Why assassins might love polonium

LONDON?? Polonium first hit the headlines when it was used to kill KGB agent-turned-Kremlin critic Alexander Litvinenko in London in 2006.

This week, Yasser Arafat's widow has called for the late Palestinian leader's body to be exhumed after scientists in Switzerland found elevated traces of radioactive polonium-210 on clothing he allegedly wore before his death in 2004.

What is polonium and how dangerous can it be?

What is polonium?
Polonium-210 is one of the world's rarest elements, discovered in 1898 by scientists Marie and Pierre Curie and named in honor of her country of origin, Poland. It occurs naturally in very low concentrations in the Earth's crust and also is produced artificially in nuclear reactors. In small amounts, it has legitimate industrial uses, mainly in devices to eliminate static electricity.

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Is it dangerous?
Very. If ingested, it is lethal in extremely small doses. Less than 1 gram (0.04 ounces) of the silver powder is sufficient to kill. A 2007 study by radiation experts from Britain's Health Protection Agency concluded that once polonium-210 is deposited in the bloodstream, its potent effects are nearly impossible to stop. A poisoning victim would experience multiple organ failure as alpha radiation particles bombard the liver, kidneys and bone marrow from within.

Who can get their hands on it?
The good news ? not too many people. The element can be a byproduct of the chemical processing of uranium, but usually is made artificially in a nuclear reactor or a particle accelerator. These nuclear facilities are monitored and tightly regulated under international agreements.

John Croft, a retired British radiation expert who worked on the Litvinenko case, said a dose large enough to kill would likely have to come from a government with either civilian or military nuclear capabilities. That category includes Russia ? producer of the polonium believed to have killed Litvinenko ? and Arafat's foe, Israel. But it also includes dozens of other nations, including the United States.

Why would it be attractive to assassins?
Polonium makes a good weapon. Its large alpha particles of radiation do not penetrate the skin and don't set off radiation detectors, so it is relatively easy to smuggle across international borders. Polonium can be ingested through a wound or inhaled ? but the surest method would be to have the victim consume it in food or drink. Litvinenko drank tea laced with polonium during a meeting at a luxury London hotel.

Who has it killed?
Polonium poisoning is so rare that it took doctors several weeks to diagnose Litvinenko's illness and security experts struggled to think of a previous case. More than five years after Litvinenko's death, no one has been arrested. British prosecutors have named ex-KGB agent Andrei Lugovoi as their chief suspect, but Russia refuses to hand him over. Some speculate that the Curies' daughter Irene, who died of leukemia, may have developed the disease after accidentally being exposed to polonium in the laboratory.

Can scientists prove whether Arafat was poisoned with polonium?
Scientists caution that traces on Arafat's clothing aren't sufficient proof of poisoning. Exhuming his body would a surer method. Derek Hill, a radiological science expert at University College London, said eight years after Arafat's death in 2004, any polonium would have decayed and would be far less radioactive than it was at the time.

But he says it would still be much higher than normal background levels, and with an autopsy it should be possible to tell "with a pretty high confidence" whether Arafat had polonium in his body when he died.

Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Source: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48082456/ns/health/

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Goal-line technology, headscarves get soccer's OK

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Source: http://news.yahoo.com/goal-line-technology-headscarves-soccers-ok-210810699--sow.html

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Bathroom Design for your Lovely Home | Home Improvement And ...

Bathroom Design -Most of us are often reluctant to make a residential project such as a bathroom renovation to be carried out. The simple truth is that we are often afraid and maybe a little bit intimidated when it comes to remodeling or decorating our bathroom because the data involved in the planning and choice of colors, materials and other accessories.

Bathroom Design ? Beginning with an interesting floor color or design, or paint the walls a deep color is important for the overall design of your bathroom. Choose a tile with a unique structure, color and pattern and the coordination of paint or coating that the rest of the bathroom. Combining different tile sizes and patterns add an interesting pattern in any bathroom design. There is a variety of different ways to treat your bathroom wall. You can use a combination of different types in your bathroom to decorate.

