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Ind brush aside Aus T20 challenge India beat Australia by 7 wickets in their one-off T-20 encounter in Mumbai. While the Indian bowlers restricted the Aussies to 166 for 5, the batsmen knocked off the runs with ease in 18.1 overs... more \|\|\|\|\| Rescue efforts have been hampered by heavy rain The first of the near-simultaneous blasts went off at about 1830 local time (1300 GMT), during the rush hour in the suburbs on the Western Railway. Correspondents spoke of scenes of pandemonium, with people jumping from trains and bodies flung onto tracks. There have been a number of bomb attacks in Mumbai in recent years. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh appealed for calm and described the incidents as a "shocking and cowardly attempt to spread a feeling of hatred". Pakistani leaders also condemned the blasts as a "despicable act of terrorism". Police said the co-ordinated blasts took place at Matunga, Khar, Mahim, Jogeshwari, Borivali and Bhayandar, with most on moving trains and two at stations. Local reports said the bombs appeared to have targeted first-class compartments, as commuters were returning home from the city's financial district. A shopkeeper near one explosion said it was so powerful they thought they had been hit by lightning. Television images show dazed and bloodied commuters being carried by fellow passengers to waiting ambulances, as rescue workers clambered through wreckage to reach victims. The force of the blasts ripped doors and windows off carriages, and scattered luggage. Clothes and shoes were strewn along the tracks. An eyewitness at Mahim told the BBC some of those who had jumped from the train were run over by another train coming in the opposite direction. Hospitals across Mumbai have been swamped with casualties. A medical student at a hospital in Parel, which has received many of the wounded, told the BBC News website the "floors are filled with bloodstains". "There were so many [injured people], I couldn't really count," Sunny Jain said. Correspondents say the confusion in the city has been made worse by the collapse of mobile phone networks, and long queues have formed for the payphones still working. Repeated target There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks, which are the worst in the city for more than a decade. MUMBAI FACTS Changed named to Mumbai in late 1990s Population: 17 million HQ to many big Indian companies and foreign multinationals Home of the Indian film industry, Bollywood Thousands arrive monthly from rural areas, with many living in slums Property prices are among the most expensive in the world At least 250 people died in serial bomb blasts in the city in 1993 India looks for Mumbai clues Railway lifeline Home Minister Shivraj Patil told reporters authorities had "some" information an attack was coming, "but place and time was not known". Analysts say Mumbai has been a repeated target because it is a financial hub and a centre for the underworld. More than 250 people died in a string of blasts in the city in 1993. Correspondents say Tuesday's bombers could hardly have struck a target with greater impact - both practical and psychological. The city's suburban train system is one of the busiest in the world, carrying more than six million commuters a day. The blasts came hours after suspected Islamic extremists killed seven people in grenade attacks in the summer capital of Kashmir, Srinagar. \|\|\|\|\| At least 174 killed in Indian train blasts Prime minister says 'terrorists' behind attacks MUMBAI, India (CNN) -- A series of seven explosions killed at least 174 people on crowded commuter trains and stations Tuesday evening in the Indian financial capital of Mumbai, police said. Officials said more than 380 people were injured in the blasts in the city's western suburbs as commuters made their way home. All seven blasts came within an 11-minute span, between 6:24 and 6:35 p.m. (12:54 and 1:05 p.m. GMT). There was some confusion about the number of dead and injured as information was compiled from hospitals and explosion sites in Mumbai, the west Indian seaport previously called Bombay. "There still are bodies being recovered," said Pooja Saxena, with the International Federation of the Red Cross, speaking early Wednesday. CNN-IBN correspondent Jency Jacob was aboard one of the trains during the attacks. "People started running helter-skelter and started jumping from the train," Jacob said. (Watch rescuers pull victims from wrecked trains -- 1:59) "When I jumped from the train, I saw that the first-class compartment was totally ripped apart and people were hanging from the train. There are some people who were thrown out from the train and they were lying on the track, bleeding completely." (Read a full account of the horror Jacob witnessed) One person was arrested in New Delhi in police raids after the explosions, reported CNN-IBN, CNN's sister network, but there's been no claim of responsibility for the attacks. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh urged calm and said the attacks were "shocking and cowardly attempts to spread a feeling of fear and terror." "I reiterate our commitment to fighting terror in all its forms," he said in a written statement. U.S. officials said suspicion fell on two Islamic terrorist groups whose focus has been on the disputed territory of Kashmir -- Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed. Both groups have been implicated in attacks that involved coordinated bombings during peak times in India, the officials said. It may be no coincidence that the attacks occurred just ahead of the Group of Eight summit of world leaders that begins Saturday in St. Petersburg, Russia, said Sajjan Gohel, director of international security for the Asia-Pacific Foundation. Last year's July 7 terror bombings in London that killed 52 people came as UK Prime Minister Tony Blair was hosting the G8 summit in Scotland and one day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics, Gohel told CNN International. Both the 2005 London bombings and the 2004 Madrid bombings, that killed 191 people, were directed against rush hour commuters on mass transit systems. "This time again, they're (terrorists) trying to show that they are live, active. They want attention, they want the focus," Gohel said. "It was a coordinated, multiple, simultaneous mass casualty atrocity. This is the hallmark of a powerful transnational group." Gohel noted that at least one of Tuesday's attacks targeted a first-class commuter car, and police were looking at that carriage to see if it might yield clues. The names of those aboard would have been known beforehand -- as opposed to regular computers. Dana Dillon, a senior policy analyst in the Heritage Foundation's Asian Studies Center, said if Indians believed a Pakistani militant group was behind the bombings, it could disrupt two and a half years of dialogue between the countries that has led to a de-escalation of troops and other positive moves. "If this terrorist attack messes that up, it could be catastrophic to the region," Dillon said. 'Limbs lying everywhere' The blasts hit trains or platforms at the Khar, Mahim, Matunga, Jogeshwari, Borivili and Bhayander stations. The seventh explosion struck a train between the Khar and Santacruz stations, a police official told CNN-IBN. Police also found and defused another bomb at the Borivili station, according to CNN-IBN. (Train map) Video footage from a train station showed people in bloodstained clothes receiving medical treatment, while others were carrying victims and some lying motionless near railroad tracks. Windows of a train appeared to be spattered with blood. At least one train was split in half. Jacob said after his train was attacked he moved toward the back of the train where he "could see some explosives, some pipes that were falling down. The police were investigating that. It seems to be that the explosive was packed off in pipes and kept in the first class men's compartment." A CNN-IBN correspondent who was on one of the trains said it was leaving a station when the blast occurred. People jumped and were killed as the train hit them. "Limbs [are] lying everywhere, bodies [were] cleared from the tracks by local business owners who rushed from their shops," the correspondent said. Another CNN-IBN correspondent reported seeing 15 bodies at the Matunga station. People living almost two miles (three kilometers) away from the Borivili station said they heard the blast. The Western Railway system -- which 4.5 million people use daily -- was shut down and Mumbai's subway system put on high alert after the blasts. Police in the capital of New Delhi also heightened security. Airports across India were put on high alert, too. Blasts appear to follow terrorist pattern U.S. officials said the blasts followed a pattern of initiated by the two main Islamic Kashmiri separatist terrorist groups. Kashmiri separatists were blamed for twin car-bombings that killed 53 people in Mumbai in August 2003 as well as an attack on the Indian parliament in Delhi in 2001. In March 1993, more than 250 people were killed when at least 13 bombs were detonated around Mumbai. That attack followed a wave of fighting between India's Hindu and Muslim communities. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf strongly condemned the attacks, and a statement released by his country's Foreign Ministry called them a "despicable act of terrorism." "Terrorism is the bane of our times and it must be condemned, rejected and countered effectively and comprehensively," the statement said. Earlier Tuesday, a grenade attack in Indian-controlled Kashmir killed at least four people. Authorities suspect militants are responsible for that attack on a minibus in Srinagar. There was no immediate indication of a connection to the Mumbai blasts. Indian Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the government had some advance knowledge that such an attack might take place. "What we didn't have was the place and the time," Patil said. \|\|\|\|\| Deccan Herald > News update at 11:50 pm TERROR STRIKES MUMBAI ON 7/11 147 killed, 439 injured in Mumbai serial blasts At least 147 persons were killed and 439 injured in seven serial bomb blasts that took place aboard suburban trains on western railway on Tuesday evening, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh said in Mumbai tonight. It was an afternoon of mayhem as five people, including four tourists, were killed Tuesday and at least 26 injured when four blasts in quick succession of each other rocked this Jammu and Kashmir capital. US not to back India joining NPT The Bush Administration has made it clear that it would not support India joining NPT as a nuclear weapon state even as it......... Proceedings in the Karnataka Assembly were stalled for the second day today by the Opposition Congress.... MindTree Consulting to open development centre in Chennai Global IT and R and D services company MindTree Consulting's second development centre in Chennai from August. SPORTS ROUND-UP Z id ane was super arrogant, says Materazzi Italian defender Marco Materazzi acknowledged that he "insulted" French player Zinedine Zidane because he was super arrogant in the World Cup final... Zidane provoked by "very serious" jibe: agent Zidane's World Cup final assault on Marco Materazzi was provoked by a "very serious" comment made by the Italian defender, according to... \|\|\|\|\| Devastating scene at Mahim in Mumbai following the blast on Tuesday Devastating scene at Mahim in Mumbai following the blast on Tuesday . (TOI) MUMBAI: Terrorists struck big on Tuesday, setting off seven blasts in suburban trains that left at least 151 dead, preceded by five grenade attacks in Srinagar earlier in the day in which eight people were killed. Over 300 people were injured in the string of blasts in first-class compartments of suburban trains around 6 pm, during peak-hour traffic. As the blasts ripped apart train compartments, mangled bodies of passengers were hurled out and survivors, many of them bleeding profusely, jostled to come out, leading to chaotic scenes. The blasts occurred between 6.24 pm and 6.35 pm at Mahim, Bandra, Matunga, Borivili, Mira Road, Jogeshwari and Khar when most office-goers were returning home. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in the aftermath of blasts in Mumbai and Srinagar after which he expressed the government's resolve to "fight and defeat the evil designs of terrorists". He appealed to the people to maintain calm in the face of terror attacks after an emergency meeting at his residence with home minister Shivraj Patil among those present.	Map showing the 'Western line' and blast locations. Seven bombs exploded Tuesday at various local railway stations in the city of Mumbai, India between 6:24 pm and 6:35 pm IST (GMT+5:30). The first blast ripped through the first-class compartment of a local train from Churchgate to Borivali, near the Khar station. Subsequent blasts occurred at Bhayandar station near Mira Road, Mahim station, Matunga, Jogeshwari and Borivali. A seventh blast has occurred in the Khar-Santacruz subway. Local phone lines in Mumbai have been jammed. The Press Trust of India, quoting railway officials, said all seven explosions had targeted first-class cars. An eighth bomb was later defused at the Borivali station. According to official report at least 183 people have died and over 714 were injured in the blasts, although the figures could rise given the fact that Western Railway trains are very crowded during the evening rush hour. Police are reportedly conducting raids throughout India in response to the bombings. Officials in Mumbai claim the explosions were a deliberate attack. India's Home Minister Shivraj Patil said authorities had "some" information that an attack was coming "but place and time was not known". Heavy monsoon downpours have hampered the rescue efforts of the emergency services. The Indian capital New Delhi has reportedly been put on high alert after the blasts. Airports across the country are also on high alert as are sensitive installations in Mumbai. Mumbai's train system has been suspended and calls are made to keep the public away from the city's train stations. Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh called a emergency cabinet meeting and then released a statement saying that the bombings which have hit India lately are "shocking and cowardly attempts to spread a feeling of fear and terror among our citizens". The country's leading opposition party, BJP, claimed that the current policies of the government put the country in danger for terrorism. There has been no claim of responsibility, but the attack has the trademarks of Kashmiri Islamic terrorist groups like the Lashkar-e-Toiba. The group is known to have has set off bombs in quick succession in Indian cities before. India's domestic intelligence agency, the Intelligence Bureau, claims that this attack, as also the grenade attacks in Jammu and Kashmir earlier today were aimed at diverting attention from the elections being held in Pakistani Kashmir. A terrorist and key supplier of explosives were arrested in Jangpura area of Central Delhi on Monday after a tip-off. The police recovered 2 kg of RDX, an explosive widely used by the military, in his possession. The police are interrogating him to find out if he had anything to do with the recent bombings.
Today, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank (ECB), the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are announcing measures designed to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets. ECB Decisions The Governing Council of the ECB has decided to take joint action with the Federal Reserve by offering US dollar funding to Eurosystem counterparties. The Eurosystem shall conduct two US dollar liquidity-providing operations, in connection with the US dollar Term Auction Facility, against ECB-eligible collateral for a maturity of 28 and 35 days. The submission of bids will take place on 17 and 20 December 2007 for settlement on 20 and 27 December 2007, respectively. The operational details can be obtained from the ECB’s website (www.ecb.europa.eu). The US dollars will be provided by the Federal Reserve to the ECB, up to $20 billion, by means of a temporary reciprocal currency arrangement (swap line). It is reminded that the Governing Council previously decided on 8 November 2007 to renew at maturity the two supplementary longer-term refinancing operations (LTROs) that were allotted in August and September 2007. As an additional measure, the Governing Council decided on 13 November to lengthen the maturity of the main refinancing operation settling on 19 December 2007 to two weeks, thereby maturing on 4 January 2008 instead of 28 December 2007. \|\|\|\|\| For immediate release Today, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are announcing measures designed to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets. Federal Reserve Actions Actions taken by the Federal Reserve include the establishment of a temporary Term Auction Facility (approved by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System) and the establishment of foreign exchange swap lines with the European Central Bank and the Swiss National Bank (approved by the Federal Open Market Committee). Under the Term Auction Facility (TAF) program, the Federal Reserve will auction term funds to depository institutions against the wide variety of collateral that can be used to secure loans at the discount window. All depository institutions that are judged to be in generally sound financial condition by their local Reserve Bank and that are eligible to borrow under the primary credit discount window program will be eligible to participate in TAF auctions. All advances must be fully collateralized. By allowing the Federal Reserve to inject term funds through a broader range of counterparties and against a broader range of collateral than open market operations, this facility could help promote the efficient dissemination of liquidity when the unsecured interbank markets are under stress. Each TAF auction will be for a fixed amount, with the rate determined by the auction process (subject to a minimum bid rate). The first TAF auction of $20 billion is scheduled for Monday, December 17, with settlement on Thursday, December 20; this auction will provide 28-day term funds, maturing Thursday, January 17, 2008. The second auction of up to $20 billion is scheduled for Thursday, December 20, with settlement on Thursday, December 27; this auction will provide 35-day funds, maturing Thursday, January 31, 2008. The third and fourth auctions will be held on January 14 and 28, with settlement on the following Thursdays. The amounts of those auctions will be determined in January. The Federal Reserve may conduct additional auctions in subsequent months, depending in part on evolving market conditions. Depositories will submit bids through their local Reserve Banks. The minimum bid rate for the auctions will be established at the overnight indexed swap (OIS) rate corresponding to the maturity of the credit being auctioned. The OIS rate is a measure of market participants’ expected average federal funds rate over the relevant term. The minimum rate for the December 17 auction along with other auction details will be announced on Friday, December 14. Noncompetitive tenders may be accepted beginning with the third auction. The results of the first auction will be announced at 10 a.m. Eastern Time on December 19. The schedule for releasing the results of later auctions will be determined subsequently. Detailed terms of the auction and summary auction results will be available at http://www.federalreserve.gov/monetarypolicy/taf.htm. Experience gained under this temporary program will be helpful in assessing the potential usefulness of augmenting the Federal Reserve’s current monetary policy tools--open market operations and the primary credit facility--with a permanent facility for auctioning term discount window credit. The Board anticipates that it would seek public comment on any proposal for a permanent term auction facility. The Federal Open Market Committee has authorized temporary reciprocal currency arrangements (swap lines) with the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Swiss National Bank (SNB). These arrangements will provide dollars in amounts of up to $20 billion and $4 billion to the ECB and the SNB, respectively, for use in their jurisdictions. The FOMC approved these swap lines for a period of up to six months. Information on Related Actions Being Taken by Other Central Banks Information on the actions that will be taken by other central banks is available at the following websites. Bank of Canada Bank of England European Central Bank Swiss National Bank (61 KB PDF) Statements by Other Central Banks Bank of Japan Swedish Riksbank Federal Register Notice (33 KB PDF) \|\|\|\|\| Bank of Canada Temporarily Expands List of Securities Eligible for Term PRA Transactions NOTICE Wednesday, 12 December 2007, 9:00 (ET) Today, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are announcing measures designed to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets. As part of its continuing provision of liquidity in support of the efficient functioning of financial markets, the Bank of Canada announced today that it will enter into term purchase and resale agreements (term PRA) extending over the calendar year-end as follows: Amount Transaction and Settlement Maturity $2 billion 13 December 2007 10 January 2008 Minimum of $1 billion 18 December 2007 4 January 2008 The list of eligible securities for these transactions is comprised of the following1: Securities issued by the Government of Canada Securities guaranteed by the Government of Canada (this category includes Canada Mortgage Bonds and NHA mortgage-backed securities with a minimum pool size of $75 million) Securities issued or guaranteed by a provincial government Bankers' acceptances and bearer deposit notes, having a remaining term to maturity not exceeding one hundred and eighty days Securities used in the term PRA transactions will be subject to the same margin requirements as those applicable in SLF transactions. These transactions will temporarily add assets to the Bank of Canada's balance sheet, offsetting the anticipated seasonal increase in the demand for bank notes. The total amount of assets acquired on any day through term PRA operations will be announced on the Bank's web site by 4:45 p.m. (ET). The assets will also be reported on the Bank of Canada's balance sheet. The case for further operations will be reviewed in light of conditions in the money market. Information on Related Actions Being Taken by Other Central Banks Information on the actions that will be taken by other central banks is available at the following websites. For further information, please contact:Jeremy Harrison(613) 782-8782 \|\|\|\|\| News Release Central Bank Measures to Address Elevated Pressures in Short-term Funding Markets 12 December 2007 Today, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are announcing measures designed to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets. Bank of England Actions The Bank of England has already scheduled long-term repo open market operations (OMOs) on 18 December and 15 January. In those operations reserves will, as usual, be offered at 3, 6, 9 and 12-month maturities against the Bank’s published list of eligible collateral. But the total amount of reserves offered at the 3-month maturity will be expanded and the range of collateral accepted for funds advanced at this maturity will be widened. The total size of reserves offered in the operations on 18 December and on 15 January will be raised from £2.85 billion to £11.35 billion, of which £10bn will be offered at the 3-month maturity. The Bank will accept a wider range of high quality securities as collateral against funds advanced at the 3-month maturity. The additional categories of eligible collateral are: Bonds issued by sovereigns rated Aa3/AA- or above (in addition to those currently eligible), subject to settlement constraints. Bonds issued by G10 government agencies guaranteed by national governments, rated AAA. Conventional debt security issues of the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Corporation and the Federal Home Loan Banking system, rated AAA. AAA-rated tranches of UK, US and EEA asset-backed securities (ABS) backed by credit cards; and AAA-rated tranches of UK and EEA prime residential mortgage-backed securities (RMBS). Covered bonds rated AAA. Securities must be denominated in sterling, euro, US dollars, Australian dollars, Canadian dollars, Swedish krona, Swiss francs, and, in the case of Japanese Government Bonds only, yen; and must be capable of being delivered via a settlement channel specified by the Bank. There will be no further changes to the scheduled operations on 18 December and 15 January. As usual, those eligible to bid in the operations will be the Bank’s OMO counterparties and the operations will be conducted as variable rate tenders with funds offered to successful bidders at the rate(s) that they tender. Consistent with the Bank’s objective of keeping overnight market interest rates in line with Bank Rate, the Bank intends to offset the additional reserves taken up in the long-term repo operations in December and January in its other operations. The Bank will review whether to make any changes to operations scheduled after January in the light of market conditions at the time. The Bank will announce further operational details, including details of collateral and settlement arrangements, in a Market Notice on Friday 14 December. Information on related actions being taken by other Central Banks Information on the actions that will be taken by other central banks is available at the following websites. Statements by Other Central Banks \|\|\|\|\| On the Measures Announced by Five Central Banks on December 12, 2007 December 12, 2007 Bank of Japan Today, the Bank of Canada, the Bank of England, the European Central Bank, the Federal Reserve, and the Swiss National Bank are announcing measures designed to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets. The Bank of Japan welcomes these measures and hopes that they will contribute to maintaining the functioning of the international financial markets. Meanwhile, Japan's money markets function well and the Bank will continue to conduct money market operations so appropriately as to maintain market stability, including supplying sufficient fund over the year-end. Information on Related Actions Being Taken by Central Banks Information on actions that will be taken by central banks is available at the following websites. Bank of Canada http://www.bankofcanada.ca Bank of England http://www.bankofengland.co.uk European Central Bank http://www.ecb.int Federal Reserve http://www.federalreserve.gov Swiss National Bank http://www.snb.ch Statement by Other Central Bank Riksbank http://www.riksbank.se	Eccles Building, the headquarters of the US Federal Reserve. Several central banks in Europe and North America announced joint efforts to provide liquidity to the credit markets in the wake of the 2007 subprime mortgage financial crisis. The banks will hold coordinated auctions "designed to address elevated pressures in short-term funding markets." The announcement came simutaneously from all of the banks at 9:00 a.m. EST (UTC-5). The banks involved are the United States' Federal Reserve System (Fed), the European Union's European Central Bank (ECB), the United Kingdom's Bank of England (BoE), Canada's Bank of Canada (BoC), and Switzerland's Swiss National Bank (SNB). The auctions will run through the end of 2007. The first auction is scheduled for Monday, December 17 and will be a "Term Auction Facility" of US$20 billion. In its statement the Federal Reserve said: "The Federal Open Market Committee has authorized temporary reciprocal currency arrangements (swap lines) with the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Swiss National Bank (SNB). These arrangements will provide dollars in amounts of up to $20 billion and $4 billion to the ECB and the SNB, respectively, for use in their jurisdictions. The FOMC approved these swap lines for a period of up to six months." The Bank of Japan (BoJ) is not participating in the intervention, but welcomed the action. In its official statement, the BoJ said: "The Bank of Japan welcomes these measures and hopes that they will contribute to maintaining the functioning of the international financial markets."
John Brogden being taken from his office last night. Photo: Courtesy Channel Nine John Brogden was rushed to hospital last night after an apparent suicide attempt, one day after he resigned in disgrace as the NSW Opposition Leader. He was found at his Pittwater electorate office some time before 11pm with self-inflicted stab wounds. He is believed to have been in a drug-and alcohol-induced stupor, and was taken by ambulance to Royal North Shore Hospital. News of Mr Brogden's collapse swept quickly around Macquarie Street, where his colleagues had been involved in a late-night numbers battle to decide who will replace the 36-year-old, who resigned on Monday after admitting to propositioning female journalists and referring to Helena Carr, wife of the former premier, as a mail-order bride. Mr Brogden's deputy, Barry O'Farrell, immediately put off his push for the leadership in a ballot scheduled for today and rushed to the hospital to support Mr Brogden and his wife, Lucy. The Herald had called Mr O'Farrell about 11pm to ask him about the numbers, but he replied: "Excuse me if I say I don't care about the leadership at the moment, but I am following an ambulance with John Brogden inside. He has attempted self-harm. It sort of puts things in perspective, doesn't it?" Mr Brogden's injuries were described as not life-threatening. They required no surgery last night. He was said to be lucid when taken to hospital. The Herald understands Mr Brogden may have been aware that The Daily Telegraph was to publish allegations today that he was involved in another sexual advance to two female reporters. It led early editions of the paper with the headline: "Brogden's sordid past". Mr Brogden's collapse could mean that this morning's planned leadership ballot will not go ahead. Mr O'Farrell and his fellow Liberal MPs Peta Seaton and Andrew Tink left the hospital at 12.10am, but did not elaborate on Mr Brogden's condition. Earlier yesterday Mr Brogden had returned to work as the member for Pittwater, pledging his commitment to local causes and getting warm support from his party and constituents. He spent the day in the electorate office at Mona Vale, where some locals were disappointed by his behaviour but fully supported his decision to remain their MP. "I would have liked him to stay on as leader of the party, but realistically he probably can't," said Lyndee Cook, 50, of Mona Vale. "He has been the member for here a long time and I'm glad he is staying on. Most people here quite like him." Mr Brogden has been the MP in the blue-ribbon Liberal seat since a 1996 byelection and has improved his winning margin in the past two elections. He has fought hard to try to save Mona Vale Hospital and reserved his only interview after resigning for The Manly Daily, promising to devote his "complete commitment to serve and fight the issues". Barry O'Farrell and Peta Seaton, and Andrew Tink, left, leaving Royal North Shore Hospital early this morning. Photo: James Brickwood "Now I have got the chance to come back [as an MP] and recommit myself to the role." The president of the Pittwater branch, Ross Barlow, said local party members were disappointed by his actions but wanted him to remain their MP. "Local members were disappointed but they are giving their support back to him," Mr Barlow said. "John is a good operator and a good person in Pittwater. He has done a good job here." Erin Ricketts, 20, a student from Scotland Island, was glad Mr Brogden remained in Parliament and hoped he would "do good things" for the northern beaches. "If he pinched some girl's arse and said the wrong thing it shouldn't reflect what he does politically," she said. "This whole thing about social righteousness kind of annoys me. I think everybody is human." \|\|\|\|\| Thursdays at 8.30am, repeated at 8.00pm with Richard Aedy Brogden and the Media 1 September 2005 print The sad case of John Brogden and the role of the media, particularly the Daily Telegraph, in bringing the story to public attention. Program Transcript Richard Aedy: Itís all change at Fairfax on todayís program; weíre looking at a recent departure and an upcoming arrival. But before that, hereís David Penberthy, editor of Sydney tabloid, The Daily Telegraph. David Penberthy: If we stopped running stories, and if you stopped running stories on the basis of the fact that people may do themselves harm, you wouldnít review poor restaurants, you wouldnít condemn sporting captains for letting their nation down, you wouldnít cover courts and you probably wouldnít cover Question Time. If I knew that it was going to happen, there is absolutely no way it would have gone in the paper. Itís dreadful, it is appalling what has happened, but to say that it is our fault off the basis of one story is I think, just fatuous. Richard Aedy: David Penberthy, vigorously defending his paperís coverage of the downfall of former New South Wales Opposition leader, John Brogden. But he would say that, wouldnít he? Heíd be a pretty poor sort of editor if he didnít. Which left me wondering, did the paper go too far? Rod Tiffen of the University of Sydney is one of our leading scholars on Australiaís mass media. Rod Tiffen: The things that we like about tabloids are that theyíre vigorous and colourful and spirited, and that they concentrate on very specific events rather than more abstract policy notions. But I think in this case The Daily Telegraph has gone too far, especially in its first edition on Wednesday, when it had this thing about ĎBrogdenís sordid pastí, and this story, unlike some of the others, had all anonymous sources, it was after Brogden had stopped down as leader, and it just seemed to me very much several miles too far. Richard Aedy: But I mean heís a politician, he must have known that his original remark about Helena Carr would get out, and that other things would get out, too. Rod Tiffen: I donít think that he did know that his remark about Helena Carr and these other things would get out. In fact they didnít get out in New South Wales, they got out in Canberra. So none of the state parliamentary political reporters, for good or for ill, decided that they were worth reporting. So it wasnít any of the people at the scene that put it into the media, it was people a considerable remove. And thatís not to excuse at all any of his behaviour, and most particularly not to excuse his remark about Helena Carr. Richard Aedy: In many ways, this is a very Canberra story, isnít it; itís not a Sydney story at all. Rod Tiffen: It is, it broke in Canberra, even though it was about events in Sydney. It was broken by Glen Milne in the Canberra press gallery whoís known to be very close to the Prime Minister and Treasurer, who also was very instrumental in publishing stories about Mark Lathamís personal life a few months before the election last year. So the sources of the stories are very much part of this story. In fact The Daily Telegraph, in defending itself, has said the source of the original story came from within the Liberal Party itself, and a new source about the fresh allegations also came from the Liberal Party, including at very high levels of the Liberal Party. So Glen Milneís story didnít identify any sources, but The Daily Telegraph has now identified fairly precisely where these stories came from. Richard Aedy: Itís very much an interplay between politics and the media, isnít it? Rod Tiffen: It is, very much. And I think that in some senses they were partners in this story, because it was juicy journalism, but except for Mr Brogdenís opponents within the Liberal Party, it may never have got out. Richard Aedy: All right, so political machinations involved, but were the journalists involved, were they knowingly playing along, or were they being manipulated by the politicians, if you like? Rod Tiffen: I donít think they were unwitting stooges. I think in many ways they were complicit in the political games being played because they thought it was juicy journalism, and once the story was in the public domain on Sunday, the issue for the journalists became not Will I pursue this story? But Do I dare not pursue this story? And so all the competitive pressures within journalism came to the fore, and so by Monday morning it was a free-for-all, and then of course with Brogdenís resignation, got saturation coverage, as you would expect. And then on the Wednesday morning the Telegraph now feels itís got a hunting licence to pursue Brogden further, and I think this is what I most dislike about tabloid journalism, that they only wait till the manís down before they start kicking. And thatís what I would call hyena journalism, you know, the pack goes after him, now that thereís a carcase to pick at, and that very much seemed to me to epitomise The Daily Telegraphís reporting on Wednesday morning. Richard Aedy: Itís a sort of cascade, isnít it? None of the state political reporters (who must have known about some of this stuff, some of them are saying, ĎLook, I was propositionedí) say anything, then it comes out through the federal press gallery, then thereís more, and eventually we are getting highly damaging stories from anonymous sources to yesterday morningís first edition that the Telegraph hastily changed of course, when John Brogden appeared to make an attempt on his own life. Rod Tiffen: Yes. I think that it was a cascading event. I think, to leave the Helena Carr slur to one side for one moment, the allegations of improper behaviour are very interesting; because they raise issues of where do you draw the line? Many politicians engage in boorish behaviour, behaviour of bad taste and so forth, and so do many senior journalists and editorial executives for that matter, who also wheelpower in society, and perhaps we should be interested in their morality. But there becomes a question of when is behaviour something that I as a person involved would think less of that person, and when is it something of public importance? And itís very hard to draw that line. You know, a lot of things attributed to Brogden, and itís very hard to test some of them Ė Richard Aedy: Itís just a no-win for him. Anyone could say anything now, and he will not get the benefit of the doubt. Rod Tiffen: How can he refute that on an unknown date that he behaved in this way towards some unknown person? Itís very much loaded against him, and now that heís been guilty of some other quite serious breaches, many people will be prepared to believe the worst of him on all occasions. Richard Aedy: Itís an issue of proportionality, isnít it, because nobody would defend the remark about Helena Carr, itís indefensible, and nobody would defend ongoing sexual harassment, thatís not defensible either. But proposition somebody in a Ė now itís not moral if youíre a married man, but I mean it happens, politicians philander. Rod Tiffen: Indeed they do, and politicians gossip, and politicians are often quite manipulative creatures who tend to think the worst of all human beings, and a lot of their gossip is wrong, because they presume the worst about everyone. And I think that it is very tricky therefore to draw this line, this demarcation. I remember when Shane Warne was in the headlines a few months ago; one media commentator compared him to other sporting giants like Gary Ablett, and Mike Tyson. Well Mike Tyson raped a woman; Gary Ablett was involved with a woman... Richard Aedy: Who died of a drug overdose, didnít she? Rod Tiffen: A heroin overdose. And Shane Warne was philandering and being a buffoon in a very distasteful way. It seems to me that people have forgotten how to draw lines. And George Bernard Shaw once said ĎThe problem with the press is that they canít tell the difference between a bicycle crash and the end of civilisation.í And it seems to me that perhaps some of Brogdenís behaviour has been escalated out of proportion here. Richard Aedy: Rod Tiffenís Associate Professor in Government and International Relations at the University of Sydney, and the author of Scandals: Media, Politics and Corruption in Contemporary Australia, published by UNSW Press. Guests on this program: Rod Tiffen Associate Professor Government & International Relations University of Sydney Publications: Scandals: Media, Politics and Corruption in Contemporary Australia Author: Rod Tiffen Publisher: UNSW Press ISBN: 0868406015 Presenter: Richard Aedy Producer: Jackie May back to The Media Report homepage	Australian New South Wales Liberal Party leader John Brogden was found to have attempted suicide in his electoral office late on the night of August 30, after he resigned due to heavy media criticism of comments he had made against the previous Government premier Bob Carr's wife, Helena Carr. Mr Brogden called her a "mail-order bride". He was rushed to a North Shore hospital. Carr, who originally had stated he did not accept Brogden's earlier apology, later capitulated, stating that his wife had asked to forgive him. It was also argued whether The Daily Telegraph newspaper, which was aiming to release new allegations of sexual harassment after Brogden had resigned, played any part in the suicide attempt. Many in the community, such as Rod Tiffen of the University of Sydney, on ABC Radio National's ''The Media Report'' had decried tabloid journalism and the ''Telegraph'' for "only waiting till the man's down before they start kicking" with allegations that were found to be unsourced, whilst the editor of the ''Telegraph'', David Penberthy, claimed that they were only acting in their duty to publish what they had discovered, and said that "to say that Brogden's attempt is our fault off the basis of one story is I think, just fatuous." One political editor, Andrew West, for ''The Australian'', a publication produced by the same company that owns ''The Daily Telegraph'', resigned over the placement of his byline on a story where he said he only produced a memo noting the unreliability of the sources for a similar story that the ''Telegraph'' were to publish.
CNN-IBN New Delhi: The Supreme Court has said that the Aligarh Muslim University (AMU)will remain a minority institution and that its character will not change. The AMU and the Centre have told the Supreme Court that there will be no reservation in AMU pending this case. The next hearing will be on May 10,2006. Earlier this month, AMU had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court's verdict, which had put down the minority status of the institution. The Allahabad High Court on January 5 had struck down the provision of the Aligarh Muslim University Amendment Act, 1981, by which the status of a minority institution was accorded to AMU. It had also quashed the 50 per cent quotas for Muslim students. It had held that according the university the status of a minority institution was ultravires to the Constitution and 50 per cent reservation envisaged for the Muslim students was illegal. The appeal to SC challenged the High Court verdict that AMU was not a minority institution entitled to protection under Article 30 (1) of the Constitution. In 1875 Sir Syed Ahemd Khan,a modern liberal Muslim, established the Anglo Oriental College in Aligarh. In 1920 the college was granted a legal status of a university. In 1968 the Supreme Court in its judgement had quashed the minority status of the university saying AMU has been established by an Act of Parliament. The decision was overruled by the Indira Gandhi government in 1981 by bringing about an amendment in the Act. Now again the act has failed to pass legal scrutiny. The government however is keeping its options open of going to the apex court. (With inputs from PTI) \|\|\|\|\| NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday granted partial relief to those fighting for the restoration of status-quo in Aligarh Muslim University when it reaccredited it with the ��minority�� tag, but refused to stay, till the pendency of the matter, the Allahabad High Court��s verdict striking down the 50% quota for students belonging to the minority community. Admitting a petition challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict quashing minority status accorded to the AMU and 50% quota for Muslim students, a bench headed by justice KG Balakrishnan directed the university not to implement the decision till the matter was decided. The apex court also directed the university to maintain status-quo on the character of the university as on the date of the filing of the writ petition before the High Court. A division bench of the Allahabad High Court had on January 5 this year, struck down the provision of the AMU Amendment Act, 1981 by which the status of the minority institution had been bestowed on the AMU. In doing so, it had upheld its last year��s judgement, terming as ��unconstitutional�� the minority status accorded to the university and the 50% reservation for Muslims. The division bench took refuge behind the SC judgement in the Ajeez Basha case of 1968, which had already taken the view that AMU was not a minority institution and that any enactment of a law by Parliament could not overrule the judgement. Last October, justice Arun Tandon had observed that the AMU Amendment Act was unconstitutional and that the AMU was not a minority institution. He observed that the notification issued by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry on February 25, permitting AMU to reserve seats for Muslims in PG medical courses and the 50% quota approved by the institution��s academic council in the PG medical courses was, therefore, ��illegal.�� The Supreme Court, in its order on Monday, also issued notices to the students who had moved the writ petition before the High Court, challenging 50% quota for Muslim students. The court referred the matter to the chief justice for allocating it to a larger bench.The Aligarh Muslim University hailed the SC��s interim order on the institution��s minority character as a ��major victory�� and said the issue of granting 50% reservation to Muslims would be held in abeyance till a final verdict. ��By admitting our writ and referring it to a larger Bench, the Supreme Court has given us a fair opportunity for establishing claims regarding the origins of this historic institution,�� AMU vice-chancellor Naseem Ahmed said. He said today��s interim order ��marks a major victory for us and has vindicated our stand on the need to review the 1968 Supreme Court verdict on the Aziz Basha case��.	The of India has said that the (AMU) will remain a minority institution and that its character will not change, but refused to stay, till the pendency of the matter, the High Court’s verdict striking down the 50% quota for students belonging to the minority community. Justice headed the bench. The next hearing will be on May 10, 2006. The court referred the matter to the chief justice for allocating it to a larger bench. The Aligarh Muslim University hailed the SC's interim order on the institution's minority character as a "major victory" and said the issue of granting 50% reservation to Muslims would be held in abeyance till a final verdict. Earlier this month, AMU had moved the Supreme Court challenging the Allahabad High Court's verdict, which had put down the minority status of the institution. The appeal to Supreme Court challenging the High Court verdict that AMU was not a minority institution entitled to protection under Article 30 (1) of the . The Allahabad High Court on January 5 had struck down the provision of the Aligarh Muslim University Amendment Act, 1981, by which the status of a minority institution was accorded to AMU. It had also quashed the 50 per cent quotas for students. By doing so, it had upheld its last year's judgement, terming as unconstitutional the minority status of the university and 50 per cent reservation for the Muslim students . The division bench referred to the SC judgement in the Ajeez Basha case of 1968, which had already taken the view that AMU was not a minority institution and any enactment of a law by could not overrule the judgement.
Wednesday Jan 16, 2008 Helping Dolphins Fly We announced big news today - our preliminary results for our fiscal second quarter, and as importantly, that we're acquiring MySQL AB. If you're interested in the financial details for the quarter, tune in to our conference call (see details on sun.com) today - we'll obviously have more to say as we release our formal results on January 24th. But the biggest news of the day is... we're putting a billion dollars behind the M in LAMP. If you're an industry insider, you'll know what that means - we're acquiring MySQL AB, the company behind MySQL, the world's most popular open source database. You'll recall I wrote about a customer event a few weeks ago, at which some of the world's most important web companies talked to us about their technology challenges. Simultaneously, we gathered together some of the largest IT shops and their CIO's, and spent the same two days (in adjoining rooms) listening to their views and directions. Both sets of customers confirmed what we've known for years - that MySQL is by far the most popular platform on which modern developers are creating network services. From Facebook, Google and Sina.com to banks and telecommunications companies, architects looking for performance, productivity and innovation have turned to MySQL. In high schools and college campuses, at startups, at high performance computing labs and in the Global 2000. The adoption of MySQL across the globe is nothing short of breathtaking. They are the root stock from which an enormous portion of the web economy springs. But as I pointed out, we heard some paradoxical things, too. CTO's at startups and web companies disallow the usage of products that aren't free and open source. They need and want access to source code to enable optimization and rapid problem resolution (although they're happy to pay for support if they see value). Alternatively, more traditional CIO's disallow the usage of products that aren't backed by commercial support relationships - they're more comfortable relying on vendors like Sun to manage global, mission critical infrastructure. This puts products like MySQL in an interesting position. They're a part of every web company's infrastructure, to be sure. And though many of the more traditional companies use MySQL (from auto companies to financial institutions to banks and retailers), many have been waiting for a Fortune 500 vendor willing to step up, to provide mission critical global support. So what are we announcing today? That in addition to acquiring MySQL, Sun will be unveiling new global support offerings into the MySQL marketplace. We'll be investing in both the community, and the marketplace - to accelerate the industry's phase change away from proprietary technology to the new world of open web platforms. The good news is Sun is already committed to the business model at the heart of MySQL's success - first investing to grow communities of users and developers, and only then creating commercial services that attract (rather than lock in) paying customers. Over the past few years, we've distributed hundreds of millions of licenses and invested to build some of the free software world's largest communities. From Java to ZFS, Lustre to Glassfish, NetBeans to OpenOffice.org and OpenSolaris, we've been patient investors and contributors, both. Free and open software has become a way of life at Sun. MySQL's has similarly driven extraordinary adoption of their community platform, with more than 100 million downloads over the past 10 years. Their users, as with Sun's, run MySQL across every major operating system - Linux, Windows, Solaris and the Mac; and every major system platform, from IBM, Intel, AMD, Dell, Sun and HP. Not coincidentally, those companies are exactly the companies with whom Sun has signed OEM relationships - so the integration of MySQL into Sun's ecosystem and channels will be exceptionally straightforward. So how do we plan to go after this new opportunity? In a few fundamental ways. We've historically worked at arm's length to optimize MySQL on Sun's platforms. Just as we did for Oracle in their early days, our performance engineering teams will sit (virtually) with their counterparts in MySQL and in the community, leveraging technologies such as ZFS and DTrace (which we didn't even have in the Oracle era) to ensure Sakila flies - along with the rest of the LAMP stack (from memcached and php, to the broader ISV community around MySQL). MySQL is already the performance leader on a variety of benchmarks - we'll make performance leadership the default for every application we can find (and on every vendor's hardware platforms, not just Sun's - and on Linux, Solaris, Windows, all). For the technically oriented, Falcon will absolutely sing on Niagara... talk about a match made in heaven. Second, I've asked our team to negotiate an arms' length commercial transaction, prior to closing, that allows us to provide Global Enterprise Support for MySQL - so that traditional enterprises looking for the same mission critical support they've come to expect with proprietary databases can have that peace of mind with MySQL, as well. This gives traditional enterprises a world of new choices and competition. As I said, if there's one item customers have been asking from us for years it's more innovation in the database marketplace - we're now in a position to respond. Third, we'll be announcing some exceptionally attractive platform offerings, leveraging the success Lustre and ZFS, along with new systems platforms (like the new 48TB Thumpers and 64 thread Niagara2 machines) to deliver eye popping price performance. Ultimately, that's what customers want - real value, supported globally, with quality and performance. Most importantly, MySQL's partners are going to be the centerpiece of our solutions and offers - just as we've done with Solaris and Java, we're going to work very hard to make our ISV's wildly successful as we broaden the market. It takes decades to build a broad partner portfolio, and they are an enormous part of the value customers see in Sun, and we certainly see in MySQL. And finally, this acquisition will kickstart a new set of investments Sun will be making into the academic community. Why universities? As we continue to invest in open source software development across the world, it's apparent that nearly all roads lead to academic environments - and it's high time we (as an industry) started watering the trees at their roots. It's one thing to say you're committed to education, it's another to put your money where your mouth is. Within the next 60 days, Greg will be announcing a new set of global research fellowships designed to advance the state of engineering on the internet. (Stay tuned on this blog, and on Greg's, for updates.) So why is this important for the internet? Until now, no platform vendor has assembled all the core elements of a completely open source operating system for the internet. No company has been able to deliver a comprehensive alternative to the leading proprietary OS. With this acquisition, we will have done just that - positioned Sun at the center of the web, as the definitive provider of high performance platforms for the web economy. For startups and web 2.0 companies, to government agencies and traditional enterprises. This creates enormous potential for Sun, for the global free software community, and for our partners and customers across the globe. There's opportunity everywhere. To the folks at MySQL, from employees to customers and partners - welcome, and we're thrilled to join you. This acquisition spells the beginning of a new era on the internet. Starting with the letter M. Posted on 05:05AM Jan 16, 2008 \| Share this post \| \| \| \| \| \| \|\|\|\|\| Acquisition of one of the most successful open-source software companies is a bold move for Sun, which has embraced open source to try to boost revenue. Sun Microsystems will plunk down $1 billion to buy MySQL, the maker of a popular open-source database. Sun said Wednesday that it will pay about $800 million in cash for MySQL's privately held stock and will assume about $200 million worth of options. MySQL CEO Marten Mickos will join Sun's senior executive team after the transaction closes. The acquisition is a bold move for Sun, which has embraced open-source software and development practices in an effort to garner more revenue from its software business. Until now, it has sold support services for a competing open-source database, PostgreSQL. Company executives said they will continue to support PostgreSQL and continue to partner with database giant Oracle. MySQL, founded in 1995, is one of the most successful open-source companies. It's part of the popular combination of open-source development products referred to as LAMP, for Linux, Apache Web server, MySQL and the PHP development language, which is broadly used on the Internet and within companies. Mickos had previously said that the company intended to go public rather than be acquired. Its business model is to give away the source code and its database for free and to charge customers an ongoing subscription fee for support and services. Speaking during a conference call, Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Toni Sacconaghi said he estimated MySQL's revenue over the past year was in the $60-$70 million range. In the call, Sun CEO and president Jonathan Schwartz called the deal the most important acquisition in the history of the company. Sun will gain access to MySQL's large customer base and have the opportunity to sell hardware and addition software, he said. About 75 percent of MySQL installations run on hardware from other vendors than Sun. About 20 percent of them run Sun's Solaris operating system, although the majority of MySQL databases run on Linux, executives said. "This is really about one thing: reaffirming Sun's position at the center of the Web," Schwartz said. "We view ourselves as a platform for the Web economy and we certainly believe and can demonstrate that we have the hottest products and platforms." In his blog, Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz said that Sun will begin offering support services to customers of MySQL before the deal closes later this year. He said that Sun intends to provide the sort of support services that large corporations demand. MySQL is a "part of every Web company's infrastructure, to be sure. And though many of the more traditional companies use MySQL (from auto companies to financial institutions to banks and retailers), many have been waiting for a Fortune 500 vendor willing to step up, to provide mission critical global support," Schwartz said. Schwartz also outlined a number of areas of technical integration designed to optimize MySQL's flagship database--as well as MySQL's Falcon storage engine--on Sun's Solaris operating systems and servers. The size of the acquisition, at $1 billion, reflects the indelible mark that the open-source business model--in which companies give away source code and charge for services or high-end products--has left on the software business. "I think that open source is becoming the business model that enterprises want to pursue...and there are legions of software engineers graduating from college who won't use anything else," said Kevin Harvey, general partner at Benchmark Capital and chairman of MySQL's board. "Open source and software-as-a-service are the only two viable software business models going forward." There are plenty of open-source start-ups, but few that have reached the size and influence of MySQL. Most of the successful open-source companies have been acquired. Novell bought SUSE Linux four years ago for about $210 million. JBoss was acquired for more than $400 million by Red Hat in 2006. And last year, Citrix paid $500 million for XenSource , a virtualization software provider, and Yahoo paid $350 million for Zimbra. "This is a great move for Sun, and answers the question of 'SunDB' that Scott McNealy posed several years ago," said The 451 Group analyst Raven Zachary. However, the acquisition also comes with some potential difficulties. "This raises a whole bunch of issues concerning Sun's close ties to Oracle, as well as their investment in PostgreSQL," Zachary said. He believes other potential suitors include Red Hat, Sybase, Hewlett-Packard, and Oracle. Indeed, Mickos confirmed in 2006 that Oracle had attempted to acquire MySQL. MySQL, which is based in Cupertino, Calif., and Uppsala, Sweden, has about 400 employees. Investors include Benchmark Capital, Index Ventures, IVP, Intel, SAP, Red Hat. The deal is expected to close near the tail of Sun's fiscal third quarter, which ends in late March, or early in its fourth quarter. CNET News.com staff writer Stephen Shankland contributed to this report.	Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz speaking at the 2005 Web 2.0 Conference in San Francisco, CA. Sun Microsystems, the company behind the UNIX-based Solaris Operating System, the Java platform as well as OpenOffice.org, has announced that it is acquiring MySQL AB, the company behind the open source database application MySQL, for a reported US$1 billion: $800 million to purchase MySQL's stock, and $200 million worth of options. Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz said in his blog Wednesday that in addition to this acquisition, Sun will provide global support offerings for the popular database platform. Sun already provides support for another database platform, PostgreSQL. MySQL is used by many web sites, such as Facebook, LiveJournal, Google, as well as the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation and the MediaWiki software that powers it.
A van loaded with explosives blew up Friday outside a police station in a Basque city, slightly injuring two officers in what appeared to be the first attack by the separatist group ETA since it called off a cease-fire in June, officials said. Whoever set off the bomb in Durango, about 25 miles south of Bilbao, fled in a car and then detonated it in a vacant lot in the nearby town of Amorebieta, according to the Spanish Interior Ministry office in the Basque regional capital, Vitoria. The blast caused serious damage to the Civil Guard station and residential barracks in Durango, shattering windows and damaging police cars parked outside, authorities said. Several nearby apartment buildings were also damaged. The attack happened shortly after 3:15 a.m. (0115 GMT). There had been no warning, the Interior Ministry said. "Families and children live in that police station which makes the attack all the more despicable," Paulino Luesma, the Interior Ministry's chief delegate in Vitoria, told Cadena SER radio. Police believe some 175 pounds of explosives were used in the bomb at the station, the Spanish national news agency Efe said. It was not immediately known how many people were in the station at the time of the attack. The injured officers were treated for cuts from flying glass, but were released from a hospital in a nearby town several hours later. The second car blast was not considered an attack, but a means to destroy evidence. No one was hurt, and no damage was reported. Television images showed residents living in the area came out onto the street in rain, several in their bedclothes, to see what had happened. "All indications point to ETA," a Vitoria ministry official said on condition of anonymity because of department rules barring publication of her name. ETA called a cease-fire in March 2006, but grew frustrated with a lack of government concessions in ensuing peace talks, and set off a huge bomb in a parking garage at Madrid's airport on Dec. 30, killing two people. It insisted then that the truce was still in effect, but finally declared it formally over in June, and Spanish security forces have been on alert ever since. ETA has killed more than 800 people since 1968 in its campaign for an independent Basque state. Since ETA announced in June it was reactivating "on all fronts," low-level violence by supporters of the group has increased, and Basque business leaders say ETA resumed sending them extortion letters seeking money to fund its campaign. ETA detonated two small explosive devices July 25 along the route that the Tour of France used when the race dipped into northern Spain for a few hours. No one was hurt. Interior Minister Alfredo Rubalcaba said recently that security forces had thwarted several attempted attacks by ETA in the past few months. \|\|\|\|\| No-one has admitted carrying out the attack, but officials have blamed the Basque separatist group Eta which called off a ceasefire in June. The bomb exploded in a car parked outside a police barracks in Durango, about 25km (16 miles) south-east of Bilbao, at 0330 (0130 GMT). A second car bomb exploded in nearby Amorebieta about one hour later. Police said the second car was used by the bombers to flee the scene of the first bombing. There were no injuries or damage reported from the second bomb but the Durango explosion caused considerable damage to the police barracks. Two policemen were injured by flying glass. Eta has waged a violent campaign since the 1960s for an independent state in northern Spain and south-west France. Security forces in Spain and France have been on high alert since Eta called off its 15-month ceasefire in June. Several Eta members have been arrested recently and police raids have uncovered caches of explosives. \|\|\|\|\| «C’est le premier attentat depuis la rupture de la trêve», estime déjà la première radio privée espagnole Cadena Ser ainsi que le site Internet du quotidien El Pais . Vendredi matin, une voiture piégée a explosé devant un poste de police de Durango au Pays basque espagnol, blessant légèrement deux policiers, atteints par des bris de verre. L'attentat n'a pas été revendiqué pour le moment.Mais un responsable du ministère l'Intérieur de la région basque a aussitôt déclaré que l'explosion portait la marque de l'organisation séparatiste ETA qui a mis en juin un terme au cessez-le-feu unilatéralement décidé en mars 2006. «Tout indique qu'il s'agit d'un acte de l'ETA», a souligné une autre responsable qui a requis l'anonymat. Elle a déclaré ignorer si, selon son habitude, l'ETA a averti par téléphone de l'imminence de l'explosion. Cadena Ser au Pays basque a toutefois souligné que l'organisation n'avait jamais alerté de l'imminence de ses attentats lorsqu'ils étaient dirigés contre les forces de sécurité espagnoles.La ou les personnes qui ont déclenché l'engin explosif à Durango, provoquant d'importants dégâts au poste de police, ont pris la fuite en voiture puis ont déclenché une heure plus tard une autre explosion dans le village voisin d'Amorebieta. D’après la police, cette seconde explosion ne serait toutefois pas un autre attentat mais aurait simplement servi à détruire d'éventuels indices.ETA avait décrété un cessez-le-feu unilatéral en mars 2006 mais depuis cette date l'organisation séparatiste a fait connaître sa frustration devant le manque de concessions du gouvernement central dans les négociations qui ont suivi. Le 30 décembre 2006, ETA faisait exploser une puissante bombe sur le parking de l'aéroport de Madrid, tuant deux personnes.Toutefois, l'organisation clandestine faisait savoir que la trêve était toujours en vigueur avant d'en annoncer la fin en juin dernier, mettant les forces de sécurité espagnoles en état d'alerte permanente.Jeudi, le ministre espagnol de l'Intérieur, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, avait déclaré que le silence observé dernièrement par le bras politique de l'ETA, Batasuna, était «le pire des augures». Batasuna a justement appelé à manifester à un rassemblement pour l’autonomie du Pays basque, vendredi à Ciboure, dans les Pyrénées-Atlantiques, à l’occasion de la visite du président français, Nicolas Sarkozy. \|\|\|\|\| Tres meses después de la ruptura oficial del "alto el fuego permanente", ETA ha reaparecido esta madrugada colocando un potente coche bomba junto a la Casa Cuartel de la Guardia Civil de Durango (Vizcaya). La explosión ha herido levemente a dos agentes, que ya han sido dados de alta, y ha causado cuantiosos daños materiales en los edificios colindantes y en los coches patrulla. Los terroristas han huido del lugar en otro coche, que han hecho estallar en Amorebieta, a unos 11 kilómetros de Durango, para eliminar huellas. Según fuentes de la investigación, los etarras utilizaron un temporizador que tenía un tiempo máximo de dos minutos. Según el director de la Guardia Civil y la Policía, Joan Mesquida, que se ha desplazado a Durango, la furgoneta, una Citröen C-15 robada dos días antes en Munguía (Vizcaya) y con matrícula de San Sebastián, estaba cargada con entre 80 y 100 kilos de un explosivo "de tipo medio" por determinar. Igualmente, ha confirmado que el coche en el que los terroristas se han dado a la fuga y han detonado en Amorebieta tenía una matrícula portuguesa, lo que hace pensar a los cuerpos de seguridad que los terroristas tengan algún tipo de "infraestructura" en Portugal, así como en Vizcaya. Según fuentes de la investigación, los terroristas alquilaron este segundo vehículo en mayo en la localidad portuguesa de Cuarteiras (Algarve), lo recogieron posteriormente en el aeropuerto Oporto y después no lo devolvieron, por lo que las matrículas no son falsas. Pero según el jefe de la Policía Judicial (PJ) lusa, Alipio Ribeiro, está descartado que ETA tenga infraestructura permanente en Portugal. Eliminar huellas Mesquida ha relatado que el atentado ha sido perpetrado por varios activistas. Uno de ellos, encapuchado, ha aparcado la furgoneta Citröen C-15 -marcha atrás, para que la onda expansiva apuntara al cuartel- en la parte de atrás de la casa-cuartel, fuera de su perímetro de seguridad y ha emprendido la huida en otro coche, un SEAT con matrícula falsa portuguesa, donde le esperaba otra persona. El agente de guardia, que visionaba los monitores de seguridad, ha intentado activar un perturbador de señales al ver al encapuchado, pero no le ha dado tiempo y el coche bomba ha estallado, causando cuantiosos daños materiales en el cuartel y en los edificios colindantes. Como es habitual en atentados de ETA contra cuarteles de la Guardia Civil, no ha habido aviso previo. Toda la acción ha sido grabada por las cámaras de seguridad del complejo. Como consecuencia de la explosión, han resultado heridos un agente de 30 años, F..R., con cortes en el muslo, el cuello y en la espalda, y otro de 37 años, C.E.Q., que tiene cortes en la mano derecha y ha sufrido mareos debido a la onda expansiva provocada por la explosión. Aunque han sido atendidos en el hospital de Galdakao, los dos han sido ya dados de alta y han vuelto al cuartel. Los dos terroristas han huido en el SEAT por la autovía San Sebastián-Bilbao en dirección a Amorebieta. Allí, en un descampado, unos 50 minutos después del atentado, han hecho estallar el coche con el que habían huído, presumiblemente para eliminar cualquier rastro. Importantes daños La explosión ha causado importantes daños en los edificios colindantes, en el propio cuartel de la Guardia Civil y en los vehículos de las inmediaciones. Unos 20 coches han resultado afectados, de ellos 10 de la Guardia Civil -uno al menos ha quedado completamente destrozado- y doce de particulares. Dentro del cuartel, han resultado dañadas unas 8 viviendas, en las que viven 10 familias con cinco niños, y uno de los muros del perímetro del cuartel se ha desplomado. Además, se han roto ventanas y persianas de los edificios de los alrededores. La zona está acordonada mientras agentes de la Ertzaintza continúan las investigaciones en el lugar. Lo seguirá intentando Ayer, el ministro del Interior, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, entrevistado en la Cadena SER, declaró que ETA seguiría intentando atentar hasta que lo consiguiera. Para él, prueba de ello era el silencio que desde hace semanas viene manteniendo Batasuna. "Ese silencio es el peor de los augurios", dijo. En todo caso, ante la posibilidad de un atentado, Rubalcaba dijo que sería ETA y la propia Batasuna quienes salieran perjudicados. El cuartel de la Guardia Civil de Durango (Vizcaya) fue objeto en los años 80 de dos atentados por parte de ETA. En marzo de 1984, los terroristas lanzaron granadas contra el cuartel, sin causar víctimas. En julio de 1986, ETA colocó un vehículo con dos tubos lanzagranadas con cargas anticarro y antipersona que fue localizado antes de que hiciera explosión. Además, en, al menos dos ocasiones, radicales han lanzado cócteles molotov contra el acuartelamiento. \|\|\|\|\| LOS DOS GUARDIAS CIVILES HERIDOS LEVES, DADOS DE ALTA ATLAS ELMUNDO.ES \| AGENCIAS MADRID.- Una furgoneta Citroën C-15 cargada con entre 80 y 100 kilos de explosivo estalló esta madrugada junto al cuartel de la Guardia Civil de la localidad vizcaína de Durango. Dos guardias civiles resultaron heridos leves y dados de alta a las pocas horas. Ha sido el primer atentado de ETA tras la ruptura del alto el fuego, el pasado 5 de junio. El coche en el que huyeron los terroristas hace pensar a las fuerzas de seguridad que ETA tiene infraestructura en Portugal. La explosión se produjo sin previo aviso minutos antes de las 3.30 de la madrugada junto a la parte trasera de la casa cuartel y fuera de su perímetro de seguridad. Las cámaras de seguridad recogieron los movimientos de los terroristas. Las primeras investigaciones apuntan a que se trataba de amonal reforzado con metralla, según fuentes de la lucha antiterrorista. Una vez que los análisis determinen el tipo de explosivo o explosivos empleados, podrá precisarse el peso. El director general de la Policía y la Guardia Civil, Joan Mesquida, ha informado de que la furgoneta C-15 fue robada hace dos días, supuestamente en Vizcaya, y que ETA puede tener infraestructura en esta provincia. Fue aparcada marcha atrás para dirigir la explosión hacia la casa cuartel. Los terroristas han buscado la mayor destrucción posible y que "lo increíble" -ha dicho- es que no estemos hablando de una desgracia con varios muertos. La furgoneta explosionada junto a la casa cuartel de la Guardia Civil. (Foto: EFE) Activada a distancia Según fuentes policiales, un varón encapuchado aparcó el vehículo en la parte trasera del cuartel, pese a la advertencia de un Guardia Civil de que no lo hiciera. Éste, al ver que la persona proseguía con la maniobra, trató de activar un inhibidor, pero no le dio tiempo. Un testigo explicó que, al aparcamiento, llegaron dos personas, cada una en un vehículo. Uno de ellos dejó la furgoneta bomba, salió corriendo y a los pocos segundos se produjo la explosión. Se introdujo en el segundo vehículo y huyeron. Esta forma de actuar hace pensar a los investigadores que la bomba fue activada a distancia, probablemente a pocos metros de donde fue aparcada la furgoneta. En ese caso, ETA no habría utilizado un temporizador, como en otras ocasiones. Sin embargo, Mesquida ha precisado que se desconoce el dispositivo de activación empleado. Según fuentes de la investigación, el encapuchado, con una especie de radio-mando, intentó activar un anulador de inhibidores de frecuencia antes de salir corriendo hasta el segundo coche. Posible infraestructura en Portugal El segundo vehículo tenía matrícula de Portugal y había sido alquilado por algún miembro de ETA el pasado mes de mayo en la turística localidad de Cuarteira, en El Algarve portugués, según ha confirmado la vicepresidenta del Gobierno, María Teresa Fernández de la Vega, tras el Consejo de Ministros. Esto, según el director de Policía y Guardia Civil, "parece confirmar que ETA podría tener algún tipo de infraestructura en Portugal". Este coche huyó con los dos terroristas por la autovía San Sebastián-Bilbao, con dirección a la capital vizcaína, y acabó siendo explosionado en la localidad vizcaína de Amorebieta pasadas las 4.30 de la madrugada. Las sospechas, sin confirmar, sobre la actividad de ETA en Portugal habían sido expresadas por los ministros del Interior de ambos gobiernos hace justo un mes. Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba y Rui Pereira se reunieron en Lisboa el pasado 23 de julio después de que la banda terrorista abandonara el 22 de junio en Huelva, a dos kilómetros de la frontera lusa, un coche con explosivos que había sido alquilado en Portugal. El ministro español explicó entonces que en los días posteriores a descubrirse ese coche se había especulado mucho sobre si había o no una infraestructura estable de ETA en Portugal y dijo: "No tenemos datos de que exista pero tampoco la descartamos". Dos heridos y numerosos daños El ministro Rubalcaba, avisaba horas antes del atentado de que "el silencio de Batasuna" era "el peor de los augurios" Los dos guardias civiles heridos eran los que hacían guardia en la garita de entrada. Uno de ellos tiene 30 años y presentaba cortes provocados por cristales y otras lesiones leves ocasionadas por la onda expansiva, según fuentes de la asociación de ayuda en carretera DYA, que lo atendió y lo evacuó al hospital de Galdakano. El segundo afectado, de 37 años, presentaba cortes en la mano derecha y se encontraba mareado. Ambos han sido dados de alta a primera hora de la mañana y han vuelto a la casa cuartel de Durango, aunque presentan un "shock traumático", según Joan Mesquida. La explosión ha ocasionado cuantiosos daños materiales en las instalaciones de la casa cuartel, donde 16 viviendas han quedado inhabilitadas. Según los vecinos de la zona, la explosión fue "muy fuerte", tanto que algunas fachadas han llegado a agrietarse. Incluso algunos locales situados a 400 metros de la explosión han resultado dañados. También quedaron destrozados una veintena de coches. Las fuentes consultadas precisaron que si los destrozos no han sido mayores es porque el perímetro del cuartel es grande y porque los coches blindados de la Guardia Civil también han servido para parar en parte el efecto de la onda expansiva. El coche explosionado después en Amorebieta. (Foto: AP) El alto mando policial, Joan Mesquida, manifestó que el atentado no desmotivará a las Fuerzas de Seguridad, sino que les "reafirmará en la determinación de luchar con mayor intensidad contra la banda". "Si hemos venido trabajando veinticuatro horas al día contra ETA, ahora trabajaremos veinticinco", proclamó. Incidió en que "el trabajo contra ETA ha sido intenso antes, durante y después de la tregua" y que la banda terrorista "sólo tiene un destino final, que son años de cárcel". Ninguna sorpresa para el Gobierno El atentado no pilla por sorpresa, ya que el Gobierno y las fuerzas antiterroristas llevaban días advirtiendo de dicha posibilidad. El pasado jueves, el ministro de Interior, Alfredo Pérez Rubalcaba, ya dijo que "el silencio de Batasuna es el peor de los augurios", aunque aseguró trabajaban para que éstos no se cumpliesen. Declaraciones que no hacían sino confirmar las palabras del ministro del día anterior, cuando reconoció que ETA ha intentado atentar en varias ocasiones desde la ruptura del alto el fuego, pero que se había logrado impedirlo. Dicha ruptura oficial de la banda terrorista ya se había hecho realidad tiempo antes, cuando atentaron contra la T-4 de Barajas causando dos muertos. Esta acción se ha producido 79 días después de que la organización terrorista hiciera público un comunicado en el que aseguraba que "no se dan las condiciones mínimas" para un proceso de negociación con el Gobierno español y anunciaba que desde ese momento actuaría "en todos los frentes en defensa de Euskal Herria" (País Vasco). Desde entonces se han producido diversos actos de violencia callejera y se ha denunciado el envío de nuevas cartas de extorsión a empresarios por parte de ETA. Además, la banda anunció la colocación de dos artefactos explosivos de muy escasa potencia al paso del Tour de Francia por Navarra que causaron mínimos daños materiales.	A police station of the Spanish was attacked today Friday by a in the city of , injuring two policemen. It is believed to be the first serious attack of the group ETA since it unilaterally ended a cease-fire in June. The blast caused serious damage to the police barracks in Durango, shattering windows and damaging police cars parked outside. Several nearby apartment buildings were also damaged. Police sources believe the bomb, estimated to contain between 80 and 100 kilograms of explosives, was detonated remotely by one of the two attackers who fled in another vehicle. Another car exploded about one hour later in the town of , possibly the one used by the activists to flee. ETA detonated two small explosive devices on July 25 along the route that the Tour of France used when the race dipped into northern Spain for a few hours. ETA called the cease-fire in March 2006, but grew frustrated with a lack of government concessions in ensuing peace talks, and set off a huge bomb in a parking area at Madrid's airport on December 30, killing two people. It insisted then that the truce was still in effect, but finally declared it formally over in June, and Spanish security forces have been on alert ever since.
The city wants to copy the success of Austin. Picture: Getty A MAJOR shake-up of late-night noise rules is being proposed by culture chiefs to boost Edinburgh’s flagging live music scene. The vow comes as some of the city’s biggest promoters came together to thrash out ideas on how to revitalise the Capital’s gig circuit. An open debate held at the Usher Hall yesterday – dubbed Live Music Matters – saw city officials and around 100 music industry big-hitters meet to address long-held complaints that stringent noise rules and a lack of venues stifled live music potential. Promoters and musicians branded current noise rules “draconian�? and claimed they promoted a “zero-tolerance�? approach that led to small venues being shut down after just a few complaints. The council admitted the current situation “can’t continue�? and pledged to set up a working group. Culture chiefs also promised to look into options that could see new residential buildings set up near established music venues forced to foot the bill for soundproofing following complaints – a rule already enforced in Australia. Yesterday’s meeting was held after it emerged the Capital was set to draw up a five-year masterplan to revitalise the city’s gig circuit and emulate live music meccas such as Austin, Texas – where the internationally renowned South by Southwest music festival is held. And city chiefs said the new working group – formed from licensing experts, politicians and industry insiders – could even involve input and advice from Austin’s rulers. Councillor Norma Austin Hart, vice-convenor for culture, told yesterday’s meeting: “I get the noise thing. It’s not just something that has come up today, it’s something that has come up in the past. This is something that we’re going to have to do something about. “I’m going to make a few personal commitments for some actions within the council. I don’t have a magic wand, but I do have suggestions about what we can do. “The first thing I’m going to suggest is that we set up an internal working group in the council – specifically on the noise issue. We need to get together people from licensing, the noise team, and some input from the industry itself, so that we can finally move this on. This can’t continue.�? She added: “We have had communication from Austin Council and they have volunteered to work with us.�? Jack Hunter, a musician and vice chair of Leith Theatre, said: “We must review the licensing policy. This whole issue of inaudibility seems to us draconian and zero-tolerance.�? Speaking after the meeting, Kevin Buckle, owner of Avalanche Records, insisted the conference had been “incredibly successful�?. He said: “I think it was very useful. And I think something concrete will come out of it, it’s just a case of timing. We are pushing at an open door.�? \|\|\|\|\| Local music professionals have joined forces with officials from the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss the state of the Capital’s live music scene. At Live Music Matters, an open forum held at the Usher Hall last night (Monday 17 November), a jam-packed audience of musicians, gig promoters, venue managers and academics discussed the current live music offering in Edinburgh and shared ideas on how to enhance the experience of live music for musicians and concertgoers. The debate was organised following a commitment in a report from June by the Council’s Culture and Sport Committee to increase understanding and awareness of the live music scene in Edinburgh, in order to capture the key issues and opportunities facing the music community in the Capital. Council policy on entertainment noise levels, the licensing and provision of live music venues in Edinburgh, and the support of grassroots talent emerged as hot topics for the local music community. Councillor Norma Austin Hart, Vice Convener for Culture and Sport, said: “It is only right that debate about the city’s music scene is led by the experience and insight of local professionals. The Council-run and operated Usher Hall provides an ideal venue for the Live Music Matters open forum to discuss the current offering that we have in Edinburgh, and ideas for making it even better. “What has become clear from the debate is that Edinburgh has a passionate and proud music industry, burgeoning with creative talent, and as a city we need to support this talent. Image credit: Alan Rennie Photography “Many venue owners and musicians feel that the Council’s current policy on noise levels can be a barrier to the development of Edinburgh’s music scene. To tackle this, we will specifically look at the current rules, and how these rules impact entertainment venues and residents. “The meeting has also highlighted the importance many people attach to music venues, which goes far beyond sentiment and is really around cultural enrichment. The music community has told us they want Edinburgh’s music venues to be protected, and so we will aim to identify whether that is an option, perhaps through a register of cultural venues. “Looking at ways to maintain and improve the city’s live music offering is a responsibility we need to face head on, and the Live Music Matters debate is only the beginning. We will now be gathering the comments and ideas from today’s discussion to look at ways we might be able to address them. Working in partnership will be crucial and the meeting today has reinforced that message. We will now set up a task force, called Music is Audible, with representatives from the music industry as well as the council." Karl Chapman, general manager of the Usher Hall, said: "The Usher Hall is a well placed venue to host this important debate, not just because it's cultural importance in developing the arts and live music in the city, but also because it's owned by the Council. "The debate has been truly fascinating and I was surprised and delighted to see the tickets go so quickly. It's been incredibly inspiring to hear everyone's thoughts from across the industry today. The event has certainly shown there is a demand for a healthy live music scene in the city and the City of Edinburgh Council and the Usher Hall are committed to supporting Live Music Matters by hosting future meetings here in the venue." John Stout, promoter at Regular Music, added: "It's fantastic to see the Council kick off this much needed conversation, and the open forum at the Usher Hall has covered the whole spectrum of live music in the city. "The contribution that these events make to the local economy and towards making Edinburgh a cosmopolitan city can't be underestimated. It will be interesting to see what the Council's next steps will be." The debate will continue on social media and residents can share thoughts on Twitter using #livemusicmatters, and on the Council’s blog. Further updates on the programme will become available later in the year. The Usher Hall is owned and managed by the City of Edinburgh Council, is an international concert which has a maximum capacity of 2900, hosts around 200 concerts and sells around 220,000 tickets annually.	Interior (stairwell) of 's Yesterday evening saw the in host a meeting between representatives of the (CEC) and the local rock and pop music scene. The meeting was dominated with local musicians' complaints over the "zero tolerance" policy Edinburgh is viewed as having adopted towards amplified music. The meeting began with the leading panel — Norma Austin Hart, vice-convener for Culture and Sport; John Stout, promoter from ''Regular Music''; Kevin Buckle, of local store ''Avalanche Records''; and Karl Chapman, manager of the Usher Hall — introducing themselves and outlining the purpose of the meeting. This being best-summarised as a desire to emulate the vibrant music scene of places as far-flung as , and , . Councillor Hart indicated officials from Austin had already offered to get involved in improving the live music scene in the city; although none were present from Austin, -born local musician Pat Dennis provided his frank opinion on where Edinburgh fails to nurture the local music scene: that failure to support a grass-roots, small venue, music scene prevents the city being capable of organising events similar to Austin's festival outwith August, when Edinburgh hosts the . Coming in for the lion's share of criticism, staff from CEC's Licensing Board were visibly uncomfortable when the topic of the "single complainant" was brought up time and time again. Unlike any other business within the city, or residential properties, noise pollution within premises permitted to sell alcohol is not managed by environmental health staff. That responsibility is bundled with the alcohol license, which leaves publicans fearful that their premises will be forced to close if they do not comply with demands to cease use of any amplification, or hosting live music. This was characterised as a 'tyranny of the minority', a most-undemocratic approach where one person — for example, recently moved into a property adjacent to a long-established premises hosting live music — could force the closure of a business which has hosted local talent for 30+ years. Taking heed of the strength of feeling from the majority present, Councillor Hart made a number of personal commitments towards the end of the meeting. Those included setting up a working group, ''Music is Audible'', to look at how the council could better work with venues, and to have a follow-up meeting in March next year. == Sources == * *
SHANGHAI — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton warned North Korea on Friday that it would face “consequences” for sinking a South Korean warship in March, as she set off on an intense round of shuttle diplomacy in Asia to muster an international response. “It is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences,” Mrs. Clinton said after meeting in Tokyo with the Japanese foreign minister, Katsuya Okada. “We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community.” The comments were the first from Mrs. Clinton on what South Korea has called a deliberate North Korean torpedo attack, which killed 46 sailors. Mrs. Clinton declined to lay out the options for a response, saying that would be “premature.” But other administration officials said they included action by the United Nations Security Council and joint American-South Korean naval exercises that could include antisubmarine warfare patrols. South Korea is also likely to squeeze the North economically by reducing trade ties. Mrs. Clinton, who flew to Shanghai later on Friday, will consult with Chinese officials in Shanghai and Beijing on the matter. China’s support is considered crucial, both because it holds a veto in the Security Council and because it is North Korea’s neighbor and the principal supporter of the North’s leader, Kim Jong-il. So far, China has been reluctant to condemn North Korea for the torpedo attack on the 1,200-ton corvette, the Cheonan — a reticence that has outraged many in South Korea. The escalating tensions between North and South Korea have scrambled what had been planned as three days of economic and security talks between China and the United States in Beijing next week. Now, those discussions will be partly eclipsed by what a senior American official characterized as the greatest military provocation on the Korean Peninsula in decades. Already, there is evidence that the tensions have influenced security calculations in the region. After declining for months to work out a deal to move a Marine Corps air base on the island of Okinawa, Japan now appears to be working toward a resolution, driven in part by a reaffirmation of the role the United States military plays in Japan’s security, officials said. Mr. Okada said his government was trying to convince residents of Okinawa that “in the current security environment, the presence of U.S. forces is indispensable for the security of Japan.” He said he hoped a deal would be reached by the end of May, the government’s self-imposed deadline. China is likely to be a tougher sell. President Hu Jintao hosted Mr. Kim during his train trip to China this month, just days after meeting with South Korea’s president, Lee Myung-bak. That showed China’s instinct not to take sides in disputes between the North and South. Still, Mrs. Clinton began laying out the case for China’s support in Tokyo, noting that the South Korean government’s investigation of the sinking had been a “thorough and comprehensive scientific examination,” echoing the words Chinese leaders had used in calling for a scientific investigation. The evidence collected, including part of a torpedo propeller, was “overwhelming and condemning,” she said. “Let me be clear: this will not, and cannot, be business as usual,” Mrs. Clinton said, speaking in a grave tone. “There must be an international, not just a regional, but an international response.” While Mrs. Clinton tours the American pavilion on the vast fairgrounds of the Shanghai Expo this weekend — the main event during her stop here — her aides will be huddling elsewhere, making the case that China must back punitive measures against the North. “We’d like to see them acknowledge the reality of what happened and then join with South Korea, Japan and us in fashioning a response,” said a senior administration official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. The administration finds itself in a delicate spot: orchestrating international support for South Korea while also deferring to President Lee on the timing and nature of the response. The United States is wary of aggravating an already tense situation; North Korea, which denies the torpedo attack, threatened to respond to military retaliation with “all-out war.” Mrs. Clinton did not speak to reporters traveling on her plane, breaking a common practice on trips by the secretary of state. An aide said she spoke to President Obama about the crisis while en route. Despite the bellicose language from the North, American officials said they did not believe the country was trying to precipitate a military attack. “The hope is that this was a one-off action,” one official said. “We have not seen evidence that this is the first step on the road to war.” When Mrs. Clinton wraps up her meetings in China next week, she will stop in Seoul, South Korea’s capital, to give public backing to President Lee. By then, aides said, there will be clarity on what steps he plans to take. \|\|\|\|\| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has warned North Korea must face international consequences over the sinking of a Southern warship in March. She said on a visit to Tokyo that, despite Pyongyang's denials, evidence the North had torpedoed the ship was "overwhelming". South Korea's president told his security chiefs the response to the sinking must be "very prudent". He also firmly blamed North Korea when he addressed his security council. It was a "surprise military attack from North Korea [that came] while South Korean people were resting late at night", President Lee Myung-bak said. Foreign investigators said in a report that a torpedo had hit the ship, killing 46 people. Experts from the US, the UK, Australia and Sweden found that parts of the torpedo retrieved from the sea floor had lettering that matched a North Korean design. 'Scientific' report Speaking after talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada, Mrs Clinton called on North Korea to "stop its provocative behaviour". ANALYSIS Continue reading the main story Serious but under control is how the situation can best be described after listening to Hillary Clinton and other senior US officials. The comments were Mrs Clinton's first in public on the investigation into the sinking of the Cheonan. Mrs Clinton said it could not be business as usual with North Korea. But options are limited - action at the UN is most likely if China is on board. A senior US official told me it is clear that South Korea does not wish to go to war and will not take steps that run that risk. He added there is also no evidence that North Korea is preparing to go to war despite all the rhetoric. The hope is that the torpedo attack was a one-off action but it is difficult to say for sure because North Korea's motivations are still unclear. While she said it would be premature to discuss options before consultations with countries in the region, the evidence of a Northern attack was, in her words, "overwhelming and condemning". "The torpedo that sunk the Cheonan... was fired by a North Korean submarine," she said. "We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community. "This will not be and cannot be business as usual. There must be an international, not just a regional, but an international response." Mrs Clinton, who is in Asia for a week-long tour, described the report on the sinking as "scientific", BBC state department correspondent Kim Ghattas reports from Japan. Her choice of words was interesting, our correspondent says. China was sceptical about the investigation and said it had to be scientific. Mrs Clinton is heading to China next. Earlier, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said that America, which has some 28,000 troops stationed in the South, was in "close consultation" with Seoul. 'Resolute counter-measures' South Korea's president is due to outline his plan of action early next week and this is thought likely to include taking the evidence of an attack to the UN Security Council in an attempt to win support for tougher sanctions on North Korea, the BBC's John Sudworth reports from Seoul. President Lee told his security council the sinking of the Cheonan on 26 March had violated the UN Charter and the 1953 armistice which effectively ended the Korean War. Ordering "systematic and resolute counter-measures against North Korea so that it cannot repeat this reckless provocation", he stressed the need for caution. "Since this case is very serious and has a grave importance, we cannot afford to have a slightest mistake and will be very prudent in all response measures we take," he said. South Korean Defence Minister Kim Tae-young told reporters at a separate briefing that the North would be "made to pay". Earlier, a number of explanations had been suggested for the sinking - including an accidental collision with an unexploded sea mine left over from the Korean War. The North accused the South on Friday of creating the conditions for war to break out on the Korean peninsula. "It just produced fragments and pieces of aluminium whose origin remains unknown as 'evidence', becoming the target of derision," an official told state media.	Hillary Clinton yesterday warned North Korea of "consequences" for its role in the sinking of a South Korean warship, calling the North's actions "provocative behavior." Clinton made her remarks after a meeting in Japan with the country's foreign minister, at the start of a trip through Asia. She said that "it is important to send a clear message to North Korea that provocative actions have consequences. We cannot allow this attack on South Korea to go unanswered by the international community." She declined to comment on what the consequences may be, although officials from the Obama administration said that they would include intervention from the United Nations Security Council, a plan also expected to be part of South Korea's response to the incident, as well as increased naval activity around the Korean peninsula involving both the American and South Korean navies. Clinton also said that any response would have to come from the global community at large, rather than just one or two countries. "Let me be clear: this will not, and cannot, be business as usual. There must be an international, not just a regional, but an international response."
