Cup final , Uganda bomb attacks..[ 1429 ]

Uganda bomb attacks during Cup final kill 9

 This post has been updated by the Post  # 1431

By the CNN Wire Staff

July 12, 2010 -- Updated 0443 GMT (1243 HKT)

Volunteers carry an injured person from one of the bombing sites Sunday night in Kampala, Uganda.

Kampala, Uganda (CNN) -- At least nine people were killed Sunday in a pair of bombings that struck a restaurant and a rugby ground in Uganda's capital as patrons gathered to watch the World Cup final, police said.

Nine people died and others were wounded at an Ethiopian restaurant in Kampala, police spokeswoman Judith Nabakooba said.

But there was an undetermined number of fatalities and injuries at a rugby field where other fans gathered to watch Sunday night's match between Spain and the Netherlands, Nabakooba said.

Some of the injured at the restaurant included six members of an American church mission working with a local congregation, according to the Rev. Kathleen Kind, pastor of Christ Community United Methodist Church in Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania.

"All of our members are accounted for and all of the families have been contacted," Kind told CNN. She added that injuries ranged from broken bones and flesh wounds to temporary blindness and "hearing issues."

She said congregants are now "praying here in the church and in their homes for our members."

The bombs went off within 25 minutes of each other shortly after 10 p.m. (3 p.m. ET), as fans gathered in both locations. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for what Nabakooba called "definite acts of terrorism."

Islamic militants battling Somalia's U.N.-backed transitional government have threatened attacks on Uganda and Burundi, which contribute troops to an African Union peacekeeping mission in Somalia. But Nabakooba said the investigation is not yet focused on any specific group.

Journalist Samson Ntale contributed to this report for CNN.

Upside down patriotism...[ 1428 ]

Michigan Doctor Hangs American Flag Upside Down

Published July 10, 2010

| FoxNews.com

AP

Dr. Thomas Byrd recently flew the American flag upside down outside his Michigan office.

It's a sign of disrespect to veterans, service members and anyone who's patriotic -- an American flag flown upside-down. Why would someone fly Old Glory upside down, especially during the Fourth of July holiday? It's the work of a Downriver, Mich., eye doctor, MyFoxDetroit.com reported.

It certainly caught people's eyes. An American flag flying upside down in front of Dr. Thomas Byrd's office over the Fourth of July weekend. The eye doctor says he did it when he asked himself some questions.

"What's the state of our nation at this time? And I thought that she's in distress. So, I thought I would flip the flag in the long-standing sign of distress," said Byrd. "And by inverting the flag I would perhaps get a few people to ask themselves maybe the same question. How is the Constitution doing? How is my liberty? How is my freedom compared to a few years ago?"

Dr. Byrd says flying the flag upside down was never intended to be disrespectful. He simply wanted to get people's attention, MyFoxDetroit reported.

"A lot of people misunderstood and somehow thought I had some beef with the United States or that I... disrespected the flag or the country, and that couldn't be further from the truth," Byrd said.

The U.S. Flag code says the flag should only be flown upside down as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life and property.

"We are certainly in dire danger of property. There's a great deal of property being taken from people right now, but it's not the intent that we are in dire and immediate need that we're being overrun," said Byrd.

Dr. Bryd says he's a Conservative who respects the Constitution and he did find some of former President George W. Bush's approaches to Constitutional issues troubling. Some Conservative and Libertarian groups, such as the Cato Institute, found Bush's record sharply at odds with the text, history and structure of the Constitution. But those days did not inspire Dr. Byrd to flip the flag.

We asked Byrd who is a greater threat to the Constitution, George W. Bush or Barack Obama? He answered, "I think the Obama administration, by far."

Click here for more on this story from MyFoxDetroit.com.

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The t/v channel " SKY " every evening in the "ELLINOFRENIA"   
does the same thing with the Greek flag
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Controlling termite reproduction..[ 1427 ]

'Queen pheromone' controlling termite reproduction found, pest control uses expected

 A group of giant queen termitesl left a black striped king termite and smaller worker-termites. 

