NASA: Signs of liquid water found on surface of Mars

Thursday, December 7, 2006

NASA scientists have announced that the Mars Global Surveyor has captured images of deposits in gullies on the surface of the planet Mars which have been created since the areas were photographed seven years ago. These deposits are believed to be the residue of liquid water breaking out of cliffs and crater walls, carrying sediment downhill through the gullies, and later evaporating. The gullies are located inside the Terra Sirenum crater and the Centauri Montes regions.

“These observations give the strongest evidence to date that water still flows occasionally on the surface of Mars,” said the head scientist for the Mars Exploration Program in Washington D.C., Michael Meyer.

The bright appearance of the deposits suggests that, at some recent period, the surface material in these gullies has either been heavily disturbed or covered over by new, different, material. Whilst it is not proven that this is the result of water activity—it could be frost, for example, or the result of localized landslides—it ties in with previous theories that suggest liquid water is locked below the surface of Mars, occasionally being released in short and violent local bursts.

“These fresh deposits suggest that at some places and times on present-day Mars, liquid water is emerging from beneath the ground and briefly flowing down the slopes. This possibility raises questions about how the water would stay melted below ground, how widespread it might be, and whether there’s a below-ground wet habitat conducive to life.” said Michael Malin of Malin Space Science Systems located in San Diego, California. Malin is the head investigator for the Mars Orbital Camera, the instrument which made these photographs, and is the author of the report about the discovery, published in the journal Science.

One factor suggesting water is the shape of the deposits, which are sinuous and appear to “flow” downhill. “The shapes of these deposits are what you would expect to see if the material were carried by flowing water. They have finger-like branches at the downhill end and easily diverted around small obstacles,” explained Malin. Scientists do not know how or why the water is making its way to the surface. “The big question is how does it happen, and does it point to a habitat for life?” said Meyer.

However, many in the scientific community stress possible alternative explanations for what has been seen, suggesting that the features could have been created by dust, sand or liquid carbon dioxide. Oded Aharonson of the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) described the hypothesis of recent water activity on Mars as just one possible explanation and insisted further study was needed to determine whether the deposits could have been left there by the flow of dust rather than water.

Other scientists think it possible that the gullies were caused by liquid carbon dioxide. One reason is that computer models of the Martian crust indicate water could exist only at depths of several kilometers, but liquid carbon dioxide could persist much nearer the surface.

Contact was lost with Mars Global Surveyor in November, and has not yet been recovered. The spacecraft has been in orbit since 1997, operating over a lifespan which far exceeded the two-year mission originally planned. NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, manages the Mars Global Surveyor mission for the NASA Science Mission Directorate located in Washington D.C..

Former Israeli prime minister Ariel Sharon develops double pneumonia

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Former Israeli prime minster Ariel Sharon, 78, has developed double pneumonia and is being treated with “massive” amounts of antibiotics according to hospital officials.

“We are talking about pneumonia that is being treated with massive antibiotics. There is no change in the functioning of the brain tissue and no significant fall in vital signs,” said officials at Tel Hashomer hospital in the Sheba Medical Center located in Tel Aviv, in a statement today.

Yesterday doctors stated that Sharon’s urine ouput had “decreased significantly” and that a scan of his brain “showed a deterioration in his brain function,” said Anat Dolev, a Sheba Medical Center spokesman.

Yesterday the hospital reported that the condition of Sharon was getting worse.

Sharon has been in a coma since suffering a major stroke on January 4. Since being admitted to the hospital, he has undergone several rounds of surgery on his brain in an attempt to stop bleeding. Currently a respirator assists him in breathing.

Jan Nowak-Jezioranski Dies

Friday, January 21, 2005

Jan Nowak-Jeziora?ski, a Polish writer, journalist, legendary resistance fighter and an envoy between the commanders of the Home Army and the Polish government in exile, nicknamed Courier from Warsaw, the head of the Polish section of Radio Free Europe for a quarter of a century and an advisor to the US presidents Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter died Thursday evening, January 20 in a hospital in his native Warsaw, Poland.