Enlarge By Jack Gruber, USA TODAY Elena Kagan prepares to testify on the second day of hearings before the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on June 29. WASHINGTON Chief Justice John Roberts will swear in Elena Kagan as the nation's 112th Supreme Court justice on Saturday, making women one-third of the nation's highest court for the first time in history. Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg said Roberts telephoned Kagan to offer "warm congratulations" Thursday, shortly after the Senate confirmed her. The 63-37 vote was a victory for President Obama, who has doubled the number of women ever named to the Supreme Court with his first two nominees. "I am confident that Elena Kagan will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice," Obama said in Chicago, where he was traveling. "And I am proud, also, of the history we're making with her appointment." Kagan, 50, was the first woman to serve as U.S. solicitor general and the first female dean of Harvard Law School. When the court reconvenes on the first Monday in October, Kagan will join Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor as the first trio of women serving together as justices. "Long, long overdue," Senate Judiciary Chairman Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., said of the breakthrough. DESPITE PARTISAN SWATS: Kagan's path to bench clear Five Republican senators broke ranks with their party to support Kagan's nomination: Richard Lugar of Indiana; Judd Gregg of New Hampshire; Lindsey Graham of South Carolina; and Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe, both of Maine. One Democrat, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, voted no. Critics accused Kagan of being short on courtroom experience and holding liberal views on abortion and gun control. In Kagan, the president has appointed "someone who shares his progressive, elitist vision and is willing to advance it from the bench," warned Sen. Jeff Sessions of Alabama, who is the Judiciary Committee's top Republican. Kagan will be the first member of the court since the Chief Justice William Rehnquist to arrive without previous experience as a judge. Although some Republican senators, such as Scott Brown of Massachusetts, cited that as a reason to oppose her, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., hailed Kagan's different perspective on "the impact of the law on human beings." FULL COVERAGE: Latest from Supreme Court SUPREME COURT: Upcoming cases As solicitor general since last year, Kagan has served as the Obama administration's chief advocate before the Supreme Court, a position that could affect her ability to rule on some cases as a justice. She told Sessions in a letter that she will recuse herself from 11 cases on the court calendar that she helped argue or for which she helped write briefs. Under questioning from Republican senators, however, Kagan would not commit to recusing from a potential legal challenge to the administration's health care plan. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., said Kagan will be a "great antidote" to a court that he described as being dominated by "judicial activism of the right." However, Kagan is not expected to change the court's ideological balance, which tilts 5-4 in favor of conservatives. She's replacing retired justice John Paul Stevens, leader of the liberal wing. After the vote, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., apologized to Mitch McConnell, the Senate's top Republican, for being rude as he was explaining his opposition to Kagan, the Associated Press reported. Franken was presiding over the Senate as McConnell spoke. A Senate GOP aide said Franken made theatrical gestures and whispered under his breath as the Kentucky senator spoke. McConnell went up to the former comedian afterward and said, "This isn't Saturday Night Live, Al." The aide spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation. Franken later delivered a handwritten apology and issued a statement that said McConnell was "entitled to give his speech with the presiding officer just listening respectfully." \|\|\|\|\| Among the cases she is expected to sit in on when the new term starts in October are two major First Amendment clashes: one involving California’s attempts to limit the sale of violent video games to minors, the other on the free speech rights of protesters at military funerals. Because of her role as solicitor general in the Obama administration, Ms. Kagan has already identified 11 cases on the docket for the next term in which she would disqualify herself because she had worked on them for the White House. One concerns the privacy rights of scientists and engineers at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory who object to federal background checks. In the final vote, 5 Republicans joined 56 Democrats and 2 independents in supporting the nomination; 36 Republicans and one Democrat, Senator Ben Nelson of Nebraska, opposed her. In a sign of the import of the moment, senators formally recorded their votes from their desks. The partisan divide over the nomination illustrated the increasing political polarization of fights over Supreme Court nominees, who in years past were backed by both parties in the absence of some disqualifying factor. Ms. Kagan received fewer Republican votes than Justice Sotomayor, who was supported by nine Republicans in her 68-to-31 confirmation on Aug. 6, 2009. Democrats balked at Samuel A. Alito Jr., nominated by President George W. Bush, with only four endorsing him in a 58-to-42 vote in January 2006. Most Senate Republicans challenged Ms. Kagan’s nomination until the end, asserting that she lacked sufficient experience and had unfairly stigmatized the military by supporting a bar on recruiters at Harvard Law over the military’s policy against allowing gay men and lesbians to serve openly. They said her record in both Democratic administrations and her strong ties to Mr. Obama suggested that she would try to imprint her own political values and those of the president on court decisions. “Whether it’s small-claims court or the Supreme Court, Americans expect politics to end at the courtroom door,” said Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the Republican leader. “Nothing in Elena Kagan’s record suggests that her politics will stop there.” \|\|\|\|\| Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan laughs as she testifies on the third day of her Senate confirmation hearings in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, June 30, 2010. WASHINGTON \| WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama's nomination of Elena Kagan to the Supreme Court won Senate approval on Thursday, his second appointment to the court that decides abortion, death penalty and other contentious cases. The Democratic-led Senate voted largely along party lines, 63-37, to confirm the former Harvard Law School dean as the fourth female justice in U.S. history and the 112th high court member. Kagan was Obama's solicitor general, arguing government cases before the Supreme Court, when he named her in May as his choice to replace the retiring liberal Justice John Paul Stevens. The 50-year-old Kagan, who will be the third woman on the current court, is not expected to change the ideological balance of power on the closely divided panel, which for years has been dominated by a 5-4 conservative majority. All Democratic senators but one voted for her, two independent senators voted for her and five Republicans voted for her. All other Republican senators opposed her nomination. OBAMA'S JUDICIAL LEGACY Kagan becomes Obama's second lifetime appointee on the nine-member Supreme Court, allowing him to reshape the court and leave a judicial legacy that could last long after he leaves office. U.S. appeals court Judge Sonia Sotomayor was confirmed last year by a 68-31 vote as the first Hispanic Supreme Court justice. The two appointments underscore an effort by Obama to move the court to the left after Republican President George W. Bush nominated a pair of conservative judges to the bench. Kagan's nomination proved to be less contentious than expected and was largely overshadowed in the Senate by the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and concerns over the sluggish U.S. economy. The three days of Senate debate that ended Thursday often reflected partisan differences ahead of the congressional elections in November, when one-third of the Senate and the entire House of Representatives will be up for re-election. Democratic senators praised Kagan for her legal intellect, her ability to build consensus, for bringing a fresh perspective to the court and for being fair-minded. It will be the first time that the court has three female justices. Republican senators said Kagan, a White House lawyer during Bill Clinton's presidency, seemed driven more by politics than the law and lacked judicial experience. She becomes the first justice in nearly 40 years who had never been a judge. Kagan will be sworn in on Saturday, a Supreme Court spokeswoman said. The court is in recess until October, when it will return to the bench for a new term to hear disputes on immigration, violent videos and other cases. (Additional reporting by Rick Cowan, Editing by Stacey Joyce)	File photo of Elena Kagan US Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan has been confirmed by the US Senate by a vote of 63–37 and will be sworn in Saturday by Chief Justice John Roberts as a Supreme Court Associate Justice. Shortly after the Senate vote, Justice Roberts offered the 50-year-old Kagan "warm congratulations," according to Supreme Court spokeswoman Kathy Arberg. 56 Democrats, five Republicans, and two Independents voted to confirm Kagan. 35 Republicans and one Democrat voted against her. The Republicans that voted for Kagan were of Indiana, of New Hampshire, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, and and , both of Maine. Democrat , of Nebraska, voted against Kagan. "I am confident that Elena Kagan will make an outstanding Supreme Court justice," said US president Barack Obama after Kagan was confirmed. Obama also said that Kagan would have a positive impact on the conservative-majority court because she "understands that the law isn’t just an abstraction or an intellectual exercise" and that "she knows that the Supreme Court’s decisions shape not just the character of our democracy, but the circumstances of our daily lives." Senate Judiciary Chairman (Democrat-Vermont) also said that Kagan's confirmation was "long, long overdue." Kagan is a former dean of the Harvard Law School, a legal adviser during the Clinton administration, and the in the current Obama administration. She becomes the fourth woman ever to serve on the court and will become the third current female justice, joining Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Sotomayor was also appointed by Obama and confirmed by the Senate by a 68–31 vote. Kagan replaces retiring Justice John Paul Stevens, who is the leading liberal on the court.
La ministra Carolina Darias ha declarado que "no es posible, adecuado, oportuno ni conveniente" que la final entre Athletic y Real Sociedad se dispute con la presencia de aficionados en las gradas. Imagen de un derbi Athletic - Real Sociedad en San Mamés. Foto: EFE El portavoz del Gobierno Vasco, Bingen Zupiria, ha advertido de que dada la situación sanitaria actual "no parece el mejor momento para invitar al público a asistir a un encuentro de fútbol". El coordinador de la Comisión Técnica del LABI espera resolver el freno a AstraZeneca "en pocos días". Observan con "preocupación" el crecimiento de contagios paralelo a una ocupación alta de UCI El lehendakari advierte de que, para hacer frente a una nueva ola, se partiría de "un mayor tensionamiento" en las UCIs que en anteriores ocasiones. El Certificado Digital Verde será gratuito y ofrecerá información sobre si una persona se ha vacunado, si tiene anticuerpos por haber superado la covid-19 o si cuenta con una prueba PCR negativa. El Certificado Digital Verde será gratuito y contendrá un QR con información sobre si una persona se ha vacunado, si tiene anticuerpos o una prueba PCR negativa. Hay que retroceder hasta el 9 de febrero para encontrar un dato tan alto (se registraron 139 casos). Sin embargo, crece la incidencia acumulada, la tasa de positividad y el número reproductivo básico. La presión hospitalaria se mantiene con un ligero empeoramiento. Eso demostraría que los anticuerpos generados por la vacuna en la madre han traspasado la placenta y han llegado al bebé. La niña o el niño llega protegido al mundo. Además, la vacuna de la filial farmacéutica de la estadounidense Jonhson & Jonhson es la primera vacuna aprobada que requiere una sola dosis para generar inmunidad contra la covid-19. Janssen anuncia que su vacuna podrá utilizarse en embarazadas y lactantes. Foto: Pixabay Ocho muertos en varios tiroteos en tres salones de masajes asiáticos en Atlanta 0:52 22 familias, más cerca de recuperar los restos de sus allegados del Valle de los Caídos 1:10 Los restaurantes de alta cocina, los primeros en agotar los bonos en Bilbao 1:44 eitb.eus te ofrece un adelanto de la película ''Dardara'' 1:03 La campaña electoral madrileña se cuela en el Congreso 2:15 Nacen los primeros bebés con anticuerpos contra la covid-19 1:35 Segundo paro de los trabajadores de Kutxabank en defensa del convenio colectivo 0:52 Entran en vigor en Euskadi las medidas para el puente de San José y la Semana Santa 1:27 En una entrevista televisiva que se emitirá hoy, el presidente estadounidense se ha referido a la última oleada migratoria que están protagonizando sobre todo menores de edad no acompañados. Franja fronteriza entre el área de El Paso (Texas) y Sunland Park (Nuevo México). Foto: EFE Entrevistada en Radio Vitoria, Pilar García de Salazar, diputada de promoción económica y Teniente de Diputado general, sostiene que Araba es la mejor posicionada en la CAV para acoger este proyecto Han denunciado que la interinidad afecta al 40 % de la plantilla, “más de 50 000 empleados de los 150 000” que trabajan en el sector público. En enero de 1995, ETA mató a un policía e hirió a otro de gravedad en Bilbao, y en septiembre de 1994 hizo estallar una bomba en un banco de Getxo, causando daños materiales. Amaia Antxustegi y Elixabete Etxanobe han tomado posesión de sus cargos como diputadas de Sostenibilidad y Medio Natural y de Administración y Relaciones Institucionales, respectivamente. Iriarte ofrece al lehendakari su colaboración en materia de fondos europeos ante el "lío generalizado" que existe en el Estado, y este promete "nuevas alianzas". El ministro de Interior ha dicho que es el Poder Judicial el que tiene que determinar si hay elementos para ordenar la reapertura. El PNV ha pedido que se desclasifique la documentación oficial. Publicidad Sociedad El Tiempo El puente de San José será gélido. Foto: Joseba Ortiz de Luzuriaga (Vitoria-Gasteiz) Puente de San José gélido E. G. \| EITB MEDIA El viernes se presenta lluvioso, y aunque durante el resto del fin de semana podría precipitar, lo hará de manera escasa. El Gobierno Vasco activará el aviso amarillo por nieve a partir del viernes. Relacionados: El Tiempo Sociedad EL TIEMPO El inverno de la CAV ha sido muy cálido y extremadamente húmedo en 2021. Foto: Irekia El invierno ha sido muy cálido y extremadamente húmedo EITB MEDIA El de 2021 ha sido el quinto invierno más cálido en lo que va de siglo. Los episodios de meteorología adversa han estado relacionados con los temporales de mar, viento y lluvia, así como de nieve. CIENCIA Y DIVULGACIÓN Todas las charlas. Buscar en eitb alacarta buscar \|\|\|\|\| Go to: Guardian Unlimited home UK news World news Comment is free blog Newsblog Sport blog arts & entertainment blog Podcasts ---------------------- Archive search Arts and entertainment Books Business EducationGuardian.co.uk Environment Film Football Jobs Life and health MediaGuardian.co.uk Money Music The Observer Politics Science Shopping SocietyGuardian.co.uk Sport Talk Technology Travel Been there ---------------------- Audio Email services Special reports The Guardian The northerner The wrap ---------------------- Advertising guide Crossword Events / offers Feedback Garden centre GNM press office Graduate GuardianFilms Headline service Help / contacts Information Living our values Newsroom Notes & Queries Reader Offers Soulmates dating Style guide Syndication services Travel offers TV listings Weather Web guides Working for us ---------------------- Guardian Abroad Guardian Monthly Guardian Weekly Money Observer Public Learn Guardian back issues Observer back issues Guardian Professional \|\|\|\|\| Ian Paisley rejected Sinn Fein's nomination to be first minister Mr Paisley had already indicated that he intended to reject the nomination. Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams also put forward party colleague Martin McGuinness as deputy first minister. Declining the nomination, Mr Paisley said his "reasons were well known and had been endorsed by the majority of the unionist voters". Despite Mr Paisley declining the first minister's post, it is still possible for members to debate policy matters under the assembly's temporary rules, although laws cannot be made. Speaking afterwards, Mr Paisley said: "Our stand is clear, it is not going to be altered and it is simple: let's have British democracy in British Ulster." Mr Paisley also said he would refuse to sit with Ulster Unionist leader Sir Reg Empey because of his association with PUP leader David Ervine, whose party has links to the loyalist paramilitary UVF. The UUP's move could mean they receive an extra ministerial post, at the expense of Sinn Fein, if a government is formed. "If Mr Empey wants the support of a terrorist organisation, let him have it, but he'll not have my support," Mr Paisley added. QUICK GUIDE Northern Ireland conflict Mr Adams said his party wanted to see a power-sharing executive set up as quickly as possible. "There is a sense of wanting to get business done as quickly as possible, that is what we are about," he said. "What we are looking for is a committee or a series of committees which will deal with the whole issue of forming the executive led by senior leaders of all of the parties. "If that can't happen, then the DUP can only say no so many times." The DUP have also criticised UUP leader Sir Reg Empey The UUP's Sir Reg Empey said he hoped the assembly would be able to debate a motion calling for the establishment of a committee for the restoration of devolution. "What we are asking the secretary of state to do is to allow a motion on the order paper for our next business to appoint a committee on the restoration of devolution," he said. "The general public would at least know that we were actually engaged in serious business." SDLP leader Mark Durkan said Northern Ireland's parties should face up to their responsibilities and allow other parties to do the same. "What we have to do is to bring purpose to this whole enterprise... We have to get back to what we have been mandated to do which is to implement the Good Friday Agreement," he said. "We will test the positions of other parties and we will test the worth of the government's word as well." 'Devolution benefits' Earlier on Monday, Scottish First Minister Jack McConnell addressed assembly members at Stormont. Northern Ireland Secretary Peter Hain invited Mr McConnell to Belfast to "highlight the benefits of devolution". Mr McConnell said that he was not in Northern Ireland to lecture assembly members, but to offer evidence on the advantages of devolution. "We have made great progress under devolution in Scotland. Scotland is a far better country today than it was seven years ago." On 15 May, Northern Ireland's politicians took their seats in the Stormont assembly for the first time since October 2002. While there is no immediate prospect of a power-sharing executive being formed, the government hopes recalling the politicians will help to pave the way towards a deal in the autumn, by its deadline of 24 November. Devolved government was suspended over allegations of a republican spy ring. The court case that followed collapsed. Direct rule from London was restored in October 2002 and has been in place since.	Logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Ian Paisley Plans to restart the Northern Ireland Assembly failed today as the controversial Democratic Unionist Party leader and Protestant evangelist Ian Paisley rejected the nomination by Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams for him to be First Minister of a new Northern Ireland Executive. Gerry Adams nominated his colleague, Martin McGuinness, the deputy leader of Sinn Fein to be the Deputy First Minister. Britain restarted a shadow version of the Assembly last week for the first time in 3 1/2 years to form a power sharing home rule government made up Catholics and Protestants by a November 24 as directed by the Belfast Agreement. However, accusations of a spy ring lead to the suspension of the Assembly and direct rule from London was reinstated in 2002. Adams rose to his feet and uttered the following "I want to move that Iain Paisley be returned as First Minister and Martin McGuinness be returned as Deputy First Minister on the restoration of devolved government," in Gaelic before translating it for the rest of the Assembly to understand. After being asked by Speaker Eileen Bell, "Dr. Paisley, do you accept the nomination as first minister on restoration of a devolved government?" Paisley rejected the nomination instantly stating "Certainly not, madam! And I think it goes without saying that the reasons are known well throughout this province, and they've been endorsed by the majority of unionist voters." Paisley further more stated, "Are we going to have in the government of Northern Ireland those who are terrorists, those that condoned and even planned murders, who robbed banks, who committed criminal acts and who will not support the police?" The DUP will not support Sinn Fein until the Irish Republican Army disbands, renounces crime and Sinn Fein accepts the Police Service of Northern Ireland, something it has refused to do for decades during the time of the Royal Ulster Constabulary. The United States Special Envoy to Northern Ireland, Mitchell Reiss, stated "We need to start getting on with business, talking to each other, trying to work out some of the problems today, not leaving them until the last minute." The Assembly has adjourned until Tuesday.
By SURREY, B.C. Meet Miga, Quatchi and Sumi, the mascots of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics who were introduced to the world Tuesday. Miga is snowboarding, surfing orca whale and Kermode bear hybrid. Quatchi is a Sasquatch, better known outside British Columbia as Bigfoot, who enjoys hockey and photography. Sumi is an alpine ski-loving animal spirit with the wings of a Thunderbird and legs of a black bear. The trio is accompanied by Mukmuk, a Vancouver Island marmot who is not an official mascot, but a sidekick who enjoys eating, burrowing and making friends. The quartet - designed by Vicki Wong of Vancouver and Michael Murphy of Los Angeles - made their debut in a four-minute animated video and in larger-than-life form for an audience of elementary school children and guests in an RCMP-secured theatre. Vancouver Olympic organizers began an international search for designers on Sept. 28, 2006 and received 177 expressions of interest. Wong and Murphy's company Meomi Design was chosen on Dec. 15, 2006. Their designs were tested in focus groups in Vancouver, Toronto and Seattle. The research showed the characters were universally liked among all age groups, said a VANOC news release. All of the mascots were considered fun, cute and friendly and parents universally considered them to be appropriate for their children. The Calgary 1988 Winter Olympics' mascots were twin, cowboy hat-wearing polar bears Hidy and Howdy. The 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal featured Amik the beaver. The 2010 Winter Olympics begin in 808 days on Feb. 12, 2010 in Vancouver's B.C. Place Stadium. Two years ago, VANOC chose a controversial multicoloured Inuit inukshuk as its logo. There are no Inuit tribes in the Olympics' host province. \|\|\|\|\| Forget for just a moment that you are adult readers with adult ideas of what the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots should look and act like. Don't think about the revenue that will be made from the sale of squeezable plush toy copies of the three new mascots, or whether the names are too Japanese-sounding or too easy to parody or even whether they represent Canada. Instead, Vanoc wants you to look at them through the eyes of children like eight-year-old Chantal Brasad, who giggled and smiled wide when asked which she likes most: Miga the Sea Bear, Quatchi the Sasquatch, or Sumi, the Thunderbird. “Oh, Miga. She's just so huggable. And she dances so well.” Or Aman Pooni, 10, a classmate at Kennedy Trail Elementary in Surrey. “Quatchi is my favourite. He's big and furry and lots of fun.” Or Simran Singh, 10: “I like Sumi because he's many different animals all at once. And he can fly.” Brasad, Pooni and Singh were among the 800 children from eight schools treated to the first look at the new mascots for the Vancouver Games. They were introduced to the creatures during a half-hour live show at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey. Without exception, the reaction from the crowds was one of excitement, expectation and ultimately acceptance as they discovered the identities of the animals. This was the validation of months of work by Vanoc staff and two designers from Vancouver-based Meomi Design to try and find animal emblems that would resonate with children as ambassadors to both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. What they settled upon was a combination of uniquely British Columbian animals and myths, none of them real in life, but very much alive in the minds of children. And to boot, they added a virtual sidekick, Mukmuk, a Vancouver Island marmot who likes to eat and will likely never be seen in the flesh. In the moments after the children were treated to the show, both CEO John Furlong and Dave Cobb, the executive vice-president of marketing, admitted they'd gotten their choices wrong when they tested the images in secret focus groups. Of six designs put before children in Toronto, Montreal, Seattle, and the Lower Mainland over the last year, both men said the images they thought children would like the most were the ones everybody liked least. “Which is to say that 40- and 50-year-old men don't know what mascots should look like,” Furlong said. “But kids do.” That, they say, is the key to what the mascot program is all about. Seeing mascots through the eyes of adults produces stereotypical ideas like bears, salmon, otters, and eagles. Seeing them from the height of a 10-year-old, like Graham Fleming of Richmond, gives a different perspective. “He's big, he's fluffy, he's cool, he's kind, and just a very enthusiastic mascot,” he said of Quatchi, who towered over him. In unveiling the three mascots and their sidekick, Vanoc joined a long list of organizing committees that have used cute and cuddly as the benchmarks for successful mascots. None of the mascots actually exist in real life: Miga the Sea Bear is a combination of an orca and a Kermode bear that her designers say likes surfing and snowboarding, and lives off the coast of Vancouver Island. Her black costume includes a fin coming out of her head. Sumi, the Paralympic mascot, is a horned-hat-wearing Thunderbird from Whistler that likes alpine skiing. And Quatchi is the first Sasquatch in history to actually make an appearance before human beings. The young sasquatch, complete with blue earmuffs, likes hockey, photography and travel, and, given his hulking size, dreams of being a goalie. As for Mukmuk, he's such a rare animal that Ali Gardiner, Vanoc's director of brand and creative services, says he won't show up much in public. Officially he's not a mascot, making him the first sidekick in Olympic history, she said. Reaction to the mascots was swift. Vanoc's own Internet servers nearly crashed under the high demand of those wanting details. And reader response to The Vancouver Sun's front page Internet story was prolonged and mixed. Within hours of the story being posted, there were over 300 comments, many of them raking the designs as being too childish or not local enough. “Why not just use a 7-foot Wookie and a couple Ewoks while we're at it?” wrote one reader, alluding to characters from the Star Wars movies. Many readers suggested Miga was similar to Pokemon's Hello Kitty. But others said the designs clearly had West Coast elements and were clever enough for children. “I like them. For those of you that think they don't represent Vancouver, the Thunderbird is UBC's mascot and the Sasquatch is popular in the Fraser Valley,” wrote another reader. The mascots are the creation of Vancouver graphic designers Vicki Wong and Michael Murphy, who own Meomi Design. Vanoc says that although the two provided more than 20 different concepts, it was Quatchi, Miga and Sumi that they first proposed and were selected as winning designs. The only major glitch in the design process was the discovery that an early name for Quatchi actually had a rude connotation in another language. Cobb wouldn't say what the word was, but insisted Vanoc has carefully vetted all of the creatures' names. He didn't think “Sumi” would be parodied into “Sue Me.” Wong said she became interested in the concept of transformation and transfiguration when researching the designs. She said she and Murphy settled on the figures after she discovered a first nations legend about how killer whales transformed into bears on land. She mixed the white kermode bear of B.C.'s mid-coast and came up with Miga. “We had about three months to do research and fill up sketch books of ideas. We just drew and drew and drew,” Wong said, adding she and Murphy were inspired by aboriginal art they found in B.C. The existence of the mascots was kept so hush-hush that even Cobb and Furlong said they didn't tell their daughters, Gillian and Holly, who were only allowed to see the mascots this evening. Vanoc conducted three separate shows today. The first was for children from eight schools in the Lower Mainland and Sea To Sky corridor. Also attending were Nancy Campbell, the wife of Premier Gordon Campbell and a principal at Howe Sound Secondary, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper's wife, Laureen Harper, and their daughter, Rachel. The second show in the afternoon was for Vanoc staff who, like the public, had been kept in the dark about the mascots' identities. And in the evening, Vanoc put on a final show for its sponsors and special guests. Vanoc says the three mascots will make their first public appearances Wednesday in Vancouver and Toronto. In February, they’ll make the rounds of Quebec's Winter Carnival and Ottawa's Winterlude. As much as mascots are supposed to be a hit with children, they also represent a major financial opportunity for Vanoc. Cobb wouldn't say how much of Vanoc's $46-million budgeted revenue from licensed products he hopes will come from the mascots, but it won't be insignificant. And Vanoc is striking quickly: starting today a range of plush toys, clothing, pins, and other memorabilia will be stocked in HBC, the department store sponsor. Cobb said much of the merchandise will be made in China, although the contract was awarded to a Burnaby company. He deflected reporters' questions about how Vanoc will ensure the merchandise isn't manufactured in sweatshops, saying the committee has insisted its suppliers meet high standards of ethical conduct. jefflee@png.canwest.com © (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc. \|\|\|\|\| >TELL A FRIEND >PRINTER FRIENDLY >SUBSCRIBE TO PORTFOLIO E-MAIL Attention News Editors/See CNW Photo Network and Archive: Vancouver 2010 Mascots Introduced to the World MIGA, QUATCHI AND SUMI MAKE THEIR DEBUT BEFORE HUNDREDS OF SCHOOLCHILDREN, AND ON VANCOUVER2010.COM VANCOUVER, Nov. 27 /CNW/ - Months of mystery and anticipation finally ended today as hundreds of local schoolchildren were the first to personally meet Miga, Quatchi and Sumi, the mascots for the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Many more children around the globe had a virtual introduction to these friendly figures on a new mascot microsite at www.vancouver2010.com. More than 800 schoolchildren from grades three to five filled the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey, BC today to witness three enchanting characters emerge from the mists of a magical West Coast setting of gigantic trees, soaring mountains and a restless ocean, to take their place in history as cherished personalities of the 2010 Winter Games. Designed by the Vancouver-based company Meomi Design, Miga, Quatchi and Sumi were inspired by local Aboriginal mythological creatures and also strongly influenced by popular culture, modern animation styles, the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, the culture and wildlife of British Columbia and Canada, and the artists' own imagination. Each of the creatures is unique, both in personality and physical appearance. Miga is a snowboarding sea bear inspired by the legends of the Pacific Northwest First Nations - tales of orca whales that transform into bears when they arrive on land. Part Spirit Bear, a rare white bear unique to BC, Miga's outgoing spirit and high energy draw her to action and adventure. Quatchi, a shy and gentle giant, is a sasquatch - a popular figure in local Aboriginal legends of the Pacific West Coast. Quatchi reminds us of the mystery and wonder associated with the great Canadian wilderness. Although Quatchi loves all winter sports, he's especially fond of hockey and dreams of becoming a world-famous goalie. Sumi is an animal spirit who wears the hat of the orca whale, flies with the wings of the mighty thunderbird and runs on the furry legs of the black bear. With a name that is derived from the Salish word 'sumesh,' meaning 'guardian spirit,' Sumi is passionate about the environment and is a fan of all Paralympic sports. Joining the three mascots is a friend, or 'sidekick,' by the name of Mukmuk. Mukmuk is a rare marmot unique to the mountains of Vancouver Island. While he's not officially a mascot, Mukmuk is considered an honourary member of the team and enjoys surprising his friends by popping up on occasion to share in the spirit and fun of the Games. Mukmuk's name comes from the Squamish word for food ('muckamuck') because he loves to eat - when he's not playing with his mascot friends. People across Canada and around the world are meeting the mascots on a specially designed mascot 'microsite' at vancouver2010.com. The microsite includes exciting child-friendly features such as an animated mascot video, character profiles, an online game, a mascot-related personality quiz, interactive e-cards, colouring pages and more. "Miga, Quatchi and Sumi are ambassadors for Canada and we are thrilled to introduce them to Canadians and people from around the world," said John Furlong, Chief Executive Officer for the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC). "Great care has been taken in developing and designing these Vancouver 2010 characters. They will tell a unique story about the Games and they will appeal to children across Canada and around the world. The mascots truly represent the people, geography and spirit of British Columbia and Canada, while personifying the essence of the 2010 Winter Games." The mascots are a key component of the Games identity and a playful way to engage a young audience and, at the same time, increase understanding of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The mascot launch represents a significant milestone on the road to staging the 2010 Winter Games. Said René Fasel, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Coordination Commission: "The IOC welcomes these imaginative new additions to the Olympic Family as they take their place on the world stage today - a symbol of the Games and of Canada. We know that when Olympians, Paralympians and visitors from around the globe arrive in British Columbia at Games time, they will fall under the spell of these captivating characters." Noted Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee: "The mascot for the Vancouver 2010 Paralympic Winter Games is an excellent choice and I am sure that it will be loved by children all over the world. It represents the values of the Paralympic Movement, but also links to the Aboriginal Canadian culture and tradition." The second phase of the vancouver2010.com mascot program is scheduled for 2008, when additional online games and interactive features will be added. The online program takes traditional Games mascots to a new level, leveraging the reach of the internet so that children around the world can experience the mascots. The mascots will also be featured in the December issue of /EDU (at www.vancouver2010.com/edu), an online portal dedicated to connecting teachers, students and schools while celebrating the spirit of the 2010 Winter Games. Beginning tomorrow, the mascots will make appearances across Canada as ambassadors of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, inviting Canadians from coast to coast to celebrate Vancouver 2010, as well as bringing fun and goodwill to events leading up to the Games. At Games time, these friendly figures will make appearances throughout the Vancouver region and the Sea-to-Sky corridor, offering a warm welcome to all. VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. /NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available on the CNW Photo Network and archived at http://photos.newswire.ca. Additional archived images are also available on the CNW Photo Archive website at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/ For further information: Media Contacts: Katie Green, Vancouver 2010, (778) 328-6473; Margaret Nevin, Vancouver 2010, (778) 328-6475 Vancouver 2010 Mascots VANCOUVER ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE 2010 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES VANCOUVER ORGANIZING COMMITTEE FOR THE 2010 OLYMPIC AND PARALYMPIC WINTER GAMES - More on this organization News Releases (252) Photo Archive VANOC VANOC - More on this organization News Releases (143) Photo Archive >TELL A FRIEND >PRINTER FRIENDLY >SUBSCRIBE TO PORTFOLIO E-MAIL \|\|\|\|\| What do you think of Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga? Sumi, Quatchi, and Miga are the official mascots for the 2010 Olympic Games. (Image courtesy of VANOC) The three mascots and a sidekick for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver are inspired by traditional First Nations creatures, VANOC announced Tuesday. Miga is a mythical First Nations sea bear that is part killer whale and part Kermode spirit bear, "who lives in the ocean with her family pod, beyond Vancouver Island, near Tofino, British Columbia," according to a VANOC press release. Quatchi is a "young sasquatch who comes from the mysterious forests of Canada." The third mascot, Sumi, an animal-guardian spirit, is a Thunderbird that wears the hat of an orca. Sumi will be the mascot of the Paralympics. The three creatures' sidekick is Mukmuk, a Vancouver Island marmot. What do you think? Do you like the new mascots? \|\|\|\|\| VANCOUvER - Canada's professional graphic designers say they hope the new mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Games properly represent Western Canada, saying they don't want another "Pac-Man on a pile of stones" like the Inukshuk chosen for the Vancouver 2010 logo. Mark Busse, president of the B.C. chapter of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada, said Monday designers across the country are watching with great interest today's unveiling of the Games mascots. The society worked with Vanoc last year to bring in design standards that would prevent a repeat of the controversy that dogged the choice of Ilanaaq, the Inukshuk logo. Two years ago, Vanoc threw the logo design open to the public, then paid the winner a token amount that the society said was considerably less than the value of work done. The society also complained about Vanoc's demand that all designs, whether used or not, became its property in perpetuity, for which it paid no fees. As a result of the criticism, Vanoc approached the society to help set minimum standards for the mascot design. One major change that arose out of the negotiations was a three-stage bid process and payment to graphic designers. Busse said many of the 3,000-plus professional graphic designers are still sensitive about the way the logo was developed, but are pleased that Vanoc listened to their concerns. Still, the society is hoping the mascots will be representative of B.C. as the host province, he said. "It is something that has got to feel British Columbian, because certainly that Inukshuk doesn't," Busse said. "It's very important to designers because we don't want another cutesy little smiley-faced Pac-Man on a pile of stones to represent the rest of us. We're hoping for something elegant and intelligent and relevant." Whether a mascot that is destined to be marketed as a plush toy, emblazoned on clothing and make visits to schools can meet that test will be revealed today in Surrey. More than 800 children from eight Lower Mainland schools will be at the televised launch of the mascots at the Bell Performing Arts Centre. Maureen Douglas, Vanoc's director of communications for the mascot program, said life-sized mascots will embark almost immediately on a series of visits to schools, department stores and winter festivals across the country. Douglas wouldn't say how many mascots there are or sets of costumes Vanoc had to create. The first appearance after today's unveiling will be at a Hudson's Bay store in the Lower Mainland. HBC, one of the 2010 Games' major sponsors, wants to use them to interact with children in the store, Douglas said. But over the next few weeks the mascots will also be deployed in schools as part of an Olympic education program created by Vanoc. They will take a break through the Christmas season before heading to Ottawa for the Winterlude festival. jefflee@png.canwest.com \|\|\|\|\| Hyper-hush surrounds 2010 Games mascots 'til Tuesday Jeff Lee, Vancouver Sun Published: Saturday, November 24, 2007 On Tuesday, the biggest Olympic secret since Vanoc's unveiling of its Inukshuk logo two years ago will be revealed when the mascots for the 2010 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are made public. The drama has been building. Websites and blogs have been speculating on what inevitably cuddly, cute creatures the Vancouver Organizing Committee has come up with. What's at stake is an indelible image Vanoc wants recognized around the world, representative of British Columbia and Canada. They want mascots that will tie children and youth into the Olympic movement and to the Winter Games. They also expect the mascots to drive their marketing and licence revenues. On Wednesday morning licensees will stock stores with every manner of mascot-branded toy, clothing and trinket. There has already been a frenzy among memorabilia collectors who have tried to get tickets to the unveiling at the Bell Performing Arts Centre in Surrey. Some have gone so far as to ask reporters if they can work as their assistants. In response, hyper-secrecy has been the order of the day; Vanoc has kept details off Internet-enabled computers and hidden them from search engines that scour patent and trademark databases around the world. Vanoc has kept most of its staff in the dark. Only slightly more than a dozen employees and executives, the design team and a few close-mouthed sponsors who needed to develop pin designs know the details. Even people working with the design team who don't need access to the images haven't been shown them. Vanoc is even reluctant to take reporters' calls about the design and process. The launch, as Dave Cobb, Vanoc's executive vice-president of marketing and communications, says, is one of the signature events in the run-up to the Games, and the principle of "loose lips sink ships" has been practised to high art form. In one unintended hint, Vanoc CEO John Furlong once referred to the mascots in a speech as "critters." We also know that the winning submission came from a pair of graphic designers, location unknown, whose bid was among 178 submissions professional designers made to Vanoc last September. So, with all that in mind, what else is known about the mascots? Well, there are at least two -- one for the Olympics and one for the Paralympics. There might possibly be more, but Vanoc won't say if it is following in the steps of other Games committees that have chosen multiple mascots. They will also have two legs. They have to, in order for humans to operate them. Even if they are, speculatively speaking, four-legged sea otters or Vancouver Island marmots, two-finned beluga whales or a first nations-inspired thunderbird with wings. Will they be uniquely identifiable as British Columbian? After all, even Premier Gordon Campbell has weighed in, suggesting the white kermode bear of B.C.'s central coast would be appropriate. Vanoc is keeping mum. But Ali Gardiner, Vanoc's director of brand and creative services, does say the winning designs are ones that Canadians will adopt as their own and yet have regional characteristics that people in any province can accept. \|\|\|\|\| Controversy is growing among some native leaders over the choice of emblem for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. The emblem – a five-piece, multicoloured Inukshuk logo – was unveiled in Vancouver on Saturday night. While Nunavut Premier Paul Okalik and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami president Jose Kusugak both support the design, the former commissioner of Nunavut and at least two British Columbia native leaders are unhappy with it. The official 2010 Winter Olympic emblem during its unveiling in Vancouver on Saturday evening. (CP photo) Peter Irniq, a former Nunavut commissioner, said Tuesday the emblem, called "Ilanaaq" (which means friendship in Inuktitut) should not be called an Inukshuk. The Inukshuk is an Inuit symbol designed as a directional marker, signifying safety, hope and friendship. Irniq has built the stone figures throughout Canada and the United States. He says every Inukshuk has a meaning and a reason why it was built in a certain location. He says building the figures should not be taken lightly. "Inuit never build Inukshuk with head, legs and arms. I have seen Inukshuk built more recently – 100 years maybe by non-Inuit in Nunavut – with head, legs and arms. These are not called Inukshuk. These are called 'inunguat,' [meaning] imitation of man, imitation of a person," he told CBC. Irniq says the Olympic committee should have consulted with the elders of Nunavut before they chose the design. "Inukshuk is like survival. Inukshuks' important significance is survival. What we think about Inukshuk is what we think about the Canadian flag," said Irniq. "It is that important." Lack of West Coast influence criticized On Monday, two B.C. native leaders questioned why the emblem doesn't have more West Coast influence. Grand Chief Edward John of the First Nations Summit said some native leaders were so upset with the logo they were prepared to walk out of the unveiling ceremony. "First Nations in British Columbia helped sway the Olympic selection committee," John told the Canadian Press. "One of the first important acts the [Vancouver 2010] committee did was kind of a slight on the support of First Nations." YOUR SPACE: Send us your thoughts Chief Stewart Philip, president of the Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs, was outspoken in his criticism. "I can't help but notice the remarkable resemblance it has to Pac-Man," Philip told CP. Pac-Man is a video game character from the 1980s. "The First Nations community at large is disappointed with the selection. The decision makers have decided not to reflect the First Nations and the Pacific region in the design of the logo." Haida artist helped design logo But Chief Gibby Jacob, a hereditary chief of the Squamish First Nation and a member of the Olympics' 2010 board of directors, defended the logo. He said one of the judges, Dorothy Grant, is a designer and traditional Haida artist. The winning design was chosen from 1,600 entries and was designed by Elena Rivera MacGregor of the Rivera Design group in Vancouver. \|\|\|\|\| Meomi is dedicated to the creation of compelling visual experiences and narratives. We do work for multiple mediums and strongly believe in design that delights, entices, and inspires. Please contact us if you have further questions. Character Design - Not only do we draw critters, we also draw non-critters (such as humans, aliens and robots!) Peruse our Illustration & Animation - We have a broad range of experience in providing illustration and animation for the different realms of digital and traditional media. Flash Animation & Interactivity - Add life to your website in entertaining and intriguing ways. Allow the user to converse and interact with your content. Branding & Logo Design - We can help you develop a unique corporate identity to communicate your company's values to the public. Motion Graphics & Digital Video - With our experiences creating motion graphics for DVD menus to music videos, we can help you create your critter (or non-critter) video with finesse! Sound Design & Musique - We are well versed in creating musical soundtracks and sound effects for a variety of digital mediums. - Not only do we draw critters, we also draw non-critters (such as humans, aliens and robots!) Peruse our portfolio to see our many styles and skills. Pixels, vectors, handdrawn and more.- We have a broad range of experience in providing illustration and animation for the different realms of digital and traditional media.- Add life to your website in entertaining and intriguing ways. Allow the user to converse and interact with your content.- We can help you develop a unique corporate identity to communicate your company's values to the public.- With our experiences creating motion graphics for DVD menus to music videos, we can help you create your critter (or non-critter) video with finesse!- We are well versed in creating musical soundtracks and sound effects for a variety of digital mediums.	The three main mascot characters. The 2010 Olympic logo. The mascots of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, British Columbia were just announced. Based on mythological characters, they are Miga, Quatchi and Sumi. Miga, a sea bear who lives in the ocean with her family pod near Tofino, and Quatchi, a young sasquatch, represent the Olympics, while Sumi represents the Paralympics that follow afterward. A sea bear is a First Nations creature, part killer whale, part Kermode spirit bear. While illustrated as being taller than the other characters, the mascot costume of Quatchi is the same height as the other two characters. The third mascot, Sumi, an animal-guardian spirit, is a Thunderbird that wears the hat of an orca. Sumi will be the mascot of the Paralympics. In 2004, the ''Times Colonist'' suggested a marmot might be a good mascot, except for their winter hibernation. The organizers still chose one, named Mukmuk, as their "virtual only" counterpart. After the Olympic logo design was leaked the day before the 2005 announcement, organizers were extremely tight lipped until today's news conference at a Surrey school. They apparently didn't do any development on the characters on internet-enabled computers, to ensure the images or information wouldn't slip out. The characters were designed by the Vancouver and Los Angeles-based Meomi Design. Their characters have been used as part of iGoogle, a customizable homepage option from Google, as well as Electronic Arts, Girls Inc., Time Out Magazine, Cyworld, Nick Jr., Bang-on Clothing, and CBC4Kids. The Vancouver organizers have a CDN$46-million merchandising program; previous Olympics have made as much as $100 million from mascot-related products. René Fasel, Chairman of the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) Coordination Commission commented that "The IOC welcomes these imaginative new additions to the Olympic Family as they take their place on the world stage today - a symbol of the Games and of Canada. We know that when Olympians, Paralympians and visitors from around the globe arrive in British Columbia at Games time, they will fall under the spell of these captivating characters." The characters first appearance will be at a Bay store in the Lower Mainland; HBC is a major sponsor of the Games. They will then make their way to schools, take a break through the Christmas season, and fly to Ottawa for the Winterlude festival.
Partizan have disqualified from the 2007/08 UEFA Cup (©Getty Images ) Partizan disqualified from UEFA Cup Disciplinary e-mail Print Serbian club FK Partizan have been disqualified from the 2007/08 UEFA Cup with immediate effect. Spectator incidents The Belgrade club has been handed the punishment by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body for the conduct of their supporters during the UEFA Cup first round, first-leg match against Bosnia-Herzegovnian hosts NK Zrinjski in Mostar on 19 July. Partizan won the match 6-1. Additional fine Partizan have also been fined €30,056 (CHF 50,000). An appeal against the verdict may be lodged within three days of the sending of the reasoned decision. The body took its decision after examining the report of the UEFA disciplinary inspector and hearing evidence from Partizan officials. Subject to any appeal proceedings, Zrinjski will progress to the second qualifying round. ©uefa.com 1998-2007. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| BELGRADE, July 26 (Reuters) - Partizan Belgrade are unlikely to appeal against their ban from the UEFA Cup, the Serbian first division club's deputy general secretary Gordan Petric said on Thursday. 'We will decide what to do over the next few days but appealing against the verdict may not be the smartest thing to do because UEFA may react by imposing even stronger repercussions,' Petric said told Belgrade's B 92 television. 'We really left no room to the UEFA Disciplinary Committee to be lenient because we had been punished in 25 of our 36 European matches in the last five years and we need to address the problem very seriously,' he said. Earlier on Thursday, UEFA took the most drastic action against a Serbian club to date, banning them from European competition for one year and fining them £20,000. The penalty followed serious crowd trouble during Partizan's 6-1 win at Bosnian rivals Zrinjski Mostar in last week's UEFA Cup first qualifying round first leg. UEFA said on its official website (www.uefa.com) Partizan could appeal against the verdict within three days of the European soccer governing body sending out the formal grounds for its decision. Subject to any such appeal, UEFA confirmed that Zrinjski would now progress to the second qualifying round. Violence in last Thursday's match erupted early in the first half after rival fans clashed with police while pelting each other with rocks, flares and ripped-up seats. Play was held up for 10 minutes and resumed only after the few riot police on duty managed to create a buffer zone between the 8,000 home fans and the visitors. After the game, 36 people were injured and six arrested. Police used tear gas to separate the home fans from departing Partizan supporters. Violence is rife in Serbian football and clubs well as the national team have been made to play their matches either behind closed doors or at neutral venues in recent times. Serbia kicked off their Euro 2008 qualifying campaign in an empty stadium after trouble during their 2006 World Cup home qualifier against Bosnia.	FK Partizan of Serbia have been kicked out of this season's UEFA Cup after crowd trouble during their first qualifying round match against Zrinjski Mostar. They were also fined 50,000 Swiss francs. Partizan Belgrade won the 1st Leg 6-1. Trouble started early in the first half when play was stopped for ten minutes after fans from both teams clashed with riot police and stadium security while throwing rocks and flares at each other. Fans also ripped-up stadium seats. 36 people were injured and six people were arrested. UEFA's reasoning is that Partizan Belgrade have been fined 25 times in 36 matches over the last five years. UEFA have taken a tougher stance on fan violence having kicked out Feyenoord in last season's UEFA Cup and Legia Warsaw in this season's Intertoto Cup. Partizan Belgrade have within three days of receiving official notice of this decision to appeal.
Cindy Sheehan (center) listens to Capt. Ken Vanek of the McLennan County (Texas) Sheriff's Office during a protest Saturday in Texas. (Associated Press) Last summer Cindy Sheehan got a face-to-face meeting with President Bush, complete with kisses and condolences. Today, the Vacaville resident is camped outside the president's Texas ranch - in the glare of the national media spotlight - demanding another face-to-face meeting, and ultimately his impeachment. Sheehan's son, Casey, an Army specialist, was killed in an ambush a week after his arrival in Iraq in April 2004. In June, the Sheehan family spent 10 minutes at Fort Lewis, Wash., with the president, who met with 16 other families who had lost loved ones in the war. Cindy Sheehan since has become a focal point in the partisan battle over the Iraq war, drawing the praise of many anti-war Democrats and the ire of Republicans who back Bush's decision. Her role in that battle exploded Monday morning, when Matt Drudge - the infamous commentator behind the popular Drudge Report, a right-leaning online news site - accused Sheehan of changing her tune to serve political purposes. Drudge's story, headlined "Protesting Soldier Mom Changed Story on Bush," was posted in the highest slot on the Web site that receives more than 5 million visits per day. It drew quotes from a Sheehan interview published June 24, 2004, in The Reporter, suddenly dragging the newspaper into the fray. Vacaville mother Cindy Sheehan has not flip-flopped position, but has used her outrage and indignation to fuel an anti-war movement following the death of her son, Casey, in Iraq following an ambush in April 2004, according to Editor Diane Barney. That story, by staff writer David Henson, was an account of Sheehan's visit with the president in Seattle. In Henson's story, Sheehan admitted she and her husband, Patrick, debated before the meeting whether to ask pointed questions about the war and whether to vent their frustration over their son's sacrifice. Ultimately, the couple chose not to publicly criticize Bush in the meeting or shortly after. In Henson's story, Cindy Sheehan explained carefully, "I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis ... I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith." Sheehan also said the trip to Seattle helped connect her family to others that had lost a son or daughter in Iraq. Sheehan said sharing their story with those families was rewarding, as was the time she got to spend with her own family. "That was the gift the Advertisement president gave us, the gift of happiness, of being together," she said in the story. Drudge included that quote in his Monday morning report, but didn't explain that it referred to sharing time with her family, not the president. Drudge also included more recent quotes from Sheehan highly critical of Bush and the 2004 meeting, including her comments made Sunday to CNN. "Every time we tried to talk about Casey and how much we missed him, he would change the subject," Sheehan told correspondent Wolf Blitzer of the cable news network. "And he acted like it was a party." Drudge's report fueled opinions Monday on both sides of the political spectrum. Posters on the highly visited liberal Web log Daily Kos said Drudge's report was misleading, while right-wing bloggers, including the popular Michelle Malkin, echoed Drudge's sentiments that Sheehan was contradicting herself, perhaps for political reasons. Sheehan, in a press release distributed Monday by the Institute for Public Accuracy, explained she was "still in shock" during her 2004 meeting with the president. "We had decided not to criticize the president then because during that meeting he assured us 'this is not political.' And I believed him," Sheehan wrote. "Then, during the Republican National Convention, he exploited those meetings to justify what he was doing. It's now clear to me that what I had feared is true: Bush lied us into war, and Casey, more than 1,800 other Americans and thousands and thousands of Iraqis are dead because of what he did." Several attempts to reach Sheehan by phone Monday were unsuccessful. The Reporter republished Henson's 2004 story on www.thereporter.com Monday. It drew hundreds of visits within the first hour. "It's important that readers see the full context of the story, instead of just selected portions," said Editor Diane Barney. "We stand by the story as an accurate reflection of the Sheehans' take on the meeting at the time it was published." Tom Hall can be reached at vacaville@thereporter.com. \|\|\|\|\| Bush: Energy bill effects will be long-term Critics slam tax breaks for oil companies ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico (AP) -- After years of debate in Congress, President Bush on Monday signed sweeping legislation that he touted as part of a long-term solution to the nation's energy problems. "This bill is not going to solve our energy challenges overnight," Bush said just before signing the bill into law. "It's going to take years of focused efforts to alleviate those problems." Bush traveled here from his ranch in Crawford, Texas, to sign the 1,724-page bill, which was passed, with bipartisan support, to end a yearlong standoff in Congress over national energy policy. The bill-signing ceremony at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque begins a week of events meant to highlight recently passed legislation and underscore economic and national security issues. In coming days, Bush meets at his Texas ranch with his defense and economic advisers and travels to Illinois to sign a highway bill. Supporters of the energy bill say that in the long run, the new law will refocus the nation's energy priorities and promote cleaner and alternative sources of energy. Bush has said he believes the nation must find new ways, besides fossil fuels, to power the economy. "This economy is moving, and what this energy bill does is that it recognizes that we need more affordable and reliability sources of energy," Bush said. "This bill launches an energy strategy for the 21st century and I've really been looking forward to signing it." But even the bill's sponsors acknowledged the legislation will have little, if any impact, on today's energy prices or less dependence on oil imports. Crude-oil prices rallied to a new high above $63 a barrel on Monday, reflecting market fears over the U.S. embassy closure in Saudi Arabia due to security threats and concerns that shutdowns of U.S. oil refineries would reduce supply. When he arrived, Bush took a tour of the Energy Department's national solar thermal test facility, which was built in 1976 in response to the oil embargo and energy crisis. Bush walked in a field of mirrored solar panels, wearing shirt sleeves and sunglasses to ward off the bright, midday sun. New Mexico is home to Republican Sen. Pete Domenici, a driving force in getting the measure passed. Domenici, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, said the bill is not for today or tomorrow, but is a "bill for the future." "It means less dependence on foreign oil," he said. "When we expand ethanol and the other things in this bill, we will grow less dependent, not all the way, but less dependent." New Mexico Sen. Jeff Bingaman, the top Democrat on Energy Committee, praised the passage of the bill but said more must be done to tap the potential of renewable energy, address global warming and use less oil from overseas. The bill did not "markedly reduce these imports," Bingaman said in a statement. "We need to build a consensus around effective steps to use less oil in our transportation sector, which is the basic cause of our increasing reliance on oil imports." The measure funnels billions of dollars to energy companies, including tax breaks and loan guarantees for new nuclear power plants, clean coal technology and wind energy. But for the first time, utilities will be required to comply with federal reliability standards for its electricity grid, instead of self-regulation. That is intended to reduce the chance of a repeat of a power blackout, such as the one that struck the Midwest and Northeast in the summer of 2003. For consumers, the bill would provide tax credits for buying hybrid gasoline-electric cars and making energy-conservation improvements in new and existing homes. "If you're in the market for a car, this bill will help you save up to $3,500 on a fuel-efficient hybrid or clean-diesel vehicle," Bush said. Also, beginning in 2007, the measure extends daylight-saving time by four weeks to save energy. The bill's price tag -- $12.3 billion over 10 years -- is twice what the White House had first proposed. It does not include Bush's desire to open the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil exploration. Drilling advocates, however, have a backup plan that is expected to unfold in mid-September. Domenici said he will include a provision authorizing Arctic drilling as part of a budget procedure that is not subject to filibuster. A similar maneuver is being planned in the House, although the final strategy is being worked out. Critics of the energy bill are speaking out while Bush is in New Mexico. The League of Conservation Voters, The Wilderness Society, the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance, USAPIRG and others plan to highlight what else is not in the energy bill. \|\|\|\|\| A very special Mother's Day May 8, 2005 BY JIM RITTER Health Reporter On Jan. 24, shortly after 3 a.m., Billi Tierney gave birth to her first child in an emergency C-section. The baby was five weeks premature. Billi and her husband, Ted, hadn't bought a crib yet, or even picked a name. But the moment Billi laid eyes on her son, she knew that his name would be Jaxon. Billi got to hold Jaxon for only 15 minutes. He was doing fine, but Billi was desperately ill from a rare complication of pregnancy. She would spend a week in a coma and undergo three more major operations, including a liver transplant, before seeing her baby again. If not for the generosity of a grieving family that donated a liver, Billi would not be alive today to celebrate her first Mother's Day with Jaxon. "Every day I look at him and think, 'I'm so glad I'm here,'" she said. "He needs a mom." Billi, 30, was in excellent health before she got pregnant. She ate the right foods, worked out five days a week and ran a marathon in less than five hours. And throughout most of her pregnancy, the only apparent problem was a stretch of morning sickness. 'Lowest of lows' Trouble began around the 34th week, when Billi went into premature labor. Doctors stopped the contractions and put Billi on bed rest, and she went on leave from her job as a career counselor. A week later, Billi began experiencing disturbing symptoms -- swollen ankles, puffy face, bleeding gums, dark urine. A doctor ordered her to go immediately to Kishwaukee Community Hospital in DeKalb. It looked like Billi had preeclampsia -- pregnancy-induced high blood pressure that can be life-threatening to both mother and baby. Jaxon weighed 5 pounds, 9 ounces at birth. He was healthy, and Billi's doctor said her blood pressure should return to normal. Ted began calling family members and friends with the happy news. But what looked like preeclampsia turned out to be a complication that occurs in fewer than one in 7,000 pregnancies. Proteins from the baby were causing Billi's liver cells to fill with fat. Eight hours after Jaxon's birth, a doctor told Ted that Billi might need a liver transplant. She would be airlifted to a transplant hospital, Loyola University Medical Center. "I went from the highest of highs to the lowest of lows," Ted said. "You have a son with the woman you love, and the next moment you learn you might lose her." Billi's failing liver caused her lungs and kidneys to shut down, and she was put on a ventilator and dialysis. Worse yet, Ted was told Billi would need emergency surgery to stop internal bleeding from a liver biopsy. "Please save my wife," Ted pleaded. "She is the nicest person you will ever meet. You have to save her." Billi survived the operation, and afterward Ted told the surgeon, "Thank you for giving us a chance." Doctors played a nerve-racking waiting game. If they were patient, Billi might recover on her own, as most patients do. But if they waited too long and her liver didn't improve sufficiently, Billi might die or get so sick the transplant would fail. Of the six other women who have had liver transplants in the United States for Billi's condition, only one is known to have survived longer than 30 days. Billi's liver did improve a bit, and doctors performed a second successful operation to clean out a blood clot and check the liver. Billi came off the transplant waiting list. But a few days later, her liver stopped improving, and Billi went back on the list. Without a new liver, she had only five to seven days to live. Billi went to the top of the list. Three days later, a young person died in Florida, and the family donated the liver. On Feb. 4, Dr. John Brems performed the eight-hour transplant, as 15 friends and family members waited. Feeling stronger every day Brems has done more than 1,000 liver transplants at Loyola and two California hospitals. This was one of the easier ones because Billi was young and otherwise healthy. Minutes after the surgery, Billi already looked better. The jaundice that had made her skin yellow was fading rapidly. "I thought, 'Man, she's going to be OK,'" Ted said. Billi was surprised at how little pain she felt during her recovery. But it took time to get used to her medications. And she had to learn how to walk again after being bedridden. She was shocked at how thin her legs had become. Nineteen days after the transplant, Billi came home and held Jaxon for the first time in a month. There's no way Billi could have cared for a newborn by herself. Fortunately, Ted works from their Sycamore home as a legal editor, so he could help out. Billi isn't fully recovered yet, but she's feeling stronger every day. She would like to return to work someday. Billi will have to take anti-rejection drugs, which will make her more vulnerable to infections and can have side effects such as kidney damage. But she will have no dietary or lifestyle restrictions. Her liver should last a lifetime. "A liver probably would live 300 years if you didn't die from something else," Brems said. "It's almost ageless." Jaxon is a mellow baby. He loves to snuggle and is beginning to smile. "I never realized I could love this little baby so much," Billi said. "He was worth every surgery." Billi does not know the identity of her donor, but she is drafting a letter to the family. "I'm so thankful I had a second chance of living and being a mom." \|\|\|\|\| Monday 08 August 2005 The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed. - Stephen King George W. Bush hauled stakes for Texas and a vacation a few days ago. Cindy Sheehan followed. She got off a bus Saturday afternoon and started walking to the Crawford ranch. She wanted some answers and was going to get them. Sheehan had met Mr. Bush once before. On April 4, 2004, just shy of a year after Bush stood on an aircraft carrier beneath a banner that read "Mission Accomplished," Cindy Sheehan's son, Army Specialist Casey A. Sheehan, was killed in Iraq when his unit was attacked by rocket-propelled grenades and small-arms fire. He was 24 years old. After Casey's death, Cindy Sheehan was invited to the White House for a visit with Mr. Bush in June of 2004. Her first memory of Bush's appearance that day was when he walked into the room and said in a loud, bluff voice, "Who we'all honorin' today?" "His mouth kept moving," Sheehan later recalled of her meeting with Bush, "but there was nothing in his eyes or anything else about him that showed me he really cared or had any real compassion at all. This is a human being totally disconnected from humanity and reality. His eyes were empty, hollow shells." Bush called her "Ma" or "Mom" throughout the whole meeting, and never got around to learning her name. "The whole meeting was simply bizarre and disgusting," Sheehan said later. "designed to intimidate instead of providing compassion. He didn't even know our names. I just couldn't believe this was happening. It was so surreal and bizarre. Later I met with some of the other fifteen or sixteen families who were at the White House the same day and, sure enough, they all felt the same way I did." That was it. Cindy Sheehan, who had never been politically active in her life, became an activist. She traveled the country to speak to whomever would listen, she told the story of Casey's life and death, and she threw fire at George W. Bush with the passionate anguish of a mother who was forced to bury her son. "Casey was told that he would be welcomed to Iraq as a liberator with chocolates and rose petals strewn in front of his unarmored Humvee" Sheehan wrote in February. "He was in Iraq for two short weeks when the Shi'ite rebel 'welcome wagon' welcomed him to Baghdad with bullets and RPG's, which took his young and beautiful life. Casey was killed after George Bush proclaimed 'Mission Accomplished' on May 1, 2003. Hundreds of our young people and thousands of Iraqis have been needlessly and senselessly murdered since George Bush triumphantly announced an end to 'major combat' almost 2 years ago now. All of the above events have been heralded by this administration as 'turning points' in the 'war on terror' - or as wonderful events in the 'march of democracy.'" In June of 2005, Cindy Sheehan testified at a hearing in Washington DC about the Downing Street Minutes, the recently leaked British intelligence documents which exposed the fact that Bush intended to invade Iraq almost from the beginning of his first term, and that "Intelligence and facts were being fixed around the policy" of invasion. "I believed before our leaders invaded Iraq in March, 2003," said Sheehan in her testimony, "and I am even more convinced now, that this aggression on Iraq was based on a lie of historic proportions and was blatantly unnecessary. The so-called Downing Street Memo dated 23 July, 2003, only confirms what I already suspected: the leadership of this country rushed us into an illegal invasion of another sovereign country on prefabricated and cherry picked intelligence. It appears that my boy Casey was given a death sentence even before he joined the Army in May of 2000." And so it came to pass that George W. Bush hauled stakes for Texas and a vacation a few days ago, and Cindy Sheehan followed. She got off a bus Saturday afternoon and started walking to the Crawford ranch. She wanted some answers and was going to get them. She got as far as a police checkpoint, and has gotten no further. She is still there, waiting to speak to Mr. Bush so she can get an answer to her question. Why did her son die? The folks on the Crawford ranch sent out some important people to speak to her. They sent Stephen Hadley, the national security adviser. They sent Joe Hagin, a deputy White House chief of staff. Cindy Sheehan sent them both packing. By Sunday, a media frenzy had erupted around her. On Sunday night, the New York Times published a story about Sheehan's Texas standoff. "Her success in drawing so much attention to her message - and leaving the White House in a face-off with an opponent who had to be treated very gently even as she aggressively attacked the president and his policies - seemed to stem from the confluence of several forces," wrote the Times. "The deaths last week of 20 Marines from a single battalion has focused public attention on the unremitting pace of casualties in Iraq, providing her an opening to deliver her message that no more lives should be given to the war." "At the same time," continued the article, "polls that show falling approval for Mr. Bush's handling of the war have left him open to challenge in a way that he was not when the nation appeared to be more strongly behind him. It did not hurt her cause that she staged her protest, which she said was more or less spontaneous, at the doorstep of the White House press corps, which spends each August in Crawford with little to do, minimal access to Mr. Bush and his aides, and an eagerness for any new story." Casey Sheehan was every mother's son. Cindy Sheehan is every son's mother. She loved him with every cell in her body and every breath in her soul, and mourns his absence in every second of every day, and will have some answers for her pain and loss, or will know the reason why. She is down in Crawford, right now, waiting for George W. Bush to stop sending lackeys to placate her. She wants to speak to the man who sent her son to die. She is waiting. William Rivers Pitt is a New York Times and internationally bestselling author of two books: War on Iraq: What Team Bush Doesn't Want You to Know and The Greatest Sedition Is Silence . http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/080805I.shtml \|\|\|\|\| The peace movement has returned to this tiny town near President Bush’s vacation home, where thousands gathered last year to support activist Cindy Sheehan in her protest of the Iraq war. Sheehan, whose son was killed in Iraq in 2004, came back to Crawford on Sunday -- the same day that Arabs and Muslims from across Texas gathered at the Crawford Peace House, the modest headquarters for antiwar activity here, to protest the violence and the civilian death toll in Lebanon. Sheehan defended her decision to use a third party to buy 5 acres of land near Bush’s ranch to conceal her identity. She paid for the property with insurance money she received from the government after her son, Army Spc. Casey Sheehan, was killed. “I know that they wouldn’t have sold property to me,” said Sheehan, whose return to Crawford was timed to coincide with Bush’s vacation. The land will be used as a gathering place for antiwar demonstrators. Advertisement Supporters raised a large tepee Sunday and flew a rainbow flag. Small white wooden crosses were planted in an open area under a sign -- “For What Noble Cause?” -- that listed the numbers of Americans killed and wounded in Iraq. Sheehan first came to Crawford last summer after attending a peace rally in Dallas. Two senior White House officials met with her on the day she arrived, but she vowed to remain until she got a face-to-face session with the president. She ended up spending almost a month camping on the side of a road near Bush’s ranch and on a nearby lot owned by a sympathizer. White House Press Secretary Tony Snow said Friday that there were “no plans” for White House staffers to meet with her this year. Speakers at the Crawford Peace House rally warned of increasing Arab and Muslim anger about U.S. policies in the Middle East and the widespread perception that the United States was biased in favor of Israel. Advertisement Edward Peck, a retired diplomat who served as chief of the U.S. mission in Baghdad during the Carter administration, warned of the risks that such a perception would pose if the U.S. were to get more deeply involved in the region. He contended that some administration officials were urging the United States to go to war against Iran and Syria because of those countries’ support for the Shiite Muslim militants of Hezbollah. “To the extent that that is true, we should bear in mind the consequences of backing Israel, which is doing some awfully nasty things to the Lebanese,” Peck told a crowd of about 100. “There are people who might wish to return the favor who will be coming after us. It’s not because we have freedom -- that’s not why they hate us. They are unhappy with us because of the policies of this administration.” One speaker, Samah Elhajibrahim, a legal permanent U.S. resident from Dallas, recounted her harrowing escape from Lebanon, where she was visiting her family.	Cindy Sheehan rallied supporters in front of the tour bus emblazoned with "Veterans for Peace.org Impeachment Tour". On a ''CNN'' Wolf Blitzer ''Late Edition'' broadcast Sunday, U.S. Senators George Allen (R-VA) and Barbara Boxer (D-CA) both told Blitzer that in the furore created by the protest that they believe President Bush should personally meet with Cindy Sheehan. She is the mother of a soldier son killed in Iraq in April 2004, and leader of a protest march now camped near the presidential ranch in Crawford, Texas. After returning from commercial break, Blitzer told his guests that ''CNN'' had just received a news bulletin from the White House. The bulletin said that Bush had met previously with Sheehan in the summer of 2004. Both Senators and Blitzer withheld further comment on the matter during the remaining segment of the show. Later that day, Cindy Sheehan herself appeared on ''CNN'' Sunday with Blitzer and said she did meet with Bush in Seattle with fifteen or sixteen other families. She defended her current protest by saying, "The whole meeting was simply bizarre and disgusting." Sheehan said that Bush entered the meeting chamber with an insensitive comment to those present, "Who we'all honorin' today?" She added, "His mouth kept moving, but there was nothing in his eyes or anything else about him that showed me he really cared or had any real compassion at all. This is a human being totally disconnected from humanity and reality. His eyes were empty, hollow shells." The angry mother of the fallen U.S. soldier on Saturday led a protest march of nearly 50 on the Bush ranch. Cindy Sheehan of Vacaville, California demanded, but was denied, the chance to speak with Bush and personally ask him, "'Why did you kill my son? What did my son die for?" Sheehan was met outside the ranch, after progress of the march was stopped by Texas troopers and the Secret Service, by national security adviser Steve Hadley and deputy White House chief of staff Joe Hagin. They spoke with her approximately 45 minutes. Sheehan, unsatisfied with the meeting, vowed to remain camped outside the ranch until she is granted a personal interview with Bush. Meanwhile, Bush arrived in Albuqerque, New Mexico Monday where he signed into law the new energy bill. He will travel back to his Texas ranch this week to meet with his defense and economic advisers, then later, he will travel to Illinois to sign a highway bill. Cindy Sheehan said Sunday that she plans to hold the roadside peace protest near Bush's ranch until he talks to her again. "I'll follow him to D.C.," she said. Cindy's current comments are a drastic change from her comments in a 2004 interview with THE REPORTER of Vacaville, CA. From the article: "I now know he's sincere about wanting freedom for the Iraqis," Cindy said after their meeting. "I know he's sorry and feels some pain for our loss. And I know he's a man of faith."
Zanu-PF said anomalies had been detected in a number of constituencies President Robert Mugabe's party has asked Zimbabwe's electoral officials to delay presidential poll results to check "errors and miscalculations". The opposition Movement for Democratic Change said the move was illegal - a recount is possible only after the result has been published. They have asked the High Court to publish the outcome immediately. The MDC believes its leader Morgan Tsvangirai won outright in the vote held eight days ago. The opposition party has also denied it had proposed a unity government. A minister had earlier said Zanu-PF had rejected an opposition call for a coalition. On Saturday, the opposition accused President Mugabe of "preparing a war". And the farmers' union said a number of white-owned farms had been briefly invaded by war veterans' groups loyal to Mr Mugabe in southern Masvingo. A spokesman said the situation was under control after police intervened to disperse them. 'Anomalies' Mr Mugabe's Zanu-PF party has cited what it claims are anomalies in the presidential vote despite the fact the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission (ZEC) has still to release the result. Information Minister Bright Matonga told the BBC the anomalies were with the collation of the results - there was a discrepancy between the voting results put outside polling stations and the form sent to the central election commission. It's madness literally and metaphorically Tendai Biti MDC Secretary-General Speculation grips Harare Brown and Mbeki in Zimbabwe talks Send us your comments It was not clear if this meant the whole vote had to be counted again. The minister insisted the request did not amount to a recount - which has been dismissed as illegal by MDC Secretary-General Tendai Biti. "The [Electoral] Act says that you ask for a recount within 48 hours of the counting," he said. "Counting takes place at polling stations so it's within 48 hours of that. "It's madness literally and metaphorically". According to papers submitted to the ZEC by Zanu-PF, the number of votes for Mr Mugabe recorded at a number of polling stations were reduced before being sent on to electoral officials. Some ZEC officials working in the Midlands constituencies of Mberengwa East, West, North and South had since been arrested, the state-run Sunday Mail newspaper said. "As will soon become apparent, the constituency elections officer and his team committed errors of miscounting that are so glaring as to prejudice not just our clients' candidate but also his co-contestants," Zanu-PF's letter said, according to the Sunday Mail. In a separate article, the Sunday Mail quoted Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa as saying the Zanu-PF had rejected an offer from Mr Tsvangirai to form a national unity government, but Mr Biti denied that an offer had been made. Court challenge Before the High Court judge on Sunday, MDC lawyer Alec Muchadehama said the results "must be announced forthwith", as they had been available since 30 March. But ZEC lawyer George Chikumbirike said the court's remit did not include ruling on the case - only ZEC could adjudicate. The court is to rule on Monday on whether it has jurisdiction over the case. The Zanu-PF complaint came hours after the ZEC declared the final results of last week's Senate election. It said Mr Mugabe's party had won 30 seats, with the combined opposition taking the same number. The MDC says Mr Tsvangirai took 50.3% of the presidential vote In the lower house, opposition parties took 109 seats, while Zanu-PF won just 97 - the first time it has failed to win a majority since independence from the UK in 1980. On Saturday Mr Tsvangirai claimed victory for the first time since the vote, saying figures posted outside polling stations confirmed he had reached the required threshold of more than 50% of the vote to win outright - making a run-off unnecessary. He also claimed that the country's central bank was printing money "for the finance of violence", and called for dialogue on a peaceful transition. Mr Mugabe, 84, came to power 28 years ago at independence on a wave of optimism. But in recent years Zimbabwe has been plagued by the world's highest inflation, as well as acute food and fuel shortages, which correspondents say have driven many voters to back the opposition. Are you in Zimbabwe? How concerned are you about the political uncertainty? What is happening where you are? Send us your comments using the form below Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| Zimbabwe Electoral Authorities Pressured To Release Results; Mugabe Defeat Seen Tension was running high in the Zimbabwean capital of Harare late Sunday, one day after presidential, general and local elections, as the opposition said it had delivered a resounding defeat to President Robert Mugabe and his ruling ZANU-PF party but the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission failed to bring forth official results. Earlier in the day the government and the elections commission warned the opposition Movement for Democratic Change formation led by Morgan Tsvangirai, a presidential candidate, against releasing unofficial results. Party officials responded that they had the right to circulate figures posted at local polling stations and at higher levels. Tsvangirai formation spokesman Nelson Chamisa told reporter Blessing Zulu of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe that the MDC release of data had been perfectly legal. Preliminary results suggested that Tsvangirai's MDC formation made deep inroads in parts of the country traditionally dominated by Mr. Mugabe's ruling party, unseating a number of ZANU-PF ministers in house of assembly races. The Tsvangirai grouping also bested the rival MDC formation led by Arthur Mutambara, which had thrown its political weight behind independent presidential candidate Simba Makoni. Early projections from qualified sources gave Tsvangirai better than 50% of the vote in the presidential race, trailed by Mr. Mugabe with 36% and Makoni under 10%. There were unconfirmed reports that the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission was under intense pressure from military authorities to declare Mr. Mugabe the winner. Earlier, delay in the release of official results led Secretary General Tendai Biti of the Tsvangirai MDC grouping to refer to a "constitutional threat" to the outcome. Biti had been categorical as to the opposition's sweeping victory, "barring a miracle." Correspondent Sylvia Manika of VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe reported on the MDC news conferences held at 1 a.m. Sunday and later in the morning. Little was forthcoming throughout Sunday from the government. Information Minister Sikhanyiso Ndlovu urged the population to be patient and to remain calm. Presidential spokesman George Charamba told the state-controlled Sunday Mail newspaper that if Tsvangirai declared himself the winner before official results were released, that would be tantamount to a coup. The U.S. embassy released a statement warning American citizens in Zimbabwe that a "volatile situation" was developing in the wake of the elections "with the possibility of violence across Zimbabwe" through Sunday night into Monday. It advised American citizens to "move to a safe location until the Embassy provides further information." U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, in the Mideast, said Mr. Mugabe was a “disgrace” to his people and Africa, voicing concern on whether the elections could be determined to have been free and fair given the scarcity of international observers. Late Sunday all eyes were on the election command center in the Harare International Conference Center where journalists and others waited for ZEC to release results. Correspondent Thomas Chiripasi reported on what ZEC was telling the country. The Zimbabwe Election Support Network, a civic organization that deployed 11,000 election observers across the country, said electoral commission delays in releasing the results were causing confusion and concern. Though preliminary results had been posted outside polling stations nationwide, ZESN officials said electoral authorities were telling them that they were encountering unspecified logistical problems. Correspondent Sylvia Manika covered a ZESN news conference late Sunday at which the non-governmental organization demanded that ZEC release election results. ZESN Chairman Noel Kututwa told reporter Carole Gombakomba that ZEC's delay in releasing the results was unusual as figures had emerged faster in other elections. The Crisis in Zimbabwe Coalition, another non-governmental organization, criticized the electoral commission for withholding the results, saying this could cause alarm. Crisis Coalition spokesman MacDonald Lewanika told reporter Patience Rusere that efforts to obtain clarification from the electoral commission had been fruitless. A polling agent from Zvimba, Mashonaland West, expressed surprise and concern at the delay in releasing results. This official, who identified himself only as Richard, told Marvellous Mhlanga-Nyahuye that his station had finalized results very early. Residents of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, spent Sunday with their ears glued to radios and televisions, anxiously awaiting official election results, as correspondent Netsai Mlilo reported from the City of Kings. In Mutare, on the other side of the country near the border with Mozambique, police dispersed a crowd of MDC supporters that had assembled to celebrate the victories of their house candidates, as Studio 7 correspondent Loirdham Moyo reported. More reports from VOA's Studio 7 for Zimbabwe... \|\|\|\|\| Zimbabwe opposition claims election win President Robert Mugabe's government warns that premature victory claims would be seen as a 'coup.' Page 1 of 2 Reporter Scott Baldauf discusses early election returns from Zimbabwe. – Casting their votes Saturday, Zimbabweans have made up their minds on whether they want another five years of President Robert Mugabe. The answer, according to preliminary results monitored at polling stations by opposition activists and independent observers seems to be an unqualified "no." But with no official results announced by Sunday night, tensions were rising in the capital, Harare. Now all eyes are turning to Mr. Mugabe's ZANU-PF Party, and especially his well-armed military and security agencies. Senior police, intelligence, and military commanders have all said they would not salute a "puppet," referring to top opposition candidate Morgan Tsvangirai. One senior ZANU-PF official even warned opposition activists not to declare premature victory, saying that the government would treat this as a "coup." Yet if the military commanders order a clampdown on opposition supporters, will their soldiers – as poverty stricken as much of the rest of the country – follow them? "There's a lot of talk about people's power at the polls, but a change of leadership will only happen if the military joins the masses," says Henri Boshoff, a military analyst at the Institute for Security Studies in Tshwane, as Pretoria is now called. "The question now is, what will the military do?" While police forces, and especially the riot police are well looked after, the Zimbabwe Defense Forces (ZDF) reportedly have been struck with mass desertions, says Mr. Boshoff. At times, the ZDF has been so hard up for cash and supplies that it has sent its troops home on compulsory leave because it couldn't feed them. As such, Boshoff says, statements by senior military commanders should be taken with a grain of salt. "What the military says at the senior level and what happens at the ground level of the rank and file are two very different things," says Boshoff. Opposition celebrations In constituencies around the country, supporters of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) opposition party started to celebrate. Jubilant crowds filled the streets of Harare as word of the MDC's victory spread across the country. Many said the MDC victory meant an end to the suffering of Zimbabweans, whose country has the highest inflation rate in the world (100,000 percent) and 80 percent unemployment to boot. "Our cries have been heard," said Arnold Munashe, a voter in Harare. "The old man is gone and our suffering has ended. Let's try another leader, Morgan Tsvangirai," he said, referring to the MDC leader as he joined his colleagues in the celebrations. In Mbare, Harare's oldest high-density suburb, suspected Zanu-PF militia forced the closure of a popular market as punishment for "voting the MDC into power." The market was only reopened after police intervention. In the suburbs of Harare, opposition celebration has been halted by heavily armed police, who have been deployed around the country to thwart any form of political violence. Page 1 \| 2 \| Next Page \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Election observers called on Zimbabwe's government to release the results of weekend elections as soon as possible to avoid political unrest, but government officials said the results won't be out until Monday. Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe campaigns in the capital of Harare last week. Justice George Chiweshe, the chairman of the Zimbabwe Electoral Commission, announced the commission would begin releasing results at 6 a.m. Monday (midnight Sunday ET). Appearing on Zimbabwe's ZTV television network, he said commissioners had to verify results and would not be pressured into releasing them early. "We are dealing with a matter with national dimensions ... Our mandate is clearly laid down in terms of the Constitution and we have tried -- actually, have followed -- that," Chiweshe said. But Marwick Khumalo, a spokesman for the Pan-African Parliament observer mission, said he had no doubt the election commission knew "at least a larger part, if not all the results," by Sunday evening. "So really, it is frustrating not only for the Zimbabweans themselves, even for those of us who come from afar, to come and witness this historical event," Khumalo said. Saturday's vote posed a serious challenge to President Robert Mugabe's three-decade rule over Zimbabwe. Former finance minister Simba Makoni, and Morgan Tsvangirai of the main opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change, were vying to unseat the 84-year-old incumbent. Defying a government order, MDC released its count of the votes Sunday and claimed an early victory for Tsvangirai. The party said it tallied the results posted outside each polling station -- and based on one-third of the returns, that count showed Tsvangirai won 67 percent of the votes, journalists inside Zimbabwe told CNN. Watch polls close in Zimbabwe » The Zimbabwean government has denied CNN and other international news organizations permission to enter the country to report on the elections. At its Sunday news conference, MDC also claimed it has won the majority of parliamentary seats in Zimbabwe's urban centers, including Harare and Bulawayo. MDC enjoys widespread support in the cities. Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party has its base in Zimbabwe's rural areas. Takura Zhangazha, a local media watchdog representative, said it is unclear if the government would actually release results Monday. Speaking to CNN from Harare, Zhangazha warned the government needs to announce the results "as soon as possible to allay any fears of rigging or cheating in terms of the vote." "There's too much speculation, and the speculation tends to lead to a lot of political tension," said Zhangazha, part of the Media Institute for Southern Africa. "I would not want to see people then fighting over the results or any political violence or tensions then occurring." MDC leaders have already dismissed the government's unannounced results as rigged in favor of the incumbent leader and began declaring victory just hours into Saturday's vote. But there are concerns that if each side claims victory, tensions could ignite and violence could erupt. Simba Makoni, who was expelled from the Zanu-PF after announcing his bid to unseat Mugabe, said it was "premature to judge that the environment before the balloting has had some impediment." "Overall it was not a conducive environment" for voting, Makoni said, citing voter confusion and lack of access to the media. "But we know our people are clear about what they want and we expect they will express their will. We will wait and see the results." Critics of the government predicted the vote would be rigged or marred by fraud. The United States this week warned of a possible unfair election, and New York-based Human Rights Watch announced earlier this month that the elections were likely to be "deeply flawed." A hero of the country's civil war against the white Rhodesian government, Mugabe became the country's first black prime minister in 1980. But nearly three decades later, he has consolidated his rule over all aspects of Zimbabwean life. His country was once revered for offering its citizens some of the best education and health care in Africa, but now, schooling is a luxury and Zimbabwe has one of the lowest life expectancies in the world. Zimbabwe was once known as the breadbasket of southern Africa, but now it is difficult to get even basic food supplies. Inflation has skyrocketed to more than 100,000 percent while food production and agricultural exports have dropped drastically. Part of the economic freefall is traced to Mugabe's land redistribution policies, including his controversial seizure of commercially white-owned farms in 2000. Mugabe gave the land to black Zimbabweans who he said were cheated under colonialist rule, and white farmers who resisted were jailed. In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Clean Out the Trash, in which he razed slum areas across the country. Mugabe denies mismanagement and blames his country's woes on the West, saying sanctions have harmed the economy. E-mail to a friend CNN's Robyn Curnow in Beitbridge, South Africa, and Eunice Mafundikwa contributed to this report. All About Zimbabwe • Robert Mugabe • Human Rights Watch	Zanu-PF, the party of the incumbent Robert Mugabe has said that there should be a recount of the presidential election results to check for possible "errors and miscalculations." Zimbabwe's main opposition party, the (MDC), questioned the legality of these actions. They said that recounts are only legal after the original set of results are made available. The MDC released premature election results last Sunday, which claimed a large victory for their presidential candidate against Robert Mugabe. MDC leaders said that the unofficial tally, based on one-third of the election returns, shows Tsvangirai with 67% of the vote. The 'results' were posted on the doors of polling stations, and then sent to party officials by . MDC Secretary General said, "Barring a miracle, Mugabe can't win."