Eggs can be seen in top roght corner. (Photo courtesy of Kenji Matsuura )

(Mainichi Japan) July 11, 2010

Researchers have identified the fruit-scented components of the "queen pheromone" that queen termites give off to control the reproductive capacity of each colony.

Queen termites are apparently preventing other females from becoming new queens by giving off a fruit-like odor. Researchers expect that by artificially creating the same pheromone, termites can be controlled effectively.

A termite colony consists of king, queen and worker termites, with only queens producing eggs. When queens die or become sterile, several other females in the same colony become new queens to take over reproduction. However, as long as there are a sufficient number of eggs in the colony, queens will not increase.

What kind of chemicals were contributing to maintaining this biological mechanism had been a mystery for 50 years.

A research team led by Okayama University associate professor Kenji Matsuura collected 100 queens from each of two termite colonies in Okayama Prefecture and analyzed a small amount of a substance they produced.

As a result, the researchers identified that one secreted substance contained two aromatic components found in fruit -- one contained in fruits like apples and bananas, and the other found in grapes.

When researchers placed each of these chemicals close to the group of worker termites in the absence of a queen, the number of females transforming into new queens increased. However, when the chemicals were mixed together and placed near the colony, the number of new queens stopped increasing. Based on the results, the research team concluded that these two components form the "queen pheromone."

Matsuura says the number of queens in each colony varies depending on the size of nest, and is apparently controlled using the queen pheromone to avoid producing too many eggs for worker termites to look after.

The artificial queen pheromone will effectively prevent female termites from transforming into new queens and laying eggs to reform a colony, researchers said.

The findings were published in the online version of the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America on July 6.

Click here for the original Japanese story

Fidel Castro in public appearance..[ 1426 ]

New pictures show Castro in rare public appearance

BBC., 03:54 GMT, Sunday, 11 July 2010 04:54 UK

 

Fidel Castro had not been pictured in public since falling ill in 2006

New photographs have emerged showing Fidel Castro greeting workers in a rare public appearance.

The images of a grey-bearded Castro, 83, smiling and wearing a white tracksuit, offer a rare glimpse of the reclusive former Cuban leader.

Mr Castro appears slightly stooped but otherwise healthy in the four pictures, which were reportedly taken with a worker's mobile phone.

He had not been photographed in public since falling ill in July 2006.

The latest images, taken at a scientific think tank in Havana, were posted on the blog of two Cuban journalists on Saturday.

They were taken at the National Center for Scientific Investigation in the capital on Wednesday.

'Blowing kisses'

A worker at the centre reportedly sent the pictures to Rosa Baez, a journalist who works for official Cuban media, who posted them on her blog.

A comment from the unidentified Cuban worker accompanied the images.

"He is thin but he looks good, and according to our director, he is very good mentally," it read.

Mr Castro stopped, said hello and blew kisses to the employees, the worker added.

The pictures were also posted on the blog of Norelys Morales, a well-known Cuban television journalist.

Castro had not been photographed in public since being taken ill in July 2006. He was forced to hand over power - first temporarily, then permanently - to his younger brother Raul, 79.

The only updates on his health come from visiting dignitaries who have been able to meet him. 

Exactly what he suffers from, and where he is recuperating, remain state secrets.

Mr Castro himself said last year that he did not think he would see Barack Obama re-elected in 2012 - although it was not clear whether he was referring to his own life expectancy or the staying power of the US president.

Day parade, Canada ...[ 1425 ]

Canada day Parade

Canada Day Parade on Banff Avenue

Canada Day Parade started at 5:00 p.m.at the corner of Fox Street and Banff Avenue and proceeds down Banff Avenue to Buffalo Street turning west on Buffalo street where it dispersed at Bear Street. 

The best viewing took place anywhere along the west side of Banff Avenue