Harvard physicist able to 'freeze' light, manipulate, release; White House admits Bush told in August Iran may have suspended nuke program in 2003...

8 December :: Harvard physicist "Lene Vestergaard Hau can stop a pulse of light in midflight, start it up again at 0.13 miles per hour, and then make it appear in a completely different location"; laboratory achievement signals major breakthrough in understanding of physics of electromagnetic radiation, key is manipulation of a Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC), where light can be slowed, even transferred via hologram to other BEC, later released; discovery could have major implications for communications, particle physics... After repeated denials, White House admits Pres. Bush was notified in August that intelligence agencies felt Iran had suspended its nuclear weapons research in 2003; since August, top officials, including Bush, have talked of gathering threat, missile strikes, possible war, and even "World War III" and "nuclear holocaust"; press secretary Dana Perino justified the bellicose rhetoric saying "The president didn't say we're going to cause World War III," Perino said. "He was saying he wanted to avoid World War III"...

NIE says no Iran nuclear weapons program, for now; calls for climate refugee assistance at Bali summit, as sea-levels rising...

4 December :: Revised US National Intelligence Estimate says Iran halted nuclear weapons program in 2003, no current work being done to pursue bomb; NIE is consensus report from 16 US intelligence agencies, current analysis contradicts White House policy, as well as 2005 NIE citing Iran's determination to build bomb; according to current NIE, Iran would require up to 8 years to finalize building of weapon, if program were restarted; report does say uranium enrichment is ongoing, apparently for civilian use; Democrats have called for White House to launch "diplomatic surge", using Reagan negotiation with USSR as example... Pressure expected to increase on White House to moderate Iran policy, amid unpopular Iraq war, wariness from powerful allies about counter-productive military intervention; TIME magazine in August published analysis warning US might be "isolated" on the issue, with close allies favoring diplomacy and IAEA process... Islanders already affected by rising sea levels call for international assistance for climate refugees; testimony from affected populations, scientists and the Europe-based Global Governance Project, at Bali conference, will push for fund to resettle climate refugees...