Eruptions from the Popocatepetl volcano began to grow larger a week ago as columns of ash began pouring from more than 60 openings in the 17,886 foot high cone. On Friday a low pitched roar and rolling towers of ash and steam were spewed out as some of the pressure built up inside the magma chamber escaped. Glowing rock fragments have also been sighted more than 3,000 feet down the slopes of the volcano.

Mexico's National Disaster Prevention Centre have now raised the volcano alert level to "yellow stage three" – the third highest level. Tens of thousands of people live in the farming villages on the volcano's flanks while roughly 25 million people live within a 60 mile radius. It is feared the airborne ash could cause havoc with Mexico City's busy airport and a large eruption of Popo, as it is commonly known, could see ash falling on Mexico City itself, around 50 miles away.

“We are prepared with all options on the table if we have to respond,” Panetta said, adding that “there are plans” to deal with Iran if the country does not give up its nuclear ambitions. “I don’t think there is any question that if we have to implement that plan, it will be successful,” he added. This practical approach sees two American aircraft carriers, their battle groups, several submarines and additional Marines deployed to the Gulf waters. Both the US Navy and the Pentagon say the commissions are “routine.”

With all the military build-up in the area, Washington says the first round of nuclear talks with Tehran gave them “positive” feelings. However, no alleviating of sanctions against Iran’s economy has so far been debated in the White House, as Secretary of State Hillary Clinton declared on Monday.

The USA seems to be between a rock and the hard place regarding the issue of Iran. On the one hand, Washington says they want Iran to drop nukes, but diplomacy comes first. On the other hand, the US has to restrain Israel as its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has branded the first round of talks with Iran an international “freebie” for the country. He also makes a point of mentioning at least once a month that Tehran is “an existential threat” to Israel.

Comparing climate change skeptics to residents in Tennessee who refused to pay a $75 fee, resulting in firemen sitting back and watching their houses burn down, Zwick rants that anyone who actively questions global warming propaganda should face the same treatment. “We know who the active denialists are – not the people who buy the lies, mind you, but the people who create the lies. Let’s start keeping track of them now, and when the famines come, let’s make them pay. Let’s let their houses burn. Let’s swap their safe land for submerged islands. Let’s force them to bear the cost of rising food prices,” writes Zwick, adding, “They broke the climate. Why should the rest of us have to pay for it?”

As we have profusely documented, as polls show that fewer and fewer Americans are convinced by the pseudo-science behind man-made global warming, promulgated as it is by control freaks like Zwick who care more about money and power than they do the environment, AGW adherents are becoming increasingly authoritarian in their pronouncements. Even as the science itself disproves their theories – Arctic ice is thickening, polar bears and penguins are thriving, Himalayan glaciers are growing – climate change alarmists are only becoming more aggressive in their attacks against anyone who dares question the global warming mantra.

Earlier this month we highlighted Professor Kari Norgaard’s call for climate skeptics to be likened to racists and ‘treated’ for having a mental disorder. In a letter to Barack Obama, Norgaard also called on the President to ignore the will of the people and suspend democracy in order to enforce draconian ecological mandates.

"This machine will harvest my entire field today," says Prashant Kadam, the young owner of the compact two-acre plot. "Had it been harvested by laborers, they would have taken at least a week." A short drive away in a field where the sun is just getting hot enough to halt work, a team of 12 couples cut cane the way it's been done for centuries - with machetes. They load the cane into carts each pulled by two white bullocks with gaily painted horns and head for the local mill which dominates this sugar-growing valley some 300 kilometers south of Mumbai.

It is a way of life that is fast disappearing in the world's second-biggest producer of rice, wheat and sugar. India is finally embracing mechanization after centuries of farming with methods the United States threw out with the British.

Many are angry at the disqualification of popular presidential candidates. The first presidential poll since Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power last year is due to be held next month. When the military took power it promised only to hold power until the election results were announced in June.

Jon Leyne, BBC News, Cairo, reports: This is probably the biggest demonstration here since last November, but what is even more significant is the range of opposition forces gathered. They are united by a range of issues, but particularly the disqualification of a number of presidential candidates. They are trying to put maximum pressure on the military to ensure a free and fair election next month, and also that the handover of power to civilian rule goes ahead as planned at the end of June.

The gathering is yet another warning to the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces (Scaf) that if there is not seen to be a proper transition to democracy then Egypt could be in for a second revolution. The well-organised demonstration is peaceful, but takes Egypt into a new, tense phase that could last for several months.

Germany and France are serious this time. During next week's meeting of European Union interior ministers, the two countries plan to start a discussion about reintroducing national border controls within the Schengen zone. According to the German daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and his French counterpart, Claude Guéant, have formulated a letter to their colleagues in which they call for governments to once again be allowed to control their borders as "an ultima ratio" - that is, measure of last resort - "and for a limited period of time." They reportedly go on to recommend 30-days for the period.

