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TUESDAY 4 APRIL 2017

Russia probes 'act of terror' after metro blast kills 11 Russia opened a probe into a suspected "act of terror" Monday after 11 people were killed and dozens more injured in a blast that rocked the Saint Petersburg metro.         In landmark meeting, Trump hails Sisi's 'fantastic job' in Egypt Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi has been welcomed to the US White House by President Donald Trump.         Anonymous 'grammar vigilante' tackles UK signs An anonymous "grammar vigilante" has been secretly correcting bad punctuation on street signs and shop fronts in Bristol for more than a decade.         NSW floods: Girl escapes from car swept into Tweed River, three feared dead The search for three people feared swept into the Tweed River in NSW's north will resume on Tuesday morning, as communities begin the massive clean up.         Assange celebrates as Ecuador socialist wins presidency WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is celebrating the results of Ecuador's presidential runoff, which has secured his stay in the embassy a little longer.         Wanted: 20,000 Australians for depression study Australians who've been treated for clinical depression are needed for a large study designed to detect genetic factors that contribute to the mental illness.         Great Barrier Reef assessed in wake of Cyclone Debbie The damage to the Great Barrier Reef by Cyclone Debbie is still being assessed, but researchers say the storm could be both a blessing and a curse for the reef.

Chance encounter with 'mystery' figure prompts investigation into fabled Aceh tribe As the rider at the front of the pack comes to a screeching halt on the dirt track, a small figure can be seen peeling away down the path.         Haiti's Prison from Hell Go inside one of the world's most infamous prisons, where 80 per cent of inmates are locked up without a conviction, in conditions described as 'sub-human'.         Islam critic Ayaan Hirsi Ali cancels Australian tour The outspoken critic on Monday abruptly cancelled the Australian and New Zealand leg of her upcoming tour, citing security concerns as a reason.         'They can't sell our club!' Community divided over future of Polish Club A heated debate is raging in Sydney's Polish community right now. Furious members have brought an injunction against the potential sell-off of the historic Ashfield Polish Club to court, saying they were not given their right to vote on the issue. The case raises a broader question for Australia's migrant communities about who will remain custodians of the cultural clubs that have been sanctuaries for Australian migrants for decades.         'There are so many Saroos': Lion Heart helps bring education to India's disadvantaged children The film about a lost little boy in Kolkata that has captured the world's attention - Lion - is now helping street children in India access education and a brighter future.         Life after a stroke: How Raghbir relearned her mother tongue in an Australian first A new study reveals how multilingual people who lose their speech after suffering from a stroke can learn how to speak their languages again.         How one son rose to the challenge of role reversal after mother's stroke A new short film emphasises the debilitating impact of strokes within Australia's culturally diverse communities, which health experts say experience greater difficulties recovering.     On SBS TV Nightly at 6:30pm Mon to Fri 10:30pm   On SBS Online sbs.com.au/news   On SBS Radio 1 Mon to Fri 6am and 6pm

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[New post] Surprise: Comet E4 Lovejoy Brightens