Jan Nowak-Jeziora?ski fought in the Polish Army during the Polish September Campaign in 1939 as an artillery NCO. He was taken prisoner of war by the Germans in Volhynia but managed to escape and returned to Warsaw. He quickly joined the Polish resistance and in 1940 became the main organiser of the Akcja N, a secret organisation preparing German-language newspapers and other propaganda material pretending to be official German publications, in order to wage psychological warfare against German troops.

He also served as an envoy between the commanders of the Home Army and the Polish government in exile and other allied governments. During one of such missions in July 1944, he arrived in Warsaw only a few days before the Warsaw Uprising broke out. During the Uprising he took an active part in the fights against the Germans and also organised the Polish radio that maintained contact with the Allied countries through daily broadcasts in Polish and English. Shortly before the capitulation of the Polish capital, he was ordered by the Polish commander-in-chief Tadeusz Bór-Komorowski to leave the city and find his way to London. He managed to evade being captured and reached Great Britain, bringing with him large quantities of documents and photos. For his bravery and his travels through the German-occupied Europe he was awarded with the Virtuti Militari, the highest Polish military medal. He also gained a nick-name Courier from Warsaw (Kurier z Warszawy), which he later used as a title of his memoirs.

After the war, Jan Nowak-Jeziora?ski stayed in the West, initially in London and then in Munich and Washington. Between 1948 and 1976 he was one of the most notable personalities of the Polish division of the BBC radio agency. In 1952 he also became the head of the Polish section of the Munich-based Radio Free Europe. Through his daily radio broadcasts he remained one of the most popular radio personalities, both in communist-held Poland and among the Polish diaspora in the West. After giving up his posts in 1976, he became one of the most prominent members of the Polish American Congress and headed the organisation between 1979 and 1996. He also worked as an advisor to the American National Security Agency. Through his contacts with many notable politicians in the USA, he was one of the proponents of Poland’s membership in NATO (achieved in 1999).

In the 1990s, he started his cooperation with the Polish Radio and wrote a series of broadcasts titled “Polska z oddali” (Poland from Distance). Since 1990 he was also present in the Polish Television as an author of monthly programmes. In July 2002 he returned to Warsaw for good. He was an active supporter of Poland’s entry into the European Union. Most of his books, published abroad as well as those published in Poland after 1989, were best-sellers and gained him even more popularity.

For his writings, he was awarded with some of the most prestigious Polish literary awards, including the Kisiel Award (1999), Ksawery Pruszy?ski Memorial Prize of the Polish Pen-Club (2001) and the Superwiktor award for tv personalities. In 2003 he was also awarded with the Cz?owiek Pojednania prize by the Polish Council of Christians and Jews for his part in the Polish-Jewish dialogue. Finally, he was made the doctor honoris causa of many Polish universities, including the Warsaw University, Jagiellonian University and his alma mater, the University in Pozna?.

He died in Warsaw at the age of 91 on the evening of Thursday, 20 January 2005. He subscribed all of his archives to the Ossolineum Institute. In the reports of his death all major Polish daily newspapers referred to him as the Polish hero and one of the last moral authorities.

Grape Growing What Is The Best Climate?

By Grig

You do have to be really careful and offer good care when growing grapes. The growing climate is highly important if you want luscious grapes. But how can you figure out what is the best climate when talking about growing grapes? Climate is a very subjective term here. There are different species of grapes out there and every single one will need a different climatic environment in order to give out a good harvest.

One factor that is necessary in grape growing is enough sunlight. Grapes are possible to grow in any region that has a period of around 3 Summer months. Those regions that offer heavy rain or are too cold can not be that suitable for grapes growing.

Hot summers and winters that are mild are best for growing wines. Whenever talking about grape harvests you need to avoid frost. Different grape varieties can become dormant as winter appears and will just produce grapes in shorter seasons. Generally one soil that has good drainage and is mildly acidic is perfect for grapes growing.

