North America

Premieres on CBC’s The Nature of Things – Thursday, January 21, at 8p.m. (8:30 NT) –
Filmmakers Donna Zuckerbrot and Daniel Zuckerbrot, Reel Time Images, produced, directed and wrote this exciting and intriguing documentary called “Bugs, Bones & Botany: The Science of Crime”, that will surprise even faithful viewers of TV’s many forensic programs.

On November 19th, President Barack Obama wrote a stirring tribute in USA Today to the most famous draft resister in US history, Muhammad Ali. On Tuesday, Obama spoke at West Point, calling for an increase of 30,000 troops into Afghanistan, with a speech that recalled the worst shadings of George W. Bush’s “war on terror.”

Today the Doomsday clock was moved back by 1 minute to 11:54pm today in a press conference of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists. In a move to align the environmental and anti-nuclear movements, speakers pointed out the need to tackle climate change as well as implement strategies for nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.

Upon arriving in Mexico City from the United States of America, the international team was greeted with a colorful ceremony in which the following words of David Samano were said. After touring several Mexican states, the team continued their tireless travels towards Guatemala, where they are currently on route to Punta de Vacas.

In a tribute to Martin Luther King from the World March for Peace and Nonviolence, Tomas Hirsch honors Dr. King’s dream. Mr. Hirsch spoke at the Lincoln Memorial, in Washington, and referred to present dreams for a world without nuclear weapons and without wars. He declares his disappointment for President Obama’s decision to send more troops to Afghanistan.

Members of the international team of the World March for Peace and Nonviolence met with US Congressman Dennis Kucinich on Capitol Hill as well as staff members of Congressman John Lewis, Congressman Keith Ellison and Congresswoman Maxine Waters. Congressman Lewis was to introduce a resolution in support of the World March to Congress that afternoon.

Ban Ki-Moon, U.N. secretary-general, designated American singer, Stevie Wonder, a U.N. Messenger of Peace. At a press conference also attended by the artist, Ban praised Wonder saying he was a “musical genius” and a “man dedicated to humanitarian causes who has campaigned against Apartheid (in South Africa), for children in need, and for people with disabilities”.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon received a delegation of the World March in New York and gave his enthusiastic support to this “noble” effort. Both parties offered to find ways to work together in the task of abolishing nuclear weapons. The March organizers agreed to adopt the Secretary General’s 5-Point Plan as one of its official documents.

The World March for Peace and Nonviolence arrived on the US west coast today, with events in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Red Bluff and San Francisco. In LA a March of over 500 people took to the streets in support of the global initiative passing through 100 countries to send a strong message to President Obama condemning his decision to increase US troop presence in Afghanistan.

The US is waiting for the new Russian-American Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) draft to be ready by the end of this December, declared State Depart Spokesman, Ian Kelly in a November 24 press conference in Washington, DC. The current START-1 treaty that requires both powers to reduce their nuclear warheads, expired December 5th.