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Hubble Space Telescope successor unveiled by NASA NASA has revealed that the new telescope to replace the Hubble Space Telescope will be the the James Webb Space Telescope. Hubble Space Telescope successor unveiled by NASA NASA has revealed that the new telescope to replace the Hubble Space Telescope will be the the James Webb Space Telescope.

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Internet TV inching closer to reality Momentum toward the realization of Internet TV got a boost as upstart web broadcaster Joost recently announced that it signed a deal with Warner Brothers to host some of its WBTV-branded content.

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Pope Benedict XVI canonizes Brazil's first native-born saint, Frei Galvão, an 18th century Franciscan monk. Officials begin to evacuate Santa Catalina Island, California, as wildfires on the island south of Los Angeles burn out of control. The Singapore Grand Prix has been confirmed for the Formula One 2008 season, with a planned 4.8km (3.0 miles) long street circuit around the downtown area. It is planned to be the event's first night race when safety and logistical concerns are addressed. Two Serbian reformist parties; the Democratic Party and the Democratic Party of Serbia, agree to form a coalition government. Tony Blair formally endorses Gordon Brown as his successor the next Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. At least 20 people die in a bus crash near Patna, the capital of Bihar state in India.

Startup web broadcaster Joost signs deal with Warner Brothers
Momentum toward the realization of Internet TV got a boost as upstart web broadcaster Joost recently announced that it signed a deal with Warner Brothers to host some of its WBTV-branded content. This deal, along with content deals with other television providers, lately Time Warner and Sony Pictures Television, makes Joost (pronounced "juiced") the sweetheart aggregator and provider in the coming on-demand, freely distributed online TV broadcasts.

Joost bills itself as an online community where viewers, "can watch what you want, when you want, in full-screen eye-quality proper TV." The service currently provides about 150 channels, although the availability of some channels varies by country or region due to copyright restrictions. Viewers can navigate screen menus to make programming choices, and then use “widgets” from drop-down menus that allow users to interact with the programming.

"Widgets include a clock, integration of instant messaging, RSS/News feeds and a chat room for the particular channel being viewed on the screen. Users have the ability to opt out of the widgets during viewing or can easily access them from the mouse-activated menus," according to John P. Gamboa of the Dailey Aztec.

The development efforts at Joost are backed by technology-savvy web entrepreneurs Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis. The two used Internet peer-to-peer networking to create Kazaa, and then later Skype. The cutting-edge music file sharing and telephony implementations of these two applications, some say bleeding edge, appear to have had an affect on the approach being used now by the two at Joost along with co-developers. The copyright infringement-plagued Kazaa was sold to Sharman Networks in 2002. Skype was sold to eBay in October 2005 for $2.6 billion. In July last year, Kazaa settled with music record labels by making a $100 million payment as reparations for illegal file sharing activities employed by users of the application that enabled the distribution of copyright-infringed music files. “People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience” —Fredrik de Wahl, CEO, Joost

Kazaa became a copyright bust. Skype became a jaw-dropping hit, and a hit in the jaw of telcom carriers whose management of voice tranmission became undermined by the sub-set of Internet users with broadband connectivity and peer-to-peer web awareness. The evolution is distinctively one-way. Online broadband peer-to-peer connectivity is here to stay after a nasty birth.

"People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience, while the entertainment industry needs to retain control over their content," said Joost chief executive officer Fredrik de Wahl. "We’ve married that consumer desire with the industry’s interests."

The "marriage" of TV content to "consumer desire" is the hot-spot that media conglomerates are still seemingly trying to figure out as they dispense their less valuable content for Internet consumption. Joost has managed to secure some rights to webcast programming, but the content is not the highest quality broadcasted TV programming currently available through established subscription cable and satellite distribution channels, or even free airwave TV.

Underlying the concept of Internet TV is the distribution of content in a way that is more efficient than the existing model. Peer-to-peer networking over the Internet makes programming available when a user asks for it. The 'on-demand' feature of this approach frees up space in the distribution pipeline and provides feedback to the aggregator to know exactly what is in demand. It gives a middle-man the leverage to negotiate with media conglomerates and then manage a pipeline flooded with unviewed content, thereby conserving bandwidth. It also lets viewers opt for free online TV programming through content arrangements made by the web broadcaster, who acts as a gateway to the programs.