In order to calculate needed sunlight then you can note and observe sunlight days that appear in your area. By doing this you can see the amount of proper sunlight that your vineyards will receive during growing season. You should provide a minimum of 8 hours of sunlight to your vineyard to grow good quality grapes. If the typical day temperature during growing season is around fifty degrees then you are to need 170 days like that.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QrAuWsBZxY4[/youtube]

If you live in warmer places then you can access many grapes varieties and choose the proper one that will satisfy your needs best. But if you stay in the colder regions your choice is limited. Reliance, Baltica, King of the north, Bluebell, Landot Noir, Brianna and Alpenglow are the species of grapes that can grow in colder climates.

It is only natural to look at the correct climate in order for your grapes to grow properly. As grapes need abundant sunlight, you may prefer to choose places with good summers to grow them. Never get disheartened. You can still grow grapes even if you live in regions with summers that are negligible and colder than sometimes required. You do need to remember that grape varieties should be chosen only from those that will grow in a colder region with good sunlight exposure. Correct species selection is what actually counts. Never end up thinking that colder climates automatically stop you from growing grapes. If you choose the correct species you can easily grow it.

If you are among new farmers that want to start grape farming we recommend that you first familiarize yourself with every single aspect related to grape growing. Grape farming is definitely complex and there is a need to have enough knowledge so that great quality grapes can be produced. When you want to start growing grapes as a business then you do need to seriously think about location?

Grapevines are woody in nature and have a trunk, roots and shoots. Roots will spread wildly for around 3 feet on earth and in the soil they can go as deep as 40 feet. The grapevine’s trunk will support canes and will be fixed into the soil. Grapevine trunks can offer nutrients for all roots and fruits. Vegetation prepared food will be transported towards roots by the use of the trunks.

It is highly important to understand all possible about grapevine shoots. Last year’s dormant buds will develop shoots. New buds appear in leaves axis as shoots grow longer. In the beginning you will see juicy and succulent shoots that harden as time passes. When winter comes you will see them woody and we call them canes then.

You can seriously expect to see fruits just after one year passed since grapevine plantation. Grapevines produce their fruits by themselves and one plant is self sufficient to produce fruits. However, if you like many types of grapes then there will be no problem to plant many varieties.

Grapevines have the capability of growing properly in almost all soils. The only factor that should be taken in to consideration is that it should have good drainage. Soil which retains too much water can de extremely detrimental for the growth of grapevines as the roots would gradually being to rotten. One more soil that has to be avoided is fertile soil. Grapes do not need too many nutrients and minerals. If you are faced with a rich soil then grapes quality will go down and wine quality is affected.

Whenever you want to make a decision connected to your vineyard you should think about a number of things. Much sunlight is needed by grapevines in order to have a high level of photosynthesis and succulent grapes to be produced. It is not a wise decision to choose any backyard. In order to see vineyard planting location you do need to look at sunlight locations. If you do face restrictions of space then you can simply stop everything as you should not make such an investment.

The anser to the most important question, “Where do grapes grow? Black and white. Grapes will only start to bear fruits after around 3 years. You will notice different growth periods in different varieties. Study grape varieties that you think about growing so that you can see everything linked to growth and planting processes. If you properly understand all aspects of growing grapes you will be really happy with the outcome.

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Wikinews interviews Joe Schriner, Independent U.S. presidential candidate

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Journalist, counselor, painter, and US 2012 Presidential candidate Joe Schriner of Cleveland, Ohio took some time to discuss his campaign with Wikinews in an interview.

Schriner previously ran for president in 2000, 2004, and 2008, but failed to gain much traction in the races. He announced his candidacy for the 2012 race immediately following the 2008 election. Schriner refers to himself as the “Average Joe” candidate, and advocates a pro-life and pro-environmentalist platform. He has been the subject of numerous newspaper articles, and has published public policy papers exploring solutions to American issues.

Wikinews reporter William Saturn? talks with Schriner and discusses his campaign.

Osama bin Laden killed in U.S. operation in Pakistan, White House says

Monday, May 2, 2011

U.S. officials last night said Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader and orchestrator of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks and embassy bombings in 1998, had been killed by U.S. special forces in Abbottabad, Pakistan near the capital Islamabad.

