Shelton's Weblog

The StarTribune.com reports a car bomb exploded Saturday in the Shiite holy city of Karbala as people were heading for evening prayers, killing at least 58 and wounding many near some of the country's most sacred shrines.

There were nine U.S. troops who were killed in the explosion.

Latimes reports 343 soldiers have been killed, 53 percent higher than the 224 killed in the first four months of last year, according to the Web site icasualties.org.

The attack comes in the third month of the U.S.-led military coalition's security crackdown and in the midst of an intensifying political struggle in Washington, D.C., over the war.

http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1150489.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-iraq29apr29,0,6396391.story?coll=la-home-headlines

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The USAtoday.com reports at least 113 civilians have been killed during three days of heavy fighting in the Somali capital, a Somali human rights group said Friday. Between Wednesday and 2 p.m. Friday, 229 people were wounded, said Sudan Ali Ahmed, chairman of the decade-old Elman Human Rights Organization.

"We condemn both sides of the conflict and call on them to immediately stop the mass massacre in the capital," Ahmed told The Associated Press.

Theage.com reports the streets in Mogadishu are bare because of the fighting. People have either fled from the city or they are hiding. In provinces round the city, tens of thousands of refugees waited under trees or beside roads.

At packed Mogadishu hospitals, the injured screamed and doctors struggled to help the wounded after four days of clashes between troops and insurgents.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2007-04-20-somalia_N.htm

http://www.theage.com.au/news/World/Somali-deaths-mount-as-exodus-grows/2007/04/21/1176697126243.html

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Reuters.com reports two Garuda Indonesia flights heading to Saudi Arabia had to change course and return to Jakarta due to a missile test carried out by India this week, an Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday.

"We are trying to attain clarification from India about notification," said foreign ministry spokesman Kristianto Legowo. "We will immediately seek clarification from the Indian ambassador here."

The StarTribune reports the plane was carrying 413 passengers returned to Jakarta and took off again for Jeddah seven hours later. Another plane had to delay its departure because of the incident. The Agni III missile, which is designed to reach 1,900 miles, was launched from Wheeler Island off the eastern state of Orissa and is said to be capable of carrying up to a 300-kiloton nuclear warhead.

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-04-13T200157Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-294088-4.xml

http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1118743.html

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Guardian reports there was much applause as the 15 British sailors returned home from Iran. The sailors were held captive 13 days because their boat was in Iran's territorial waters for a routine search of an Iraqi merchant vessel.

"On the one hand we are glad that our service personnel return safe and unharmed from their captivity, but on the other we return to the sober and ugly reality of what is happening through terrorism in Iraq,'' Prime Minister Tony Blair said.

Tvnz.co reports Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad freed the British sailors even though Britain was not "brave enough" to admit they had strayed into Iranian waters.

"These guys have been through a lot. They are just relaxing and having a good flight. They are just winding down," said one British diplomat accompanying the sailors.

The sailors posed for pictures and were transported to two waiting military helicopters to be flown to a base at Chivenor in Devon, 200 miles southwest of London, for a private meeting with their families and debriefing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6535894,00.html

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411425/1050388

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The StarTribune.com reports Iran said they will not release the only female prisoner from their custody. The 15 sailors may be put on trial first for going in Iran's waters during a routine search of an Iraqi merchant vessel. Faye Turney is the only woman held in custody in Iran.

But Gen. Ali Reza Afshar, Iran's military chief, said that because of the "wrong behavior" by the British government, "the release of a female British soldier has been suspended," the semiofficial Iranian news agency Mehr reported.

Ynetnews.com reports a second letter from Turney has been released by the Iranian government. In the letter Turney wants the British forces to withdraw from Iraq. The letter also states the sailors were in Iranian waters and the soldiers are being treated humanely, given food and clothing.

"The somewhat stilted language of the letter led some linguistic experts to suggest the text may have been written originally in Farsi and then translated into English."

http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1087234.html

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3383009,00.html

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Chinaview.cn reports Iranian foreign ministry confirmed Friday its country had seized 15 British marines when they entered its territorial waters illegally.

"This is not the first time for British military personnel to enter the Iranian waters illegally since they occupied Iraq," Ibrahim Rahimpour, director general for Western European affairs of the foreign ministry was quoted as saying.

The incident took place around 10:30 Iraqi time when the British sailors boarded an Iraqi merchant ship.

The StarTribune reports the British government summoned the Iranian ambassador to the foreign office and "demanded the immediate and safe return of our people and equipment.''

"We are urgently pursuing this matter with the Iranian authorities at the highest level,'' the ministry said.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-03/24/content_5888872.htm

http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1074683.html

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The Denverpost.com reports President Bush Thursday started a weeklong tour in Latin America, but many protesters were awaiting him. Bush's main agenda for the tour is to promote democracy increased trade and cooperation on alternative fuels.

CNN.com reports experts in Latin America are not surprised by the protests against President Bush.

"His real challenge, however, is that there is an enormous rejection of U.S. foreign policy in the world and America," said Arturo Valenzuela, director of the Center for Latin American Studies at Georgetown University.