Of course, using catchphrases like "ultima ratio" and "limited period of time" is supposed to make such policies sound reasonable and proportionate. After all, the reasoning goes, it's just a few occasional border controls for up to 30 days. What's the big deal, right? But the proposal is far from harmless and would throw Europe back decades. Since 1995, the citizens of Schengen-zone countries have gotten used to freely traveling within Continental Europe. Next to the euro common currency, free movement is probably the strongest symbol of European unity. Indeed, for many people, it's what makes this abstract idea tangible in the first place.

To throw this achievement into doubt now is a vote of no confidence in Europe. The fact that this proposal is coming in the middle of the French election campaign makes it even more suspicious. With his back to the wall, French President Nicolas Sarkozy is pretending to take a tough-guy stance toward immigrants. And the fact that Germany's interior minister is allowing himself to get caught up in this charade is regrettable.

But this symbolic act could have drastic consequences. It is a relapse into the type of nationalist thinking that many viewed as part of the past. And it brings to mind a country that continental Europeans like to make fun of for its obsession with its own borders: Great Britain.

Conservative circles of the Paris establishment, according to this publication, feel impelled to imitate in France, the austerity measures ("Hartz IV"), imposed on Germany under Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, to safeguard the French economy from the overwhelming German competition – at the expense of growing impoverishment of the French population. The DGAP hardly sees any alternatives, once the struggle for a demand-oriented solution to the crisis in the EU was lost to Germany.

The president’s party, the UMP, which wrote its electoral platform with the collaboration of the German CDU, is promoting the austerity policy as a "German model." Following initial protests, the opposing Parti Socialist (PS) is warning against "anti-German sentiments." Analyzing the EU's development over the past few years under the German austerity dictate, a Swiss research institute has concluded that France has become the "junior partner" of the "undisputed EU leader, Germany."

According to the analysis, the German government has completely prevailed in the dispute over the crisis management. Since then, it is clear: Germany has risen "to the position of the EU’s indisputable leader," while France "has been downgraded to a junior status." The Center for Security Studies concludes: "Never before in the history of European unification has there been a similar degree of preeminence of any single country."

As Europe continues to integrate both economically and politically, the outcomes of national elections have grown in importance to reach beyond their own borders. German Chancellor Angela Merkel knows that, and it's why she will travel on Sunday to Paris, where voters will be heading to the polls in the first round of the French presidential elections.

Conservative French President Nicolas Sarkozy is fighting for a second term, but he has a strong opponent. The Socialist candidate, François Hollande, has a good chance of moving into the Élysée Palace. The latest polls show Hollande leading in the first round of voting, as well as in the possible run-off vote on May 6.

For Merkel, this is an election like no other, and one that is even more important to her than many German state elections. Whoever wins in France will help drive European policy by her side. If the victor proves to be Hollande, who differs with Merkel's closely allied partner Sarkozy on many issues, not the least of which involve rescuing of the euro, things could become uncomfortable for her, both in Brussels and at home in Berlin.

The election in France could even alter the political landscape ahead of Germany's upcoming federal election in 2013. The center-left Social Democrats (SPD), who are trailing the chancellor in recent polls, desperately need a boost. If Hollande were to win, it would send a signal that social democracy in Europe, and in Germany, is still a force to be reckoned with. That's how party members see it, at least.

It was less than one year ago that Denmark decided to reintroduce controls on its borders with Germany and Sweden, a move, Copenhagen said, that was necessary to put a stop to illegal immigration and organized crime. The reactions from Berlin and other European capitals were immediate and unequivocal. The step taken by Copenhagen marked a "bad day for Europe," said German Justice Minister Sabine Leutheusser-Schnarrenberger. Europe's border-free travel regime, said the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, "cannot be infringed upon."

Now, just nine months later, it is Germany itself that is looking to weaken the Schengen Agreement, the treaty signed in 1985 to remove inner-European border controls. According to a report in the Friday edition of daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany and France are seeking to change the treaty to allow for the temporary reintroduction of border controls.

The paper reports that German Interior Minister Hans-Peter Friedrich and his French counterpart Claude Guéant have formulated a letter to the European Union demanding the change. The reintroduction of controls, they wrote according to Süddeutsche, should be possible as "an ultima ratio and for a limited period of time" should border controls in southern and eastern Europe prove unable to prevent illegal immigration. Later in the letter, the two write that controls could be re-established for periods of 30 days.

An archbishop has been appointed to oversee its reform to ensure that it conforms to Catholic prayer and ritual. The Leadership Conference, which is based in Maryland, represents about 57,000 nuns and offers a wide range of services, from leadership training for women's religious orders to advocacy on social justice issues.

But its activities have clearly worried the Roman Catholic hierarchy. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith said the nuns' organisation faced a "grave" doctrinal crisis. It said issues of "crucial importance" to the church, such as abortion and euthanasia, had been ignored. Vatican officials also castigated the group for making some public statements that "disagree with or challenge positions taken by the bishops", who are the church's "authentic teachers of faith and morals." The review will include an examination of ties between the Leadership Conference and Network, a Catholic social justice lobby.

