“There is legitimate debate about many of these decisions. But there can be little debate about the results,” the Republican president said in his final televised address while preparing to handover the presidency to Democrat Barack Obama.

“America has gone more than seven years without another terrorist attack on our soil,” he added.

Some of Bush’s actions after the 9/11 attacks in 2001, such as establishing a detention center for terrorism suspects at Guantanamo and approving harsh interrogation methods that human rights groups said amounted to torture, severely damaged America’s image abroad. Obama has vowed to close the facility.

With the clock ticking down on a presidency many historians are already ranking among the worst ever, Bush and his aides used his last day of public events before Inauguration Day to try to put a positive spin on his two terms in office.

Even as he focused on what he sees as his administration’s successes, Bush was preparing to leave Obama with unfinished wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a bitter conflict in the Gaza Strip and a U.S. economy deep in recession.

He repeated his warning that the gravest challenge facing his successor is the threat of another terrorist attack on U.S. soil.

“Our enemies are patient, and determined to strike again,” Bush said in excerpts from a 13-minute speech to be delivered from the White House at 8 p.m. on Thursday (0100 GMT on Friday). “We must resist complacency.”

There was no reference in Bush’s prepared remarks to the battered economy, which polls show tops Americans’ concerns. Obama will inherit the worst financial crisis in 80 years, a meltdown that has sent shockwaves across the globe.

Farewell speeches are a ritual for departing U.S. leaders, but the stakes are especially high for Bush, who will step down with one of the lowest public approval ratings of any president in modern times — in the mid-20 percent range.

FOREIGN POLICY RECORD

In a final ceremony at the State Department earlier on Thursday, Bush defended his foreign policy record — from the unpopular war in Iraq to nuclear standoffs with Iran and North Korea. “We have made the world freer,” he said.

Bush touted security gains in Iraq as vindication for a U.S. troop buildup he ordered there at a time of rampant sectarian violence in 2007.

The Iraq war, launched without U.N. authorization in 2003, undercut U.S. credibility abroad and contributed to a resounding victory by Obama against John McCain, the nominee of Bush’s Republican Party, in the November election.

Bush also made clear he saw his failed effort to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians in his final year as not completely in vain, despite a 3-week-old Israel-Hamas war in Gaza with no end in sight.

“We outlined a vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security,” Bush said, although little concrete progress was actually made toward Palestinian statehood on his watch.

Bush also lauded his administration’s handling of Iran and North Korea, both of which have faced U.S.-led campaigns against their nuclear programs.

“We worked in a multilateral fashion to deal with issues like Iran and North Korea,” he said of his efforts to isolate two of the countries he once branded part of an “axis of evil.” Obama has said he would pursue direct diplomacy with foes.

“In Asia, we deepened our alliances with old friends, Japan and South Korea, and we strengthened ties with China,” Bush said, adding his administration had opened a new strategic partnership with India and battled AIDS in Africa.

In thanking U.S. diplomats for their work overseas, Bush also alluded to Afghanistan, where the Taliban is resurgent seven years after being ousted by U.S.-led forces. Critics say he neglected the conflict because he was distracted by Iraq.

All these planets occupy interesting positions during the month, they say.  “Mercury is very low in the west at sunset, and sets below the horizon by 6.30 P.M during the first week of January.  It is near planet Jupiter.  By mid-month, Mercury will have moved toward the Sun, and it will no longer be visible in the evening twilight”, says a report from a leading astronomical site.

The brightest star in the sky Venus would be moving higher every evening, the astrologers predict.  By mid-January it will set in the southwest at approximately 9.00 P.M according to their calculations.
One of the interesting findings is that Mars would not be visible at all during the month.

“Jupiter is very low in the west at sunset, and sets below the horizon by 6:15 pm during the first week of January. Mercury is near Jupiter; Jupiter is the brighter of the two. By mid-month, Jupiter will have moved toward the Sun, and it will no longer be visible in the evening twilight”, continues the report.

In contrast, Saturn will look like pale yellow-white object.  It would be rising at the eastern side of the sky at 10.00 P.M and will be standing at 45 degrees above the southwest horizon during the evening hours, according to the astrologers.

Some of the upcoming celestial events are the waning crescent color Moon that will visible to the north of the bright star Antares from January 21st.  The Annual Solar Eclipse will take place on January 26th.  This eclipse would be visible in Indian Ocean, Southeast India, Southeast Asia, Australia, Madagascar, South Africa, and Indonesia.

