U.S. To Get High-Speed Rail Expertise From Japan

The deputy chief of the U.S. Federal Railroad Administration, Karen Rae expressed hope Thursday 14, that Japan will offer its technical expertise to the United States in building a high-speed railway network.


"I think Japan is one of several very good systems that we're interested in looking at," she said in an interview in Washington. "We're impressed with the breadth of technology and the accomplishments," she said, referring to the Shinkansen network.

President Barack Obama has highlighted a multi billion dollar effort to develop a high-speed U.S. railway system, saying such a network would save energy, create jobs and reduce dependence on automobiles and airplanes.

Rae said that Washington is in talks with other countries with high-speed railways, citing Spain and France.

To read full story click on japantimes

Click on Shinkansen to watch a video of their fastest train.

US Jury Convicts "Liberty City Six" For “Aspirational” Plot

A US jury has convicted five men of plotting to blow up the Sears Tower building in Chicago and other US government buildings in 2006.

The guilty verdicts on Tuesday followed a three month trial and two previous trials which had ended in hung juries.

The group's leader, Narseal Batiste, was convicted on four counts of conspiracy and could be jailed for up to 70 years, while the others were convicted on lesser counts of conspiracy and a sixth man was acquitted.

Federal agents arrested the men, who became known as the Liberty City Six after the poor Miami neighbourhood where they met, in June 2006 in the city.
It followed a sting operation by the FBI in a case widely hailed by US authorities at the time as a victory in the then so-called war on terror.

The men are due to be sentenced on July 27.

For full story and pictures click Aljazeera.net

Swine Flu Still on The Rampage

image credit: c n n

Expert from the Imperial College London have warned that a third of the world's population could be infected with swine flu virus if the virus continues to spread at the current rate. The study based on Mexico’s case is published in the Journal Science.

Professor Neil Ferguson who is leading the research told the BBC Radio 4 that the H1N1 virus is about as dangerous as the virus behind a 1957 pandemic that killed 2 million people worldwide. He suggested that the vaccine need to be ready before the cold (flu) season sets in since the spread of the virus is expected to increase when autumn sets in.

Statistics indicate Mexico is the worst affected country, followed by the US and then Canada. Spain is the worst-hit country in Europe now with 57 confirmed cases. The number of laboratory-confirmed swine flu cases has reached 5,251 (US-2,532, Mexico-1,626) in some 30 countries around the world, with 61(US-3, Mexico-48) having died from the disease, the World Health Organization has confirmed.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that it is no longer possible to contain the deadly swine flu virus first found in Mexico.

Countries are employing different measures to curb the spread of the virus such as circulating information pamphlets on disease, use of hand gloves, distributing emergency masks, stocking anti-viral drugs, installing thermal scanners in entry ports, screening of suspect visitors, issuing media reports, enquiries via questionnaires, travel advisories on citizens, quarantines of suspects and the infected, necessary institution closures, import bans on pig products, discouraging social kissing, setting up telephone advisory centers, advice on use of tissues while sneezing, regular hand washing advice, pandemic committee and task forces set up, public concert bans, football matches cancellation, banning of flights to affected regions.

According to the NHS, we all need to always carry tissues, use clean tissues to cover mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, bin the tissues after one use and washing of hands with soap and hot water or a sanitiser gel often.

Stay safe.