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Power utilities would be urged to make cost-cutting efforts under a new law, which Japan plans to introduce to promote the use of renewable energy, so as to prevent utilities from easily passing on the cost of buying such power from outside generators to consumers, a draft bill showed Friday. Under the envisaged law, utilities will be required to purchase all electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power at fixed prices favorable to outside providers -- private companies and other entities. The law also allows utilities to add the cost of buying such energy to their electricity charges for consumers. But by adding a provision requiring utilities to streamline their operations, lawmakers apparently aim to minimize the impact on consumers. The effective date of the law would be July 1 next year. The bill worked out by ruling and opposition lawmakers stipulates that utilities cannot raise their electricity charges by the end of March 2013 in areas struck by the devastating March 11 earthquake and tsunami. The bill is an amended version based on an agreement reached by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan, the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party and its ally New Komeito party, and is expected to be submitted to parliament next week. A third-party organization would be set up under the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy to ensure transparency in the process of deciding prices. \|\|\|\|\| Kyodo Electric utilities will be urged to make cost-cutting efforts under a new law promoting renewable energy to lessen the chances of the firms drastically hiking rates for power they buy from outside generators. According to a draft bill expected to be sent to the Diet this week, the envisaged law will require utilities to buy all electricity generated by renewable energy sources at fixed prices favorable to outside providers — private firms and other entities. The law also would let utilities pass the cost of buying such energy onto consumers. But by adding a provision forcing utilities to streamline operations, lawmakers hope to minimize the impact on households. The bill is an amended version based on an agreement reached by the ruling Democratic Party of Japan and the two main opposition forces, the Liberal Democratic Party and New Komeito. It is expected to be submitted to the Diet this week. The effective date of the law will be July 1, 2012. The bill worked out by both ruling bloc and opposition lawmakers stipulates that utilities can't raise rates at least until after March 2013 in areas damaged by the March 11 quake and tsunami. A third-party group will also be set up under the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy to ensure transparency in the process of deciding price rates. Kan eyes green activities Prime Minister Naoto Kan hopes to become involved in activities promoting the use of renewable energy after he steps down, according to a lawmaker. "I'd like to engage in (biomass-related) activities without being too much of an obstacle as a former prime minister," Kan was quoted as saying at a luncheon with lawmakers Friday. It is the first time Kan has commented on his plans after he quits, which is widely expected to be later this month after key bills are passed by the Diet. \|\|\|\|\| Japan’s ruling Democratic Party reached an agreement with the main opposition parties on Thursday to pass a bill designed to promote renewable energy, an opposition lawmaker said, setting the stage for unpopular Prime Minister Naoto Kan to resign once the law is enacted. Kan, Japan’s fifth premier in five years, repeated on Thursday he was ready to quit once three conditions he had set were met. Of those, a small extra budget for recovery from the March earthquake and tsunami has been passed and a bill enabling fresh borrowing to fund this year’s budget is set to be enacted this month. Passing the energy bill is the third condition. “The three conditions that the premier has supposedly set will be met rather quickly,” Shigeru Ishiba, the policy chief of main opposition Liberal Democratic Party told reporters after he agreed with his counterparts to swiftly enact the renewable energy bill. “A relationship of trust between the three parties is being developed.” Finance Minister Yoshihiko Noda, 54, a fiscal conservative who wants to rein in Japan’s huge public debt, has emerged as a leading contender to replace Kan. \|\|\|\|\| Responsible agency: General Policy Division, Director-General's Secretariat, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Purpose: These statistics provide energy balance tables, a variety of statistics, information on the energy situation domestically and abroad, etc. for gaining insight into Japan's overall supply and demand for energy. Contents: Japan's energy supply and demand in fiscal 1998 was as follows: Final energy consumption was 15,156 PJ (petajoule = 1015J = thousand billion joules). The percentage of that consumption was 48.4% by industry, 26.4% by households, and 25.2% by transportation. The total supply of primary energy was 22,810 PJ. That was comprised of 52.4% petroleum, 16.4% coal, 12.3% natural gas, 13.7% nuclear power, 3.9% hydropower, 0.2% geothermal energy, and 1.1% new energy and other sources. Precautions for use: There are many varieties of energy, each measured in different units and with differing caloric value. Therefore the figures in the comprehensive statistical tables are converted to average caloric values, and care must be exercised when seeking consistency with related statistics or when making international comparisons. [Outline of Survey] Method of survey: Statistical surveys were conducted of designated statistics, approved statistics and others. In addition, a wide range of related data, such as operating records and industry statistics, was gathered and processed. Items tabulated: Comprehensive energy supply and demand balance, volume of energy supply by type, final energy consumption volume by industry, Japan's energy supply and demand trends (final energy consumption and total primary energy supply), energy supply and demand by region and by major country, etc. Form and timing of publication, and name of report: General Energy Statistics is published in March of each year Language used: Japanese only Sales organization: Tsusho Sangyo Research Laboratory Fax: +81-3401-6320 Internet information: Overview data (Japanese only) http://www.enecho.go.jp/ Related statistics: Energy Production, Supply and Demand Statistics (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), Current Survey of Energy Consumption in Commerce and Manufacturing (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), etc. Figure 10-1 Volume of Total Supply and Reliance on Imports of Primary Energy Figure 10-2 Total Supply of Primary Energy by Percentage of Energy Source \|\|\|\|\| Japan PM pledges 'revolutionary' energy shift Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday pledged a 'revolutionary' shift away from atomic power and towards renewable energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. -- PHOTO: AFP TOKYO - JAPAN'S Prime Minister Naoto Kan on Friday pledged a 'revolutionary' shift away from atomic power and towards renewable energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear disaster. His cabinet also agreed on a plan to rebuild after the quake and tsunami disaster of March 11, saying reconstruction would cost around 19 trillion yen (S$295 billion) over the next five years. The embattled premier, who has been fighting calls to resign amid rock-bottom poll ratings, was speaking as a government panel said it would spend the rest of the year working on a new energy strategy. 'We have made a significant decision on energy policy, including nuclear power,' Mr Kan said in a televised press conference. 'As a medium-term revolutionary energy and environmental strategy, we have decided to start a thorough review of nuclear power policy and draw a roadmap for a reduction of the dependence on nuclear power. 'The Japanese government will aim for a society that does not depend on nuclear power and reduce its dependence on nuclear power in a planned and step-by-step manner.' Earlier Friday the national policy minister, Koichiro Gemba, assigned by Mr Kan to draft a plan to reduce atomic energy use, said the government would spend a year drafting a new 'roadmap' on energy policy. -- AFP	A new law which seeks to utilise reusable energy and minimise cost impact on consumers is under development in Japan. The new law, which would be effective from July 1 next year, would seek to reduce Japan's dependency on nuclear power. The new legislation would urge power utilities to cut costs by purchasing renewable energy from outside companies and private businesses. Japan's decision has been referred to as opening the door on renewable energy, which currently only contributes to six percent of Japan's energy sources. Politicians have amended the bill, allowing the revised bill to pass through parliament later this month. Prime Minister who is pushing for the bill to be passed in return for his resignation, has stated that the 'feed-in-tariff on renewable energy will be set at a fixed price so that utilities are limited to purchasing electricity from renewable power generators. Kan hopes that this will encourage more business and private corporate partners to enter into the renewable energy market. "As a medium-term revolutionary energy and environmental strategy, we have decided to start a thorough review of nuclear power policy and draw a roadmap for a reduction of the dependence on nuclear power" Mr Kan said. Large companies are concerned about the new legislation as it will continue to affect profit margins which are low due to power shortages and high priced exports. The bill was changed to reduce the surcharge for large power companies after complaints from the Japanese steel industry. If the scheme is launched then consumers will face an increase on electricity bills as utilities can pass their costs onto end-users. Despite the governments promise to cap the surcharge for the next ten years, there is no reference to it in the revised bill. Lawmakers hope that by adding a provision requiring utilities to streamline their operations, the impact on consumers will be minimized. A third party group will be set up within the under the Agency for National Resources and Energy to ensure that the setting of fixed prices are fair and just.
Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir says the International Criminal Court has no jurisdiction in Sudan and its war crimes charges are lies. "From the beginning we said we are not a member of the court ... the court has no jurisdiction over Sudan," Mr Bashir said. "Whoever has visited Darfur, met officials and discovered their ethnicities and tribes ... will know that all of these things (including ethnic cleansing) are lies." Mr Bashir was speaking ahead of the signing of Sudan's new election law. At the ceremony Mr Bashir - wearing traditional dress - was shown dancing with other ministers as a Sudanese band played. The election law is expected to pave the way for Sudan's first free elections in 23 years, due in 2009, but analysts have warned the ICC warrant could remove the incentive for Mr Bashir to hold a democratic vote and relinquish power. ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo has accused Mr Bashir of genocide crimes against humanity and war crimes, including torture and murder, and asked the court to issue a warrant for his arrest. Staff evacuation The joint UN-AU peacekeeping mission in Sudan's Darfur region says it will evacuate its non-essential staff but maintain its operation in the war-torn region. The move was announced shortly Mr Moreno-Ocampo requested the arrest of the Sudanese leader. The joint force will "maintain its operations in the region and continue implementing its mandate as non-essential staff prepared to relocate due to the recent deteriorating security situation across Darfur," it said in a statement. A UN official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the move ordered by UNAMID force commander Martin Agwai affected about 1,800 police and 1,000 civilians who are to leave the country temporarily in coming days. A UNAMID statement issued from the force headquarters in El Fasher, north Darfur, linked the move to last Tuesday's ambush in which seven UNAMID peacekeepers were killed and 22 others wounded by heavily armed militia in the area. "We will continue to conduct patrols and security, as well as protect UN personnel and UN facilities on the ground," Mr Agwai said. "In addition, we will continue to assist the humanitarian organisations to do their job of rendering humanitarian services to the people of Darfur. The under-equipped and under-manned UNAMID is ultimately to represent the largest peacekeeping force in the world with a mandate strength of around 26,000. But it currently has only roughly one third of that number. - AFP/Reuters \|\|\|\|\| Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.	The Hague. The International Criminal Court's (ICC) Procecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampohas accused Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir of major crimes committed in the Darfur region. Mr. Bashir is said to have personally directed a mlitary campaign "to destroy in substantial part the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa" tribes. He has asked the ICC for a warrant to arrest al-Bashir for 10 offences including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Some have criticized the move, saying that it will spark further violence and unrest in the country Al-Bashir came to rule power in 1989. There has been a racial conflict in the country since 2003. The Arab militia, named the Janjaweed, are a government funded group alleged to have been driving the conflict in the region. Since 2003, as many as 300,000 people have been killed and 2 million people displaced from their homes. Al-Bashir has rejected the charges, claiming the ICC has no authority to arrest him as Sudan is not a member of the court. The United Nations will evacuate all non-essential peacekeepers in the region however they maintain that they will continue their operation despite the deteriorating security situation.
News reaching here from Tegucigalpa said the accident occurred at about 10:00 a.m. local time (1600 GTM), when the plane, owned by Central America's TACA airlines, was trying to land at the Toncontin airport amid heavy rain and fog. The plane Miami-bound Airbus A-320, with 124 passengers and crew on board, left San Salvador at 8:00 a.m. local time and was scheduled to stop briefly in Tegucigalpa and in San Pedro Sula before heading to Miami. The pilot, who was among the dead, was apparently unable to stop the aircraft after landing. The plane skidded off the runway, raced onto a busy street and smashed into an embankment, breaking into three parts, as it tried to make a landing at the Toncontin airport. Also among the dead was Nicaraguan Harry Brautigam, president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration. Honduran former Industry and Trade Minister Norman Garcia, who was also on the plane when the accident occurred, was one of the survivors. Honduran President Manuel Zelaya expressed regret over the accident and also extended his condolences to the victims. Guatemalan Vice President Rafael Espada said Friday President Alvaro Colom has called his Honduran counterpart Zelaya to extend his condolences to the families of Brautigam and other victims of the accident. Honduras Industry and Commerce Minister Norman Garcia said poor visibility could have contributed to the crash. Specialists have said that landing at Toncontin airport is difficult for big planes because the runways are short and narrow. The worst plane crash that occurred at Toncontin airport was in1989, when a passenger aircraft smashed into a hill, killing 133 people. \|\|\|\|\| By Gustavo Palencia TEGUCIGALPA (Reuters) - A Salvadoran passenger plane skidded off a rain-soaked runway on landing at Tegucigalpa airport in Honduras on Friday, killing five people and injuring 38 as it veered onto a road and smashed into cars and a building. The TACA airlines Airbus A320, on a flight from San Salvador with 135 passengers and crew, lay broken in three parts and was spewing fuel after the accident, which happened in heavy rain and fog. Passengers, some with blood streaming from their faces, stumbled out of the plane over the broken wings as onlookers rushed to pull survivors from the smoking plane, Reuters television images showed. A paramedic tried to resuscitate one man in the wreckage, while injured passengers sat stunned on the side of the road. One woman with a head wound asked repeatedly, "Where am I?" Passersby struggled to pry open the cockpit to free the trapped pilots, one of whom died in a hospital. The plane circled the airport several times before attempting to land in heavy fog, survivor Mario Castillo told Honduran television. "Suddenly we felt a big noise and we were all trying desperately to get out," Castillo said. "The worst injured were the people in business class." The plane skidded off the runway, which was sodden with rain from Tropical Storm Alma, and crashed through a fence into a busy road, killing two people in their cars. Two passengers also died. Thirty-eight people were injured, local emergency services chief Carlos Cordero told Reuters. Authorities closed the airport and transferred commercial flights to a military airport. The cause of the accident was not immediately clear. TREACHEROUS AIRPORT Tegucigalpa is nestled in hills and has a reputation as one of the most treacherous airports in Latin America due to a difficult approach. But Boris Ferrera, an official with Honduras' civil aviation authority, said there was plenty of room for the plane to land. One of the dead was Harry Brautigam, a Nicaraguan who headed the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, TACA said. He died in a hospital after being dragged from the wreckage by rescue workers. "The plane landed on the runway and braked and braked but it seems that the rain and the wet made it slip off," said an airport security official who witnessed the accident. TACA said in a statement the plane was carrying 124 passengers and 11 crew. A local TACA manager said earlier there were 142 people on board. "I am thanking God I am alive -- there are other passengers who are in a very bad way," survivor Roberto Sosa told Honduran radio. The last time El Salvador's TACA was involved in an accident was in 1993 when a Boeing 767 airliner overran the runway as it was landing in Guatemala City and crashed into some houses. Nobody was killed. (Additional reporting by Mica Rosenberg and Cyntia Barrera in Mexico City and Alberto Barrera in El Salvador; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Peter Cooney) \|\|\|\|\| A man is carried away from the inside of a plane after it crashed in Tegucigalpa, Friday, May 30, 2008. A TACA airplane overshot a runway and slammed to a stop on a city street in the Honduran capital Friday, leaving at least one passenger dead and injuring several others. (AP Photo/Jose Osorio) Passenger jet overshoots runway in Honduras TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) — A Miami-bound jetliner overshot a runway, raced onto a busy street and slammed into an embankment in the Honduran capital Friday, killing the pilot, two passengers and a motorist on the ground. Eighty-one people were injured, including the former head of Honduras' armed forces, Gen. Daniel Lopez Carballo. The Grupo Taca Airbus 320 was trying to land with 124 people on board when it overshot the runway. Its nose smashed into an embankment and its fuselage buckled and broke in places, trapping the pilot and co-pilot inside. Rescuers had to pry open part of the wreckage to get them out, but the pilot didn't survive, said Cesar Villalta, director of Honduras' military hospital. Passenger Harry Brautigam, a Nicaraguan who headed a regional development bank, died of heart failure shortly after the crash. The body of a man trapped under the plane's wreckage was believed to be a taxi driver. Janneth Shantall, the wife of Brazilian Ambassador Brian Michael Fraser Neele, was also killed in the crash, an employee of the Brazilian embassy told local media. That employee, Dennis Hernandez, said the ambassador was also aboard the plane and was injured. Hernandez said he didn't know the ambassador's condition. More than 2,000 gallons (7,500 liters) of fuel spilled out of the jet, and authorities tried to clear away hundreds of onlookers while they hosed down cars trapped under the plane's left engine. "The airplane's fuel could cause an explosion, and that would be an even bigger tragedy," Security Ministry spokesman Ivan Mejia said. Many passengers walked away from the accident. Roberto Sosa, 34, told The Associated Press: "We landed ... and suddenly I heard a really strong, loud impact." Mirtila Lopez, 71, said she was talking to another passenger when the plane "left the runway, hit electric cables from a nearby street and then got stuck in the side of a small ravine." The plane left San Salvador at 8:30 a.m. local time carrying passengers mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica. It was scheduled to stop briefly in Tegucigalpa and in San Pedro Sula before heading to Miami. It was unclear what caused the crash, but weather may have been a factor. The runway was wet with rain from Tropical Storm Alma. There have been calls for years to replace aging Toncontin International Airport, whose short runway, primitive navigation equipment and neighboring hills make it one of the world's more dangerous international airports. The airport was built on the southern edge of hilly Tegucigalpa in 1948 with a runway less than 5,300 feet (1,600 meters) long — shorter than that of a small field such as Municipal Airport in Goldsboro, N.C. The altitude of some 3,300 feet (1,000 meters) forces pilots to use more runway on landings and takeoffs than they would at sea level. And because of the hills, pilots have to make an unusually steep approach. President Manuel Zelaya said he was talking to his Cabinet about moving flights to the U.S. military's Soto Cano air base about 40 miles (65 kilometers) north of the capital. In 1997, a U.S. Air Force C-130 cargo plane overshot the runway at Toncontin and rolled 200 yards (180 meters) before bursting into flames on a major boulevard, killing three people aboard. The worst crash associated with the airport came in 1989 when a Honduran airliner hit a nearby hill, killing 133 people. \|\|\|\|\| 3 killed as plane skids off runway in Honduran capital Rescue workers are seen next to a commercial airliner after it crashed in Tegucigalpa on Friday. (Fernando Antonio/Associated Press)A pilot and two other people were killed Friday when a passenger plane veered off a runway while landing in the Honduran capital of Tegucigalpa, coming to rest on a city street. More than 75 people were injured, including Brazil's ambassador to Honduras, Brian Michael Fraser Neele. Police said he was being treated at a private hospital. Television footage showed firefighters hosing down cars trapped under the Grupo TACA passenger jet as crowds of onlookers gathered. The plane had smashed into an embankment and snapped into pieces. More than 7,500 litres of jet fuel spilled out of the plane, which was broken in three pieces. Authorities cleared away hundreds of onlookers crowding around the streets. "The airplane's fuel could cause an explosion, and that would be an even bigger tragedy," Security Ministry spokesman Ivan Mejia said. Rescue workers try to pull passengers and crew members from the airliner after it skidded off the runway. (Jose Osoria/Associated Press) Rescue workers try to pull passengers and crew members from the airliner after it skidded off the runway. (Jose Osoria/Associated Press) Cesar Villalta, director of Honduras's military hospital, confirmed that the plane's pilot was killed, while officials at another hospital said a passenger died after having a heart attack shortly after the crash. He has been identified as Nicaraguan Harry Brautigam, president of the Tegucigalpa-based Central American Bank for Economic Integration, said Honduran President Manuel Zelaya. A third person, believed to be a taxi driver, was killed when the plane struck a vehicle on the street. There were at least 124 people on the plane, which was arriving from San Salvador. It was scheduled to stop briefly in Tegucigalpa and in San Pedro Sula before heading to Miami. The plane landed hours after the passage of tropical storm Alma, which left parts of the city shrouded in fog. The plane reportedly circled the airport several times before landing. There have been calls for years to replace aging Toncontin International Airport, where a short runway, primitive navigation equipment and neighbouring hills make it one of the world's more dangerous international airports. The airport was built on the southern edge of hilly Tegucigalpa in 1948 with a runway less than 1,600 metres long. With files from the Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| 'Desperate' survivors The plane left San Salvador, capital of El Salvador, at 8:30am local time carrying passengers mostly from Honduras, El Salvador and Costa Rica and was flying into Tegucigalpa's main Toncontin international airport. The dead included the pilot, a passenger and a person on the ground whose car was hit by the plane, Associated Press news agency said. One of those killed was Harry Brautigam, a Nicaraguan who headed the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, Manuel Zelaya, the Honduran president, said. Many passengers said they considered themselves lucky to have survived. "Suddenly we felt a big noise and we were all trying desperately to get out," Mario Castillo, one of the passengers, told local television. "The worst injured were the people in business class." More than 7,500 litres of fuel spilled out of the jet and authorities tried to clear away hundreds of onlookers as they hosed down cars trapped under one of the plane's engines. "The aeroplane's fuel could cause an explosion, and that would be an even bigger tragedy," Ivan Mejia, a security ministry spokesman, said. The airport has long faced complaints over safety because of its short runway, high altitude and because pilots have to make an unusually steep approach.	View of Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa Five people were killed and many others injured after Flight 390 of TACA airlines overran the runway at the Toncontín International Airport in Tegucigalpa. The Airbus 320 held dozens of people on board including both passengers and crew, although various accounts are inconsistently reporting occupant numbers. Flight 390 began in San Salvador, El Salvador and just departed its intermediate stop at Tegucigalpa before it was to continue towards Miami, United States. The plane fell to the city streets while approaching the runway at approximately 1600 UTC (10 am local time). The accident occurred in the midst of bad weather from tropical storm "Alma". Among the casualties confirmed are the president of the Central American Bank for Economic Integration, Harry Brautigam.
Afghanistan Begins Partial Vote Recount Electoral Complaints Commission (ECC) worker takes photograph after looking for patterns of irregularities in Kabul, 13 Sep 2009 Afghan officials are recounting a sample of the votes from last month's disputed presidential election, in an effort to resolve weeks of uncertainty about the outcome. Preliminary results from the August 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai winning with 54 percent. But if enough votes are found to be fraudulent, and his tally falls below 50 percent, he could face a run-off against his chief rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. To speed up the recount process, the United Nations-backed panel investigating the fraud allegations agreed to allow election officials to review a portion of the votes from polling stations with suspected problems. The Electoral Complaints Commission said Friday that 313 ballot boxes had been randomly selected from the more than 3,000 sites. Candidate agents and observers served as witnesses. The preliminary results showed Abdullah Abdullah with 28 percent of the vote. But the ECC already has said that it found "clear and convincing evidence of fraud" in the election. Afghan officials are recounting a sample of the votes from last month's disputed presidential election, in an effort to resolve weeks of uncertainty about the outcome.Preliminary results from the August 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai winning with 54 percent. But if enough votes are found to be fraudulent, and his tally falls below 50 percent, he could face a run-off against his chief rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah.To speed up the recount process, the United Nations-backed panel investigating the fraud allegations agreed to allow election officials to review a portion of the votes from polling stations with suspected problems.The Electoral Complaints Commission said Friday that 313 ballot boxes had been randomly selected from the more than 3,000 sites. Candidate agents and observers served as witnesses.The preliminary results showed Abdullah Abdullah with 28 percent of the vote. But the ECC already has said that it found "clear and convincing evidence of fraud" in the election. E-mail Print Digg Yahoo Buzz Facebook del.icio.us StumbleUpon \|\|\|\|\| A speedy resolution to the claims of fraud is desired so that any run-off can be held before winter [AFP] A speedy resolution to the claims of fraud is desired so that any run-off can be held before winter [AFP] The Afghan Independent Election Commission has said it will recount 10 per cent of the disputed ballots from last month's presidential poll. The decision, announced on Friday, means votes from just 313 of the 3,063 polling stations where suspected violations have been reported will be recounted. It has been reported that during the election on August 20 some polling stations had a turnout in excess of 100 per cent, while others saw almost all votes cast for one candidate. The Afghan Independent Election Commission (IEC) and the Electoral Complaints Comission (ECC took the decision to recount only a limited sample in order to speed up the investigation process. "It will be fair," Grant Kippen, the head of the ECC, said. "We've got these international experts who have been doing this and who have advised that this is a good approach." Randomnly selected The 313 ballot boxes were randomly selected in front of candidate agents and observers, Nellika Little, a spokeswoman for the ECC, said. The selected ballot boxes could be retrieved from the provinces as soon as Saturday, according to Zekria Barakzai, the deputy chief electoral officer of the Afghan election commission.Officials suggested that the process would take about two weeks. The IEC has said that it wants to make the process as quick as possible in case a second run-off is needed between the two leading candidates. If no candidate wins at least 50 per cent of the official results the two candidates with the highest number of votes will go into the runoff. The IEC announced final preliminary results for the election last week giving incumbent Hamid Karzai 54.6 per cent and Abdullah Abdullah, a former foreign minister, 27.8 per cent of the vote. The results will not be confirmed until all cases of fraud are investigated. There have been concerns that further delays would make it virtually impossible to hold a run-off before the harsh Afghan winter, which would likely prevent election materials being delivered to many polling stations. \|\|\|\|\| 1 in 10 suspect Afghan ballot boxes face recount KABUL — Afghan election officials racing to meet a narrowing window for a possible presidential runoff said Friday they will recount a sample of 10 percent of suspect ballot boxes to speed long-delayed results of the disputed election. Preliminary results from the Aug. 20 vote show President Hamid Karzai winning outright with 54.6 percent. But the election has been mired in allegations of ballot stuffing and voter coercion. If enough votes are found to be fraudulent, Karzai could dip below the 50 percent threshold needed to avoid a runoff with chief challenger Abdullah Abdullah. The reasonable timeframe for any runoff has narrowed to the last two weeks in October, before winter snows make much of the north impassable, election officials have said. Missing that window could delay any runoff until spring, creating a power vacuum in a country already struggling to fend of the resurgent Taliban and losing support from international allies. The Afghan election commission and a U.N.-backed panel investigating widespread fraud allegations agreed to audit and recount ballots from 313 of the 3,063 polling stations deemed suspicious, said Grant Kippen, the Canadian head of the U.N.-supported panel. "It will be fair," Kippen said. "We've got these international experts who have been doing this and who have advised that this is a good approach." He said the margin of error is less than 1 percentage point. The panel — which is the final arbiter of the vote result — had previously ordered Afghan officials to audit and recount all 3,063 polling stations whose results were suspect because of tallies with more than 100 percent turnout or nearly all votes cast for one candidate. But worries that such a vast recount could take months prompted the decision to count a sample instead. The 313 ballot boxes were randomly selected in front of candidate agents and observers, said Nellika Little, a spokeswoman for the U.N.-supported Electoral Complaints Commission. The selected ballot boxes will be retrieved from the provinces as soon as Saturday, said Zekria Barakzai, the deputy chief electoral officer of the Afghan election commission. Afghan election officials and the complaints commission issued a joint statement confirming the agreement but retracted it less than two hours later, saying that the wording had not been finalized. A spokeswoman said the essentials of the agreement still held. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.	Hamid Karzai in 2006 Abdullah Abdullah in 2004 Afghan officials are recounting a sample of the votes from last month's disputed presidential election, in an effort to resolve weeks of uncertainty about the outcome. Preliminary results from the August 20 vote show the incumbent candidate, president Hamid Karzai, in first place, with 54%. But if enough votes are found to be fraudulent, and his tally falls below 50%, he will face a run-off against his chief rival, former Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah. To speed up the recount process, the United Nations-backed panel investigating the fraud allegations agreed to allow election officials to review only a portion of the votes from polling stations with suspected problems. If any runoff is not held soon then the Afghan winter will prevent one until the spring should it be required. The Electoral Complaints Commission said Friday that 313 ballot boxes had been randomly selected from the more than 3,063 stations considered suspicious. "It will be fair. We've got these international experts who have been doing this and who have advised that this is a good approach," said Electoral Complaints Commission head Grant Kippen. The recount process is estimated to take around two weeks to complete.
McDonald's is seen as a part of most developed economies McDonald's is to close its business in Iceland because the country's financial crisis has made it too expensive to operate its franchise. The fast food giant said its three outlets in the country would shut - and that it had no plans to return. Besides the economy, McDonald's blamed the "unique operational complexity" of doing business in an isolated nation with a population of just 300,000. Iceland's first McDonald's restaurant opened in 1993. 'No sense' For a kilo of onion, imported from Germany, I'm paying the equivalent of a bottle of good whisky Jon Gardar Ogmundsson McDonald's Icelandic franchisee The franchises are run by a firm called Lyst, with owner Jon Gardar Ogmundsson saying the decision was "not taken lightly". He said that the restaurants imported the goods from Germany, but that costs had almost doubled, with the falling krona making imports prohibitively expensive. Mr Ogmundsson said the restaurants had "never been this busy before... but at the same time profits have never been lower". "It just makes no sense. For a kilo of onion, imported from Germany, I'm paying the equivalent of a bottle of good whisky," he added. He now plans to run the restaurants under another name so that he is able to buy cheaper Icelandic products. Iceland's banks collapsed at the height of the global credit crisis - wrecking the country's economy and forcing it to rely on an $10bn (£6.1bn) international aid package. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Sign up to receive daily headline news from Ottawa Citizen, a division of Postmedia Network Inc. Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Ottawa Citizen Headline News will soon be in your inbox. \|\|\|\|\| Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- Iceland’s McDonald’s Corp. restaurants will be closed at the end of the month after the collapse of the krona eroded profits at the fast-food chain, McDonald’s franchise holder Lyst ehf said. McDonald’s in Iceland, which imports most of the ingredients it uses in its meals, will shut after costs doubled over the past year, Lyst said in an e-mailed statement today. The franchise holder said it doesn’t expect the situation to change in the short term. “We would have to raise our prices by 20 percent to get the margin needed on our products,” Magnus Ogmundsson, Lyst chief executive officer, said in a phone interview. “That would have sent a Big Mac to 780 kronur” ($6.36), compared with the 650 kronur it costs today, he said. The island’s currency collapsed last year following the failure of Iceland’s biggest banks. Offshore, the krona slumped as much as 80 percent against the euro, while capital restrictions this year have failed to prevent an 8.1 percent decline, making the krona the second-worst performer of the 26 emerging-market currencies tracked by Bloomberg. “Our competitors all use domestic meat and lettuce and so on, while we are flying in these materials, which is extremely expensive,” Ogmundsson said. BigMac Index The most expensive Big Macs are sold in Switzerland and Norway, where the burger costs about $5.75, according to the Economist 2009 BigMac index. The cheapest are sold in South Africa, $1.68, and China, $1.83, the index shows. McDonald’s, the world’s largest restaurant chain, opened its first store in Iceland in 1993. The first person on the island to consume a Big Mac was then Prime Minister David Oddsson, who later became governor of the central bank before his dismissal by the current ruling coalition earlier this year. The island has three McDonald’s restaurants, all of which will be closed. The closure sparked a wide range of responses from bloggers on the island. Pall Vilhjalmsson said he was glad the stores were closing, calling the chain a “symbol of American colonialism” and that it has “terrorized food culture all over the world.” Hreinn Omar Smarason, said he will “miss Ronald McDonald,” adding he hopes the stores will return as soon as possible. Iceland is relying on a $2.1 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund to stay afloat after its three biggest banks collapsed having racked up debt more than 10 times the size of the economy. The central bank imposed capital restrictions at the end of last year to prevent a sell-off of the currency. To contact the reporter on this story: Omar R. Valdimarsson in Reykjavik valdimarsson@bloomberg.net. To contact the editor responsible for this story: Chris Kirkham at ckirkham@bloomberg.net. \|\|\|\|\| REYKJAVIK, Iceland – The Big Mac, long a symbol of globalization, has become the latest victim of this tiny island nation's overexposure to the world financial crisis. Iceland's three McDonald's restaurants — all in the capital Reykjavik — will close next weekend, as the franchise owner gives in to falling profits caused by the collapse in the Icelandic krona. "The economic situation has just made it too expensive for us," Magnus Ogmundsson, the managing director of Lyst Hr., McDonald's franchise holder in Iceland, told the Associated Press by telephone on Monday. Lyst was bound by McDonald's requirement that it import all the goods required for its restaurants — from packaging to meat and cheeses — from Germany. Costs had doubled over the past year because of the fall in the krona and high import tariffs on imported goods, Ogmundsson said, making it impossible for the company to raise prices further and remain competitive with competitors that use locally sourced produce. A Big Mac in Reykjavik already retails for 650 krona ($5.29). But the 20 percent increase needed to make a decent profit would have pushed that to 780 krona ($6.36), he said. That would have made the Icelandic version of the burger the most expensive in the world, a title currently held jointly by Switzerland and Norway where it costs $5.75, according to The Economist magazine's 2009 Big Mac index. The decision to shutter the Icelandic franchise was taken in agreement with McDonald's Inc., Ogmundsson said, after a review of several months. McDonald's, the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, arrived in Reykjavik in 1993 when the country was on an upward trajectory of wealth and expansion. The first person to take a bite out of a Big Mac on the island was then Prime Minister David Oddsson. Oddsson went on to become governor of the country's central bank, Sedlabanki, a position that he was forced out of by lawmakers earlier this year after a public outcry about his inability to prevent the financial crisis. Lyst plans to reopen the stores under a new brand name, Metro, using locally sourced materials and produce and retaining the franchise's current 90-strong staff. Ogmundsson said it was unlikely that Lyst would ever seek to regain the McDonald's franchise with Iceland still struggling to get back on its feet after the credit crisis crippled its overweight banking system, damaging the rest of its economy, last October. "I don't think anything will happen that will change the situation in any significant way in the next few years," Ogmundsson said. It is not the first time that McDonald's, which currently operates in more than 119 countries on six continents, has exited a country. Its one and only restaurant in Barbados closed after just six months in 1996 because of slow sales. In 2002, the company pulled out of seven countries, including Bolivia, that had poor profit margins as part of an international cost-cutting exercise. _______ AP Business Writer Jane Wardell reported from London.	McDonald's, the international chain, will cease all operations in Iceland by the end of October. The company blames the closure of the nation's three outlets on drastically increased costs of importing its food ingredients, which mainly came from Germany. McDonald's corporation says the current economic slump is to blame for rising costs, along with the "unique operational complexity" of keeping them open. The restaurant, with its distinctive , began its Icelandic operations in 1993. Its outlets were operated by Lyst, a franchising company owned by Jon Gardar Ogmundsson. There are no plans to reopen any of the locations. "Stores have never been this busy before... but at the same time profits have never been lower. It just makes no sense. For a kilogram of onions, imported from Germany, I'm paying the equivalent of a bottle of good whisky," said one Gardar Ogmundsson, the owner of the firm Lyst, to the . Lyst hopes to operate a new chain of restaurants, which will be supplied by domestic rather than imported food products. McDonald's, which operates in 119 countries globally, previously closed its sole retail outlet in Barbados in 1996 after only six months in operation, and withdrew from an additional seven countries in 2000 — including Bolivia — to reduce costs.
SEOUL, South Korea North Korea called on Friday for an end to “the hostile relationship” with the United States, issuing a New Year’s message that highlighted the reclusive country’s attempt to readjust the focus of six-party nuclear disarmament talks. In an editorial carried by its major state media outlets, North Korea said that its consistent stand was “to establish a lasting peace system on the Korean Peninsula and make it nuclear-free through dialogue and negotiations.” The editorial added that “the fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability” was “to put an end to the hostile relationship” with the United States. The sequence of easing tension with Washington, establishing a peace regime and then denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula has been shaping up as the North’s policy approach before it re-engages in talks about giving up its nuclear weapons, according to officials and analysts in Seoul. The North’s new emphasis on that policy sequence proved to be a stumbling block when President Obama’s special envoy on North Korea policy, Stephen W. Bosworth, visited the North’s capital, Pyongyang, last month to try to persuade North Korea to return to the six-nation talks about its nuclear program. The six-party format began in 2003, and the talks focused mainly on dismantling North Korea’s nuclear weapons facilities. The participants are the two Koreas, the United States, China, Russia and Japan. Washington and its allies have provided North Korea with food aid and other assistance while offering incentives such as security guarantees, normalized ties and a peace treaty. The talks dragged on for years, but the North dismantled only some of its nuclear facilities. A missile test by North Korea in April 2009 led to a swift United Nations condemnation, whereupon the North quit the six-party talks, saying they were “useless.” The next month, North Korea conducted its second nuclear test, which led to a United Nations Security Council resolution and a further tightening of sanctions. North Korea now insists on separate, bilateral talks with the United States as a way to defuse the hostile relations. During Mr. Bosworth’s visit, North Korea acknowledged a possible role for the six-nation talks but did not say when it would resume them. The 1950-53 Korean War ended in a truce, not a formal peace treaty, leaving the peninsula technically in a state of war. North Korea says it has built nuclear weapons as a deterrent to an American invasion, although Washington has said it has no intention to attack. Although they recognized the need for a permanent peace treaty to replace the truce, officials in Washington and Seoul fear that the North’s demand for peace talks may be a ploy to distract the focus on ending North Korea’s nuclear weapons programs. After having accumulated enough plutonium for several bombs, North Korea declared last year that it had embarked on an uranium-enrichment program that would give it a second route to atomic weapons. If peace talks begin, North Korea will likely demand normalized ties, significant food and energy aid and even the pullout of American troops from South Korea as a precondition for a nuclear-free Korean peninsula, according to analysts in Seoul. North Korea traditionally marks New Year’s Day with a joint editorial by the country’s three major newspapers representing its ruling party, the military and the youth militia. Politicians, scholars and diplomats from the outside world scrutinize the lengthy statement for clues to the regime’s policies for the coming year. This year’s editorial softened the typically bellicose attacks against Washington and President Lee Myung-bak of South Korea. “Unshakable is our stand that we will improve the North-South relations and open the way for national reunification,” it said, calling on Mr. Lee to honor his predecessors’ agreements to send aid to North Korea. Mr. Lee, a conservative, maintains that no significant aid is possible until he sees progress in the ending of North Korea’s nuclear ambitions. The impoverished North, apparently staggered by the United Nations sanctions that were tightened in May, also stressed the need to improve the people’s standard of living by accelerating the development of light industry while calling for efforts to boost foreign trade. “The agricultural sector,” it added, “should sharply increase the grain output.” \|\|\|\|\| Login Enter your details below to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 15 days or until you logout Forgot your password? \|\|\|\|\| SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korea called for an end to hostile ties with the United States and an atomic-free peninsula in a New Year message that comes weeks after it indicated it could end its year-long boycott of nuclear disarmament talks. World \| North Korea North Korea has made similar pledges before and analysts have cautioned it may call for separate discussions on formally establishing diplomatic ties with the United States before it agrees to resume the six-country nuclear talks. "The fundamental task for ensuring peace and stability on the Korean peninsula and in the rest of Asia is to put an end to the hostile relationship between the DPRK (North Korea) and the USA," the official news agency KCNA said in a report of a joint newspaper editorial on North Korea's foreign policy stance. "It is the consistent stand of the DPRK to establish a lasting peace system on the Korean peninsula and make it nuclear-free through dialogue and negotiations." The 1950-53 Korean War ended with a ceasefire, and no formal peace treaty has ever been reached between the U.S.-led U.N. forces that fought with the South against North Korean and Chinese forces. U.S. President Barack Obama wrote a personal letter to North Korean leader Kim Jong-il this month to try to persuade Pyongyang to return to nuclear disarmament talks. It was delivered by the first official envoy his administration has sent to Pyongyang. The North responded to the visit by indicating it could return to the dormant, six-way nuclear discussions with China, Japan, Russia, South Korea and the United States. SANCTIONS BLOW Destitute and isolated North Korea a year ago stepped away from a deal in those talks to halt its nuclear program in exchange for massive aid and an end to its international ostracism. It was hit with fresh U.N. sanctions for a nuclear test it conducted in May. These delivered a heavy blow to its already staggering economy, which may put pressure on it to make concessions. The United States and others want North Korea at least to return to an agreement it walked away from to take apart its aging Yongbyon nuclear plant, which makes plutonium for weapons, and let international inspectors back into the country. North Korea has exploded two nuclear devices but has yet to show it has a working nuclear bomb. Experts doubt the North has the ability to miniaturize an atomic weapon to place on a missile, but it has been trying to develop such a warhead. Nuclear weapons are seen by North Korea as the crowning achievement of leader Kim Jong-il's "military first" rule that have prevented a U.S. invasion. Few analysts expect that he will ever give them up. "North has absolutely no interest in normalizing relations with the United States. As soon as the North does that, it loses all reason to exist," said B.R. Myers, an expert on the North's ideology at Dongseo University. "As soon as people think it is possible to get along with America, they will ask themselves why they need a 'military first' policy.," Myers said in a recent interview. North Korea lays out its policy priorities in the New Year's editorials published in its official media. This year, it repeated pledges to rebuild its economy and turn the state into a "strong and prosperous nation". Leader Kim, who is often silent in the North's media, made a rare statement in which he mentioned his economic goals and a traditional Korean folk song called "Arirang". "When the people's living standards are decisively improved, hooray for socialism and singing of Arirang of prosperity can ring out louder across the country and the gate to a prosperous nation be opened," Kim was quoted as saying. (Editing by Nick Macfie)	North Korea said in a statement on Friday that it wants to end its “hostile relationship” with the United States, and that it seeks to focus on six-party talks with the west. The statement released by major state run news outlets, said that the North is committed to "a lasting peace system on the Korean peninsula." The United States responded by saying that it will take the statement seriously if the North takes action on its word and returns to the six-party talks. The Korean Peninsula has been split into North and South Korea since the Korean war, which ended in 1953 with a cease-fire agreement. The war between US led United Nations forces from the south and North Korean and Chinese forces. North Korea has been hit with sanctions since its nuclear test in May of 2009. The sanctions hurt the North's already struggling economy. An expert on North Korean-US relations, B.R. Myers from Dongseo University, said that "North has absolutely no interest in normalizing relations with the United States. As soon as the North does that, it loses all reason to exist," and "as soon as people think it is possible to get along with America, they will ask themselves why they need a 'military first' policy." The nations leader Kim Jong-il said along with the statements, "When the people's living standards are decisively improved, hooray for socialism and singing of Arirang of prosperity can ring out louder across the country and the gate to a prosperous nation be opened."
[Updated at 5:03 p.m.] Police officers shot the suspect at about 4:50 p.m., Montgomery County Police Chief J. Thomas Manger told reporters. All three hostages are safe and out of the building. "The suspect is in custody," he said. Manger said he had no information about the suspect's condition. A number of devices in backpacks have to be rendered safe, he added. During negotiations, "he had a wide range of emotions," he said. [Updated at 4:44 p.m.] Follow CNN's continuing coverage of the hostage situation at the Discovery Channel headquarters here. [Updated at 4:14 p.m.] Montgomery County Police spokesman Paul Starks told reporters there remained no reports of injuries, but he could not confirm whether everyone had been evacuated from the building, nor would he say how many hostages were being held. "We're just continuing to talk to the man and we're hoping to bring about a safe and successful resolution," Montgomery County Police spokesman Paul Starks told reporters. "It's my understanding that Montgomery County police officers are speaking with him," he said, adding that he believed the conversation was being held by phone. "That has been continuing with him for well over an hour, closing in on two hours now." Street view: Hostage situation site iReport: Are you there? Send photos, video WJLA: Discovery headquarters evacuated [Updated at 4:04 p.m.] Aaron Morrissey, the editor in chief of the web publication DCist, said he came across James Lee's anti-Discovery Channel manifesto in 2008, when Lee was planning to hold a protest against the channel. Lee has been identified by law enforcement sources as the man holding hostages at the Discovery Channel headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland. Lee, Morrissey said, "had some kind of off-the-wall ideas in that manifesto." The 2008 protest, he said, "was not that well attended." A month or so later, Lee was arrested near the building on littering and disorderly conduct charges, Morrissey said. The littering stemmed from Lee's throwing money in to the air, he said. [Updated at 3:41 p.m.] A man with the same name and age as the suspect in a hostage situation at the Discovery Channel headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, was found guilty in 2008 of disorderly conduct, according to court documents. James Lee, 43, was acquitted of littering in the same case, according to Montgomery County, Maryland, Circuit Court records, according to Eric Nee, a senior assistant state's attorney. Lee's two-year supervised probation ended August 18, records show. [Updated at 3:31 p.m.] Montgomery County, Maryland, Police Chief J. Thomas Mangersaid the gunman at the Discovery Channel's headquarters is holding hostage more than one person. Manger said about 3:20 p.m. that negotiations have been going on for nearly an hour, "and we will continue that for as long as we can." [Updated at 3:17 p.m.] The man suspected of taking at least one hostage at the Discovery Channel's headquarters entered the building's main entrance "wearing what appeared to be metallic canister devices on his front and back," a police spokesman said Wednesday. "He also pulled a handgun out and was waving a handgun." Silver Spring Police Chief. Chief J. Thomas Manger said police haven't confirmed whether any shots were fired inside the building. Manger said Lee has remained in first floor area of the Discovery building, where 1,900 employees work. "We believe that most of them are out," Manger said. "There are a small number of hostages with him." [Updated at 3:10 p.m.] James Lee, the man suspected of taking a hostage at the Discovery Channel headquarters, is an environmental protester who has been publishing criticisms of the network, according to a senior law enforcement official close to the investigation. An angry manifesto posted on a website called SaveThePlanetProtest.com repeatedly refers to humans as "filth" and demands that the Discovery Channel "stop encouraging the birth of any more parasitic human infants." "Civilization must be exposed for the filth it is," the 1,149-word statement says. "Humans are the most destructive, filthy, pollutive creatures around and are wrecking what's left of the planet with their false morals and breeding culture," it continues. Lee also blasts immigration, farming, weapons of mass destruction, automotive pollution, "and the whole blasted human economy." He demands that the Discovery Channel broadcast daily prime-time shows devoted to "solutions to save the planet," perhaps in a game-show format, insisting "Make it interesting so people watch and apply solutions!!!!" Many of Lee's comments are directed at "the media," saying "You can reach enough people. It's your responsibility because you reach so many minds!!!" "The world needs TV shows that DEVELOP solutions to the problems that humans are causing, not stupify the people into destroying the world. Not encouraging them to breed more environmentally harmful humans," the manifesto says. "These are the demands and sayings of Lee," the manifesto concludes. [Updated at 2:51 p.m.] The man believed to be holding at least one hostage at the Discovery Channel headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, has been identified as James Lee, a law enforcement source tells CNN. "We can confirm that he is armed and he does have some sort of package with him," said Scott Graham of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Fire Department. Asked if that means Lee has as bomb, Graham said he could not say. Police remain in contact with him, Graham said. He said there have been unconfirmed reports of a shot fired, but there have been no reports of injuries. "It would be premature to speculate on any exact causes as to why this is occurring," he added. He added that some people may remain in the building. [Updated at 2:46 p.m.] Capt. Paul Starks said that police were in communication with the gunman, and that he was making some demands. The suspect had "concerns" with the Discovery Corporation, he said. [Updated at 2:37 p.m.] CNN affiliate WJLA is reporting there was an ambulance on scene and a stretcher was seen being taken into the lobby. [Updated at 2:34 p.m.] Lorie Rorae, an evacuated employee who worked on second floor, said security said to leave the building. Rorae said the security officer said two colleagues were being held hostage. Rorae said there was an announcement telling employees what to do and where to go. "It was orderly," Rorae said. [Updated at 2:31 p.m.] Montgomery County Police said they are speaking with a man who has taken a hostage. Police described the man's grudge the following way: "His beef is with Discovery." "We are speaking with him now," police said. [Updated at 2:31 p.m.] A witness, Lisa Lucas, told CNN affiliate WJLA that she and others outside of the building heard at least one gunshot from One Discovery Place. Friz said that to the best of his knowledge no shots had been fired by police. [Updated at 2:19 p.m.] The Discovery Channel day care has been evacuated to a nearby area, according to CNN affiliate WJLA. The day care had about 100 kids, WJLA reported. [Updated at 2:18 p.m.] The FBI's bomb techicians and ATF agents have been sent to the scene of the hostage situation in a Washington suburb, spokesmen from both agencies said. [Updated at 2:17 p.m.] Renard Jenkins, who works across from the Discovery Channel headquarters where the hostage drama is unfolding, said he sees the mobilization of a bomb squad and a large armored vehicle pulling a trailer. "Police are on high alert, positioning themselves behind columns, cars, anything that gives cover. All have their weapons drawn," Jenkins said. "From what we're seeing, everyone seems to be calm." He said he cannot see into the lobby where the hostage-taking is apparently under way, but can see the activity immediately outside. [Updated at 2:07 p.m.] CNN affiliate WJLA is reporting that police told them a man entered the lobby and may have fired a weapon and declared, "Nobody is going anywhere." [Updated at 1:52 p.m.] A SWAT team and additional resources are responding, said Montgomery County police Cpl. Dan Friz. Authorities were trying to get in touch with the man believed to have taken a hostage. It appears the man has some kind of explosive device on his person, Friz said. Fire marshals with explosives experience were assisting. [Updated at 1:44 p.m.] The Discovery Channel sent an e-mail to all employees in the building at 1:21 p.m. telling them they "have reason to believe there is an armed gunman at One Discovery Place." [Updated at 1:39 p.m.] At least one hostage is confirmed at the headquarters of the Discovery Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland, police said. [Posted at 1:34 p.m.] A police emergency response team was responding to reports of a man with a gun and possible explosives at the headquarters of the Discovery Channel in Silver Spring, Maryland, a police spokeswoman said. Montgomery County police received the call at about 1 p.m., said Angela Cruz. The call came from One Discovery Place, the channel's headquarters. The area has been evacuated, Cruz said. No further information was immediately available. \|\|\|\|\| Gunman at Discovery Channel headquarters Our thoughts are with everyone at the Discovery Channel as a gunman is in the company's lobby in Silver Spring, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C. The man, who was described by CNN as a former employee, has fired the gun, according to local ABC station, WJLA. Montgomery County police spokesman Dan Friz told WJLA that the man was carrying what appeared to be an "explosive device." No one has been reported injured. Local Gannett station WUSA reports that the gunman is believed to be holding at least one hostage. Some employees were initially sent to higher floors and later evacuated, police said. Witnesses on the scene said another group of employees left the building around 1:44 p.m., reports ABC News. A daycare housed on the first floor of the building was also evacuated. At 2:30 p.m. a police spokesman Paul Stark told local reporters that authorities were "talking to" the gunman, an Asian male, who is in the building with an "explosive device." Stark said the gunman had issues "with the Discovery Channel." At 3:15 p.m., Montgomery County Police Chief Tom Manger described the scene during a televised press conference as an "ongoing hostage situation" even though he said "most" of the 1,900 employees are out of the building. "A small number of hostages" are with the suspect. Manger "wouldn't talk" about what the gunman wants. NBC News correspondent Pete Williams said a law enforcement official confirmed the name of the suspect: James Jay Lee. He has a history of protest against the Discovery Channel, Williams reported. In March 2008, he was convicted of disorderly conduct, given six months of supervised probation, and fined $500. UPDATE: Police shot and killed the gunman and three hostages, unharmed, were freed. \|\|\|\|\| Gunman Holds Hostages at Discovery Channel HQ Police Talking to Suspect, Who Witnesses Say Fired Multiple Shots and May Have Explosives; No Injuries Reported (Katie Gross) A gunman who had what police described as "concerns" with the Discovery Channel networks took at least one person hostage in the company's suburban Washington headquarters Wednesday.Police believe the man is James Lee, 43, a federal law enforcement official told. Lee has protested at the Discovery Communications site before.According to a story in The Gazette, which covers Montgomery County, Lee was arrested there in 2008 after throwing thousands of dollars in the air outside the building.Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger said at 1 p.m. the gunman entered through the main entrance of the building wearing what seemed to be metallic canister devices strapped to his front and back and waving a handgun.The man metallic canisters on his front and back that appear to explosives, though police could not confirm whether or not they are real is real."We're going on the assumption that they could be explosive devices," Manger told reporters. "That's the only way we can proceed."Police have been talking to the suspect since about 2:20 p.m. ET. The man is holding an unconfirmed but "small" number of hostages, Manger said.Manger said that there are no reports of injuries on the scene and that of the building's 1,900 employees, "most of them are out," though there may be a few remaining on the building's upper floors. The gunman and hostages are on the ground floor near one of the building's lobbies.Montgomery County fire spokesman Capt. Oscar Garcia said three bomb technicians responded to the scene and several more were on the way.The initial report was of a suspicious package that was possibly explosive, said Garcia, who also said no one had been injured. He said some employees had left the building.Witnesses have reported that the man has fired multiple shots, though police have not confirmed those details.Montgomery County police, SWAT teams, and explosives experts are on the scene and have set up a perimeter of roughly 200 yards around the building. The FBI and ATF are also on the scene.A website registered to Lee criticized Discovery and announced plans for the protest in January 2008: "These guys have been very sneaky and deceptive as to their contribution to the planetary problems. Just look at their 'new' show about saving the planet, 'Planet Green,' to me, it's just another show about more PRODUCTS to make MONEY, not about actual solutions. We can't let them get away with doing it anymore."After his 2008 arrest, Lee said he planned the protest because Discovery's programming had little to do with saving the planet. He was identified then as being from San Diego, Calif., although he gave a local address of a homeless shelter.At the trial, he said he began working to save the planet after being laid off from his job in San Diego. He said he was inspired by "Ishmael," a novel by environmentalist Daniel Quinn and by former Vice President Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth."Laura Fountaine, a Discovery employee, toldshe was returning from her lunch break when she heard a gunman was in the building. She said there's a daycare center located on the first floor of the building."I came out with a lot of the nursery babies; they had like cribs of babies that they were rolling out across the street," said Fountaine. "I just couldn't believe this was happening. This doesn't happen. Everybody likes Discovery. Why would this be happening here?"Adam Dolan, a sales director in Discovery's education division, told The Associated Press by phone that he was heading to lunch with a co-worker when he heard there was a situation in the building.He was told to go back up to the top floor, the ninth, and lock the door and turn off the lights. Eventually the workers were herded down a stairwell and told to go home."Everyone was very scared, but at the same time ... I think people were calm and collected and responded as one would expect in this situation," said Dolan, 28.When he got to the bottom floor, he saw shattered glass near the company's daycare and suspected it was broken to get the children out. He later got an e-mail that all the children were safe and had been taken to a McDonalds.Dolan said the company has unarmed security guards who won't let anyone into the building without a badge.Another person inside the building told The Associated Press the gunman had something strapped to his chest and had hostages. The person asked not to be identified, saying people inside were told not to speak to the media.County government spokesman Patrick Lacefield said the hostage-taker was armed and claiming to have an explosive device.It was unclear how many people were being held hostage, Lacefield said. Police evacuated the building, asked people in nearby buildings to stay inside and blocked off surrounding streets, he said.A day care facility in the building has been safely evacuated. Adults have also been seen fleeing the building, covering their heads.All major roads into Silver Spring have been sealed off.Discovery Communications Inc. operates cable and satellite networks in the U.S., including The Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. Discovery shows include "Cash Cab" and "Man vs. Wild," and TLC airs "American Chopper" and "Kate Plus Eight."Animal Planet also airs the controversial series "Whale Wars," about attempts by environmentalists to disrupt the Japanese whaling industry.The Discovery building was part of a major redevelopment of once-troubled Silver Spring during the 1990s. \|\|\|\|\| AP A man upset with the Discovery Channel's environmental programming took several people hostage at the company's headquarters today, officials said. Police were negotiating with the gunman, who burst into the suburban Washington building about 1 pm (1700 GMT) wearing what seemed to be metallic canisters strapped to his front and back and waving a handgun. The gunman had what Montgomery County Police Chief Thomas Manger described as a "small number of hostages" but he did not say how many. He also did not say what the man wants or whether anyone was hurt. Manger said most of the 1,900 people who work in the building were able to get out safely. A law enforcement official speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation is ongoing said authorities have identified James J. Lee as the likely suspect. Police believe he has a handgun but have not confirmed that he has explosives, the official said. A different official, who spoke on condition of anonymity for the same reason, said Lee previously protested outside the building. According to a story in The Gazette, which covers Montgomery County, Lee was arrested there in 2008 after throwing thousands of dollars in the air outside the building. Lee said he planned the protest because Discovery's programming had little to do with saving the planet. He was identified then as being from San Diego, California, although he gave a local address of a homeless shelter. At the trial, he said he began working to save the planet after being laid off from his job in San Diego. He said he was inspired by "Ishmael," a novel by environmentalist Daniel Quinn and by former Vice President Al Gore's documentary "An Inconvenient Truth." Adam Dolan, a sales director in Discovery's education division, told The Associated Press by phone that he was heading to lunch with a co-worker when he heard there was a situation in the building. He was told to go back up to the top floor, lock the door and turn off the lights. Eventually the workers were herded down a stairwell and told to go home. "Everyone was very scared, but at the same time... I think people were calm and collected and responded as one would expect in this situation," said Dolan, 28. When he got to the bottom floor, he saw shattered glass near the company's daycare center and suspected it was broken to get the children out. He later got an e-mail that all the children were safe and had been taken to a nearby restaurant. Another person inside the building told The Associated Press the gunman had something strapped to his chest and had hostages. The person asked not to be identified, saying people inside were told not to speak to the media. ATF and FBI officials also said they were responding. Authorities descended on the area, and people were being kept away from the main drag of the downtown area where the building is located amid restaurants and shops. Traffic in the area was jammed. Discovery Communications Inc. operates cable and satellite networks in the US, including The Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. Discovery shows include "Cash Cab" and "Man vs. Wild," and TLC airs "American Chopper" and "Kate Plus Eight." Animal Planet also airs the controversial series "Whale Wars," about attempts by environmentalists to disrupt the Japanese whaling industry. \|\|\|\|\| Discovery Channel gunman James Lee shot dead by cops, all hostages unharmed after standoff Magana/AP Police take cover during standoff at Discovery Channel headquarters on Wednesday. James Lee (below) was shot dead by cops. James Lee had an 'explosive device' strapped to his chest that 'appeared to go off' when he was shot. Ceneta/AP Maryland state troopers walk near the scene of the standoff. Ceneta/AP Most of the 1,900 people who work in the building had been evacuated. Related News Articles How did dinosaurs get it on? Discovery Channel to provide answers, just in time for Valentine's Day Can whale poop save the planet? A crazed tree-hugger who believed the Discovery Channel wasn't doing enough to save the planet was shot dead Wednesday after he invaded the company's headquarters and took three hostages. The four-hour standoff in a Washington suburb ended safely when James Lee "pointed a handgun at one of the hostages," and a Maryland police sniper blew him away. "I have several bombs strapped to my body ready to go off," a man identifying himself as Lee told NBC News when a producer called the Discovery Channel's main number during the standoff. "I have a device that if I drop it, if I drop it, it will ... explode." He said he built the bombs in about three weeks. "I did a lot of research. I had to experiment," the doomed man said. None of the men Lee was holding captive were hurt and most of the roughly 1,900 people who work in the building were evacuated long before Lee died. So were dozens of children from a day care center at the site who were reunited with their terrified parents at a nearby McDonald's. As the terror subsided, a portrait emerged of the 43-year-old gunman, who appears to have financed his fatal fiasco by selling off some properties he'd inherited in Hawaii. On his MySpace page, Lee described himself as an atheist and a fan of "Spanish music" and said one of his heroes was the "Star Trek" character James T. Kirk, captain of the starship Enterprise. Police said he was bunking in a Silver Springs homeless shelter when he launched his rampage. Lee was no stranger to the Discovery Channel. Last year, he was arrested outside its headquarters on littering and disorderly conduct charges after he hired some homeless men to stage a demonstration - and threw thousands of dollars of cash into the air to protest corporate greed. "We are running out of time to save this planet and the Discovery Channel is a big part of the problem," Lee wrote on a flyer that he passed out at that protest. Lee said Discovery was taking "the focus off what is really important" by running shows like "Cash Cab" and "Dirty Jobs" and not enough shows about global warming. At trial, Lee said he was inspired to save the planet by "Ishmael," a novel about a talking gorilla, and by Al Gore's global-warming documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth." Before he struck at 1 p.m., Lee posted 11 demands on his website that revealed he'd recently adopted extremist anti-immigration views. Lee wrote that he was determined to save "the Lions, Tigers, Giraffes, Elephants, Froggies, Turtles, Apes, Raccoons, Beetles, Ants, Sharks, Bears, and, of course, the Squirrels." He wrapped up his screed with, "These are the demands and sayings of Lee." csiemaszko@nydailynews.com With News Wire Services	A gunman with something strapped to his chest—believed to be an "explosive device"—has taken at least one person hostage inside the headquarters in , Maryland. The man is reported to be named James Lee, who has posted an angry rant on a website demanding that Discovery take action over climate change, and was pictured in 2008 protesting against the company. "Police are on high alert, positioning themselves behind columns, cars, anything that gives cover. All have their weapons drawn. From what we're seeing, everyone seems to be calm," said an eyewitness who was across from the building at the time. In a press conference at 2:30 P.M. (EST), a spokesman for police told the media that police were on scene and talking to the gunman, who has been described as an Asian male. The headquarters in , where it is reported a gunman is holding "at least" one person hostage. Employees were sent to the building's upper floors and then evacuated from the building after the gunman entered. A day care center located inside the building, which had over 100 people inside of it at the time, was also evacuated. Roads surrounding the building have been closed to traffic, and witnesses state that teams and law enforcement from several areas were at the scene, along with three bomb technicians. Lee posted a manifesto on his website, according to sources, which criticized the Discovery Channel. It read "The Discovery Channel and it's affiliate channels MUST have daily television programs at prime time slots...where solutions to save the planet would be done in the same way as the Industrial Revolution was done...The world needs TV shows that develop solutions to the problems that humans are causing, not stupefy the people into destroying the world. Not encouraging them to breed more environmentally harmful humans." The manifesto also included a list of Lee's demands to the Discovery Channel. It has been reported that police were initially called to the scene upon receiving a report of a suspicious package. CNN has reported the man could be a former employee of the network, and a police officer at the scene said that the suspect has "concerns" with Discovery.
Karzai is 26.2 per cent ahead of his closest challenger, Abdullah Abdullah, the former foreign minister, with 28.1 per cent in the election commission figures released on Saturday. Hamid Karzai is maintaining a firm lead in Afghanistan's presidential race with 54.3 per cent of the vote, according to the latest partial results. The commission said that ballots in 92.8 per cent of polling stations had now been counted. Allegations of widespread fraud have marred the August 20 polls, with the election commission excluding around 200,000 votes from 447 polling stations. Commissions 'at loggerheads' James Bays, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, the capital, said: "Kabul is a city at the moment swirling with rumours. "In terms of the results, we don't have a lot more information and I think that's causing some concern. "It looks like the Independent Election Commission [IEC] might be at loggerheads with the separate Election Complaints Commission [ECC]." Bays said a few days ago the ECC had ordered a partial recount at polling stations where one candidate got more than 95 per cent of the vote, or where there was a suspiciously high turnout of more than 600 voters. But he said: "The IEC, the Afghan body that organises these elections, have come up with their own criteria for a recount. 'Stormy meeting' "They are saying they are only going to look at stations where there were more than 1,000 voters. "So it does look like the two bodies have some disagreement ... they will meet tomorrow to discuss how to carry out that recount, and it looks like its going to be a stormy meeting." Bays said that "No one knows how its going to be resolved" and that the discussion between the IEC and Election Complaints Commission, the role of the international community, and the say of various candidates "will be crucial". The IEC had intended to release full preliminary results 10 days ago. If no one receives more than 50 per cent of the final count, the two candidates with the highest vote share will go into a run off poll. \|\|\|\|\| Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy.	Hamid Karzai in 2006 Abdullah Abdullah in 2004 Hamid Karzai, the incumbent candidate in Afghanistan's presidential elections, has continued to maintain a lead, having 54.3% of the ballot, latest results indicate. He is well ahead of the second-place candidate, Abdullah Abdullah, who has 28.1% of the vote. The United Nation mission in Afghanistan was quoted by the Associated Press as saying that there are "no winners" yet. The voting count has been delayed by accusations of voting fraud and ballot stuffing. The Election Complaints Commission (ECC) had ordered votes to be recounted at polling stations where one of the candidates received a very high percentage of votes, or where voter turnout was over 600. Approximately 200,000 votes have been discounted from 447 polling stations so far by the commission. If neither Karzai or Abdullah receive at least fifty percent of the final ballot, a run-off election is to be held.