Venus will be visible at about three degrees south of the waxing crescent Moon during the early part of the evening on January 29th say the astrologers.

“2009 is a number 11 year of MASTER SPIRITUAL Partnership.  Dream the dream (Neptune in Aquarius) get the vision using Uranus the planet of change in Pisces bringing more dreams and visions to us all.  Jupiter in Capricorn moving January 5th into Aquarius bringing major shifts in the ways we learn and believe…. Saturn in Virgo all year asking as to discipline ourselves, learn to pare down and recognize that less can sometimes be more’, says Barbeau in his predictions.

Retrograde stars or planets need not infuse the fear psychosis.  Instead it should be a catalyst for rethinking and reconfiguring every aspect of your life, the astrologer says.  It may not be a time for everything new and changed.  But it is not also a time to hide and remain complacent to changes. 
In his in depth analysis the astrologer points out that Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, and Mars are the personal planets.  Sun is the light and never goes retrograde.  Moon that represents past and emotions also never goes retrograde.  Mercury that represents ideas retrogrades three times.  Venus that is the representative of love retrogrades every year. Mars representing action also retrogrades every alternative year.

There are also transpersonal planets, points out Barbeau that shifts events happening in the outer world.  All such planets and asteroids retrograde every year. These planets are Jupiter moving to Aquarius on 5th January, Saturn moves to Libra on October 29th and prior to that remain in Virgo.  Neptune will be in Aquarius year round and Pluto will be transforming in Capricorn throughout the year.

According to Barbeau, the Asteroids that create “new energy of equality and healing are” Chiron moving to Aquarius on 30th October, Juno moving to Aries on August 9th and then to Pisces on 3rd November, Vesta will be direct till 3rd January, 2010 and Ceres retrogrades to Virgo on January 11th and moves directly to Virgo from April 12th.

Each of the planetary movements has their own significance on our lives and the society at large, concludes Barbeau, though the impacts would be relative to several other factors.

Obama’s vow comes in the wake of revelation that terrorists have been using the safe heavens along the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan to carry out their attacks. 

“Bin Laden and Al Qaeda are our number one threat when it comes to American security,” Obama said. “We’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that they cannot create safe havens they can (use to) attack America.”

The revelation about Bin Laden calling for the Jihad came out with the purported tape surfacing on Wednesday.  Laden had asked Muslim nations all over the world to engage in an offensive against Israel to stop their attack on Gaza.

Laden predicted that recession in US will reduce substantially American economic influence overseas. Global financial crisis had clearly exposed the waning US economic influence on the world; he commented and went on to say that this has also weakened its ally Israel.

“Our brothers in Palestine, you have suffered a lot…. the Muslims sympathise with you in what they see and hear. We, the mujahideen, sympathise with you also…” bin Laden said on the tape entitled “A Call for Jihad to Stop the Aggression against Gaza”, that appeared on Islamist websites.

“We are with you and we will not let you down. Our fate is tied to yours in fighting the Crusader-Zionist (Western-Israeli) coalition, in fighting until victory or martyrdom”, he added.  He also went to the extent of warning the Muslim world not to rely on the Arab leaders “the great majority of whom are allied with the Crusader-Zionist coalition” according to him.

Washington’s response to the tape was that it showed how isolated bin Laden has become from the rest of the world.

“It appears this tape demonstrates his isolation and continued attempts to remain relevant at a time when al Qaeda’s ideology, mission and agenda are being questioned and challenged throughout the world,” said White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe. “This also looks to be an effort to raise money as part of their ongoing propaganda campaign,” he added.

The formation of the new astrology is quite simple, they say.  According to them “the new astrology blends Western signs with Chinese signs and comes up with 144 new signs”. 

Such blend is not complex either according to the astrologers.  If you are a Leo and you were born in Ox year, your sign will be Leo/Ox according to the new astrology.

“Take your regular, familiar astrological sign and match it with the animal sign of the year you were born. Now you have your New Astrology sign”, says one of the proponents of the new astrological system.

Basic concept of the new astrology is based on the inherent dual nature in every human being.  A person could be a miser for some and a benevolent for others at the same time and this shows their dual complexity according to the astrologers.