Incoming search terms:

• bathroom designs
• bathrooms designs in simple

Source: http://www.freaksendfuture.com/bathroom-design-for-your-lovely-home/

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To beer, or not to beer? 'Can ban' slows tourism

In a May 28, 2012 photo, a tuber floats down the Comal river Memorial Day in New Braunfels, Texas. Drinking beer while lazily floating through New Braunfels is a heat-beating tradition for hundreds of thousands of vacationers each summer, but turnout is down and businesses say the reason is clear: a new ban on disposable containers. The so-called can ban doesn?t prohibit alcohol, but that message hasn?t been sticking. (AP Photo/San Antonio Express-News, John Davenport) MAGS OUT NO SALES SAN ANTONIO OUT

In a May 28, 2012 photo, a tuber floats down the Comal river Memorial Day in New Braunfels, Texas. Drinking beer while lazily floating through New Braunfels is a heat-beating tradition for hundreds of thousands of vacationers each summer, but turnout is down and businesses say the reason is clear: a new ban on disposable containers. The so-called can ban doesn?t prohibit alcohol, but that message hasn?t been sticking. (AP Photo/San Antonio Express-News, John Davenport) MAGS OUT NO SALES SAN ANTONIO OUT

In a May 28, 2012 photo, a sign informs Memorial Day visitors to Prince Solms Park in New Braunfels,Texas, what is acceptable for tubers to carry down the Comal river. Drinking beer while lazily floating through New Braunfels is a heat-beating tradition for hundreds of thousands of vacationers each summer, but turnout is down and businesses say the reason is clear: a new ban on disposable containers. The so-called can ban doesn?t prohibit alcohol, but that message hasn?t been sticking. (AP Photo/San Antonio Express-News, John Davenport) MAGS OUT NO SALES SAN ANTONIO OUT

In a May 28, 2012 photo, a man, left, pours himself a beverage from a pitcher while floating down the Comal River in New Braunfels, Texas on Memorial Day. Drinking beer while lazily floating through New Braunfels is a heat-beating tradition for hundreds of thousands of vacationers each summer, but turnout is down and businesses say the reason is clear: a new ban on disposable containers. The so-called can ban doesn?t prohibit alcohol, but that message hasn?t been sticking. (AP Photo/San Antonio Express-News, John Davenport) MAGS OUT NO SALES SAN ANTONIO OUT

NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas (AP) ? When it comes to new laws, Texas usually saves its bewilderment for ones from Washington. But this scorching summer, it's a single city ordinance on the popular Guadalupe River that is stirring frustration and confusion.

So, just to clear things up: Boozing while tubing is still legal.

Drinking beer while lazily floating through New Braunfels is a heat-beating tradition for hundreds of thousands of vacationers each summer, but turnout is down and businesses say the reason is clear: a new ban on disposable containers that has heightened tension between businesses reliant on tourism dollars and residents weary of rowdy partygoers who leave behind truckloads of trash.

The so-called can ban doesn't prohibit alcohol, but that message hasn't been sticking.

"People are calling saying, 'You can't drink in New Braunfels, so why am I coming?'" said Shane Wolf, general manager of Rockin' R River Outfitters, the city's dominant tube rental company.

Beer and liquor are still allowed on the river if poured into reusable containers, and neon plastic Chug-a-Mugs that hold up to three beers are now ubiquitous. But while the New Braunfels Convention and Visitors Bureau has yet to release figures, director Judy Young concedes that business has been slower since the ban.

It doesn't take data to see the effects. At one Rockin' R store this week, Ross Purdy stared quizzically at a cold six-pack of Miller Lite in one hand and a $20 empty plastic "Bubba Keg" in the other.

"So will all this fit in here? Is this what we're supposed to use?" Purdy, 40, said aloud to himself, before again scanning the store coolers for his options.

After a few seconds of uncertainty, he gave up and went to the cash register for help.

"No one understands it," the cashier said glumly.

Local businesses hope that a new city marketing campaign will clarify the ordinance, although it will barely stem their indignation. Fifty-eight percent of New Braunfels voters approved the can ban, not swayed by hotel owners and river outfitters who warned that a can ban would sock the local economy.