David Dickinson posted: " Had your fill of binocular comets yet? Thus far this year, we've had periodic comets 2P/Encke, 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková and 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák all reach binocular visibility above +10th magnitude as forecasted. Now, we'd like to point out " New post on Universe Today Surprise: Comet E4 Lovejoy Brightens by David Dickinson Comet C/2017 E4 Lovejoy from the morning of Monday, April 3rd, courtesy of Gianluca Masi. Credit and copyright: The Virtual Telescope Project Had your fill of binocular comets yet? Thus far this year, we've had periodic comets 2P/Encke, 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková and 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák all reach binocular visibility above +10th magnitude as forecasted. Now, we'd like to point out a surprise interloper in the dawn sky that you're perhaps not watching, but should be: Comet C/2017 E4 Lovejoy. If that name sounds familiar, that's because E4 Lovejoy is the sixth discovery by prolific comet hunter Terry Lovejoy. Comets that have shared the Lovejoy moniker include the brilliant sungrazer C/2011 W3 Lovejoy, which amazed everyone by surviving its 140,000 kilometer (that's about 1/3 the Earth-Moon distance!) pass near the blazing surface of the Sun on December 16th, 2011 and went on to be a great comet for southern hemisphere skies. The path of Comet E4 Lovejoy through the end of April. Credit: Starry Night. Unfortunately, E4 Lovejoy won't get quite that bright, but it's definitely an over achiever. Shining at a faint +15th magnitude when it was first discovered last month on March 9th, 2017, it has since jumped up to +7th magnitude (almost 160 times in brightness) in just a few short weeks. We easily picked it out near the +2.4 magnitude star Enif (Epsilon Pegasi) on Saturday morning April 1st in the pre-dawn sky. E4 Lovejoy was an easy catch with our Canon 15x45 image-stabilized binocs, and looked like a tiny +7 magnitude globular (similar to nearby Messier 15) that stubbornly refused to snap into focus. In fact, I'd say that E4 Lovejoy was a much easier comet to observe than faint Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák, which made its closest pass 0.142 Astronomical Units (21.2 million kilometers) from the Earth on the same day. Prospects and Prognostications  E4 Lovejoy will remain an early pre-dawn object through April for northern hemisphere observers as it glides through the constellations Pegasus, Andromeda and Triangulum. If current predictions hold true, the comet should reach a maximum brightness of magnitude +6 around April 15th. On an estimated ~ 600,000 year orbit, Comet E4 Lovejoy may be a first time visitor to the inner solar system, and its current outburst may also be short-lived. In fact, there's lots of speculation that Comet E4 Lovejoy may disintegrate altogether, very soon. Plus, the Moon is headed towards Full next week on April 11th, making this week the best time to catch a glimpse of this fleeting comet. The projected light curve for Comet E4 Lovejoy. Credit: Seiichi Yoshida's Weekly Information About Bright Comets. And to think: we just missed having a bright naked eye comet! That's because Comet E4 Lovejoy very nearly passed through the space that the Earth will occupy just next month. In fact, the comet passed just 0.11 AU (17 million kilometers) interior to the Earth's orbit on March 22nd, 2017. Had it done the same on May 4th, it would have been 5 times closer and 25 (about 3 to 4 magnitudes) times brighter! The orbit of Comet E4 Lovejoy through the inner solar system. NASA/JPL A tantalizing miss, for sure. Comet C/2017 E4 Lovejoy reaches perihelion at 0.5 AU (77.5 million kilometers) from the Sun on April 23rd, and passed 0.6 AU (93 million kilometers) from the Earth on March 31st. This week, it will be moving through Pegasus at a rate of about four degrees (8 Full Moon diameters) a day. With an orbital inclination of 88 degrees, Comet E4 Lovejoy's path is very nearly perpendicular to the ecliptic path traced out by the Earth. The comet swung up from the south during discovery, and is now headed northward towards perihelion. Here are some key dates for Comet C/2017 E4 Lovejoy to watch out for in April: April 7th: Passes less than one degree from the +3.5 magnitude star Sadal Bari (Lambda Pegasi). April 9th: Passes less than 10' from the +2.4 magnitude star Scheat (Beta Pegasi). April 13th: Crosses into the constellation Andromeda. April 19th: Photo-op, as the comet passes 4 degrees from the Andromeda Galaxy M31. April 22nd: Passes between the +2nd magnitude star Mirach and the +4th magnitude star Mu Andromedae. April 27th: Passes five degrees from the Pinwheel Galaxy M33. April 28th: Crosses into the constellation Triangulum. Looking to the northeast at 6 pm local on the morning of April 19th from latitude 30 degrees north. Credit: Stellarium. Teaser for 2017 Comets We're barely a quarter of the way through 2017, with more cometary action to come. We're expecting 2015 ER51 PanSTARRS (May), and 2015 V2 Johnson (June) to reach binocular visibility. You can read about comets, occultations, and more in our guide to 101 Astronomical Events for 2017, a free e-book from Universe Today. We're due for the next big one, for sure. It always seems like there's a "Great Comet" per every generation or so, and its been 20 years now since comets Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake graced northern skies. Binoculars are the best tool for observing comets like E4 Lovejoy, as they offer a generous true (i.e. not inverted) field of view. A good finder chart and dark skies also help. We like to find a good nearby 'anchor' object such as a bright star, then hop into the suspected comet area and start sweeping. One thing's for sure: we need more comets with names like Lovejoy... if nothing else, it's much easier to pronounce, and us science writers don't have to keep hunting through the 'insert' menu for those strange letter symbols that grace many of these icy denizens of the Oort Cloud as they pay a visit to the inner solar system. David Dickinson | April 3, 2017 at 1:43 pm | Tags: Featured | URL: http://wp.me/p1CHIY-z4Y Comment    See all comments Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Universe Today. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://www.universetoday.com/134848/surprise-comet-e4-lovejoy-brightens/

