Infinite Unknown

India is developing new techniques to create rain artificially amid growing fears over the late arrival of the monsoon season.

A delay in the arrival of this year’s monsoon has left India’s paddy fields parched and caused water-shortages throughout the main cities Photo: AFP/GETTY

Scientists at its Institute of Tropical Meteorology disclosed a new series of “cloud seeding” experiments as fears of a drought grip a country praying for the heavens to open.

A delay in the arrival of this year’s monsoon has left India’s paddy fields parched and caused water-shortages throughout the main cities. A heatwave has claimed at least 24 lives, with the absence of the rain’s cooling effect on 45 degree C temperatures has caused power-cuts, while school summer holidays have been extended by a week in the hope of a downpour.

India’s agriculture, stock markets and the fortunes of its political parties traditionally depend on good monsoon rains. In one state, Andhra Pradesh, which has had only half the expected rainfall this month, farmers fear their crop yields could fall by 30 per cent.

The Indian government has used American cloud seeding technology in the past but is now developing its own techniques to guarantee monsoon clouds break into torrential rains.

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Tags: cloud seeding, Environment, India, Science

Russia is looking at a bail-out of its banks that would go further than the emergency action taken by the US, amid growing fears that bad loans could paralyse the country’s economy.

Igor Shuvalov, deputy prime minister, will consider taking stakes in troubled banks when a group of experts on the financial crisis meets on Friday to discuss ways to recapitalise Russia’s banking system, according to a draft proposal seen by the Financial Times.

The proposal, one of several under consideration, would see the government issue OFZ treasury bills, a type of bond, to boost the balance sheets of the biggest banks. In return, the state would receive preferred shares.

Unlike the US bank bail-out, the Russian scheme would see the government take board seats and have veto rights.

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Tags: Bailout, Banking, Economy, Government, Politics, Russia

“My concern about the legislation is that if the GAO is auditing not only the operational aspects of the programs and the details of the programs but making judgments about our policy decisions would effectively be a takeover of policy by the Congress and a repudiation of the Federal Reserve would be highly destructive to the stability of the financial system, the Dollar and our national economic situation.”

Related information:
- US House to debate Ron Paul’s ‘Audit the Fed’ bill
- Ron Paul: Audit the Fed Update (06/12/09)
- Ron Paul: The Obama administration gives a tremendous amount of more power to the Federal Reserve, the very institution that created our problem (6/18/09)

Yes, the truth would be destructive to the Federal Reserve banksters.

Auditing the Fed is actually the same as abolishing it and Ben Bernanke and Ron Paul know that.

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Tags: Ben Bernanke, Economy, Fed, Federal Reserve, Government, Politics, Ron Paul

Luxury ocean liners in Russia are offering pirate hunting cruises aboard armed private yachts off the Somali coast.

Wealthy punters pay £3,500 per day to patrol the most dangerous waters in the world hoping to be attacked by raiders.

When attacked, they retaliate with grenade launchers, machine guns and rocket launchers, reports Austrian business paper Wirtschaftsblatt.

Passengers, who can pay an extra £5 a day for an AK-47 machine gun and £7 for 100 rounds of ammo, are also protected by a squad of ex special forces troops.

The yachts travel from Djibouti in Somalia to Mombasa in Kenya.

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Tags: Global News, Pirates, Society, Somalia

The dollar has been the world’s reserve currency for decades

China’s central bank has reiterated its call for a new reserve currency to replace the US dollar.

The report from the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said a “super-sovereign” currency should take its place.

Central bank chief Zhou Xiaochuan has loudly led calls for the dollar to be replaced during the financial crisis.

The bank report called for more regulation of the countries that issue currencies that underpin the global financial system.

“An international monetary system dominated by a single sovereign currency has intensified the concentration of risk and the spread of the crisis,” the Chinese central bank said.

The dollar fell after the report was released. The US currency dropped 1% against the euro to $1.4088, and declined 0.8% versus the British pound to $1.6848.

SDRs

Mr Zhou caused a stir earlier this year when he said the dollar could eventually be replaced as the world’s main reserve currency by the Special Drawing Right (SDR), which was created as a unit of account by the IMF in 1969.

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Tags: China, Dollar, Economy, Politics, U.S.

Almost 7,000 British Airways staff have agreed to take part in cost-saving measures, including 800 who said they will work unpaid for up to a month, the airline has announced.