It is not an advertising-free arrangement because it is not a free lunch. But if this new model is enough for viewers to opt out of fee-based subscriptions for programming content, then Joost and its competitors have the right idea.

Consumer choice rules in this emerging model, which presents challenges for Mainstream Media. Conglomerates may sit back on their existing business model of "stick with our station" and let Joost do the leg work by setting up the baseline in how this multi-channel approach works.

The Joost hoopla is partly spurred on by its expansionist decision on May 1 to allow users of the Beta version to distribute 99 invitations to other people who could become Beta users.

Race for leadership of Parti Québécois begins
Two announcements Friday heralded the start of the race to select a new leader for the Parti Québécois (PQ) in Québec, Canada. Gilles Duceppe, leader of the federal separatist political party, the Bloc Québécois (BQ), ended speculation by announcing his interest in succeeding André Boisclair as leader of the Bloc's provincial separatist counterpart, the PQ. Within minutes of Duceppe announcing his intentions, Pauline Marois, a former PQ cabinet minister, threw her hat in the ring.

Since the PQ's weak showing in the last Québec provincial election, held on March 26, 2007, there had been speculation that Boisclair would step down and that Duceppe would take a run at the PQ leadership. "I think it's time to end the suspense. I announce that I will be candidate for the leadership of the Parti Quebecois," said Duceppe in a statement.

Duceppe has been a successful leader of the BQ, garnering over 50 seats out of a possible 75 for his party in the last two federal elections. But Duceppe, 59, will not have an easy time in his bid for the PQ leadership. Although Pauline Marois has run unsuccessfully for the PQ leadership on two previous occasions, she is well respected among members of the PQ and is expected to make a close race of it against Duceppe.

"I'm doing this to win," Marois told reporters in Montreal. "I hope [the PQ] will be able to reconnect with the population of Quebec, because we had an important problem on March 26," she said in reference to the PQ's poor showing in the last election.

Marois, 58, has been a member of the PQ for over 30 years, and has held several major cabinet portfolios. Marois had recently retired from politics after her last failed leadership attempt against Boisclair in 2005. CTV's political correspondent Craig Oliver suggests many PQ supporters are regretting, in hindsight, not choosing Marois as the leader. "Many people felt they made a huge mistake not electing her the last time and picking Boisclair instead," said Oliver.

The race for the PQ leadership will have repercussions for the rest of Canada and will be watched closely. "Anything that affects the Bloc Québécois or the Parti Québécois affects all of Canada because this is the party, which would like to break up the country," lamented Oliver.

Hostage crisis at Russian embassy in Costa Rica
Police say an armed Uzbek man has taken eight hostages, including the ambassador, at the Russian Embassy in Costa Rica.

Security forces quickly surrounded the building in San Jose, the capital, police spokesman Francisco Ruiz said. Authorities were trying to negotiate with the gunman.

Ruiz said the man, between 17 and 20 years old from Uzbekistan, entered the embassy with his mother and took Ambassador Valery Nikolayenko and four other men and three women hostage. Police were considering the mother a hostage.

The Costa Rica TV network, Telenoticias, reported that the man was apparently upset over the embassy's failure to process some undetermined paperwork.

Telenoticias said the man and his family have lived in Costa Rica for about a year.

US Army General requests more troops for Diyala Province, Iraq
The U.S. military commander in charge of northern Iraqi operations today said more troops are needed to stem rising insurgent violence in Diyala province.

"I do not have enough soldiers right now in Diyala province to get that security situation moving," said Army Maj. Gen. Benjamin R. Mixon, commander of the 25th Infantry Division.

Mixon also said that Iraqi government officials are not moving fast enough to provide the "most powerful weapon" against insurgents — a government that works and supplies services for the people.

Mixon commands the area that includes Diyala province, north of Baghdad. It was a hotbed of the Sunni insurgency before the start of the Baghdad security crackdown and has worsened since militants fled there to avoid the increased U.S.-led operations started in the capital in February.

Mixon has about 3,500 troops in Diyala and there are about 10,000 Iraqi soldiers and several thousand Iraqi police, with 3,000 more police approved but not yet hired and trained.