IPS Daily Report

Authentic news,No fake news.

	Brazilian Capoeira Heals Wounds in the DRC Fabíola Ortiz On the earthen floor, to the sound of a single-string percussion instrument called a Berimbau, Congolese children stand in a circle practicing rhythmic movements with their arms and feet and chanting. They are doing Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that merges the practice of sports, ... MORE > >
	IPS Interviews FAO DG on appointment of David Beasley as WFP head IPS World Desk As widely known, the key objective of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is to eradicate hunger and malnutrition by 2030, as established with the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals two years ago. The two other Rome-based Agencies, partners of FAO in ... MORE > >
	People With Autism Have Right to Autonomy Too Lyndal Rowlands Guardianship laws meant to protect people with autism actually deprive them of their basic rights and autonomy, according to experts on a UN panel. When people with autism turn 18, their parents or other caregivers are encouraged to legally become their guardians. However, as Zoe Gross an ... MORE > >
	A Transformational Moment in Nuclear & International Affairs? John Burroughs Is a paradigm shift now underway on nuclear weapons at the United Nations? That was the question posed as about 130 nations gathered this past week to begin negotiations on a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, leading to their total elimination. The treaty would prohibit development, possession ...MORE > >
	Brazilian Dam Causes Too Much or Too Little Water in Amazon Villages Mario Osava The Juruna indigenous village of Miratu mourned the death of Jarliel twice: once on October 26, when he drowned in the Xingu River, and the second time when the sacred burial ground was flooded by an unexpected rise in the river that crosses Brazil's Amazon region. Their cries are also of ... MORE > >
	World Bank Ignores Land Grabbing Linda Flood Sales of huge land areas of Ethiopia, by the Ethiopian government, to foreign investors, have led to starvation and forced displacement. In his documentary Dead Donkeys Fear no Hyenas, Swedish film director Joakim Demmer exposes the consequences of land grabbing, and holds the World Bank ...MORE > >

A Transformational Moment in Nuclear & International Affairs?

Authentic news,No fake news.

John Burroughs is Executive Director of the New York-based Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy & Director of UN Office of the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms.

Credit: UN Photo

NEW YORK, Apr 3 2017 (IPS) - Is a paradigm shift now underway on nuclear weapons at the United Nations? That was the question posed as about 130 nations gathered this past week to begin negotiations on a treaty prohibiting nuclear weapons, leading to their total elimination. The treaty would prohibit development, possession and use of nuclear weapons, but would not contain detailed provisions relating to verified dismantlement of nuclear arsenals and governance of a world free of nuclear arms.

This is the first multilateral negotiation on nuclear weapons since the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) was adopted in 1996. It is also the first ever such negotiation relating to the global elimination of nuclear arms, despite the fact that the first UN General Assembly resolution, in 1946, called for the elimination of weapons of mass destruction.

The hope of the nations leading the negotiations, including Costa Rica, whose ambassador, Elayne Whyte, is president of the negotiating conference, is that the second session, to be held from June 15 to July 7, will succeed in adopting a treaty. The idea is to strike while the iron is hot.