White House officials say that four others were killed in the forty-minute raid that began at 2000 UTC yesterday—including a woman said to have been used as a human shield. One of those shot is thought to be bin Laden’s son. An American helicopter was lost due to mechanical failure, but no U.S. forces or civilians were killed.

U.S. President Barack Obama announced the news in a statement late last night. “I can report to the American people and to the world, that the U.S. has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden,” Obama said. He confirmed he had been told in August of a lead to the location of bin Laden, and approved the operation last week. The operation involved a “small team of Americans”, Obama said.

The operation, led by the CIA, occurred nearly ten years after the 9/11 attacks. CIA director Leon Panetta notified U.S. legislators Sunday about the news. His body was verified using several methods, including DNA testing with DNA from a dead sister’s body, stored in a Boston, Massachusetts hospital, as well as facial recognition. However, staff at the hospital in question—Massachusetts General Hospital—have not been able to “find any evidence” of the body ever being stored there. U.S. officials said his body was then buried at sea at around 0600 UTC today, “in accordance with Islamic law and traditions” and because of the difficulty of finding a country that would accept the remains of the world’s most wanted man. Saudi Arabia, the country in which Osama bin Laden was born, refused a U.S. offer to take the body.

Following the President’s announcement, people started gathering in front of the White House in Washington, D.C., Times Square and Ground Zero—the site of the World Trade Center—in New York, to celebrate; singing the national anthem. Michael Bloomberg, the mayor of New York City, said he hoped the death of bin Laden would “bring some closure and comfort to all those who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001”.

The U.S. government is reportedly expecting al-Qaeda to soon release what they are likely to call a “martyr tape”—an audio recording made by bin Laden to be broadcast after his death.

Although the death of the 54-year-old bin Laden, who was the most wanted person in the world, was greeted with celebration in the U.S., analysts have warned that al-Qaeda will “undoubtedly” launch a retaliatory attack. “I think the significance of what has happened cannot really be overstated,” John Gearson, director of the Centre for Defence Studies at King’s College London, said.

“There will be concerns that there could be some sort of retaliation, that al-Qaeda may well want to demonstrate that they are still strong and still in the game.” He warned that U.S. officials may “lose their focus” after such a major victory, “and that will provide an opportunity for the remnants of al-Qaeda to reform and grow stronger.”

I can report to the American people and to the world, that the U.S. has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden.

Hillary Clinton, the U.S. Secretary of State, appealed to Islamic militant fighters to use the opportunity of bin Laden’s death to abandon their groups. “Our message to the Taliban remains the same, but today it may have even greater resonance: you cannot wait us out,” she said. “You cannot defeat us. But you can make the choice to abandon Al Qaeda and cooperate in a peaceful political process.”

The president of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, said that “we have waken up in a safer world”, with the news bringing “safety to millions of people”, whilst U.S. senator John McCain sought to remind the American people to “be mindful that al-Qaeda and its terrorist allies are still lethal and determined enemies”. The Kremlin reiterated that “revenge is inescapable for all terrorists”, and that “only a joint struggle against global terrorism can bring a result”.

The United Kingdom’s Foreign Secretary, William Hague, sought to remind people bin Laden was “the world’s most prominent leader”, going on to say that “it was of great importance that he was still alive and active, and it is unequivocally a good thing that he is no longer able to pursue terror, murder and mayhem in the world”. Mentioning that security at British embassies worldwide have been increased in the wake of the news, he reiterated that the death of the al-Qaeda leader was a “serious blow”, and that, “like any organisation that has suffered a serious blow, they will want to show in some way that they are still able to operate”.

Nicolas Sarkozy, the president of France, welcomed the news, along with many other European countries. He praised the “tenacity” of the U.S. attack, congratulating the “major blow” the move dealt to al-Qaeda. Eight French citizens were killed last week in a bomb blast in Marrakesh, and, although no group has yet claimed responsibility, it is speculated that al-Qaeda were behind the attack. Sarkozy paid homage to them, as well as other around the world, saying the “victims received justice today and France has thoughts for them and their families”.

It is unequivocally a good thing that he is no longer able to pursue terror, murder and mayhem in the world.

