Not so much in the presentations given in the morning sessions of the International Nuclear Technology Conference in Berlin May 15, but more, and even more so, in private discussions, the greatest astonishment over the German exit from nuclear power was voiced.

The just-released, second issue of the international scientific journal "GEOCHANGE" includes the 45-page report, "Planetary Defense: An Extraterrestrial Imperative," written by the Lyndon LaRouche's scientific research team, "The Basement." The 2012 Basement report is probably the most scientifically revolutionary presentation of the subject of planetary defense in existence, starting from a view

Each year on April 12th, Russia celebrates the anniversary of man's first space flight, made by cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. Celebrations also take place around the world, and are known as "Yuri's Night." It is also an occasion for the leadership of Russia to highlight space accomplishments, and outline plans for the future.

In a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Deputy Prime Minister Dimitri Rogozin urges that the "Strategic Defense of the Earth" be placed high on the agenda of the upcoming G20 meeting in September. Russia is presently chairing the G20, which will hold its next summit September 8-9 in St. Petersburg.

At conferences and meetings over the past two weeks, top-level Russian space scientists and mission managers have added detail to the array of missions to the Moon that are being planned, as reported by space.com.

The outrageous year-long drive by the Obama Administration to cripple the American magnetic fusion energy research program, and now also to slow down the laser fusion program, has raised some hackles on Capitol Hill.

While resources in the United States, Russia, and many other countries are being wasted on an arms race in missile defense, the focus should be shifted to a global defense system against dangerous asteroids, said Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin in a speech at the Russian Embassy in London yesterday.

Russia's Vice Premier Rogozin has proposed an agency for the Strategic Defense of the Earth that he said would be like a "space IAEA," reported Izvestia.ru, April 11.

RIA Novosti reports that Russia's space agency Roscosmos may join NASA's ambitious mission to capture an asteroid and place it in high lunar orbit for exploration, as Roscosmos head Vladimir Popovkin said.

The Oregon Bach Festival "Digital Bach Project's new St. Matthew initiative" officially launched "on March 21 (Bach's Birthday) incorporates high definition video of conductor Helmuth Rilling's complete St. Matthew lecture-concerts; poetry, artwork, photography, and scholarship; and a line-by-line animation of the libretto available in 15 languages, set to Rilling's 1999 recording."