What makes the initiative at first hard to grasp is that it involves countries whose acquisition of nuclear weapons is already barred by the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and by regional nuclear-weapon-free zone treaties.

The nuclear-armed states (United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, India, Pakistan, North Korea, Israel) are not participating, nor are almost all states in military alliances with the United States. The aim, nonetheless, is to set a global standard stigmatizing nuclear arms and laying the foundation for their universal and permanent elimination.

The initiative grew out of three conferences on the humanitarian impact of nuclear explosions organized by the governments of Norway, Austria, and Mexico, in 2013 and 2014. The straightforward message is that the consequences of use of nuclear weapons are morally unacceptable and also incompatible with international humanitarian law barring the use of weapons causing unnecessary suffering and indiscriminate harm.

Therefore, nuclear weapons should be explicitly prohibited by treaty, as have other weapons including biological weapons, chemical weapons, landmines, and cluster munitions. The initiative also builds upon the regional nuclear weapon free zone treaties, to which most of the negotiating states belong.

The Trump Administration has carried forward the Obama Administration’s policy of opposing the negotiations. An alarming related development is that Christopher Ford, a former US Special Representative for Nonproliferation now serving on the National Security Council, has stated that the administration is reviewing “whether or not the goal of a world without nuclear weapons is in fact a realistic objective, especially in the near to medium term.” Ford, a lawyer, knows very well that the United States is legally bound by Article VI of the NPT to pursue in good faith negotiations on effective measures relating to nuclear disarmament.

A common objection made by U.S. allies is that a nuclear ban treaty will undermine the NPT. Participating states reply: How? We are negotiating an effective measure relating to nuclear disarmament as Article VI requires of all NPT states parties.

The first week of negotiations revealed a broad convergence in favor of a relatively simple prohibition treaty. Only a few countries advocated negotiation in this forum of a comprehensive convention addressing all aspects of nuclear disarmament. Many other countries see negotiation of a comprehensive convention as a step to be taken later, when at least some nuclear-armed states are ready to participate.

There remain significant issues to be resolved concerning the provisions of a prohibition treaty, including issues relating to threat of use of nuclear arms and to testing. My organization, the International Association of Lawyers Against Nuclear Arms (IALANA), advocates for inclusion of a prohibition of threat of use.

In our view, that would confirm and specify existing international law and, as Chile and South Africa also said, help to delegitimize nuclear deterrence. An opposing view is that the illegality of threat of use would be implicit in the prohibitions of possession and use and is already adequately covered by the UN Charter.

IALANA also calls for the treaty to prohibit design and testing of nuclear weapons, capturing a whole suite of activities from computer simulations to explosive testing. The treaty will help set the template for future disarmament agreements, and therefore should be reasonably comprehensive.

Many governments support the inclusion of a prohibition of at least testing. Some governments maintain, however, that it is captured by the prohibition of development and note that explosive testing is banned by the yet to enter into force CTBT.

A knotty issue is how to handle possible later participation in the treaty by nuclear-armed states. The basic options are to require that they denuclearize prior to joining the treaty, or to provide that they may join the treaty if they have accepted a time-bound obligation verifiably to eliminate their arsenal. Participation by nuclear-armed states in a ban treaty in the near term is entirely theoretical, and may not happen even when they do decide to eliminate their arsenals. Still, negotiators want to make it clear that all states are welcome and encouraged to join the treaty.

The initiative and the negotiations have been marked by close cooperation between governments and civil society, notably the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, and with the International Committee of the Red Cross. Civil society was given ample opportunity to comment throughout the first week.

Such cooperation has never before occurred in the nuclear sphere. Also noteworthy is that the negotiations are taking place in a UN process over the opposition of the permanent five members of the Security Council, perhaps a harbinger of democratization of the United Nations.

Diplomats and civil society organizations involved in the negotiations are clearly energized, even passionate, and determined to work constructively. If all goes well, members of a ban treaty, working together with civil society, will become a potent collective actor that will transform nuclear and international affairs for the better.