Tamil Nadu film 'Sivaji: The Boss' expectations peak
Hoardings of Sivaji: The Boss have begun to appear around Chennai (capital of Tamil Nadu). This marks the nearing of the release date, which is currently at May 26.

The fans have also began their countdown to the films release. The last Rajinikanth film was Chandramuhki back in 2005 in film, which is still running in a few cinema's in Tamil Nadu and has broken many records. A few of the records it has broken were:

First Tamil film to film in Turkey.

Ran for more days than Haridas (previously owned the longest running film title).

Earning the most that a Tamil film has ever earned.

Fans are eagerly awaiting the release. Ticket prices for the first day are expected to exceed Rs. 300.

Due to Sivaji: The Boss releasing soon there have been no films set to be released in May in Kollywood. Most films who had first decided to release in May have avoided doing so due to the release of Rajinikanth's film.

U.S. Vice President Cheney warns Iran about nuclear weapons
Speaking on the aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis, U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney sent a strong warning to the Iranian leadership. He said that the U.S. would not permit Iran to obtain nuclear weapons. The USS John C. Stennis is currently in Abu Dhabi. The comments are considered more poignant because Iranian leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is set to visit Abu Dhabi in the next few days.

Turkish newspaper alleges cover-up in Hrant Dink case
Radikal, a Turkish daily newspaper reported that some important tapped phone conversations of Erhan Tuncel, who has been singled out as the mastermind behind the assassination of Hrant Dink, prominent Turkish-Armenian journalist, on 19 January 2007 in Istanbul, have not been passed to the public prosecutors working on the Dink case.

According to the Radikal, just after the murder of H. Dink, Erhan Tuncel, who was a police informant recieved a call from a phone registered under the name of "Dilek B." However, Tuncel addresses the person on the phone as "Brother Memduh." Memduh was in reality one of the police officers who was keeping in contact with Tuncel. Concern have been raised that recordings of Tuncel's phone conversations on the day of the murder and two days after that have not been included in the file, while a recording of a 2006 phone conversation between Memduh and Tuncel is included.

It was reported that in 2005 the Trabzon police began monitoring the phone conversations of Tuncel and Yasin Hayal, who is the other planner and instigator of the Dink's killing in January 2007. It is now in the public knowledge that while Tuncel and Hayal planning the killing of Hrant Dink, their phone conversations had been tapped by the Trabzon police.

In the file of Hrant Dink murder, there are hundreds of pages of phone conversations between Erhan Tuncel and others. According to the documents in the file, Erhan Tuncel very often talked with phone numbers registered under name of different women, one of whom is "Dilek B." Erhan Tuncel talked with "Dilek B." on many occasions at the end of 2006, also on the day of murder (14.57 on January 19, 2007) at 16.43, 16.50 and 18.26. Tuncel was also called by "Dilek B." and talked with a male voice on the phone on January 20 and January 21. However, only one phone conversation from 2006 between Tuncel and "Dilek B." has been included in the file.

Erhan Tuncel in his statement, stated that he used the phone number of 0538 839 95 xx to talk with his contacts at the police. This number is registered under the name of "Dilek B." Moreover, 15 days prior to the killing Tuncel was phoned by an officer called Ahmet, a male, using a phone registered under the name of another woman, called Ayşe Bektaş. Tuncel stated that Ahmet was a police officer.

Trabzon police, between 2005 and 2007, recorded 5,025 phone conversations of Tuncel and 1,225 phone conversations of Hayal. However, when the public prosecutors in Istanbul asked for the transcriptions of these phone conversations, only 46 conversations of Tuncel and 17 conversations of Hayal were forwarded to them, and the rest of the conversations were excluded with a note in the file stating that they were deemed to be unimportant by the police.

The extent of the involvement of the various Turkish police and security services in the murder of Hrant Dink remains under scrutiny. The exclusion of phone conversations Tuncel with his contacts at the police is raising serious concerns about a cover up by the Trabzon police in order to hide their neglect, knowledge and involvement in the murder of Hrant Dink.

The court case against 19 men charged with involvement in the murder of Hrant Dink is to start on July 2 in Istanbul. Erhan Tuncel and Yasin Hayal have been accused of inciting Ogun Samast, 17 years old ultra nationalist, to carry out the killing. The Public prosecutor is seeking life imprisonment for both Tuncel and Hayal, who are also facing charges of being senior members of an armed terrorist group.

