Arctic Study by Japanese Scientists: 'Both of decadal variabilities before and after 1989 in Arctic can be mostly explained by the natural variability...not due to the human activity' Dr. Kiminori Itoh suggested I contact you to explain our recent work on misleading global warming predictions in reference to the comprehensive study on the Arctic Oscillation [AO]. As you have experienced, the winter of 2009/2010 reminded us of the global cool weather rather than global warming. The occurrence of the extreme AO minus (3 sigma) provided us additional evidence that the AO controls a large fraction of global warming.

So, the results of the first Climategate enquiry are in. And guess what? It’s a word that begins with “W” and ending with “-hitewash.” Over at Climateaudit, the mighty Steve McIntyre is furious. Among those he holds responsible is Nigel Lawson, for having given away territory he certainly had no right to cede on the subject of that now-infamous phrase “Mike’s Nature Trick.”

Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s troubled half brother Wali will remain in power as the head of the Kandahar Province council despite US and NATO calls for his removal over persistent corruption and alleged involvement in the drug trade. Pentagon planners had warned that Wali Karzai’s position was a “challenge” for the NATO invasion of Kandahar Province, scheduled to begin in June. They concede that his information network could be extremely useful in the invasion, but his reputation for corruption could seriously harm the attempts to win the “hearts and minds” of the population. AWIP: U.S. & NATO Are Supporting Afghan Drug Industry.

Over three weeks have passed since the Iraqi election, and its resolution seems as uncertain as ever. The top two factions, the Iraqiya bloc of Ayad Allawi and the State of Law party of Nouri al-Maliki remain at each others throats, and neither seems to be making much progress in gaining partners among the smaller blocs.

A federal judge has ruled that the government is liable for illegally wiretapping an Islamic charity without a valid search warrant. US District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco said on Wednesday that attorneys for the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation, once based in Oregon, could pursue civil remedies for being subjected in 2004 to warrantless domestic surveillance under an anti-terrorism program put into place by the Bush administration after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the US. The Agonist: Federal Judge Finds N.S.A. Wiretapping Program Illegal. The Atlantic: NSA Wiretap Program Declared Illegal.

Ever wondered what "Real America" means? Or how precisely Sarah Palin defines communism and fascism? Look no further. Using misspelled Tea Party placards, from this excellent Flickr gallery, we've compiled the first comprehensive dictionary for this new dialect. Here are 24 key words, and their associated misspelled placards, that are now charged with the fevered, dog-whistling undertones of Fox News and the new right. Doonesbury: Elitist Questions Etc -Cartoon.

Only non-Palestinian Christians will be allowed to enter the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in East Jerusalem (al-Quds) on Saturday, when eastern Orthodox Christians celebrate "Saturday of Light." Israeli security officials informed church officials that only international pilgrims would be allowed to access the Old City and the church located in the site.

A lunchtime concert in central London by a renowned classical quartet became a platform for protests against Israel in the latest manifestation of how culture has become enmeshed in the bitter politics of the Middle East. Within the first 10 minutes of the performance by the Jerusalem Quartet at the Wigmore Hall a woman stood up to "sing out" her condemnation of Israeli policy, setting the pattern for interruptions by people strategically positioned among the audience.

Israeli journalist held secretly under house arrest for months, Israel's Shin Bet intelligence service has banned news media from mentioning the case or identifying the reporter.

For a quarter of a century, the Palestinian minority in Israel has celebrated Land Day on 30 March 30 as a protest against Israel’s discriminatory policies toward its one million Palestinian citizens and to underline its collective and individual rights.

Land Day, or Yoam al-’Ard in Arabic, is also a commemoration of the bloody confrontations with state "security" forces that took place in 1976 when six Palestinians were killed and some 100 injured. The main action this year was in the town of Sakhnin in areas occupied since 1948. Over 10,000 attended the events from throughout historic Palestine. In Gaza: IOF assaults on Land Day demos: 4 youths shot at close range.

What is the current meaning of "War against Terror” for Africa? The true intention of America's recent military interventions in the African continent (both covert and open) is nothing other than the expansion and consolidation of Western capital. It all started in 2001 when George W. Bush declared his "War on Terror" in the continent, but has developed in a manner that has gone beyond human imagination in the body counts on the streets of Somalia, in the jungles of Uganda and Congo, and deserts of Sudan.

On Monday we asked you to count the hours before links to the feds emerged on this one – turns out it was 48. The FBI had an informant inside the Hutaree group and he participated in the alleged conspiracy to kill law enforcement officers, according to The Wall Street Journal today. In sworn testimony, Thomas William Piatek is described as a Cooperating Witness and an undercover FBI agent. AWIP: The Hutaree militia and the rising risk of far-right violence. The Agonist: "Seditious Conspiracy" - Rising Up in the Name of Christ.

Ed Miliband backed to the hilt by Gordon Brown is trying to restart Climate Change talks by offering what the Guardian call an olive branch to restart the AGW / Scam Global Climate Change Talks. EU Referendum: Depressing.

At two forums this week, the United States and its main allies stepped up their threats against Iran, citing the country’s alleged nuclear weapons ambitions and pledging to impose a fourth round of sanctions against the regime in Tehran. This diplomatic offensive has been combined with press reports of highly provocative US military actions.

Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov has claimed responsibility for the twin bombings at Moscow metro stations which left 39 people dead. In a video message posted on a Chechen rebel website, Umarov said he had personally ordered the attacks which he described as an act of revenge for the killing of "poor Chechen and Ingush residents" by Russian security forces near Arshty on February 11. Thirty nine people were killed on Monday when two female bombers blew themselves up within minutes on the packed Moscow metro. NZ Herald: Chechen militant claims subway bombings, warns of more attacks. Globe & Mail: Chechen Rebel Group Denies Responsibility for Bombings.

Microsoft is going on the offensive against Google, accusing the search giant of creating a browser that does not respect user privacy. The company posted a video, embedded below, on TechNet Edge with the following description: "Watch a demo on how Google Chrome collects every keystroke you make and how Internet Explorer 8 keeps your information private through two address bars and In Private browsing."

In the northern British Isles, the Celtic tribes known as the Picts coexisted for centuries alongside literate cultures such as the Romans, the Irish and the Anglo-Saxons. "They were the odd society out, in that they didn't leave any written record," says Rob Lee of the University of Exeter in England, save for some mysterious-looking sets of symbols on stones and jewels. In a paper published March 31 online in Proceedings of the Royal Society A, Lee and his coworkers now claim that the symbols are written language. Perhaps the Picts were not illiterate after all.

Shop owners suspected of selling alcohol and cigarettes to underage customers have long been the target of "stings" by trading standards officials. But now a pet shop business has fallen foul of animal welfare laws by selling a goldfish to a 14-year-old boy.