Pakistani officials were not informed of the planned raid, with the White House saying this was “essential to the security of the operation and our personnel”. However Obama emphasised that cooperation with Pakistan had helped in finding bin Laden. The operation, described by one senior White House official as “a surgical raid by a small team designed to minimise collateral damage”, was not intended to take bin Laden alive. “It was a kill mission”, said one security official. Bin Laden died after being shot in the head.

Witnesses in Abbottabad have described how the U.S. forces carried out the raid on the compound, which had significant security features, including walls up to 18-foot high topped with barbed wire. “We saw four helicopters at around 2am. We were told to switch off lights of our homes and stay inside,” one witness, who lives in the town of Bilal in Abbottabad, said. The man confirmed he had seen the wreckage of the U.S. military helicopter which crashed after experiencing mechanical difficulties.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the U.S. “operation was conducted [by] U.S. forces in accordance with declared U.S. policy that Osama bin Laden will be eliminated in a direct action by the U.S. forces, wherever found in the world”, noting that almost “30,000 Pakistani civilians” had been killed in terrorist attacks in recent years, with the “nation fully united in [its] resolve to eliminate terrorism”.

We saw four helicopters at around 2am. We were told to switch off lights of our homes and stay inside.

However, Pervez Musharraf, a former president of Pakistan, criticised the U.S. involvement, describing the operation as a “violation of [Pakistani] sovereignty,” and saying the raid was a “a failure of both Pakistani and U.S. intelligence”; he stressed it would have been “far better” if the Pakistani Special Services Group had carried out the attack. Musharraf went on to say he was “surprised” bin Laden was found in Abbottabad, but added the terrorist leader “had declared war against Pakistan”, and that the news came as a “victory for the people of Pakistan and all the peace loving people of the world”.

The news that bin Laden was hiding just a few hundred metres from Pakistan Military Academy, a similar institution to the U.S. West Point Academy or the UK Sandhurst, has been met with embarrassment on behalf of the Pakistani government, and scepticism from others. “This is a serious blow to the credibility of Pakistan”, according to one Pakistani security analyst. Earlier today, Afghanistan president Hamid Karzai maintained he knew bin Laden was in Pakistan: “For 10 years we told NATO and the world community but for ten years they didn’t listen to our voice. They burned Afghanistan for ten years but Osama was in Islamabad.”

Whilst many governments worldwide welcomed the death of bin Laden, more than 800 people marched in the Pakistani city of Quetta, paying homage to bin Laden and burning a U.S. flag. According to the organizer, “Bin Laden was the hero of the Muslim world and after his martyrdom he has won the title of great mujahed”. At the march, pro-Taliban and anti-United States sentiments were chanted, before the protesters dispersed peacefully.

Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan have denied that bin Laden has been killed, although in a conference call to several Pakistani media outlets, a rebel spoksperson threatened to seek revenge: “If Bin Laden attained martyrdom, then we will avenge his death and we will attack the governments of Pakistan and the United States and their security forces”.

Although no images of bin Laden’s body have been released, the Obama administration is, according to ABC News, in possession of gruesome photographs: a “massive head wound” where he took a bullet, with “blood and brains clearly visible”.

The price of oil has dropped following the announcement after speculation that the death of bin Laden will lower the risk of supply disruption in the Middle East, with a barrel of crude oil for June delivery falling by $1.92.

Lg Appliances | Cooking Is Pleasure With Microwave Ovens

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By Boris Romano

Many years back, say near the 1960’s a woman used to spend approximately 2-3 hours to make a full meal for her family. But now she can do the same using a microwave oven within a time of 20-30 minutes. All you have to do is you can plan the recipe; make sure that you have all the ingredients handy. Then simply enjoy your meal with your family. Microwave ovens are built up with a reputation of presenting smart cooking. Many microwave ovens automatically shut off when the food is fully cooked and heated accordingly. Microwave ovens come in a variety of models, colors, designs all differing from compact to large ones according to individual’s preference. The speed cook devices in the microwave ovens assure grilling, baking and browning depending to the type of food we prefer.

