Fuelling the Middle East arms race
Allegations that Syria has sold missiles to Hezbollah may not pose a direct security threat but will revive tensions with Israel

Speaking up for press freedom
Legislation is needed to end a decade of attacks on the rights of photographers, carried out in the name of counterterrorism

Traditional Flu Vaccine May Increase Risk of H1N1
If you got the seasonal flu vaccine last year you may have been at increased risk for the H1N1 flu.

Four new Canadian studies have found the traditional flu vaccine may have increased the risk of infection with swine flu by as much as 68 percent.

Designer baby with 'three parents' and no hereditary diseases ready in three years
Dozens of human embryos with three parents have been created by British scientists, ushering in an era of designer babies.
The embryos - which effectively have two mothers and one father - have been genetically engineered to be free from incurable muscle, brain, heart and digestive illnesses, some of which kill within hours of being born.

Police need more powerful weapons to combat 'Mumbai-style terror attacks' says police chief
Terror: Scotland Yard assistant commissioner John Yates said the officers need high-power weapons
Britain's anti-terrorism chief today said the nation's armed officers need high-powered weapons to combat Mumbai-style attacks.
Scotland Yard assistant commissioner John Yates said there was a need for an "upskilling" within police forces to tackle ever changing threats.

'Climategate' unit cleared of manipulating global warming data... but inquiry refuses to say if conclusions were correct
 The research unit embroiled in the 'emailgate' row was cleared of 'deliberate scientific malpractice' today - but an independent inquiry refused to say whether the unit's conclusions on global warming were correct.
The University of East Anglia's Climatic Research Unit (CRU) has been under attack since hacked emails were leaked online last year, which sceptics claimed showed scientists were manipulating data to support a theory of manmade global warming

Preparing for Disaster in America
A growing number of Americans are doing everything they can to get ready if disaster strikes. Whether it's a natural disaster like an earthquake or hurricane or a conflict between the government and the American people, these guys are making sure they don't have to rely on anyone in a catastrophic situation

Consumers hit by £500 'winter whammy' fuel bills
 Households are receiving winter fuel bills of more than £500 because of the cold snap and high energy costs, according to a study.

Gold Bull Market Warming Up, Keep Your Eyes on the Golden Prize
Gold's bull market is starting to get warmed up again. The gains ahead in Gold are going to be greater than what we have seen since the secular bull market began at the turn of the century. Gold will continue to outperform general stocks, real estate, bonds and most if not all commodities

Council refuses to collect recycling bin... because it contained six melon pips
Melvyn Sylvester was amazed to discover his bin had been left untouched outside his home in Andover, Hampshire, at the weekend.

Binmen had left a sticker on it stating they could not accept the bin as it contained food and was therefore contaminated.

Mr Sylvester, 54, said the bin contained no food except for six small pips sitting on a pizza box.

Second inquiry clears Climategate scientists
MPs clear Climategate university The Drum: Climate change reporting: balanced or biased? Related Story: Climate science alive and well, say experts Another inquiry has cleared British climate researchers of wrongdoing after their emails were hacked, leaked and held up by sceptics as evidence they had exaggerated the case for man-made global warming

IPCC sea level prediction – not scary enough
New research from several international research groups, including the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen provides independent consensus that IPCC predictions of less than a half a meter rise in sea levels is around 3 times too low. The new estimates show that the sea will rise approximately 1 meter in the next 100 years in agreement with other recent studies. The results have been published in the scientific journal, Geophysical Research Letters.

UK: Big 'hung parliament' voter initiative to push parties for real change
As the latest Populus and ComRes opinion polls indicate a narrowing election lead for the Tories, campaigners for political reform are launching a bold "Hang 'Em - until they change" initiative

Tell The FDA That Cherries—And Now Walnuts—Are NOT Illegal Drugs!
Has the FDA lost its mind–again?

In the latest volley of the US Food and Drug Administration’s bizarre war on scientific freedom of speech, the FDA has sent a Warning Letter to the president and CEO of Diamond Foods stating that the firm’s packages of shelled walnuts are “in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.”