Almost 7,000 BA staff have agreed to take a pay cut

Of the 40,000-strong workforce, 6,940 employees volunteered for the measures – with most opting for unpaid leave – which the company said will save up to £10 million.

Chief executive Willie Walsh, who has already announced that he will work unpaid for the month of July, said: “This is a fantastic first response. I want to thank everyone who has volunteered to help us pull through this difficult period.

“This response clearly shows the significant difference individuals can make.”

Options offered to staff included volunteering for between one and four weeks’ unpaid leave or unpaid work, with the pay deduction spread over three or six months.

Staff who have offered to work unpaid will still receive shift allowances and other payments, although they will forego their basic pay.

BA said around 4,000 staff had volunteered for unpaid leave, 1,400 will switch to part-time work and 800 put their names forward for unpaid work, while 740 overseas staff also volunteered to take part in the cost-saving drive.

The airline has been looking to slash costs as part of its survival plan after unveiling an annual loss of £400 million.

Around 2,500 jobs have been cut since last summer and the airline wants to shed another 3,000 posts across its business.

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Tags: Airlines, British Airways, Economy

(NaturalNews) As the anticipated July release date for Baxter’s A/H1N1 flu pandemic vaccine approaches, an Austrian investigative journalist is warning the world that the greatest crime in the history of humanity is underway. Jane Burgermeister has recently filed criminal charges with the FBI against the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations (UN), and several of the highest ranking government and corporate officials concerning bioterrorism and attempts to commit mass murder. She has also prepared an injunction against forced vaccination which is being filed in America. These actions follow her charges filed in April against Baxter AG and Avir Green Hills Biotechnology of Austria for producing contaminated bird flu vaccine, alleging this was a deliberate act to cause and profit from a pandemic.

Related article: Baxter: Product contaminated with live H5N1 avian flu virus

Summary of claims and allegations filed with FBI in Austria on June 10, 2009

In her charges, Burgermeister presents evidence of acts of bioterrorism that is in violation of U.S. law by a group operating within the U.S. under the direction of international bankers who control the Federal Reserve, as well as WHO, UN and NATO. This bioterrorism is for the purpose of carrying out a mass genocide against the U.S. population by use of a genetically engineered flu pandemic virus with the intent of causing death. This group has annexed high government offices in the U.S.

Specifically, evidence is presented that the defendants, Barack Obama, President of the U.S, David Nabarro, UN System Coordinator for Influenza, Margaret Chan, Director-General of WHO, Kathleen Sibelius, Secretary of Department of Health and Human Services, Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Department of Homeland Security, David de Rotschild, banker, David Rockefeller, banker, George Soros, banker, Werner Faymann, Chancellor of Austria, and Alois Stoger, Austrian Health Minister, among others, are part of this international corporate criminal syndicate which has developed, produced, stockpiled and employed biological weapons to eliminate the population of the U.S. and other countries for financial and political gain.

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Tags: Baxter, FBI, Flu, Genocide, Health, Immunizations, New World Order, U.N., Vaccination, Vaccine, WHO

CHICAGO, June 25 (Reuters) – Fitch Ratings on Thursday downgraded the rating on California’s general obligation debt and said it may lower the rating again, citing the state’s continued fiscal and economic stress.

The agency cut the state’s rating by one notch to A-minus, placing it four notches above speculative, or “junk” status, and making it the lowest rating of any U.S. state.

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Tags: California, Debt, Economy, Politics, Rating, U.S.

LOS ANGELES/NEW YORK, June 25 – California’s controller said on Wednesday that he would have to issue IOUs in a week if lawmakers are unable to quickly solve a $24bn budget deficit, as the state’s treasurer plans to tap a reserve fund to meet debt service costs.

The measures came as a budget crisis deepened in the most populous US state and the gridlocked legislature failed to pass a proposed $11bn in cuts.

“Next Wednesday we start a fiscal year with a massively unbalanced spending plan and a cash shortfall not seen since the Great Depression,” said John Chiang, controller, while announcing that he would be forced to use IOUs to pay the state’s bills beginning on July 2.

“The state’s $2.8bn cash shortage in July grows to $6.5bn in September and after that we see a double digit freefall,” Mr Chiang said. “Unfortunately, the state’s inability to balance its checkbook will now mean short-changing taxpayers, local governments and small businesses.”

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Tags: California, Debt, Economy, Government, IOUs, Politics, U.S.

Added: June 03, 2009

Tags: autism, Children, Health, Immunizations, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Science, Vaccination, Vaccine