“Benefits of the new astrology is that you can easily assess the compatibility of the signs with the new combinations”, say astrologers.  To establish the theorem they give the example of the Gemini/Rat and Capricorn/Horse.  These two combinations are largely incompatible to each other.  The former, they say, “Are a protective person who enjoys having power over others”.  The later, according to them “are animal lovers and work patiently with old people as well.”

It is widely believed in the astrological circles that the New Astrology is a revolutionary method of assessing yourself as well as others with the judicious blending of the two major astrological systems of the world. The methods try to help us appreciate human behavior through combination of occidental and oriental processes.

However the two astrological systems vastly vary from each other. While the Western astrologers use 100 year time span for centuries, the Chinese use only 60 years for that.  Again the Western century is divided into ten decades while the Chinese sixty year is divided into five twelve year period.

Astrologers still believe that judicious combination of the Western “month” sign with the Oriental “year” signs are complements to each other fulfilling your end objective of exact calculations and predictions.

When the new President assumes office on January 20th, he will have two unfinished wars, deep economic recession, and budget deficits mounting to US $1 trillion to cope with.  The tarnished image of the country abroad does is no help for him either. 

Political analysts believe that this is the worst legacy left behind by an outgoing president for an incoming one since Herbert Hoover left one for President Franklin Roosevelt with the great depression. 

Despite the expectation of Bush loyalists that history will adopt a kinder view about his legacies, debate is already on whether the Bush legacy is even worse compared to the ever worst legacies left by Herbert Hoover, James Buchanan, and Warren Harding.

“Can anyone really doubt that this was an abysmal presidency?” said Political Scientist Shirley Anne Warshaw of the Gettysburg College in Pennsylvania. “All that’s left to sort out now is just how far down the list he goes.”

Worst financial crisis that hit America in the last 80 years and the lowest approval ratings for any president at under 30% makes Bush a strong candidate to be named as the worst president ever.

The huge support he won on the wake of the September 11th attacks in the year 2001 has waned since long.  The Unpopular Iraq war, inept response to the Hurricane Katrina as well as the meltdown at Wall Street has put the White House under shadows. The 16-year high unemployment scenario makes the situation look even worse.

Only saving grace was that “We haven’t had another attack in seven years,” spokeswoman for White House Dana Perino said. “And that matters.”

Overseas impression about Bush administration was reflected in the hurling of shoes on him by the angry Iraqi journalist. At the same time the nuclear standoff with Iran could be one of the greatest challenges faced by Obama.  Resurgence of Taliban in Afghanistan is another issue while Osama bin Laden is yet to be captured or killed.

And above all, the Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip was the last nail in the coffin for the Bush Administration and a thorn in the neck for the upcoming Obama regime.

The configuration of planets may cause “futuristic, scientific, and mystical meet” says one of the leading astrologers. 

Incidentally the movement of Full Moon in Cancer and the Leo Moon combination started just after the commencement of the new Mercury retrograde cycle.  Some delay may be caused by the Sun Trine Saturn, but they are supposed to be only momentary. 

Major events may take place with Moon opposing Jupiter and also opposing Mercury.  There could be disruptions of Internet and web surfers may feel the impact.

Incidents that could have far flung outcome are already occurring throughout the globe. The terrorist attack on Mumbai, Israel’s invasion on Gaza, the revealing information about the terrorists eyeing Pakistani atom bombs all point to catastrophic occurrences in near future. 

In addition to such man made disasters, astrologers also do not rule out natural calamities that could take place.  References obviously are to the Tsunami and massive earthquake possibilities by them. 

Astrology Weekly.com has come out with the predictions that “Mercury turned retrograde in Aquarius on January 11th and finally stations direct on January 31st at 11.11 PM which will create some huge glitches and delays with many digital networks, Internet, telecommunications devices from satellites to cellular stations.”

“This particular retrograde will have a sense of futuristic destiny built in since it occurs near the transiting N Node @ 9 degrees Aquarius.  This retrograde cycle will make a truce between Hamas and Israel more difficult but will spur even greater rage from the world population against the actions of Israel”, continues Astrology Weekly.com predictions. 

Leading astrologers all over the world have more or less similar views that such combination of planets and their movements may cause major upheavals across the globe.

The third largest software services company of India, Wipro, has been blacklisted by the World Bank on the charges of following corrupt practices since July 2007.  Wipro has however not disclosed the four year ban that was imposed on it by the World Bank to its investors.

