowpack. Between 1950 and 2000, the depth of snow on the ground in early spring decreased at most measurement sites in the western United States and Canada. Spring snowpack declined by more than 75 percent in some areas, but increased in a few others.
Society and Ecosystems
[Details on these indicators are available here: Society and Ecosystems (PDF) (12 pp, 3.4MB)]

Heat-Related Deaths. Over the past three decades, more than 6,000 deaths across the United States were caused by heat-related illness such as heat stroke. However, considerable year-to-year variability makes it difficult to determine long-term trends.

Length of Growing Season. The average length of the growing season in the lower 48 states has increased by about two weeks since the beginning of the 20th century. A particularly large and steady increase has occurred over the last 30 years. The observed changes reflect earlier spring warming as well as later arrival of fall frosts. The length of the growing season has increased more rapidly in the West than in the East.

Plant Hardiness Zones. Winter low temperatures are a major factor in determining which plants can survive in a particular area. Plant hardiness zones have shifted noticeably northward since 1990, reflecting higher winter temperatures in most parts of the country. Large portions of several states have warmed by at least one hardiness zone.

Leaf and Bloom Dates. Leaf growth and flower blooms are examples of natural events whose timing can be influenced by climate change. Observations of lilacs and honeysuckles in the lower 48 states suggest that leaf growth is now occurring a few days earlier than it did in the early 1900s. Lilacs and honeysuckles are also blooming slightly earlier than in the past, but it is difficult to determine whether this change is statistically meaningful.

Bird Wintering Ranges. Some birds shift their range or alter their migration habits to adapt to changes in temperature or other environmental conditions. Long-term studies have found that bird species in North America have shifted their wintering grounds northward by an average of 35 miles since 1966, with a few species shifting by several hundred miles. On average, bird species have also moved their wintering grounds farther from the coast, consistent with rising inland temperatures.

– Nick Sundt

Related Post:

• The complete guide to modern day climate change

[JURIST] Iraqi detainees were repeatedly tortured in a secret prison in Baghdad, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said Tuesday. HRW says that detainees held at the Muthanna facility, run by Iraqi authorities, were hung upside-down, deprived of air, kicked, whipped, beaten, given electric shocks, and sodomized during torture sessions that detainees faced every three to four days. HRW interviewed 42 men who were among 300 transferred out after the Iraq Ministry of Human Rights gained access to the facility, which falls under the authority of the military office of Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The fact that many Sunnis were detained in the facility may reveal growing sectarian tensions within Iraq between the Maliki’s Shiite government and Sunni Muslims. Maliki denied the reports of a secret prison, claiming the facility was publicly known and that the reports of abuse are exaggerated.
Earlier this month, it was revealed in a Los Angeles Times report that hundreds of Sunni men were detained without warrant and subjected to torture in the Muthanna facility. More than 400 men were initially detained in October during sweeps of Nineveh province, an area in which al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) was active, and transferred to a Baghdad prison due to concerns over corruption in the provincial capitol of Mosul. Maliki created a special committee in June to investigate alleged abuse and torture in the country’s prisons. Comprised of eight members, the committee includes representatives from human rights and judicial government agencies and security ministries. The decision to create the panel came shortly after charges were brought against 43 Iraqi police officers for human rights abuses, warrantless arrests, and bribery allegations. The violations were discovered by an investigatory committee formed by Iraqi Interior Minister Jawad al-Bolani.

The Volvo Research and Educational Foundations will provide a $3.5 million, five-year grant to establish the Center of Excellence in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a consortium of researchers from four universities and EMBARQ – The World Resources Institute Center for Sustainable Transport.

The research team, headed by Pontificia Universidad Católica (PUC) in Chile, is made up of experts from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, Portugal’s Instituto Técnico Superior de la Universidad Técnica de Lisboa and the University of Sydney’s Institute of Transport and Logistics Studies in Australia. They will provide research and analysis to support the successful deployment of existing and proposed BRT systems around the world.

“Our research will not only focus on the project level but also on how BRT systems interact with other elements of urban transportation, such as cycling lanes and pedestrian spaces, so cities can become more attractive places to live, work and visit,” said Juan Carlos Muñoz, professor of PUC’s Engineering School and director of the new center.