Prevailing instead was a campaign that on its face was about curbing litter and environmental stewardship of the Guadalupe and Comal rivers. But motivating a not insignificant bloc of the city's 58,000 residents was an appetite to clamp down on what many saw as an alcohol-fueled floating frat party with public nudity, sex, fights and loud music.

Finishing a can of Bud Light in a parking lot before heading into the water where it's verboten, Dana Austin said that at 24, he doesn't mind the rowdiness. But he said he supports the law's environmental aims after years of watching tubers chuck cans into the river and along the banks.

"You'd see a frat boy floating up a little bit ahead of you, and they'd sort of do a free throw into the woods," Austin said.

The Guadalupe and Comal rivers are among the state's most visited natural attractions, and tubing is the bedrock of local tourism that pumps $469 million each year into the New Braunfels economy, according to Young. But the last three years have been a bumpy ride: Massive flooding in 2010 demolished buildings and buses of river outfitters, and last year's historic Texas drought left tubers scraping against rocks in shallow water.

As far as trash and rowdiness go, can ban backers are already claiming victory. City data show that 1,800 pounds of litter was collected in and around the river in May ? about 15 percent of the amount that had to be cleaned up in May last year.

Other unruly behavior also seems to be on the downturn. New Braunfels police Capt. Michael Penshorn said that on a recent June weekend, police patrolling the river issued 26 citations and arrested four people on charges ranging from minors in possession to public intoxication. On the same weekend last year, police wrote 42 citations and made 17 arrests.

Mike Kubelka, 50, patted his wet bathing suit with a towel before driving back to College Station with his two kids after they practically had the whole Guadelupe to themselves on a slow Monday. Now that he's a parent, Kubelka said, he doesn't mind seeing less beer on the river.

"But," he said, "it gets kind of long out there with nothing to drink."

___

Follow Paul J. Weber on Twitter: www.twitter.com/pauljweber

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/386c25518f464186bf7a2ac026580ce7/Article_2012-07-04-Texas-Tubes%20and%20Booze/id-da1619a8e7ff45339766a7348ef9a572

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US sending Ospreys to Japan despite local protests

FILE - In this Sunday, June 10, 2012 file photo, a Marine MV-22 "Osprey" tilt-rotor aircraft lands at Voinovich Park in downtown Cleveland. The United States is going ahead with a plan to deploy its Osprey military transport aircraft to Japan despite strong opposition from residents over safety issues. A city official in Iwakuni, where the aircraft are to be briefly stationed before their deployment on the southern island of Okinawa, said Wednesday, July 4, 2012, the first 12 Ospreys have left port in San Diego and are expected to arrive by the end of the month. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, June 10, 2012 file photo, a Marine MV-22 "Osprey" tilt-rotor aircraft lands at Voinovich Park in downtown Cleveland. The United States is going ahead with a plan to deploy its Osprey military transport aircraft to Japan despite strong opposition from residents over safety issues. A city official in Iwakuni, where the aircraft are to be briefly stationed before their deployment on the southern island of Okinawa, said Wednesday, July 4, 2012, the first 12 Ospreys have left port in San Diego and are expected to arrive by the end of the month. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan, File)

In this photo taken Saturday, June 16, 2012, a Marine MV-22 "Osprey" flies over Burke Lakefront Airport in Cleveland as part of Marine Week in the city. The United States is going ahead with a plan to deploy its Osprey military transport aircraft to Japan despite strong opposition from residents over safety issues. A city official in Iwakuni, where the aircraft are to be briefly stationed before their deployment on the southern island of Okinawa, said Wednesday, July 4, 2012, the first 12 Ospreys have left port in San Diego and are expected to arrive by the end of the month. (AP Photo/Mark Duncan)

TOKYO (AP) ? The United States is moving ahead with plans to deploy its first Osprey military transport aircraft to Japan, despite strong opposition from residents over safety issues following two recent crashes, officials said Wednesday.