Revelation about Wipro came to light with the Monday statement by the World Bank making public names of all organizations and individuals banned by it for divergent periods.  “Wipro was one of the six companies and individuals debarred along with their affiliates under the Bank Group’s corporate procurement program”, disclosed World Bank sources.

The Bank said Wipro “provided improper benefits to Bank staff”, a reason similar to those causing the 8-year ban on Satyam Computer Services.

A senior Wipro official said that the charge relates to the allotment of around 1,750 shares worth approximately $72,000 to the employers of the World Bank.  The company provided such shares in its maiden offer on American depository shares in the year 2000. The shares were made available at issue prices.

“Wipro representatives offered the World Bank, through its chief information officer and a senior staff, participation in the (ADS) programme and they directed this offer to members of their family and friends,” the company sources declared in a statement.

“All participants in the program signed a conflict of interest statement that their purchase did not violate any ethics or conflict of interest policies of their company,” the Wipro official added, “to date, Wipro’s revenue from World Bank is insignificant.

Wipro is pessimistic about its future business prospects.  They insist that their inability to get future business from World Bank will not affect its business adversely.

Megasoft Ltd, Hyderabad, Nestor Pharmaceuticals, Gap International, and a person named Surendra Singh are the other four banned by the World Bank. 

“We had no business from World Banks since 2004, and hence, the ban has no financial impact on the company”, says Megasoft management.

It remains to be seen how these companies, especially Wipro fare, after such ban by the World Bank.

The post for coach of England team is up for grabs and the informed speculations suggest that the post would be best taken up by an Aussie. There are many Australian contenders for the job including the passionate Geoffrey Boycott and Shane Warne.

Having a couch from outside their circuit will benefit England in many ways. The foreign coach will be able to take an objective view of the side and then suggest ideas accordingly. The English have their own way of playing which the new foreign coach will need to understand. Another Aussie name suggested for the post is Darren Lehman.

The player has earned widespread respect with his performances with Yorkshire. The retired Aussie player has moved into the domain of coaching in recent years. Lehman seems to be one of the top contenders for the post known for his ability to drive confidence in his team.

The England team’s setup is in total disarray at the moment. The situation has not only gone from bad to worse but it has also been made public. There are many differences that need sorting out behind closed doors. The team also needs to set the balance between the coach and captain right.

Moores lacked the support of some of the key players of the team as coach. It was a rather unwise decision to have KP replaced by Moores which cost the England in more ways than one. The problem with KP was that he could not accept the fact that he was not in control. In his egoistic efforts he wanted to run the show in the field as well, which is of course the captain’s job and not the coach’s.

Strauss has been nominated to lead the England side. Although he appears to be more of a Vice Captain the man is surely a safe bet for the post. He is a loyal and solid character and has the full support of the board. Strauss and the new coach have around six months to shape up for the ashes as they face the World Champions in the most revered cricket tournament after the World Cup.

The Labor Department reported that applications for unemployment insurance experienced a drop by 24000 and adjusted to a seasonal 467000 for the week that ended on the third of January. Wall Street had however expected that the initial claims would increase to 54000. The actual figures that have been recorded are a reflection of the unexpected post Christmas season trends.

The average of initial claims for the past for weeks fell by 27,000 to 525,750. But the number of people that are continuing with their jobless benefits rose by 101,000 to 4.61 million. This number was far more than what the analysts had expected at 4.5 million. Indeed it has been the highest level recorded since November 1982.

Professor Peter Sperling of Touro College told CBS Radio New “The recession is not at its worst point yet – it will probably hit bottom sometime around the middle of 2009. The unemployment rate is going to go up.”

The statistics of the high level of people that are continuing seeking unemployment benefits is an indication of the fact that people who have lost their jobs are finding it extremely difficult to find new jobs.

Last week’s decline has been the second consecutive design to have recorded below 500000. The past seven weeks have been recorded above this level.

Economists believe that the improvement is only temporary. Three states claimed that their online and phone filing systems have crashed completely due to the heavy load of first time filers. The impact of the volume of people that have been filing for the first time will only come to light in next week’s data.

Many major companies have resumed mass layoffs after making a comeback from the holidays. The insurance provider giant Cigna C, data storage company EMC Corp, aluminum producers Alcoa Inc and computer products makers Logitech have all announced large scale job cuts in the near future.

Talking to the news, Sperling said  “Instead of trying to cut salaries and wages, which can be very demoralizing, very difficult [and] hard to reverse, most companies, when they face these economic problems, tend to lay people off.”