Further information and requests for resources and reagents should be directed to and will be fulfilled by the Lead Contact, Qiang Sun ( [email protected] ). Healthy female cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), ranging in age from 5 to 12 years, were selected for this study. All animals were housed in the sunny room. The use and care of animals complied with the guideline of the Animal Advisory Committee at the Shanghai Institute of Biological Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences. The ethics application entitled “Reproductive physiology of cynomolgus monkeys and establishment transgenic monkeys” (#ER-SIBS-221106P) was approved by Shanghai Institutes of Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Method Details Preparation of Nuclear Donor Cells Primary fibroblasts were isolated from a 61 day-old freshly aborted cynomolgus fetus. The fetal tissue were cut into small pieces after removing the head, tail, limbs, and viscera and digested with DNase (1 mg/ml) and collagenase IV (0.5 mg/ml) in cell culture medium containing DMEM supplemented with 100 IU/ml penicillin and streptomycin, 10% FBS, non-essential amino acids, and glutamine at 37°C in 5% CO 2 for 4 h. Isolated monkey fibroblasts were cultured in 10 cm dishes for 10-20 h until they reached confluency, disaggregated by trypsin, and stored in liquid nitrogen in cell culture medium containing 10% dimethylsulfoxide. Frozen fibroblasts (P0-P5) were thawed and cultured until confluency, and used for SCNT 3-7 days later. For preparation of adult monkey cumulus cells, fresh cumulus cells were collected from the follicular aspirates of oocyte donors and washed twice with TH3 medium. Re-suspended cumulus cells were used directly for SCNT. Superovulation and Oocyte Collection Healthy female cynomolgus monkeys with regular menstrual cycles were chosen for superovulation and laparoscopy was used for oocyte collection. From day 3 of menstrual cycle, 25 IU recombinant human follitropin was injected intramuscularly twice daily for 7–8 days. On day 11, 1000 IU of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) was also injected, oocytes were aspirated from follicles 2–8 mm in diameter 36 h later. The collected oocytes were cultured in the pre-equilibrated hamster embryo culture medium 9 (HECM-9) medium. Metaphase II-arrested oocytes were selected for manipulation. Monkey SCNT and ICSI Procedures For monkey SCNT, a group of 15-20 monkey MII oocytes were transferred to manipulation drops containing HEPES-buffered Tyrode’s lactate medium (TH3) with 5 μg/ml cytochalasin B in a glass bottom dish. The spindle-chromosome complex was removed rapidly by a piezo-driven pipette under a spindle imaging microscopic system (Oosight) within 10 min for the entire group of oocytes. The enucleated oocytes were transferred to pre-equilibrated HECM-9 at 37°C under 5% CO 2 . After all oocytes were enucleated, a group of 15-20 enucleated oocytes were re-transferred to manipulation drops with TH3 and 5 μg/ml cytochalasin B. Fibroblasts or cumulus cells were briefly incubated in a medium containing fusogenic viral envelop HVJ-E and introduced to the perivitelline space of the enucleated oocytes by a micropipette through a slit in the zona pellucida that was created by laser irradiation. At 1-2 h after cell fusion, reconstructed embryos were activated in TH3 medium with 5 μM ionomycin for 5 min and transferred to HECM-9 medium containing 2 mM 6-dimethylaminopurine for 5 h. TSA (10 nM) were applied for 10 h during and after activation. For Kdm4d mRNA injection, 10 pl of 1000 ng/μl Kdm4d mRNA were used for injection at 6 h after activation with a piezo-driven micromanipulator (Primetech). It is possible that the Kdm4d mRNA concentration we used was not optimal and further optimization of the concentration is needed. Liu et al., 2016b Liu Z. Nie Y.H. Zhang C.C. Cai Y.J. Wang Y. Lu H.P. Li Y.Z. Cheng C. Qiu Z.L. Sun Q. Generation of macaques with sperm derived from juvenile monkey testicular xenografts. 2 . For monkey intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), previously published procedure was used (). Briefly, a single picked sperm was injected into the ooplasm using a piezo-driven micromanipulator and fertilization was confirmed 6 h later by the presence of two pronuclei. Embryos were cultured in pre-equilibrated HECM-9 at 37°C under 5% CO Culture of Monkey Embryos and Embryos Transfer Monkey ICSI and SCNT embryos were cultured in HECM-9 medium at 37°C under 5% CO 2 . The embryos were transferred to HECM-9+5% FBS medium after reaching 8-cell stage and the medium was changed every other day until the embryo reached the blastocyst stage. For embryo transfer, females with synchronous menstrual cycle whose ovaries had a stigma or fresh corpus luteum were used as surrogates. Embryos (at 2-cell to blastocyst stage) were transferred to the oviduct. Genetic Analysis of Cloned Monkeys For short tandem repeats (STR) analysis, ear tissue sample collected from monkeys were used to extract DNA. Locus-specific primers each containing a fluorescent dye (FAM/HEX/TMR) were used for PCR amplification in batches. FAM, HEX or TMR-labeled STR amplicons were diluted and mixed with internal size standard ROX500 and deionized formamide, followed by capillary electrophoresis on ABI PRISM 3730 genetic analyzer to obtain the raw data. Sequencer-generated raw data were analyzed with the program Gene Marker 2.2.0, which produces wave plots, Excel documents (including information such as size and genotype), and DNA profiles. For single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis, ear tissue sample collected from monkeys were used to extract DNA. PCR with specific primers (F: CCACTTCACATCAAACCATCACTT, R: CAAGCAGCGAATACCAGCAAAA) in mtDNA were performed. DNA was amplified with 35 cycles of 95°C for 30 s, 55°C for 30 s, and 72°C for 1 min, followed by a 5-min extension at 72°C. The PCR products were used for sequencing and the result were used for the SNP analysis. Kdm4d In Vitro Transcription For Kdm4d in vitro transcription, CDS of human Kdm4d gene was cloned from the cDNA plasmid provided by Dr. J.H. Han of Xiamen University. The DNA template was amplified by the T7 promoter containing primer (F: TTAATACGACTCACTATAGGGATGGAAACTATGAAGTCTAAGGCCAACT, R: ATATAAAGACAGCCCGTGGACTTAGG). T7-Kdm4d PCR product was purified and used as the template for in vitro transcription (IVT) using mMESSAGE mMACHINE T7 ULTRA kit (Life Technologies, AM1345). The RNA products were purified using MEGA clear kit (Life Technologies, AM1908) and eluted in RNase-free water. Immunostaining Monkey SCNT embryos (one-cell stage) were fixed in PBS with 4% paraformaldehyde (PFA) for 20 min. After being washed three times with PBS, embryos were permeabilized with 0.5% Triton X-100 in PBS (permeabilization buffer) for 30 min. After being blocked in a permeabilization buffer with 10% donkey serum for 1h, embryos were incubated for overnight at 4°C with anti-H3K9me3 (1/200, Abcam, ab8898), which were diluted in a permeabilization buffer containing 10% donkey serum. After being washed with PBS for 3 times every 10 min, Cy3 AffiniPure-conjugated donkey anti-Rabbit IgG (1:500, Jackson: 711-165-152) for 2 hr at 37°C. After being washed with PBS and counterstain of nucleus chromosome (nuclear DNA) with DAPI (Sigma), embryos were transfer into a spinning disk for confocal microscopic analysis (Olympus Microsystems). \|\|\|\|\| Chinese Scientists Clone Monkeys Using Method That Created Dolly The Sheep Enlarge this image toggle caption Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo/Chinese Academy of Sciences/Cell Press Qiang Sun and Mu-ming Poo/Chinese Academy of Sciences/Cell Press Chinese researchers have finally figured out how to clone a primate, using the same technique Scottish researchers devised to clone the first mammal, Dolly the sheep, in the mid-1990s. Scientists in Shanghai say they've produced two cloned macaque monkeys by taking the DNA from the nuclei of fetal monkey cells and putting the genes into monkey eggs that had their own DNA removed. The scientists then stimulated the eggs to develop into embryos, which were placed into the wombs of female surrogate monkeys to develop into baby monkeys. It's the first time the technology, called somatic cell nuclear transfer, has been used to clone any close relative of humans. The researchers hope to use the advance to create genetically identical monkeys for medical research. They describe their work in the journal Cell. "We're excited — extremely excited," Mu-ming Poo of the Chinese Academy of Sciences said. "This is really, I think, a breakthrough for biomedicine." He sees a need to have "genetically identical monkeys for studying many human diseases, especially brain diseases" such as Alzheimer's, Huntington's and Parkinson's. Other scientists agree the development could prove very useful. "I think it's a very exciting landmark. It's a major advance," says Dieter Egli, a reproductive biologist at Columbia University. "It should be possible to make models of human disease in those monkeys and study those and then attempt to cure it." But the step also raises concern that someone might try to use the same technique to clone humans, given the biological similarities between monkeys and humans. "People may wonder: Are human beings next?" says Insoo Hyun, a bioethicist at Case Western Reserve University. "People have always been worried about the possibility of human cloning. And this is just yet another step in that direction." The Chinese scientists acknowledge that any new technology can be abused. But they stress they have no interest in ever trying to clone a person. "Technically speaking one can clone human," Poo says. "But we're not going to do it. There's absolutely no plan to do anything on humans." Ever since Scottish researchers cloned Dolly the sheep, scientists have attempted to use the same technique to clone other mammals. They've succeeded with many species, including mice, dogs, cows, horses and rabbits. Scientists cloned rhesus monkeys using a different method known as embryo splitting. But that technique isn't considered useful for producing large numbers of genetically modified clones for medical research. Researchers have also created cloned human embryos, even after earlier claims of doing so were determined to have been fraud. But that work was done to obtain human embryonic stem cells for research. Despite decades of trying, no one had ever succeeded in using the same method used to create Dolly to clone a primate. "It's been tried for so many years and it hasn't worked," says Shoukhrat Mitalipov, director of the Center for Embryonic Cell and Gene Therapy at the Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Ore. "This time it worked, which is a big deal." Poo's team succeeded by removing the DNA from fetal monkeys instead of using adult cells as a starting point. The scientists then transferred the genes into monkey eggs that had had their own DNA removed. The next step was also crucial, Poo says. The researchers stimulated the eggs to develop into embryos with a new mix of chemical signals. "The trick is we choose the right chemicals to turn on these genes we transfer into the egg," Poo says. "So that's what we did different. I think that's the key." The researchers then transplanted the cloned monkey embryos into surrogate female monkeys. Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua Two baby macaque monkey clones were born six and eight weeks ago. Their names are Zhong Zhong and Hua Hua after the Chinese word Zhonghua, which means "Chinese people." "They are lively. They are walking, jumping, playing around like all newborn baby monkeys," Poo says, adding that so far they seem very healthy. Many bioethicists and scientists say it would be highly unethical to even try to clone a person the same way. The first concern is safety. For example, most of the cloned Chinese monkeys died in the womb or soon after birth. "So safety of the resulting child is a major concern," Hyun says. But even if it were safe, many researchers say there are many other reasons to never try. "Cloning one individual in the image of another really sort of demeans the significance of us as individuals," says Dr. George Daley, dean of the Harvard Medical School. "There's a certain sort of gut sense that it violates sort of natural norms." Others agree. "To say it's OK for some scientist or some parent to go ahead for no good reason to produce a cloned child would really demean what it means to be human," says Marcy Darnovsky, executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, a watchdog group Daley and others fear a rogue scientist somewhere could attempt human cloning, even though there are laws against it in many countries. "We live in such a celebrity-driven world that there are unscrupulous practitioners who might try this," Daley says. \|\|\|\|\| Sea urchin Hans Adolf Edward Dreisch The sea urchin is a relatively simple organism that is useful for studying development. Dreisch showed that by merely shaking two-celled sea urchin embryos, it was possible to separate the cells. Once separated, each cell grew into a complete sea urchin. This experiment showed that each cell in the early embryo has its own complete set of genetic instructions and can grow into a full organism.	In findings published Wednesday in the scientific journal '''', a team of scientists from the in Shanghai, China have announced the first-ever cloning of a primate from post-embryonic cells, namely two macaque monkeys. They used , the same method that was used to create in 1996. In somatic cell nuclear transfer, scientists remove the , which is the organelle that contains the , from an unfertilized , or egg cell, and implant the nucleus from a , or non-reproductive cell, into that ovum. The ovum is then stimulated and develops in the normal way, growing into a whole organism that has the same nuclear DNA as the donor organism, though it will have all of the ovum's and other cellular machinery. Clones like these have been described as identical twins to their donors, but younger. The scientists implanted 21 into surrogate mother monkeys, resulting in six pregnancies, two of which produced living animals. The young clones were named both derived from , the Chinese-language word for the Chinese people. They are both , or crab-eating macaques (''Macaca fascicularis''). The scientists also attempted to clone macaques using nuclei from adult donors. They implanted 42 surrogates, resulting in 22 pregnancies, but there were still only two infant macaques, and they died soon after birth. The Scotland-based team that created Dolly the sheep in 1996 required 277 attempts and produced only one lamb. Generally, the older the donor organism, the more difficult it is to get the DNA from the harvested nucleus to reactivate the genes that allow the clone organism to grow. Previous efforts to clone (''Macaca mulatta'') using have been successful, but the current attempt used significantly older donors: fetal , which are key cells in connective tissue, and adult monkey . "We're excited — extremely excited," said study co-author . "This is really, I think, a breakthrough for biomedicine." He went on to say that the cloned monkeys could be used as test subjects for the study of neurological diseases such as and 's. Primates are already a popular for neurological studies. In the United States, for example, non-human primates are used in less than 0.3% of all animal experiments, most of them involving neuroscience, and macaques in particular are a well-established animal model of , which causes . "I think it's a very exciting landmark. It's a major advance," agreed reproductive biologist Dieter Egli of . "It should be possible to make models of human disease in those monkeys and study those and then attempt to cure it." About 90% of the laboratory animals used in the United States are rodents. Although the first cloned mouse was born in 1998, cloned mice are not currently common in laboratory settings. This may be because producing inbred mouse lines is still relatively effective. Although the announcement raised enthusiasm from researchers, it also drew caution from . "Cloning one individual in the image of another really sort of demeans the significance of us as individuals," says Harvard Medical School's Dr. George Daley, speaking specifically of cloning humans. "There's a certain sort of gut sense that it violates sort of natural norms." While Muming Poo concedes it is now theoretically possible to clone a human, he says his lab has no plans to do so. Although somatic cell nuclear transfer was used successfully in amphibians as early as 1952, getting it to work in mammals took much longer. Dolly, the first cloned mammal, was born in 1996. Teams have been trying to clone monkeys for decades, but primate DNA is notoriously difficult to work with. "The trick is we choose the right chemicals to turn on these genes we transfer into the egg," Mu-ming Poo told the press. "So that's what we did different. I think that's the key." One of the agents used to treat the ova was messenger RNA from the human gene. == Sources == * * * * CAT:ChinaCAT:Science and technologyCAT:BiologyCAT:ShanghaiCAT:Health
By Tamara Vostok NBCNewYork.com A growing controversy could lead to a hairy situation in New Jersey. The Brazilian wax could be ripped from salons if a proposed ban on genital waxing is passed by N.J.’s Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. So, you may have to cover up "down the shore" this summer. N.J. law is a bit fuzzy when it comes to the hair down there, but according to the state, genital waxing is illegal. Only the face, neck, abdomen, legs and arms of patrons can be stripped, according to the Philadelphia Daily News. Who knew? Apparently not many salon owners... Still, beauty schools teach the procedure and most salons offer it to clients who want to bare all. So, why would the wax get cut now? Two women filed complaints with the board after being hospitalized due to their hair-ridding sessions. One even sued, Jeff Lamm of the N.J. Division of Consumer Affairs told the paper. Salons are concerned their profits may be shaved if this is passed, a salon owner told the Daily News. They’re also worried women, and men, may be forced to ditch their pubic hair on their own, through waxing themselves, if the proposal sticks. And so help us if we have to resort to this to make the natural look more fashionable. \|\|\|\|\| NJ considers ban on bare-it-all 'Brazilian' wax TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — New Jersey is drawing the line when it comes to bikini waxing. The state Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling is moving toward a ban on genital waxing altogether after two women reported being injured in their quest for a smooth bikini line. Both women were hospitalized for infections following so-called "Brazilian" bikini waxes; one of the women has filed a lawsuit, according to Jeff Lamm, a spokesman for New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, which oversees the cosmetology board. Technically, genital waxing has never been allowed — only the face, neck, abdomen, legs and arms are permitted — but because bare-it-all "Brazilians" weren't specifically banned, state regulators haven't enforced the law. "The genital area is not part of the abdomen or legs as some might assume," Lamm said. Officials with the National Cosmetology Association and National-Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology said they were unaware of another state that has banned genital waxing. Regular bikini waxes would still be allowed. Genital waxing can be dangerous in that the hot wax can irritate or tear delicate skin in the bikini area, resulting in infections, ingrown hairs and rashes, according to skin care experts. Despite such risks, millions of American women — and some men — choose to have the hair down there ripped away, and a majority of salons in New Jersey offer the procedure for between $50 to $60. The state Board of Cosmetology meets next on April 14 and will decide whether to move forward with banning the procedure, made popular in Brazil to accommodate skimpy thong bikinis. The earliest the ban could take effect would be sometime in May, Lamm said, and salons that continue to perform it could be fined. For salon owners, discontinuing the popular service could mean a substantial drop in business, especially as summer swimsuit season nears. Spa owner Linda Orsuto, who owns 800 West Salon & Spa in Cherry Hill, estimates that most of 1,800 bikini waxes performed at her business last year were Brazilian-style. "It's huge," she said, adding that her customers don't think their bikini lines are anyone's business but their own. "It's just not right." She said many customers would likely travel across state lines to get it and some might even try to wax themselves. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| TRENTON, NJ - Things could get hairy in New Jersey this summer for women who sport revealing bikinis or a little bit less. The painful Brazilian wax and its intimate derivatives are in danger of being stripped from salon and spa menus if a recent proposal to ban genital waxing is passed by the state's Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling. Cherry Hill salon owner Linda Orsuto said that women would "go ballistic" if the proposal passed. She said that some women would resort to waxing themselves, visiting unlicensed salons or traveling to other states, including Pennsylvania, in a quest to remain bare down there. "The clients are going to freak," said Orsuto, who owns 800 West Salon & Spa, on Route 70. "It's a hot issue, and we're going to have to do something." New Jersey statutes allow waxing of the face, neck, arms, legs and abdomen, but officials say that genital waxing has always been illegal, although not spelled out. Regardless, almost every salon in South Jersey, from Atlantic City casinos to suburban strip malls, has been breaking the law for years by ridding women, and some men, of their pubic hair for $50 to $60 a session. Jeff Lamm, a spokesman for New Jersey's Division of Consumer Affairs, said that the proposal would specifically ban genital waxing, and was prompted by complaints to the board from two women who were injured and hospitalized. One of them sued. Lamm said that the state only investigates infractions if consumers complain. Two South Jersey hospitals and a handful of dermatologists didn't return requests for comment, and another hospital declined. Dr. Eric Bernstein, a Philadelphia dermatologist, said that genital waxing could irritate or tear the skin and result in infections. "But you can get an infection from almost anything," he added. "The state is probably just looking out for the residents' best interest, but they'll have to enforce it." Martino Cartier, owner of Martino Giovanni & Pileggi, in Washington Township, Gloucester County, claims that the state previously was more concerned with salons' using the word "Brazilian" - connoting a full genital wax - than with the waxing itself. At Cartier's spa, Brazilian waxes are known as "summer waxes" and they go by "custom bikini" or "full bikini" in other salons. Semantics aside, Cartier said, the full genital waxings are popular, and his licensed aestheticians do dozens per week in the spring and summer. "This is the most absurd thing I've ever heard," he said. "We're all going to be losing a lot of money over this." One Camden County salon owner who asked not to be identified said that she offers the service but didn't know it was illegal. "If it's illegal, then why do they teach it in schools?" she asked. Employees at the Rizzieri Aveda School for Beauty and Wellness, in Marlton, Burlington County, declined to comment. The PB Cosmetology Education Centre, in Gloucester City, did not return phone calls. At least one salon owner in South Jersey didn't offer the forbidden Brazilian wax. "We used to do them until I found out it was against the law," said Gino Giumarello, owner of In the Village, a salon and spa in Mullica Hill, Gloucester County. "I abide by the law, and I suffer for it." Orsuto said that the proposal may be the state's way of diverting a long-established salon procedure "perfected by aestheticians" to the medical community, where hair can be removed via laser treatment by dermatologists. "We've been doing it for years," she said. "We know what we're doing." If the state is truly concerned, Orsuto said, it should offer a two-day course for further certification. The Brazilian wax was born of necessity shortly after the infamous thong bikini emerged on the beaches of Brazil, said Monmouth County salon owner Valentina Chistova, who has blogged about the procedure. "I really don't know if the state can stop it at this point," she said. "I know a lot of women who are hooked." The Board of Cosmetology next meets on April 14. For more information, visit www.state.nj.us/lps/ca/nonmedical/coshair.htm	New Jersey is considering a state-wide ban on Brazilian waxes, the removal of hair from the bikini area. Although genital waxing has never really been allowed in the state, the New Jersey Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling plans to propose a ban with more specific legal wording, in response to two women who reported being injured during a wax. The board will consider the proposal at their next meeting on April 14. If the measure passes, New Jersey may become the only US state to ban the practice outright. Although millions of Americans engage in bikini waxes, which generally cost between $50 and $60 per session, the practice comes with risks. Skin care experts say the hot wax can irritate delicate skin in the bikini area, and result in infections, ingrown hairs and rashes. Waxing on the face, neck, abdomen, legs and arms would continue to be permitted in the state under the proposed ban. Although New Jersey statutes have always banned bikini waxing, the laws were unclear and seldom enforced. As a result, many salons from around the state have offered bikini waxing for years. Many salon owners spoke out against the proposed ban, which they said would severely damage their business. "I really don't know if the state can stop it at this point," said Valentia Chistova, owner of the Monmouth County salon Brazil. "I know a lot of women who are really hooked."
The Pakistan People's Party nominated ex-Speaker Yusuf Raza Gillani for the post to lead a coalition government with ex-PM Nawaz Sharif's PML(N) party. Analysts say the appointment is widely expected to be a stop-gap measure and Ms Bhutto's widower, Asif Ali Zardari, may be poised to eventually take over. The coalition is expected to try to curb President Musharraf's powers. Mr Gillani is virtually guaranteed to win a parliamentary vote to make him PM on Monday because of the coalition's massive majority, says the BBC's Barbara Plett in Islamabad. Ms Bhutto's son was said to have been feeling unwell by party officials A party leader from southern Punjab, he is admired within the PPP for going to jail in 2001, rather than doing a deal with Mr Musharraf. It is believed he will quietly step aside if Asif Ali Zardari, the PPP's effective leader and co-chairman, decides to go for the top job, says our correspondent. Ms Bhutto's widower is not eligible to be PM as he is not currently an MP but he may stand at a by-election within months for a seat in the National Assembly, analysts say. Musharraf 'isolated' Saturday's announcement had been due to be made by Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of the late PPP leader who was assassinated at an election rally in December. But the PPP said the teenager was not feeling well. Our correspondent says there is speculation the plan was changed to spare the 19-year-old tough questions about reports of bitter behind-the-scenes wrangling over the nomination. Ms Bhutto's widower is still the PPP's most powerful figure, say analysts The vice-chairman of the PPP, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, had long been considered the favourite to lead the new government, says our correspondent, but was apparently sidelined. Some party members say Asif Ali Zardari saw Mr Fahim as a rival power base in the PPP, others that Mr Fahim is seen as too close to President Pervez Musharraf. Mr Zardari and his main coalition partner, Mr Sharif, have told The New York Times they are prepared to negotiate with the militants, reflecting a coalition consensus on the need for a comprehensive political approach to Islamist violence. HAVE YOUR SAY I pray for the peaceful future of a secular Pakistan, but I won't hold my breath. Jack Bigham, Ohio, USA Ms Bhutto's party has been in intense talks over the make-up of a coalition administration since winning the 18 February elections. President Musharraf, a US ally who came to power as a general in a 1999 coup, suffered heavy losses in the polls and appears increasingly isolated, say analysts. The new coalition government has vowed to reinstate judges sacked by the president during a state of emergency in November. Correspondents say the judges, if restored, could overturn Mr Musharraf's re-election in a parliamentary vote last October, effectively ruling his presidency illegal. \|\|\|\|\| Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy. \|\|\|\|\| Pakistan PM candidate to meet anti-Musharraf coalition ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AFP) — The man nominated by the party of the late Benazir Bhutto to be Pakistan's new premier is Sunday set to meet members of a coalition that has vowed to take on President Pervez Musharraf. Former parliament speaker Yousuf Raza Gilani was named on Saturday by slain opposition leader Bhutto's Pakistan People's Party (PPP) as its candidate for prime minister, more than a month after it won the most seats in elections. The party has agreed to form a coalition government with the party of ex-PM Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted by Musharraf in a coup in 1999, and other smaller groups who trounced the US-backed president's allies in elections. Party officials said top coalition members, including Gilani, were set to meet on Sunday ahead of a parliament session on Monday to elect the new prime minister, a vote which Gilani is almost certain to win. Gilani, 58, a low-key but stalwart aide to Bhutto and her husband Asif Ali Zardari, on Saturday called for unity among Pakistan's "democratic" parties. "We have to take all democratic forces along. I will be giving a policy statement and spelling out my priorities on the floor of the house," Gilani told AFP after he was nominated. "I am thankful to my party leadership for putting their trust in me," Gilani said, adding that he missed the party's "great leader" Bhutto, who was assassinated in a suicide attack at a political rally on December 27. Gilani spent five years in jail under Musharraf's regime on corruption charges stemming from his time as speaker -- winning admiration from PPP colleagues who said the charges were politically motivated. Zardari said in a statement announcing the nomination on Saturday that "Yousuf Raza Gilani is not afraid to lead and he knows the way." Speculation remains however that Gilani would be a stop-gap premier until Zardari -- who is not an MP -- becomes eligible to stand for the post by contesting a by-election in May. "This option stays open depending on the performance of the government, it is possible," Hasan Askari, a professor at the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC, told AFP. Gilani was speaker during Bhutto's second term in power from 1993 to 1996 and a minister during her first term from 1988 to 1990. Meanwhile the former ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Q party, which backed Musharraf in the last parliament, said it was going to choose a new candidate on Sunday to go up against Gilani in Monday's vote. A nominee of Musharraf's allies on Saturday quit the race for the premiership in a dramatic about-face, saying he would give "unconditional support to the PPP nominee." Musharraf is set to swear in the new premier on Tuesday. Western governments are closely watching the political scene in Pakistan amid concerns that instability will hurt the fight against Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants behind a wave of recent violence. The coalition government appears set for a confrontation with Musharraf after vowing to reinstate judges whom the president sacked during a state of emergency in November. If restored, the judges could overturn Musharraf's re-election as president in a parliamentary vote in October and effectively rule his grip on power illegal. A New York Times report that Zardari and Sharif intend to start negotiations with Islamic militants in the hope of ending a spate of bombings has caused further jitters in the West. Analyst Askari said Gilani's nomination would improve stability in the short-term because he was acceptable to the PPP and its coalition partners, but that he faced major problems at home and abroad. "The new PM faces a difficult challenge of balancing the domestic demand for a dialogue with the militants with American pressure for a tougher approach," Askari said. "The US government is somewhat perturbed by the new government's plan to negotiate with the militant groups."	The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has nominated Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani, former Speaker of the National Assembly, as their candidate for Pakistan's next Prime Minister. His nomination was announced by party spokesman Farhatullah Babar at a news conference in Islamabad. "Yousaf Raza Gilani is not afraid to lead and he knows the way," he said, reading a statement from Asif Ali Zardari, widower of late PPP leader Benazir Bhutto and party co-chairman. "I have great pleasure in calling upon Yousuf Raza Gilani in the name of martyr Benazir Bhutto to accept the heavy responsibility to lead the coalition government and the nation," Babar said. The announcement was expected to be made by Bhutto's son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, but party officials said he wasn't feeling well. The parliament will vote for the Prime Minister on Monday. Gillani is widely expected to win the vote because of the majority coalition formed by the PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League (N), the latter of which is led by former PM Nawaz Sharif. The new Prime Minister will be sworn in by President Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday. If Gillani becomes Prime Minister, analysts say he might soon be replaced by Asif Ali Zardari, co-chairman of the PPP and Bhutto's widower. He is currently ineligible for the position of PM, as he is not currently a member of Parliament, but he could win a seat in a matter of months by contesting a by-election. However, the party spokesman's statement offered no indication that Gillani would serve as a temporary Prime Minister. PPP vice chairman Makhdoom Amin Fahim was long presumed to be the front-runner for the party's nomination, but after Gillani's name was announced, he said, "I have the best wishes for him." Some party members had reportedly viewed Fahim as being too close to Pervez Musharraf. Meanwhile, the Musharraf's allies have still not picked their candidate for Prime Minister. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement decided to withdraw their candidate Farooq Sattar as "gesture of goodwill" towards the PPP. "We have decided to extend unconditional support to the PPP nominee," said Sattar. Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League (Q), says the race will not be uncontested, and that his party will nominate Sattar's replacement on Sunday. "We have decided to contest the election for prime minister and not to withdraw from the political process," Hussain told reporters.
Are You Being Served? actor dead at 71. British actor John Inman has died aged 71. Inman made his name in the hit 1970s TV comedy Are You Being Served?, coining the catchphrase Im free!. The Preston-born actor passed away in a London hospital after being unable to overcome a hepatitis A infection. He had been suffering from it since December 2004. Inmans manager Phil Dale told the BBC: John was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain. John was known for his comedy plays and farces which were enjoyed from London's West End throughout the country and as far as Australia, Canada and the USA. Mike Berry, who played Mr Spooner in Are you Being Served?, only has good memories of working with Inman. He told the BBC: "I felt like going home at the end of the day and ironing my face, he made me laugh so much! As funny as he was in front of the camera, he was funnier off. smh.com.au \|\|\|\|\| Inman had been ill for some time John Inman TV clips Inman made his name in the 1970s show as Mr Humphries, whose catchphrase "I'm free!" entered popular culture. In recent years he was a pantomime regular, most often taking the role of the dame. He also made appearances in BBC comedy show Revolver in 2004. The Preston-born actor died in hospital and had been suffering from a Hepatitis A infection for some time. John was one of the wittiest and most inventive actors I've ever worked with Wendy Richard Wendy Richard's tribute The infection, usually caused by eating contaminated food, forced him to cancel the opening of a pantomime in London in December 2004. It was initially hoped he would be able to return to the production of Dick Whittington, in which he was due to play Wanda the Cook, but he never worked again. His manager Phil Dale said: "John was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain. "John was known for his comedy plays and farces which were enjoyed from London's West End throughout the country and as far as Australia, Canada and the USA." Inman's Are You Being Served? co-star Wendy Richard told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "John was one of the wittiest and most inventive actors I've ever worked with. "He was a brilliant, brilliant pantomime dame and he was a very good all-round actor, really. He was a true professional." HAVE YOUR SAY I bet everyone in heaven is laughing non-stop today; one of the funniest men to grace our TV's and stage. Alan Darbyshire, Wigan Send us your comments Are You Being Served? ran on the BBC from 1972 to 1985 and depicted the antics of the staff of Grace Brothers, an old-fashioned department store. Mr Humphries became one of TV's best known characters, and in 1976 Inman was voted funniest man on television by TV Times readers. He was declared BBC TV's personality of the year the same year. Trevor Bannister, who played Mr Lucas in the series, told BBC News 24: "The 'I'm free!' was something put in because that is what people in those stores really said. "We didn't realise it would become a running catchphrase. "It was that way about the whole show - we never realised it was going to as successful as it was." Veteran actress and co-star Mollie Sugden, who played Mrs Slocombe, told the BBC: "It's a very sad day. As far as I'm concerned, it's the end of an era." Confident comedian In the last four series, Mr Humphries was given an assistant, Mr Spooner, played by Mike Berry. "I felt like going home at the end of the day and ironing my face, he made me laugh so much! As funny as he was in front of the camera, he was funnier off. "He was such an astute comedian as well. He would get the script and mark in pencil the best lines and how to get the most laughs. "And he was a confident comedian, which made him generous. He would help you in delivering a line to get the most out of it, he liked to work in a good team." 'Innocent quality' Are You Being Served? attracted up to 22 million viewers "It was suggestive but never in your face or aggressive. It had an innocent quality that you rarely find today. "He was a joy to work with and even after an exhausting day in pantomime he would have time for the fans who crowded round the stage door." Fellow pantomime dame Danny La Rue called him "irreplaceable". The 79-year-old added: "John was wonderful in panto. The children adored him. He had a magic touch. Panto can be exhausting - but he loved it. "He was such a fantastic and inventive actor, and he could play serious roles too. He wasn't all about that flippant catchphrase 'I'm free!' But that's what made him. When that show first started he was just one of the salesmen, but they soon saw a star." Inman's long-term partner, Ron Lynch, is said to be "devastated" at his death. \|\|\|\|\| JOHN Inman, star of the 1970s TV sitcom Are You Being Served?, died today. He was 71. The actor, best known for his catchphrase "I'm free", died in St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, west London, at 2pm (Queensland time). He had been ill for some time, his manager Phil Dale told British media. Inman achieved fame playing the camp Mr Humphries of Are You Being Served? "He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain "John was known for his comedy plays and farces which were enjoyed from London's West End throughout the country and as far as Australia, Canada and the USA." Inman's longtime partner, Ron Lynch, is said to be "devastated" at his death.	The British stage and television actor John Inman has died at the age of 71. Mr. Inman, born in Preston, Lancashire, had been suffering from the Hepatitis A infection for some time. "John, through his character Mr. Humphries of Are You Being Served? was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain," said Inman's manager, Phil Dale. Most famous for his role in the BBC comedy series ''Are You Being Served?'', Inman entered popular culture with his appearance as the camp store assistant, Mr Humphries, and popularised the catchphrase "I'm Free!" across British society. Tributes from across the acting and stage professions have been coming in all morning, since the death was announced by Mr Inman's spokesman earlier this morning. According to the Londonpaper, dated 8th of March, Inman's long-term partner, Ron Lynch, was said to be "devastated" at his death. His co-star, Wendy Richard who played opposite him in the BBC show, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, "John was one of the wittiest and most inventive actors I've ever worked with. He was a brilliant, brilliant pantomime dame and he was a very good all-round actor, really. He was a true professional." Inman’s manager Phil Dale told the BBC - "John was known and loved throughout the world. He was one of the best and finest pantomime dames working to capacity audiences throughout Britain". Mike Berry, who played Mr Spooner in ''Are You Being Served?'', told the BBC: "I felt like going home at the end of the day and ironing my face, he made me laugh so much! As funny as he was in front of the camera, he was funnier off.” It was revealed on Friday, March 9 that Australia's premier gay and lesbian publication, ''SX'', would publish a special tribute in Inman's honour, commemorating the actor with a feature article written by the magazine's star journalists, Katrina Fox and Peter Hackney.
Ahmadinejad's promises of a fairer redistribution of income still resonate with the poor [AFP] The successful test was announced by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the Iranian president, on Wednesday, as campaigning for the June 12 presidential election officially started. Iran has test-launched a missile with a range of up to 2,000km, putting Israel, US bases in the Middle East and parts of Europe within striking distance. "... we launched a Sejil-2 missile, which is a two-stage missile and it has reached the intended target," Ahmadinejad said in a speech in the northern city of Semnan, close to the launch site. Analysts say the range of the surface-to-surface Sejil 2 missile is between 1,200km and 2,000km. A US defence official confirmed the launch, saying that the missile appeared to be consistent with Tehran's older Ashura models, long known to US intelligence. Ahmadinejad, whose moderate challengers in the June 12 vote accuse him of isolating Iran with his anti-Western speeches, said the country had the power to send any attacker "to hell". Presidential candidates The launch came within hours of Iran's constitutional watchdog approving four leading candidates to stand in the election. Ahmadinejad will seek re-election alongside moderate challengers Mirhossein Mousavi, Iran's former prime minister, Mehdi Karoubi, the former parliament speaker and Mohsen Rezai, the former head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards. The four candidates were approved after being screened for their allegiance to Iran's Islamic government system and "absolute obedience" to the country's most senior authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. More than 450 hopefuls had registered out of which 42 were women. No women passed a test to stand in the election. Media criticism Reformists believe a high turnout would give them a better chance to win the vote, but they say state media have not given sufficient coverage of the election to mobilise Iranian voters. Presidential Candiates top left to bottom right: Ahmadinejad, Mousavi, Karoubi and Rezai [AFP] Ahmadinejad's rivals say his trips across Iran ahead of the authorised campaigning period are illegal and should be stopped. The government has refused. State radio and television have denied being partial. About 46 million Iranians over 18 years old are eligible to vote in Iran's tenth presidential election since the 1979 Islamic revolution. The three other candidates have said Iran needs to have interaction and a "policy of detente" with the West. Ahmadinejad came to power in 2005 vowing to share out oil wealth more fairly, but critics blame him for disappointing economic growth and high inflation. However, his promises of a fairer redistribution of income still resonate with the poor. Ahmadinejad's only conservative rival, Rezai, has criticised the president's "adventurous" foreign policy and his economic policy, saying Ahmadinejad would "drag the country over a cliff" if re-elected. \|\|\|\|\| Email Picture Fars News Agency This image provided by a semiofficial Iranian news agency is said to show the liftoff of the surface-to-surface solid-fuel Sejil-2 missile. Iran leader announces successful missile test Fars News Agency This image provided by a semiofficial Iranian news agency is said to show the liftoff of the surface-to-surface solid-fuel Sejil-2 missile. A campaigning President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad tells a rally that the missile hit its target. The Sejil-2 reportedly has a range of 1,200 miles and incorporates advanced technology. Iran has long had missiles that could reach Israel and the Persian Gulf states where the U.S. maintains several bases. But President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasted that the new Sejil-2 incorporates "advanced technology" that makes it more accurate than Iran's arsenal of Shahab missiles, which are based on North Korean-designed rockets. The two-stage missile has a range of 1,200 miles, the official Islamic Republic News Agency said. Iran's single-stage liquid-fueled Shahab-3 has the same range. But experts say solid-fuel double-stage rockets are more accurate. In addition, they say, solid fuel is more stable, meaning it can be stored longer and moved more easily. Solid propellant may also allow Iran to bypass the fueling cycles needed for liquid-fueled rockets, speeding up the launch sequence. \|\|\|\|\| US officials: Iran missile may be more advanced WASHINGTON (AP) — The missile test-fired by Iran is the longest-range solid-propellent missile it has launched yet, a U.S. government official said Wednesday, raising concerns about whether the sophistication of Tehran's missile program is increasing. The U.S. official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss technical details of Iran's missile program, said Tehran has demonstrated shorter-range solid-propellent missiles in the past. Solid-propellent rockets are a concern because they can be fueled in advance and moved or hidden in silos, the official said. Liquid-propellent rockets have to be fueled and fired quickly, which makes preparations for launches easier to monitor and would allow a preemptive strike if necessary. But according to Defense Secretary Robert Gates, who Wednesday provided the first official U.S. confirmation of the Iranian launch, the Iranian missile had a range of 2,000 to 2,500 kilometers. That translates to 1,200 to 1,500 miles, putting Israel, U.S. bases in the Mideast, and parts of Eastern Europe within striking distance. "The information that I have read indicates that it was a successful flight test," Gates told the House Appropriations Committee nearly eight hours after the test was announced by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Gates added that "because of some of the problems they've had with their engines we think at least at this stage of the testing we think it's probably closer to the lower end of that range. Whether it hit the target that it was intended for, I have not seen any information on that." U.S. officials said that government analysts and other specialists were still assessing information from the launch. "Obviously, that's concerning," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said of the launch. Iran's launch comes less than a month before Iran's presidential election and just two days after President Barack Obama declared a readiness to seek deeper international sanctions against Tehran if it did not respond positively to U.S. attempts to open negotiations on its nuclear program. Obama said earlier this week that Tehran had until the end of the year to show it wanted to engage with Washington. But both U.S. government officials and independent American missile experts said Wednesday that the Iranian missile itself did not appear to be a new model. Charles Vick, a senior technical analyst for GlobalSecurity.org, analyzed photos and videotape of the launch released by Iran. "I'm not all that impressed," Vick said. "It's just another test that confirms they've got the system that was operational last summer." "Obviously, we've seen reports," Gibbs said. "You all know the concerns that the president has about Iran's missile development programs .... and the strong belief that the pursuit of those programs does not strengthen the security of Iran but instead make them less safe." "Obviously, the president has been long concerned about it," he said. Gibbs noted that Obama and visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had "both agreed on Monday that engaging the people and the leaders of the Islamic Republic of Iran, something that hasn't been tried for the past many years, is something that makes sense." Some dozen hours after the test was reportedly conducted, numerous U.S. defense and intelligence officials declined to even acknowledge the Iranian launch had occurred. Some referred calls to the White House and State Department, a sign of how politically sensitive the development is to the Obama administration and its continuing efforts to deal with Iran's reported efforts to build nuclear weapons. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, appearing Wednesday morning before the Senate Appropriations Committee, said nothing directly about the Iranian launch when Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., raised the issue during questioning. But Clinton did discuss the subject generally, saying that a nuclear-armed Iran would "spark an arms race" in the Middle East. She referred to a host of threats to the United States that she said are "daunting." And Clinton reiterated that the administration opposes Iran getting a nuclear weapons capability and that it is relying for now on diplomatic pressure to stop it. She described a nuclear capability as an "extraordinary threat." And Clinton said that the U.S. goal is "to persuade the Iranian regime that they will actually be less secure if they proceed with their nuclear weapons program." In a breakfast meeting with reporters, Undersecretary of Defense Michele Flournoy spoke in general terms about Iran's missile program, saying that the Iranian efforts pose "a security threat to the region that we will have to, probably, to deal with it." Flournoy said the administration is trying to present Iran with "a very fundamental choice between staying on the current path they are on, which I think is only going to hamper their security in the long term ... versus taking another path where if they were to reject support for terrorism and extremism, reject nuclear weapons, they could actually be on a path that would do a lot more for their ultimate security." Trita Parsi, President and Founder of the National Iranian American Council, said Wednesday that the launch only complicates Obama's efforts to convince Iran to abandon its nuclear program and bring stability to the Mideast. "With Israel pressing for short deadlines for diplomacy followed by sanctions and military action, with Iran testing additional missiles and continuing its tough talk, the Obama administration's best friend in this process will be patience and endurance," Parsi said. Associated Press writers Anne Gearan, Lara Jakes and Matthew Lee contributed to this report. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.	Iran has successfully tested a Sajjil solid-propellant, surface-to-surface missile, according to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The president announced this at a campaign speech in Semnan. "... we launched a Sejil-2 missile, which is a two-stage missile and it has reached the intended target," Ahmadinejad said in the northern city which is close to the launch site. Iranian President Mahmoud AhmadinejadAhmadinejad told the crowd of supporters: "The defense minister contacted me and said, ... 'With divine intervention and the assistance of the Lord of the Age, the Sejil-2 rocket, which has very advanced technology, was launched from Semnan province.'" "It hit the target exactly," he added. United States Defense Secretary Robert Gates confirmed the launch and stated that the missile has a range of 2,000 to 2,500 kilometers (1,200 to 1,500 miles). Gates additionally said that "because of some of the problems they've had with their engines we think at least at this stage of the testing we think it's probably closer to the lower end of that range. Whether it hit the target that it was intended for, I have not seen any information on that." "I'm not all that impressed," said GlobalSecurity.org's senior analyst Charles Vick. "It's just another test that confirms they've got the system that was operational last summer."
The iPhone 3GS is around twice as fast as the current iPhone model, the iPhone 3G, and has a better battery life, and is available with more storage. The “S” suffix in the new iPhone model stands for “speed”, and the device will be available in the UK on June 19. Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide product marketing at Apple, told delegates at the WWDC conference in San Francisco: “People expect a great phone with a great user experience. This is it. The iPhone 3GS is a really fast phone.” The iPhone 3GS features an improved three-megapixel camera, as well as the ability to record video, which can be instantly shared to YouTube. Users will also be able to give their iPhone voice commands, telling it to dial a friend, or play a certain song. Users will be able to ask what song is playing, and the iPhone will read the song information aloud. It will be available in 16GB and 32GB models, with prices starting at $199. Apple will continue to sell the 8GB iPhone 3G at a reduced price of $99. Apple also unveiled more details of the new iPhone 3.0 software which will come with the iPhone 3GS, and be available as a free download to existing iPhone users. The update, which will be available on June 17, brings copy and paste to the iPhone, as well as the ability to search for photos, emails and documents across the whole device. It adds turn-by-turn directions to Google Maps, enabling the iPhone to be used as a sat nav device, and push-notifications, so users can be alerted whenever they receive a new instant message. It also means certain applications, such as sports applications, can instantly alert users whenever a goal is scored. Users of the iPhone and iPod touch will also be able to download movies, television shows and audiobooks directly to their device from the iTunes store, and Apple has introduced parental controls to ensure youngsters cannot access inappropriate content. One of the best new features is Find My iPhone, a new tracking service that allows iPhone owners to pinpoint the location of lost or stolen handsets, and even to remotely wipe their device. The Find MyiPhone program enables iPhone owners to log on to any computer to find their lost or stolen iPhone. They can send a message to the iPhone so that it makes a “homing” noise, either to attract the attention of passers-by if it was dropped in the street, or make it easier to find which room at home the iPhone has been left in. If the iPhone has been stolen, owners can remotely wipe the device via their computer to ensure thieves do not have access to their personal data. Apple also announced improvements to its range of notebook computers, adding more memory and faster processors to the 15in MacBook Pro and introducing a new 13in MacBook Pro. Both laptops will boast up to seven hours of battery life, and an SD card slot, so that people can pop their memory card out of their digital camera and straight in to their computer to start editing and sharing photos. The company also unveiled new details of its next-generation computer operating system, Snow Leopard. The software will take up 6GB less hard disk space than Apple’s current operating system, Leopard, and also features enhanced tools to make it quicker and easier for users to write emails, share videos, edit photos, and find important documents. \|\|\|\|\| As expected, the new Apple iPhone 3GS is out. We were right: The photos of the new iPhone were real. Here you have a comprehensive guide to the iPhone 3GS' new features: Speed The "S" stands for "SPEED!" And according to Apple, it is faster launching applications or rendering Web pages. • The iPhone 3GS has a new processor built-in. Apple claims that it is up to two times faster than the previous generation: Launching messages is 2.1 faster, load the NY Times in Safari: 2.9 times faster. It also consumes less, which has an impact on the improved battery life. Camera This is one of the strong points of the iPhone 3GS, according to Apple. They increased the resolution to 3 megapixels, which—judging from the shots they showed-seems much better quality under all conditions. • 3 Megapixels sensor. • New camera, with auto focus, auto exposure, and auto white balance. • You can also tap to focus, changing white balance in the process. That is really neat, if you ask me. • Special macro and low light modes. • The camera also supports photo and video geotagging. • Any application can access all the camera functions now. • It supports video, 30 frames per second VGA with auto focus, auto white balance, and auto exposure. • You can trim the video shot just using your finger, then share it via MMS, email, MobileMe and YouTube. Connectivity The other part of the "S" is the support for the faster 7.2 Mbps 3G standard, which in theory will deliver data faster to your iPhone. • Three band UMTS/HSDPA. • Four band GSM/EDGE. • Wi-Fi 802.11b/g. • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR Graphics • The new iPhone 3GS includes new 3D graphics support in hardware. This means faster and more complicated 3D games. • Same 3.5-inch widescreen multitouch display, but this time it has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. I wonder if it will withstand a full frontal Shake Shack burger attack. Design • Same design as before, including the glossy finish of the back (so much for all the rumors about the matte back.) • Same size as the old iPhone 3G: 4.5 x 2.4 x 0.48 inches. • The weight increases a bit: One ounce to 4.8 ounces (135 grams vs 133 grams). • Greener materials: Arsenic-free glass, BDF-free, Mercury-free LCD. New special features • It has a magnetometer, which works with a Compass application, third parties, and it is integrated into the new Google maps app, showing your orientation with a small semitransparent cone. • Voice control. You can now talk with your iPhone, Enterprise-style. You can instruct it to play similar songs to the one you are playing, or call people. • Nike + support built in. • Supports accessibility features, like zooming on text, inverting video, and voice over when you touch whatever text is on screen. Battery life • One of the more important new features is the increased battery life. • According to Apple, you will get up to 12 hours of talk time on 2G and 5 on 3G, with a up to 300 hour standby time. • On 3G, it will deliver 5 hours of internet use. • On Wi-Fi, Internet goes up to 9 hours. • Video playback is 10 hours vs 30 hours for audio. Price and availability • $199 for 16GB version. • $299 for 32GB version. • Available on June 19th. If you are "a valued AT&T; customer," AT&T; offers an "early iPhone upgrade with a new 2-yr commitment and an $18 upgrade fee." The price? $399.00 for the 16GB iPhone 3G S and $499.00 for the 32GB iPhone 3G S. It gets worse: For non-qualified customers, including existing AT&T; customers who want to upgrade from another phone or replace an iPhone 3G, the price with a new two-year agreement is $499 (8GB), $599 (16GB), or $699 (32GB). Insane. Way to go AT&T;. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- A new, faster version of the popular iPhone will hit stores June 19, Apple said Monday. The new iPhone 3GS will have a camera that shoots video and zooms, among other new features. The iPhone 3GS is billed as a more powerful, feature-laden follow-up to the 3G, which the company says revolutionized the way people use mobile phones. The 3GS features a similar look to the current iPhone, complete with a sleek rectangular shape and a large touch screen. But the phone comes packed with new features inside, according to CNET reporter Erica Ogg, who blogged live from the event. Ogg says the 3GS has a new camera that shoots video and zooms. A touch-screen feature also lets iPhone photographers tap the area of the photo they would like to put into focus, she says. The new phone reportedly will have a longer battery life. iPhone 3GS will be available in the United States on June 19 and will hit 80 countries by August, Ogg says. The new iPhone carries a price tag similar to the old iPhone. A version with 16 gigabytes of storage will sell for $199 with a new contract; one with a 32-gigabyte storage capacity will cost $299. Watch Wired.com's Dylan Tweney on Apple's big announcement » Apple also said it has dropped the price of the current iPhone 3G to $99 ahead of the release of the 3GS. The $99 model features 8 gigabytes of storage. The announcements came at Apple's much-anticipated Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, California. The annual event was attended by 5,000 Apple tech developers, Fortune reports. WWDC, as the conference is called, is known for its innovative announcements. Apple appeared to meet expectations of many tech bloggers, who had been awaiting a new iPhone model. Perhaps the only disappointment was that Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not make an appearance on stage. There had been speculation online that the popular tech figure would make a cameo at the event. Jobs has been on medical leave since January. Apple also discussed a new iPhone operating system, version 3.0, which adds a cut-copy-paste feature to current iPhones. Apple said the new software adds 100 new features. One of those getting the most buzz was the Find My iPhone feature, which will be available only for customers of Mobile Me, an Apple service that lets users sync e-mail and other data between computers and iPhones. If you lose your phone, Mobile Me will display a Google Map that shows where your iPhone is, as long as it's turned on. You can then send a message to the phone, and it will sound an alarm, alerting nearby people to save it for you. If you think you've lost the phone permanently, you can remotely wipe all your data; if you find your missing phone later, you can plug it into iTunes and restore all your data. New iPhone applications were also discussed. Apple has gotten widespread praise for the fact that independent developers can create programs for the iPhone. Read blogs from CNET and Fortune for details on the latest iPhone apps and other news from Monday's event. Apple's laptops and computer operating systems were also discussed Monday. Apple Senior Vice President Bertrand Serlet took the stage to demonstrate the company's newest operating system, called Snow Leopard. It will hit stores in September, although a "near-final" version was made available for developers Monday. Serlet also said that Apple's Safari 4 browser, which was released in beta in February, will ship Monday. Apple marketing head Philip Schiller also unveiled a new version of a 15-inch MacBook Pro, which he said will feature up to seven hours of battery life. The unibody aluminum laptop boasts a new battery that can handle 1,000 recharges and should last five years before its life begins to diminish, he said. Phones remained the focus of the event, however. Apple's phones are the second-best-selling consumer smartphones in the U.S., according to the NPD Group, an online market-research firm. Smartphones are a category of mobile phones that act kind of like personal computers, allowing people to surf the Internet, share photos and keep up with e-mail while on the move. About a quarter of all consumer phones sold from January to April of this year were smartphones, NPD says. The iPhone faces new competition from the Palm Pre, a smartphone that debuted Friday and claims to combine Apple's popular touch screen with a more functional keyboard, like the one found on a popular business-class smartphone, the BlackBerry. CNN's Brandon Griggs contributed to this report. All About Apple iPhone	iPhone at Macworld 2007. Apple Computer today announced its latest iteration of their popular iPhone, the ''iPhone 3G S''. The new hardware, revealed at the company's annual Worldwide Developers Conference drew attention from the media and iPhone owners alike. Features new to the iPhone include an upgraded camera, which also allows users to record video and sound, as well as "voice control", which will allow users to control most features of the iPhone with their voice. The new phone will also come pre-loaded with the new iPhone 3.0 software, which will be available on June 17, two days before the phone launches. In addition to the new iPhone hardware, Apple also demonstrated some of the features of its new desktop operating system, Snow Leopard, and highlighted the new Safari 4.0 web browser. The iPhone 3G S will be available in a 16 GB and 32 GB models, retailing for US$199 and $299 respectively.
About 162,000 people were eligible to vote in the breakaway territory [AFP] About 162,000 people were eligible to vote in the breakaway territory [AFP] With 100 per cent of the ballot counted, the right wing National Unity Party (UBP) clinched 44.06 per cent of the vote, giving it by provisional accounts an outright majority in the 50 seat parliament. The opposition in northern Cyprus has won a landslide victory in elections that some analysts say will jeapordise efforts to reunite the ethnically divided island. It was a stinging defeat for the ruling Republican Turkish Party (CTP), a key ally of Mehmet Ali Talat, the Turkish Cypriot leader. The CTP, which bore the brunt of public discontent over a faltering economy and continued international isolation of the breakaway territory, took 29.25 per cent of the vote. About 162,000 people were eligible to vote for the 50-seat parliament in the breakaway territory, the administration of which is only recognised by Turkey. The election outcome would not directly affect Talat, who began unity talks with Greek Cypriots in September. But victory for the UBP is likely to limit Talat's ability to negotiate a settlement. Cyprus has been divided since 1974 when Turkey invaded in response to a coup by supporters of reunification with Greece. The basis of the talks had been reuniting the island as a bizonal federation, though the UBP said it wanted a rethink of the process. Peace bid Talat has held talks with Dimitris Christofias, the Greek Cypriot president, which many have viewed as the most realistic attempts at a lasting peace in decades. Talat's Republican Turkish Party had 25 deputies in the last assembly, while the UBP had only 16. Talat said that regardless of who wins, the winner of the elections should not disrupt current peace negotiations. "A government in [Northern Cyrpus] that seeks to scupper the talks will also be harming Turkey's EU accession process," he told Havadis, a Turkish Cypriot daily. The UBP, led by Dervis Eroglu, had a 15 point lead over Talat's party. Eroglu said that a unified Cyprus should not be the only option and promised to appoint a representative to accompany Talat in negotiations with Christofias. "Everything will be easier if it is universally accepted that we are a nation and that we have a state," Eroglu said. Greek Cypriots represent Cyprus in the European Union, and say they will not allow Turkey to join the bloc as long as the island remains divided. \|\|\|\|\| Turkish Cypriot hardliners secure resounding election victory in northern Cyprus, raising concern about about the future of peace talks with Greek Cypriots and Turkey's EU membership ambitions. The right-wing National Unity Party (UBP) had around 44 percent of the vote, according to provisional results released by the Turkish Cypriot administration on Sunday, April 19. The UBP advocates an outright two-state settlement on Cyprus, at odds with the federal model now being discussed by Turkish Cypriot leader Mehmet Ali Talat and Greek Cypriot leader Demetris Christofias. Talat's allies, the center-left Republican Turkish Party (CTP), were in second place with just over 29 percent of the vote. The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is only recognized by Ankara. About 160,000 people were eligible to vote in Sunday's election. Election officials estimated turnout at 81.3 percent. The Turkish press said that up to 100,000 voters are settlers from the Turkish mainland with TRNC papers. A setback for reunification? In the run-up to the vote, campaigning focused on the economy and reunification talks, with voters growing skeptical of President Talat's policy of reconciliation with Greek Cypriots. Talat will remain the chief negotiator for the Turkish Cypriots in the talks with Cyprus President Demetris Christofias, but the strong showing by nationalists is likely to weaken his bargaining position. The aim of the current talks is to reunite the island as a bizonal federation. The UBP, however, says it wants a rethink of the process. "We will continue to support negotiations," said UBP leader Dervis Eroglu. "No one should say we are against them. We will put forward our views and discuss them within the framework of Turkey's foreign policy on Cyprus." In an earlier interview with Turkey's Zaman newspaper, Eroglu was quoted as saying: "Everything will be easier if it is universally accepted that we (Turkish Cypriots) are a nation and that we have a state." The last attempt at a negotiated solution to the Cypriot problem collapsed five years ago when Turkish Cypriots voted in favor of a UN settlement plan which was then rejected by Greek Cypriot voters. A United Nations buffer zone currently separates the two communities.	The Turkish Cypriot's right-wing National Unity Party (UBP), has won the republic's elections on Sunday in a landslide, according to provisional results released by officials. With all votes having been counted, the UBP won 44.06% of all votes, garnering it a majority in Northern Cyprus' 50-seat parliament by provisional accounts. Incumbent Republican Turkish Party (CTP), an ally of the Turkish Cypriot's leader Mehmet Ali Talat, received the second most votes, taking 29% of the ballot. Election authorities estimated that voter turnout at the polls was about 81.3%. Around 162,000 people were eligible to vote. The Turkish Cypriot government is only officially recognized by Turkey. Cyprus has been divided for 35 years after Turkey invaded the island in 1974, following a coup by a group of people supporting reunification with Greece.
Troubled Bernier quits over document breach Elizabeth Thompson and Mike Blanchfield, Canwest News Service Published: Monday, May 26, 2008 OTTAWA - Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier has resigned after leaving NATO-summit documents in the home of his former girlfriend, Julie Couillard. "She found it and she returned it," said a government source. The package of documents was delivered to the Foreign Affairs department Sunday night. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Bernier's resignation at a hastily called news conference early Monday evening, in what is the most severe blow to his two-year minority government, but gave few details. A well-placed source said Bernier left his "prep material" for last month's NATO summit in Romania in Couillard's home. The documents were a spokesperson's briefing book and another document, the contents of which the source would not disclose. But the source said they did not contain any sensitive financial information. "They were not market sensitive; they were not anything that could move markets," said the source. Shortly after the news conference, in an interview broadcast on the Quebec television station TVA, Couillard said in mid-April the minister had left a government document at her Laval, Que., home during a routine visit. She would not elaborate on the contents of the document but said, in French, it "was clear that the documents were not for her." Couillard said she had been advised by legal experts to return the documents to the government and that after hearing that she returned them to Foreign Affairs. During the interview Couillard said Bernier was aware in the midst of the public furore of their relationship that he had left the document behind at her home, but he had not called to retrieve it because they had stopped communicating. "He isn't without knowledge of it, he's the one who left it at my place. He knows. But we haven't talked again since that event," she told the interviewer. Also during the interview Couillard said experts examined her home and determined her home was under surveillance and the activities within the four walls were being tape recorded. She said she had her home checked after her burglar alarm behaved oddly and she was told a microphone had been placed in the boxspring of her bed. "They didn't find any taperecorder but they found places where a microphone had been in the boxspring of my bed," she said, recounting how the electronic eavesdropping experts had shown her the staple marks and the tear left in her boxspring. The allegation, if true, is bound to raise profound questions, including: was her residence bugged before or after her association with Bernier became known, and who placed the surveillance device . At the Parliament Hill news conference, Harper said the minister's decision to resign came Monday afternoon after he realized he had left classified government documents in an insecure area. "It is a very severe mistake for any minister," Harper told reporters outside the House of Commons during the conference - just hours before he was to fly to western Europe for a four-country trip. "The minister had immediately acknowledged the gravity of his mistake." Opposition critics immediately pounced on the prime minister for leaving questions unanswered about the affair, and for expressing confidence in Bernier just hours earlier. They had been calling for Bernier's resignation for weeks over a string of gaffes as well as questions about his former girlfriend's associations with Quebec biker gangs. According to a statement by the prime minister, Bernier became aware of the problem Sunday night and he tendered his resignation Monday afternoon. Harper said it was at that point he became aware of the "security breach." "The prime minister has been very dismissive of this situation for at least three weeks now," said Liberal House leader Ralph Goodale. "The prime minister has been proven to be incorrect. That raises some question about his judgment." Goodale said Bernier has embarrassed Canada on the international stage. NDP Leader Jack Layton said Bernier's departure raises even more questions about the circumstances surrounding his conduct in the foreign affairs portfolio. "This was clearly the straw that broke the camel's back on a series of incompetencies," said Layton. "We have the bungle in Burma, we have all kinds of confusion around the governor of Kandahar, we've had the leak on trade deal that affected the U.S. presidency. It's been one thing after another." International Trade Minister David Emerson has assumed responsibility for foreign affairs. The prime minister would not reveal any details about what the classified documents were about or where they were left. He also did not mention who may have had contact with the classified information. "This is a grave mistake. We're always expecting from the ministers to keep secret classified documents, government documents," Harper said, adding that this is a warning to all ministers. He refuted any suggestions that Bernier's resignation had anything to do with Couillard. "This is not to do with the minister's private life," Harper said. "I'm very disappointed. I'm very disappointed for the government, disappointed for Maxime. It is very unfortunate." During the TVA interview, Couillard discussed how she had met Bernier and how the relationship "fairly rapidly" became intimate. At one point, when he asked her to be his girlfriend, Bernier told her if she accepted she would have to be his girlfriend for at least a year because in his position he couldn't change girlfriends the way you change shirts. However, she denied ever asking to be present at any government meeting or ever suggesting changes to any of his speeches. Couillard recounted how she participated in private dinners with Harper and his wife and traveled with Bernier on official trips to Paris and to the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City. It was at that meeting that she got to meet U.S. President George W. Bush at a reception Bush organized at the posh Waldorf Astoria Hotel and caught his eye. "Well, well, well," Bush told Bernier, she recalled. "Haven't you been keeping good company" Couillard said it was fun meeting Bush but it wasn't worth the grief that she has suffered as a result of the media circus that descended on her after it was revealed that she had past connections to members of the Rockers biker gang. Now, all she wants to do is pick up the pieces of her career and her life and put it all behind her. Earlier Monday the government faced calls for tighter rules surrounding sensitive contracts following the revelation that Bernier's former girlfriend was part of a bid for an airport security contract, only a few years after being married to a member of a biker gang. "This is about the possibility . . . of a link between organized crime and airport security in Montreal and the possibility of improper bidding for contracts relating to security," Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff told reporters. "I don't care about her skirts, I don't care about her cleavage, I don't care about her past, I don't care about any of it, it is none of my business quite rightly. But this (security) stuff is not only my business, it is the business of all Canadians." Serge Menard, a former Quebec justice and public security minister who is now a Bloc Quebecois MP, echoed Ignatieff's concern about Couillard's involvement in a bid for a security contract at Montreal's airport. Menard said the Hells Angels have been known to place people in strategic positions and infiltrate organizations to further their illegal activities "Even if she hasn't committed any infraction, she is a person who could represent a security risk," said Menard. Those comments came after Le Devoir reported Monday that Couillard, a registered real estate agent, also owns her own security firm and played an active role in a bid by a company owned by a former boyfriend to get a security contract from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority. While Robert Pepin's company, Agence d'investigations et de securite D.R.P, didn't get the 2004 contract, the company did have access to the information on security at Trudeau International Airport that was provided to those bidding on the contract. Pepin, who split up with Couillard in 2005 and later committed suicide, is reported to have owed a large amount of money to a Hells Angels loan shark and had received threats in connection with the debt. In February 2005, as her relationship with Pepin was breaking up, Couillard set up her own security company, Itek Global Solutions. Couillard was thrust into the headlines earlier this month when it was revealed that she was once married to a member of a Quebec biker gang in the late 1990's and dated another biker before that. At one point she was arrested in a raid carried out by the Wolverine squad investigating motorcycle gangs but was released without charges after being questioned. © Canwest News Service 2008 \|\|\|\|\| Bernier quits cabinet post over security breach Foreign affairs minister departs ahead of ex-girlfriend's TV interview Embattled Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier has resigned from cabinet over a security breach involving classified documents, Prime Minister Stephen Harper told reporters on Monday. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announces Monday that he has accepted the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier. (Fred Chartrand/Canadian Press)The resignation came ahead of Monday night's airing of a French-language television interview of Bernier's former girlfriend, Julie Couillard, in which she revealed the minister had left a secret document in her apartment sometime in April that she later returned to Foreign Affairs. "Maxime came to my house, and the document stayed there," Couillard said during her interview with private television network TVA, without disclosing the contents of the document. Harper said he accepted Bernier's resignation after learning Monday that Bernier had inadvertently left the documents in an unsecured location. "It's only this error. It's a very serious error for any minister," Harper said. "The minister immediately recognized the gravity of that error." The prime minister staunchly defended Bernier in recent weeks after he came under fire for his involvement with Couillard, who has been linked to the criminal biker underworld. "Let me be clear: This is not to do with the minister's private life," Harper said Monday. "What matters here is that rules respecting government classified documents were broken. Obviously it was not done on purpose … but it was clearly done and it has to be treated appropriately." Harper has asked Trade Minister David Emerson to assume the foreign affairs portfolio on an interim basis, while Heritage Minister Josée Verner will handle the Ministry of La Francophonie, which was also held by Bernier. Bernier, 45, was elected to the House of Commons in January 2006 to represent the Quebec riding of Beauce and previously served as minister of industry in Harper's cabinet. PM 'has a lot of explaining to do': Goodale Bernier has also been in a weakened position in recent weeks since a gaffe in April during a visit to Afghanistan, where he publicly suggested the removal of the governor of Kandahar. Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier responds to a question during question period in the House of Commons in Ottawa on Wednesday. (Tom Hanson/Canadian Press)Earlier this month, the federal government was forced to rent a Russian cargo jet to ship helicopters to Burma to deliver aid after Bernier publicly promised the Canadian military's new C-17 transports, none of which were immediately available, would handle the job. Montreal newspaper Le Devoir reported Monday that Couillard, who was once married to a biker, is the head of a high-tech firm that has been involved in airport security. Liberal MP Ralph Goodale said the prime minister "has a lot of explaining to do" after dismissing MPs' questions on the matter in recent weeks, which he said were always asked in a "respectful and measured tone." "The prime minister just swept them all aside and said, 'There's no problem here,' " Goodale told reporters Monday. "Obviously, tonight he's been proven incorrect." Speaking to reporters after the announcement, Bloc Québécois Leader Gilles Duceppe rejected Harper's contention that Bernier's resignation had nothing to do with Couillard's highly anticipated interview . Duceppe said many questions remain unanswered, including how "people with very strange pasts" can bid on government contracts for airport security. NDP Leader Jack Layton said it was about time that Bernier was replaced after committing a "series of incompetencies." "It's been one thing after another and why the prime minister didn't come forward with more information about this whole sordid mess is something he's going to have to answer for," he told reporters. Former girlfriend was married to Rocker Le Devoir reported Monday that Couillard's business specializes in "systems of high security technology" that include security system installations and passenger security. The information was provided to Le Devoir by a former employee at Couillard's firm. Couillard, 38, receives documents regarding airport security, according to the report. Published reports have referred to court documents that say Couillard once married a member of the Rockers biker gang, and was a potential target of Hells Angels kingpin Maurice (Mom) Boucher while she dated another biker. Couillard has said she cut off ties with the underworld in 1999, and her romantic involvement with bikers is part of a distant past. She started dating Bernier before he was sworn in as foreign affairs minister in 2007. They recently split up. Couillard said her name and reputation have been tarnished because of published reports documenting her past ties, but she is not ashamed of anything. With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| TheStar.com \| Canada \| Embattled Bernier resigns Embattled Bernier resigns VIDEO: Embattled Bernier resigns THE CANADIAN PRESS FILE PHOTO Maxime Bernier, accompanied by Julie Couillard, arrives to be sworn in as foreign affairs minister in August 2007. May 26, 2008 10:43 PM Les Whittington Ottawa Bureau OTTAWA–Prime Minister Stephen Harper tonight announced the resignation of Foreign Affairs Minister Maxime Bernier, in advance of revelations by his ex-girlfriend that Bernier was careless in his handling of secret cabinet documents. Bernier submitted his resignation a few hours before TVA in Montreal aired an interview with Julie Couillard, in which she said that the former minister left a government document in her apartment in April. "It is a very serious mistake–regardless of who the minister is, regardless of personal life–to leave classified documents in an unsecured location," Harper told reporters in a hastily called news conference on Parliament Hill. "The minister has recognized this error himself and offered to resign," the Prime Minister said. Harper, who has previously turned aside questions about Bernier and Couillard as an intrusion on the former minister's personal life, said, "This is not to do with the minister's private life or the life of a private citizen." He said Bernier would be replaced as foreign affairs minister on a temporary basis by Trade Minister David Emerson. Bernier has been under fire for weeks because of his much-discussed past relationship with Couillard, who had links to biker gangs and organized crime, and for gaffes on foreign affairs issues. He was chided last week for pledging the use of a Canadian Forces C-17 heavy-lift aircraft to take helicopters to Thailand to help in Burma cyclone relief. But it turned out that Canada had no aircraft of this kind available, and Ottawa had to spend almost $1 million to rent an aircraft to make good on Bernier's promise. Earlier this year, there were calls for his resignation after he set back Canada's efforts in Afghanistan by telling reporters during a scrum there that Asadullah Khalid, the governor of Kandahar province, needed to be replaced. But Harper said Bernier had resigned only because of the issue of the security of cabinet documents. "This is about one thing and that is a failure to uphold expected standards on government documents." Opposition MPs demanded that the government launch an investigation of the extent of security breaches committed by Bernier. Couillard said in the interview broadcast later Monday that Bernier left a government document behind in her apartment after a visit in mid-April. She would not comment on the nature of the document except to say that it was addressed to Bernier and not to her. “Maxime came to see me and he left a document behind,” she said, explaining the document was left by accident. The interview with the French-language TVA network had been taped Sunday. Couillard said when she found the document she contacted a lawyer for advice, who told her it was the property of the Canadian government. “The document was given back,” she said. She insisted she was doing the interview to re-establish her dignity and credibility after intense media scrutiny following reports she had links to Quebec bikers. The former model said she had never done anything wrong and never been convicted of any crime. “I’ve never been accused of any criminal wrongdoing,” she said in an English-language version of the TVA interview broadcast on Canoe.ca, and denied that a man she used to live with was a biker. “I am definitely not a biker’s chick,” she said. Couillard, 38, first started dated Bernier in the summer 2007. They reportedly vacationed together in the Caribbean in 2007 and she was seen with him in February at an Ottawa gala. Couillard lived with Gilles Giguere, a well-known Montreal crime figure for three years beginning in 1993. He was gunned down in 1996 when he decided to become a police informer after being arrested with a cache of submachine-guns and marijuana. In 1997, she began dating and later married Stephane Sirois, who admitted to being an enforcer for the Rockers, a Hells Angels puppet club. He later turned informant and testified against a dozen of his former colleagues in a 2002 trial. Couillard and Sirois divorced in 1999. Couillard insisted that Giguere only knew Bob Savard, who knew Hells Angels kingpin Maurice (Mom) Boucher. “He was friends with Mr. Savard and Mr. Savard knew Maurice Boucher but both of them were not bikers.” Giguere was found murdered in a ditch after he became a police informant in 1996. Robert (Bob) Savard has been identified as a lieutenant to then-Hells boss Boucher. She acknowledged husband Sirois was a biker when she met him but he left the gang at her insistence. She said she told Bernier about her involvement with Giguere and Sirois shortly after she began dating him in the summer of 2007. “Maxime knew about it,” she said, noting he did not press her on the matter but seemed somewhat surprised. During the interview, Couillard talked about having tea with the wife of Prime Minister Stephen Harper and meeting U.S. President George W. Bush at a meeting of the United Nations general assembly. She said Bush approached Bernier and her in a corridor and, glancing at her, jovially told Bernier, “Well, well, well, haven’t you been keeping good company.” with files from The Canadian Press	Maxime Bernier, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, resigned after it was revealed that he left classified materials at an insecure location. Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Bernier's resignation in Ottawa on Monday. Maxime Bernier last September Bernier was once in a relationship with Julie Couillard, whose previous associations with the controversial Hells Angels biker group were reported in recent months. In an interview with French-language television network TVA, Couillard indicated that Bernier left behind some designated secret documents at her residence. She returned these to the federal government upon advice from a lawyer. Opposition politicians were critical of Harper and his handling of the matter, noting that until today the Prime Minister downplayed security concerns surrounding Bernier's relationship with Couillard. Negative reaction to Bernier's resignation quickly came from Liberal party house leader Ralph Goodale and NDP leader Jack Layton. Bernier has a track record of controversy as a member of the Harper government. Last week, he hastily promised Canadian military aircraft for relief efforts in cyclone-ravaged Burma, although the aircraft in question were already occupied elsewhere. The Canadian government was forced to rent a Russian aircraft to fulfill Bernier's promise. Bernier also received criticism earlier this year after he made public comments calling for the removal of an Afghanistan governor from office. David Emerson will assume Bernier's Foreign Affairs duties, at least for the short term.
February 22, 2008 - 3:20PM Eighty-two countries including Australia have signed a declaration supporting a ban on the use of cluster bombs. Australia signed after being accused of trying to water down measures to curb the use and stockpiling of the lethal weapons. The so-called Wellington Declaration on Cluster Munitions indicates signatories' support for a ban on cluster weapons that cause unacceptable harm to civilians. Of the 122 countries invited to the Wellington conference, more were expected to sign the declaration in coming weeks. Countries that signed the document affirmed a ban on the use, production, transfer and stockpiling of the bombs, and called for a framework to care for survivors of cluster munitions. Cluster bombs contain smaller bomblets that scatter over a wide area and can kill or maim civilians years after a conflict has ended. The new document will be taken to a May meeting in Dublin, where delegates will aim to finalise the text of a draft treaty to be signed in Oslo in December. This week's conference was held under a cloud because it was snubbed by many key nations who have stockpiles of cluster bombs, including the United States, China, India, Pakistan, Russia and Israel. Australia's delegation was accused during the five-day meeting of aligning itself with countries including the UK, Canada, France, Germany and Japan that sought to water down proposals and undermine the aims of the treaty. Former Nobel Peace Prize winner Jody Williams said the group was part of a "bad guys' cabal" trying to frustrate the treaty process and water down key measures to appease the United States. The Cluster Munition Coalition, which represents non-government organisations (NGOs) that work with cluster bomb victims, also attacked Australia and other countries. Australia's head of delegation Caroline Millar said the criticisms were expected. "It comes with the territory, mate. Basically, NGOs will criticise and so on, and that is up to them," Millar said. "We think we have a very strong position. We have had a very clear unequivocal commitment to work with all states to achieve a ban on cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians," she said. Millar told the meeting on Friday that Australia would support the Wellington declaration, but was unhappy with some aspects of the conference. "We regret that, as has been the case at previous meetings of the Oslo process, the level of transparency has at times been less than we would have expected from friends and partners," she told the meeting. Outstanding concerns Australia hoped to have addressed in Dublin included restrictions on defence forces working with allies such as the USA, which had not signed up. Other matters included defining what a cluster bomb is, and how to deal with stockpiles used for testing and training purposes, she said. During an often heated meeting on Friday, Canada said it was sick of being targeted for criticism. "Countries such as my own and several close allies have been vilified in the press and in releases produced by the Cluster Munition Coalition," said Earl Turcotte, from the Canadian delegation. "We have been accused of being agents of states not party (to the process), and trying to facilitate the use of cluster munitions by states not partied. "We have been accused of 'trying to undermine an international treaty on cluster munitions'. Nothing, nothing, could be further from the truth." New Zealand's Disarmament Minister Phil Goff said the meeting was a "rousing success" and he thought Australia felt as much need to advance the issue of cluster bombs as his own nation did. "I am pleased that Australia is here and is participating, and I am confident that Australia will participate through to Dublin and will become part of the solution," Goff said. He believed countries who had not come to Wellington would be under pressure to stop using the munitions eventually. \|\|\|\|\| WELLINGTON, Feb. 22 (Xinhua) -- Eighty-two countries present at a cluster munitions conference in Wellington this week have signed the "Wellington Declaration", a crucial step toward a meaningful international treaty on cluster munitions, New Zealand Disarmament and Arms Control Minister Phil Goff said on Friday. The week-long conference, which ended on Friday, was attended by officials from 103 countries. It has been a pivotal stage in the Oslo Process, which New Zealand and six other countries started last year following frustration at a lack of progress from the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, Goff said in a press release. "The Wellington Declaration creates political momentum and will form the basis of formal negotiations at a diplomatic conference in Dublin in May, which aims to create a treaty banning cluster munitions that cause unacceptable harm to civilians," he added. The "Wellington Declaration" arising from talks this week has provided a draft treaty which its promoters hope will become legally binding at an international meeting in Dublin in May. "Eighty-two countries have already signed and we believe the majority of remaining countries involved will follow suit," he said. "We are closer than ever to a meaningful treaty which will save lives," Goff said. The declaration says cluster bombs cause unacceptable harm to civilians and their use, production and transfer must be banned. It says a framework is needed so the survivors of cluster bombs are provided with care and rehabilitation. The contentious issues were understood to involve possible exemptions to the ban for some types of cluster munitions, possible transition periods during which cluster bombs could still be used, and their use in joint military operations by states that are not part of a future treaty banning them. \|\|\|\|\| An international meeting in New Zealand has produced a draft treaty to ban cluster bombs. Campaigners say the meeting has given a decisive push to efforts to create a meaningful global agreement, but as Phil Mercer reports from Sydney, success is far from guaranteed. Mine Advisory Group official inspects a cluster bomb unit (File) The draft accord drawn up in New Zealand declares that cluster bombs cause unacceptable harm to civilians, and that their production, stockpiling and use must be banned.The proposed accord has been named the "Wellington Declaration," after talks this week in the New Zealand capital involving 122 countries. The conference was organized by the Cluster Munitions Coalition, a network of 200 private organizations that includes leaders of the Nobel peace prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Activists hope the draft, which was signed by representatives of 82 of the attending nations, will be turned into a binding treaty at a follow-up meeting scheduled in Ireland in May. However, British negotiators have warned that tough discussions lie ahead before a binding treaty is finally signed. There is opposition to a global ban by the United States, Russia and China, as well as India, Pakistan and Israel. All are major producers of cluster munitions and none attended the Wellington summit. Washington opposes a ban because of the weapons' military effectiveness. But Jody Williams, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines, says she believes an international ban on cluster bombs is inevitable. "If we, you know, have 80 countries that subscribe to it at the end of Dublin, that will be in terrific, and the signing will be in December and we will use all of that time to bring more countries on board," she said. "I think we're going to see a very exciting new treaty banning cluster munitions, demonstrating that even in this difficult time we can continue to ban weapons that are indiscriminate and cause untold civilian casualties and harm." Cluster bombs are designed to explode above the ground and release thousands of small bomblets primed to detonate on impact. Many do not explode immediately, and can lie in fields or villages, where they later kill and maim people who come across them. Efforts toward an international ban began in Norway last year. The meeting in Wellington, and May's follow-up in Ireland, are part of what is being called the "Oslo Process."	B-1 Lancer releasing its payload of cluster bombs An international meeting in New Zealand has produced a draft treaty to ban cluster bombs. Campaigners say the meeting has given a decisive push to efforts to create a meaningful global agreement, however some say success is far from guaranteed. The draft accord drawn up in New Zealand declares that cluster bombs cause unacceptable harm to civilians, and that their production, stockpiling and use must be banned. The proposed accord has been named the "Wellington Declaration," after talks this week in the New Zealand capital involving 122 countries. The conference was organized by the Cluster Munitions Coalition, a network of 200 private organizations that includes leaders of the Nobel peace prize-winning International Campaign to Ban Landmines. Activists hope the draft, which was signed by representatives of 82 of the attending nations, will be turned into a binding treaty at a follow-up meeting scheduled in Ireland in May. However, British negotiators have warned that tough discussions lie ahead before a binding treaty is finally signed. There is opposition to a global ban by the United States, Russia and China, as well as India, Pakistan and Israel. All are major producers of cluster munitions and none attended the Wellington summit. Washington opposes a ban because of the weapons' military effectiveness. But Jody Williams, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work to ban landmines, says she believes an international ban on cluster bombs is inevitable. "If we, you know, have 80 countries that subscribe to it at the end of Dublin, that will be in terrific, and the signing will be in December and we will use all of that time to bring more countries on board," she said. "I think we're going to see a very exciting new treaty banning cluster munitions, demonstrating that even in this difficult time we can continue to ban weapons that are indiscriminate and cause untold civilian casualties and harm." Cluster bombs are designed to explode above the ground and release thousands of small bomblets primed to detonate on impact. Many do not explode immediately, and can lie in fields or villages, where they later kill and maim people who come across them. Efforts toward an international ban began in Norway last year. The meeting in Wellington, and May's follow-up in Ireland, are part of what is being called the "Oslo Process."
Experts split on whether pope and Giuliani will meet When Pope Benedict XVI travels to New York in April, he's expected to visit Ground Zero and Yankee Stadium -- places known for their connection to another famous Catholic, Rudy Giuliani. The Vatican announced Monday that Benedict plans to travel to the United States for a five-day trip to Washington and New York. Given the Rudy-friendly itinerary, is there a chance the pontiff will grant an audience to Giuliani -- a lifelong Yankees fan known worldwide for his handling of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks? Papal experts say that while Giuliani would likely be invited along on Benedict's visit to Ground Zero, they disagree over whether he would be granted a private audience. "I'm sure the pope would be happy to grant Giuliani an audience," said David Gibson, author of "The Rule of Benedict," a biography of Pope Benedict XVI. "If there was something at Ground Zero, I would be surprised if Giuliani were not there." But Thomas Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University, said he doubted the pope would grant a tete-a-tete with the former mayor. Although Giuliani may appear at an event with other officials, "The pope normally deals with current government leaders -- not past leaders," Reese said. If Giuliani is still a presidential candidate come April -- the Republican nominee should be chosen by then -- a papal meeting would lend a bit of gravitas to his bid. Still, if Hizzoner engineers an audience with His Holiness, the visit could backfire. After all, Giuliani is a candidate for the presidency -- not the priesthood. Although he attended Catholic schools all his life, he's on his third marriage, has an estranged relationship with his children and holds liberal views on abortion and gay rights. Such a public meeting might remind voters of his less-than-saintly past. "He's walking a tightrope," Gibson said of Giuliani. "If he appears to look like an altar boy, it's not going to play very well." Giuliani sometimes jokes on the campaign trail about his lapsed faith, telling a Missouri audience Monday that winning the endorsement of conservative preacher Pat Robertson was like "going to confession." If Giuliani is still a candidate in April, the chances for a meeting are also less likely, said Gibson. "He [the pope] does not want to appear partisan." Giuliani's campaign had no comment. More articles Copyright © 2007, Newsday Inc. \|\|\|\|\| The televangelist says national security and federal spending worries should trump conservatives' concerns about the former New York mayor's support of abortion rights. Related Stories - Giuliani embraces tough love WASHINGTON -- Republican presidential candidate Rudolph W. Giuliani on Wednesday received the endorsement of televangelist Pat Robertson, who said the former New York mayor's promises to appoint conservative judges and protect Americans "from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists" should trump conservatives' concerns about Giuliani's support of abortion rights.Robertson's endorsement of Giuliani came one day after another prominent social conservative, Paul M. Weyrich, endorsed rival presidential candidate Mitt Romney, the former Massachusetts governor. Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a social conservative who ended his own presidential bid earlier this fall, said Wednesday that he would back his Senate colleague John McCain of Arizona.Taken together, the endorsements suggested that abortion may not prove to be a top-tier issue in the wide-open Republican race, and that top evangelical figures would divide their support among multiple contenders. Social conservatives have demonstrated a willingness to eschew longtime abortion opponents such as former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and former Sen. Fred Thompson of Tennessee to back candidates who either favor abortion rights, as Giuliani does, or who are recent converts to the antiabortion cause, as is Romney.Robertson said national security and concerns about federal spending should be top priorities. "To me, the overriding issue before the American people is the defense of our population from the blood lust of Islamic terrorists," he said. "Our second goal should be the control of massive government waste and crushing federal deficits."Giuliani, appearing with Robertson at the National Press Club, said: "His confidence in me means a lot. His experience and advice will be a great asset to me and my campaign."Asked about Robertson's endorsement, Romney, who was campaigning in South Carolina, touted the support of other social conservatives, including Bob Jones III, former president of the Christian conservative Bob Jones University in Greenville, S.C."I can't get all the social conservatives to endorse my candidacy," he told reporters. "I'm really pleased with the support I've got."Both Giuliani and Romney had aggressively sought Robertson's backing, with phone calls and appearances at Regent University, an evangelical Christian institution in Virginia Beach, Va., founded by Robertson in 1978. Robertson had leaned in Giuliani's direction since the former mayor's Regent speech, telling his Christian Broadcasting Network that Giuliani had been "a smash."The two men said they had become friends when they traveled together to Israel a few years ago. Aides suggested that Theodore B. Olson, a former solicitor general in the Bush administration and a leading conservative legal figure, had made the endorsement happen.Olson is an advisor to Giuliani's campaign, and he introduced Robertson at a news conference called Wednesday morning in Washington to announce the endorsement.In appealing to social conservatives, Giuliani has made a pledge -- one of his campaign's "12 commitments" -- to appoint "strict constructionist" judges who claim to interpret the Constitution in the manner that its framers intended.Robertson indicated Wednesday he had been won over by this pledge. Giuliani, Robertson said, "understands the need for a conservative judiciary, and with the help of the distinguished Ted Olson, who is here today, and other members of his team, has assured the American people that his choices for judicial appointments will be men and women who share the judicial philosophy of [Chief Justice] John Roberts and [Justice] Antonin Scalia."Robertson ran for president in 1988 and remains a key figure in the conservative movement, in part through his television network. But his influence has been diminished somewhat by the rise of younger leaders and his reputation for making comments that draw widespread ridicule.In recent years, he has called then-Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke a form of divine punishment for "dividing God's land," and has called for the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez. He later apologized for the Chavez comment. \|\|\|\|\| Register for NYTimes.com. Breaking news and award winning multimedia New York Times newspaper articles Arts & Dining reviews Online Classifieds It's free and it only takes a minute! Member ID or E-Mail Address: Password: Forgot Your Password? Remember me on this computer.	Rudy Giuliani Conservative evangelical preacher Pat Robertson has endorsed Rudy Giuliani's bid for the 2008 U.S. Presidential election. Robertson said that he was supporting the former New York City mayor, despite their disagreements on social issues, because Giuliani was the best hope for the United States against "the blood lust of Islamic terrorists". Robertson said that Giuliani was a "proven leader who is not afraid of what lies ahead, and who will cast a hopeful vision for all Americans." Although Robertson's influence in the religious right is not as strong as it once was, his endorsement is still important to Republican candidates. Giuliani is pro-choice while Robertson is pro-life. Giuliani also favors extending rights to gays although does not favor allowing gay marriage. Giuliani has had a turbulent family life. Giuliani is on his third marriage and after one divorce was living with two gay roommates. The Religious Right in the United States, including Robertson, often emphasizes what they call traditional family values and frown on divorce and non-standard home arrangements. The religious right in the United States has been under stress in this election over whom to support. James Dobson, another prominent and controversial evangelical leader has warned that although the Religious Right has for a long time supported the Republican Party, they may vote for a third party candidate if the Republican Party Presidential candidate does not share their views on social issues.