In addition to providing research and analysis, the center will produce case studies, educate transport practitioners and develop guidelines on how cities and transit agencies can plan, design, finance, implement and operate successful BRT systems. The center will also collaborate with the recently launched Latin American Association for Bus Rapid Transit and Integrated Transport Systems, for which EMBARQ serves as Technical Secretariat.

“These guidelines will be a major milestone in changing the way decision makers invest and design urban transport systems,” said Luis Antonio Lindau, director of Center for Sustainable Transport in Brazil (CTS-Brasil), a member of the EMBARQ Network. Lindau will help lead EMBARQ’s research team with support from Dario Hidalgo, senior transport engineer of EMBARQ and Luis Gutierrez, EMBARQ’s director for Latin America.

The Center of Excellence in Bus Rapid Transit was selected among 20 applicants. It is the eighth center funded by the foundation.

Hazel is a preference pane from Noodlesoft that lets you perform actions on your folders based on certain criteria. Here’s a list of several things you can do with it and how to set them up.

Clean your Downloads folder

At the end of the day, my Downloads folder is always stuffed with disk images, half-completed download files, and everything in between. You can clean out any cruft easily using Hazel. Hazel even includes some example actions for your Downloads folder, like moving all photos to your Pictures folder and labeling them blue. But here we’re just going to set it to clear out old disk images.

1. Open up Hazel in System Preferences and click on your Downloads folder in the left pane (it should be there already, if not, add it with the + button).
2. Click the + button to add a new rule.
3. Give the rule a description. I just put “DMG”.
4. On the first line, set it so it reads Extension is dmg, and set the action line to Move file to folder: Trash like so:
5. What you have now will delete any disk image in your Downloads folder. That’s not what we want, so we’re going to set it so it only deletes disk images that are older than a day. Click the + to create a new condition. Set this one to Date Added is not Today, and your window should look like this:
   

Of course, you can change the date to anything you want. And you can add any file type to clear out, so if you download a lot of PDFs, just create a new condition referencing PDFs.

Zip/Unzip Folder

The usefulness of this is debatable, however the concept is still neat: just drag any file into this folder, and it’s compressed and pushed to the desktop.

1. Create a new folder called “Zip” (or whatever you want).
2. Add that folder to Hazel by clicking the + on the left side.
3. Create a new rule by clicking the + on the right side, and name it anything.
4. Set the conditions to Any File.
5. Add an action and set it to Archive file.
6. Add another action and set it to Move file to folder: Desktop. Your window should look like this when you’re done:
   

You can also make another folder that unzips anything dropped into it. Just change Archive file to Unarchive file.

Torrent Folder

This one’s a lot more useful: A folder that automatically opens any torrent files dropped into it.

1. Create a new folder and call it “Torrents” (or whatever you want).
2. Add that folder to Hazel.
3. Create a new rule and name it anything.
4. Set the conditions to Extension is torrent.
5. Set the action to Open file with application: Default Application. Your window will look like this when you’re done:
   

If you have another Mac with Dropbox and Hazel, you can set this so that you can put a torrent file into a folder on your Dropbox and have it sync over to your other Mac, which will then download that torrent. This is also useful if you have ted, which downloads torrents of all your favorite TV shows. Simply reference ted’s folder, which should be in your Home directory.

Conclusion

My ideas can only go so far. The real potential in Hazel lies in adapting it to your own workflow. Play around with it, see what you can do, and then let us know in the comments what you came up with.

The Air Force’s Falcon Hypersonic Technology Vehicle 2—designed to attack global targets at Mach 20—has disappeared nine minutes into its first test flight, just after separating from its booster. Contact was lost, and it hasn’t been found yet. More »

The four-wheeler market is much accustomed to the launch of BS-IV Compliant vehicles. After a slew of BS-IV Compliant cars, it is now the turn of two wheeler manufacturers to focus on the new bikes in India, equipped with latest emission norms.

The entrants from the Honda stables; Unicorn and Shine are new bikes in India that are compliant with Bharat Stage IV emission norms. The new bike models have been renamed CB Unicorn and CB Shine respectively. They come with battery and vicious air filter. CB Shine variant also gets a revamped look and new body graphics. These latest bikes in India are an eco friendly initiative by the two wheeler manufacturers.