It is therefore quite apparent why Monsanto bought one of the largest bee research firms on the planet. It can be found in public company reports hosted on mainstream media that Monsanto scooped up the Beeologics firm back in September 2011. During this time the correlation between Monsanto’s GM crops and the bee decline was not explored in the mainstream, and in fact it was hardly touched upon until Polish officials addressed the serious concern amid the monumental ban. Owning a major organization that focuses heavily on the bee collapse and is recognized by the USDA for their mission statement of “restoring bee health and protecting the future of insect pollination” could be very advantageous for Monsanto.

Steve Censky, chief executive officer of the American Soybean Association, states it quite plainly. It was a move to help Monsanto and other biotechnology giants squash competition and make profits. After all, who cares about public health? “It is a concern from a competition standpoint,” Censky said in a telephone interview. It appears that when Monsanto cannot answer for their environmental devastation, they buy up a company that may potentially be their ‘experts’ in denying any such link between their crops and the bee decline.

In an interview with French newspaper, Le Monde, Mr Soros said: “The euro threatens to destroy the European Union and, with the best of intentions, the leaders are leading Europe to its ruin by trying to impose inappropriate rules. The introduction of the euro has led to divergence instead of bringing about convergence.” The damning verdict on the eurozone follows a long list of criticism over European leaders actions to deal with the crisis.

The news follows the announcement by the IMF that the crisis-hit euro is teetering on the brink of collapse. In a significant vote of no-confidence, a report from the global financial organisation admitted the troubled European single currency had “flaws” and was at risk of a “disorderly default and exit by a euro area member”. Soros in an all-out war on the Bundesbank - the German central bank - claimed that the eurozone countries had entered a third world situation.

He added: “The most fragile countries of the eurozone have discovered that they are in a Third World situation, as if they were indebted in a foreign currency, with a crucial effect that there is a real risk of default. Trying to make them respect rules that don’t work just makes matters worse. Sadly, the authorities don’t understand this.” Meanwhile, the British pound against the euro increased and shares rose with banks recovering from the Spanish and French bond sale.

Russia said that G20 advanced and emerging countries were ready at a meeting on Friday to commit enough new funds to fulfill IMF chief Christine Lagarde's request for at least $400 billion to draw a line under the euro-zone crisis. Russia itself, he said, would offer $10 billion. "Trust me that the G20 will announce the final amount. This will be an amount that will satisfy the management of the International Monetary Fund," said Sergei Storchak, Russia's deputy finance minister.

Support from Russia, China and Brazil is crucial to achieve the doubling of the IMF's war chest the global lender is seeking. Europe and Japan already have pledged $320 billion. An international diplomat said that in all, emerging nations have lined up at least $100 billion. The IMF has warned that the euro zone's debt crisis presents the gravest risk to the global economic expansion, and financial markets worry that Spain and Italy may next require bailouts, following Greece, Ireland and Portugal.

Canada, meanwhile, is pushing against Europe's dominance on the IMF's 24-member board. It wants to hold two votes when the IMF decides on how to use its new resources - one by euro zone countries and another by others. The idea would be to dilute Europe's power on euro-zone-related issues. This drive reflects growing concern among non-European countries over the fairness in the global lender's dealings with Europe. The region has the largest single bloc on the IMF board and the Fund is headed by a French woman.

Across Africa more than 300 million people are said not to have access to safe drinking water. Demand for water is set to grow markedly in coming decades due to population growth and the need for irrigation to grow crops. Freshwater rivers and lakes are subject to seasonal floods and droughts that can limit their availability for people and for agriculture. At present only 5% of arable land is irrigated.

Helen Bonsor is from the BGS is one of the authors of the paper. She says that up until now groundwater was out of sight and out of mind. She hopes the new maps will open people's eyes to the potential. "Where there's greatest ground water storage is in northern Africa, in the large sedimentary basins, in Libya, Algeria and Chad," she said. "The amount of storage in those basins is equivalent to 75 metres thickness of water across that area - it's a huge amount."

The researchers say their new maps indicate that many countries currently designated as "water scarce" have substantial groundwater reserves.

Polls show the two men neck-and-neck, but Socialist candidate Mr Hollande is expected to win a run-off vote. The far-right candidate Marine le Pen could take around 17% of the vote, while left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has come from behind to see poll ratings at 14-15%. Centrist Francois Bayrou is likely to come in fifth place.

With only one day of campaigning to go, polls suggest nearly one in four voters have yet to make up their minds in what is being called the closest-run French election for decades. The first round of the French elections will be held on Sunday and - provided no candidate gets an absolute majority - a run-off between the two top candidates will be take place on 6 May. If Mr Hollande does win, he will become the country's first socialist president for 17 years.