A WILD boar shot by an 11-year-old boy in Alabama was claimed to weigh a staggering 476kg and measure 2.74m from its snout to the end of its tail. If these measurements are accurate, Jamison Stone's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in South Georgia in 2004. National Geographic experts, who unearthed Hogzilla's remains, believe the animal weighed about 363kg and was 2.4m long. Regardless of the comparison, Jamison is revelling in the attention. "It feels really good. It's a good accomplishment. I probably won't ever kill anything else that big," he said. Jamison said he shot the huge animal eight times with a .50-calibre revolver and chased it for three hours before finishing it off with a point-blank shot. Trees had to be cut down to bring Jamison's prize out of the woods. Jamison's father, Mike Stone, is turning the beast into sausages. "We'll probably get 500 to 700 pounds (317kg)," he said. Jamison has been offered a small part in the new movie The Legend of Hogzilla. - AP \|\|\|\|\| DELTA It's real. And it's big. It's a really big pig. Soon after the story began circulating on the Internet of 11-year-old Jamison Stone's harvest of a 1,051-pound feral hog in Delta, the doubters came out in droves. But Jerry Cunningham, of Jerry's Taxidermy in Oxford, says he saw it right after it was taken. And he's the one currently in possession of the poker. Cunningham was called on to handle the mounting of the animal. He said they told him it was a giant, and, after laying eyes on the animal, he says they weren't exaggerating. Biggest thing I'd ever seen, he said. It's huge. According to Mike Stone, Jamison's father, the hog weighed 1,051 pounds. It was weighed at the Clay County Farmer's Exchange in Lineville. Workers at the co-op verified that the scales used, basic truck scales, were recently certified by the state. However, no workers from the co-op were present when the hog was weighed. Stone, a Pickensville resident, said the hog was also measured two different ways. Suspended from rear hoof to snout, he was 10 feet, 7 inches. From snout to tail, it was just more than 9 feet. The only measurements that can currently be verified because the hog is in post-processing mode are sizes of the hog from the shoulder up, the method that the Stones are using to preserve their trophy. Cunningham will have to use those measurements to create a form for the mount, as prefab mounts do not come that big. The circumference of the hog's head (across the ears) is 54 inches. Around its shoulders, it's 74 inches. And the length of its snout from its eyes to the end of its nose is 11 inches. I couldn't believe it, Jamison said after he first saw it. It was the size of a cow. It was huge. Perhaps as astounding as the size of the hog was how the story got out or didn't. The old adage of news traveling fast in a small town wasn't quite the case. Driving around the dusty backroads of the rural community of Delta, story of the monster pig wasn't widely known. Even in nearby Lineville, the picture that appeared on the front page of Tuesday's Anniston Star was the first many people had heard about it. But in cyberspace, the news has traveled a great deal faster. And let's just say people have gone hog wild. In attempts to do something nice for his young son, Mike Stone created a Web site, www.monsterpig.com, to help show off his kill. He also created it to help cut down on the time of sending e-mail out to family and friends. However, the simple concept of the Web site has grown into much, much more. At the site is a simple recount of the animal, its size and what was used to harvest the hog. It also includes pictures, a way to contact Jamison and some of the e-mails he received good and bad. According to Stone, the host for the Web site (www.godaddy.com) said the number of requests or hits totaled 1,246,464 as of Monday. Calls have come all the way from California, where Jamison appeared on a radio talk show. According to Mike Stone and the Web site, Jamison has gotten words of congratulation from Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd, country music star Kenny Chesney, Tom Knapp of Benelli firearms and Jerry Miculek of Smith & Wesson. The hunt Just as it goes with skinning cats, there's more than one way to harvest a hog. Some track them with dogs. Some wait them out in tree stands, and others braver ones stalk-hunt the creatures. The Stones, manned with guides Keith O'Neal and Chris Williams, chose the latter when purchasing the hunt from Eddy Borden of Lost Creek Plantation. It wasn't Stone's first time hog hunting at the preserve. Not long before his son's harvest, he had taken a feral swine himself. At the time, he said he was quite proud of it. It was about 600 pounds, he said. I thought it was massive at the time. After using the stalk-hunting method, the weapon of choice was a modified .50-caliber pistol that had been modified with a holographic scope and a ported barrel to cut down on some its recoil. It was also packing a 350-grain Horaday bullet. They ventured out and found the hog, and that's when the ordeal started. To kill the massive beast, 16 shots were fired all by Jamison. Approximately nine landed. They tracked and sometimes were forced to avoid the hog for more than three hours. Just how big again? The elder Stone says all he really knew was it was a big pig. Just how big it was with respect to records he didn't know. It was a pretty uneventful thing until the day after, Mike Stone said. I hadn't seen a lot of pigs up close. I didn't know it was a monster pig. I just knew it was a big as a cow. It wasn't until the day after the hunt when Stone received an e-mail from a friend informing him that, some time ago, Hogzilla had been found to be only 800 pounds (in a National Geographic documentary on the hog). Chris Griffin, who killed the Hogzilla, had said it was in excess of 1,000 pounds. When all that happened, I looked over at my wife and said, 'This is a big deal,' he said. Hogzilla wasn't even as big as the one Jamison killed. State records on feral swine are not kept by the Alabama Department of Conservation. According to biologists, pigs such as Hogzilla and this one are not the norm. Average free-roaming feral swine grow to modest sizes compared to this beast. You might get a boar that weighs 300 or so, said Dr. Jim Armstrong, Extension Wildlife Specialist and Associate Professor for Auburn University's School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences. That's a big pig. \|\|\|\|\| An 11-year-old Alabama boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog that just may be the biggest pig ever found. Jamison Stone's father says the hog his son killed weighed a 1,051 pounds and measured 9-feet-4 from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires. If the claims are accurate, Jamison's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in south Georgia in 2004. Click here to see a big pic of the big pig. Hogzilla originally was thought to weigh 1,000 pounds and measure 12 feet in length. National Geographic experts who unearthed its remains believe the animal actually weighed about 800 pounds and was 8 feet long. After seeing the pig in person, taxidermist Jerry Cunningham told The Anniston Star it was "the biggest thing I'd ever seen ... it's huge." (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements The Anniston Star reported that the feral hog was weighed at the Clay County Farmer's Exchange in Lineville. Workers at the co-op verified that the basic truck scales used were recently certified by the state. But no workers from the co-op were present when the hog was weighed. Jamison is reveling in the attention over his pig, which has a Web site put up by his father — http://www.monsterpig.com — that is generating Internet buzz. "It feels really good," Jamison, of Pickensville, said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. "It's a good accomplishment. I probably won't ever kill anything else that big." Jamison, who killed his first deer at age 5, was hunting with father Mike Stone and two guides in east Alabama on May 3 when he bagged Hogzilla II. He said he shot the huge animal eight times with a .50-caliber revolver and chased it for three hours through hilly woods before finishing it off with a point-blank shot. Through it all there was the fear that the animal would turn and charge them, as wild boars have a reputation of doing. "I was a little bit scared, a little bit excited," said Jamison, who just finished the sixth grade on the honor roll at Christian Heritage Academy, a small, private school. His father said that, just to be extra safe, he and the guides had high-powered rifles aimed and ready to fire in case the beast with 5-inch tusks decided to charge. With the pig finally dead in a creek bed on the 2,500-acre Lost Creek Plantation, a commercial hunting preserve in Delta, trees had to be cut down and a backhoe brought in to bring Jamison's prize out of the woods. It was hauled on a truck to the Clay County Farmers Exchange in Lineville, where Jeff Kinder said they used his scale, which was recently calibrated, to weigh the hog. Kinder, who didn't witness the weigh-in, said he was baffled to hear the reported weight of 1,051 pounds because his scale — an old, manual style with sliding weights — only measures to the nearest 10. "I didn't quite understand that," he said. Mike Stone said the scale balanced one notch past the 1,050-pound mark, and he thought it meant a weight of 1,051 pounds. "It probably weighed 1,060 pounds. We were just afraid to change it once the story was out," he said. The hog's head is now being mounted on an extra-large foam form by Cunningham of Jerry's Taxidermy in Oxford. Cunningham said the animal measured 54 inches around the head, 74 inches around the shoulders and 11 inches from the eyes to the end of its snout. Mike Stone is having sausage made from the rest of the animal. "We'll probably get 500 to 700 pounds," he said. Jamison, meanwhile, has been offered a small part in "The Legend of Hogzilla," a small-time horror flick based on the tale of the Georgia boar. The movie is holding casting calls with plans to begin filming in Georgia. The Anniston Star reported that congratulatory calls have come all the way from California, where Jamison appeared on a radio talk show. Jamison apparently has gotten words of congratulation from Rickey Medlocke of Lynyrd Skynyrd, country music star Kenny Chesney, Tom Knapp of Benelli firearms and Jerry Miculek of Smith & Wesson. Jamison is enjoying the newfound celebrity generated by the hog hunt, but he said he prefers hunting pheasants to monster pigs. "They are a little less dangerous." The Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Story Highlights • Pig shot in Alabama outweighs Georgia's Hogzilla • Boy says: "I probably won't ever kill anything else that big" • He's been offered small part in horror movie based on Georgia pig Adjust font size: MONTGOMERY, Alabama (AP) -- Hogzilla is being made into a horror movie. But the sequel may be even bigger: Meet Monster Pig. An 11-year-old boy used a pistol to kill a wild hog his father says weighed a staggering 1,051 pounds and measured 9 feet 4, from the tip of its snout to the base of its tail. Think hams as big as car tires. If the claims are accurate, Jamison Stone's trophy boar would be bigger than Hogzilla, the famed wild hog that grew to seemingly mythical proportions after being killed in South Georgia in 2004. Hogzilla originally was thought to weigh 1,000 pounds and measure 12 feet long. National Geographic experts who unearthed its remains believe the animal actually weighed about 800 pounds and was 8 feet long. Regardless of the comparison, Jamison is reveling in the attention over his pig. "It feels really good," Jamison said. "It's a good accomplishment. I probably won't ever kill anything else that big." Jamison, who killed his first deer at age 5, was hunting with father Mike Stone and two guides in east Alabama on May 3 when he bagged Monster Pig. He said he shot the huge animal eight times with a .50-caliber revolver and chased it for three hours through hilly woods before finishing it off with a point-blank shot. Through it all, there was the fear that the animal would turn and charge them, as wild boars have a reputation for doing. "I was a little bit scared, a little bit excited," said Jamison, who lives in Pickensville on the Mississippi border. He just finished the sixth grade on the honor roll at Christian Heritage Academy, a small, private school. His father said that, just to be extra safe, he and the guides had high-powered rifles aimed and ready to fire in case the beast, with 5-inch tusks, decided to charge. With the animal finally dead in a creek bed on the 2,500-acre Lost Creek Plantation, a commercial hunting preserve in Delta, trees had to be cut down and a backhoe brought in to bring Jamison's prize out of the woods. It was hauled on a truck to the Clay County Farmers Exchange in Lineville, where Jeff Kinder said they used his scale, recently calibrated, to weigh the hog. Kinder's scale measures only to the nearest 10, but Mike Stone said it balanced one notch past the 1,050-pound mark. "It probably weighed 1,060 pounds. We were just afraid to change it once the story was out," he said. The hog's head is being mounted by Jerry Cunningham of Jerry's Taxidermy. Cunningham said the animal measured 54 inches around the head, 74 inches around the shoulders and 11 inches from the eyes to the end of its snout. "It's huge," he said. "It's just the biggest thing I've ever seen." Mike Stone is having sausage made from the rest of the animal. "We'll probably get 500 to 700 pounds," he said. Jamison, meanwhile, has been offered a small part in "The Legend of Hogzilla," a small-time horror flick based on the tale of the Georgia boar. The movie is holding casting calls with plans to begin filming in Georgia. Jamison is enjoying the newfound celebrity generated by the hog hunt, but he said he prefers hunting pheasants to monster pigs: "They are a little less dangerous." Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \|\|\|\|\| Hog Hunting Books: (Amazon.com) Wild Hog Hunting by Craig Marquette, David Sturkey Paperback List Price $17.00 "Everything you need to know to get your hog!" Outdoor writer Jerry Hill says the authors "have pooled their knowledge and hunting skills to pen the best hog hunting book on the market. Some of the photographs will light the hard-core hunter's fire!" A practical guide to hunting wild boar in the United States. Chapters include wild pig biology, identification, wild hog habits, still hunting strategies, stand hunting strategies, trapping wild hogs, dogs and hogs, wild hog diseases, from last breath to ice box, from ice box to dinner table. Dozens of action photo's. Hog Hunting Videos: (Amazon.com) Hog Hunting	The mainstream press has recently uncovered the story of a wild pig, nicknamed 'Monster Pig' killed on May 3, 2007, by an eleven year-old boy, Jamison Stone. The location is disclosed as a 2,500-acre commercial hunting preserve called Lost Creek Plantation, outside Anniston, Alabama. The wild hog weighed 1,051 lbs. and was 9 ft. 4 in. from the tip of its snout to the end of its tail. The hog's head was mounted on an extra-large foam form and measured 54 inches around the head, 74 inches around the shoulders and 11 inches from the eyes to the end of its snout. The balance of the hog is being turned into approximately 500 to 700 lbs of sausage. Jerry Cunningham, an Oxford taxidermist, said it was, "the Biggest thing I'd ever seen". Wildlife specialist Dr. Jim Armstrong commented on the size said, "You might get a boar that weighs 300 or so, Monster Pig that's a big pig". Stone said he shot the pig eight times using a Smith & Wesson Model 500 with a holographic scope and ported barrel firing 350-grain Hornady cartridges. Stone had to chase the hog for three hours through hilly woods before finishing it off with a point-blank shot. The web host godaddy.com for the official web site ''monsterpig.com'' advised Stone that the number of hits totaled 1,246,464 as of Monday, May 21st. Two previous record holders are Hogzilla a wild hog that was shot and killed in Alapaha, Georgia, on June 17, 2004, by Chris Griffin on Ken Holyoak's farm and hunting reserve. It was alleged to be 12 feet (3.6 meters) long and to weigh 1,000 pounds (450 kg). Its weight was later determined to be closer to 800 lbs. A second involved local news media that reported on January 5, 2007, an 1,100 pound (500 kg) hog was shot in Fayetteville, Georgia. The shooter was William Corsey, who hung the specimen from a tree in his yard. A spokesperson from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources said that large boars and feral hogs were common in South Georgia, but that no records are kept on them. The media latched on to the notion that this animal rivals the size of Hogzilla.
Drone Height Tech A German technology non-profit has put together an autonomous octocopter that can carry a defibrillator, aiming to get to patients faster than an ambulance. Fredrich Nölle from Definetz presented the system in the town of Halle in North Rhine Westphalia. It's optimised for remote areas, and allows emergency services or the public to call a defibrillator in though a smartphone app that automatically sends GPS coordinates. The drone has a range of 10km, and can fly at up to 70 kilometres per hour towards its destination in all weather conditions. It has a diameter of one metre and parachutes its payload when it arrives at the patient. It was developed by Height Tech, a company that employs drones for many tasks including movie production, surveying, aerial photography and signal mast inspection. German emergency services praised the invention but warned people not to get their hopes up. "We'll have to see how much these drones can help," Marco König from the German emergency services union told the Local. \|\|\|\|\| German non-profit group Definetz wants to make defibrillators readily available across its country so that any time someone has a heart attack, the life saving devices are within arms reach. And it's looking to drones to help it bring its vision to fruition. On Friday, the group announced the Defikopter, a concept device it designed with drone-maker Height Tech to fly defibrillators to emergency responders or the public by way of a GPS-enabled smartphone app. Definetz says the Defikopter, which was developed over the last three months, can travel within a radius of 10 kilometers (about six miles), and fly at a speed of 70 kilometers per hour (about 43 miles per hour). While Definetz and Height Tech have announced their collaborative design, neither organization said if or when the Defikopter would be made available for sale, or when and if the corresponding smartphone app would be released to the public. There are, of course, a few drawbacks to the drone concept. If built, the drone hardware would sell for about $26,000, according to the Mittelbayerische news site. Additionally, if the Defikopter and its app are made available, the Defikopter can only be hailed by someone who is with a heart attack victim and already has the app downloaded downloaded on their phone. The drone also can't run without supervision — the Die Glocke newspaper reports that German law requires that unmanned flying vehicles can only be flown if monitored by a human being. These limitations and restrictions could mean the Defikopter concept never makes it off the ground.	German non-profit organization Definetz announced on Friday the development of the 'Defikopter': a medical , launched by , designed to be able to fly to victims in remote areas quicker than an ambulance. File photo of an eight-armed drone. The Defikopter is to be launched by an app that sends out the coordinates of the victim. With the ability to fly at 70km per hour in all weather conditions, the eight-armed octocopter could reach any patient within a ten kilometre radius. The invention has received cautious praise from German medical services; the drone is still in the development and testing stage. Definetz and collaborating drone builder Height Tech have not issued any information about the release of the smartphone app or about when the drone will be available for medical services to purchase. "We'll have to see how much these drones can help," German emergency services union representative Marco König told ''''. German news site ''Mittelbayerische'' reports a price tag of 20,000 (26,000) apiece. One major problem Definetz faces is the law that requires all unmanned flying vehicles in Germany to be supervised. Another is that only members of the public who downloaded the app 'just in case' of an emergency, plus emergency workers with the app, could summon a drone. == Sources == * * category:Health category:Science and technology category:Germany
An Orwellian gaffe involving the Kindle e-book reader just won’t go down the memory hole for Amazon.com. KamberEdelson Justin Gawronski On Thursday, a Chicago-based law firm filed a suit in federal court in Seattle against Amazon on behalf of Justin D. Gawronski, a 17-year-old Michigan high school senior. The suit, which seeks class-action status, claims that when the company wirelessly deleted a copy of George Orwell’s “Nineteen Eighty-Four” from Gawronski’s Kindle earlier this month, it also deleted the notes he had taken on the device for his homework. The suit, which cites another plaintiff who also lost his copy of the Orwell classic, seeks to prevent Amazon from again deleting books from Kindles. It also seeks monetary relief for people like Gawronski who lost work from the incident. Amazon declined comment on the suit. The company, which refunded the purchase price of Orwell books to people whose copies it deleted, has already said it would not do it again. Last week, the company’s CEO Jeff Bezos apologized for the incident, calling it “stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles.” Gawronski, a member of his high school’s debate team, says he got a Kindle earlier this summer because he knew he’d be reading a lot of books for his Advanced Placement English class. “If there’s something that catches my eye as I am reading, I just place a note there” using the Kindle’s keyboard, he said. Those notes are useful, he said, because “every 100 pages we have to write a 1-page summary and reflection of everything that we read,” he said. But on July 20, when Gawronski turned on his Kindle, he watched his copy of “Nineteen Eighty-Four” disappear right before his eyes. “It was a bit ironic,” he said. Amazon didn’t delete the file containing Gawronski’s notes on the Kindle device. But since the book text “no longer exists, all my notes refer back to nothing,” he said. “I can’t really use it for much.” When he e-mailed Amazon’s customer service department for help, he received a message from the company saying they were sorry, but there was a copyright issue with the original book. He filed the lawsuit, he said, because he wants to “help set a precedent so that Amazon doesn’t do this again” and to help move the industry forward. “When you think that you own something and don’t own it – that’s not how it should be,” he said. His lawyer, Jay Edelson, of the firm of KamberEdelson, said he doesn’t see “any ambiguity at all” in the terms of service that accompany Kindle purchases that would have allowed Amazon to delete and refund a purchase. “People are given license for life,” he said. “You start to wonder how many companies have the ability to remote change data or delete things.” The suit seeks relief from the class of all people who own a Kindle. “All of those people need the injunctive relief to prevent Amazon from doing this in the future,” said Edelson. The law firm pledges to donate any proceeds from the litigation to charity. Gawronski hasn’t yet told his English teacher about the incident. But he figures he’s going to have to read the book again to finish his assignment. \|\|\|\|\| In George Orwell’s “1984,” government censors erase all traces of news articles embarrassing to Big Brother by sending them down an incineration chute called the “memory hole.” On Friday, it was “1984” and another Orwell book, “Animal Farm,” that were dropped down the memory hole by Amazon.com. In a move that angered customers and generated waves of online pique, Amazon remotely deleted some digital editions of the books from the Kindle devices of readers who had bought them. An Amazon spokesman, Drew Herdener, said in an e-mail message that the books were added to the Kindle store by a company that did not have rights to them, using a self-service function. “When we were notified of this by the rights holder, we removed the illegal copies from our systems and from customers’ devices, and refunded customers,” he said. Amazon effectively acknowledged that the deletions were a bad idea. “We are changing our systems so that in the future we will not remove books from customers’ devices in these circumstances,” Mr. Herdener said. Customers whose books were deleted indicated that MobileReference, a digital publisher, had sold them. An e-mail message to SoundTells, the company that owns MobileReference, was not immediately returned. Digital books bought for the Kindle are sent to it over a wireless network. Amazon can also use that network to synchronize electronic books between devices and apparently to make them vanish. An authorized digital edition of “1984” from its American publisher, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, was still available on the Kindle store Friday night, but there was no such version of “Animal Farm.” People who bought the rescinded editions of the books reacted with indignation, while acknowledging the literary ironies involved. “Of all the books to recall,” said Charles Slater, an executive with a sheet-music retailer in Philadelphia, who bought the digital edition of “1984” for 99 cents last month. “I never imagined that Amazon actually had the right, the authority or even the ability to delete something that I had already purchased.” Antoine Bruguier, an engineer in Silicon Valley, said he had noticed that his digital copy of “1984” appeared to be a scan of a paper edition of the book. “If this Kindle breaks, I won’t buy a new one, that’s for sure,” he said. Amazon appears to have deleted other purchased e-books from Kindles recently. Customers commenting on Web forums reported the disappearance of digital editions of the Harry Potter books and the novels of Ayn Rand over similar issues. Amazon’s published terms of service agreement for the Kindle does not appear to give the company the right to delete purchases after they have been made. It says Amazon grants customers the right to keep a “permanent copy of the applicable digital content.” Retailers of physical goods cannot, of course, force their way into a customer’s home to take back a purchase, no matter how bootlegged it turns out to be. Yet Amazon appears to maintain a unique tether to the digital content it sells for the Kindle. “It illustrates how few rights you have when you buy an e-book from Amazon,” said Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer for British Telecom and an expert on computer security and commerce. “As a Kindle owner, I’m frustrated. I can’t lend people books and I can’t sell books that I’ve already read, and now it turns out that I can’t even count on still having my books tomorrow.” Justin Gawronski, a 17-year-old from the Detroit area, was reading “1984” on his Kindle for a summer assignment and lost all his notes and annotations when the file vanished. “They didn’t just take a book back, they stole my work,” he said. On the Internet, of course, there is no such thing as a memory hole. While the copyright on “1984” will not expire until 2044 in the United States, it has already expired in other countries, including Canada, Australia and Russia. Web sites in those countries offer digital copies of the book free to all comers. \|\|\|\|\| « Firefox hits a billion \| Main \| FCC asks Apple, AT&T;, Google about App Store's rejection of Google Voice » Highlights from the '1984' lawsuit against Amazon 12:35 PM, July 31, 2009 "Kindling." Credit: oskay / Flickr Justin Gawronski and Antoine J. Bruguier are suing Amazon for having deleted their copies of George Orwell books from their Kindle readers, sans permission. The potential class-action lawsuit claims harm inflicted on the parties for rendering their notes "useless" -- causing some commentators to call it the "Kindle ate my homework" case. Here are a few highlighted quotes from the complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court in Seattle. -- "[Plaintiffs] bring this class action complaint against defendants Amazon.com, Inc. and Amazon Digital Services, Inc., ... for their wrongful practice of remotely deleting digital content from their customers’ Amazon Kindle electronic book (“e-book”) reading devices and Kindle for iPhone applications." -- "Amazon not only deleted the e-books,but also rendered useless any electronic notes and annotations that consumers had made within these e-books because the notes were no longer tied to the referenced or highlighted text. Amazon then refunded the purchase price to these consumers." -- "Amazon never disclosed ... that it possessed the technological ability or right to remotely delete digital content purchased through the Kindle Store from Kindles or iPhones." -- "As part of his studies of '1984,' Mr. Gawronski had made copious notes in the book. After Amazon remotely deleted '1984,' those notes were rendered useless... ... because they no longer referenced the relevant parts of the book. The notes are still accessible on the Kindle 2 device in a file separate from the deleted book, but are of no value. For example, a note such as “remember this paragraph for your thesis” is useless if it does not actually reference a specific paragraph. By deleting '1984' from Mr. Gawronski’s Kindle 2, this is the position in which Amazon left him. Mr. Gawronski now needs to recreate all of his studies." -- "On or about July 17, 2009, Mr. Bruguier contacted Amazon.com with the statement: 'I would like to keep the title 1984. I like this book.' On July 17, 2009 at 1:28 p.m., he received an email response to his comment from Amazon.com Customer Service, which stated in relevant part: “I understand that you’re upset, and I regret that we haven’t been able to address your concerns to your satisfaction. Unfortunately, we won’t be able to offer any additional insight or action on these matters.” -- "[Suit alleges that] Amazon violated [The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act] by intentionally accessing Plaintiffs’ Kindles, protected computers, without authorization, and as a result, caused damage to Plaintiffs’ Kindles by remotely deleting content stored on them. " -- "Amazon’s conduct has caused a loss to one or more persons during any one-year period aggregating at least $5,000 in value in real economic damages." -- "Amazon’s unlawful access to Plaintiffs’ Kindles and digital content has also caused Plaintiffs irreparable injury. Unless restrained and enjoined, Amazon will continue to commit such acts." -- David Sarno TrackBack TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.typepad.com/services/trackback/6a00d8341c630a53ef0115724e0253970b Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Highlights from the '1984' lawsuit against Amazon:	Justin Gawronski and Antoine Bruguier sued Amazon.com on Thursday for remotely deleting their digital copies of George Orwell's ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' from their Kindle devices. The suit, filed in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, argues in part that Amazon violated its terms of service, as well as the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and Washington Consumer Protection Act. Gawronski, a Michigan high school senior, originally purchased both his Kindle and an e-book of the novel for his Advanced Placement English summer reading. He made regular annotations using the Kindle's facility, noting "If ... something ... catches my eye as I am reading, I just place a note there". After reading online that Amazon was deleting some copies of ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'', he switched his Kindle on, and watched the copy he had purchased vanish. He later found that the notes he had written were effectively useless, stating, "all my notes refer back to nothing". He said he would probably have to re-read the entire book. Bruguier, a Silicon Valley engineer, also had his copy of ''Nineteen Eighty-Four'' remotely deleted. According to the complaint, Amazon sent him an email saying they were "writing to confirm that we have processed your refund." In response, Bruguier wrote that "I would like to keep the title 1984. I like this book." Amazon refused to allow him to do so, and said they would not provide any "additional insight or action". Eventually, Amazon wrote a new email justifying the deletion by claiming they had lacked the right to sell him the book. Bruguier noted in response that he was "annoyed by Amazon's deceit" and that he "thought that once purchased, the books were his." His emails also quoted the portion of Amazon's terms of service cited in the suit. Both clients are represented by KamberEdelson, and the lawsuit seeks class action status. Several classes are delineated, representing relevant sub-groupings of Kindle owners.
The results for the first quarter of the European Venture Capital Report 2005 produced by Ernst & Young and Venture One, indicate that Ireland experienced a 35% increase in venture capital investment, from the 31.23 million in Q1 2004, to 42.11 million in Q1 2005. The 42.11 million invested in the first quarter of 2005 is also an increase of 97% from the last quarter of 2004, when the amount invested was 21.37 million. Information technology deals continue to dominate the Irish venture capital landscape, with seven of the eight deals completed and 85% of the total funds invested in this sector. The largest investment in Ireland was in Corvil Networks, a provider of a technology for measuring and controlling the bandwidth requirements of IP traffic flows. The company raised 15 million in a later stage round. Ireland had a total of eight deals this quarter, down from ten deals in Q4 2004 and Q1 2004. As throughout 2004, Ireland retains its 7th place in the first quarter of 2005 for number of deals. In terms of amounts raised, Ireland has slipped down to 8th place, mainly due to increased venture capital activity in Denmark. In Europe, venture capital investment increased by 19% to 880.3 million. Whilst the European investment figures are up on this period last year the deal flow in Europe has dropped to less than 200 deals, a 27%, decline Garry ORourke, Senior Manager, Ernst & Young Corporate Services Department, said: These figures show that venture capitalists are directing their investments into those companies which seem to have the brightest future potential and in Ireland, specifically the IT sector. Across Europe, the fact that first-round deals are getting larger shows that VCs are optimistic about the growth potential of the current wave of new start-ups in Europe. According to Steve Harmston, Director of International Research for Venture One, We are seeing fewer deals but larger amounts invested in these deals. The overall median deal size in Europe reached its highest level in more than six years at 3 million, compared to 1.5 million in the same quarter of last year. Much of this increase can be attributed to larger investments in first round deals, where the median was 2.6 million, the highest amount since 1999 when Venture One began tracking the data. The median size of later-round deals was 4 million, in comparison with 2 million in Q1 2004. By industry, the amount invested into European information technology (IT) companies climbed upward, reaching a total of 407.3 million, an increase of 16% over this quarter a year ago. Gil Forer, global venture capital advisory group leader for Ernst & Young said: While not reflected in the Irish figures for this quarter, the capital invested in the information-services segment nearly doubled from the first quarter of 2004 to reach 40 million. The majority of information-services companies are Internet-related, so the investment trend in this segment could indicate we are entering Internet 2.0 with a resurgence of interest in online businesses. The 2004 trend of increased investment activity in seed and first-round deals declined this quarter. These deals represented one-third of the investments made in Q1 2004 and continued to grow throughout last year, but only represented 29% of the deal flow this quarter. They also accounted for only 20% of the capital invested, compared to 25% this quarter a year ago. In Ireland, this translates to a decline from 11.88 million to 6.55 million. \|\|\|\|\| Latest ENN headlines For the record 19 May Invest NI backed 3,700 firms in 2004 Mobile subscribers to join two billion club this year That's according to first quarter results from Ernst & Young and Venture One's "European Venture Capital Report 2005," which showed venture capital investment in Ireland increasing year-on-year from EUR31.23 million in the first quarter of 2004, to EUR42.11 million in the first three months of 2005. Information technology deals continue to dominate the Irish venture capital landscape, with seven of the eight deals completed during the quarter focused on IT firms. In addition, 85 percent of the total funds invested in Ireland over the three months were concentrated in the sector. The big winner during the quarter was Corvil Networks, a provider of technology for measuring and controlling the bandwidth requirements of IP traffic flows. The company raised EUR15 million in a later stage funding round. Growth in the number of venture capital deals helped Ireland to retain its seventh position in the first quarter, while in terms of the amounts raised, Ireland dropped to eighth place, primarily due to the significant increase in venture capital activity in Denmark. Europe-wide venture capital investment increased by 19 percent to EUR880.3 million. While the European investment figures are up on the same period in 2004, the number of deals in Europe dropped to less than 200 deals, representing a 27 percent decline. "These figures show that venture capitalists are directing their investments into those companies which seem to have the brightest future potential and in Ireland, specifically the IT sector. Across Europe, the fact that first-round deals are getting larger shows that VCs are optimistic about the growth potential of the current wave of new start-ups in Europe," said Garry O'Rourke, senior manager, Ernst & Young corporate services department. European venture capital firms invested heavily in IT companies with the amount invested growing to EUR407.3 million, an increase of 16 percent year-on-year. Figures from the report suggested that there appears to be a resurgence of interest in online businesses with the amount of funding invested in internet-related companies in Europe reaching EUR40 million for the quarter. On a country-by-country basis the UK had the highest number of deals, at 68 with EUR270.1 million invested. France held steady with 38 deals, the same as in the fourth quarter of 2004, with EUR106.5 million invested, a slight decrease of EUR5 million. Germany experienced a decrease in the number of deals to 26, with investment remaining steady at EUR141.8 million.	Ernest & Young's logo Venture capital investment in Ireland has leaped by 35% in the first quarter of 2005, according to a new report by Ernst & Young. The report found that Europe-wide venture capital investment increased by a healthy 19% on the same period in 2004. Total investment in Ireland was €42.11m (US$52.8m, £28.9m) for the first 3 months compared to €31.23m (US$39.1m, £21.4m) in the first quarter of last year. The report found that 85% of the capital was invested in the information technology sector; largely helped by a successful €15m fundraising by Corvil Networks. €880.3m (US$1.1bn, £605m) was raised throughout Europe in almost 200 separate deals, with €407.3m of that invested in the IT sector.
Temporary Mayor Michael Brown to deliver State of the City speech featuring deficit-reduction plan, minus flash of predecessor's speeches by Kristin Longley \| The Flint Journal Tuesday March 03, 2009, 4:41 PM FLINT, Michigan -- This year's State of the City address is expected to be remembered for what it won't be --¬†namely, a flashy production or platform for grand announcements. Less than one month after taking over the city's top post, Temporary Mayor Michael Brown will deliver a speech calling for a thoughtful deficit-reduction plan but void of any major proclamations. Flint Journal extras State of the City • The city of Flint's charter mandates that the mayor deliver a State of the City address each year. Temporary Mayor Michael Brown will give his speech at noon Thursday in the City Council Chambers on the third floor of City Hall, 1101 S. Saginaw St. It will be the city of Flint's first public forum with Brown, who will wrestle with the city's estimated $14-million deficit until a new mayor is elected in August. Brown took over the post Feb. 16 after former Mayor Don Williamson -- facing a recall election -- resigned. Without any name calling or grandstanding, Brown's address will focus on setting a new tone in City Hall and highlight Flint's diamonds in the rough, said Bob Campbell, Brown's communications director. The temporary mayor will look forward, rather than backward, and stress the importance of collaboration. Brown, a former vice president at the Genesee Regional Chamber of Commerce, specifically asked that invitations be extended to the business community. "He's not just keeping the seat warm until someone else takes over," Campbell said. "There are some difficult decisions ahead, most notably in the area of the city's finances. He's all about the revival and renewal of the city of Flint." City Council members expect Brown's speech to be a study in contrasts following several years of showy addresses from former Mayor Don Williamson. In the past, city council members have withheld applause at Williamson speeches, illustrating a deep divide that led to lawsuits between the two branches of city government. Usually including lofty initiatives, Williamson's speeches contained much pomp and fanfare. Past proposals from his addresses include a 6.9-mill property tax increase (which didn't happen) and an anti-crime task force (which still exists). "This speech will be more about what's actually going on in the city," Council President Jim Ananich said. "Rather than pie-in-the-sky ideas, it will be based on what we have the resources to do." While Brown's speech will not lay out a specific plan to improve the city's finances, it will touch on several city departments --¬†such as the fire department and economic development team --¬†and the challenges they may be facing, Campbell said. The finance team is still evaluating the financial condition of the city and gearing up to craft a realistic budget for the next fiscal year, he said. Aside from the city's looming deficit, City Councilman Delrico Loyd said he hopes Brown touches on the city's alarming foreclosure and crime rates. He would like to see more resources devoted to the police department, he said. "The new mayor will be openly transparent about the real issues the city is facing," he said. "He doesn't have anything politically to gain." Some other points that Brown will mention: noteworthy accomplishments in the city's higher education arena, boosting city employee morale, greater transparency and accountability and cooperation among the city, other local municipalities and businesses. "Yes, the city is facing a number of challenges, yet at the same time there are a number of terrific assets that other communities would love to have," Campbell said. See more in Community: Flint \|\|\|\|\| Candidates kicking off campaigns to be Flint's next mayor by Linda Angelo \| The Flint Journal Thursday February 26, 2009, 5:55 PM FLINT, Michigan -- The race is on to become Flint's next mayor as two candidates took action Thursday to jump-start their campaigns. Councilman Sheldon Neeley submitted about 1,100 signatures at the City Clerk's Office, while Dayne Walling officially announced his candidacy at a "Working for Change" rally. Neeley, who arrived at the Clerk's Office with his wife, Cynthia, is the first person to return petitions. "We're going to continue collecting signatures, but we want people to know we are serious about this," Neeley said. A few blocks away, about 70 people gathered inside the gym at the YMCA to learn more about Walling, who narrowly lost his first bid for mayor in 2007. "This campaign is not about me or just about you, it's about us and what we can do together for this whole community of Flint," he said. "The change we seek requires we overcome the division between the older and younger folks, between east and west sides of town, the north end and the south end. We have to be a whole community." So far, 18 individuals have taken out petitions from the Clerk's Office for the city's top job. Flint Board of Education member Stephanie Robb Martin is among the more recent individuals to throw her hat in the ring with other well-known types, including Brenda Clack, Darryl Buchanan, Gregory Eason and Eric Mays. The winner will replace temporary Mayor Michael Brown, who took over when Don Williamson resigned. Neeley said he plans to work hard to be the person to succeed Williamson. He will open three campaign offices in the city with his headquarters located on Flushing Road. "We need economic growth, recreation opportunities for young people and seniors, better jobs for our residents and less crime," he said. Candidates must have signatures of at least 900 Flint registered voters by 4 p.m. March 10 to be eligible for the May 5 primary election. The top two vote-getters in that race will face each other in the Aug. 4 general election. At the Walling rally, people signed petitions as they walked into the gym where supporters wore black "Walling for Mayor" T-shirts and nibbled on nachos, veggies and cookies. Longtime Flint resident Rita Blower, 67, said she would like to see Walling become Flint's next mayor. She said she got to know Walling through her daughter, who went to school with him. "He's got his head on straight," said Blower, a Flint resident for 36 years. "He has a lot of good ideas. He's young and very dedicated." Walling told the crowd that vacant and abandoned properties need to be cleaned up and redeveloped, colleges and surrounding businesses and neighborhoods can be connected to create a Campus Commons and targeted police patrols should be formed to combat crime. "We have been down before in Flint but we have never ever stayed down," he said. "We get up and go to work and work for change." Flint resident Robert Weishaupt, 65, showed up at Walling's rally to hear some of the candidate's plans for the city. "I want to learn more about him," he said. "I've had enough of the Don." \|\|\|\|\| Ten people pick up petitions to run for Flint mayor by Shannon Murphy \| The Flint Journal Thursday February 19, 2009, 11:25 AM FLINT, Michigan -- They didn't waste any time. Within 15 minutes of the Flint City Clerk's office opening Thursday morning, one person had already picked up nominating petitions to be the city's next mayor. Flint Journal extras Mayor's race Mayor's race Who picked up nominating petitions: • Darryl Buchanan • Brenda Clack • Gregory Eason • Waseem Fakhoury (Sam) • Aron Gerics • Theodore P. Jankowski • Eric Mays • Sheldon Neeley • Dayne Walling • Devona Watson Within hours, half a dozen people already had filed through to get the paperwork. By the end of the day -- the first the petitions were available -- 10 people had picked one up, declaring themselves potential candidates for the city's top job. The winner will replace Temporary Mayor Michael Brown, who took over when Don Williamson resigned this month. The filing deadline is 4 p.m. March 10. "I've realized for the past few years, Flint has been held hostage to progress," said Brenda Clack, a Genesee County Commissioner and former state legislator who picked up a petition Thursday. "I just can't take it anymore." Most of the names -- Clack, Darryl Buchanan, Dayne Walling, Sheldon Neeley, Eric Mays -- are the usual suspects in Flint politics. Others, such as Aron Gerics, Gregory Eason and Devona Watson, are less known. All have 20 days to get the signatures of at least 900 Flint registered voters to be eligible for the May 5 primary election. The top two vote-getters will face each other in the Aug. 4 general election. So far, the list of candidates is no big surprise, said Paul Rozycki, a political science professor at Mott Community College. "I guess it's a little surprising that so many people are lining up right off the bat," he said. "But with time so tight, it's logical they wouldn't waste any time." Rozycki said he wouldn't be surprised to see more than a dozen candidates, ranging from political veterans to rookies, in the race by the time petitions are due next month. Candidates include Buchanan, the former city administrator; Walling, a well-known former mayoral candidate; Neeley, a current city councilman; Eason, a Williamson opponent and former head of the former Jobs Central Inc.; Mays, a political activist; and Watson, a retired, long-time Flint resident. Gerics, 28, was the first person to pick up a petition Thursday morning. This is only his second stab at a run for office, having lost as a write-in candidate for the 49th District House seat in November. Gerics, a student at Mott Community College and a program assistant for Mott's Workforce Development Program, said he's running to get new blood in City Hall. "I'm not here for the title," he said. "I'm tired of people running because they want to be mayor. I'm running because I want to make sure this city I live in is where it was 50 years ago, a booming town." Neeley said his goal is to make Flint the "best possible place to live," but is concerned that too many candidates could hurt that goal. He hopes to meet with "like-minded" candidates and maybe narrow the field down to prevent splitting votes. "It's up to the leadership to sit down and compromise," he said. "I think the public is frustrated with the candidates because of so many that get in the race." Journal staff writer Sally York contributed to this report. See more in Community: Flint \|\|\|\|\| Darryl Buchanan in running for Flint mayor by David Harris and Shannon Murphy \| The Flint Journal Tuesday February 17, 2009, 8:20 PM FLINT, Michigan -- Two weeks after he lost the chance to inherit the mayor's office, Deputy Mayor Darryl Buchanan announced Tuesday that he will try to get it the old fashioned way. Buchanan joins a growing field of contenders running for Flint mayor in the wake of Don Williamson's sudden resignation last week. Already, Buchanan is taking steps to distance himself from the controversial Williamson. "I'm not Mayor Williamson," Buchanan said. "He may have been my teacher, but he's not me. This is an eagle that has left the nest." Buchanan had been in line to succeed Williamson as city administrator but was removed from the spot Feb. 4 in favor of Michael Brown, who took over as temporary mayor this week. The sudden shift in power surprised many who thought Buchanan's close relationship with Williamson made him a natural to succeed him as mayor. With about 30 friends and family by his side in a small, crowded room that used to be a beauty parlor on the city's north side, Buchanan said his previous experience as a city council member, ombudsman and administrator make him best qualified for the position. Flint Journal extras Flint Mayor Race A May 5 election will decide the top two candidates in the race to become Flint's mayor. In the running; A May 5 election will decide the top two candidates in the race to become Flint's mayor. In the running; • Darryl Buchanan, current deputy mayor and former city administrator, ombudsman and city council member • Sheldon Neeley, current city council member • Dayne Walling, ran unsuccessfully against Don Williamson in 2007 race Others have expressed interest in running include Genesee County Commissioner Brenda Clack, former County Commissioner Raynetta Speed, Councilman Scott Kincaid and political activist Eric Mays. "Flint has seen many peaks and valleys," he said. "We are in a valley unlike any other and we need leadership to guide us back to better times." Buchanan said the city's budget is the No. 1 number one issue facing Flint, although he didn't get into specifics as to how he would handle the problems. Unlike Williamson who frequently sparred with the Flint City Council, Buchanan said he has a good relationship with the council. "There has been division, and I don't like it," he said. Supporter Christina Brown, 48, of Flint, has known Buchanan since childhood and believes he would be a fine mayor. "He's smart, he has a master's degree and he has been in the administration," she said. Frances Gilcreast, president of the Flint branch of the NAACP, said Buchanan is qualified to run the city and "understands the needs of the community." She said Buchanan's previous positions within the city make him more than ready for the city's top job. But not everyone thinks Buchanan's experience will help. Resident Henry Bilal, who lives on the city's northside, said Buchanan is too closely connected with Williamson to be a viable candidate. "It would be the same old policies the mayor had," Bilal said. "I don't think he's shown any potential and he didn't show any leadership as city administrator." Political analyst Bill Ballenger, editor of Inside Michigan Politics, said Buchanan's alliance with the controversial former mayor could hurt him. "Some will look at it that way and say Williamson was a bad dude and they don't want Buchanan in there because he's like Williamson," Ballenger said. However, Ballenger pointed out that Williamson won previous elections with a majority of the black vote and many still support him, which could lead to support of Buchanan. Northside resident Robert Goodlow said he supports Buchanan running because of his past history in politics. "When he was a councilman, he seemed like a stern guy who could make some good decisions," he said. "He could bring some law and order to places that don't have it." \|\|\|\|\| FLINT, Michigan -- Help wanted: City seeks mayor who specializes in eliminating deficits and dealing with outspoken council members. Good people skills a plus. The first interview is the May 5 primary election. Be prepared for lots of competition, though.A slew of wannabe mayors are expected to surface in the next few weeks as potential candidates for the city of Flint's top elected position. Mayor Don Williamson's resignation is effective at midnight today -- making way for a supercompetitive race to replace him. Even someone who doesn't live in Flint, state Sen. John Gleason D-Flushing, said he is considering establishing a residency in the city and running for the job. A May 5 primary will whittle the field down to the top two vote-getters, who will compete in an August general election to become Flint's next mayor. The winner will finish the remainder of Williamson's term, through 2011. Whoever wants to be the next mayor would have to slog through a tough but quick campaign and take over a city that's reeling financially. Dayne Walling, who lost to Williamson in 2007, and Councilman Sheldon Neeley were the only candidates to announce they were running in the May 5 primary. Walling is opening a campaign office Monday, and Neeley is opening three campaign offices this week. Others who are pondering a run include Genesee County Commissioner Brenda Clack, former County Commissioner Raynetta Speed, Councilman Scott Kincaid and resident and political activist Eric Mays. The incoming temporary mayor, Michael Brown, said he is not interested in the job permanently, but that hasn't stopped people from speculating he will run anyway. Brown reiterated that he's not a candidate, saying it would be too distracting to run the city and a campaign at the same time. "The proof will be in the pudding. I know what my intentions are, and people can choose to either believe it or not believe it," Brown said. Others rumored to be interested are Deputy Mayor Darryl Buchanan and recall organizer Greg Eason. Williamson announced his resignation Monday , less than three weeks before he would have faced a recall election. More could throw their names into the ring. The initial election after Woodrow Stanley was recalled in 2002 attracted nearly 40 who said they would run, although that election was canceled by the state in the run-up to its takeover of the city. "A lot of people will be coming out of the woodwork," said Flint resident Dee Smith, who worked on the Stanley recall. And resident Chris Del Morone, who watches city politics closely, said he believes the city needs fresh leadership. "Flint is really lacking in leaders, someone that the community can really turn to," he said. Paul Rozycki, a Mott Community College political science professor, said the field as it stands now has so many black candidates that they would split up the black vote. Rozycki said he expects some of the hopefuls to drop out. "There's going to be a lot of negotiating taking place," Rozycki said. Kincaid, who is white, said he would strongly consider running if Walling were the only white candidate to run. Brown and Gleason are also white, while the rest of the expected front-runners are black. Rozycki said Clack and Walling strike him as the most obvious front-runners, although it's difficult to tell. Clack was a state representative before winning a county commissioner seat late last year. She said a lot of people have asked her to run, and she's considering it. "I'm willing to be a catalyst for positive change in our city," Clack said. "I enjoy tackling problems. I realize everything's not going to be peaches and cream." Walling, whose loss to Williamson in 2007 was narrow, passed on opportunities to say "I told you so" about the mayor's tenure. The city's finances have been in a free fall since 2007, and Flint is facing a multimillion-dollar deficit for the second year in a row. "This election is giving Flint a chance to have a fresh start," Walling said. "We need an economic development plan for all of the neighborhoods in the city, not just a few." Neeley said he's focusing on jobs and "quality of life." "This city needs a true leader," Neeley said. "We can provide that leadership." Speed, who lost a bid to become the Genesee County register of deeds in November, said a run for mayor is "possible." She said she wants to help the city. "I'm a lifelong resident of Flint, and I live in the house I grew up in," Speed said. "Flint has always been in my heart." Gleason said others have been lobbying for him to see what he could do to help the city. He said an outsider's perspective may be what Flint needs. "There's a lot of challenges," Gleason said. "I've always sought office where I thought I could really make a difference." Rozycki said he would be surprised if Gleason ran because the move doesn't make much "logical sense" for the state senator, who would likely enjoy six more years in Lansing versus running as an outsider in the mayor's race. Buchanan, a former councilman, declined to comment. If he did run, Rozycki said the deputy mayor's candidacy would be something of a mystery. Buchanan is tied to Williamson, even though the mayor elbowed him out of the city administrator position shortly before he resigned. "I don't know what kind of support he has in the community, other than the Don," Rozycki said, pointing out that Williamson's support may be tenuous. "It seems (Buchanan) was really hung out to dry." Walling has a network of supporters and has been showing up at a lot of community events, Rozycki said. Rozycki said Neeley also could be a viable candidate. "He's got a good image, but he's kind of low-key," Rozycki said. "I'm not sure how much support he has outside of his ward." Mays said he is interested, but he wants to see who else is running. Mays lost an attempt to win the 1st Ward council seat in November.	Several candidates have announced their intent to run in the special Flint, Michigan mayoral primary election scheduled for May 5, 2009. The primary election was called to fill the remainder of resigning Mayor Don Williamson's term ending in 2011. The two candidates with the most votes will face off in the August special general election. Each candidate will need to collect at least 900 signatures of registered Flint electors in twenty day to qualify for the May 5, 2009 ballot. Genesee County, Michigan (orange). On the first day petitions were available, the City Clerk's office handed out petitions in the morning to Aron Gerics, Dayne Walling, Sheldon Neeley and Brenda Clack. Gregory Eason, Waseem (Sam) Fakhoury, Theodore P. Jankowski, Eric Mays, Devona Watson and Darryl Buchanan picked up petitions later in the day. Stephanie Robb Martin, a Flint Board of Education Trustee was one of eight more potential candidates that pick up petitions since then. Darryl Buchanan, former City Administrator and "Deputy Mayor", announced he is the running for the office of Mayor on Tuesday February 17. Williamson just replaced Buchanan as City Administrator on February 4, keeping him from succeeding Williamson as Temporary Mayor upon his resignation. Buchanan served as the city ombudsman and councilor before becoming city administrator. He believes he has good relations with the city council and was critical of Williamson's combative relations with the council. Buchanan supporters believe that Buchanan has the experience for the position of mayor. While some residents and a political analyst, Bill Ballenger, editor of ''Inside Michigan Politics'', believes that his role in Williamson's administration and their friendship hurts his candidacy. Downtown Flint Sheldon Neeley, current city councilman for Ward 6, announced his candidacy. Neely stated he will open three offices last week. Already, Sheldon Neeley has returned his petitions Thursday with 1,100 signatures to the City Clerk's office. Dayne Walling, who narrowly lost to Don Williamson in the 2007 general election, previously announced that he was running if the recall election against Williamson was successful. On Thursday, Walling officially announced he was running at a "Working for Change" rally at the YMCA. Genesee County Commissioner Brenda Clack served as Michigan 34th District State Representative from 2002 to 2008 switching positions with former Flint Mayor Woodrow Stanley. Aron Gerics, a Mott Community College student and a Mott's Workforce Development Program program assistant, intends to run for mayor. As a write-in candidate for the 2008 49th District House seat election, Gerics lost to Lee Gonzales, D-Flint Twp, the incumbent. Gregory Eason is a former CEO for Jobs Central Inc. and a Williamson critic. Eric Mays is a political activist. Devona Watson is retiree and long time resident. Theodore P. Jankowski served in the Marines and produces a show for public access television. City Administrator and Temporary Mayor Michael Brown stated that he will not run as he wants to focus on city business, and is slated to deliver the annual state-of-the-city address. "He's not just keeping the seat warm until someone else takes over," Brown's communications director Bob Campbell said. "There are some difficult decisions ahead, most notably in the area of the city's finances. He's all about the revival and renewal of the city of Flint." Additional public officials are considering entering the race including former County Commissioner Raynetta Speed and Councilman Scott Kincaid. State senator John Gleason D-Flushing is pondering a moving into the city to run. On Tuesday, March 3, Darryl Buchanan, Brenda Clack and Gregory Eason all turned in their completed nominations to the city clerk's office.
Rep. Bob Barr defeated Mary Ruwart 324-276 on the sixth ballot to win the 2008 LP Presidential nomination. Wayne Root won a close race with Steve Kubby to win the Vice-Presidential nomination. Chair Bill Redpath received 49% on the first ballot, compared to about 30% for Ruth Bennett and around 15% for Ernest Hancock. Somewhat surprisingly, Hancock’s voters did not go overwhelmingly for Bennett on the second ballot, and Redpath was re-elected with 57%. Presidential candidate Michael Jingozian was a surprise last-minute opponent to otherwise unopposed Vice Chair Chuck Moulton. Jingozian apparently rode his celebrity status to a first-ballot win of over 60%, perhaps assisted by a nomination speech by Secretary Bob Sullentrup. (Moulton declined to run for an at-large LNC seat, citing his recent matriculation at George Mason University in pursuit of a Ph.D. in economics, having just completed his Master’s five days ago.) Aaron Starr received more than 60% of the vote over Carol McMahon to remain Treasurer, and Secretary Bob Sullentrup was re-elected by acclamation. Radicals won three of the five LNC at-large seats, as Dr. Mary Ruwart and R. Lee Wrights join returning incumbents Angela Keaton, Admiral Michael Colley, and Pat Dixon. Well-known and principled Libertarians were elected to fill the seven Judicial Committee seats: Ruth Bennett (subsequently elected Chair), David Nolan, Nick Sarwark, Allen Hacker, Tom Stevens, Travis Nicks, and Joe Cobb. Thus the LNC and Judicial Committee seemed well-prepared to ensure that our new presidential ticket will hew to the comprehensive principles of our repaired Platform. Vote counts for most of the officer elections are here. The convention passed one substantive resolution, a brief one offered by Bruce Dovner citing Bush’s “lies” and “cronies” and demanding immediate withdrawal from Iraq. \|\|\|\|\| To continue, please log in or register: Already a member? Please log in: E-mail: Password: Remember me on this computer Forgot your password? If you have already created an account with Boston Globe services, you may log in with that user name and password. Not a member yet? Sign up for FREE! Benefits of membership: - Unlimited access to all Boston.com and Boston Globe content - Participation in chats, message boards and blogs - E-Mail newsletters on topics ranging from the Sox to Shopping Member agreement \| Privacy policy \| Member FAQ \|\|\|\|\| My colleague Tim Lee, blogging over at The Atlantic, raises the oft-repeated canard that Bob Barr's record on the USA PATRIOT Act is evidence of a longstanding unlibertarian track record, rendering his libertarian "conversion" suspect. What Lee and others fail to understand is that Congressman Barr was in fact the White House's chief legislative roadblock in their barreling PATRIOT through Congress. And that for his trouble, Barr earned the wrath of White House operatives like Karl Rove, which is what ultimately cast Barr from the Congress. (Thanks to Democrat gerrymandering in Georgia, Barr had to run against another incumbent Republican Congressman in the GOP primary, one who hadn't earned the ire of Rove's powerful machine.) In 2001, Barr was the lead figure in the GOP-controlled House in pushing back against the PATRIOT Act, and ultimately suceeded in deleteing some text and forcing sunset clauses on the bill's worst provisions. Brad Jansen explains much of the background at American Spectator. More here. So when Barr started lobbying against PATRIOT Act abuses soon after leaving Congress, it was a continuation of his previous activities, not a reversal. And those who remember politics before Bush may recall Bill Clinton's own "9/11", the Oklahoma City bombing. Just as after 9/11, a wish list of Justice Department powers was pulled off the shelf and given to the Congress to pass as an "anti-terror" bill. Freshman Congressman Barr then, too, cut back and limiited as much of the bill as he could from his seat on the Judiciary Committee. If you don't remember this from following the news at the time, you can read Barr's book and check his wikipedia entry for references. \|\|\|\|\| Libertarian Party picks Barr as US presidential candidate WASHINGTON (AFP) — Former US congressman Bob Barr was chosen Sunday to be the Libertarian Party's candidate for November's presidential election, a move that could hurt Republican presumptive nominee John McCain. "This team, this candidate will not let you down. This will be a historic and positive campaign that will succeed," Barr told supporters at the party's convention in Denver, Colorado, after being elected in six rounds of voting. The former Republican representative for Georgia, who played a key role in the congressional impeachment of former president Bill Clinton, added: "We have only 163 days to win this election. Do not waste one single day." The 59-year-old told reporters earlier this month that he was running because no other presidential candidate understood the principles of fiscal conservatism and basic principles on which he said America was founded. Barr appeared unconcerned about damaging McCain's support among conservative voters. "If Senator McCain ... does not succeed in winning the presidency ... it will be because Senator McCain did not present, and his party did not present, a vision, an agenda, a platform and a series of programs that actually resonated positively with the American people," he said. Independent and third parties have faced a tough task in modern US election history of breaking the dominance of the Democratic and Republican parties, though several candidates have played a spoiler role. Barr said Sunday that he did not intend simply "to make a point" but to win, and party spokesman Andrew Davis said he was "one of the strongest candidates in the party's 37-year history" and would make an "enormous impact." "Republicans and Democrats have good reason to fear a candidate like Barr, who refuses to accept the 'business-as-usual' attitude of the current political establishment," Davis said. "Americans want and need another choice, and that choice is Bob Barr." The Libertarian Party stands for non-interference by the US government in the personal and business lives of Americans, and advocates lower taxes, a smaller government and more individual freedom. Copyright © 2013 AFP. All rights reserved. More » \|\|\|\|\| The entry titled "That didn't take long," and any of the comments about it. Home > Political Insider > Archives > 2008 > May > 24 > Entry That didn’t take long Denver - So maybe the gloves are coming off, after all. The moderator just asked the candidates how they would deal with the Patriot Act and the Real ID Act, two major policy initiatives that are anathema to Libertarians. Mary Ruwart indirectly hit Bob Barr on his support for the Patriot Act while in Congress. Barr now says he regrets that vote and opposes the Act. Steve Kubby, however, hit Barr square on over it. Ruwart said “from day one” there were a few people who understood what the Patriot Act would do. “One was Ron Paul,” Ruwart said. “And one was myself. And most Libertarians.” But Kubby made clear that Barr was supported the Patriot Act. “I’m not really clear what Bob Barr’s position is on the Patriot Act now and on Real ID,” Kubby said. “I know as Libertarians we recognize these are determined, rather cynical ways to track us and control us.” When Barr’s turn came, however, he didn’t respond in kind. He said both bills are “another manifestation in Washington when fear becomes the driving force behind all public policy,” he said. But he added that he’s spent the past five years working to overturn the Patriot Act. He said he’s been “working to take the USA Patriot Act, drive a stake through its heart, burn it, shoot it, burn it again ” Aaron Gould Sheinin Permalink \| Comments (3) \| Post your comment \| Categories: Aaron Gould Sheinin, Libertarian Convention	Libertarian Party presidential nominee Bob Barr. At the in , Colorado former Republican Congressman Bob Barr (GA) was nominated as the presidential candidate for the party. He served in Congress from 1995–2003. Barr officially entered the race on May 12, two weeks before the convention amidst months of speculation. He won the nomination on the sixth ballot of the convention edging 324–276. was nominated as his running mate after losing on the fifth ballot and throwing his support to Barr. Barr's main opposition in the Libertarian race highlighted his vote in Congress in favor of the in 2001 following the September 11 attacks. He has since renounced the vote, and has worked to repeal the act. Barr's candidacy was also seen by Libertarian "radicals" as an attempt by conservatives to take over the party. Following his nomination Barr remarked that he "will not let the Libertarian Party down" and that it "will be a historic and positive campaign that will succeed." To detractors who say he will take votes away from Republican candidate John McCain, Barr stated that "If Senator McCain ... does not succeed in winning the presidency ... it will be because Senator McCain did not present, and his party did not present, a vision, an agenda, a platform and a series of programs that actually resonated positively with the American people." Party spokesman Andrew Davis described the situation among the electorate as "wanting and needing another choice" and stating that "that choice is Bob Barr." Barr's nomination made former Alaskan senator Mike Gravel — who recently switched from being a Democratic candidate to a Libertarian candidate for President back on March 25, 2008 — announce he is ending his political career. Gravel said, "I just ended my political career, from 15 years old to now, my political career is over, and it's no big deal. I'm a writer, I'm a lecturer, I'm going to push the issues of freedom and liberty. I'm going to push those issues until the day I die."
WRESTLING superstar Jeff Hardy has been arrested on five major drugs charges - after a police raid at his home. The Moore County Sheriff's Office confirmed that during a search of his house they seized 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and other items of drug paraphernalia. The estimated street value of the drugs seized was £1,500 ($2,500). The three-time WWE world champion's charges are listed as "felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanour possession of drug paraphernalia." Hardy is thought to now be back at his North Carolina home with his brother Matt posting the bail of £75,000 ($125,000). The 32-year-old grappler was the subject of a joint investigation by officers from the Moore County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Unit, Moore County Sheriff's Office Select Enforcement Unit and the Fayetteville Police Department. The full arrest report won't be made public until Monday. Jeff - who only left the WWE two weeks ago - reacted angrily to the situation on his official Twitter page. He said: "A lot of exaggerations are out there today, don't believe everything you read 4 it is not true, I am at home and fine-thanks for your concern." He later complained of the media's inaccurate reporting and denied Matt's involvement in the bail posting. Jeff's career, particularly the last six years, have been riddled with controversy and personal issues. In 2003 he was released by WWE in what was seen as a mutual decision, with Jeff citing burn-out and needing to heal injuries, while WWE were said to be irked by a refusal to attend rehab to address drug issues and a lack of reliability in and out of the ring. He spent a year out of wrestling before resurfacing in TNA in June 2005. He had a reasonably successful for a time, but found himself suspended in April 2006 for no-showing a PPV match with Raven. ARRESTED ... wrestling star Jeff Hardy He would return shortly afterwards, but was gone by the end of the year, once again failing to attend a major show. He was given a second chance by WWE midway through 2006, and soon recaptured tag team gold with brother Matt as well as figuring in the intercontinental title picture. Hardy missed the 2007 SummerSlam through what was believed to be his first 30-day suspension. His official website reported an injury which kept him out for a month, but Jim Ross' blog made comments which alluded to an enforced absence by the company, and not due to him being hurt. The absence did not seem to affect his push, since by the Royal Rumble 2008 he was pitted against Randy Orton for the WWE championship. He was not successful, but was probably the most over wrestler in the company at that time. Once again, though, he was blighted by his inability to stay out of trouble. He was suspended for sixty days for a wellness violation in March 2008, causing him to miss WrestleMania 24. The fact that this suspension was 60 days further indicated that his previous absence had been due to suspension. In September last year he was refused permission to board a plane home after an event, but it did not result in any further action. Even after Hardy's turbulent year he won his first major title in December 2008 when he captured the WWE Title at Armageddon. He had has two further stints as World Champion since then. Advertisement His decision to leave the company again was leaked several months ago, with the exact date undetermined until just two weeks ago when he lost the title to CM Punk in a TLC match, then was defeated by Punk on Smackdown in a cage match where the loser was forced to leave WWE. Ironically, CM Punk had used his rivalry with Hardy to turn heel, and used his Straightedge lifestyle, where he abstains from all drug and alcohol use, as a springboard to pompously chastise Jeff for his errant ways and his fans for cheering him for it. It will be intriguing to see whether Punk follows up this incident to prove his point. Were Jeff Hardy still with WWE then it seems certain that they would have taken a dim view of this incident and immediately fired him. There are revelations that they have already pulled a DVD set that was to be dedicated to the star's career. This new revelation may have harmed his chances of ever returning to the company ever again, and is sure to disappoint his many legions of fans. \|\|\|\|\| In one of the more shocking stories I have heard in some time, Jeff Hardy was arrested today on what is said to be 5 felonies. The report from TMZ.com and thepilot.com say that he was arrested this morning for this: "262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and items of drug paraphernalia." They also said that he had "an intent to sell". For those of you out there who are not drug lords, the estimated street value of the drugs are said to be $2,500. I personally didn't know and had to find the number. The story came out a little earlier and many people thought it was fake, mainly because it doesn't make any sense. However, the Sheriffs Department there in Cartage, NC confirmed it, saying he was in fact arrested on drug related charges. The bail was set at $125,000 and was payed by Matt Hardy, Jeff's older brother. Jeff is obviously free because he sent out a tweet on twitter.com just a small time ago saying: "Alot of exaggerations are out there today, don't believe everything you read 4 it is not true, I am at home and fine-thanks for your concern" I personally think he is not trying to sell the drugs, quite frankly because he doesn't need to. I mean he still has a ton of WWE money and he left to take time off, if he needed the money he would have stuck around. Also, its an estimated $2500, that is barely enough to get a used car people. If he wanted to sell, one would think he would have a ton of drugs on him. Also, the steroids and pain killers kind of make no sense at this point. He never needed steroids, because his strength was never a part of his game. Of course, being anabolic, it probably is being used for pain not for getting bulked up. However, he is now done with wrestling and probably does not need to use such strong drugs for pain. If he did, he could have taken Tylenol, Aleve, or another over the counter drug. And if he did need higher grade pain killers, he would be smart enough to get a prescription for them. Vicodin is supposedly only available by prescription anyway, so he would have had to got them from a pharmacist or off the street. I guess he is taking House's supply. In any case, getting drugs off the street is never good, because half the time is it a lesser grade knockoff of the actual drug. Hardy should know that, seeing as he got in trouble with the issue before. Some would say, how would you know something like this Joe? I don't personally have experience with this kind of thing as far as paying for illegal drugs on the street, but I have a few friends who happen to be police officers. Thanks for letting me know guys! The cocaine is one thing I can understand, quite frankly because he was busted with it before. But it was a small amount, which probably means he had been using it and needed more. This whole thing is probably over exaggerated. I think that if the bail was set that low, and the fact there is a bail period is an indication he didn't do anything as big as what is being reported. He could probably get off on the prescription pain killers, and maybe the steroids if there is a prescription. But being caught with the cocaine is not good at all, especially because he has been busted before with it. And because the amount of drugs he had were only valued for a small $2500 means he will most likely go out on probation, community service, and a ton of fines. I personally don't see jail time, but it is possible there is more we don't know that will be revealed in he coming days. \|\|\|\|\| NEWS > WWE > \| More WWE Posted in: Breaking News: Jeff Hardy Arrested For Drug Trafficking, Multiple Felonies By Sep 11, 2009 - 4:24:24 PM By Michael Bluth Sep 11, 2009 - 4:24:24 PM Former WWE superstar Jeff Hardy is in the Moore County jail this afternoon after being arrested on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steriods. Hardy, 32, was arrested on Friday after a search of his home yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, powder cocaine and drug paraphernalia. His bail has been set at $125,000. A joint investigation by the Moore County Sheriff's Office narcotics and select enforcement units and the Fayetteville Police Department led to the arrest. The charges against Jeff Hardy include: - Felony trafficking in opium - Two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance - Felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance - Felony possession of cocaine - Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. ** JEFF HARDY's MUGSHOT PICTURE: Taken Today, JUST POSTED [>] Source: ThePilot.com Former WWE superstar Jeff Hardy is in the Moore County jail this afternoon after being arrested on charges of trafficking in controlled prescription pills and possession of anabolic steriods.Hardy, 32, was arrested on Friday after a search of his home yielded 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, powder cocaine and drug paraphernalia. His bail has been set at $125,000.A joint investigation by the Moore County Sheriff's Office narcotics and select enforcement units and the Fayetteville Police Department led to the arrest.The charges against Jeff Hardy include:- Felony trafficking in opium- Two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance- Felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance- Felony possession of cocaine- Misdemeanor possession of drug paraphernalia. Mr. Kennedy To TNA: Details On His Rumored Debut \|\|\|\|\| FORMER WWE and WCW grappler Sean O'Haire was arrested on Sunday. Cops picked him up at 2.04am on charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass in Savannah, Georgia. He was released later the same day on a £2,785 bond. O'Haire, whose real name is Sean Christopher Haire, of late had been working as a professional bodyguard. The 38-year-old left WWE in 2006 to focus on the fight game. His current MMA record stands at 5-2. O'Haire has previous arrests for assault in 1992, 2006 and in 2004 he hit headlines when he was found guilty of assaulting a woman in a night club. He was also involved in a 2007 brawl in Hilton Head, South Carolina where his orbital bone was fractured, as well sustaining other injuries to his face and skull. O'Haire claimed that he was going to the aid of a friend but other witnesses claimed that he tried to start a fight with his alleged assailant, Juan Brantley. A few days prior to the altercation Brantley had filed a complaint with the local police department, stating that Haire had attempted to start a fight with him at another bar. He is due to appear in court to answer these latest charges at the end of the month.	WWE and TNA superstar Jeff Hardy Former World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Jeff Hardy has been arrested on five major drug charges. The former WWE Champion’s home was searched by police and they seized 262 Vicodin prescription pills, 180 Soma prescription pills, 555 milliliters of anabolic steroids, a residual amount of powder cocaine and other items of drug paraphernalia. The estimated street value of the drugs is $2,500. Hardy's charges are listed as "felony trafficking in opium, two counts of felony possession with intent to sell or deliver a Schedule III controlled substance, felony maintaining a dwelling to keep controlled substance, felony possession of cocaine and misdemeanour possession of drug paraphernalia." It is believed that Hardy is now back at his North Carolina home and his brother, fellow World Wrestling Entertainment superstar Matt Hardy, posting the $125,000 bail. The superstar released a statement on his Twitter page saying "A lot of exaggerations are out there today, don't believe everything you read 4 it is not true, I am at home and fine-thanks for your concern." Hardy only left the WWE two weeks ago when he lost a “Loser leaves WWE” match against CM Punk. During his tenure at WWE he was often surrounded by both controversy and personal issues. He was released in 2003 with him saying it was a “mutual decision” He returned in 2006 but was suspended twice for violations to the WWE wellness program. He also had a stint in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling, where he was suspended and later released for missing shows. Hardy’s arrest comes less than a week after former WWE and WCW superstar Sean O'Haire was arrested on charges of misdemeanor battery and criminal trespass.
The parents -- Carlos Salazar Jr., 29, and Jennifer Salazar, 26 -- were reported to be in critical condition Sunday. 12:45 p.m.: The parents of the five children killed in a car crash Saturday are in fair condition, a spokeswoman for Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno said today. 3:05 p.m.: The Tulare County Coroner's Office has identified the three people who were in the Dodge Neon and died Saturday in the collision with a pickup truck carrying an Orange Cove family near Orosi. The three occupants were Arthur Rivas, 19, of Dinuba; Richard Carrasco, 16, of Dinuba; and Oscar Esparza, 17, of San Diego. Authorities said Esparza was the driver. Five children in the pickup also died. Two of those arrested were booked on suspicion of contributing to the delinquency of a minor, and one was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. Four teens were cited for being under the influence of alcohol and curfew violations, and four traffic citations were issued to minors, officer Jesus Santillan said. Four Clovis police officers patrolled neighborhoods looking for parties from 7 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday. Clovis police arrested three people and broke up 19 teen parties Saturday night in an operation targeting underage drinking. Both youths ran, with one captured by police at the school's perimeter and the other in a backyard a short distance away. Officers saw the youths moving and stacking stolen goods shortly after 10 a.m., and had set up a perimeter when one of the juveniles saw them. Fresno police, responding to a burglar alarm, arrested two juveniles Sunday on suspicion of burglarizing Mayfair Elementary School at 3305 E. Home Ave. The car ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup carrying a couple and their five children. No one in the truck was wearing seat belts. Dinuba police say the Dodge Neon that carried the fleeing suspects had been carjacked. When an officer tried to pull the vehicle over for a traffic infraction Saturday afternoon, it led authorities on a chase. A fifth child has died after a stolen car fleeing police in California's Central Valley crashed into a pickup, bringing the death toll to eight. The four children were thrown from the truck, authorities said. None of the children in the truck were wearing seat belts or any restraints, California Highway Patrol Officer Felipe Martinez said. The Dodge Neon was carjacked either late Friday or early Saturday in Selma, about 10 miles from Dinuba, where Saturday afternoon's crash took place, Dinuba police Sgt. Thaddeus Ashford said. No other details on the carjacking were available, he said. A stolen car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup in California's Central Valley, killing four young children in the truck and all three people in the car, police said Sunday. The four children were thrown from the truck, authorities said. None of the children in the truck were wearing seat belts or any restraints, California Highway Patrol Officer Felipe Martinez said. The Dodge Neon was carjacked either late Friday or early Saturday in Selma, about 10 miles from Dinuba, where Saturday afternoon's crash took place, Dinuba police Sgt. Thaddeus Ashford said. No other details on the carjacking were available, he said. A stolen car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup in California's Central Valley, killing four young children in the truck and all three people in the car, police said Sunday. Five people were killed and four injured when a double-trailer truck and a van carrying nine farmworkers collided at Manning and West avenues, south of Easton. One driver had run a stop sign. Five men were killed and nine others injured when a van carrying 12 farmworkers collided with a car occupied by two men on Highway 33 south of Bullard Avenue. Seven men were killed and another seven were injured when a van carrying a group of Buddhist monks from Thailand overturned on southbound Interstate 5 near Manning Avenue in rural Fresno County. Eleven people died when a farmworker van carrying 12 Salvadorans to Fresno collided with a tractor-trailer rig while passing another vehicle in the fog on Highway 180, just east of Mendota. A collision killed 13 farmworkers when the van they were in collided with a tomato truck making a U-turn near Five Points. Seven Earlimart residents -- five of them children -- were killed east of Kettleman City when the driver missed a sharp turn on a rural road, struck an embankment and overturned in a canal. Saturday's crash near Orosi that killed eight -- five of them children -- was among the deadliest vehicle accidents in Valley history. Others include: 11:45 a.m.: Dinuba's police chief said today his department is trying to determine exactly how closely a police car was following a Dodge Neon that crashed into a pickup on Saturday, killing eight people, including five children. Chief James Olvera said he has "unconfirmed" reports that the Dinuba police car was about one-third of a mile away from the Neon when it ran a stop sign at Avenue 424 and Road 120 near Orosi, colliding with a southbound pickup carrying a family of seven from Orange Cove. Olvera said his department hopes to review dispatch tapes today and Tuesday to determine how closely the police car was following the Neon. "The officer was engaged in the pursuit and I know he was some distance behind," Olvera said. "As far as what distance, I don't know." Only one police car was involved in the chase, Olvera said. He said the officer driving the car was Marcos Nunes, who he said has been with the department for several years. Paula Guzman, a woman who was following the pickup truck when it was struck, said Sunday that the police car ran the stop sign right after the Neon did and nearly hit her car. Olvera said he's not sure that happened. "It doesn't seem possible because from what I understand, the officer was some distance behind [the Neon]," he said. "I'm not going to say it's not true, but I can't find supporting evidence to say whether that happened or not." The chase started just before 2 p.m. after the Neon, which was heading eastbound on Avenue 424 -- also known as Nebraska Avenue -- ran a stop sign at Crawford Avenue, Olvera said. Officer Nunes pursued the car about 3.5 miles before it ran through the stop sign at Road 120. The Neon was later determined to be stolen out of Selma, Dinuba police Sgt. Thad Ashford said Sunday. The California Highway Patrol identified the children who were riding in the pickup and were killed in the accident as Jochelyn Grace Salazar, 7, Monique Janae Salazar, 4, Michael Alexander Salazar, 3, and Sienna Rose Salazar, 1. They died at the scene. Carlos Eric Salazar, 8, was pronounced dead a few hours later at a hospital. Their parents, Carlos Salazar Jr., 29, and Jennifer Salazar, 26, were reported in critical condition Sunday at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno. Three men in the Neon also were killed. Their names have not yet been made public because they were not carrying identification, CHP Officer Felipe Martinez said. The Tulare County Coroner's Office said this morning that it may release the names later today. The Salazars were on their way to Orosi, where 8-year-old Carlos was to play in a youth football game, friends and relatives said. The CHP said a preliminary investigation showed Carlos Salazar Jr. was driving a crew-cab pickup and that the impact from the collision caused the couple's five children to be thrown from the truck. \|\|\|\|\| Five children are dead and a family is torn apart. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Latest Update: - Five brothers and sisters all died as the accident crushed their parents' pickup. - The mother and father survived Saturday's accident. Please watch video above for more details.. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The California Highway Patrol said a car fleeing from police ran a stop sign and slammed into a pickup, killing three people in the car and four young children in the truck. The patrol says police in Dinuba, southeast of Fresno, were trying to stop the car Saturday afternoon for a traffic infraction. Advertisement The patrol said the truck was carrying two adults and their five children. Four of the children -- ages 1, 3, 4 and 7 -- were ejected and died at the scene. The fifth child -- age 8 -- and the parents were taken to a hospital. The adults were identified as 29-year-old Carlos Salazar Jr. and 26-year-old Jennifer Salazar of Orange Cove. All three men in the car being chased were killed. Their identities and ages weren't known. MORE LOCAL NEWS \| TWEET@ABC30 \| FREE ABC30 WIDGET ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign up for Breaking News Alerts Breaking News E-Mail Alerts \| Text Message Alerts ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- More News on abc30.com California/State \| National/World \| Weather \| Entertainment \| Business \| Politics \| Sports \| Health Watch \| Consumer Watch \| Mr. Food \| ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Copyright ©2009 KFSN-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)	At least four children are among seven killed in Dinuba, California after a police chase ended in a crash. Map highlighting location of Dinuba, California within Tulare County. Reports say the crash happened around 2:45 p.m. (PDT) on Saturday in a rural area of Tulare County. Police were pursuing a suspect who, after refusing to stop, slammed into a GMC Sierra pickup truck carrying two adults and five children. Four of the children were ejected from the truck and died at the scene. The two adults and one child were taken to Community Regional Medical Center located in Fresno where they are being treated for minor to severe injuries. According to KFSN-TV, after the suspect slammed into the car, both vehicles landed against trees in a lemon tree orchard at the intersection of Avenue 424 and Road 120. Three people, including the suspect, were in the pursued car and died at the scene. Police are continuing to investigate the incident.