The pictures taken from the protests show posters of Bush as Adolf Hitler and Nazi logos by his picture.

Riot police fired tear gas at the protesters sending them fleeing away from the site. There have been several reports protesters have been beaten by police.

http://www.denverpost.com/mobile/ci_5387376

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/americas/03/08/bush.latinamerica/index.html

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The StarTribune.com reports a roadside bomb in western Afghanistan left two civilians dead and 48 wounded, including 10 children, officials said Thursday. The bomb was aimed at a police vehicle in the city of Farah, said Mohammad Qasem Bayan, the chief of public health department for Farah province.

"It is the work of enemies of Afghanistan," Bashary said, suggesting the resurgent Taliban militants were behind the attack.

Cbn.com reports much of the violent activity is caused by heroin smuggling by the Taliban. The Taliban militants were getting back at the police for burning poppy fields.

Afghanistan is the world's largest producer of opium poppy. In 2006, production in the country rose 49 percent to 6,700 tons - enough to make about 670 tons of heroin.

http://www.startribune.com/722/story/1031361.html

http://www.cbn.com/CBNnews/111912.aspx

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Yonhapnews.co reports "Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said Tuesday that United Nations nuclear inspectors will return to North Korea following the international deal committing the communist regime to dismantle its nuclear weapons program."

There will be a board of governors meeting on March 6 to discuss the details of the inspection in North Korea.

CNN.com reports North Korea made an agreement saying they would dismantle nuclear weapons and have better relations with South Korea, Japan, and the United States in exchange for oil shipments, other aid, and security guarantees.

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/Engnews/20070214/630000000020070214121731E7.html

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/02/23/korea.elbaradei.ap/index.html

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StarTribune.com is reporting Iraqi police wounded the Al-Qaida leader in Iraq, known by the alias Abu Ayyub al-Masri. One of Al-Masri's deputies, Abu Abdullah al-Mujamie, was killed in the gunfight, which occurred near Samarra. U.S. officials have said that Al-Masri took over the leadership in Iraq after the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed during 2006 airstrikes.

CNN.com reports that the two men were trying to enter the town of Balad. The only certainty is police have the body of al-Mujamie, but there is no word if al-Masri is in custody.

British and Iraqi forces have started to watch the borders more closely. Iraq shut down seven crossings along its borders with Iran and Syria.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/15/iraq.main/index.html

http://www.startribune.com/484/story/1003967.html

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CNN.com reports rival Palestinian factors signed a power-sharing agreement Thursday. Under the accord, Hamas, an Islamic militant group would have to respect past peace agreements made with Israel.

In Washington, the State Department issued a statement that avoided judgement on reports of a deal between the two nations.

MSNBC.com reports the U.S., U.N., and the European Union and Russia said future aid to Palestine under Hamas "would be reviewed by donors against that government’s commitment to renounce violenceand recognize Israel and other agreements."

Palestinians hope that the new agreement will keep every one at peace for now and prevent a civil war between Hamas and Fatah.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/meast/02/08/palestinian.talks.ap/index.html

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17022415/

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CNN is reporting climate scientists have stated that global warming is "very likely" man-made. Scientists are saying global warming "is essentially a runaway train that cannot be stopped for centuries."

Global climate change from the past 50 years cannot be explained without looking at the external factors throughout the world. There is widespread warming of the atmosphere and ocean. There is also ice-mass loss that is proof there is global warming.

There is no way to stop global warming even if humans figure out a way to control their pollution better, according to the Star-Gazette.com.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/science/02/01/climate.talks.ap/index.html

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/F/FRANCE_CLIMATE_CHANGE?SITE=NYELM&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

Posted by David Shelton at 3:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

By David Shelton

Scientists have predicted that a 25-million-ton, 820-ft. wide asteroid, named Apophis, will pass the Earth at a distance of 18,800 to 20,800 miles. The asteroid is expected to pass on Friday, April 13th, 2029 at 4:36 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time while traveling 28,000 miles per hour. Apophis will be the first asteroid in human history to be visible to the naked eye.

There are 45,000 to 1 odds the asteroid could hit Earth. Scientists think if the asteroid passes the earth at a distance of 18,893 miles, Apophis will enter a "gravitational keyhole." A gravitational keyhole is "where the Earth's gravity could pull Apophis off track just enough to cause it to enter an orbit that is seven-sixths as long as the Earth's orbit." Then in seven years the asteroid would collide into Earth.

Rusty Schweickart, who served on the Apollo 9 mission in 1969, believes that no risk can be ignored. Schweickart says, "We need to act. If we blow this, it'll be criminal."

Steven Chesley of the Near Earth Object program at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena , CA is not alarmed of the possible chance of the asteroid coming in contact with Earth. Chesley says, "There's no rush right now. But if it's still serious by 2014, we need to start designing real missions."

On the Net: Buzzle.com site: http://www.buzzle.com/articles/friday-13th-might-be-pretty-frightening-in-2029.html

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