Hero Honda, the leading two wheeler manufacturer has introduced two new bikes in India; the new upgraded models of ‘CD Deluxe‘ and ‘CD Dawn‘. The new bikes in India have new side covers, black muffler, meter console, and utility box. Besides, it also has a saree or leg guard, which would come as a standard fitment. The new body graphics add to the appeal of the bikes.

Thus, the latest bikes in India are creating ripples, not merely with the emission compliance, but also with the new cosmetic alterations.

By: Amrith K.A.

Source: Auto News India

Polar bears are large carnivorous animals that are found in the Arctic region mainly in Greenland, Siberia and Northern Canada.

Polar bears have a fur that is actually translucent and that appears white due to their surroundings it is also sometimes appears off white or with a brownish tinge supporting the theory that they are related to the brown bears.

Their fur serves well in camouflaging them when they hunt the main food of the polar bear is the seal which it hunts by sneaking up on it for which it needs to blend in the surroundings. The fur of the polar bear is said to protect it from the harmful ultraviolet radiations that are more pronounced in the Polar Regions.

Their fur which is multi layered also protects them from getting significantly wet when they swim through the icy sea water as they can easily shake off the water when back on land.

Who knew cheese could be this obnoxious? In this spot from agency Leo Burnett for Kellogg’s Cheez-It brand, an immature round of cheese pokes fun at his "cheese-searcher." "Knock knock." "Who’s there?" the man asks. "Interrupting cheese." "Interrup…" "Cheese!!!" ("Should’ve seen that one coming," the cheese-searcher says patiently.) Point is, not all snack crackers are made with properly mature cheese. (Imagine what would have happened if this juvenile wheel got harvested early.) Luckily for the cheese-searcher, his pupil finally comes around and one day says, "Morning, sir. Beautiful day, isn’t it?" Check mark. This cheese is ready. Yum yum.

—Posted by Elaine Wong

organic vitamins

Organic Vitamins A Quick Guide to Vitamin E

As you continue your efforts to balance your diet and add any organic vitamins needed to repair health deficiencies, don’t forget to consider Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a chemical compound found in many types of food you may already eat: olive oil and many other oils are sources of Vitamin E, as are cheddar cheese, egg yolks, chickpeas and soybeans, avocados, peanut butter, milk, red peppers, spinach, tomatoes, whole grains…the list goes on and on. While you are already getting some of the Vitamin E your body needs for optimum health, are you really getting enough?

Studies show Vitamin E to be an important factor in preventing cell damage. According to a Yale University survey, insufficient Vitamin E may be connected to physiological decline in the elderly. Many other studies suggest the health benefits of taking organic vitamins to bolster levels of Vitamin E. Preventing damage to cells by minimizing free radicals can help prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease. Vitamin E supplements may also help diabetics by lowering insulin requirements, and good levels of Vitamin E may play a role in breast cancer prevention.

Vitamin E is made up of a set of chemical compounds called tocopherols, found associated with other compounds called tocotrienols. Compounds called alpha-tocopherols have the highest bioavailability, meaning our bodies can process their benefits most readily. These compounds are soluble in fats and do not evaporate when cooked, making them relatively stable and easy for the body to absorb. In the United States, the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) of Vitamin E is between eight and ten mg per day. However, some experts recommend much higher quantities, at doses of 1,000 milligrams per day or more, because of the potential health benefits associated with higher Vitamin E levels.

As you become more informed about organic vitamins and supplements, you will come across more and more studies proclaiming the likely benefits of this vitamin. All in all, it’s definitely time to consider adding a Vitamin E supplement to your healthy diet.
About the Author

Fred Burfell is an expert nutritionist and is a regular contributing columnist in a wide variety of health magazines. To learn more about organic vitamins read more about Organic Vitamins are the Vitamins You Need.

Do you know where the best quality womens herbs, vitamins and organic skincare is on the web?

The best vitamins in the world are the pre-natal vitamins, the prescription ones you can ask your doctor they are good for men and women for men they have to take 2 pills intead of one but if you can’t get the prescription you can get the over the counter ones just look at the label and get the ones with more iron and calcium on them.

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Organic vitamins – Organic supplements – Minerals vitamin –

Organic Vitamins is a post from the Vegetarian Vitamins Guide blog where you can find suggestions and advice from vegetarians and vegans on vegetarian diets, supplements, vitamins and overall nutrition.