War talk between China, Taiwan 08/03/2005 16:57 - (SA) Related Articles Quakes hit Taiwan 'US violates human rights' China pushes 'red tourism' Year of bloodshed predicted Taiwan 'forced' to offer $10m Chen sorry for snotty remark Beijing - China put forward a law on Tuesday authorising an attack if Taiwan moves toward formal independence, ratcheting up pressure on the self-ruled island while warning other countries not to interfere. Taiwan denounced the legislation as a "blank check to invade" and announced war games aimed at repelling an attack. The proposed anti-secession law, read out for the first time before the ceremonial National People's Congress, doesn't say what specific actions might invite a Chinese attack. "If possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted, the state shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity," Wang Zhaoguo, deputy chairman of the NPC's Standing Committee, told the nearly 3 000 NPC members gathered in the Great Hall of the People. Beijing claims Taiwan, split from China since 1949, as part of its territory. The communist mainland repeatedly has threatened to invade if Taiwan tries to make its independence permanent, and the new law doesn't impose any new conditions or make new threats. But it lays out for the first time legal requirements for military action. Building up weapons arsenal Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which handles the island's China policy, said the law gives China's military "a blank check to invade Taiwan" and "exposed the Chinese communists' attempt to use force to annex Taiwan and to be a regional power." The island's vice-president, Annette Lu, accused Beijing of violating international norms for peacefully resolving disputes, as Taipei prepared for an invasion. Large-scale military exercises would be held from mid-April to August, with troops practicing knocking down Chinese missiles and fighting communist commandos, said Taiwan's Defence Ministry spokesperson Liu Chih-chien. Mainland lawmakers immediately expressed support for the anti-secession measure, which is sure to be passed when they vote March 14. The NPC routinely approves all legislation already decided by Communist Party leaders. "We must join hands and absolutely not allow Taiwan to separate from China," said Chang Houchun, a businessman and NPC member from southern China's Guangdong province. Chinese officials say the law was prompted in part by Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian's plans for a referendum on a new constitution for the island that Beijing worries might include a declaration of independence. China and Taiwan have no official ties and most direct travel and shipping between the two sides is banned. But Taiwanese companies have invested more than $100bn in the mainland and the two sides carry on thriving indirect trade. In an apparent attempt to calm Taiwanese public anxiety, Wang said the law promises that Chinese military forces would try to avoid harming Taiwanese civilians. He said the rights of Taiwanese on China's mainland also would be protected. Discussion Forums \| Newsletters \| Photo Galleries \| Earlier stories \|\|\|\|\| J.C. Penney Co. Inc. said late Friday that it had filed a Chapter 11 petition for the reorganization of the company and entered into a restructuring agreement with lenders holding roughly 70% of a portion of the company's debt. Shares of J.C. Penney fell 29% in the extended session. "The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has created unprecedented challenges for our families, our loved ones, our communities, and our country," J.C. Penney Chief Executive Jill Soltau said in a statement. "As a result, the American retail industry has experienced a profoundly different new reality, requiring JCPenney to make difficult decisions in running our business to protect the safety of our associates and customers and the future of our company." The company said it would continue operations and that it had $500 million in cash as of the Chapter 11 filing date. It also said that it had received commitments for $900 million of debtor-in-possession financing from its existing debt holders. The company expects the money will be sufficient to meet its operational and restructuring needs. As part of its reorganization, J.C. Penney said it planned to close stores in phases, the first of which it will announce in the "coming weeks." \|\|\|\|\| Top headlines in your inbox Sign up for Morning Rush and get all the news you need to start your day. Recaptcha SIGN UP This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.	China announces details of anti-secession law. China passed a new law that codifies a legal basis for authorising the use of military force to stop Taiwan from formally declaring its independence from the mainland. The anti-succession law was passed by the National People's Congress on March 8 in Beijing. The deputy chairman of the NPC told members gathered at the Great Hall of the People that, "If possibilities for a peaceful reunification should be completely exhausted, the state shall employ non-peaceful means and other necessary measures to protect China's sovereignty and territorial integrity." The broad language of the law does not specify any exact measures China might take, but its effect is to reinforce the mainland's long held position of a one-China principle. The Mainland Affairs Council in Taipei described the law as "malicious" and "crude". Taiwan views the development as violating international norms for peacefully resolving disputes. "This law exposes China's plot to impose armed force to swallow up Taiwan," read the council's written statement. "In essence, it has handed its military a blank check to unleash force against Taiwan." A Taiwanese Defence Ministry spokesperson announced that military exercises will be held this summer to practice defending against an attack. The White House had urged China to reconsider the law before it was passed. White House press secretary Scott McClellan said, "We view it as unhelpful - something that runs counter to recent trends toward a warming in cross-strait relations. We oppose any attempts to determine the future of Taiwan by anything other than peaceful means." China has always officially maintained that Taiwan, which split from the mainland in 1949, is a rogue territory which must eventually reunify with China. Just recently in a ‘four point guideline' set forth on March 5, 2005, Chinese President Hu Jintao said, "On no account shall the 1.3 billion Chinese people allow anyone to undermine China's sovereignty and territorial integrity. We will not have the slightest hesitation, falter or concession on the major principle issue of opposing secession. The 'Taiwan independence' secessionist forces must abandon their secessionist stand and stop all 'Taiwan independence' activities." Chinese opposition to a plan by Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian for a referendum on a new constitution that may violate Jintao's ‘four-point guideline' is seen in part as prompting the new law.
SINGAPORE/KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - An oil tanker and a bulk carrier collided in waters between Malaysia and Singapore on Tuesday morning, spilling an estimated 2,500 tonnes of oil, but traffic in Asia’s busiest shipping lane was not affected. A close up view shows the damage on the Malaysian flagged MT Bunga Kelana 3 after a collision with a bulk carrier in the waters between Malaysia and Singapore May 25, 2010. REUTERS/Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency/Handout The Malaysian flagged MT Bunga Kelana 3 was carrying about 62,000 tonnes of light crude oil, the country’s coast guard said. Singapore port authorities said the spill measured about 4 kilometers by 1 kilometer and was located 6 kilometers south of Singapore’s southeastern tip at 2:20 p.m. local time. Singapore and Malaysia activated oil-spill response companies and a clean-up operation involving 20 craft was under way. There were no reports of injuries among the 50 crew members. The incident happened in the Traffic Separation Scheme (TSS) of the Singapore Strait, 13 kilometers (8 miles) from the tip of the island nation, the city-state’s Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said. The spill, equivalent to about 18,000 barrels, is dwarfed by the approximately 175,000 barrels of oil that has poured into the Gulf of Mexico since the deadly April 20 offshore explosion that sank the Deepwater Horizon rig. It was less than a tenth the size of Singapore’s worst such oil spill since the MPA was created. As much as 29,000 tonnes of heavy marine fuel oil leaked into Singapore waters from the tanker Evoikos in 1997 after it collided with the Orapin Global tanker. “This is a relatively small amount in the general scheme of things, and it is not like the Gulf of Mexico, which is continuing to leak,” said Victor Shum from oil consultancy Purvin & Gertz in Singapore. “If it is contained within an oil retaining booms, it may not disrupt shipping traffic. There is no comparison. That one has really no limit at this stage.” In terms of the impact of Singapore’s spill on the environment, Shum said: “I think certainly the concerns are there. Even if it is contained, it will take some time to clean up.” The 1997 Evoikos spill took three weeks to clean up. Singapore and Malaysia were applying oil dispersants and containment booms for the clean up, MPA said. About 40 percent of global trade passes through the Malacca Strait between Malaysia and Indonesia’s Sumatra. Singapore, the world’s largest bunkering port and Asia’s top oil-trading hub, lies at the southeastern end of the waterway. The collision was between the tanker and the MV Waily, a bulk carrier registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines, which suffered minor damage, the Malaysian coast guard said. Both vessels are anchored away from the incident’s site. 10-METER GASH The collision caused a 10-meter gash on the left side of the tanker, the coast guard said. The vessel was carrying Bintulu condensate and light crude, said Paul Lovell, head of corporate communications at AET Tanker Holdings Sdn Bhd. AET, which owns and manages the vessel, is a wholly owned subsidiary of transport and energy company MISC Bhd, a unit of Malaysian national oil firm Petronas. “She was carrying two types of cargo, some condensate and some very light crude, it was about 40 percent condensate and about 60 percent light crude on the vessel at the time of the incident,” Lovell said. “It looks as though the spill would have been from the very light crude, the exact amount I can’t tell you.” The spokesman could not say who owned the oil. MISC on its website lists the Bunga Kelana 3 as an Aframax class tanker built in 1998 with a dead weight tonnage of 105,784. (www.misc.com.my). \|\|\|\|\| Emergency teams are working to contain a crude oil spill after two ships - a tanker and a bulk carrier - collided in waters off Singapore. Port officials said no injuries had been reported but the Malaysian-registered tanker had ruptured one of its tanks. An estimated 2,000 tonnes of crude oil are leaking into the sea. The collision happened in the Strait of Singapore, one of the most important shipping lanes in the world. Singapore's Maritime and Port Authority (MPA) said the Malaysian-registered tanker Bunga Kelana 3 was damaged in a collision with the MV Wally, registered in St Vincent and the Grenadines. The Bunga Kelana 3 was carrying light crude oil and condensate. "The collision caused a 10-metre (yard) tear in the left side of the tanker and 2,000 metric tonnes of crude oil has spilled into the sea where the collision occurred," Cmdr Abdul Hadib bin Abdul Wahab of the Malaysian Coastguard told Reuters. Both ships are anchored off Singapore as work continues to contain and clean up the oil spill. The Malaysia-based operators of the tanker, AET, said booms were being placed around the vessel to contain the spill. Salvage operators said the oil could damage the local environment but that the speed of the response had reduced the impact. "I think it can be controlled - 2,00r who asked not to be named told the AFP news agency. There was no reported effect on shipping traffic in the Strait of Singapore, one of the world's busiest sea lanes, connecting trade routes from Asia to Africa and Europe.	Around 2500 tonnes of oil were spilled into the today after two ships collided. The two ships involved in the collision were the oil tanker MT Bunga Kelana 3 and the bulk ship MV Wally, which collided around thirteen kilometers south of Singapore. The tanker received an estimated ten meter gash on its left side, while the bulk ship sustained only minor damage. After the incident, both ships moved away from the spill and are now anchored. The oil slick has moved north, and is now now encompassing an estimated four square kilometers around six kilometers south of Singapore. Emergency teams from both Singapore and Malaysia have been mobilized, and around twenty vessels are taking part in the clean-up operations. Both containment booms and chemical dispersants are being used to clean up the oil. The spill is not expected to have any major effects on shipping; Victor Shum, an official from a consulting firm in Singapore, said that "if it is contained within an oil retaining booms, it may not disrupt shipping traffic. There is no comparison. That one has really no limit at this stage." Shum also expressed environmental concerns, saying that "certainly the concerns are there. Even if it is contained, it will take some time to clean up." No crew members from either of the ships involved were reported to be injured.
We are unable to locate the page you requested. The page may have moved or may no longer be available You may also want to try our search to locate news and information on washingtonpost.com SEARCH: We appreciate your help. For incorrectly linked articles or features please contact our Customer Care team.We appreciate your help. \|\|\|\|\| Thailand's interim government has lifted a ban on political party activities imposed last September when the military ousted the elected administration. Government Spokesman Yongyuth Maiyalarb said the action, which will allow parties to prepare for a general election tentatively scheduled for December, was approved at Tuesday's weekly Cabinet meeting. The lifting of the ban, effective immediately, came six days after a court ordered the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai Party of ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. \|\|\|\|\| JUNTA MOVE Ban on political activity 'to go' CNS agrees time is ripe; Sonthi to propose two alternatives to Cabinet today The Council for National Security (CNS) yesterday agreed to lift a ban on political activities and the registration of new parties and will propose the matter to the Cabinet for discussion at its meeting today. Speaking after a three-hour-meeting of the CNS, spokesman Colonel Sansern Kaewkamnerd said junta chief Sonthi Boonyaratglin would propose legal procedures to lift the ban to the Cabinet. The junta's Announcements No 15 and 27, issued shortly after the military coup in September last year, bar politicians from conducting any political activities and from setting up new political parties. "We agreed to allow political parties to resume their activities in order to give them a chance to present themselves as political choices to the people ahead of the general election," Samsern said. The junta will not intervene in any political activities and will allow parties to have full political freedom, he added. "We believe the people have sound political judgement. It's up to the parties to offer them attractive and useful policies," he said. Members of the Thai Rak Thai party might not benefit from the lifting of the ban as they won't be able to conduct political activities in the party's name following its dissolution by the Constitution Tribunal last week. Samsern said Sonthi would propose two legal alternatives for lifting the political ban: the Cabinet could either propose a bill to the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which would take time, or issue a resolution to lift the ban immediately. The decision will be left to the government and the National Legislative Assembly, Sansern said. A CNS official said that another option would be for at least 25 members of the NLA to propose a bill of their own to lift the CNS ban. Sonthi will append reports on the current political situation, including an assessment of the ongoing anti-junta protests, for the Cabinet to consider along with the proposal to lift the political ban. The junta has estimated that 10,000 people at most would join the anti-junta protest, Samsern said. He will also propose a campaign for the national referendum on the new constitution to the Cabinet, the spokesman said. The junta's move follows Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont's promise last week following the dissolution of the Thai Rak Thai that the ban on political activities might be lifted soon in order to improve the political atmosphere. Meanwhile, National Legislative Assembly speaker Meechai Ruchuphan warned yesterday that repealing Announcement No 27 would result in doing away with the five-year ban from elections handed down by the Constitution Tribunal. "It's like issuing a new law that benefits the wrongdoers," said Meechai, a legal expert. Justice Minister Charnchai Likhitjittha said yesterday that an order issued by coup makers was tantamount to a law, so repealing one would require an Act to be passed, not simply a Cabinet resolution. "To my understanding, the prime minister's statement that a Cabinet resolution could revoke the CDR announcement wasn't correct," he said, referring to the CNS by its former name - the Council for Democratic Reform. "He probably meant that once the idea is approved by the Cabinet, it must be proposed to the National Legislative Assembly to revoke the announcement," Charnchai said, adding Surayud had not discussed the matter with him as yet. About 30 former Thai Rak Thai members led by Pongthep Thepkanchana yesterday called on the government to lift the political ban to enable them to register a new party. Also, political parties needed sufficient time to prepare for the general election scheduled for December, the group said. Pongthep insisted the appeal was made in the public interest rather than for the benefit of the 111 party executives who were banned from assuming political posts for five years. The group also submitted a petition to the Election Commission, asking it to cooperate with the government in lifting the ban. Panya Thiewsangwan, Piyanart Srivalo The Nation \|\|\|\|\| 6,000 protest against junta PTV leader and former MP Veera Musigapong said the rallies were now a "public movement" in which other pro-democracy groups were welcome to join. He said its goals were clear - to oust the Council for National Security (CNS). Supporters waved paper flags and banners calling for the CNS to "get out", while others raised photographs of deposed prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and called for his return to the country. The former MPs attending included Ekkaporn Rakkwamsuk, Pimpa Chanprasong and Waipot Arpornrat. The Metropolitan Police yesterday warned PTV leaders that demonstrators were prohibited from the streets and sent 450 officers to the protest site. PTV leaders reportedly planned to lead the rally on a march to Army headquarters about three kilometres away. Yesterday's assembly followed another on Thursday near the Royal Plaza, to which 3,000 people came. It demanded the removal of the CNS and criticised Wednesday's Constitution Tribunal decision to dissolve the Thai Rak Thai and ban its 111 executives from the electoral process for five years.	Political parties in Thailand have regained some of their freedoms, following an agreement on Tuesday by the government's military-appointed Cabinet. As a result of the deal, parties are now allowed to meet and hold activities, opening the way for elections that are tentatively planned for December. However, a ban on forming new political parties remains in effect, until at least next week. Government spokesman Nattawat Suthiyothin said a bill on new parties would be forwarded to the National Legislative Assembly. And the Cabinet says that the ban on leaders of dissolved political parties remains in effect. Political gatherings and activities had been banned by the junta since the military's overthrow of the civilian government in September of last year. But in the face of recent protests, the military's ruling body, the Council for National Security, agreed on Monday to recommend that political activities be allowed. The move by the Cabinet comes six days after a Constitutional Tribunal in which the former ruling party, Thai Rak Thai was ordered dissolved and its leaders, including ousted prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra banned from politics for five years. Thai Rak Thai was found guilty of violations in the April 2006 general election. Another prominent party, the opposition Democrat Party, was also on trial, but was allowed to remain intact. Though the junta has outlawed political gatherings, demonstrations have still been tolerated in Bangkok. One of the largest came on Saturday, when 6,000 supporters of a satellite television station, PTV, held a rally. The pro-Thaksin PTV has been taken off the air by the junta, as have several pro-Thaksin websites. The junta also ordered that text messages be sent to mobile-phone subscribers, asking them to stay away from demonstrations. But the junta has shown signs of moving the nation back towards the democratic process, with the leader of the coup, Council for National Security chairman General Sonthi Boonyaratglin suggesting an amnesty for the banned political leaders. The idea was widely criticized, though, and Sonthi later retracted his statement, saying the amnesty notion had been proposed by the National Legislative Assembly.
The article that you tried to access, which was part of a feed supplied by a news agency, is no longer on available on the Guardian site. \|\|\|\|\| A satellite image of the nuclear site at Yongbyon. (Space Imaging Asia, via the Associated Press) N. Korea bars inspectors from nuclear plant WASHINGTON: North Korea's move to resume the reprocessing of plutonium, perhaps as soon as next week, left the country on the verge of restarting a nuclear weapons program whose shutdown had been portrayed by the White House as a significant diplomatic achievement. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday that the United States still hoped to preserve a hard-won agreement that called for the North to dismantle its nuclear reactor. But North Korea has refused to resume talks, and no new ones are planned. The International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna announced Wednesday that North Korea had barred international inspectors from a reprocessing plant at its nuclear reactor complex in Yongbyon. The agency said that North Korea, which tested its first nuclear device in 2006 and is believed to have enough plutonium for at least six nuclear bombs, intended to resume production of nuclear weapons-grade fuel there within a week. While reversible in theory, any resumption of nuclear work would violate the terms of the agreement, which was announced with fanfare in June and solidified, it appeared, by North Korea's public demolition of a cooling tower at Yongbyon. North Korea's actions have at best returned negotiations to where they stood months ago, leaving little time for a resolution before the next American administration takes office in January. Senior Bush administration officials said Wednesday that they believed that North Korea was engaging in transparent brinkmanship to extract concessions as the United States sought to cement the country's commitment to give up its nuclear weapons with a strict and intrusive verification system. "They don't have a lot of ways to get leverage, and this is one of them," one Bush administration official who was involved in the negotiations said of North Korea's move. The official, like others interviewed for this article, spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss diplomatic efforts and internal administration assessments. North Korea's actions are likely to provide fodder to conservative critics of the administration, who say that North Korea has no intention of giving up its nuclear program and that it is blackmailing the United States and its negotiating partners to subsidize North Korea's failing economy. But its elaborately choreographed violation of the agreement in publicly announced steps over the past few weeks could also be part of a tough negotiating stance that North Korea feels is necessary to obtain the security guarantees and financial aid the country was promised as part of the nuclear accord. North Korea's negotiators have strenuously complained that the Bush administration has yet to fulfill its promise to remove North Korea from a list of state sponsors of terrorism, as President George W. Bush announced in June that he was prepared to do, and instead has made new demands. Those include requiring North Korea to accept the verification system before the United States would carry out reciprocal steps, a condition that a senior administration official acknowledged was not put in writing. "It is, I think, more serious than just brinkmanship on the part of the North Koreans," said Charles Pritchard, a former ambassador and special envoy for talks with North Korea who is now president of the Korean Economic Institute in Washington. "They're trying to recoup what they've given away for nothing, from their point of view." If North Korea follows through, it would be the second time the country resumed production of the material for nuclear weapons during Bush's time in office. In acting now, when the White House is already consumed with a financial crisis, North Korea may be adopting a strategy similar to one it employed at the beginning of 2003, when it restarted its nuclear program just as the United States was preparing to invade Iraq. Complicating the matter is uncertainty over the health of North Korea's leader, Kim Jong-il, who administration officials said Wednesday had a stroke last month that debilitated him physically and possibly mentally. That has raised concerns that hard-liners may be acting forcefully to demonstrate that North Korea faces no leadership crisis during Kim's illness. American and European officials, trying to assess the seriousness of the North Korean intentions, noted that so far, experts who have been overseeing the dismantling of North Korea's nuclear program, including some Americans, had not yet been expelled from the country. "We don't see the tensions on the ground," the senior administration official said. The reprocessing plant, which turns spent nuclear fuel rods into weapons-grade plutonium, is the most secret part of the Yongbyon nuclear complex. Its reactivation would be significant, even though the main reactor has been partly dismantled under the agreement. \|\|\|\|\| IAEA Press Releases Press Release 2008/13 IAEA Removes Seals from Plant in Yongbyon 24 September 2008 \| Following is a statement to the media by IAEA Spokesperson Melissa Fleming on the situation in the DPRK: "As the Director General reported to the Board on Monday, the Democratic People´s Republic of Korea, the DPRK, asked the IAEA to remove seals and surveillance from the reprocessing plant in Yongbyon. This work was completed today. There are no more IAEA seals and surveillance equipment in place at the reprocessing facility. The DPRK has also informed the IAEA inspectors that they plan to introduce nuclear material to the reprocessing plant in one week´s time. They further stated that from here on the IAEA inspectors will have no further access to the reprocessing plant." Related Resources: » Video: Press Briefing - IAEA Removes Seals from Plant in Yongbyon » IAEA Board of Governors » In Focus: IAEA and DPRK Press Contact Melissa Fleming Head, Media & Outreach Section and Spokesperson Division of Public Information [43-1] 2600-21275 [43] 699-165-21275 (mobile) About the IAEA The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) serves as the world's foremost intergovernmental forum for scientific and technical co-operation in the peaceful use of nuclear technology. Established as an autonomous organization under the United Nations (UN) in 1957, the IAEA carries out programmes to maximize the useful contribution of nuclear technology to society while verifying its peaceful use. NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit the Press Section of the IAEA's website (http://www.iaea.org/Resources/Journalists/), or call the IAEA's Division of Public Information at (431) 2600-21270.	The Yongbyon nuclear facility. North Korea has banned nuclear inspectors from the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from inspecting its nuclear facility, the . This comes after N. Korean officials said the facility would begin to reprocess plutonium which could begin in as little as a week. "From here on, the IAEA inspectors will have no further access to the reprocessing plant," said the U.N. in a statement on its website. "The DPRK has also informed the IAEA inspectors that they plan to introduce nuclear material to the reprocessing plant in one week's time," added the statement. The U.N. finished removing their security seals and surveillance equipment from the plant on Thursday. , the U.S. Secretary of State, has urged N. Korea to dismantle their facility and return to six-party talks, but has refused and no new talks are scheduled to take place. "We strongly urge the North to reconsider these steps and come back immediately into compliance with its obligations," said Rice, referring to an agreement reached during the last round of six-party talks. N. Korea restarted its nuclear program when the U.S. failed to follow through with its agreement to take North Korea off the national list of state-sponsored terrorism supporters.
Morgan Tsvangirai, president of the main opposition party in Zimbabwe, talks to people during his campaign trail in Esigodini about 80 km from Bulawayo, Friday, June, 6, 2008. Tsvangirai was briefly arrested during his campaigning after police said they had not sanctioned his campaign. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) All Zimbabwe opposition rallies banned HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — Just three weeks before Zimbabwe's presidential runoff, Robert Mugabe is giving the opposition little room to campaign — detaining its candidate, banning rallies and attacking diplomats who try to investigate political violence. Even food is being used as a weapon, American and British officials said, with a ban on aid agencies ensuring that the poorest Zimbabweans must turn to Mugabe for help even if they blame him for the collapse of the economy. The government denied the allegations. Opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai out-polled Mugabe and two other candidates in the first round of voting March 29, but did not get the simple majority necessary to avoid a runoff. In recent days, it has become increasingly clear that Mugabe does not plan to let Tsvangirai come close to toppling him in the June 27 runoff. Tsvangirai tried to campaign around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second-largest city, on Friday, but he was stopped at two roadblocks. At the second, he was ordered to go to a police station about 30 miles from Bulawayo. About two hours later, he and reporters with him were allowed to leave the station. They drove back to Bulawayo under police escort. His spokesman, George Sibotshiwe, said Tsvangirai was questioned by police for 25 minutes and was told that all party rallies in Zimbabwe had been banned indefinitely. "We are dismayed that our president has not been allowed to access the Zimbabwean people at a crucial stage in this campaign," Sibotshiwe said. Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change said police had banned its rallies out of concern for the safety of Tsvangirai and other party leaders. Sibotshiwe called the justification "nonsense," and said the ban was "a clear indication that the regime will do everything necessary to remain in power." Police spokesman Wayne Bvudzijena said in an interview with The Associated Press that "people are free to campaign as they choose," but he said Tsvangirai had consistently broken the law by failing to notify police of his rallies. "For now, we are just warning him," Bvudzijena said, "but sooner or later he might end up being arrested." Tsvangirai left the country soon after the first round of voting, and his party has said he was the target of a military assassination plot. He has survived at least three previous attempts on his life. Tsvangirai returned to Zimbabwe in late May to campaign for the runoff. The government-controlled media has focused on Mugabe and ZANU-PF, all but ignoring Tsvangirai's campaign, raising the question of whether Zimbabweans in isolated rural areas even know the opposition leader has returned. Tsvangirai's party, blaming state agents, says at least 60 of its supporters have been killed in the past two months. The latest setback for Tsvangirai came as U.N. aid agencies said they were deeply concerned that Zimbabwe has ordered aid groups to halt operations. Millions of Zimbabweans depend on international groups for food, medicine and other aid as the economy crumbles. Without the private agencies, impoverished Zimbabweans will be dependent on the government and Mugabe's party, both of which distribute food and other aid. U.S. Ambassador James McGee said Zimbabwean authorities were now supplying food mostly to Mugabe supporters. In a videoconference to reporters in Washington from Harare, McGee said the U.S. Embassy has evidence that the government is offering food to opposition members only if they turn in identification that would allow them to vote. State Department spokesman Sean McCormack referred to the tactics that McGee described as "a vicious attempt to use food as a political weapon." At the United Nations, Zimbabwe Ambassador Boniface Chidyauskiku denied those charges. "There is no use of food as a political weapon. It is the other way around. It is the relief agencies, followed by the U.S. government, that have been using food as a political weapon," Chidyauskiku told the AP. "They have gone out into the countryside and they have been telling Zimbabweans that if you don't vote for the opposition, if you don't change your vote, there's no food for you," he said. "So it is the United States using food as a political weapon to effect a regime change in Zimbabwe. This is why we have suspended the activity." On Thursday, aid groups in Zimbabwe were sent a memorandum from social welfare minister Nicholas Goche ordering an indefinite suspension of field work. Aid deliveries to more than 4 million people in the country will be severely hampered by the decision, said Elisabeth Byrs, a spokeswoman for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. More than half of Zimbabwe's population lives on less than $1 a day and life expectancy is only 35 years, according to the U.N. U.N. agencies generally carry out their operations in the country with the help of other aid groups, Byrs said. "These restrictions are also coming at a time when food security in Zimbabwe is deteriorating, leaving an increasing number of people vulnerable," she said. Poor rain recently has increased the risk of drought, and farmers lack seeds, Byrs said. Goche's memorandum to the United Nations and other aid groups did not mention government claims that aid was distributed to favored recipients or opposition supporters, or that civic and human rights groups registered as voluntary organizations were campaigning against Mugabe. Earlier this week, the aid organization CARE International said it had been ordered to halt operations pending an investigation of allegations it was campaigning for the opposition. CARE denies the allegation. Byrs said the suspension of CARE's activities alone would immediately affect half a million Zimbabweans. On Thursday, a group of often violent Mugabe loyalists waylaid a convoy of U.S. and British diplomats investigating political violence, beating a local staffer, slashing tires and threatening to burn the envoys, the U.S. Embassy said. Mugabe frequently accuses Britain and the United States of plotting to topple him and return Zimbabwe to colonial rule. Mugabe has led Zimbabwe since independence from Britain in 1980 and was once hailed as a liberator who promoted racial reconciliation and economic empowerment. But he has been accused of clinging to power through election fraud and intimidation, and of destroying his country's economy through the seizure of white-owned farms. Carolyn Norris, an Africa specialist at Human Rights Watch, called the move against aid groups part of an "extreme campaign of violence and torture" for people who voted for Tsvangirai's party. "We don't know if this will convince people to vote" for Mugabe, Norris said, adding Zimbabwe's population "seems determined to vote how it wants to." Tsvangirai also said he expected Mugabe's crackdown to backfire, saying Thursday: "If Mugabe did not hear the voice in March, he's going to hear a much louder voice that people no longer enjoy their confidence in this government." Associated Press writers John Heilprin at the United Nations and Eliane Engeler in Geneva contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| By Farai Sevenzo Harare Basic foods are fast becoming beyond the reach of even those with jobs In the week in which world leaders met in Rome to discuss an ongoing global food crisis, will Zimbabwe's own food crisis be exacerbated by the announcement that aid groups and non-governmental organisations should stop operations at once and re-apply for their permits? Put together the facts - a recurring poor harvest of basic cereals like maize and wheat; persistent droughts; a farming infrastructure which has been in renewal or chaos; economic inflation beating even the projected figures - and you can see that this country is seriously in need of the kind of assistance these groups have been told to stop providing. And there are many of them, all channelling food for the needy throughout Zimbabwe from the UN, the World Food Programme (WFP) and elsewhere. A quick look through the Harare phonebook will reveal the existence of Save The Children UK, Save The Children US, Save The Children Norway, Care International and Christian Aid - all operating in Zimbabwe. No-one will talk for fear of jeopardising access to people who still need help USAid doctor The country directors of these organisations have become strangely reticent on the nature of their work, who they are feeding and where. A call to Save the Children Norway, in the capital's Five Avenue, has one begging for anonymity and then clamming up. "No comment at this stage, please," he says. See map of food shortages in Zimbabwe Efforts to talk to others proved just as fruitless. "No-one will talk for fear of jeopardising access to people who still need help," explains an doctor with the US Agency for International Development (USAid). "We don't know what the ban means, so we won't say anything at the moment." Inaccessible countryside The charge against them is that they have been campaigning for the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) under the pretext of distributing aid. Zimbabwe's government said aid agencies were helping the opposition Aid in Zimbabwe's case encompasses hospitals and their medicines, the care of orphans, Aids, schools, water and the search for it in the shadow of drought. And while undertaking all these tasks, it is the government's contention that medics are neglecting polio immunisation programmes in favour of distributing MDC campaign matter. Large parts of the countryside have become inaccessible to the media and to international agencies as roadblocks controlled by pro-government militias have sprung up. Opposition supporters have meanwhile lost relatives and limbs in a post-election campaign of incredible brutality. The Red Cross had begun to treat the victims, many of whom have horrific injuries. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. USAid had been distributing tents in areas as far afield as Mhondoro. The handing out of basic foodstuffs like cooking oil and maize meal was many residents' only lifeline. Late on Thursday evening, a moneychanger sent a text around to his usual clients: "110 million to the US." The implications of this are enormous for the 80% of Zimbabwe's population that is unemployed - everything is pegged to a currency industrialists can believe in. Bread, flour, maize meal, cooking oil are fast becoming beyond the reach of the workers with jobs, and impossible for the millions still waiting to harvest their crops. 'Burnt to death' Tinei Munetsi is an MDC officer in the village of Ngezi, in Mohondoro. We are not allowed to campaign in these areas, and the government is doing everything to disrupt our president's campaign Tinei Munetsi Movement for Democratic Change "Look," he says. "I know the donor agencies have been stopped from working. But in my area, we are still dealing with the violence. "This Friday afternoon, Amai Chipiro, our organising secretary's wife, was burned to death in her hut. "We are not allowed to campaign in these areas, and the government is doing everything to disrupt our president's [Morgan Tsvangirai] campaign. "How do you suppose the agencies would campaign on our behalf?" Failed crops and new farmers who prefer the cash crops of tobacco and cotton mean the work of the banned agencies is needed now more than ever. But the business of politics will take the front pages until the presidential run-off election between Mr Tsvangirai and President Robert Mugabe on 27 June. Return to top E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| The United Nations is lending its voice to widespread international condemnation of the decision by the Zimbabwean government of Robert Mugabe to suspend the delivery of aid by private agencies in the country. The United Nations says halting their work will hamper the UN's humanitarian operations as well. Lisa Schlein reports for VOA from Geneva. Zimbabwean woman puts maize into bag in Domboshawa, 23 April 2008 The United Nations warns President Robert Mugabe's decision to halt aid will have serious repercussions for the people of Zimbabwe. It says non-governmental agencies are key implementing partners and without their assistance, the United Nations will not be able to deliver the food, water and other essential relief to the desperate millions in Zimbabwe. Spokeswoman for the U.N. Organization for the Coordination of Humanitarian Assistance, Elizabeth Byrs, tells VOA over one-third of the population - or more than four million people - are in need of assistance. "According to the Food and Agricultural Organization, with poor rainfall and lack of seeds, it means that this year's harvest will be worse than in 2007. It is already of concern. So, if we cannot have our implementing partners on board, it means that these people will not get the appropriate assistance," said Byrs. More than half of Zimbabwe's population lives on less than one dollar a day. More than 1.5 million people have HIV/AIDS, with more than 3,000 dying every week. The United Nations warns more people will become malnourished and sick. Some may even die if they are forced to live on starvation rations. The Zimbabwean authorities say they have halted aid because the agencies are supporting the opposition movement. The agencies deny this accusation. The United Nations says these restrictions go against fundamental humanitarian principles. Louise Arbour, 2 June 2008 U.N. Human Rights spokesman, Rupert Colville, tells VOA the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, considers this action to be totally unconscionable. "To deprive people of food because of an election is a complete perversion of democracy. How can you possibly deprive people with food and then ask for a democratic vote. And, not just food, but all the other aid that Zimbabweans need and are getting from international aid agencies. This is very important. So, to just postpone it for two or three weeks because an election is taking place simply is not acceptable," said Colville. Colville says the government might be in violation of international human rights law, especially the international covenant on civil and political rights. He says humanitarian aid must not be politicized. \|\|\|\|\| Police ban Tsvangirai rallies Police have stopped the election campaign of Robert Mugabe's main rival in its tracks. Just weeks before the run-off ballot for Zimbabwe's presidency, Morgan Tsvangirai was detained at an official roadblock then told all his party's rallies across the country had been banned indefinitely. Mr Tsvangirai's campaign to unseat Mugabe has already been hit by violence and intimidation. The latest setback came as UN aid agencies said they were deeply concerned because aid groups have been ordered to halt operations, a move that could hamper food deliveries. Without private aid groups impoverished Zimbabweans will be dependent on the government and Mugabe's party, both of which distribute food and other aid. And some observers fear that food may be delivered only to confirmed Mugabe supporters. Mr Tsvangirai had been trying to campaign around Bulawayo, Zimbabwe's second largest city. He was stopped at two roadblocks, and the second time ordered to go to a police station about 30 miles away. Two hours later he was allowed to leave and drive back to Bulawayo under police escort. His spokesman said Mr Tsvangirai was questioned by police at the station for 25 minutes, and was told that all party rallies in the country had been banned indefinitely. "We are dismayed that our president has not been allowed to access the Zimbabwean people at a crucial stage in this campaign," he said. Mr Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change party said police told officials rallies had been banned out of concern for the safety of him and other party leaders. The spokesman said the justification was "nonsense," and the ban was "a clear indication that the regime will do everything necessary to remain in power". \|\|\|\|\| The Zimbabwean government has banned all work by foreign aid agencies, accusing them of campaigning for opposition parties during the country's disputed presidential elections in March. Last week, Robert Mugabe banned some groups, but yesterday's announcement covers all overseas organisations working in the country. In a public statement, Zimbabwe's social welfare minister, Nicholas Goche, said: "I hereby instruct all PVOs (private voluntary organisations)/NGOs to suspend all field operations until further notice." The decision came as security forces yesterday detained and harassed UK and US diplomats trying to investigate violence against the opposition. Zimbabwe's ambassador to Britain, Gabriel Machinga, was summoned to the Foreign Office to explain why the diplomats, who were travelling in two separate convoys, had been stopped at roadblocks north of the capital, Harare. David Miliband, the foreign secretary, condemned what he called a "serious incident" but said no violence had been directed at the UK personnel. "It gives us a window into the lives of ordinary Zimbabweans, because this sort of intimidation is something that is suffered daily, especially by those who are working with opposition groups," he said in a statement. "It's a window into lives that in some cases are marked by brutal intimidation, by torture and, in 53 cases that have been documented over the last few weeks, by death." Britain's ambassador to Harare, Andrew Pocock, told the Guardian there had been "no particular argy-bargy". But the US ambassador, James McGee, said in a CNN interview that the convoy carrying American officials had been stopped by Zimbabwean "war veterans who threatened to burn our people alive in the car if they did not leave the vehicles". In Washington, the state department called the detention and harassment of the US diplomats "absolutely outrageous" and indicative of the "repression and violence" Zimbabwe's government was willing to use against its own people. The official explanation from Harare was that the diplomats had been attending a rally of the opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC). "There was a fight there. Police were called in. The diplomats fled from the scene," Zimbabwe's deputy information minister, Bright Matonga, told Sky News. "On their way back to Harare, they were stopped at a police roadblock. They were asked to disembark ... They refused, and basically the police told them they were not going anywhere unless they got out of the car. The police told them they should respect the laws of the country, unless they have something to hide." Matonga later told South African Radio 702 that the diplomats had addressed the MDC rally. Pocock said: "We were in a place where there's been violence. They didn't want us to see it. This is a warning to us to keep our noses out of it." The British ambassador said there had been two separate incidents involving two convoys, one with American diplomats and the other with "British embassy defence staff" - thus accounting for the differences in the British and American accounts of what happened. The Americans were held for up to five hours at Bindura, 50 miles from Harare. The US embassy spokesman, Paul Engelstad, told the Associated Press the attackers beat a Zimbabwean employed by the US and slashed the tyres of some cars. He blamed the attack on Mugabe's government, which it accuses of trying to intimidate supporters of the MDC leader, Morgan Tsvangirai, ahead of the June 27 run-off. "Now what they are trying to do is intimidate diplomats from travelling to the countryside to witness the violence being perpetrated against the population," McGee said. "We do believe this is coming directly from the top." Diplomats are meant to have protection and immunity under the Vienna convention. Earlier, the South African government said Tsvangirai had been released by police following his arrest at a roadblock on Wednesday, after the intervention of the president, Thabo Mbeki. A spokesman for Mbeki said the MDC had contacted the Mbeki to tell him about the arrest. "Immediately thereafter, president Mbeki contacted the Zimbabwean government and appealed to them to release Mr Tsvangirai," he said. Miliband said: "The message that needs to go out today is a very strong one ... It's about two different visions for the future of Zimbabwe. "It's very important that the international community plays its role by ensuring that for the election on June 27 there are international monitors, properly accredited, who are able to ensure that despite the ravages in Zimbabwe ... there is an election that allows the democratic will of the Zimbabwean people to be heard loud and to be heard clear." The shadow foreign secretary, William Hague, condemned the diplomats' treatment. "This is a flagrant breach of Zimbabwe's obligations, under international convention, to protect diplomatic staff on their territory." \|\|\|\|\| Zimbabwe opposition leader stopped again by police HARARE (AFP) — Zimbabwe opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai was briefly stopped on Friday at a police checkpoint as he tried to attend a pre-election rally at a mine in the southwest of the country, a top aide said. Tsvangirai and his entourage were held up for around 20 minutes close to How mine, near the southern city of Bulawayo, where he was scheduled to address supporters of his Movement for Democratic Change, party chairman Lovemore Moyo told AFP. "One of our leading vehicles was stopped, then the rest of us were stopped as well. We tried to get an explanation from the police and they said we should have told them in advance that Mr Tsvangirai was going to visit," Moyo, who was travelling with Tsvangirai, told AFP. "They then turned us back and we had to use a smaller road to get back to the main road. We are now proceeding." Moyo said that although Tsvangirai had since been able to do two walkabouts, he had been unable to address the miners. "We were unable to speak at the mine as we heard at the gate (that) there were ZANU-PF (ruling party) activists blocking the entrance. We only managed to speak to our local councillors." The incident came only two days after Tsvangirai, hoping to topple Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe in a run-off election in three weeks' time, was detained for nearly nine hours by police without charge. "Our view is we are in a struggle. We have encountered similar harassment as they tried to block our campaign. It's not something new." \|\|\|\|\| Former altar boy alleges abuser wanted sex in St. Peter's at Vatican trial The alleged victim of sexual abuse in a youth seminary in the Vatican said in court on Wednesday that his abuser wanted to have sex in a bathroom behind an altar in St. Peter's Basilica but he resisted the advances. \|\|\|\|\| Diplomats charge harassment in crackdown HARARE, Zimbabwe, June 6 (UPI) -- U.S. and British diplomats report threats and other harassment in Zimbabwe amid government banning of all work by foreign aid agencies. U.S. Ambassador James McGee said in an Harare interview that a convoy carrying U.S. officials had been stopped and detained by Zimbabwean security forces "who threatened to burn our people alive in the car if they did not leave the vehicles," the Guardian, a British newspaper, reported. The Americans, who said they were trying to investigate reported violence against opposition parties, were held for several hours at Bindura, 50 miles from Harare. The U.S. State Department called the detention and harassment "absolutely outrageous." Zimbabwe's government, in issuing its total ban, accused the foreign aid agencies of campaigning for opposition parties in the country's disputed presidential election. President Robert Mugabe faces a June 27 runoff against the opposition's Morgan Tsvangirai. Zimbabwe's deputy information minister, Bright Matonga, said the diplomats were stopped at a roadblock on their way back to Harare and refused a request to disembark. "Basically, the police told them they were not going anywhere unless they got out of the car," Matonga said. "The police told them they should respect the laws of the country unless they have something to hide." Matonga later said the diplomats had addressed the opposition rally.	Police in Zimbabwe have stopped opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai (MDC) en route to a campaign rally. His convoy was then escorted to a police station in Esigodini. "Tsvangirai and other MDC leaders were detained again in Umzingwane. They are being taken to Esigodini police station," said MDC spokesperson Nelson Chamisa. Wayne Bvudzijena, a spokesman for the police, said that he was not aware of this incident, but added that roadblocks are used by the police to conduct weapons searches. "Tsvangirai and his convoy are not immune to search," he said. "They can be searched at any roadblock they pass." Afterwards, the government banned political rallies in support of Tsvangirai, effectively ending his campaigning. Officials said the decision was made to protect the safety of Tsvangirai and MDC party leaders. George Sibotshiwe, a spokesperson for Tsvangirai, called the ban "a clear indication that the regime will do everything necessary to remain in power," and said its justification was "nonsense." Earlier today, Tsvangirai was prevented from attending a rally at a mine near Zimbabwe's second-largest city, Bulawayo, when police blocked the road. "One of our leading vehicles was stopped, then the rest of us were stopped as well. We tried to get an explanation from the police and they said we should have told them in advance that Mr Tsvangirai was going to visit," said Lovemore Moyo, MDC chairman, to AFP. "They then turned us back and we had to use a smaller road to get back to the main road. We are now proceeding." "We were unable to speak at the mine as we heard at the gate, there were ZANU-PF activists blocking the entrance. We only managed to speak to our local councillors," Moyo said. Also today, the government announced a ban on all foreign aid groups operating in the country. Some groups, including CARE International had already been banned earlier this week. "I hereby instruct all PVOs/NGOs to suspend all field operations until further notice," said social welfare minister Nicholas Goche in a statement. James Elder, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), called it "completely unacceptable and hugely concerning. Hundreds of thousands of children are in need of immediate assistance. With the onset of the winter in Zimbabwe, the timing is critical for children who are among the most vulnerable and most in need of support." US Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Jendayi Frazer called on President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa to pressure Mugabe "not to starve the population and to allow international organizations to function." "It's unbelievable that the government will actually kick out the organizations which are providing services to the people," Frazer said. Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the United Nations' High Commissioner for Human Rights told Voice of America that halting food aid is unconscionable in the opinion of Louise Arbour. "To deprive people of food because of an election is a complete perversion of democracy. How can you possibly deprive people with food and then ask for a democratic vote?" Colville said. Speaking at the United Nations Headquarters, the Zimbabwean ambassador Boniface Chidyauskiku said that the government was not using food as a tool in the election. "There is no use of food as a political weapon. It is the other way around. It is the relief agencies, followed by the U.S. government, that have been using food as a political weapon," Chidyauskiku said to the Associated Press. "They have gone out into the countryside and they have been telling Zimbabweans that if you don't vote for the opposition, if you don't change your vote, there's no food for you." Yesterday, United States and United Kingdom diplomats were stopped in their vehicles in an incident the US called "outrageous" and said that they were threatened with being burned alive in their cars. "Basically, the police told them they were not going anywhere unless they got out of the car," said deputy information minister Bright Matonga. "The police told them they should respect the laws of the country unless they have something to hide." Two days ago, Tsvangirai was detained for several hours before being released without charges.
One Christopher Badgie, who was alleged to have escaped from lawful custody in the United States , is facing twenty-one criminal charges for related offences in The Gambia. He was last Thursday arraigned before Magistrate B.Y. Camara of the Banjul Magistrates’ Court to answer charges preferred against him. He vehemently denied the charges. The particulars of offence in count eleven stated that the accused, while under lawful custody in the United States , illegally escaped from prison custody and thereby committed an offence. In count 6, the accused is alleged, on diverse dates between 2006 and 2008, while using fake names to conceal the nature or sources thereof, transported into diverse accounts in the Gambia from the United Kingdom the total sum of 150,000 pounds being proceeds of unlawful activities and thereby committed an offence. Count 7 states that the accused on diverse dates in 2007, in Banjul and other places in The Gambia, converted 52,006.43 pounds into Gambian Dalasis in order to conceal or disguise the unlawful origin of the resources and thereby committed an offence. The particulars in count 9 read that the accused, Christopher Badgie, on diverse dates in 2007 at Banjul or other places in The Gambia, procured or induced Faburama Badjie to open a bank account with Trust Bank into which he received 98, 000 pounds being the proceeds of his unlawful activities in the United Kingdom and thereby committed an offence. Count 10 also also alleged that the accused on diverse dates in 2007, with intent to defraud, obtained the sum of 650,000 pounds from one Mrs X of Windsor, UK on the pretext that he would supply her with diamonds and thereby committed an offence. He was also from count 1 to 5 charged with money laundering, one count of obtaining property by false pretence, three counts of unlawful possession of a Gambian passport, three counts of unlawful possession of Gambian National ID cards, two counts of forgery of official documents, one count of impersonation, and one count of uttering false documents. He was since granted court bail in the sum of D500, 000 with two Gambians as sureties who must meet the bail condition. The case continues today. \|\|\|\|\| > Use our pull-down menus to find more stories -- Regions/Countries -- Africa Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa --- Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe -- Topics -- AGOA AIDS Africa on the Move Agribusiness Aid and Assistance Arms and Armies Arts Athletics Banking Book Reviews Books Business Capital Flows Children Climate Commodities Company Conflict Construction Crime Currencies Debt Ecotourism Editorials Education Energy Environment Food and Agriculture From allAfrica's Reporters Game Parks Health Healthcare and Medical Human Rights ICT Infrastructure Investment Labour Land Issues Latest Legal Affairs Malaria Manufacturing Media Migration Mining Music Music Reviews NEPAD NGO Oceans Olympics Peacekeeping Petroleum Polio Pregnancy and Childbirth Privatization Refugees Religion Science Soccer Sport Stock Markets Sustainable Development Terrorism Trade Transport Travel Tuberculosis Urban Issues Water Wildlife Women World Cup --- Central Africa Business East Africa Business North Africa Business Southern Africa Business West Africa Business --- Asia, Australia, and Africa Europe and Africa International Organisations Latin America and Africa Middle East and Africa U.S., Canada and Africa --- From AllAfrica Photo Essays Special Reports web allafrica.com Enter your search terms Submit search form OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine Gambia: Notorious 'Criminal' Faces Judge on 21 Counts Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article Visit The Publisher's Site Sanna Jawara One man bearing five names such as Christopher Badjie, Sulayman Badjie, Joseph Moneke, Christopher Bah, Bantou Coli or Gerard Charles Hendrik Van Derwatt is charged with 21 counts of criminal offences. The 21 counts of criminal offences preferred against the suspected notorious criminal ranged from money laundering ,forgery , impersonation , uttering false document , unlawful possession of Gambian passport, unlawful possession of Gambian ID card among other counts all contrary to laws of the Gambia. Mr Christopher Badjie alias the four other subsequent names is facing a total of 5 counts on money laundering contrary to section 17 (2) a of the money laundering act No. 9 of 2003, one count of transporting money into the Gambia contrary to section 19 (b) (i) of the money laundering act No. 9 of 2003, one count on conversion of property contrary to section 22 (1) (a) (i) of the criminal code cap 10 volume laws of the Gambia 1990, one count on obtaining of property by false pretence contrary to section 288 of the criminal code cap 10 volume iii laws of the Gambia, one count of procuring or inducing another person to commit an offence contrary to section 24 (c) of the criminal code, one count of obtaining money by false pretence contrary to section 288 of the criminal code, one count on escaping from lawful custody contrary to section 108 of the criminal code, 3 counts of unlawful possession of Gambian passport contrary to section 31 (i) of the immigration act cap 16.02 volume iii laws of the Gambia 1990, 3 counts of unlawful possession of Gambian ID card contrary to section 31 (i) of the immigration act 16.02 volume iii laws of the Gambia, 2 counts of forgery of official documents contrary to section 324 of the criminal code, one count of impersonation contrary to section 353 of the criminal code and one count of uttering false documents 328 of the criminal code cap 10 volume iii laws of the Gambia 1990. Mr Christopher Badjie is expected to appear before principal magistrate BY Camara of the Banjul magistrates court today 9th April 2008.	A man living in Gambia, who has allegedly escaped from prison in the United States, is now facing 21 charges in his home country. He pleaded 'not guilty' to all the charges. The charges range from money laundering to forgery, impersonation and unlawful possession of a Gambian passport. The defendant uses a variety of different names including Christopher Badjie, Christopher Bah, Sulayman Badjie, Joseph Moneke, Bantou Coli and Gerard Charles Hendrik Van Derwatt. ''The Point'', a Gambain newspaper, claims that his real name is Christopher Badgie. One of the charges against the defendant is relating to the alleged defrauding of a woman in Windsor, United Kingdom. It has been claimed that she was tricked into paying GBP650,000 with the belief that she would receive diamonds in return. Another charge against the defendant says that he was unlawfully possessing a Gambian passport and identity card. The defendant has been granted bail for the court case, which continued yesterday.
Farmers have been told to keep up high standards of biosecurity The dead chickens were found on Witford Lodge Farm in North Tuddenham, about 13 miles (20km) west of Norwich. The government's chief vet said it was likely to be the H7 strain, virulent among chickens but less of a threat to humans than the H5N1 variant. Dr Debby Reynolds added she did not know where the flu had come from. Last month a swan in Cellardyke, Fife, tested positive for H5N1 - the only confirmed case in the UK so far. Dr Reynolds said there was no evidence of the H5N1 strain in the chickens from the Norfolk farm. There is a risk to the human population amongst those who are in very close contact with infected birds Health Protection Agency East Anglian director Dr Sue Ibbotson Dennis Foreman, director of Banham Poultry Ltd, the company which owns Witford Lodge Farm, said the number of dead birds had been "minimal". "As a company we don't want this but at the end of the day it happened and we have got to deal with it professionally," he said. "With the help of Defra we think we are in safe hands." An outbreak of an H7 variation, called H7N7, in the Netherlands led the Dutch government to order the slaughter of more than 30 million birds in 2003. The cases in Norfolk were found in samples taken from chickens on the farm, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said. The birds at the farm are used to produce eggs that are hatched elsewhere, to create more chickens. Movement restrictions are in place on the affected farm, with no movements allowed on or off the premises except under licence from the veterinary inspectors, a Defra spokesman said. The same restrictions apply at 30 other premises in Norfolk owned by the company as a precautionary measure. The spokesman said the possibility of introducing an exclusion zone was not being ruled out but any decision would await the findings of tests. 'Highly precautionary' Dr Reynolds said poultry should be "fed and given water indoors and the highest standards of biosecurity should be maintained at the moment". Earlier she told the BBC she expected further test results to reveal more about the bird flu strain over the next 24 hours. QUICK GUIDE Bird flu She said no decision had been taken on whether to destroy poultry on neighbouring farms, adding the slaughter was a "highly precautionary" measure to ensure there was no spread of the disease. "The other investigation is, where did it come from? And at this stage we don't know the answer to that," she said. Paul Leveridge, who has a farm with around 15,000 ducks just two miles from Witford Lodge, said it was a stressful time for farmers. The National Farmers' Union has said it expected restrictions to be enforced in the area and said the farm should be compensated for the loss of flock. Human health Defra has stressed that there was no confirmation the virus had health implications for humans. The 2003 outbreak of H7N7 in the Netherlands infected more than 80 people and led to the death of one vet. The H5N1 virus has killed more than 100 people in Asia. But neither strain poses a large-scale threat to humans as bird flu cannot pass easily from one person to another. Humans also have to have extremely close contact with infected birds, particularly their faeces, in the first place to catch it. However, some experts fear the H5N1 virus could mutate and trigger a flu pandemic, potentially putting millions of human lives at risk. Prof Hugh Pennington, a professor of bacteriology at Aberdeen University, said while the H7 strain was "nasty for the birds", it was "not a public health threat to humans". "It's basically a virus that kills chickens and has been around for many, many years. "It's there in wild birds probably, circulating throughout the world and occasionally we get an outbreak in this country," he told the Today programme. The policy of killing the flock was the best option for controlling the virus, he said. Health Protection Agency East Anglian director Dr Sue Ibbotson said about a dozen workers - plus staff involved in the destruction of the birds - were being monitored and offered anti-viral drugs. "People who became infected could suffer flu-like symptoms or eye irritations. There is no need for panic," she added. \|\|\|\|\| The farm at the centre of the latest bird flu outbreak was named today as Witford Lodge Farm at Hockering, Norfolk. Police officers stood guard at the entrance to the farm after a number of dead chickens tested positive for the virus. All of the 35,000 chickens at the farm will now be slaughtered, as bio-security measures are put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. Tests are being carried out today to establish the exact strain of the virus but preliminary test results show that it was likely to be the H7 strain rather than H5N1, which has been responsible for the deaths of more than 100 people, mainly in Asia. "Preliminary tests have indicated that the avian influenza virus is present in samples of chickens found dead on a poultry farm near Dereham in Norfolk," said the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs last night. "Further tests are being carried out to determine the strain of the virus. "The preliminary test results show that it is likely to be the H7 strain of avian influenza and not H5N1. "As a precautionary measure, birds on the premises will be slaughtered on suspicion of an avian notifiable disease." The spokeswoman added that restrictions had been placed on the firm, and that further action may be taken when the additional laboratory results were known. Last month a wild swan that was found dead in the harbour of a coastal town in Scotland was found to have died of avian flu. That bird, which was discovered in Cellardyke, Fife, tested positive for the deadly H5N1 version of the virus Although hundreds of wild birds have been tested in the last few months, the swan in Fife remains the only case of H5N1 to have been discovered in the UK. While H7 versions of the disease can be highly pathogenic among poultry, and have crossed the species barrier to humans, outbreaks in people have been less serious than those of H5N1. Some experts fear the H5N1 virus could mutate and develop into a flu pandemic which could put millions of lives at risk.	35,000 chickens at Witford Lodge Farm at Norfolk, England are to be culled after some chickens found dead tested positive for bird flu. Further tests are being carried out to establish which strain of the virus it was, but preliminary results suggest it is not the H5N1 strain, but is instead the H7N7 strain. The birds are being culled as a precautionary measure. The H7N7 strain can be transmitted to humans, but not as easily or as lethally as the H5N1 strain. Previous outbreaks of the H7N7 strain include one from 2003 in the Netherlands, which infected more than 80 people and led to the death of one vet. So far the only positive test for H5N1 in the UK has been a dead swan found in Fife.
Royal Gibraltar Police said they were working to establish the cause of death A family of four has been found dead in a flat in Gibraltar, police in the British territory have said. A 31-year-old British man, a 37-year-old Spanish woman, a girl aged four and another who was six weeks old were found in the Boschetti's Steps area. Royal Gibraltar Police said an investigation was being conducted by serious crime officers but they were not looking for anyone else involved. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said it was looking into the reports. \|\|\|\|\| A couple and two children, including a baby, have been found dead with stab wounds in an apparent murder-suicide in an apartment in Gibraltar. Police in the British overseas territory were called to the property in the Boschetti’s Steps area at 11.35am on Monday. They found a 31-year-old British man, a a 37-year-old Spanish woman, a four-year-old girl and a six-week-old girl. Spanish media reported that the family had been living in Spain and had only recently arrived in Gibraltar. The British man involved was originally from Liverpool, according to police sources quoted by El Mundo newspaper. The newspaper said the four-year-old girl was believed to be the woman’s daughter from a previous relationship, while the baby had been born in Spain. Detectives and forensic officers are working in the flat and the area remains cordoned off. A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar police said: “It is believed that all the deceased belong to the same family. “However, there are still inquiries being conducted to locate close relatives of the family and as you may understand it is for this reason that the identities of the deceased are not being disclosed.” The spokesman said he understood that next of kin in the UK have been informed of the tragedy. Asked how the police were alerted, he said: “A member of staff of the company that was letting out the flat, which is a rental property, attended the residence. “They got no answer from within but noticed that the house was locked from inside and that sent a few alarm bells ringing and they decided to call the police. “At this present moment in time, a full investigation is being conducted by officers of the serious crime unit to establish the cause surrounding the untimely deaths of this young family and are encouraging anyone who maybe able to support the investigation to contact the duty officer of the Royal Gibraltar police. — GBC News (@GBCNewsroom) .@RGPolice tell journalists natural causes ruled out in #BoschettiSteps, but it's too soon to speculate whether this was a multiple homicide “Presently, we are not looking for anyone involved in this very unfortunate event, but the investigation will be thorough and detailed drawing in on the expertise of other professionals. “Her Majesty’s coroner has already been informed and has visited the scene.” Police commissioner Eddie Yome declined to comment on the cause of death, saying it would be speculation at this stage. “These are unexplained deaths but they are not from natural causes,” he told a press conference. “We are not looking for anyone involved in this very unfortunate event, but the investigation will be thorough and detailed, drawing on the expertise of other professionals,” he said. A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are looking into reports that British nationals may be involved in an incident in Gibraltar. We stand ready to provide consular assistance.” A police spokesman added: “These people had only been in Gibraltar for a few days, I think it was either last Thursday or Friday that they arrived. “We are trying to discover if they were here in transit to the UK or whether they were planning on staying for any length of time in Gibraltar.” Gibraltar’s chief minister, Fabian Picardo, described the violent deaths as an “aberration” and adjourned the parliamentary session, saying the discovery of the bodies meant that “today is not a day for gladiatorial political games”. Picardo added: “Gibraltarians are not accustomed to witness this type of incident in our peaceful and law-abiding community. Words will fail us all at a moment like this and all we can do is keep the victims and their families in our thoughts and put our full trust in the rule of law so that justice prevails.” \|\|\|\|\| The couple and two children were found lifeless in a rented apartment off Governors Street, in the Boschetti's Steps area of the British Overseas Territory. Police who attended the residence at around 11:35 this morning found the bodies of a 31-year-old British man, a 37-year-old Spanish woman, a four-year old girl of Spanish nationality and a six-week-old baby girl. Officers have told the El Mundo newspaper that the British man was from Liverpool, while the four-year-old girl was believed to be the woman's daughter from a previous relationship. The baby is believed to have been born in Spain, the newspaper reported. The family had been living in Spain before recently moving to Gibraltar, according to Spanish media. Detectives and forensic teams, including a coroner, are investigating the flat, which has been cordoned off. A spokesman for the Royal Gibraltar Police force said that the deceased are believed to belong to the same family. He added that officers are working to "establish the cause surrounding the untimely deaths of this young family and are encouraging anyone who maybe able to support the investigation to contact the duty officer of the Royal Gibraltar Police." "Presently, we are not looking for anyone involved in this very unfortunate event, but the investigation will be thorough and detailed drawing in on the expertise of other professionals," he said. The family's relatives are being sought before their names are publicly released, he added. Additional reporting by PA	Gibraltar, seen from the air. From file. The bodies of two adults and two children were found yesterday at a flat in Gibraltar in a possible murder-suicide. Two young girls, one aged four and the other only six weeks, were found stabbed alongside a British 31-year-old male and a Spanish 37-year-old female. said despite opening up a crime investigation on the deaths they do not currently believe anyone else was involved. Police said an apartment letting agency staff member notified them about the property where the bodies were discovered. Police responded to the flat, in the Boschetti's Steps area, at around 11:35 local time. Police said "They got no answer from within but noticed that the house was locked from inside and that sent a few alarm bells ringing and they decided to call the police... At the moment what we are doing is trying to get as much background information from both the Spanish and the UK sides of the family." Police also said the family were not permanent residents in Gibraltar and had entered the British overseas territory only days ago. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said they too were looking into the incident. According to the Spanish newspaper , police sources believe the older girl is the woman's daughter but not the man's. Police confirmed “It is believed that all the deceased belong to the same family". As relatives of the deceased are being sought, the names of the victims have not yet been released. , the , spoke of his shock after hearing about the deaths. "As a husband and father, I — like no doubt all Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar — am in total shock to hear about this terrible crime... Gibraltarians are not accustomed to witness this type of incident in our peaceful and law abiding community. Words will fail us all at a moment like this and all we can do is keep the victims and their families in our thoughts." Due to the incident he ordered be adjourned until Wednesday. == Sources == * * *
Russia delivers defensive weapons to Iran Russia has started delivering its Tor-M1 air defense missiles to Iran. Russian officials say the missiles are purely defensive weapons with a limited range. The Tor-M1 system can identify up to 48 targets, simultaneously firing at two of them as high as 6,000 meters. The deal involves conventional weapons, and does not violate any international agreements. Russian media reports that the Iranian soldiers who will operate the systems were trained inside Russia. Editor:Lu Yuying \|\|\|\|\| By Owen Matthews Newsweek International Feb. 20, 2006 issue - Sergei Kiriyenko may hold the key to re-solving the Iranian nuclear crisis. The former Russian prime minister and the head of RosAtom, the Russian nuclear agency, will meet a delegation from Tehran this week to discuss a proposed deal whereby Moscow would provide Iran with enriched uranium for its nuclear plants, including a Russian-built reactor at Bushehr. Tehran Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement originally rejected the plan, but with possible Security Council action looming, has recently revived its prospects. NEWSWEEK's Owen Matthews spoke with Kiriyenko, who hopes the deal will also bolster Russia's profitable nuclear industry, in Moscow. Excerpts: What's the status of your offer to Iran? Russia has already made one agreement with Iran to return their spent nuclear fuel to Russia. That guarantees that no plutonium can be extracted from the fuel. Second, we've put a proposal on the table to jointly create an enterprise for enriching uranium on Russian territory. The conditions of such a joint venture would be that Iran would contribute to its funding. In return it [will have] guaranteed supplies of enriched uranium—but not access to enrichment technology. So we will take uranium, enrich it here and send [the Iranians] ready fuel. And after it's been used, we take it back. That means that we keep control of two of the most sensitive technological stages. Thus there will be no danger that the development of atomic energy in Iran—or in any other country—will become a proliferation threat. Will the Iranians accept? The proposal is on the table. Our talks are at the stage of concrete legal, technical and financial details. For our part, Russia is completely ready to create such an enrichment enterprise—we have the plant locations for it and a draft contract. We are ready technologically, financially and organizationally. Our offer's terms are clear and open to the international community. To accept it or not is up to Iran, and I can't tell you what they will say. The IAEA has reported that Iran has deliberately concealed important parts of its nuclear program from inspectors. Do you believe that Tehran's nuclear program is purely for peaceful purposes? I don't think it's a question of believing. International security and international law cannot be based on personal trust. We think that any country in the world which conforms to international norms and is inspected by the IAEA has the right to develop atomic energy. Period. No one has the right to deny anyone else that right. At the same time, Russia's attitude to Iran, or to any other country, is that they are categorically not allowed to violate the principles of nonproliferation. We believe that the proposals made by Russia today allow a resolution to the Iranian problem. How can you make sure that nuclear-energy technology stays separate from weapons technology? Those countries which do not have nuclear-energy programs want access to cheap energy. Not to let them have access to cheap energy is a violation of international law. It's discrimination. Our position is that we have to help these countries escape from energy poverty—but at the same time it is our responsibility to prevent any threat of nuclear proliferation. We need to establish some kind of ground rules for dealing with these situations. Otherwise we will have situations like we have with Iran with other countries. It's the responsibility of countries with a full nuclear fuel cycle to agree on a coordinated structure, not just to find a solution on a case-by-case basis. Such as? [Russian President] Vladimir Putin made a suggestion for four kinds of international cooperation: the creation of international uranium-enrichment centers of the sort we have proposed to Iran; international centers for reprocessing and storing spent nuclear fuel; centers for training and certifying nuclear-power-plant staff, and to have an international research effort to find new nuclear-energy technologies which are proliferation resistant. Many of those ideas were echoed by the president of the United States. Do you mean the United States should build uranium-enrichment centers, too? These international centers must be just that—international. It would be very good if the United States could provide such centers on its territory. There are several other countries [that] could participate, too. That way, potential users of nuclear energy would have a choice. Will Russia have many more customers for its nuclear technology? We don't think existing energy sources based on fossil fuel can sustain such rapid world economic growth. The world's balance of energy production will shift toward atomic energy, the only energy source we have available to us which is capable of keeping pace with the scale of growth of demand for electricity which the world economy needs. © 2007 Newsweek, Inc.	It is reported that The Head of RosAtom Russia’s Federal Atomic Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, will meet Iran’s Foreign Minister, Manouchehr Mottaki, in Tehran December 11 to discuss economic affairs of mutual interest. Kiriyenko, former Russian Prime Minister, had proposed in February this year, that Russia would provide Iran with enriched uranium for its nuclear power plants, thus avoiding the need for Iran to build plants that might be used for weapon production. Since then there have been Security Council resolutions and threats of economic sanctions against Iran which has persisted in building an enrichment plant. Russia has been building a light water reactor for Iran at Bushehr but there have been delays in completion, ‘for technical reasons’. The original reactors at Busheh, contracted to be built by Siemens in 1975, were bombed in 1985 and 1988 by Iraq. Now, having trained Iranian troops in their use, Russia is delivering a consignment of Tor-M1 missiles to Iran. These are ground to air missiles for defence purposes with a range of about 18,000 feet.
Policemen keep watch at the site where a U.S national was gunned down, in Peshawar November 12, 2008. Policemen carry the body of a police guard, who was killed as gunman kidnapped an Iranian diplomat, during his funeral in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar, November 13, 2008. A policeman stands next to the car belonging to an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar November 13, 2008. A policeman looks into the car belonging to an Iranian diplomat who was kidnapped in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar November 13, 2008. People perform prayers for a police guard, who was killed as gunman kidnapped an Iranian diplomat, during his funeral in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar November 13, 2008. A bullet hole is seen in the windshield of the car belonging to an Iranian diplomat after he was kidnapped in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar November 13, 2008. A policeman looks into the car belonging to an Iranian diplomat after he was kidnapped in the Hayatabad area of Peshawar, November 13, 2008. PESHAWAR, Pakistan Gunmen abducted an Iranian diplomat in Peshawar on Thursday, a day after a U.S. aid worker was shot dead in the city on the front line of an Islamist insurgency sweeping northwest Pakistan and parts of Afghanistan. Suspicion for the kidnapping will inevitably fall on the Taliban and affiliated Sunni Muslim militant groups such as al Qaeda, who hate Shi'ite Muslims and predominantly Shi'ite Iran almost as much as they hate the West. Criminal gangs using religion as a cover are also active in the area. Spiraling violence has raised fears that nuclear-armed Pakistan could slide into chaos unless the 7-month-old civilian government, also faced with a potentially crippling economic crisis, and the army can throttle the militant threat. Pakistan's support is seen as vital to the West's efforts to defeat al Qaeda globally and the Taliban in Afghanistan. The Iranian Foreign Ministry confirmed that its Peshawar consulate's commercial attache Heshmatollah Attarzadeh Niyaki had been kidnapped. A policeman assigned to guard him was shot and killed trying to resist the assailants, police said. "On hearing gun shots, I rushed out of my home and saw the body of the guard lying there," Abid Hussain, a neighbor of the diplomat, told Reuters. "By that time Attarzadeh had been taken away." The Iranian diplomat was on his way to the consulate from his home when his car was ambushed in Hayatabad, a neighborhood bordering the Khyber tribal region. U.S. aid worker Steve Vance and his driver were killed outside the home where Vance lived with his wife and five children in Peshawar on Wednesday. In late August, three members of the U.S. consulate in Peshawar escaped unhurt after gunmen ambushed their vehicle. Peshawar is the last city on the road to the Khyber Pass, the main land route to Afghanistan. Militants seized 13 trucks laden with supplies for Western forces on the road on Monday. U.S. State Department spokesman Robert Wood said in Washington late on Wednesday that the consulate in Peshawar had put out a notification urging employees and other Americans in the area to stay at home or in their offices until further notice. Afghanistan's ambassador-designate was kidnapped in Hayatabad on September 22, and there has been a rash of other kidnappings in recent weeks, including a Polish engineer snatched in the nearby city of Attock last month. Iran's state radio quoted Foreign Ministry spokesman Hassan Qashqavi condemning the kidnapping as "a terrorist act," while Iran's Student News Agency (ISNA) reported the ministry had summoned Pakistan's envoy in Tehran to protest the inadequate protection provided for its diplomat. BAD BLOOD Peshawar became a den of spies and jihadis in the 1980s when the United States and Saudi Arabia covertly funded a mujahideen guerrilla war to expel the Soviet army from Afghanistan. To this day, Pakistani officials, usually privately, voice suspicions that neighboring countries are stirring trouble in the tribal lands as they compete for influence in Afghanistan. Pakistan also has a history of sectarian violence between militants from the majority Sunni and minority Shi'ite sects. Thousands of people have been killed since the 1980s. Earlier this year, almost 200 people were killed in sectarian clashes that erupted in the Kurram tribal region. A scare gripped Peshawar earlier this year after supposed Taliban fighters were spotted driving into the city in daylight to intimidate video shop owners and barbers, targeted because of the Taliban's strict interpretation of Islam. Security forces subsequently launched punitive operations in adjoining tribal areas targeting gangs said to have been using Islamist zeal to mask their criminal activities. Militants have retaliated against a military offensive in the Bajaur tribal region, while a series of U.S. missile strikes in the Waziristan tribal region have added to tensions. Two suicide attacks earlier this week in Peshawar and a nearby town underlined the mounting sense of insecurity. The World Food Programme said in a statement that the worsening security situation and banditry were hampering relief efforts in Pakistan and Afghanistan. (Additional reporting by Zeeshan Haider and Alamgir Bitani; Writing by Simon Cameron-Moore; Editing by Paul Tait and Valerie Lee) \|\|\|\|\| The diplomat's car was hit by bullets Gunmen have kidnapped a diplomat from Iran and killed his guard in the north-western Pakistani city of Peshawar, police say. The Iranian diplomat is a commercial attache at the consulate. The incident happened a day after an American aid worker and his driver were shot dead as they travelled to work in a suburb of the city. Violence has surged in the north-west in recent months with a wave of attacks blamed on Islamist militants. A police officer told the AFP news agency that the diplomat, named as Heshmatollah Atharzadeh, was travelling to the consulate in Peshawar when the gunmen attacked his car. "The attackers sprayed bullets, forcing the car to stop and then dragged out the diplomat while his police guard was killed," Banaras Khan said. Iran's foreign ministry has condemned the kidnapping as "a terrorist act" and summoned Pakistan's ambassador to discuss the incident. Worsening security The gunmen took away the diplomat in a separate vehicle, another policeman said. Taleban bring new fear to Peshawar Authorities have cordoned off the city's main road and are trying to trace the diplomat. In a similar incident two months ago, unknown gunmen kidnapped Afghan consul-general, Abdul Khaliq Farahi, from the same locality after killing his driver. Mr Farahi is still missing. On Tuesday, American aid worker Stephen Vance and his driver were killed just outside their office in the University Town area in Peshawar. It is still not clear who the attackers were. Mr Vance worked for Cooperative Housing Foundation (CHF) International, which is working to implement US-funded projects to help develop the troubled tribal belt. Areas close to Peshawar - the biggest city in north-west Pakistan - are known to be Taleban and al-Qaeda strongholds. The region has been hit by several bombings and suicide attacks recently. On Tuesday, a suicide bomber walked up to the gate of a stadium in Peshawar and blew himself up. The attack happened as the governor of North-West Frontier Province left after a sports tournament. He was unhurt but at least one man was killed and three people were injured. The BBC's Mark Dummett in Islamabad says that the security situation across Pakistan has steadily worsened over the past few years, with Taleban militants holding sway over a large stretch of North-West Frontier Province. But our correspondent says attacks on foreigners in Pakistan are rare. Across the border in Afghanistan aid workers and other foreigners have increasingly been targeted in recent months. Gunmen attacked the car of a US diplomat in Peshawar in August, but she was unhurt. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Peshawar District (highlighted in yellow) is in Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province Iranian diplomat Heshmatollah Atharzadeh has been kidnapped by armed men in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar on Thursday morning, police have said. The diplomat's car was ambushed in the tribal region bordering Afghanistan. Atharzadeh was heading from home to office with his guard when the car was ambushed in Hayatabad, a neighbourhood near the Khyber Agency region bordering Afghanistan. The guard was killed in the attack. The Iranian consulate in Peshawar confirmed that the commercial attaché had been kidnapped. Iran's ambassador to Islamabad, Mashallah Shakeri, said the embassy is taking serious and appropriate measures to identify the kidnappers and release the diplomat. Shakeri held the Pakistani government responsible for the safety of foreign diplomats in the country, calling on Islamabad to work in full co-operation with the Iranians and help release the attaché.