A higher voltage microwave oven can cook and heat the food more quickly. These microwave ovens are used in the restaurants and hotels where the cooking is done on a large amount. If you want to buy a counter top oven then you can easily afford them to buy because they are not very expensive. I feel that many people use microwave oven only for pre heating or grilling but today’s multi-featured models give us their best services in which we can cook the whole meal. New techniques not only cook the food but also prepare the food unburnt. The food cooked in a microwave oven is very nourishing. The vegetables cooked in the oven retain vitamins and minerals. Microwave ovens are very proficient because they help in heating the food fast. The probes fitted in some microwave ovens find out whether the dish is thoroughly cooked. It also helps in preventing over cooking. The timer button lets us know that the food is cooked.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNZ8VIdySQg[/youtube]

Convection combined with microwave ovens has speedy cooking properties. The convection skillfully helps to cook lip smacking food or juicy roasted meat. No matter how skilled we can be in the kitchen but I feel that everyone needs some encouragement. To make sure that every meal we cook turns out absolutely mouth-watering we must use a microwave oven.

My daughter would go to college without having a breakfast. As breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I was very upset that she moves out of the house without having the breakfast. My old microwave oven had got damaged a few days back. I was not getting time to go out to the mall to get a new oven. My daughter simply logged on to the Toronto appliances and placed an order with them for a counter top L.G. microwave oven. They shipped the oven within 3 days. My daughter is fond of pasta frittata. She can easily prepare pasta for her self in the microwave oven. She was very happy with her new microwave oven. She could prepare her favorite snacks, soups in no time. She threw a party for her friends on her birthday. Imagine, she managed to prepare everything in the microwave oven all alone. I was out of town at that time. She prepared soup to pizza and the deserts also. To save time, she pre baked the pizza bases and covered them loosely till the party time. After her friends arrived, she prepared pizza for them with different toppings so that her friends could get to eat their favorite pizza. If you think your daughter can also do all the cooking alone, then you are right. Get her a new microwave oven for her birthday as a gift and see the wonders she does by cooking in it.

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LG-appliances

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Ontario Votes 2007: Interview with Progessive Conservative candidate Tyler Currie, Trinity-Spadina

Monday, October 1, 2007

Tyler Currie is running as an Progressive Conservative candidate in the Ontario provincial election, in the riding of Trinity-Spadina. Wikinews’ Nick Moreau interviewed him regarding his values, his experience, and his campaign.

Stay tuned for further interviews; every candidate from every party is eligible, and will be contacted. Expect interviews from Liberals, Progressive Conservatives, New Democratic Party members, Ontario Greens, as well as members from the Family Coalition, Freedom, Communist, Libertarian, and Confederation of Regions parties, as well as independents.

News briefs:June 1, 2010

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Wikinews interviews Jim Hedges, U.S. Prohibition Party presidential candidate

Saturday, January 29, 2011

U.S. Prohibition Party presidential candidate Jim Hedges of Thompson Township, Pennsylvania took some time to answer a few questions about the Prohibition Party and his 2012 presidential campaign.

The Prohibition Party is the third oldest existing political party in the United States, having been established in 1869. It reached its height of popularity during the late 19th century. The party heavily supported the Eighteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, which banned the sale of alcohol, and resulted in the US period known as Prohibition (1919–33). It was repealed in 1933. The party has declined since this period, but has continued to nominate candidates for the presidential election.

In 2003, the party split into two factions. Preacher Gene Amondson and perennial candidate Earl Dodge were nominated for the presidency by their respective factions. After Dodge’s death in 2007, the party reunified and named Amondson as its sole presidential nominee for 2008. During the election, Amondson was interviewed by Wikinews. He died in 2009, leaving an opening in the party for 2012.

Jim Hedges is a longtime Prohibition activist, who holds the distinction of the first individual of the 21st century (and the first since 1959) to be elected to a political office under the Prohibition Party banner. In 2001, he was elected as the Thompson Township tax assessor, and was re-elected to the post in 2005. He served until his term expired in 2010. Hedges declared his intent to run for the Prohibition Party presidential nomination on February 18, 2010. This marks his first run for the presidency.