The first 12 Ospreys left San Diego on a ship bound for Japan on Sunday. They will be assembled at a Marine base in the city of Iwakuni before being deployed to the southern island of Okinawa, which has a large and often sensitive U.S. military presence.

The plan has created an outcry in both locations following recent crashes of the tilt-rotor aircraft in Morocco and Florida. Japan's Defense Ministry has not announced when the ship is due to arrive, but an Iwakuni official said it would likely be later this month.

"Our position remains unchanged that until we are assured of the safety of these aircraft, we oppose having them here," said Yusuke Yamasaki, an official in charge of base affairs in Iwakuni.

Japanese Defense Minister Satoshi Morimoto traveled to Okinawa and Iwakuni over the weekend to try to quell the uproar, but was met with an angry response.

According to Japanese media reports, Okinawa's governor told him the plan was unacceptable and suggested all U.S. bases there should be closed if the Osprey deployment leads to any accidents. Okinawa hosts about 19,000 Marines and most of the 50,000 U.S. troops based throughout Japan.

Local approval is not essential for the project to go ahead, but the fracas is an embarrassment for Japan's central government ahead of a visit later this week by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton.

In a briefing with senior Japanese officials last week, the Pentagon said the crashes did not appear to be caused by mechanical failure.

An Air Force CV-22 Osprey crashed last month, injuring all five airmen aboard during a training mission at Florida's Eglin Air Force Base. The Morocco crash, in April, left two Marines dead.

Because of the local concerns, no flight operations will be conducted in Japan until the results of the crash investigations by the Department of Defense are presented to the Tokyo government, which it expects to do in August.

The Pentagon said Osprey flights will continue as usual elsewhere and expressed confidence that Japan's report will be positive.

"The MV-22 Osprey has an excellent safety record," it said in a statement. "Basing the Osprey in Okinawa will significantly strengthen the United States' ability to provide for the defense of Japan, perform humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations and fulfill other alliance roles."

The $70 million Osprey is the U.S. military's latest-generation transport aircraft. The Air Force and Marines operate a total of about 110 of them.

The aircraft combines airplane-like wings with rotors that allow it to take off and land like a helicopter. Its engines roll forward in flight, allowing it to fly twice as fast as a standard helicopter.

An early version of the Osprey crashed in 1991 and another crash killed seven the following year. In 2000, 19 Marines were killed when an Osprey crashed during a training exercise in Arizona, and a crash in North Carolina killed four Marines in December of that year.

In 2010, three service members and a civilian contractor were killed in the crash of an Air Force version of the aircraft in Afghanistan.

Associated Press

Source: http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/cae69a7523db45408eeb2b3a98c0c9c5/Article_2012-07-04-Japan-US%20Military/id-f4b49921720842eb82f5fba2f1b6a2d6

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Sea Level Rise Can't Be Stopped

Well, for one, in the US alone, more than half the population [noaa.gov] lives in a coastal area.

Even if just 10 percent are directly affected, that's still a large number of people.

In the US, can you imagine all the lawsuits and politics about how to move people, does the government have the right to do it, does the government have the obligation to do it, and who is going to pay for it?

For countries like Indonesia that are mostly islands, or in countries or areas that are largely below sea level, this could result in a major loss of housing and usable land.

Anything that changes ocean patterns could affect shipping and fishing, both of which would be major blows to the global and regional economies. If we lose major fish populations, that will increase food prices, and if shipping becomes riskier, that will affect the price of virtually everything.

It's a lot more than avoiding getting wet.

Source: http://rss.slashdot.org/~r/Slashdot/slashdotScience/~3/ZH5U37ADqsw/sea-level-rise-cant-be-stopped

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Iterate 25: Retina Macs and the Web

Seth Clifford of Nickelfish, Marc Edwards of Bjango, Gedeon Maheux of the Iconfactory, and Neven Mrgan of Panic talk designing for Retina Macs and the Web, and the future of HiDPI design. This is Iterate!

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/TheIphoneBlog/~3/Ona1oTHsjTA/story01.htm

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