A multi-vehicle collision on California's Interstate 5 ignited an inferno that burned for several hours. (ABC News) Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles County today after a freeway pile-up blazed for hours, killed at least three people and shut down a major traffic artery. The chain-reaction accident that ignited the inferno occurred Friday night in a tunnel on Interstate 5 at the Antelope Valley Freeway north of Los Angeles. It's one of the nation's busiest highways, a major route connecting northern and southern California as well as a major commuting road for Los Angeles. The crash caused an intense fire, damaging the freeway structure and closing the interstate. Three are confirmed dead, including an infant, and at least 10 others were injured. At least 29 vehicles were involved in the crash -- including six big-rig trucks. Flames burned for so long that bits of concrete exploded onto the highway and trucks were reduced to charred skeletons. The vehicles burned at an estimated 1,400 degrees Fahrenheit for six hours. "The fire burned in a very intense state for approximately four hours and basically consumed everything that was burnable," said John Tripp of the Los Angeles County Fire Department. Truck drivers like Tony White, who use the tunnel regularly, were not surprised it was the site of a devastating pileup. "The tunnel is very dangerous for the four-wheelers and the truckers," White said. When it's raining, like it was Friday night when the crash happened, drivers said the roadway gets slick. "It stresses me out to go through that part," White said, "because I'm always waiting for something to happen." Today investigators picked through the scorched wreckage of the big-rig trucks, including tire rims and truck axles, hoping to pinpoint what caused the pileup. Engineers got their first good look at the walls and ceiling of the burned 550-foot-long underpass. Meanwhile, commuters are bracing for a traffic nightmare at the start of the work week. With miles of Interstate 5 shut down, traffic has been snarled on surrounding roads all weekend as drivers looked for alternative routes. One driver told ABC News it took him three hours to go five miles. \|\|\|\|\| Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times Deborah Harris, chief media relations officer for Caltrans in Los Angeles, makes a phone call from a median on a closed section of the I-5 Sunday afternoon in Santa Clarita. Interstate 5 is back in business Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times Deborah Harris, chief media relations officer for Caltrans in Los Angeles, makes a phone call from a median on a closed section of the I-5 Sunday afternoon in Santa Clarita. Lanes reopen after Friday's deadly tunnel crash, but it will be months before the route returns to normal. California Highway Patrol spokesman John Lutz said all main lanes on both sides of the freeway were open, while the truck tunnel where Friday's deadly crash occurred remained closed. Email Us Share your story and commute plans Photo Gallery Photo Gallery Pileup on I-5 Related Stories - BOTTLENECK BLOG: Commuter guide for I-5 closure - At least 3 dead in I-5 crash; freeway closed - 'There's no escape route' in tunnel - Motorists can choose from several alternate routes FOR THE RECORD: I-5 closure: An article in Monday's Section A about plans to reopen Interstate 5 near Santa Clarita said most of the goods arriving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are hauled by rail. Most port cargo is hauled by trucks. — Lutz, who was speaking from near the scene of the crash, said congestion in the area was light and traffic was moving smoothly. "Traffic is moving wonderfully," Lutz said. "It's smooth and light." Lutz said he was expecting the morning commute to be somewhat more congested than normal, as the truck traffic that normally takes the tunnel would be using the main freeway lanes along with car traffic. "It'll be a little tight on the southbound side," Lutz said. The reopening of one of the area's main arterial roads came quicker than expected. Speaking Sunday, Douglas Failing, regional director for the California Department of Transportation, said it probably would be months before the agency could reopen the southbound truck tunnel lanes where more than two dozen trucks crashed and burned late Friday. In the meantime, he said, the road will be more congested. Officials warned commuters and truckers to expect delays of as much as two hours when workweek traffic resumes today, and urged them to take alternative routes or public transportation. Metrolink, the commuter rail line, said it would put additional cars onto its trains leaving Lancaster in the predawn hours today, and that extra trains would operate the rest of the day. Even so, railroad officials offered this advice to riders: Bring a book, wear comfortable shoes and prepare to stand. Three people died in the Friday night pileup, which occurred just south of the intersection of I-5 and California 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway. It was not clear what caused the chain-reaction crash Friday, and the California Highway Patrol said its investigation into the accident would be lengthy. Heavy-equipment crews finished pulling the wreckage of 30 commercial vehicles and one passenger car out of the tunnel early Sunday, allowing inspectors to go to work to determine the extent of the damage. The scene they found was sobering. The tunnel was charred and still smoldering, the roadway pocked, the ceiling blistered. The highway's asphalt shoulders resembled a solidified lava flow. Sections of concrete walls had peeled away, exposing steel reinforcement bars, some of which appeared to be askew. "The structural integrity of the sidewalls has been compromised," Failing said. He said inspectors had taken core samples of concrete and steel, and would examine them microscopically to determine the extent to which they might have been weakened. "The samples will let us know the strength of the wall," he said. As a cautionary move, Caltrans crews will also put beams in the middle of the tunnel to reinforce concrete girders running across the top. Transportation officials reopened Interstate 5 early Monday after a fiery tunnel crash closed the freeway over the weekend.California Highway Patrol spokesman John Lutz said all main lanes on both sides of the freeway were open, while the truck tunnel where Friday's deadly crash occurred remained closed.I-5 closure: An article in Monday's Section A about plans to reopen Interstate 5 near Santa Clarita said most of the goods arriving through the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are hauled by rail. Most port cargo is hauled by trucks. —Lutz, who was speaking from near the scene of the crash, said congestion in the area was light and traffic was moving smoothly."Traffic is moving wonderfully," Lutz said. "It's smooth and light."Lutz said he was expecting the morning commute to be somewhat more congested than normal, as the truck traffic that normally takes the tunnel would be using the main freeway lanes along with car traffic."It'll be a little tight on the southbound side," Lutz said.The reopening of one of the area's main arterial roads came quicker than expected.Speaking Sunday, Douglas Failing, regional director for the California Department of Transportation, said it probably would be months before the agency could reopen the southbound truck tunnel lanes where more than two dozen trucks crashed and burned late Friday. In the meantime, he said, the road will be more congested.Officials warned commuters and truckers to expect delays of as much as two hours when workweek traffic resumes today, and urged them to take alternative routes or public transportation.Metrolink, the commuter rail line, said it would put additional cars onto its trains leaving Lancaster in the predawn hours today, and that extra trains would operate the rest of the day.Even so, railroad officials offered this advice to riders: Bring a book, wear comfortable shoes and prepare to stand.Three people died in the Friday night pileup, which occurred just south of the intersection of I-5 and California 14, the Antelope Valley Freeway.It was not clear what caused the chain-reaction crash Friday, and the California Highway Patrol said its investigation into the accident would be lengthy. Heavy-equipment crews finished pulling the wreckage of 30 commercial vehicles and one passenger car out of the tunnel early Sunday, allowing inspectors to go to work to determine the extent of the damage. The scene they found was sobering.The tunnel was charred and still smoldering, the roadway pocked, the ceiling blistered. The highway's asphalt shoulders resembled a solidified lava flow. Sections of concrete walls had peeled away, exposing steel reinforcement bars, some of which appeared to be askew."The structural integrity of the sidewalls has been compromised," Failing said.He said inspectors had taken core samples of concrete and steel, and would examine them microscopically to determine the extent to which they might have been weakened."The samples will let us know the strength of the wall," he said.As a cautionary move, Caltrans crews will also put beams in the middle of the tunnel to reinforce concrete girders running across the top. SINGLE PAGE 1 2 >> Post Comment Discussion How are you coping with the closure of Interstate 5 in Santa Clarita? Submitted by: Laura 9:40 PM PDT, Oct 22, 2007 2. the government representatives (city,state and federal) all all corrupt. Bought off by developers who finance their campaigns Submitted by: edsam 4:26 PM PDT, Oct 22, 2007 3. Now there are fires here. We are forced to evacuate, but we cant get out. We have 250,000 living here, and no way to get out. Submitted by: edsam 4:23 PM PDT, Oct 22, 2007 1. What highways are close??Submitted by: Laura9:40 PM PDT, Oct 22, 20072. the government representatives (city,state and federal) all all corrupt. Bought off by developers who finance their campaignsSubmitted by: edsam4:26 PM PDT, Oct 22, 20073. Now there are fires here. We are forced to evacuate, but we cant get out. We have 250,000 living here, and no way to get out.Submitted by: edsam4:23 PM PDT, Oct 22, 2007 Read all 443 comments California and the world. Get The Times from $1.35 a week. Subscribe now. Living Vicariously Bill Lobdell seeks enlightenment at a sacred chant and song workshop. \|\|\|\|\| 10/14/2007 GAAS:817:07 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Print Version \| Email / Share Close E-mail Social Web del.icio.us Digg Furl Netscape Yahoo! Technorati Google Newsvine BlinkList reddit Blogmarks ma.gnolia Windows Live Tailrank Governor Schwarzenegger Proclaims State of Emergency in Los Angeles County Due to Major Truck Collision, Intense Fire, Freeway Damage Governor Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a State of Emergency in Los Angeles County in response to the major traffic collision that occurred on Friday night in the trucks-only tunnel on Interstate 5 at the Antelope Valley Freeway in northern Los Angeles County. The accident caused an intense fire, damaging the freeway structure and closing the Interstate. It also caused the death of three individuals and serious injuries to others. The Governor’s emergency proclamation allows the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) to deploy emergency personnel, equipment and facilities and provide local government assistance under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act. Below is the full text: PROCLAMATION OF STATE OF EMERGENCY WHEREAS on October 12, 2007, a major traffic collision occurred in the trucks-only tunnel on Interstate 5 at the Antelope Valley Freeway in northern Los Angeles County resulting in an intense fire; and WHEREAS the fire created conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property including the death of three individuals, numerous serious injuries and damage to the interstate freeway; and WHEREAS wreckage from 28 semi-trucks and one passenger vehicle resulted in a large disastrous fire that caused the closure of Interstate 5 and damaged the freeway structure; and WHEREAS Interstate 5 is California’s primary transportation artery between northern and southern California and an essential part of the nation’s critical infrastructure; and WHEREAS Interstate 5 remains closed and such closure is impacting the statewide economy and public safety; and WHEREAS on October 14, 2007, Los Angeles County issued a declaration of a local emergency, and requested that I issue a state proclamation of emergency throughout Los Angeles County as a result of the fire and freeway damage; and WHEREAS the circumstances of this situation, by reason of their magnitude, are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; and WHEREAS strict compliance with all statutes, rules and regulations prescribing procedures for the conduct of certain state business, specifically the award and administration of state contracts, would hinder and delay the completion of investigation, technical analysis, and repair work; and WHEREAS under the provision of section 8558(b) of the California Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to these events. Governor Schwarzenegger today proclaimed a State of Emergency in Los Angeles County in response to the major traffic collision that occurred on Friday night in the trucks-only tunnel on Interstate 5 at the Antelope Valley Freeway in northern Los Angeles County. The accident caused an intense fire, damaging the freeway structure and closing the Interstate. It also caused the death of three individuals and serious injuries to others.The Governor’s emergency proclamation allows the state Office of Emergency Services (OES) to deploy emergency personnel, equipment and facilities and provide local government assistance under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act. Below is the full text:on October 12, 2007, a major traffic collision occurred in the trucks-only tunnel on Interstate 5 at the Antelope Valley Freeway in northern Los Angeles County resulting in an intense fire; andthe fire created conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property including the death of three individuals, numerous serious injuries and damage to the interstate freeway; andwreckage from 28 semi-trucks and one passenger vehicle resulted in a large disastrous fire that caused the closure of Interstate 5 and damaged the freeway structure; andInterstate 5 is California’s primary transportation artery between northern and southern California and an essential part of the nation’s critical infrastructure; andInterstate 5 remains closed and such closure is impacting the statewide economy and public safety; andon October 14, 2007, Los Angeles County issued a declaration of a local emergency, and requested that I issue a state proclamation of emergency throughout Los Angeles County as a result of the fire and freeway damage; andthe circumstances of this situation, by reason of their magnitude, are beyond the control of the services, personnel, equipment and facilities of any single county, city and county, or city and require the combined forces of a mutual aid region or regions to combat; andstrict compliance with all statutes, rules and regulations prescribing procedures for the conduct of certain state business, specifically the award and administration of state contracts, would hinder and delay the completion of investigation, technical analysis, and repair work; andunder the provision of section 8558(b) of the California Government Code, I find that conditions of extreme peril to the safety of persons and property exist due to these events. NOW, THEREFORE, I, ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER, Governor of the State of California, in accordance with the authority vested in me by the California Emergency Services Act, and in particular, section 8625 of the California Government Code, HEREBY PROCLAIM A STATE OF EMERGENCY to exist within the County of Los Angeles. IT IS HEREBY ORDERED that that all agencies of the state government utilize and employ state personnel, equipment and facilities for the performance of any and all activities consistent with the direction of my Office of Emergency Services (OES) and the State Emergency Plan, and that OES provide local government assistance under the authority of the California Disaster Assistance Act. IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the operation of all statutes, rules and regulations as they apply to contracts for the investigation, analysis and repair of damage to roadways shall be hereby suspended for the purpose of facilitating the reopening and restoration of the transportation structures damaged by this emergency. California Department of Transportation officers shall exercise sound discretion to apply the suspension to ensure that the suspension of statutes, rules and regulations serves the purpose of accelerating the reopening and restoration of the transportation structures damaged by this emergency. I FURTHER DIRECT that as soon as hereafter possible, this proclamation be filed in the Office of the Secretary of State and that widespread publicity and notice be given of this proclamation. IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 14th day of October 2007. __________________________________ ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER Governor of California ATTEST: __________________________________ DEBRA BOWEN Secretary of State	So far, three people (including a baby) have been killed, and at least ten others were injured when two semi trucks collided in a tunnel on Interstate 5 (Newhall Pass) between Los Angeles and Santa Clarita California, United States in the late evening of October 12, setting off a chain reaction pileup that involved between 28 and 30 semi trucks and one passenger car. The wreck caused a massive fire that burned for over six hours. It was previously believed that only 13 semi trucks were involved. "The fire burned in a very intense state for approximately four hours and basically consumed everything that was burnable," said John Tripp the Fire Chief for L.A. county. As a result of the crash, the Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger issued a declaration of a state of emergency for Los Angeles County. The debris has been removed and officials say that a full inspection will have to be done on the tunnel before it can be used again because the structure of the tunnel has been compromised. The tunnel passed inspection in June of 2006. "The walls of the tunnel are fairly heavily damaged. None of the rebar appears to be melted, damaged at this point in time. But it's completely separated from the walls in a number of areas, so we lose vertical support when that happens," said California Department of Transportation official, Doug Failing. Tripp added that more bodies could be buried in the wreckage, saying "...we're going to have to do a very methodical search. There could be unfortunately more people that were not able to escape." So far authorities have yet to identify the three people who were killed. A full investigation is being conducted into what caused the crash.
Associated Press Matt Slocum / Associated Press David Tyree hoists the football after his touchdown in the fourth quarter gives the Giants the lead. GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The Giants had the perfect answer for the suddenly imperfect Patriots: a big, bad defense and an improbable comeback led by their own Mr. Cool quarterback, Eli Manning. In one of the biggest upsets in Super Bowl history, New York shattered New England's unbeaten season 17-14 Sunday night as Manning hit Plaxico Burress on a 13-yard fade with 35 seconds left. It was the Giants' 11th straight victory on the road and the first time the Patriots tasted defeat in more than a year. It was the most bitter of losses, too, because 12-point favorite New England (18-1) was one play from winning and getting the ultimate revenge for being penalized for illegally taping opponents' defensive signals in the season-opener against the New York Jets. But its defense couldn't stop a final, frantic 12-play, 83-yard drive that featured a spectacular leaping catch by David Tyree, who had scored New York's first touchdown on the opening drive of the fourth quarter. "It's the greatest feeling in professional sports," Burress said before bursting into tears. "That's a position you want to be in," said Manning, who followed older brother Peyton's MVP performance last year with one of his own. "You can't write a better script. There were so many big plays on that drive." And now the 1972 Miami Dolphins can pop another bottle of champagne in celebration of a record still intact, the only perfect season in the Super Bowl era. The Patriots were done in not so much by the pressure of the first unbeaten season in 35 years as by the pressure of a smothering Giants pass rush. Tom Brady, the league's Most Valuable Player and winner of his first three Super Bowls, was sacked five times, hurried a dozen more and at one point wound up on his knees, his hands on his hips following one of many poor throws in New England's lowest scoring game of the season. "They played well," Patriots coach Bill Belichick said. "They made some plays. We made some plays. They just made a few more. We played as hard as we could. We just couldn't make enough plays." Hardly a familiar position for the record-setting Patriots and their megastar quarterback. And a totally strange outcome for a team that seemed destined for historic glory. David helps slay Goliath Known more for his special teams skills, David Tyree came up big in Super Bowl XLII. He scored the Giants' first TD, and his 32-yard reception in the fourth quarter helped set up the winning score. » The miracle play » Video: Tyree's big catch \| TD reception Known more for his special teams skills, David Tyree came up big in Super Bowl XLII. He scored the Giants' first TD, and his 32-yard reception in the fourth quarter helped set up the winning score. Oddly, it was a loss to the Patriots that sparked New York's stunning run to its third Super Bowl and sixth NFL title. New England won 38-35 in Week 17 as the Patriots became the first team in 35 years to go spotless through the regular season. But by playing hard in a meaningless game for them, the Giants (14-6) gained something of a swagger and Manning found his footing. Their growing confidence carried them through playoff victories at Tampa Bay, Dallas and Green Bay, and then past the mightiest opponent of all. Not that the Patriots were very mighty this day. They even conceded with 1 second on the clock as coach Bill Belichick ran across the field to shake the hand of jubilant Giants coach Tom Coughlin, then headed to the locker room, ignoring the final kneeldown. That it was Manning taking that knee was stunning. He not only matched his brother's achievement of last year with the Indianapolis Colts, but he showed the brilliant precision late in the game usually associated with, well, Brady. Peyton Manning was seen in a luxury box jumping up and pumping both fists when Burress, who didn't practice all week because of injuries, caught the winning score. "We just hung in there on offense, kept executing," said Burress, who wasn't far off on the 23-17 prediction he made a few days ago. "It came down to one play and we made it." The Giants became the first NFC wild card team to win a Super Bowl; four AFC teams have done it. They also are the second wild-card champions in three years, following the Pittsburgh Steelers after the 2005 season. The upset also could be viewed as a source of revenge not only for the Giants, but for the other NFL teams over Spygate back in September. That cheating scandal made headlines again late in Super Bowl week, and could have placed an infinite cloud over New England's perfection. Until the frantic fourth quarter, the only scoring came on the game's first two drives. The Giants did almost exactly what they sought with the opening kickoff, using up nearly 10 minutes to go 63 yards. Almost exactly, but not quite, because they settled for a 32-yard field goal after converting four third downs on the 16-play series. The 9:59 drive was the longest in Super Bowl history. That 3-0 lead lasted for the rest of the quarter, but only because the Patriots were stopped at New York's 1 as the period expired. On the next play, Laurence Maroney scored. New England's 12-play drive was aided by a 16-yard pass interference penalty on linebacker Antonio Pierce in the end zone. It began with Maroney's 43-yard kickoff runback. It was the fewest possessions in the first quarter of a Super Bowl. New York's first series of the second quarter looked dangerous after Amani Toomer's lunging sideline catch for 38 yards. But rookie Steve Smith mishandled Manning's throw at the New England 10, Ellis Hobbs intercepted and returned it 23 yards. Those are opportunities teams can't waste against a strong opponent, let alone the Patriots. It was Manning's first interception of the postseason, albeit entirely not his fault; the last was by Hobbs in the season finale. The Giants survived rookie Ahmad Bradshaw's fumble, which he recovered, on their next series, because their league-leading pass rush came alive when the Patriots got the ball back. New York sacked Brady on successive plays, forcing a punt, but the Giants' were hurt by an illegal batting of the ball penalty on Bradshaw after reaching the New England 25. Official site links ... The Giants had the perfectly game plan for defeating the Patriots as they sprung one of the greast upsets in NFL history, if not the greatest. Eli Manning was selected as Super Bowl XLII's MVP. More ... The Patriots were nearly perfect, but their bid of perfection fell one game short as the More ... The Giants had the perfectly game plan for defeating the Patriots as they sprung one of the greast upsets in NFL history, if not the greatest. Eli Manning was selected as Super Bowl XLII's MVP.The Patriots were nearly perfect, but their bid of perfection fell one game short as the New York Giants prevailed in Super Bowl XLII. This was the first Super Bowl loss for Tom Brady. Justin Tuck's second sack, in the final seconds of the half, forced a fumble recovered by New York teammate Osi Umenyiora. The Giants' celebrated defensive line controlled much of the half, holding the most prolific offense in NFL history to a measly 81 yards and seven points. New England had the ball only 10:33. But New York's mistakes left it with just three -- and there are no moral victories in Super Bowls. So the Giants got a real one as the maturing Manning hung in to find Tyree for a 5-yard touchdown to cap an 80-yard drive for a 10-7 lead. Pressed unlike they are accustomed to, the Patriots responded with their own 80-yard march as Brady finally got some time. Randy Moss, who caught a record 23 of Brady's record 50 TD throws this year, took a 6-yard pass when cornerback Corey Webster fell, and with a mere 2:42 remaining, the first 19-0 season was right there. Eli and the Giants snatched it away. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| The New York Giants produced perhaps the biggest upset in Super Bowl history last night, with a stunning 17-14 victory over the New England Patriots in Phoenix. The Patriots were one win away from an undefeated season, a standard that has only been achieved once before in the NFL - by the 1972 Miami Dolphins - and began the game as 5-1 on favourites. Plaxico Burress's touchdown with 35 seconds remaining, however, ended those hopes. The Giants quarterback Eli Manning was awarded the Super Bowl MVP award, but the real stars of the game were the Giants' defensive linemen, who helped restrict the usually free-scoring Pats to just 14 points. The Patriots has scored at least 20 points in every game of their 18-0 run to the Super Bowl, but a remarkably resolute New York side held firm throughout. The early exchanges gave little hint of the largely attritional fare that was to come. The Giants received the kick-off and moved downfield for a field goal on their first drive, but the Patriots responded on their first possession with Laurence Maroney running in for a touchdown from a yard out. That score was in the opening moments of the second quarter and gave the Patriots a 7-3 lead. What followed was intriguing, if a little low-key. The Giants were able to put pressure on the Patriots quarterback Tom Brady, denying him the time to find his favoured receivers, but on offense the New Yorkers struggled to make an impact in the New England half. Heading towards the fourth quarter with the score still 7-3, thoughts turned to another record - that of the lowest-scoring Super Bowl. Again the Dolphins hold that title, with their 14-7 victory over Washington in January 1973. With 11 minutes to go, however, Manning threaded a pass David Tyree in the endzone to put the Giants 10-7 ahead. Back came the Patriots again. Randy Moss created space in the endzone after a near-immaculate drive orchestrated by Brady and New England were 14-10 up with 2.42 left on the clock. That meant a make-or-break final drive for the Giants. Brandon Jacobs squeaked through on a fourth down with 1.22 remaining, then moments later Manning produced the play of the match. New York's chance seemed to have gone, with the Patriots defensive linemen clawing at the quarterback's jersey, but Manning wriggled free and found Tyree downfield to set up a 1st and 10 on the Patriots 24-yard line. A few plays later Burress flumoxed the cornerback Ellis Hobbs and found himself free in the endzone. Manning hit his man and the Giants held firm on New England's final possession to seal a remarkable victory. · Read Paolo Bandini's verdict on Super Bowl XLII by clicking here.	200px The New York Giants defeated the New England Patriots 17-14 to win Super Bowl XLII at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, Sunday night. A touchdown by the New York Giants in the last seconds of the very tight game disrupted the New England Patriots' quest for a perfect, undefeated season. The Patriots attained the lead early in the second quarter, and regained it with 2:42 left in the 4th quarter, losing it only when the game-winning touchdown was scored by Plaxico Burress with 35 seconds left to play. "The drive at the end there were so many clutch plays by so many guys. It is an unbelievable game and an unbelievable feeling," said Giants quarterback Eli Manning. The first quarter started off with a 16 play drive by the Giants which took up nearly 10 minutes and ended in a field goal. Three seconds into the second quarter, the Patriots answered back with a 1 yard run from Laurence Maroney after a pass interference call. The third quarter of the game was scoreless. With 11:05 remaining in the fourth quarter, Eli Manning threw a five yard pass to David Tyree, making the score 10-7. The Patriots then made the score 14-10 on a seven yard pass from Tom Brady to Randy Moss. MVP Eli Manning The next drive for the Giants proved to be the winning one, with Tyree catching a pass that led the team to the Patriots' 24 yard line; Plaxico Burress' following touchdown reception was enough to regain the lead and win the game. Eli Manning was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player and was awarded the Pete Rozell Trophy. "This is the greatest feeling in professional sports. For us to come out and win a world championship tonight -- nobody gave us a shot," said Plaxico Burress.
YANGON, June 8 (Reuters) - Myanmar's military junta has detained 11 HIV patients in a hospital for holding a prayer vigil seeking the release of a prominent health activist, the opposition National League for Democracy (NLD) said on Friday. The group have been confined at the Waybargi Infectious Diseases Hospital on the outskirts of the former Burma's main city, Yangon, NLD spokesman U Myint Thein said. "The authorities made necessary preparations in advance at the hospital to confine them in isolation as 'political patients'," he said. "These 11 people had been holding prayers at pagodas for the release of Phyu Phyu Thinn since May 23." Phyu Phyu Thinn, a 35-year-old NLD member and activist who has suggested Myanmar's HIV/AIDS crisis is far worse than the junta admits, was arrested on May 21 for organising a prayer campaign for the release of NLD leader Aung San Suu Kyi. Nobel peace laureate Suu Kyi, whose party won a landslide election victory in 1990 only to be denied power by the military, has spent more than 11 of the last 17 years in prison or under house arrest. Her latest period of detention began in mid-2003. UNAIDS described the HIV/AIDS situation in Myanmar in 2005 as "a very serious epidemic", with 360,000 men, women and children, or 1.3 percent of adults, estimated to be infected. Myanmar has been under military rule since 1962, during which time its economy has collapsed. Washington describes the current junta, believed to be holding 1,100 political prisoners, as an "outpost of tyranny" and a threat to international security. \|\|\|\|\| HIV/AIDS Patients Detained in Rangoon By Aye Lae June 7, 2007 Email Article Print Article Eleven HIV/AIDS patients in Burma have been detained since Tuesday in Rangoon following the group's demonstrations calling for the release of a prominent HIV/AIDS activist who was arrested earlier by authorities, according to a Rangoon-based activist. The patients are being detained in a room of the Weibagi Hospital, a contagious disease hospital, in Rangoon, according to Yarzar, an HIV/AIDS activist. The patients were taken from their homes to the hospital Tuesday after being told they would receive proper treatment, Yazar told The Irrawaddy. They then learned that they were being detained in the hospital. Yarzar said the patients had held demonstrations from May 22 to 27 in Rangoon pagodas wearing white shirts and red ribbons while praying for the release of prominent HIV/AIDS activist Phyu Phyu Thin, who was arrested on May 21. Police gave no reason for her arrest and have not disclosed where she is being held. Phyu Phyu Thin worked to help about 30 HIV/AIDS patients through education, counseling, housing and arranging for medical care. She is a member of the National League for Democracy. Yazar, a colleague of Phyu Phyu Thin, said two HIV/AIDS patients in Rangoon died days after Phyu Phyu Thin's arrest. He said she was assisting them obtain medicine, and her arrest might have affected their condition. The prominent pro-democracy activist Min Ko Naing told The Associated Press that her arrest was a blow to HIV/AIDS victims who regard Phyu Phyu Thin as a “mountain of hope.” He said she had not violated any laws. Yazar said that some of the detained patients are being investigated by authorities. Write comments on this story Read comments/letters Latest Articles: Junta Orders Monk Curfew at Some Monasteries The Burmese military government has limited alms rounds to one hour and ordered a curfew at some monasteries across Burma, following increased tension between the authorities and monks. ILO Demands Release of Burmese Labor Activists The International Labour Organization called on Wednesday for the immediate release of six Burmese labor activists who were sentenced to life imprisonment last week on charges of bringing the regime in contempt. Families Ask ICRC to Locate Detainees’ Whereabouts Members of the families of activists detained in recent demonstrations have appealed to the International Committee of the Red Cross to help them discover where the detainees are being held after an inconclusive visit to Insein prison on Tuesday. Lone Demonstrator Gets Four Year Jail Term A court in Taunggok Township, Arakan State, yesterday sentenced a lone protester to four years imprisonment hours after he was arrested for displaying a placard demanding the excommunication from the Buddhist faith of junta leader Snr-Gen Than Shwe. US Calls on Burma to Give Access to Detained Activists The US called on Burma on Tuesday to give international humanitarian organizations access to activists detained in recent demonstrations. \|\|\|\|\| Burma Releases Prominent Rights Activist Opposition officials in Burma say a prominent human rights activist has been released from custody after spending two and a half weeks in detention. The opposition National League for Democracy says Su Su Nway was released on health grounds and remains in the hospital for an unknown medical condition. It said armed guards had been watching her since her hospitalization, but were removed Thursday. Su Su Nway was arrested with a group of pro-democracy activists in Rangoon on May 15. The protesters were demanding the release of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Su Su Nway won an unprecedented victory in Burmese courts in 2005 against village officials after she and her neighbors were forced to repair a road without pay. She was arrested shortly after her legal victory for allegedly threatening and swearing at authorities and served nine months in prison. Some information for this report was provided by AP.	Myanmar authorities detained 11 HIV/AIDS patients for three days in a Yangon hospital following the group's recent demonstrations calling for the release of detained HIV/AIDS activist Phyu Phyu Thinn. The patients were being detained at Waybargi Infectious Diseases Hospital on the outskirts of Yangon. "The patients were given a series of tests and all of them were freed Friday," Yazar, a colleague of Phyu Phyu Thinn and a supporter of the National League for Democracy, was quoted as saying by Associated Press. "Three of the patients were given ARV (anti-retroviral) treatment and all of them were provided with cash to return to their homes in their districts," said Yazar, who like many Myanmar people only has one name. Phyu Phyu Thinn, 35, a supporter of the NLD, was arrested on May 21 for organizing a prayer campaign for the release of Suu Kyi, the NLD's leader. A prominent HIV/AIDS activist, Phyu Phyu Thinn has suggested HIV/AIDS is far worse in Myanmar than the ruling State Peace and Development Council cares to admit. She runs a small clinic, and has worked to help HIV/AIDS patients through education, counseling, housing and arranging for medical care. Yazar said the patients were taken from their homes to the hospital on Tuesday after being told they would receive proper treatment. "The authorities made necessary preparations in advance at the hospital to confine them in isolation as 'political patients'," Myint Thein of the National League for Democracy (NLD) was quoted as saying by Reuters. "These 11 people had been holding prayers at pagodas for the release of Phyu Phyu Thinn since May 23." Yazar, who like many Myanmar people has only one name, told the ''Irrawaddy'' newsmagazine that two HIV/AIDS patients in Yangon died in the days after Phyu Phyu Thinn's arrest. He said she was assisting them obtain medicine, and her arrest might have affected their condition. In 2005, UNAIDS said HIV/AIDS in Myanmar was "a very serious epidemic," with 360,000 men, women and children, or 1.3 percent of adults, estimated to be infected. ===Another activist released=== Meanwhile, the junta has released prominent democracy activist Su Su Nway for health reasons. Su Su Nway was among around 40 demonstrators who were arrested on May 15 during a prayer rally in Yangon, calling for Suu Kyi's release. Su Su Nway became ill after she was taken to jail, and was then taken to hospital. Armed guards had been watching her, but were removed yesterday, according to the NLD. Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military control since 1962. After a landslide election win by Suu Kyi and the NLD in 1990, the military refused to give up power, and has kept Suu Kyi under house arrest for most of the time since then.
Voters rejected Fatah's corrupt image and endorsed Hamas for its opposition to Israel and for providing welfare, schools and nurseries to the impoverished residents of the territory. Hamas won 75 out of 118 seats, leaving Fatah with 39. The result will strengthen those in Hamas who want to reduce its military activities and concentrate on politics, although the group has not yet announced its intention to stand in legislative elections this year. The militant group has agreed to suspend attacks on Israel while Mr Abbas attempts to restart peace negotiations. Yesterday, Palestinian police were deployed in the centre and south of the Gaza Strip to prevent attacks on Jewish settlements. Following a call by Mr Abbas for a ceasefire, Israel said yesterday it was sharply reducing its military operations in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Thousands of Hamas supporters took to the streets of Gaza yesterday to celebrate the victory. Chanting "Hamas is the real way for reform and rebuilding", the supporters waved green flags and distributed sweets. Muhir al-Masri, a Hamas spokesman, said: "Our people have a consensus on the choice of jihad and resistance and the election has underscored that concept." \|\|\|\|\| Washington Post Foreign Service Saturday, January 29, 2005; Page A01 BEIT RIMA, West Bank -- Fathiya Barghouti Rheime sees herself as the new face of Islam in the democratic Middle East espoused so fervently by President Bush. She is a 30-year-old high school teacher, mother of a 9-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. She describes herself as a "very religious" Muslim. She wears the hejab, a scarf wrapped tightly over her head. She does not shake hands with men outside of her family. Two weeks ago, Rheime became the first woman ever elected mayor of a Palestinian community, an achievement that stunned many residents in this traditional, patriarchal society. "It's a sign of change, a quantum leap," Rheime said while sitting in her newly painted office with blank white walls and peach draperies. "I'm deeply concerned about transmitting the picture of the active Islamic woman to the world, to wipe away the blemish of the veil." She won public office with support from voters who do not fit Bush's conception of democracy in the Middle East: backers of the Islamic Resistance Movement, known as Hamas, which the U.S. government has designated a terrorist group, and people who consider her jailed husband a patriot because he drove the getaway car in the assassination of Israeli Tourism Minister Rehavam Zeevi in October 2001. Rheime's victory exemplifies the contradictions between Western views of democracy and its actual practice in a Middle Eastern environment. The results of Palestinian municipal elections in the West Bank last month, the first in 29 years, revealed a potentially fundamental shift in Palestinian politics. Islamic candidates, most of them members of Hamas who did not openly declare their association for fear of arrest or harassment by Israeli troops, won about 35 percent of all local council races. In Gaza on Thursday, Hamas won elections to control seven of 10 town councils. Female candidates claimed 52 of 306 open seats in the West Bank -- nearly 17 percent of the elected positions and more than 2 1/2 times the quota that had been reserved for women in an effort to broaden their representation in a male-dominated society. Like Rheime, many of the winning female candidates drew support from the Islamic movement. Though she ran as an independent for a seat on the council representing the West Bani Zaid Municipality, she was also listed on the Islamic parties' ticket. Five other Islamic candidates won seats on the 13-member council in the Dec. 23 vote, including another woman, Raidah Rimawi. One Islamic candidate ran -- and won -- from his Israeli jail cell. Another winning Islamic councilman was arrested at his house by Israeli troops three weeks after the election. Both are being held without charge under administrative detention, according to fellow council members. The Fatah movement, the dominant Palestinian political party founded by longtime Palestinian leader and icon Yasser Arafat, who died in November, claimed five seats. Only one member of the former all-Fatah council sought reelection. He lost. Rheime was elected mayor by the council on Jan. 16 with a seven-vote majority -- the five Islamic members, a communist and a socialist. Rheime and her Islamic party colleagues on the council -- two of whom are distant relatives -- believe that convincing the West to change its perception of Islam is just as critical as repairing potholes and improving the drinking water for the residents of this bucolic but economically ravaged voting district of 6,000 people, located barely 20 miles west of the skyscrapers of affluent Tel Aviv. Saed Rheime, 34-year-old imam of a local mosque who holds a masters degree in theology, is Islamic in his politics and ideology and embraces his party's campaign slogan, "Islam is the solution." He won more votes than any other council member in West Bani Zaid .	Hamas, a radical islamist party, has won by a large majority in the Gaza Strip council elections held last month. Hamas won 75 out of the 118 seats, with Fatah, the party of Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas only managing to secure 39 seats. Of the ten council areas in Gaza, Hamas has control of seven. Fathiya Barghouti Rheime, a 30-year-old high school teacher, and mother of two, was one of the seven Hamas mayors elected in the Gaza strip. She has become the second female mayor of a Palestinian community, and the first ever elected one. "It's a sign of change," she said "I'm deeply concerned about transmitting the picture of the active Islamic woman to the world, to wipe away the blemish of the veil." In the West Bank, Female candidates won 52 of 306 seats. Two and a half times the number of seats that had been reserved for women.
The video shows Alan in apparently good health Saeb Erekat, adviser to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, said military action would be justified to free him. His comments followed the release on Friday of a video of Mr Johnston, the first since his abduction on 12 March. Mr Johnston's parents welcomed the video, in which he says he is in good health and is being treated well. Graham and Margaret Johnston said the video, reportedly posted on the internet by the Army of Islam group, had given them "renewed hope". "He looked well," Mr Johnston's father said. "Apparently he has been well cared for as he said, although I have to say it is very distressing to see him in such circumstances." "I would just hope this maybe is the end game. We hope and pray it is." Prime Minister Tony Blair, on a visit to South Africa, said the British government was doing everything it possibly could to secure his release. A BBC statement read: "This is a highly distressing time for them and for his friends and his colleagues. We repeat our call for his immediate release." Demands On the video, Mr Johnston, seated and wearing a red sweatshirt, said his captors had treated him very well. "They have fed me well, there has been no violence towards me at all and I'm in good health," he said. He also called for an end to Western sanctions that have been imposed on the Palestinian government. "Everyday there are Palestinians arrested, imprisoned for no reason. People are killed on a daily basis. The economic suffering is terrible, especially here in Gaza." Mr Johnston also said the British government was working to occupy Muslim lands, such as Iraq and Afghanistan, against the will of the people there. At the end of the tape, the Army of Islam demanded the release of Abu Qatada, a Palestinian-born Islamic cleric who is suspected of close links to al-Qaeda and is currently held by the UK government as a threat to national security. 'Military operation' In an interview with BBC's Newsnight programme, Mr Erekat said he believed the video was a "proof of life", but also that the BBC journalist was speaking under duress. ARMY OF ISLAM FACTS Small, Islamist armed group operating in Gaza Splinter group of the Popular Resistance Committees Seeks liberation of Palestine and an Islamic state Influenced by, but not affiliated with, al-Qaeda Led by Mumtaz Dugmush, also known as Abu Muhammad, a member of a powerful clan One of three groups allegedly holding captured Israeli soldier Cpl Gilad Shalit Video: Full transcript "To have him say what he said today in a tape which was circulated the world over, I believe this harms the Palestinian cause," he said. Mr Erekat said the Palestinian Authority did not know anything about the Army of Islam, or its alleged leaders, the Dugmush clan. "These people are nothing more than gangsters," he added. "I don't think they are linked to anyone." Nevertheless, he said Mr Abbas was exerting pressure on his cabinet and all the Palestinian factions to ensure Mr Johnston's release. "Fatah, Hamas, all the factions, the president, the prime minister, in this particular case, they see eye to eye," Mr Erekat said. "We are all unified as far as condemning this despicable and shameful act." Mr Erekat said the current situation could not be tolerated and that the government simply had to act. "We must really determine where his location is, and then move... even if it takes a military or a security operation," he said. Mr Johnston, 45, was the only Western reporter permanently based in Gaza and his abduction has triggered appeals for his release from lawmakers and rights groups around the world. More than 130,000 people have now signed an online petition calling for his release. \|\|\|\|\| Unfortunately we are unable to process your request at this time. This error is usually temporary. Please try again later. If you continue to experience this error, it may be caused by one of the following: You may want to scan your system for spyware and viruses, as they may interfere with your ability to connect to Yahoo!. For detailed information on spyware and virus protection, please visit the Yahoo! Security Center. This problem may be due to unusual network activity coming from your Internet Service Provider. We recommend that you report this problem to them. While this error is usually temporary, if it continues and the above solutions don't resolve your problem, please let us know. Return to Yahoo!	Alan Johnston in an undated BBC photo A video has been released by the captors of Alan Johnston, the BBC Gaza correspondent who was kidnapped on March 12, 2007. Johnston has been missing longer than any foreigner kidnapped in the Gaza Strip. Johnston was shown in the video to be wearing a red sweatshirt, and seemed to be in good health. The video appeared on the internet site Al-Ekhlaas, often used by Islamic militants. It bears the logo of the Army of Islam, the Palestinian militant group that had been believed to be holding the 45-year-old reporter, and opened with Arabic chanting and verses from the Quran. In the video Johnston stated: "They the captors have fed me well, there has been no violence towards me at all and I'm in good health." Johnson called for an end to Western sanctions against Palestine and also blamed Israel for all the problems that the Palestinian people was enduring. The BBC made a petition for Johnston's release, and has now been signed by over 130,000 people. The video ended with Johnston about to outline conditions for his release, only to have the tape cut away to an as yet unidentified voice in Arabic demanding freedom for Islamic prisoners, including a radical cleric with ties to al-Qaeda imprisoned in Britain.
Story highlights A jihadist group claims responsibility in an audio recording, news agency reports The Malian government calls the shooting a "terrorist act" One French citizen, one Belgian and three Malians are killed (CNN) A shooting at a bar popular with expatriates in Mali on Saturday killed five people, including French and Belgian citizens, authorities said. One French citizen, one Belgian and three Malians were killed in the attack in the capital of Bamako, said Gabriel Toure, director of a local hospital. An additional eight people were wounded, he said. Authorities called the shooting a "criminal and terrorist act." "Mali remains committed to seeking peace and will not be intimidated by those who have no other motives than to do away (with) the prospects of peace and harmony amongst the Malians," the government said in a statement. A North African jihadist group, al-Murabitun, claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Mauritanian news agency Al Akhbar. The purported claim came in an audio message in which the group said it carried out the attack in retaliation for the killing of one of its leaders, Al Akhbar said. "Al-Murabitun may be considered a regional competitor to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM)," according to the Jamestown Foundation, a Washington-based research and analysis firm. The U.S. State Department said in January that al-Murabitun is a "newly-formed" militant group that has presence in northern Mali. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius said the victim from his country was 31 years old. French President Francois Hollande released a statement condemning the attack. U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry expressed his condolences to the victims' families in a news conference in Paris on Saturday. "This is an act of cowardice," he said. "But an act of opening fire in a restaurant filled with innocent civilians -- in the end, that only strengthens our resolve to fight terrorism in all of its forms, wherever it exists." The French Embassy in Bamako warned its citizens to be on alert if they go out in public. Though it's unclear whether any rebel group is responsible for the attack, Malian forces have battled Islamist militants in the northern part of the nation for years. Fabius said the Malian government was interrogating some suspects. Mali plunged into chaos after soldiers staged a coup three years ago. As a result, Tuareg fighters capitalized on the power vacuum to launch an insurgency that ended with their takeover of the north. After the Tuareg fighters seized the region, a power struggle erupted with local Islamist radicals. The extremists toppled the tribe and seized control of a large piece of northern Mali, an area the size of France. Since then, the nation has battled various rebel factions, mostly in the northern region, with the help of French and African forces. \|\|\|\|\| Mali nightclub attack kills five in Bamako Mali's conflict with separatist Tuareg rebels has been complicated by the rise of Islamist militant groups Five people have been killed in a machine-gun and grenade attack on a nightclub in Mali's capital Bamako. A BBC correspondent at the scene said a French national was shot dead at the bar. Two Malian men were killed as the gunmen fled the scene. A Belgian man died when a grenade was thrown at his car in a nearby street. A third European died in hospital. Witnesses said the attackers shouted "God is Great" in Arabic ("Allahu Akbar"). A senior intelligence official told Reuters news agency that two people connected to the incident had been arrested. French President Francois Hollande strongly condemned Saturday's "cowardly attack". Quick escape The BBC's Alex Duval Smith in Bamako says that French soldiers arrived quickly after the attack on Saturday. They confirmed that the man killed at the bar was a French national. The Malian army has been fighting Islamist militants for years Our correspondent says that one of the Malian victims is believed to have been a police officer, the other a security guard. A witness told the BBC that he saw four men flee the scene in a vehicle and one on a motorbike. Eight more people were wounded in the attack, a source at the Gabriel Toure hospital told AFP news agency. Islamist militants have been fighting the Malian army for a number of years. French and African troops intervened in Mali in January 2013 to stop the southern advance of al-Qaeda-linked fighters on the capital, Bamako. The fighters were eventually expelled from towns across the north, but both nomadic Tuareg rebels and other Islamist militant groups have remained active. The Malian government signed a ceasefire deal with an alliance of Tuareg rebels in the country's troubled north in February. Northern Mali has been a flashpoint of conflict since Mali's independence from French rule in 1960, with Tuareg rebels campaigning for independence or more autonomy. The conflict has become more complex with emergence of jihadi groups, which roam freely across parts of the Sahara desert. Are you in the area? Do you have any information you would like to share? You can email us at haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk. If you are happy to speak further to a BBC journalist please include a contact telephone number. Have your say \|\|\|\|\| A hooded assailant has killed five people including a Frenchman and a Belgian in a gun and grenade attack on a nightclub popular with expatriates in Mali’s capital Bamako. A policeman, a security guard and a young woman were the three Malians who died. The attacker shouted “Allahu akbar” (Arabic for ‘God is great’) as he burst into the nightclub, La Terrasse, at about one am and sprayed bullets from an automatic rifle, witnesses said. French troops intervened in the west African country two years ago against groups linked with al-Qaeda. The Frenchman was shot dead in the first-floor bar. The Belgian, a security officer with the European Union delegation in Bamako, was killed in front of his house in a nearby street as the attacker made his getaway in a car driven by an accomplice who also wore a hood concealing his face, police said. As they drove away, the attacker hurled a grenade at a police car, killing the policeman. Nine people were wounded, including two Swiss soldiers serving as UN experts, who were described as being in “stable but critical condition”, and a Swiss woman. Two suspects were arrested, police said. No group has claimed responsibility. French troops intervened in Mali two years ago against extremists linked with al-Qaeda who had overrun more than half of the west African country. French troops rushed to the nightclub minutes after the attack and the area was cordoned off by Malian soldiers while they searched for unexploded grenades. A local resident told France Info radio that gunfire continued for at least 10 minutes. “I saw a flash, I heard shooting and saw people running in all directions,” he said. The French embassy advised French residents of Bamako to stay at home where possible and to exercise caution if they went out. More than 6,000 French citizens live in the city. French and Belgian leaders condemned what President François Hollande described as a “cowardly attack”. Mr Hollande said he had offered the Malian president, Ibrahim Boubakar Keita, “the aid of France” to combat extremism. Three months after the Charlie Hebdo attack in Paris, the French prime minister, Manuel Valls, said he was “horrified” by the attack in Bamako. “We will never yield,” he said in a tweet. France, the former colonial power in Mali and several other north and west African countries, has 3,000 troops in the region whose role is to prevent jihadist groups from seizing territory. French forces intervened in Mali in January 2013 after Islamist groups took control of the vast deserts in the north of the country, imposed sharia law, and started advancing towards the capital in the more fertile south. The French drove them out of towns in the north, including Timbuktu, but the Islamists continue to roam across the desert and carry out attacks. However, this is the first such violence for years in the capital. About 1,000 French soldiers are still based in Mali. The country faces a threat not only from Islamists but also from several northern-based Tuareg rebel groups demanding independence or more autonomy. The government signed a cease-fire with a Tuareg rebel alliance last weekend.	The attack took place in the capital city of Bamako Five people, including two Europeans, have been killed by gunmen during an attack on a bar in , the capital city of Mali, early on Sunday morning. At least nine others were injured during the attack in which the assailants used machine guns and grenades. Three Malians, a French national, and a Belgian security official who was working for the European Union were killed. At least three Swiss nationals, including soldiers, are amongst the wounded. Local newspaper ''al-Akhbar'' reported , an Islamic extremist group, say they are behind the shooting. Gunmen attacked the La Terrasse bar shortly at around 1:00a.m. French soldiers were on-scene soon after the attack had started. Commenting for the BBC, Alex Duval-Smith said "When I arrived there about an hour after the attack, there was a white body bag on the floor. A dozen Malian police were at the scene, including an inspector who used tables and stools to cordon off the bar. A witness said the attackers had sped off in a vehicle and on a motorbike and that one had shouted ''". al-Murabitun hold territory in Northern Mali. According to the they are "newly-formed". French President François Hollande said the shooting was "cowardly" and spoke to , the President of Mali. During the conversation he offered Mali "the aid of France" to fight extremism. The French Embassy in Bamako has warned its citizens living in the city to be on high alert. This is believed to be the first attack by a Islamist group in the capital city. In 2013 French troops aided in displacing Islamist forces from towns in Northern Mali. Mali still has around 1,000 serving French soldiers stationed in the country. == Sources == * * *
How Bellyache crafted a whole generation of NRL coaches An incredible 25 current head or assistant coaches have been somehow influenced by Craig Bellamy. One of them is Brad Arthur, who confronts his old boss on Thursday night. Robbo: Dimma most uncelebrated coaching great ever Alastair Clarkson is widely considered a footy genius for changing footy but it’s about time Richmond coach Damien Hardwick received the same accolade, Mark Robinson writes. Drug code twist: Will player secrecy be stripped? The controversial shroud of secrecy surrounding players’ drug strikes will again be front and centre as part of a ‘contemporary look’ at the league’s ageing illicit drug code. \|\|\|\|\| Shannon leaning toward spacewalk repair of blanket BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: June 10, 2007 Concern about possible re-entry heat damage to the underlying structure of the shuttle Atlantis' left-side maneuvering rocket pod under a pulled-up insulation blanket may prompt a simple spacewalk repair job, the chairman of NASA's Mission Management Team said today. This view of the blanket was taken by the shuttle inspection boom. Credit: NASA The front edge of the blanket in question apparently pulled away from adjacent heat-shield tiles by the swift flow of air passing over it during the early stages of launch Friday. John Shannon told reporters that engineers studying the protruding triangular 4-inch by 6-inch blanket are concerned about the possible effects of re-entry heating on the graphite epoxy honeycomb structure of the shuttle's left Orbital Maneuvering System pod. Shuttles have safely returned to Earth on several occasions with broken or lost tiles and lost blankets on the OMS pods. But in some cases, the underlying structure was damaged and required repairs. "We have actually damaged that on several of those flights where you had some heat effects," Shannon said. "When we talked to the engineering guys and the structural team, they were a little bit uncomfortable today. And the reason they were uncomfortable was because if you get down to that honeycomb, that structural area, you're losing some margin, you're not exactly in the flight parameters you expect to go fly." He said it was difficult to accurately predict what sort of damage might occur because engineers cannot tell how much underlying insulation might have pulled away with the blanket. "Because we do not want to damage flight hardware, we sent off a (team of engineers) to work with the EVA, the spacewalk team, to go assess some options. The simplest is we would just tuck that blanket back down and fill that cavity back up. And they're talking about different ways to maybe secure it. "We did not judge what the right answer was, we're going to let that spacewalk team go off and assess that and they'll come back to me tomorrow and lay out options, pros and cons, and then we'll decide A) if we want to do anything with this blanket and then if we do want to do something, what is the right course of action." This graphic shows previous shuttle flights with OMS pod damage. Credit: NASA During the region of peak heating, the upper surfaces of the OMS pods experience 700 to 1,000 degree Fahrenheit for about 15 minutes. During that period, the shuttle is at such high altitudes that very little aerodynamic pressure is present. "You have the heating of the vehicle in this area that goes up and is significant for 15- to 20-minute period of time but you really don't have any aerodynamic loads on it at that time, it's very, very low dynamic pressure on that blanket area," Shannon said. "So after you get through the high heating area, then you start to pick up aerodynamic loads. "What does that mean to you? Well, what it means is whatever condition you start re-entry in with that cavity, or that blanket, it's going to pretty much stay in that configuration throughout the high-heating time frame. Then it might change, it might pull up more, whatever, in a time when you don't really care very much." Shannon said he was not leaning one way or the other toward ordering a repair, saying "tomorrow I'll have a better idea of what the different options are." But a few minutes later he said, "I think after seeing the effect on the graphite epoxy honeycomb on some (past flights) I'm leaning may be a little bit toward doing it, but we have to hear what the options are." Because engineers don't know exactly what sort of heat damage to expect, "I would just like to kind of avoid that whole scenario altogether and tuck that blanket back down. And I'm expecting the team to come in and give me some ideas of how to do that and then we'll see where it fits in the timeline. If we can accommodate it, I think that's probably what we'll do." The Atlantis astronauts plan spacewalks Monday, Wednesday and Friday to activate and configure a new solar array and to carry out a variety of other tasks. If a repair job is added, it likely would occur during the third spacewalk, after the high-priority work to complete the activation of the new solar arrays. Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: SHUTTLE CREW WELCOMED ABOARD STATION PLAY VIDEO: ATLANTIS DOCKS WITH THE SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO: WATCH THE RENDEZVOUS BACKFLIP MANUEVER PLAY VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VIEW FROM COMPLEX 41 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE VAB ROOF PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD FRONT CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA AT THE BEACH PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS! 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Register today at www.agi.com/ux! Telescopes.com Largest selection and the best prices anywhere in the world. Free shipping on select items. Telescopes.com is the largest dealer of both Meade and Celestron Telescopes. Visit Telescopes.com or call toll free 1-800-303-5873. Project Orion The Orion crew exploration vehicle is NASA's first new human spacecraft developed since the space shuttle a quarter-century earlier. The capsule is one of the key elements of returning astronauts to the Moon. Choose your store: U.S. Fallen Heroes special patch This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia. Choose your store: U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Next shuttle! The official crew patch for the next space shuttle mission. The Atlantis crew will install new solar wings on the space station in June. Choose your store: U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide \|\|\|\|\| Atlantis arrives at the station after smooth rendezvous BY WILLIAM HARWOOD STORY WRITTEN FOR CBS NEWS "SPACE PLACE" & USED WITH PERMISSION Posted: June 10, 2007; Updated after truss handoff Commander Rick Sturckow guided the shuttle Atlantis to a picture-perfect docking with the international space station today after a dramatic end-over-end flip across the heart of South America to let the station crew photograph the shuttle's fragile heat shield. Credit: NASA TV/Spaceflight Now Using a joystick on the shuttle's aft flight deck, Sturckow deftly closed out a trouble-free two-day rendezvous with a gentle docking at 3:36 p.m. EDT as the two spacecraft sailed high above the east coast of Australia northeast of Sydney. "ISS and Houston, from Atlantis. Capture confirmed," a shuttle astronaut radioed as the docking systems engaged. A few minutes later, hooks and latches were activated to firmly pull the two spacecraft together. After leak checks to make sure the interface is airtight, hatches were opened and the station crew welcomed their shuttle colleagues aboard a little past 5 p.m. "Atlantis. Arriving," station flier Sunita Williams said, following naval tradition and ringing the ship's bell in the Destiny laboratory module. The shuttle crew then floated into the station to hugs, smiles and handshakes. Running three months late because of hail damage to the shuttle's external fuel tank, Atlantis brought two welcome additions to the international lab complex: A $367 million set of solar panels and a fresh crew member - Clay Anderson - to replace Williams. Launched to the outpost last December aboard shuttle Discovery, Williams will set a new space endurance record for female astronauts and cosmonauts when she lands aboard Atlantis June 19 after 192 days off planet. "Great job today, Atlantis, on the rendezvous," astronaut Terry Virts radioed from mission control. "Very nice approach. And welcome to your new home, Clay." "Thanks a lot, Houston," Sturckow replied. Lead flight director Cathy Koerner was elated. "What a great day to be in the space business," she told reporters later. "We had just a picture-perfect rendezvous and docking today and I could not have asked for smoother operations between the flight control team and the crew on orbit. We made this look easy. To put that in perspective for you, on how not easy it really is, we took a quarter-million-pound vehicle today and we connected it with about a half-million-pound (space station) and we did all that at 17,500 mph." Today's rendezvous and docking included a now-routine but nonetheless spectacular rotational pitch maneuver, or RPM, a key element in NASA's post-Columbia focus on assessing the health of the orbiter's heat shield before a crew commits to re-entry. Spectacular video beamed down from the space station showed Atlantis performing a graceful pirouette 600 feet directly below the laboratory, a slow-motion back flip against the backdrop of the Brazilian rain forest racing past 220 miles below. There were no obvious signs of anything unusual, but engineers are just beginning their assessment of zoomed-in digital photographs shot by station commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and flight engineer Oleg Kotov. "Right now, the team is looking at the approach photography that you saw the station crew take," said John Shannon, chairman of NASA's mission management team. "I was just up in the imagery lab and nothing really jumped out at us." Engineers plan to work through the night to analyze the photos and determine whether any additional, "focused" inspections might be needed. After completing the pitch maneuver, Sturckow piloted Atlantis in a slow loop up to a point about 300 feet directly in front of the station with the shuttle's nose pointing toward deep space and its open payload bay toward a docking port on the front of the Destiny laboratory module. From there, he flew the shuttle straight in for docking. On most flights, rendezvous and docking would be the highlight of a busy day in space. But for Atlantis' crew, docking kicked off an equally busy afternoon of work to pull the 36,000-pound S3/S4 solar array truss segment from the shuttle's cargo bay so it could be handed off to the station's robot arm and safely "parked" overnight. The arm-to-arm handoff was completed around 8:30 p.m. The massive segment will be attached to the right side of the station's main power truss on Monday just before the start of a spacewalk by Jim Reilly and Danny Olivas to make critical electrical connections and prepare the new arrays for deployment Tuesday. Once extended, the panels will stretch 240 feet from tip to tip. An identical set of arrays was attached to the left side of the main power truss last September. The new arrays, and the relocation of a third set of solar panels later this year, are required to generate the power needed to support the long-awaited delivery of European and Japanese research modules late this year and early next. Atlantis' crew plans spacewalks Monday, Wednesday and Friday to complete the outfitting and activation of the new S3/S4 solar array segment and to perform a variety of other assembly tasks. They also will assist, if necessary, work to retract the P6-2B solar panel so the arrays can be moved to the left end of the power truss later this year. One wild card in the crew's flight plan is what, if anything, NASA managers might decide to do about a pulled-up insulation blanket on the upper section of Atlantis' left-side Orbital Maneuvering System rocket pod. Engineers have not yet completed their assessment of the blanket or what techniques spacewalking astronauts might employ to address the problem. Additional coverage for subscribers: VIDEO: SHUTTLE CREW WELCOMED ABOARD STATION PLAY VIDEO: ATLANTIS DOCKS WITH THE SPACE STATION PLAY VIDEO: WATCH THE RENDEZVOUS BACKFLIP MANUEVER PLAY VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 2 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO: SATURDAY'S MISSION STATUS BRIEFING PLAY VIDEO: FLIGHT DAY 1 HIGHLIGHTS MOVIE PLAY VIDEO: INSIDE MISSION CONTROL DURING LAUNCH PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: VIEW FROM COMPLEX 41 PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD PERIMETER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE VAB ROOF PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: THE PRESS SITE PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: UCS-23 TRACKER PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: PAD FRONT CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH REPLAY: CAMERA AT THE BEACH PLAY VIDEO: LAUNCH OF ATLANTIS! PLAY VIDEO: FULL LENGTH MOVIE OF ASCENT TO ORBIT PLAY VIDEO: EXTERNAL TANK ONBOARD VIDEO CAMERA PLAY VIDEO: POST-LAUNCH PRESS CONFERENCE PLAY VIDEO: ASTRONAUTS DEPART QUARTERS FOR THE PAD PLAY VIDEO: PAD'S ROTATING SERVICE STRUCTURE RETRACTED PLAY VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS FROM ATLANTIS' LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY VIDEO: HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PAYLOAD'S LAUNCH CAMPAIGN PLAY MORE: STS-117 VIDEO COVERAGE SUBSCRIBE NOW STS-118 patch This is the official astronaut patch of space shuttle Endeavour's STS-118 mission to the International Space Station. The crew features Barbara Morgan, the former Idaho teacher and now NASA's first Educator Mission Specialist. Choose your store: U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide X-15 DVD set The X-15 rocket plane pushed the boundaries of aerospace with trips out to mach 6.7 and altitudes of over 350,000 feet. This 3 DVD collection contains over 10 hours of material, the largest ever assembled and will allow you to experience the proud legacy of the X-15. Choose your store: U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide User presentations, software demos, and technology experts‹all at the 2007 AGI User Exchange this Aug. 28-29 in Washington, D.C.. Register today at www.agi.com/ux! Telescopes.com Largest selection and the best prices anywhere in the world. Free shipping on select items. Telescopes.com is the largest dealer of both Meade and Celestron Telescopes. Visit Telescopes.com or call toll free 1-800-303-5873. Next shuttle! The official crew patch for the next space shuttle mission. The Atlantis crew will install new solar wings on the space station in June. Choose your store: U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide Ares patch The Ares Project will develop two new rockets to launch astronauts back to the Moon under NASA's Vision for Exploration. The Ares 1 will employ a single space shuttle solid rocket booster to loft the Orion crew capsule. The gigantic Ares 5 will haul the equipment and cargo needed for such lunar voyages. This is the Ares emblem. Choose your store: U.S. Fallen Heroes special patch This special 12-inch embroidered patch commemorates the U.S. astronauts who made the ultimate sacrifice, honoring the crews of Apollo 1, Challenger and Columbia. Choose your store: U.S. - U.K. - E.U. - Worldwide	Space Shuttle ''Atlantis'' docked with the International Space Station yesterday, and astronauts James Reilly and Danny Olivas were planning their first spacewalk today. The shuttle docked at 3:36 p.m. EDT (1736 UTC) yesterday, doing an end-over-end flip over South America to let the International Space Station crew photograph the shuttle's heat shield. Called the "Rotational Pitch Maneuver", the move is now routine. In today's spacewalk, scheduled for 17:53 UTC today, Reilly and Olivas, with the help of a giant robotic arm, will install a new set of solar panels to the station. After lift-off on Friday from Kennedy Space Center, ''Atlantis'' suffered a triangular four-inch by six-inch (10 centimeter by 15 centimeter) tear on a thermal blanket that protects the left side maneuvering rocket pod. Also, small pieces of foam broke off from its external fuel tanks. Mission chairman John Shannon said he was "leaning toward" ordering another spacewalk so that the tear in the blanket could be repaired.
Disgraced former People’s Liberation Army No 2 Xu Caihou died of bladder cancer on Sunday, Xinhua reported late that night. He was 71. Xu, a former vice-chairman of the Central Military Commission, was facing prosecution for corruption after coming under investigation last year. He was the most senior PLA general to be probed for graft. Xinhua said military prosecutors had decided to drop the charges against the general, but would continue to process his alleged illicit financial gains in accordance with the law. Military prosecutors wrapped up their investigation of Xu's graft case in October, accusing him of taking advantage of his position to help others gain promotions. In return, he allegedly accepted huge bribes personally and through his family. Xu was expelled from the Communist Party in June. Since President Xi Jinping extended his anti-graft campaign to the military, 16 senior officers, including Xu, have been detained in the last year for suspected graft. And early this month, the People's Liberation Army announced that another 14 officers, many of them major generals, had also come under investigation. Among them is Guo Zhenggang, son of Xu's counterpart Guo Boxiong. Mainland media and military representatives on the sidelines of the just finished annual parliamentary sessions in Beijing named Guo Boxiong in relation to his son's case, prompting speculation over the fate of the father. It is unclear if Xu's death and the end of his prosecution will affect Guo Boxiong. \|\|\|\|\| General Xu Caihou listens to national anthems during a welcome ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington, in this October 27, 2009 file photo. BEIJING One of the most senior Chinese military officers to be accused of corruption has died of cancer, the state news agency Xinhua said on Monday, sparing the government what could have been an embarrassing trial. Xu Caihou retired as vice chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission in 2013 and from the ruling Communist Party's decision-making Politburo in 2012. In a brief statement released shortly after midnight, Xinhua said that Xu had died in hospital on Sunday of multiple organ failure bought on by bladder cancer after efforts to save him failed. His illness had previously been reported by the government. Though he has died, his "illegal gains" will still be dealt with in accordance with the law, the report added, without providing further details. China's Defence Ministry carried the same Xinhua report on its website. It was not immediately possible to reach family members for comment. President Xi Jinping heads the Central Military Commission, which controls the 2.3 million-strong armed forces, the world's largest, and has made weeding out corruption in the military a top goal. The government said in October than Xu had confessed to taking "massive" bribes in exchange for help in promotions. Xu had been under investigation since last March, state media said The party leadership had faced a dilemma over whether to prosecute Xu because of his cancer, sources have said. His death means the ruling Communist Party will not have to risk the embarrassment that could have come from a trial and the details of graft in the highest echelons of power that it might have revealed, though the trial likely would have been held behind closed doors. But China is also investigating a second former top military officer on suspicion of corruption, two independent sources told Reuters recently, as Xi widens his campaign against deep-rooted graft. Guo Boxiong, 72, was another vice chairman of the Central Military Commission until he stepped down in 2012. The government has yet to confirm this probe. Serving and retired military officers have said graft in the armed forces is so pervasive that it could undermine China's ability to wage war. China intensified its crackdown on corruption in the military in the late 1990s, banning the People's Liberation Army from engaging in business. But the military has been involved in commercial dealings in recent years due to a lack of checks and balances, military analysts have said. (Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Kevin Liffey)	Xu pictured at the Pentagon in October 2009. , a former Chinese general who was once the second in command within the , died yesterday, according to Chinese state news agency . Xu, 71, was due to be prosecuted over charges. The cause of death was announced as . In 2012 Xu resigned from the executive committee of the . In 2013 he retired from the position of Vice Chairman. In June last year, despite no charges announced against Xu at the time, his general's rank was revoked. The government said they started investigating Xu last March over claims of corruption and in October he admitted to accepting "massive" bribes as payment in assisting people to gain promotions. Due to his death the charges against him are to be dropped but anything gained illegally by Xu is to be dealt with under Chinese law. Military officials have been investigated more regularly in recent years as the Chinese government try to crack down on army corruption. == Sources == * * *
<< Back to blog index ICANN approves .jobs, .travel, .eu domains found by Neutron on 11-Apr-2005 The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has authorized three new top-level domains - ".jobs", ".travel" and ".eu". Dot travel (.travel) internet domain name will be exclusive to the travel industry, .jobs domain will be promoted to human resources professionals and .eu will be used by organizations based in the European Union. Registration for names in both domains should start in several of months and the domains should be online by year's end. Pricing for new domains has not been set yet. ICANN, established by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1998, is responsible for centralizing technical coordination functions of the Internet. ICANN is a non-profit organization that manages and coordinates the domain name system to ensure that it continues to function effectively. 0 comments so far << Back to blog index \|\|\|\|\| News [Internet] ICANN approves .jobs and .travel Internet addresses 11:59AM The Internet has two new top level domain names: .jobs and .travel. The organisation responsible for the technical co-ordination of the Internet, ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), has officially designated the new Internet addresses. As their names suggest, .jobs is created for the use of personnel businesses and .travel for the holiday industries. Such names are a way of mapping unique IP (Internet Protocol) addresses to more memorable name equivalents. It means, for example, that www.A1HumanResources.jobs could become the URL for a business called A1HumanResources, in addition to any .com equivalent that may already exist. The registry operators that will control allocation of the domains to end-users are Employ Media and Tralliance Corporation. In other words, A1HumanResources would have to pay money for one of these companies to officially register its .jobs URL to ensure that users anywhere on the Web can correctly locate the company website, or email system. But ICANN doesn't intend to stop there. It says it has already entered into commercial and technical negotiations with candidate registries for .cat, .post and .mobi domains. And discussions are also continuing within ICANN over another five top level domains: .asia, .mail, .tel and .xxx. Back in December 2002, ICANN also added .aero, .biz, .coop, .info, .museum, .name, and .pro to the original .com, .net, .org and country domains. One of the most outspoken critics of the proliferation of domains is the inventor of the World Wide Web Sir Tim Berners-Lee. Speaking at the World Wide Web Conference in New York back in May 2004, he argued that adding additional domain names didn't have the effect of widening their scope but merely devalued the existing domains. 'When you print money, you devalue the money you have already printed,' he told the conference. At the time he argued that other expansions, such as .info and .biz, have only served to boost the profits of the registries as speculators tried to cash in on potentially lucrative domain names and major companies sought to protect their brands by buying up new versions of their brand names alongside the .com, .net and .org they might already own. 'It would be great if new domains were opened, but ones with social or technology context that make a commitment to the social system and to the integrity of that piece of the Web,' he said. In case you are wondering exactly what ICANN does, its main responsibility is for managing the Internet's Domain Name System (DNS) to make sure that every officially allocated address is unique and that Internet can access all valid addresses. At a technical level this means overseeing the distribution of unique IP (Internet Protocol) addresses and making sure that each domain name maps to the correct IP address. What are your thoughts on the new domains? Will they help give structure to a chaotic Internet or are they just a money-making scheme that will add to confusion? Leave your comment by clicking on the link below.	At the recently held ''22nd ICANN International Conference'' in Mar del Plata, Argentina, the ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers), officially designated three new top level domain names: .jobs and .travel and .eu. Tralliance will operate the new .travel domain and Employ Media will operate the .jobs. domain. Registration will start in a couple of months. Prices have yet to been determined. .jobs was created for the use of personnel businesses, .travel for the travel industry, and .eu will be used by organizations based in the European Union. ICANN has also entered into negotiations with registries for .cat, .post and .mobi domains. The ICANN, established by the U.S. Department of Commerce in 1998, is a non-profit corporation responsible for the technical coordination of the Internet through the assignment of domain names and IP addresses.
news More Rigoberto Alpizar and his wife, Anne Buechner. AIRPORT SHOOTING RELATED STORIES Timeline Of Fatal Shooting At Miami Airport POSTED: 7:53 am EST December 8, 2005 The following is a timeline of Wednesday's shooting at Miami International Airport, according to federal officials and witnesses. Rigoberto Alpizar, of Maitland, arrived Wednesday at Miami International Airport on a flight from Quito, Ecuador. All arriving passengers in Miami from outside the U.S. are required to disembark for a customs check, and Alpizar did so. He boarded an American Airlines flight bound for Orlando. Minutes before takeoff, at 2:10 p.m., he ran down the aisle with his arms flailing, with a woman believed to be his wife running after him and shouting that he was mentally ill. Alpizar was carrying a backpack and indicated he had a bomb in it. Two federal air marshals on the flight ordered Alpizar to the floor. Alpizar ran for the jetway, and was fatally shot there when he reached inside the bag. No bomb was found. His other three bags were blown up on the tarmac, but apparently they contained no explosives. Copyright 2005 by NBC6.net The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Sponsored Links For Employers Hire Today's Best Talent Post your job on Monster and start reviewing candidates today. Post your job on Monster and start reviewing candidates today. Click here ® \|\|\|\|\| Dec 8: Government officials say the air marshals involved in the shooting death of a passenger aboard an American Airlines jet followed procedures to the letter. NBC's Pete Williams reports. MIAMI - The passenger shot to death by air marshals in Miami had been agitated before boarding the plane and was singing “Go Down Moses” as his wife tried to calm him, a fellow passenger said Thursday. “The wife was telling him, ‘Calm down. Let other people get on the plane. It will be all right,”’ said Alan Tirpak. “I thought, ‘Maybe he’s afraid of flying,’” Tirpak said. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Tirpak took his seat, and Rigoberto Alpizar, 44, and his wife eventually boarded the plane. Then, a few minutes before the plane was to pull away, Alpizar bolted up the aisle and onto the jetway, where two air marshals confronted him. “He was belligerent. He threatened that he had a bomb in his backpack,” said Brian Doyle, spokesman for the U.S. Homeland Security Department. “The officers clearly identified themselves and yelled at him to ‘get down, get down.’ Instead, he made a move toward the backpack.” LIVE VOTE Are you more confident now about airport security? Agents are trained to shoot to stop a threat, and the situation on the jetway at Miami International Airport Wednesday appeared to pose one, said John Amat, a deputy with the U.S. Marshals Service in Miami. White House spokesman Scott McClellan also said Thursday that the two air marshals appeared to have acted properly when they shot to kill. “I don’t think anyone wants it to come to a situation like this, but these marshals appear to have acted in a way consistent with the extensive training they have received,” McClellan said. “We’ll see what the investigation shows.” Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told NBC News he, too, was waiting for the investigations to conclude. “I think it's too early to tell whether or not all the appropriate protocols were followed,” he said. Air marshals on administrative leave Both air marshals were hired in 2002 from other federal law enforcement agencies and are now on administrative leave, as is routine, Doyle said. Miami-Dade Police were investigating the shooting, and the medical examiner’s office was performing an autopsy on Alpizar. Officials say there was no bomb and they found no connection to terrorism. Alpizar’s sister-in-law, Jeanne Jentsch, read a short statement from the family Thursday describing him as “a loving, gentle and caring husband, uncle, son and friend.” He was from Costa Rica but became a U.S. citizen several years ago, she said. “We’re all still in shock,” said another sister-in-law, Kelley Buechner, in a telephone interview from her home in Milwaukee. “We’re just speechless.” The statement did not address Alpizar’s mental condition. Other passengers have said Alpizar’s wife, Anne Buechner, said he was bipolar, a disorder formerly known as manic-depression. She was yelling “That’s my husband, that’s my husband — I need to get to my husband!” Mary Gardner said. “She said, ‘My husband is bipolar. He didn’t take his medicine.”’ NBC VIDEO • Witness speaks Dec. 8: Mary Gardner, who saw the fatal shooting, and former air marshal Tony Kuklinski talk to "Today" show host Katie Couric. Today show Mike Beshears heard her say, “’My husband is sick. I’ve got to get my bags.”’ Then the shots rang out, and a flight attendant stopped her and guided her to a seat, he said. “She was very apologetic,” Beshears said of Alpizar’s wife. “She was explaining to us as we sat there in the row. She felt it was her fault, that she had convinced him to get on board, that he wasn’t ready.” Buechner did not speak publicly Thursday. She works for the Council on Quality and Leadership based in Towson, Md., a nonprofit organization focused on improving life for people with disabilities and mental illness, the organization said in a statement. Neighbors said the couple had been returning to their home in the Orlando suburb of Maitland from a missionary trip to Ecuador. Charles Baez, manager of the MAB Paints store in Orlando where Alpizar worked for 12 years until taking a job at Home Depot, described him as a health enthusiast who was always calm and patient with customers. He said he never saw evidence of any mental problems. “He was a quiet, reserved gentleman,” Baez said Thursday. “It’s very bizarre to me that he would do anything like that.” NBC News contributed to this report. Rate this story Low High • advertisement \|\|\|\|\| Man killed after bomb claim at airport Official: Air marshals fired after he approached them aggressively MIAMI, Florida (CNN) -- A 44-year-old U.S. citizen who claimed to have a bomb was shot and killed when air marshals opened fire on a boarding bridge at the Miami airport, several sources told CNN. No bomb was found. American Airlines Flight 924 was in Miami on a stopover during a flight from Medellin, Colombia, to Orlando, Florida, when the man, identified as Rigoberto Alpizar, said there was a bomb in his carry-on backpack, a Department of Homeland Security official said. Alpizar was confronted by a team of federal air marshals, who followed him down the boarding bridge and ordered him to get on the ground, the official said. ( Watch the aftermath of the shooting -- 1:36) When Alpizar appeared to reach into his backpack, he was shot and wounded, the official said, adding that the marshals' actions were consistent with their training. Officials said later that the man died of his injuries. ( Watch an air marshal talk about his extensive training -- 5:03) Upon investigation, there was no evidence that Alpizar had a bomb, an official said. Alpizar was traveling with a woman and had arrived in Miami on a plane from Quito, Ecuador, federal officials said. He and the woman began arguing before getting off the plane in Miami, two officials said. A passenger, Mary Gardner, told WTVJ in Miami that the man ran frantically down the aisle from the rear of the plane, arms flailing, and that the woman accompanying him said that her husband was bipolar and had not taken his medication, according to The Associated Press. After he got off the plane in Miami and went through customs, he got on the Orlando-bound plane and said he had a bomb, Air Marshal Service spokesman Dave Adams said. (Read about air marshals being taught to avoid risk) Air marshals asked him to get off the plane, which he did, but when they asked him to put his bag down, he refused, Adams said. Alpizar then approached the marshals in an aggressive manner, at which point two or three shots were fired, he said. Karlina Griffith, translating for her grandmother, witness Miriam Delgado, told WFOR television that Delgado heard three gunshots before people started running and "going crazy." ( Watch a witness account -- :40) Officials could not confirm if Alpizar suffered from mental illness. His mother-in-law told WKMG television in Orlando that he suffered from bipolar disorder, but his brother-in-law, Steven Buechner, told CNN he was unaware of any mental problems. Alpizar moved to the United States from Costa Rica in 1986 and worked for Home Depot, Buechner said. He and his wife had been in South America since the day after Thanksgiving to help her uncle, a volunteer dentist, Buechner said. Alpizar and his wife lived in Maitland, Florida, just a few miles north of Orlando, and they had no children, Buechner said. The killing marks the first time a federal air marshal has fired a weapon at an individual since the program was bolstered after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Footage from the scene showed armed SWAT team members carrying rifles outside the aircraft, along with more than a dozen police vehicles. Paramedics were standing on the stairway to the aircraft. Investigators took the backpack and two other pieces of Alpizar's luggage onto the tarmac, and an explosives team blew the bag open by firing a bottle full of water at it. The water is used to effectively defuse any explosive device by separating its components. The Boeing 757, which can hold about 180 passengers, was due to take off for Orlando at 2:18 p.m. ET. It had arrived in Miami at 12:16 p.m. ET, according to the airline's Web site. No other flights at Miami International were disrupted Wednesday, an airport official said.	An American Airlines Boeing 757 A United States federal air marshal shot dead on Wednesday an American Airlines passenger named Rigoberto Alpizar on American Airlines Flight 924, a Boeing 757, at Miami International Airport, in Miami, Florida, USA. The 44-year-old passenger ran out of the door of the airplane after he reboarded the plane, following a customs check in Miami. He was intercepted by the marshals before reaching the jetway and told to get on the ground. According to Air Marshal Service spokesman Dave Adams, the passenger did so, but then reached for a bag, at which point a marshal fired two or three shots and killed the passenger. The passengers recall that they heard up to six shots. The marshals say Alpizar claimed that he was carrying a bomb before being killed. No other witness has publicly concurred with that account, although one passenger recalled Alpizar saying, "I've got to get off, I've got to get off." No bomb was found when authorities searched the airplane. The shots were fired in the boarding bridge — the corridor that connects the aircraft to the terminal. Reports also indicate SWAT teams surrounded the plane. According to ''CNN'', a federal official indicated that this is the first time an air marshal has fired a weapon near an airplane. Alpizar was a Costa Rican native who became a U.S. citizen and lived in Maitland, an Orlando suburb. The 44-year-old passenger was returning from Quito, Ecuador to Orlando, Florida. The plane was en-route to Orlando from Medellin, Colombia. ''MSNBC'' reports that another passenger, Mary Gardner, told a local TV station, WTVJ-TV, that the man started "running crazily through the aisle", as a woman travelling with him ran after yelling that her husband suffered from bipolar disorder and had not taken his medication. Federal Air Marshals are deployed on flights to deal with security threats on board U.S. air carriers. Following the revamping of domestic security after the World Trade Center attacks, the service was directed to increase its deployment from about fifty to several thousand marshals. In response, the marshal training program was modified and abbreviated, from the original fourteen weeks to five weeks for candidates without prior law enforcement experience and one week for trainees with such experience.