Two Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants close in Buffalo, New York, USA
At least two Kentucky Fried Chicken [KFC] restaurants, operated by G & H Restaurant Specialties, have closed in Buffalo, New York "for remodeling," according to signs placed on the front doors of at least one location on Elmwood Avenue and Bryant Street in Buffalo. The other KFC is located on East Delavan Avenue, also in the City of Buffalo.

Despite the claim of closing for remodeling, the Erie County Health Department says that several health code violations were found at both locations. The most recent violation was logged by the health department in March at the Elmwood location for failing to keep food stored at correct temperatures. Violations were also cited for failing to keep cooking supplies and equipment sanitary and for not supplying hot water to the bathroom for employees.

G & H Restaurant Specialties has not released a statement regarding the violations, but the corporate offices in Louisville, Kentucky for KFC said, "our franchisee has finalized a plan for some structural repairs... The units will be temporarily closed while these building maintenance issues are addressed. [They will be] re-opened as soon as the repairs are complete."

The health department also gave violations out to the East Delevan store for failing to maintain a clean floor throughout the restaurant and for not stopping food from becoming contaminated. Several rat traps were also found inside the storage cooler and around the kitchen area, but the establishment was "not free of rodents," said Commissioner of the Erie County Health Department, Dr. Anthony Billittier.

Billittier also said that caulking and traps were seen on the outside of the East Delevan restaurant, which was an attempt to keep the rats out. "It shows that they're trying to take care of a problem. But it also shows that they have a problem."

As of Thursday, May 10, 2007, the Elmwood KFC has yet to reopen. It is not known if the East Delevan location opened today or not.

Hubble Space Telescope successor unveiled by NASA
NASA has unveiled the new telescope that will replace the Hubble Space Telescope in Washington D.C. called the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST]. Currently, NASA has a life-sized model on display to the public which is as tall as a two story house and weighs several tons.

Researchers at NASA say that the Webb telescope will be able to see farther than Hubble "to the beginning of time."

"It will find the first galaxies and will peer through dusty clouds to see stars forming planetary systems, connecting the Milky Way to our own Solar System," said a statement posted on NASA's website. It will be sent into space where it will orbit nearly 2,000,000 miles from Earth.

JWST will have a large mirror, 6.5 meters (21.3 feet) in diameter and a sunshield the size of a tennis court.

Northrop Grumman is contracted to build the telescope and will be jointly operated by NASA, the European Space Agency and the Canadian Space Agency. It is scheduled to launch in 2013 from Arianespace's ELA-3 launch complex at European Spaceport located near Kourou, French Guiana.

Hottest planet to date found in the constellation Hercules
HD 149026b, a newly found planet in the constellation Hercules is dense, gassy and the hottest planet found to date. HD 149026b is smaller than the typical gas giant and its atmosphere is much heavier, contributing to its staggering temperature of 2,310 K (2,037°C, or 3,700°F), scientists said.

Scientist Joeseph Harrington described the planet as looking "like the evil eye."

"This planet is off the temperature scale that we expect for planets," said Drake Deming of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.

Harrington said for a planet to get so hot, it must be absorbing most of the light that reaches it. This energy is radiated back in the infrared spectrum.

HD 149026b is located 279 light-years from Earth with a light-year being the distance light travels in a year -- about 9.46 trillion kilometres.

Today in History
1551 - National University of San Marcos, the oldest university in South America, was founded in Lima, Peru.

1885 - North-West Rebellion: Louis Riel and the Métis rebels were decisively defeated in the Battle of Batoche by Canadian forces under Major-General Frederick Middleton.

1926 - A general strike by the trade unions in the United Kingdom ended after nine days.

1941 - German engineer Konrad Zuse presented the Z3, the world's first working programmable, fully automatic computer, in Berlin.

May 12 is World Fair Trade Day (2007); International Nurses Day

Quote of the Day

Unto the furthest flood-brim look with me;

Then reach on with thy thought till it be drown'd.

Miles and miles distant though the last line be,

And though thy soul sail leagues and leagues beyond,—

Still, leagues beyond those leagues, there is more sea.

~ Dante Gabriel Rossetti ~

Word of the Day

scrupulously; adv

In a careful manner, with scruple; done with careful attention to detail.

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