(CNN) -- Rain and flooding in Yemen has killed 58 people and left an estimated 20,000 without basic shelter, a local newspaper reported Saturday. Men try to reach a vehicle carrying tourists stranded in floodwaters in the old district of Sanaa Friday. Most of the dead were in Hadramout, one of the worst-affected provinces, said Yemen Post Editor-in-Chief Hakim al-Masmari, citing the Ministry of the Interior. Officials continued to evacuate people from affected areas, but thousands remained stranded in their homes because the extensive rain has prevented help from reaching them, the newspaper said. The flooding follows several days of rain in the Middle Eastern country that is unaccustomed to more than a few inches of rain a year. The rain began Thursday as the remnants of a tropical cyclone moved over the area, said CNN forecaster Martyn Jeanes. The rain continued Friday and into the weekend as the weather system hung over the region, also bringing rain to parts of Saudi Arabia and northern Somalia, Jeanes said. Better weather conditions were expected Sunday and conditions should be "much improved" by then, Jeanes said. Thousands of families have fled Hadramout, the newspaper reported. Some evacuees are being taken to schools, but they can only accommodate about 10 percent of the people, the newspaper previously said. The Yemeni government promised to send tents as emergency shelter. More than 730 houses have been destroyed and many infrastructure projects suffered damage from the rains, according to SABA, the Yemeni news agency. The rains also caused damage to property and agricultural lands and killed a large number of livestock, SABA reported. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh ordered the formation of an emergency committee for the delivery of aid to those who were affected by heavy rains, the news agency said. All About Yemen • Floods \|\|\|\|\| At least 3,500 people have been made homeless by the storms More than 60 killed in fierce Yemen storms SANAA (AFP) — Aid operations swung into higher gear in Yemen on Saturday after floods killed at least 58 people and six more died from lightning strikes during two days of fierce storms. The interior ministry, updating an earlier toll, said at least 58 people died in flooding fed by torrential downpours that hit Hadramaut and Mahara provinces on Thursday and Friday. At least five others were reported missing in Mahara. Four people were also killed by lightning in the southern provinces of Tayez and Lahj, and a mother and son also died when struck by lightning in the Al-Mahwit region north of the Yemeni capital Sanaa. But the toll could rise even further as rescue teams searched for victims who may still be trapped in homes swept by the floods and as the authorities launched an airlift to fly aid to the stricken areas. A first batch of six aircraft took off from Sanaa on Saturday loaded with tents, food and medicine for the Hadramaut capital of Al-Mukalla and Mahara, airport officials said. "Other airlifts are scheduled for later in the day," one official said, adding that public and private organisations had joined ranks to help victims of the disaster. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference described the situation as a "national catastrophe" and launched on Saturday a drive to collect funds to help Yemen's flood victims. OIC chief Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, in a statement issued in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah, urged members of the 57-strong Islamic body as well as charity organisations in Muslim countries to help Yemen surmount "the grave humanitarian crisis." Ihsanoglu called for "OIC solidarity with the people of Yemen in these difficult circumstances" and also urged the international community to provide assistance to Yemen, one of the world's least developed nations. The oil-rich United Arab Emirates has said it will send emergency aid. Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh toured Al-Mukalla on Friday to oversee operations after tasking a government commission with handling the rescue effort. Rescue coordinators said that among the victims were seven people who perished in Al-Mukalla, which is on the shores of the Arabian Sea. Both Hadramaut and Mahra provinces have been officially declared disaster zones. Bad weather continued to batter southeast coastal regions on Saturday but residents said the skies were clearing inland. Military helicopters and others operated by oil firms were hampered on Friday by strong winds as they fought to rescue thousands of people stranded by the floods, according to one emergency official. Local authorities in Yemen said that more than 500 houses were destroyed across Hadramaut province and 3,500 families made homeless. Flooding also caused heavy damage to roads and power and water networks. Among the affected areas was the UNESCO world heritage site of Shibam which was totally cut off by the flood waters. But the situation was returning to normal on Saturday, local officials said. Shibam, with more than 20,000 residents, is famed for its high-rise mudbrick buildings, mostly dating from the 16th century, that have given the town the moniker "the Manhattan of the desert." It was established in the third century and built with the profits from frankincense, which is still sold there. Floods and lightning also claimed the lives of at least 25 people in April 2006 across eight provinces of the Arabian peninsula country.	At least 58 people are now dead as a result of the recent flooding in Yemen, and at least 20,000 in the country have no access to shelter. Five people are also reported missing.The Yemeni government has pledged to send tents to help the homeless. The floods were caused by the above tropical storm. The flooding is caused by the recent heavy rain in Yemen, which came as a shock due to the fact that the country only receives several centimeters of rain per year. In addition to the 58, four people were also killed by lightning, which struck Yemen during the large storms. The Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) released a statement regarding the floods. "The Secretary General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Professor Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, extended his sincere sympathy to the government and people of Yemen following the devastating floods caused by torrential rains, causing a grave humanitarian crisis in the governorates of Hadramaut and Mahra," it stated. "Ihsanoglu pointed up the heavy death toll and the massive destruction that hit the infrastructure, such as roads, power and water distribution networks, describing the situation as a national disaster. He urged the international community to provide aid and assistance to the victims."
View larger image Liberal leadership candidates Bob Rae (right) and Stephan Dion listen as Gerard Kennedy responds to a question during an informal debate in Toronto, Tuesday Oct. 10, 2006. (CP / Adrian Wyld) Ignatieff skips debate, 3 others take best jabs CTV.ca News Staff Three of the top four Liberal leadership candidates took the stage in what turned out to be a congenial debate in Toronto on Tuesday, taking subtle jabs at frontrunner Michael Ignatieff while the real battle for the hearts and minds of delegates plays out away from the lights. Stephane Dion, Gerard Kennedy and Bob Rae discussed issues that ranged from Afghanistan to the environment in the first debate since "Super Weekend" earlier this month, when rank and file Liberals chose the 5,000 delegates who will get to pick their next leader. The Canadian Club of Toronto invited the top four candidates to address a luncheon today. But frontrunner Ignatieff, who has 30 per cent of delegate support thus far, declined to take part. "His camp would say participating in a debate where invitations are not extended to all the candidates would be doing a disservice and would be rude to the other (four) candidates," said Liberal strategist Scott Reid. "That's smart because he wants to flatter people whose support he would require for a later ballot." However, Reid said other camps would suggest that Ignatieff is avoiding a mix-up with the three contenders with the best chances of supplanting him at the Nov. 28 to Dec. 3 convention in Montreal. There will be significant pressure on Ignatieff on the party's final formal debate in Toronto on Oct. 15 -- the last big chance in the series of debates for the others to get at Ignatieff. But while the debates provide a forum for candidates to get their messages out, said CTV's Roger Smith, "it's part of the air war -- which isn't quite as important now as the ground war." The real challenge for these leadership contenders is to win over the 5,000 elected delegates who will pick the next Liberal leader, and convince them if their first choice is eliminated, "they're the best second choice." "Trying to build support, build momentum on later ballots -- that's really where this campaign is being fought now," said Smith. Meanwhile, the three candidates with Ignatieff square in their sights managed to compare themselves to the Harvard intellectual in today's debate without mentioning his name. On the war Taking up a common theme, Rae referred to Ignatieff's comparatively hawkish stance on Afghanistan and the Iraq war. Rae said Canada was "right not to go into Iraq," and said we must reconsider our mission in Afghanistan to make sure "Canada is, remains and always will be a voice for peace." Rae said diplomacy and aid should be given a much greater priority for the nation's troops. Rae also touted his 20 years experience as an elected politician and his 10 years in public policy -- a move to contrast his record with Ignatieff's rookie MP status, said Reid. All three candidates called on the Conservative government to readdress the nation's role in Afghanistan, and said other NATO nations need to match Canada's contribution. Kennedy described the turmoil in Afghanistan as coming from the economic reliance on opium, insufficient foreign aid. "Western nations had pledged for alternative economic development and not delivered. We cannot win hearts and minds if we're not filling their stomachs," he said. On spending While there were no dust-ups, the candidates did offer varying ideas on how to spend Canada's $13-billion surplus -- beyond paying the debt. Kennedy supported the surplus being used to reduce the debt. But he is against a GST cut that would take away money that should go towards creating programs to better integrate immigrants into the workforce, improving child care programs and making education accessible for all Canadians. Dion said the extra money should go into paying for debt, sustainable economic development and tax cuts -- the usual Liberal approach that "makes sense." But the Conservative GST cut, said Dion, is the "old way" of doing politics. Under Dion's environmental tax reform proposal, taxpayers would have to work for their credits by retrofitting their homes, or buying greener appliances and vehicles "in order to change society for good and for an economy (that creates) much less waste." Rae said the current law dictates that any surplus must go first toward debt reduction, but said Ottawa must also focus on the kinds of tax cuts that would increase productivity, reduce poverty and offset high energy prices. "The GST tax cut does not do that," said Rae. Poverty, said Rae, has "gone on far too long" in a country with such a strong economy, and the problem must be addressed directly by the federal government. \|\|\|\|\| Free Digital Access Honda Indy, Taste of the Danforth among major events cancelled, as are summer camps; Air Canada plans to lay off at least 20,000 employees Ontario says data hitch means it did not just see the fewest cases since March; extends wage subsidy program to August; Ottawa to halt layoffs of thousands of medical researchers with $450 million in wage subsidies after Star asked questions about it.	Canadian Liberal Leadership frontrunner Michael Ignatieff refused to attend a debate with all three frontrunners in Toronto, on Tuesday. Instead, Bob Rae, second place to Ignatieff in Leadership race, Stéphane Dion, and Gerard Kennedy attended. Ignatieff was invited to attend but refused to participate in the event. His spokeswoman described it as "arbitrarily restricted to perceived 'front-runners. She said Mr. Ignatieff wanted all eight candidates to be present. "We were approached several months ago by the Canadian Club-Empire Club to participate in a debate that was only to include Stéphane Dion, Bob Rae and Michael," said the Ignatieff statement. "We advised the organizers that we are not prepared to participate in a debate that was arbitrarily restricted to the perceived 'frontrunners'." The leadership campaigns were notified several months ago the event was being planned, with advice sought on scheduling for after the "Super Weekend." Ignatieff also offered to speak alone, but it did not happen. "His camp would say participating in a debate where invitations are not extended to all the candidates would be doing a disservice and would be rude to the other (four) candidates," said Liberal strategist Scott Reid. "That's smart because he wants to flatter people whose support he would require for a later ballot." However, Reid said other camps would suggest that Ignatieff is avoiding a mix-up with the three contenders with the best chances of supplanting him at the November 28 to December 3rd convention in Montreal. Ignatieff's name was only mentioned once in the whole debate. Mr. Rae, who spoke of Canada's perennial national unity difficulties as requiring practical, constructive solutions rather than "abstract, theoretical discussions to resolve the constitutional riddle," an allusion to Mr. Ignatieff's proposal to reopen the Constitution debate and have the province of Quebec recognised as a nation within Canada. "Trying to build support, build momentum on later ballots that's really where this campaign is being fought now," said ''CTV's'' Roger Smith. The party's final formal debate in Toronto on October 15 is the big chance for Ignatieff to get more supporters.
Egypt Bashing the Muslim Brothers Aug 30th 2007 \| CAIRO From The Economist print edition Egypt's rulers are giving their Islamist compatriots an even worse time than usual AP THERE are understandable reasons not to love the Muslim Brotherhood. Egypt's oldest and largest Islamist group did eschew violence in the 1970s, and now proclaims a belief in freedom, democracy and the rule of law. Yet the Brothers still declare that death in the cause of God is a wonderful thing. Their enthusiasm for violent jihad and their constant framing of Islam as a faith threatened by vicious enemies have helped spawn more radical Islamist groups, from Hamas in Palestine to the suicidal mass-killing zealots of Iraq. This is why quite a few Egyptians nodded agreement when their president, Hosni Mubarak, recently chided the Brothers for “hiding behind religion to turn back the clock”. Some have even applauded the past few months' heavy crackdown on the group, which has resulted in some 600 arrests. But even staunch secularists found their credibility strained when another top official charged the Brothers with spreading “rumours” of torture by Egypt's police, in order to undermine the state. The trouble is that the tales of human-rights abuse, endured not just by Islamist agitators but by ordinary citizens, smell a bit stronger than rumour. A report earlier this month by the Egyptian Organisation for Human Rights, a secular-leaning lobby, details some 567 cases of police torture in the past 14 years, of which 167 led to the victim's death. Noting that these were merely the rare cases it could document thoroughly, the group concluded that torture is practised systematically in every place of detention in every part of Egypt, “from Alexandria to Aswan”. In the past month alone, some shocking allegations have been aired. The family of a 13-year-old boy in the Nile Delta claims their emaciated child was found dumped in the street after a week in the local police station, covered in burns, cuts and bruises, and died four days later. A citizen in the oasis of Siwa insists that policemen trying to force him to confess to a robbery drenched him in kerosene and set him alight. In Cairo, the wife of a man who had tried to press charges against a policeman for stealing his mobile phone says that fellow officers took revenge by bursting into their fourth-floor flat, beating her husband to death, then hurling him from the window. Police say he jumped. With its interior ministry employing, by some estimates, 1.4m people, from uniformed patrolmen to the more powerful but less accountable plain-clothes officers of the State Security Investigations branch, Egypt is one of the world's most heavily policed countries. Its 75m people enjoy relative freedom from crime. But recent years have seen growing public discomfort with the force, which is widely seen as more concerned with squashing dissent and easing the passage of official motorcades than with protecting citizens. So the current campaign against the Brotherhood, which remains officially outlawed despite members having won a fifth of seats in the last parliamentary elections as independents, has brought the group widespread sympathy. Aside from the mass arrests, the crackdown has included the transfer of some 40 leaders to trial before military courts, bans on travel for other leaders, confiscation of personal assets, and harassment of Brotherhood-affiliated schools, summer camps and clinics. Such punishment has several causes. Many cite the erosion of pressure for democratic reform from Egypt's key ally, the United States, along with fears generated by the electoral success of groups elsewhere such as Hamas. More immediately pressing, however, are local concerns, such as the Brotherhood's declared intention to challenge a recently imposed constitutional ban on religiously based political parties, by issuing a full-fledged legislative platform. The document's preliminary versions suggest that the group wants to capitalise not only on Egypt's strong and growing religious conservatism but also on public anger at the government's perceived indifference to the country's myriad social ills. Another common explanation for the squeeze on the Brothers is the regime's wish to secure its hold in the lead-up to the eventual departure of Mr Mubarak, who has ruled for the past 26 of his 79 years. A long-standing rumour is that the ground is being prepared for his 44-year-old son, Gamal, an avowed free-market moderniser, to succeed him. A more recent whisper is that the senior Mubarak, whose public appearances have grown markedly less frequent, is unwell. But those are real rumours, fanned by millions of irreverent text messages, not pretend ones. Back to top » \|\|\|\|\| CAIRO, Aug 30 (Reuters) - Four Muslim Brotherhood members have been brought before Egyptian prosecutors, ending weeks of uncertainty over their fate, their lawyer said on Thursday. Families of the four Alexandria men had not been able to obtain information about their whereabouts since they were picked up by police in July. An Interior Ministry spokesman had said at the time that he had no information about them. Brotherhood lawyer Abdel Moniem Abdel Maqsoud told Reuters the men were questioned by prosecutors on Tuesday and charged with membership of a terrorist group, which the men deny. He said they were in Tora prison south of Cairo. Egyptian police regularly hold members of the Islamist movement without charge for months at a time, but it is rare for the government not to acknowledge who it is holding and where. Abdel Maqsoud said the men were being questioned along with a number of non-Egyptian Arab nationals detained in June and accused of having contacts with al Qaeda. He said he believed one of the Brotherhood members, Mohamed Assem Mohamed, was related to a Libyan who was among the foreign nationals detained, and that police may have rounded up Mohamed and three Brotherhood students based on that connection. Abdel Maqsoud, who planned to fight the men's detention, said the men had acknowledged being members of the Brotherhood. "But they had nothing at all to do with this mess ... and the people questioning them know this, they're certain of this." Egyptian authorities are holding several hundred members of the Brotherhood, mostly without charge, as part of a crackdown that started late last year. The government calls the Brotherhood an illegal organisation but its members hold 88 seats in parliament and the group, which seeks an Islamic state through democratic elections, can operate with some limited freedom.	Egyptian flag. The Muslim Brotherhood, the largest Sunni Muslim political group, and also an influential Egyptian association, has been under pressure from the Egyptian government. Founded in 1928 in Egypt, the Brotherhood grew to approximately 2 million strong in the 1940s. Soon the Brotherhood was at odds with the government, and one of their members even assassinated the prime minister. Soon after the Brotherhood founder and leader Hassan al-Banna was assassinated, possibly by a government agent. Tensions with the government have not eased in succeeding years. Although the Brotherhood shuns terrorist violence, it also promotes Jihad. Tensions with the government also arise from the Brotherhood's support of labor rights and political freedom. The brotherhood is at times critical of the government. The Muslim Brotherhood currently participates in the government; even though they are adversarial towards it, they are the largest opposition party, with 20% of Parliament. However, the Brotherhood has been officially banned for much of the time since 1954, so all of its political members are forced to run as independents. Recently the Egyptian government has resumed suppression of many Brotherhood activities. As many as 600 Brotherhood members have been arrested since it began. As many as four are believed to have been kidnapped or murdered, as the government had not announced their arrests until recently. The Egyptian government has even arrested 6 members of Parliament. The Brotherhood is on the defensive on all of this. Regarding 4 of the members of parliament imprisoned the Brotherhood lawyer has said, "But they had nothing at all to do with this mess ... and the people questioning them know this, they're certain of this." The Economist speculates that the reason for this recent crackdown by the government is to create a more accepting climate for the rumored inauguration of the current president's son, Gamal Mubarak.
In the deadly serious business of sports, a cartoon character from 1927 played a role in Al Michaels' hop from Monday Night Football to NBC. ESPN picked up rights to Ryder Cup matches (along with paying a rights fee), Olympics highlights, historic cartoon character Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and more while NBC acquired the services of Emmy-winner Michaels for its Sunday night games it was announced Thursday. “ Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice. I'm going to be a trivia answer someday. ” — Al Michaels, referring to what the Kansas City Chiefs gave the New York Jets as compensation for releasing coach Herm Edwards from his contract. Walt Disney produced 26 Oswald cartoons in 1927, but Universal distributed the series and owned the rights to the character, prompting Disney to develop Mickey Mouse. "As the forerunner to Mickey Mouse and an important part of Walt Disney's creative legacy, the fun and mischievous Oswald is back where he belongs, at the home of his creator and among the stable of beloved characters created by Walt himself," Disney president Robert Iger said after Thursday's announcement. NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said ABC Sports and ESPN president George Bodenheimer called last month to initiate talks, which culminated in an agreement Tuesday. "He told me this incredible story that Walt's first really big production as a cartoonist for the cinema had been a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was before Mickey," Ebersol said. "And for reasons that aren't still totally clear to me, Walt lost those rights. He didn't have the money to hold onto them." NBC takes over Sunday night next season from ESPN, which will broadcast Monday Night Football. John Madden, Michaels' partner for the last four seasons, agreed in June to a six-year contract with NBC. Besides Madden and Michaels, NBC will have Bob Costas and Cris Collinsworth as co-hosts of the network's studio show. "When we made the deal with the NFL this spring, there were four key stars I knew I wanted to build our football team around, but I wondered from the beginning, if I would be lucky enough to get them all," Ebersol said in a statement Thursday. To get the final piece of Ebersol's team, NBC gave ESPN broader access to the Olympics, Ryder Cup golf, Notre Dame football, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. And, of course, Oswald. Think he looks like Mickey? Oswald the Lucky Rabbit is returning to the Disney warren. "Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice," Michaels said, referring to what the Kansas City Chiefs gave the New York Jets as compensation for releasing coach Herm Edwards from his contract. "I'm going to be a trivia answer someday." The Walt Disney Co. had been trying to reacquire the rabbit for some time. "When Bob was named CEO, he told me he wanted to bring Oswald back to Disney, and I appreciate that he is a man of his word," Walt Disney's daughter Diane Disney Miller said in a statement. "Having Oswald around again is going to be a lot of fun." Specifically, ESPN gets: • Rights to broadcast live Friday coverage of the Ryder Cup golf championship between the United States and Europe in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, as well as the right to re-air NBC coverage and extended highlights. ESPN paid a rights fee to televise the event. • Expanded Olympics highlights from this year through 2012. • Expanded highlights from Notre Dame football, the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness through 2011. When the Monday games move to ESPN next season, retired quarterback Joe Theismann, Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser and Mike Tirico will be in the ESPN booth. Michaels had been with ABC since 1976 and had been the play-by-play voice of Monday Night Football since 1986, when he replaced Frank Gifford. The Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK - Al Michaels was traded from ABC to NBC for a cartoon bunny, four rounds of golf and Olympic highlights. The rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a bunny created by Walt Disney in the 1920s before he invented Mickey Mouse, were transferred from NBC Universal to The Walt Disney Co. as part of the agreement to release the broadcaster from his contract with ABC and ESPN. “As the forerunner to Mickey Mouse and an important part of Walt Disney’s creative legacy, the fun and mischievous Oswald is back where he belongs, at the home of his creator and among the stable of beloved characters created by Walt himself,” Disney president Robert Iger said after Thursday’s announcement. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Michaels had been with ABC for three decades and had been the play-by-play announcer for “Monday Night Football” for the past 20 years. “Oswald is definitely worth more than a fourth-round draft choice,” Michaels said, referring to what the Kansas City Chiefs gave the New York Jets as compensation for releasing coach Herm Edwards from his contract. “I’m going to be a trivia answer someday.” A four-time Emmy Award winner, Michaels agreed last July to stay with ABC/ESPN as the Monday game switched to the cable network next fall, but he asked to back out and instead will broadcast Sunday night NFL games on NBC with John Madden, his partner on ABC during the past four seasons. As part of the deal, NBC sold ESPN cable rights to Friday coverage of the next four Ryder Cups through 2014, and granted ESPN increased usage of Olympic highlights through 2012 and other NBC properties through 2011. NBC, in turn, gets expanded highlight rights to ABC and ESPN events. NBC Sports chairman Dick Ebersol said ABC Sports and ESPN president George Bodenheimer called last month to initiate talks, which culminated in an agreement Tuesday. Espn / AP Former quarterback Joe Theismann, Mike Tirico and Washington Post columnist Tony Kornheiser will be the Monday Night Football crew next season. “He told me this incredible story that Walt’s first really big production as a cartoonist for the cinema had been a character called Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, which was before Mickey,” Ebersol said. “And for reasons that aren’t still totally clear to me, Walt lost those rights. He didn’t have the money to hold onto them.” Disney and his partner, Ub Iwerks, created the rabbit in 1927 at the request of Carl Laemmle, the founder of Universal Pictures, and made 26 silent cartoons. After Disney learned that Universal held the rights, he created a new character, eventually named Mickey Mouse, who resembled Oswald, but with shorter ears. Universal continued to make Oswald films from 1929-38 — Mickey Rooney was one of his voices — and appeared in a comic book from 1943-62. “We earn nothing from those rights; they’ve had no value in the United States,” Ebersol said. The Walt Disney Co. had been trying to reacquire the rabbit for some time. Slide show: The Week in Sports Pictures • Week in Sports Pictures Kobe-Shaq reunion, Canadian debacle and sunny days at Daytona and Peoria. “When Bob was named CEO, he told me he wanted to bring Oswald back to Disney, and I appreciate that he is a man of his word,” Walt Disney’s daughter Diane Disney Miller said in a statement. “Having Oswald around again is going to be a lot of fun.” Michaels, 61, began to think about hopping networks during the past season, realizing he wanted to work with Madden, producer Fred Gaudelli and director Drew Esocoff, who also are moving from ABC to NBC. “As the weeks went on, I began to realize more and more how much I was going to miss being with those people,” he said. “That’s my family, that’s my broadcasting family, and they’re moving out of the house, and I wanted to move back in with them.” Cris Collinsworth, who had been set to be NBC’s play-by-play broadcaster, will instead be a studio analyst. Michaels wanted to finish the current NBA season as ABC/ESPN’s lead announcer. He is being replaced by Mike Breen. Michaels’ first television broadcast was on NBC, when Buffalo played Minnesota in October 1971. He’ll get a chance to work with his brother, who a producer of NBC’s Olympic coverage. “Life comes full circle,” Michaels said. © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Rate this story Low High •	ESPN logo In an odd move, ESPN's parent company, The Walt Disney Company, traded the contract of NFL play-by-play analyst Al Michaels to NBC Universal in exchange for various sports considerations and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, a cartoon character Walt Disney created 79 years ago but lost to Charles B. Mintz when he created his own studio. Oswald is generally understood to be the precursor to Mickey Mouse. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was created in 1927 by Walt Disney for Charles B. Mintz, and distributed by Universal Studios. Disney directed 26 Oswald cartoons before a budget dispute with Mintz forced Disney to leave and create his own studio. Mintz, however, owned the rights to Oswald, and kept the character. Oswald soon was bought by Universal, who would continue to create Oswald cartoons on a regular basis until 1938. Most of the succeeding Oswald cartoons were directed by Walter Lantz, who would later become famous for Universal's most well-known cartoon character, Woody Woodpecker. Michaels, 61, will again join John Madden in the analyst booth for NBC's Sunday Night Football coverage beginning in the 2006 season. This follows the announcement the previous day that Joe Theismann, Mike Tirico and Tony Kornheiser would be in the broadcast booth for ESPN Monday Night Football. It was previously believed that Theismann and Michaels would announce Monday Night Football for ESPN. In consideration for releasing Micheals from his ABC contract, Disney received the rights to the early Disney-directed Oswalds, while ESPN received the following rights from NBC Sports: Friday coverage for the Ryder Cup golf tournaments in 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2014, and the right to re-air Saturday and Sunday coverage from NBC. Expanded coverage of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes from 2006 through 2011. Expanded access to clips of Olympics coverage, beginning with the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino and ending with the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. Expanded access to clips of Notre Dame college football games from 2006 through 2011. *Promotion of ESPN Monday Night Football during NBC Sunday Night Football through 2011.
Reid selected to be Senate Minority Leader Durbin of Illinois elected to be second in charge WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada won election as leader of the shrunken Democratic minority on Tuesday and said he stands ready to cooperate with Republicans or confront them as he deems necessary. "I always would rather dance than fight. But I know how to fight," he said at a news conference after the Democratic rank and file chose him leader for the Congress that convenes in January. Reid won his post as House Republicans, buoyed by election gains, tapped Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois for another term as speaker. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas was re-elected majority leader, and the balance of the GOP leadership won new terms as well. Reid, 64, said he and Democrats would stress expanded access to health care and increased support for education. "I believe in the minimum wage and we have to raise it," he said. Reid also cautioned majority Republicans not to "mess with the rules" in the Senate by trying to make it easier to override Democratic objections to some of President Bush's judicial nominations. He said the Senate had confirmed 203 of President Bush's court nominations over the past four years and blocked 10. "I think they are crying wolf all too often," he said of Republicans who used the 10 thwarted nominations to label Democrats as obstructionists. Reid takes over a party with 44 seats in the new Congress, fewer than at any time since the Great Depression. He succeeds Sen. Tom Daschle, who was defeated for re-election November 2 in South Dakota. The 64-year-old Nevadan, who has long served as Daschle's second-in-command, was elevated to leader in a closed-door meeting of Democrats who will serve in the Senate that convenes in January. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois was unopposed to replace Reid as the party's whip, the Democrat's second-ranking Senate leader. Daschle has served as party leader since 1995, leading Democrats in periods in which they were in the minority, the majority and then back again. There were other reminders of the election as Democrats met in a historic room in the Capitol. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts participated in the session as he picked up his Senate duties two weeks after losing his bid for the White House. Reid said Kerry won ovations from fellow Democrats several times during the closed-door meeting. Reid has a soft spoken demeanor, but he showed an unyielding side when asked a question he did not want to answer. "Next question," he said when asked about his relationship with Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a Rhode Island Republican who has openly flirted with switching parties. When the reporter persisted, Reid said again, "next question." The Nevada lawmaker played an instrumental role in Sen. James Jeffords' decision to leave the GOP and become an independent in 2001, a switch that gave Democrats the majority. Reid was nominated for the party leadership job by Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, who served in the post in the 1970s and 1980s. Seconding the nomination was Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who occasionally vexed Daschle by crossing party lines. "I said he will lead this caucus into a new era and oppose where necessary, compromise where possible and avoid the obstructionist label," Nelson said of his closed-door remarks. With the exception of abortion rights and gun control, both of which he opposes, Reid's recent voting record on major issues puts him in the mainstream of Senate Democrats. A veteran of 22 years in Congress, he voted against President Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and opposed the final version of the administration's landmark Medicare overhaul legislation in 2003. Like a majority of Democrats, he voted to give Bush authority to use military force to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein, and voted many months later to spend $87 billion to help pay the costs of military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, he helped bottle up a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages, and sided with organized labor when it sought to make sure no worker lost overtime rights under new administration regulations. He's also worked with environmentalists to block oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As well, he's been a loyal supporter of Democratic filibusters against 10 of Bush's judicial nominees deemed extremists by a coalition of civil rights, women's and other groups. An early test of Reid's strategy is likely to come on judicial appointments, and already, there is some pressure on him to stay the course set by Daschle. "I would think that Senator Reid and a number of Democratic senators and hopefully some moderate Republicans this time would continue that strategy," said Ralph Neas, head of People for the American Way, which worked to block several of Bush's appointments to the courts. \|\|\|\|\| Reid selected to be Senate Minority Leader Durbin of Illinois elected to be second in charge WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada won election as leader of the shrunken Democratic minority on Tuesday and said he stands ready to cooperate with Republicans or confront them as he deems necessary. "I always would rather dance than fight. But I know how to fight," he said at a news conference after the Democratic rank and file chose him leader for the Congress that convenes in January. Reid won his post as House Republicans, buoyed by election gains, tapped Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois for another term as speaker. Rep. Tom DeLay of Texas was re-elected majority leader, and the balance of the GOP leadership won new terms as well. Reid, 64, said he and Democrats would stress expanded access to health care and increased support for education. "I believe in the minimum wage and we have to raise it," he said. Reid also cautioned majority Republicans not to "mess with the rules" in the Senate by trying to make it easier to override Democratic objections to some of President Bush's judicial nominations. He said the Senate had confirmed 203 of President Bush's court nominations over the past four years and blocked 10. "I think they are crying wolf all too often," he said of Republicans who used the 10 thwarted nominations to label Democrats as obstructionists. Reid takes over a party with 44 seats in the new Congress, fewer than at any time since the Great Depression. He succeeds Sen. Tom Daschle, who was defeated for re-election November 2 in South Dakota. The 64-year-old Nevadan, who has long served as Daschle's second-in-command, was elevated to leader in a closed-door meeting of Democrats who will serve in the Senate that convenes in January. Sen. Dick Durbin of Illinois was unopposed to replace Reid as the party's whip, the Democrat's second-ranking Senate leader. Daschle has served as party leader since 1995, leading Democrats in periods in which they were in the minority, the majority and then back again. There were other reminders of the election as Democrats met in a historic room in the Capitol. Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts participated in the session as he picked up his Senate duties two weeks after losing his bid for the White House. Reid said Kerry won ovations from fellow Democrats several times during the closed-door meeting. Reid has a soft spoken demeanor, but he showed an unyielding side when asked a question he did not want to answer. "Next question," he said when asked about his relationship with Sen. Lincoln Chafee, a Rhode Island Republican who has openly flirted with switching parties. When the reporter persisted, Reid said again, "next question." The Nevada lawmaker played an instrumental role in Sen. James Jeffords' decision to leave the GOP and become an independent in 2001, a switch that gave Democrats the majority. Reid was nominated for the party leadership job by Sen. Robert C. Byrd of West Virginia, who served in the post in the 1970s and 1980s. Seconding the nomination was Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, who occasionally vexed Daschle by crossing party lines. "I said he will lead this caucus into a new era and oppose where necessary, compromise where possible and avoid the obstructionist label," Nelson said of his closed-door remarks. With the exception of abortion rights and gun control, both of which he opposes, Reid's recent voting record on major issues puts him in the mainstream of Senate Democrats. A veteran of 22 years in Congress, he voted against President Bush's tax cuts in 2001 and opposed the final version of the administration's landmark Medicare overhaul legislation in 2003. Like a majority of Democrats, he voted to give Bush authority to use military force to oust Iraq's Saddam Hussein, and voted many months later to spend $87 billion to help pay the costs of military actions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Earlier this year, he helped bottle up a proposed constitutional amendment to ban gay marriages, and sided with organized labor when it sought to make sure no worker lost overtime rights under new administration regulations. He's also worked with environmentalists to block oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. As well, he's been a loyal supporter of Democratic filibusters against 10 of Bush's judicial nominees deemed extremists by a coalition of civil rights, women's and other groups. An early test of Reid's strategy is likely to come on judicial appointments, and already, there is some pressure on him to stay the course set by Daschle. "I would think that Senator Reid and a number of Democratic senators and hopefully some moderate Republicans this time would continue that strategy," said Ralph Neas, head of People for the American Way, which worked to block several of Bush's appointments to the courts.	Democratic Senator Harry Reid has been elected the new leader of the Democratic party in the Senate. Reid, from Nevada, replaces out-going leader who lost his re-election bid in the state of South Dakota. Reid was re-elected with 61% of the vote in the . Reid won the position as the Republican party still holds majority in both houses of Congress. (R-IL) and Tom DeLay (R-TX) were re-elected by the Republicans for new terms as and in the House of Representatives. Senator (D-IL) replaced Reid as the Senate Minority .
Australian senator wants Scientology investigated Times staff writer In Print: Thursday, November 19, 2009 An elected official in Australia has called for a criminal investigation into the Church of Scientology there, Australian news organizations say. In a speech this week to the Australian Parliament, Independent Sen. Nick Xenophon said he has letters from former members of the church, detailing abuses such as false imprisonment, physical violence and blackmail, according to a report on the Australian Broadcast Co.'s Web site. "These victims of Scientology claim it is an abusive manipulative and violent organization," he said, according to the Australian network. He said he gave the letters to police and called for a Senate investigation into the religion's tax-exempt status. Police said they have received the letters and will determine if an investigation is warranted. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd described Xenophon's statements as "grave allegations" and said, "many people in Australia have real concerns about Scientology." He added: "I share some of those concerns. Let us proceed carefully and look carefully at the material he has provided before we make a decision on further parliamentary action." The church called Xenophon's statements "an outrageous abuse of parliamentary privilege from a senator who would not even meet with church representatives several months ago to discuss his concerns.'' His attempt to "marginalize" the church "violates freedom of speech and the right to religious beliefs,'' a Scientology statement said. In his speech, Xenophon cited a recent series of reports by the St. Petersburg Times in which former longtime staff members spoke out about their experiences at the highest levels of the church. The former staffers said they and others were physically attacked by Scientology leader David Miscavige. They also described abusive punishments, extensive efforts to control staff who wanted to leave and a church intelligence operation that went to great lengths to protect Scientology and its secrets. The church decried the allegations as lies by bitter apostates and accused the newspaper of engaging in tabloid journalism. 1052807 article Loading comments... \|\|\|\|\| CANBERRA - The Church of Scientology is under renewed attack in Australia following allegations that it is a "criminal organisation" involved in such activities as blackmail, embezzlement, violence and false imprisonment. The allegations were made under parliamentary privilege during an impassioned call by Independent Senator Nick Xenophon for police and Senate inquiries into the organisation. Xenophon also questioned the tax exemption granted Scientology in 1983 High Court Hearing in which the Full Bench confirmed the church's status as a religion. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said yesterday that many Australians, himself included, held real concerns about Scientology but was cautious about further action. "Let us proceed carefully and look carefully at the material he has provided before we make a decision on further parliamentary action," he said. The church has denied the allegations and described Xenophon's statement to the Senate as an "outrageous abuse" of parliamentary privilege that violated freedom of speech and the right to religious beliefs. It also said Xenophon had declined to discuss his concerns and had not responded to letters from the Church, and none of the former members named in the allegations had raised their claims with it. Scientology, founded in 1953 by the late science fiction writer L Ron Hubbard, has been controversial in Australia for decades. The church was banned in Victoria, South Australia and Western Australia until 1973, when it was recognised as a religion by Gough Whitlam's Labor Government. Xenophon's allegations were based on letters from, and meetings with, former members, and his own research that included a fraud conviction in France, further charges in Belgium, and allegations by former church executives in the United States of assault, blackmail, assault and obstruction of justice. "What we are seeing is a worldwide pattern of abuse and criminality," he said. "Scientology is not a religious organisation - it is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs." He said letters from former members, some of whom claimed to have been coerced into crime, alleged "truly shocking" allegations of false imprisonment, coerced abortions, embezzlement of church funds, physical violence, intimidation and the widespread and deliberate abuse of information obtained by the church. A former member born into the church, Aaron Saxton, claimed the church exercised frightening levels of control over its followers. Saxton said he had been subjected at least 10 times to punishment diets of beans and rice for up to two weeks at a time, and because of the Church's ban on medications and medical attention had been forced to extract his own teeth without painkillers. Later, as a church security guard, he had forced followers to cut off all outside contacts, had illegally confined and tortured one member, and had used confidential information gathered by the church for blackmail and to discredit former members. In Florida, he had been involved in taking money from church accounts to provide private services for executives, falsified bank records and sent more than 30 people into hard labour at church work camps. Another former member, Carmel Underwood, said she had been placed in a "disappearing programme" when she refused to have an abortion, had been assaulted by a church official, and had been forced into penury after being required to pay A$100,000 (NZ$120,000) for church publicity, texts and courses. Paul Schofield said the church had covered up child abuse and had coerced him into covering up the facts of the deaths of his daughters Lauren, 14 months, and Kirsty, 2. He said he had been pressured against requesting an inquest after Lauren had fallen to her death in the church's Sydney headquarters, and had later perjured himself at the direction of church executives to conceal the fact that Kirsty had been fed potassium chloride as part of a "purification" programme. Xenophon's allegations were described by the church as a propaganda campaign that would suit a totalitarian regime - not Australia. The church said it had been accepted as a religion around the world and had prevailed when that status had been challenged. The church sponsored an international human rights education initiative, and the world's largest non-governmental drug education programme. "Senator Xenophon is obviously being pressured by disgruntled former members who use hate speech and distorted accounts of their experiences in the church," the statement said. "They are about as reliable as former spouses are when talking about their ex-partners." \|\|\|\|\| Scientology faces allegations of abuse and covering up deaths in Australia THE CHURCH of Scientology in Australia was last night defending itself from a scathing attack by a politician using parliamentary privilege. In a senate speech late on Tuesday, independent south Australia senator Nick Xenophon said: “Scientology is not a religious organisation. It is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs.”	In a speech Tuesday in the Australian Senate, Senator Nick Xenophon called for a criminal investigation of Scientology. Senator Xenophon, an independent politician from South Australia, also requested that police and the Australian parliament investigate whether or not Scientology should retain its tax-exempt status within the country. Senator Nick Xenophon in 2009 Senator Xenophon tabled letters written to him from former members of the Church of Scientology, which asserted the organization had participated in coerced abortion, abuse, embezzlement, false imprisonment, and hiding information about the deaths of its members. "Scientology is not a religious organisation. It is a criminal organisation that hides behind its so-called religious beliefs," said Senator Xenophon in his speech to the Australian Senate. He detailed statements made in the letters he received from former Scientologists that included a father who said he was pressured by Scientology executives to cover up the deaths of his two daughters, and a man who said he had participated in mandating that pregnant female members of the organization have abortions. "These victims of Scientology claim it is an abusive manipulative and violent organization," said the Senator. In his speech, he noted that the ''St. Petersburg Times'' newspaper of Florida reported on former executives within Scientology who had spoken out critically about the organization. These former Scientology executives said they had been subjected to physical abuse by the organization's leader, David Miscavige. They detailed attempts by the organization to manipulate staff members and perform intelligence operations intended to safeguard the organization's secrets. In a statement, the Church of Scientology called Senator Xenophon's speech an "outrageous abuse" of parliamentary privilege. Scientology representative Virginia Stewart questioned why the former Scientologists had not contacted the organization itself, "If these people had key issues, then how come they haven’t contacted the church officially? ... I think it's a bit disingenuous that someone stands up in parliament, where they can say whatever they want." Kevin Rudd, the prime minister of Australia, commented that Senator Xenophon brought up "grave allegations" against Scientology. The prime minister stated, "I share some of those concerns but let us proceed carefully and look carefully at the material which he has provided before we make a decision on further parliamentary action." Prime minister Rudd acknowledged, "many people in Australia have real concerns about Scientology". Science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology in 1953, and its activities have been the source of controversy in Australia for years. Until 1973, the organization was banned in Western Australia and Victoria. In 1983, a High Court ruling acknowledged its religious status. On October 27, the Church of Scientology was convicted of organized fraud by a court in France. On October 24, it was revealed that Academy Award-winning film director Paul Haggis had left the organization after a letter he wrote to Scientology spokesman Tommy Davis was made public. Scientology is currently under investigation in Belgium.
Papua New Guinea's Mosquitoes have finally broken through to win the International Cup at the MCG after twice being runners-up. It was magnificent come from behind win against quality opposition, the New Zealand Falcons, in a high quality match. The game started a few minutes earlier than expected, with New Zealand kicking to the Punt Road end but with little advantage from the gentle breeze. The game quickly settled into the pattern of play anticipated - the Mozzies attacking at all costs with pace and carry but the Kiwis holding them up with superior height then using the ball well going forward. The New Zealanders kept their structures and made space for their forwards to run into. Everything was falling into place as Moss Doran goaled from a mark, captain Andrew Congalton roved the pack for another major, and James Monaghan converted from a free. The Papuans had less genuine chances and to make matters worse squandered them with only four behinds to show for the first quarter. NZ 3.1 (19) to PNG 0.4 (4). If there were concerns that PNG would drop their heads having fallen behind, a volley kick from mid-air cleared the pack running back into the goal-square, registering the Mozzies first goal and giving them hope. The Papuans kicked another but it was sandwiched between two New Zealand goals, including one to key forward and tournament leading goalkicker Richard Bradley. At half-time it was NZ 5.3 (33) to PNG 2.5 (17), the two time runners-up hanging in there and starting to get a clear running advantage over the Kiwis who already looked to be slowing up, but held a valuable lead in a match with only 17 minutes quarters, no time on (like the other IC08 games). The PNG advantage became very clear in the third, peppering the goals with near misses, often from gettable chances. The question was whether it was a dominance that would remain or whether they were burning their window of opportunity. Finally PNG goaled to close the gap to just six points and they had all the momentum. But New Zealand responded with a point from a long bomb from Doran and a goal to 2005 star James Bowden from long range after a juggling mark. A late PNG goal made the margin just six points once again at the last break and guaranteed an exciting finale. Tall youngster Amua Pirika, already looking dangerous, burst into life. Veteran Overa Gibson was back shoring up the PNG defence and his protege was given a key roll up forward. The 190cm (6'3") 17 year old has looked like a promising target for the future, but he thrust himself into the present, marking from a series of good passes, leading too fast for his opponent. Pirika's is an interesting story that we might delve into later, and on this night he was crucial for the Mosquitoes. He was looking unstoppable but wasted several opportunities and again it appeared the Mozzies might let the International Cup slip through their grasp. But weight of numbers told out, and Pirika and PNG began to kick goals amongst the behinds and it was becoming obvious that the reigning champs were in trouble. But as would be expected from a class team they responded with renewed urgency and had several forward thrusts, only to be denied by PNG having more numbers behind the ball. This was a startling situation and at first thought it appeared the Mozzies had put extra men back to fill the hole in front of New Zealand's dangerous forwards. But in fact it was more a case that the Kiwis forwards had been sucked up the ground chasing kicks, and their men had stayed back - the New Zealand structure, so important and impressive for several years, had broken down, even if only briefly. The teams line up for their anthems. Despite the pressure of the moment PNG's Donald Barry was laconic as he lay the ball across his boot to add another, and New Zealand looked gone as they lost the lead, and then had it blow out to eight points. More forward sorties by the Falcons were again marked by PNG's men filling space and any New Zealand supporters watching must have been distraught at the wasted chances. Bradley marked and goaled to bring it back to two points with around five minutes left and the centre clearance would be crucial. Papua New Guinea won the clearance and a desperate few minutes was spent battling for clear possession in their forward line. New Zealand had a couple more half-chances to go inside 50, but couldn't take them, then PNG ran the ball forward. Pirika marked again and the game was theirs. The siren sounded and the jubilant Mozzies swarmed over the ground. Amid the celebrations Pirika took time over his kick, from around 30m out on a very tight angle, and duly slotted his most difficult kick of the match, a beautiful check-side that curled through accompanied by a roar of approval from the growing crowd arriving for the subsequent AFL match between Hawthorn and the Western Bulldogs. The cake now had its icing. Papua New Guinea had finally broken the hoodoo and celebrated with a lap of the oval. Kevin Sheedy was on hand to award them the Cup, and the happy scenes continued in the changerooms afterwards, tinged with a sense of sadness as Gibson and several others retired from international footy. Congratulations to PNG for their deserved win and commiserations to New Zealand - gallant in a narrow defeat. New Zealand Goal Kickers: R. Bradley 2, J. Bowden, A. Congalton, M. Doran, J. Monaghan, N. Cunneen Best Players: M. Doran, J. Maling, A. Congalton, M. Jones, M. Jones, S. McNally Papua New Guinea Goal Kickers: A. Pirika 3, D. Waluka 2, D. Barry, A. Pinda Best Players: D. Barry, S. Susuve, A. Pinda, E. Wartova, O. Gibson, A. Pirika New Zealand Papua New Guinea 3.1 (19) 1/4 0.4 (4) 5.3 (33) 1/2 2.5 (17) 6.4 (40) 3/4 4.10 (34) 7.4 (46) Full 7.12 (54) The MCG aglow (taken after the match). The print media room was a little light on journalists at the start of the match. The members stood for the anthems. The Haka. The big screen. A slighty late bump. Stalemate. The Kiwis did a lap to thank their supporters. A happy PNG squad. Players enjoy the Cup and their medals in the change-rooms. \|\|\|\|\| By Tony Abate PAPUA New Guinea fought back magnificently to win its first International Cup in the curtain raiser to the Hawthorn-Western Bulldogs final at the MCG, defeating 2005 winners New Zealand by eight points. The final term began with the scores level, and saw PNG full of running with first Donald Barry and then Amua Pirika snapping great goals. NZ steadied with a goal to Richard Bradley to take him to 17 majors for the tournament, equal top scorer with Canada's Scott Fleming, but PNG still led by two points with four minutes to go. And they held on, with young star Pirika having a shot for goal after the siren to put the final nail in the NZ coffin. His banana kick went straight through the middle to wild applause from the thousands of spectators at the MCG. PNG had been runner up in the past two cups. Barry played an outstanding game for the victors and won the medal for best on ground. New Zealand led by 15 points at quarter time, but the second quarter was a much tighter struggle with each team kicking two goals and the Kiwis holding on to a 16-point lead. PNG started the third term full of running and after kicking three goals to one had levelled the score at the last change. Inaccurate kicking might have proved costly for PNG, but in the end they ran over the top of NZ for the title. Papua New Guinea 0.4 2.5 5.10 7.12 (54) New Zealand 3.1 5.3 6.4 7.4 (46)	New Zealand in action against India Papua New Guinea (PNG) has defeated New Zealand (NZ) in the final round of the Australian Football International Cup. They previously finished second to Ireland in 2002 and New Zealand in 2005. New Zealand kicked to the Punt Road end in a high intensity first quarter. PNG went forward quickly only to be denied by a taller NZ defense. NZ were able to create space for their forwards though structured play. The quarter finished NZ three goals one behind (19) to PNG four behinds. PNG's first goal came from a mid air volly. The teams second came after two NZ goals including one to key forward and tournament leading goalkicker Richard Bradley. The half time scores were NZ five goals three behinds (33) to PNG two goals five behinds (17), PNG closed the gap to six points gaining the momentum before NZ added a goal and a behind. PNG closed the gap back to six before the final break. Three Quarter time scores: NZ six goals four behinds (40) to PNG four goals ten behinds (34). PNG rallied in the last quarter to go ahead and claim their first International Cup title in three attempts. NZ's structure faltered, if only briefly, allowing PNG, who had numbers behind the ball, back in the game. Trailing at every change, PNG kicked three goals two behinds to New Zealand's one goal in the last quarter to win 7.12 (54) to 7.4 (46).
Boris Tadic will fly to Sweden, which holds the rotating EU presidency Serbia is to submit a formal application on Tuesday to join the European Union's 27-nation bloc. President Boris Tadic will fly to Stockholm, where he will submit the application to Swedish Prime Minster Fredrik Reinfeldt. The EU recently unfroze a free trade agreement with Belgrade. But Serbia still has to cross a major hurdle, the capture of two remaining war fugitives, before membership negotiations will begin in earnest. Visa-free travel Serbia feels it has built up a certain momentum on its path to the EU in the past few weeks. An important trade pact with the bloc has now come into force and Serbs were recently granted visa-free travel to most EU countries. Ratko Mladic is thought to be in hiding in Serbia But Serbia's attempts to gain membership have been hampered by concerns, particularly in the Netherlands, over its failure to capture the two remaining war fugitives indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), based in the Hauge Chief among them is the former Bosnian Serb military commander, Ratko Mladic. Earlier this month the UN's chief war crimes prosecutor said Serbia's co-operation with ICTY was "progressing". However, in his report to the UN, Serge Brammertz said Serbia must continue searching for both Gen Mladic and Goran Hadzic, who is wanted for war crimes in Croatia. Long road ahead Belgrade is now pinning its hopes on the next report by the chief prosecutor, expected in June. If that proves a positive assessment of Serbia's hunt for the fugitives, the Dutch may be persuaded to soften and allow the next stage of the application process to move forward. The BBC's Mark Lowen, in Belgrade, says that a long road lies ahead: it's likely to take at least four years before the hand of membership extends to Serbia. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| REUTERS - Serbia formally applied for European Union membership on Tuesday in a major effort to turn its back on the war, poverty and international isolation of the 1990s. President Boris Tadic submitted the application to Sweden, holder of the rotating EU presidency, a decade after the end of the Balkan wars that tore apart the former Yugoslavia and kept it outside mainstream Europe. Serbia's failure to arrest Ratko Mladic, the Bosnian Serb ex-general indicted for genocide by the UN war crimes tribunal, has been a major barrier to Belgrade's EU ambitions, and its bid is likely to make little further progress while he remains free. Analysts said the membership application would have little impact on the Serbian financial market, which had already priced it in, and it could take Serbia years to become an EU member. The application followed signs of a slight EU thaw towards the biggest ex-Yugoslav republic, the target of United Nations sanctions in the 1990s and NATO bombing in 1999 to halt its counter-insurgency war in breakaway Kosovo province. Earlier this month, the EU unblocked an interim trade deal with Serbia and lifted the visa requirements for Serbia, Macedonia and Montenegro, allowing their citizens to travel freely to the 27-nation bloc. Jasmina Loncar, a spokeswoman for the Belgrade-based Kontiki Travel tour operator, said people were "scrambling for low-cost round trips" after the abolition of visas for EU countries. Despite the unblocking of the trade accord, ratification of Serbia's Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the bloc is on hold, at the insistence of The Netherlands, until Mladic has been extradited to the Hague tribunal. Tadic, the leading reformist in the country of 7.5 million, acknowledged the application was only a start. "It is a completely different matter whether we will get the candidate status before we complete our cooperation with the Hague tribunal," he said in Belgrade on Monday. Of the former Yugoslav republics, only the westernmost, Slovenia, joined the European Union in 2004. Croatia, which became a member of NATO this year, hopes to conclude its EU entry talks in 2010 and join the bloc in 2012. Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro have already applied for membership but have yet to start talks.	Serbian President Boris TadićSerbia is to file a formal application today to join the European Union according to officials. President Boris Tadić is to fly to Stockholm to submit the application to Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt. "President Boris Tadic will go to Stockholm on Tuesday to submit the application for EU membership," announced Serbian presidency spokeswoman Jasmina Stojanov. Reinfeldt called the announcement "a historic step". In a statement he welcomed the bid, saying "I look forward to receiving President Boris Tadic in Stockholm on Tuesday, December 22, when he officially hands over the application." Along with Montenegro and Macedonia, visa-free entry to the 27-country bloc came into affect for Serbia's citizens on Saturday, and a free trade agreement, frozen in April, was also reinstated this month, after the United Nations chief prosecutor accepted that the country was making serious attempts to arrest the two remaining people indicted for war crimes by The Hague's International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). According to diplomats, the bid for membership has some support, with Italy and Greece favourable, but the Netherlands and the United Kingdom more cautious.
Morocco says Guinea's military ruler has undergone successful surgery for gunshot wounds sustained on Thursday in an apparent assassination attempt. Guinea's military government is offering a reward for the capture of the former head of the presidential guard whose men are accused of carrying out the attack. The inspector of Morocco's Royal Armed Forces' health services says Guinea's military ruler Captain Moussa Dadis Camara has had successful surgery for head trauma. In a statement issued by Morocco's official press agency, Dr. Ali Abrouq said Captain Camara's condition is "not worrying." Captain Camara flew to Morocco on Friday after being shot the day before by men loyal to his former aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite, who is also known as Toumba. Toumba escaped the attack and is still at large with a group of the presidential guard. Security forces are patrolling Guinea's borders in search of Toumba. The government is offering a reward for information leading to his capture. Toumba's photograph is being broadcast on national television. Guineans are being urged to contact authorities, if he is sighted. Thursday's shooting followed an argument between Toumba and Captain Camara about who should take responsibility for the killing of opposition demonstrators two months ago. Witnesses say Toumba gave the order for the presidential guard to open fire on people protesting Captain Camara's expected presidential candidacy. Local human rights groups say dozens of women were raped and at least 157 people were killed on September 28. The military says 57 people died. Captain Camara has not yet announced his candidacy, but he has told several regional diplomats that he intends to run for president. His shooting, and the upheaval that has followed, casts doubt on whether elections rescheduled for January will be held. The Economic Community of West African States, or ECOWAS, says Guinea's military government should immediately put in place a new transitional authority leading to credible elections in early 2010 that does not include members of the military council or its prime minister. ECOWAS says Guinea's military is responsible for the country's "worsening security situation" where "indiscipline and infighting within the fractured army" are holding back efforts to "establish the rule of law." Burkina Faso President Blaise Compaore is the ECOWAS mediator for Guinea. His plans for an interim government have been rejected by a coalition of political parties, trade unions and civil society groups. The coalition says it will not take part in any transitional authority that includes members of Guinea's military. \|\|\|\|\| The spokesman for Guinea’s military junta says Captain Dadis Moussa Camara is scheduled to return Wednesday from Morocco after receiving treatment following last week’s assassination attempt. Harouna Kone said the military leader is out of danger and responding well to treatment. “The president is doing very well and we expecting that he will come back maybe on Wednesday… he is in the Royal Hospital of Rabat and I think that everything is well there. He called last night and (spoke) with his minister of communication and they discussed about something,” he said. Captain Camara was hurriedly flown to Morocco last Friday for medical treatment after he was allegedly shot by the head of the presidential body guard. Guinea's vice-president and defense minister, General Sekouba Konate, became the country's interim leader shortly after returning from Lebanon on Saturday. Kone said there is calm in the capital, Conakry despite the ongoing hunt for the former head of the presidential body guard. “The situation is very quiet now, but we are still looking for Diakite Toumba. We don’t want blood anymore, but I think that today we are going to catch him. We don’t want blood anymore in this country and that is the reason why we are going slowly on Toumba Diakite,” Kone said. He denied Diakite will be harmed for shooting and wounding the leader of the junta. “He won’t be killed. We want him to (come in) himself so we can (hold) discussions. We want to know the real reason he attempted to (end) the president’s life. You know they are all CNDD members (The National Council for Democracy and Development)… sometimes you can have trouble in the family, but you have to sit and discuss,” he said. Meanwhile, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) is calling on the military junta to hand over power and return the country to constitutional rule. \|\|\|\|\| Capt Camara seized power in a coup a year ago Guinea's military leader is in a "favourable" condition after surgery following an attempted assassination, doctors treating him in Morocco say. President Moussa Dadis Camara was flown from Guinea for surgery on his head, although the extent of his injuries has not been officially disclosed. Doctors said they are no longer concerned about his condition. Meanwhile, a West African regional grouping has called for an immediate return to civilian rule in Guinea. Vice-President Sekouba Konate is temporarily in charge of the country. The president was shot by an aide in a firefight between rival factions of Guinea's army. Two other people died. CAPT MOUSSA DADIS CAMARA Born 1964 in far south-east Seized power in December 2008 as a little-known army captain Promised democracy but then showed signs of holding onto power Increasingly erratic behaviour and public humiliation of officials Has pledged to tackle drugs traffickers Initially blamed "uncontrollable" military elements for September 28 killings Guinea's erratic military ruler The call by the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) confirms the position taken soon after soldiers opened fire on an opposition demonstration on 28 September, killing 150 people. Lt Abubakar Diakite, the aide who allegedly shot Capt Camara, remains on the run. Lt Diakite, commonly known as Toumba, is not only suspected of trying to kill Capt Dadis Camara but attempting a coup d'etat. That has not materialised and the military government in power for nearly a year appears to be holding firm despite the clear divisions demonstrated by Thursday's confrontation, the BBC's West Africa correspondent Caspar Leighton reports. Speaking to the BBC, diplomatic sources have expressed hope that the shuffling of cards prompted by the absence of Capt Camara might create some movement in Guinea's political log-jam, especially if he is facing a convalescence of any length, our correspondent adds. Mediation between the military government and the civilian opposition has so far stalled because of intransigence on both sides. Guinea is supposed to be holding a presidential election at the end of January and the opposition wants a civilian-run transitional government until then. The military insists on heading any transitional authority and Capt Dadis Camara has seemed keen to run for president. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Morocco said earlier today that Guinea's military ruler, Moussa Dadis Camara, has undergone successful surgery for gunshot wounds sustained on Thursday in an apparent assassination attempt. Guinea's military government is offering a reward for the capture of the former head of the presidential guard whose men are accused of carrying out the attack. File photo of Captain CamaraThe inspector of Morocco's Royal Armed Forces' health services said that Camara has had successful surgery for head trauma. In a statement issued by Morocco's official press agency, Dr. Ali Abrouq said Camara's condition is "not worrying." "The current health condition of the Guinean president does not inspire concern," Abrouq noted in a statement. "The result of the operation is favorable." Camara flew to Morocco on Friday after being shot the day before by men loyal to his former aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Aboubacar Sidiki Diakite, who is also known as Toumba. Toumba escaped the attack, and is still at large with a group of the presidential guard. Harouna Kone, a spokesman for the junta, commented that Camara should be able to return to Guinea by Wednesday. "The president is doing very well and we expecting that he will come back maybe on Wednesday ... he is in the Royal Hospital of Rabat, and I think that everything is well there. He called last night and spoke with his minister of communication and they discussed about something,” he said, as quoted by the Voice of America news agency. Security forces, meanwhile, are patrolling Guinea's borders in search of Toumba, and the government is offering a reward for information leading to his capture. Guinea's vice-president and defense minister, General Sekouba Konate, became the interim leader following the attempted assassination. Thursday's shooting followed an argument between Toumba and Camara about who should take responsibility for the killing of opposition demonstrators two months ago. Witnesses say Toumba gave the order for the presidential guard to open fire on people protesting Camara's expected presidential candidacy. Local human rights groups said that at least 157 people were killed on September 28; the military put the number at 57 people.
If you’re the proud owner of a cast-iron pan , then you already know what a good investment it is. Once well-seasoned, it can cook just about anything from pancakes to fried chicken, it can go from stovetop to oven with ease, it’s nearly indestructible, it’s inexpensive and it holds its heat like a dream. But if you’re just using your pan to cook the occasional burger, then you’re missing out; you really can cook pretty much anything in it. \|\|\|\|\| Sabres win to extend series with Sens Derek Roy OTTAWA (CP) - The Buffalo Sabres survived to play another day. Derek Roy scored nine seconds into the game as the Sabres staved off an NHL playoff sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. ''It just lifted the spirit of the whole team,'' said Roy. Ottawa leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final 3-1 and will have a another chance to clinch its first ever berth in the Stanley Cup final in Game 5 on Saturday afternoon in Buffalo. If not then, they'll be back in Ottawa for Game 6 next Monday. Maxim Afinogenov and Chris Drury added goals in the second frame as the Sabres got three past Ray Emery on their first 10 shots. ''It was a gutsy effort for us and the gutsy efforts are not going to stop at one - it's going to keep going,'' added Buffalo defenceman Brian Campbell. Dean McAmmond and Peter Schaefer responded late in the second for Ottawa, but they couldn't get the equalizer past Ryan Miller. Other than that one brief letdown, Miller had a second straight big game in the Buffalo net as Ottawa outshot the Sabres 33-22. What remains to be seen is whether it is the start of an improbable comeback by Buffalo and or a brief blip in Ottawa's surge toward the Stanley Cup final. The Sabres are trying to become only the third team in NHL history to come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a series - after the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs and the 1975 New York Islanders. The early goal drew a gasp from the record Scotiabank Centre crowd of 20,294 and forced the Senators to play catch-up hockey, which led to uncharacteristic mistakes by a team that has played patient hockey throughout the post-season. ''We did things we hadn't done in the whole series - trying stretch passes and things like that,'' said Ottawa coach Bryan Murray. ''That was partly from being behind and partly from the way Buffalo played. ''That's hockey, you do mostly good things and you don't win. That's why we play best-of-seven.'' The Senators shut out Buffalo 1-0 in Game 3 on Monday, when all a flat Sabres team could boast of was Miller's fine play in net and a solid penalty killing effort. This time, there was more energetic checking and shot-blocking. The Sabres led 18-8 in blocks. Afinogenov scored on a two-man advantage for Buffalo's first power-play goal of the series and now it's Ottawa whose power play has gone cold, not scoring in 12 opportunities in the last two games. It wasn't from lack of chances, but the top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza and Dany Heatley was shut out, ending their nine-game points streaks. ''It was more a case of us not burying our chances,'' said Alfredsson, whose five-game goal-scoring streak died. ''We created quite a bit and our power play was better than the last game, but we couldn't get one.'' The Senators were seeking their first playoff series sweep. Instead, they ended their six-game winning run. Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff did some line juggling and found a winning combination in Roy, Drury and Tim Connolly. Off the opening faceoff, Andrei Meszaros' clearing pass hit Roy's skate and was kept in at the blue-line by Drury, whose pass was redirected in at the side of the net at the nine-second mark. It was the fastest playoff goal from the start of a game in Sabres history, beating a Henrik Tallinder goal last year at 33 seconds, but short of the NHL record of six seconds by Dan Kozak of Los Angeles in 1977. Buffalo took further heart in killing three Senators' power plays in the period, even if they were outplayed at even strength. The Sabres got a two-man advantage early in the second frame with Chris Neil and McAmmond off and Afinogenov converted a Daniel Briere pass at the side of the net at 4:32. Emery was shaky as Drury made it 3-0 with a shot off the rush at 8:06 that found an opening under the goaltender's arm. It was the Sabres' co-captain's 15th career playoff game-winning goal. ''You look at that as one the goalie might want back, but it was a huge goal,'' said Ruff. The Senators looked beat, the crowd quieted, but they came to life when Meszaros' shot went off a leg to McAmmond for a quick shot inside the near post at 14:55. Less than two minutes later, with heavy pressure in the Buffalo zone, Schaefer scored his first goal of the playoffs on a blast from the slot off a feed from behind the net by Mike Comrie. That set the stage for some wild pressure in the third period, particularly during an Ottawa power play in that produced several hot chances but no goals. Drury was on for the entire two-minute penalty kill. ''A the end of the second we could have packed it in and said `this is too tough,' '' said Miller. ''But we kept battling. ''I think we did a good job of frustrating them.'' Notes: - Dainius Zubrus, who missed practice Tuesday and the morning skate on Wednesday with a ''lower body injury,'' was in the Buffalo lineup. Neither team made roster changes. . . Ottawa's Martin Gerber has a shot at winning a Stanley Cup as a backup goalie for a second straight year. He did it last year playing behind Cam Ward with Carolina. \|\|\|\|\| Buffalo Sabre Maxim Afinogenov celebrates scoring against Ottawa Senator goalie Ray Emery as Ottawa defenceman Chris Phillips looks during Game 4 in Ottawa on May 16, 2007. Buffalo Sabre Maxim Afinogenov celebrates scoring against Ottawa Senator goalie Ray Emery as Ottawa defenceman Chris Phillips looks during Game 4 in Ottawa on May 16, 2007. Ottawa leads series 3-1 Game 5 is Saturday night in Buffalo May 16, 2007 09:50 PM Canadian Press OTTAWA — Derek Roy scored nine seconds into the game and the Buffalo Sabres staved off an NHL playoff sweep with a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday night. Ottawa leads the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final 3-1 and will have a second chance to clinch its first ever berth in the Stanley Cup final in Game 5 on Saturday night in Buffalo. Maxim Afinogenov and Chris Drury added goals in the second frame as the Sabres got three past Ray Emery on their first 10 shots. Dean McAmmond and Peter Schaefer responded late in the second for Ottawa, but they couldn’t get the equalizer past Ryan Miller. Other than one brief letdown, Miller had a second straight big game in the Buffalo net. Joe Corvo had a glittering chance from the slot in the third frame and was robbed on a glove save by Miller. The Senators were seeking their first playoff series sweep. They ended a six-game winning run and saw their top line of Daniel Alfredsson, Dany Heatley and Jason Spezza end nine-game points streaks. Ottawa outshot Buffalo 33-22 despite more energetic checking by the Sabres. Buffalo got a break off the opening faceoff, when Andrei Meszaros’ clearing pass hit Roy’s skate and was kept in at the blue-line by Drury, whose pass was redirected in at the side of the net at the nine-second mark. It was the fastest playoff goal from the start of a game in Sabres history, beating a Henrik Tallinder goal last year at 33 seconds, but short of the NHL record of six seconds by Dan Kozak of Los Angeles in 1977. Buffalo took further heart in killing three Senators’ power plays in the period, even if they were outplayed at even strength. The Sabres got a two-man advantage early in the second frame with Chris Neil and McAmmond off and Afinogenov converted a Daniel Briere pass at the side of the net at 4:32. It was Buffalo’s first power-play goal of the series. Emery was shaky as Drury made it 3-0 with a shot off the rush at 8:06 that found an opening under the goaltender’s arm. The Senators looked beat, the crowd quieted, but they came to life when Meszaros’ shot went off a leg to McAmmond for a quick shot inside the near post at 14:55. Less than two minutes later, with heavy pressure in the Buffalo zone, Schaefer scored his first goal of the playoffs on a blast from the slot off a feed from behind the net by Mike Comrie. That set the stage for some wild pressure in the third period, which had the record Scotiabank centre crowd of 20,294 roaring as Ottawa pressed for the tying goal.	The Buffalo Sabres have beat the Ottawa Senators in a score of 3 to 2 in game four of the Stanley Cup playoffs. Just 9 seconds into the first period, Derek Roy scored the first goal to give Buffalo the lead of 1 to 0, making Sabres-franchise history as the fastest goal to start a playoff game. Derek Roy, Daniel Briere, Teppo Numminen and Jaroslav Spacek of the Buffalo Sabres, pre game warm up, Jan. 2007. In the second period, Maxim Afinogenov and Chris Drury of the Sabres both scored goals to bring the Sabres lead 3 to 0. Also in the second period, Dean McAmmond and Peter Schaefer of the Senators scored two goals to bring the Senators down by one at 3 to 2. No goals were scored in the third period, with the Sabres winning the game. Ryan Miller, the goalie for the Sabres stopped 31 of the 33 Senators shots on goals. "When things weren't going our way at the end of the second period, we could've packed it in there. You know it's too tough. But we battled through some tough situations," said Miller to reporters after the game. "They were trying their hardest to give it to us, but their goalie decided that he didn't want to let anything by him," said defense man Joe Corvo of the Senators. The Sabres are hoping that this begins the comeback after their 3-0 deficit, a feat only achieved by three North American sports teams, the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs, the 1975 New York Islanders, and the 2004 Boston Red Sox. Game 5 of the playoffs will be held at HSBC Arena in Buffalo on Saturday, returning Home Ice advantage to the Sabres.
Monday, May 24, 2010 at 16:18:27 UTC Monday, May 24, 2010 at 11:18:27 AM at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones \|\|\|\|\| May 24, 2010 8:47 PM \| By Sapa-AFP Current Font Size: The temblor, with its centre about 127 kilometres (79 miles) east-southeast of Cruzeiro do Sul, Brazil, and 328 kilometres (204 miles) east of Pucallpa, in Peru's Andes, struck at 1618 GMT, the USGS said. The quake originated a relatively deep 580 kilometres (350 miles) under the surface. A spokesman for the civil defence service in Cruziero do Sul said the quake almost went unnoticed, and added such activity was not unusual in the region. "This zone suffers a lot of earthquakes, but the last one we really felt was 20 days ago. We didn't register any disorder or damage on the surface" from Monday's quake," he said. Brazil's Seismological Observatory told AFP the region sat above the South American and Andean tectonic plates, which resulted in a lot of deep-earth seismic activity. "Generally speaking, quakes more than 500 kilometres deep don't leave signals in the surface, they are only detected by instruments," one observatory official said. Sunday another strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake jolted several regions of Peru including the capital, Lima, with no damage immediately reported, Peru's National Geophysics Institute reported. That followed 6.0-magnitude earthquake which hit northern Peru early Wednesday some 131 kilometres (81 miles) north-northwest of the town of Moyobamba.	Shakemap of the earthquake. A 6.5 magnitude earthquake occurred in , a Brazilian state, at 16:18:29 UTC (11:18 local time), United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported. It had a depth of 565.3 kilometers. The epicenter was located 125 kilometers east-southeast of , Brazil, 330 kilometers east of , Peru, 460 kilometers south-southwest of , Brazil, and 2700 kilometers west-northwest of Brasilia, Brazil. A civil defence service spokesman in Cruziero do Sul reported to ''Times Live'' that the quake was unnoticed. "This zone suffers a lot of earthquakes, but the last one we really felt was 20 days ago. We didn't register any disorder or damage on the surface," he said. "Generally speaking, quakes more than 500 kilometres deep don't leave signals in the surface, they are only detected by instruments," said an official of Brazil's Seismological Observatory to AFP.
In a letter to party president Simon Hughes he said questions about his leadership were "getting in the way of further progress by the party". Mr Hughes said the party owed Sir Menzies "a huge debt of gratitude". Deputy leader Vincent Cable will take over as acting leader until a new leader is elected - a decision is expected by 17 December. The official announcement was made by Mr Cable and Mr Hughes, who said Sir Menzies had taken the decision in the "interests of the party and of Liberal Democracy". Poll ratings In his letter, Sir Menzies said he had sought to restore stability and purpose, professionalism to the party's internal operations and to prepare it for a general election, when he took over as leader in March 2006. "With the help of others, I believe that I have fulfilled these objectives, although I am convinced that the internal structures of the party need radical revision if we are to compete effectively against Labour and the Conservatives," he said. Party president Mr Hughes said Sir Menzies had brought "purpose and stability" to the party since he took over, after Charles Kennedy quit in January 2006. Former Lib Dem leader Lord Ashdown said he was a "man of honesty [and] decency" who had proved to have "remarkable political judgement". "That he has felt the need to resign this evening tells us more about the nature of modern politics than it does about Ming Campbell himself," he said. Poor polls Speculation has been growing about the Lib Dem leadership, particularly since Prime Minister Gordon Brown decided not to call an early general election - and indicated he may not do so until 2009 at the earliest. And talk of replacing him as leader appears to have been stirred by poor opinion poll results - the latest being an ICM poll in the Sunday Telegraph which suggested Conservative support at 43% with Labour on 36% and the Lib Dems on 14%. Mr Cable and Mr Hughes made the announcement Earlier on Monday Lib Dem peer Lord Taverne said Sir Menzies should step down within weeks, adding: "My general impression is quite clear, if there's not a change of leadership, the party goes down the drain." But a spokeswoman for Sir Menzies said he had made the decision to stand down himself and had handed his resignation letter to the party's president on Monday afternoon. The announcement appears to have taken the party by surprise - his Parliamentary aide Tim Farron said he was not aware Sir Menzies was about to resign. 'Great stature' Mr Cable, who earlier on Monday had said he thought the leadership was "under discussion" but not under threat, added: "I'm very sad he felt he needed to step aside." But he added: "I don't think he was pushed. There was a very open debate about this immediately that Gordon Brown made his decision to postpone the election which could now be two years hence. "I think he took a fresh look at where he stood. He discussed this with his family and colleagues and decided the best thing he could do in the interests of the party was step aside." HAVE YOUR SAY I am saddened that such a steady and trustworthy person was unpopular solely because of his age Will Stobart Send us your comments In full: Sir Menzies resigns The prime minister has paid tribute to Sir Menzies as a "man of great stature and integrity who has served his party and country with distinction". And Tory leader David Cameron said he was a "fine public servant" who had had a distinguished parliamentary career, and wished him well for the future. Since he became leader Sir Menzies, 66, has repeatedly had to defend himself against accusations that he was too old to lead the party. 'Very cruel' Former Liberal leader Lord Steel told the BBC: "I'm afraid the media had it in for him from the start and he was never able to overcome that. Its been very cruel, very unkind and very unfair." The BBC has learned that the winner of the leadership election will be announced on 17 December - the party's Federal Executive Committee has agreed nominations will open on Tuesday after which potential candidates will have 15 working days to throw their hats in to the ring. Mr Hughes, who has twice stood for the leadership, has told the BBC he would not stand again - saying he had made that decision last year. "That's a categorical 'no'," he added. \|\|\|\|\| Sir Menzies Campbell has resigned as Liberal Democrat leader, it was announced tonight. The shock move was announced by the party president, Simon Hughes, and the deputy leader, Vincent Cable - fuelling speculation that Sir Menzies had been forced out. In his letter of resignation, released shortly after the announcement, Sir Menzies said: "It has become clear that following the prime minister's decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party. Accordingly, I now submit my resignation as leader with immediate effect." The move followed intense speculation about the 66-year-old's future after dire poll ratings for the party, which have barely reached double figures in recent days. Despite the mutterings, tonight's announcement caught MPs by surprise. In a statement outside the Liberal Democrat headquarters in London, Mr Hughes said: "Sir Menzies Campbell has this evening submitted his resignation with immediate effect." He said Sir Menzies had brought "huge stability and purpose to the party" and had successfully prepared the party for a general election "whenever it comes". Sir Menzies had taken the decisions "in interests of the party", Mr Hughes said, adding: "Every Lib Dem and many other people owe him huge debt of gratitude." Mr Hughes was flanked by Mr Cable, who will take over at the head of the party until a long-term replacement is found. A timetable for the leadership contest will be announced tomorrow. Mr Cable said: "During his time as leader, Ming has earned the respect, affection and gratitude of the party. This was reflected in the warmth with which his speech was received by the party conference three weeks ago." That Sir Menzies did not make the announcement himself was seen by some at Westminster as an indication that he had been forced out by the party. A friend of Sir Menzies told Guardian Unlimited: "This was a very personal decision taken after much reflection. He has been thinking about the decision ever since Gordon Brown took his decision [not to hold a general election]. That was the moment to think about things, talk to one or two people and weigh up whether he wanted to do this." Mr Cable raised the stakes earlier today when he admitted that Sir Menzies' leadership was "under discussion". He said it was "very likely" Sir Menzies would want to stay in post, and said he did not believe that any of the party's 62 MPs wanted their leader to step down. "It's certainly under discussion, I don't think it's under threat," Mr Cable told BBC Radio 4's World at One. But the deputy leader's view was not shared by some other senior Lib Dems. As Lib Dem support plummeted, the Lib Dem peer Lord Taverne called for senior members of the party to press Sir Menzies to quit, warning that otherwise "the party goes down the drain". One of the party's senior councillors, Chris Clarke, joined calls for a change in leadership. He told World at One that Sir Menzies should "read the runes, go with dignity, go with the respect you have" and return to the foreign affairs portfolio. Lord Taverne conceded he may not be representative of the party but told the programme: "The mood is very much a mood wanting change. They want a change in leadership. "There's absolutely no doubt the overwhelming number of peers want a change. My general impression is quite clear - if there's not a change in leadership, the party goes down the drain. "Some senior members of the party should go to Sir Menzies and say, 'you have given great service in the past but it's time to step down'." Speculation about Sir Menzies' future as leader has been fuelled by low poll ratings, which put support for the Lib Dems as low as 11%. But Mr Cable insisted: "You are getting a bit of evidence of panic under fire. The whole political environment at the moment is extremely febrile and volatile. "In this kind of extremely turbulent, volatile environment it's absolutely foolish to rush into decisions with major long-term implications." Asked if MPs wanted Sir Menzies to resign, Mr Cable replied: "No, I don't think so." Mr Hughes did little to quell speculation about Lib Dem confidence in the incumbent leader when he said over the weekend that Sir Menzies "has to do better". Some members are said to favour a younger, more dynamic leader such as the home affairs spokesman, Nick Clegg, or the environment spokesman, Chris Huhne, now that Gordon Brown has said an election is not likely until 2009 at the earliest. \|\|\|\|\| Getting the perfect XI within budget is a precarious problem – you can’t just have all of the best players in your team. Just how are you going to fit all your favourites in?	Menzies Campbell during a visit to Brent, England in September 2006. Menzies Campbell, leader of the United Kingdom's Liberal Democrat political party, has resigned. Simon Hughes, the President of the Liberal Democrats, and deputy leader Vincent Cable announced the resignation outside the Liberal Democrats headquarters in London, saying that he had made the decision "in the interests of the party". Vincent Cable will become acting leader while a leadership election takes place. Home Affairs spokesman Nick Clegg and environment spokesman Chris Huhne are considered to be possible candidates. Campbell, 66, was elected leader in January 2006 after Charles Kennedy stood down. Since then he has faced criticism over his leadership and poor poll results. In his resignation letter, he wrote: "It has become clear that following the prime minister's decision not to hold an election, questions about leadership are getting in the way of further progress by the party. Accordingly, I now submit my resignation as leader with immediate effect."
An explosion at a rally in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, has killed at least three people and injured many others, officials say. The rally was organised by Christian groups opposed to a draft constitution. Most Christian churches oppose the document because it allows the establishment of Islamic courts and includes a clause which they say could legalise abortion. Kenyans are due to vote on the new constitution in a referendum in August. \|\|\|\|\| Christian leaders called the mass meeting to boost opposition to a new constitution to be voted on in a referendum in August. A petrol bomb was thrown into the crowds as the meeting dispersed at dusk, sparking a stampede as people fled. Some witnesses reported that there had been two separate explosions, in Uhuru Park in the centre of the city. "It is a very, very regrettable incident, and this incident is condemned in the strongest terms possible," said Raila Odinga, the prime minister, at the site of the blast. "We don't know as yet the cause of this incident." The August vote is already polarising Kenya in much the same way as a 2005 referendum split the country into the two sides who went on to contest presidential elections two years later. Allegations that the result of that poll was rigged led to weeks of fighting which left 1,300 people dead and forced 300,000 from their homes. Immediately after Sunday's blast, campaigners against the new constitution began blaming those ranged in the â Yes' camp for organising the explosion. "It is very, very much too early to say who is responsible," said Eric Kiraithe, spokesman for the Kenya Police. "Our investigations have begun, and in due course the culprits will be found." Deadly violence at political rallies is rare in Kenya, but there were immediate fears that Sunday's attack could increase tensions between the two sides contesting the referendum. Kenya's president, Mwai Kibaki, and Mr Odinga are leading those in favour of the new constitution, which will reduce presidential powers, devolve power to the country's regions, reform land policy and strengthen the judiciary. William Ruto, the agriculture minister who is popular in the Rift Valley where the worst of the 2008 post-election violence took place, is heading the No campaign. Church leaders are opposed to the draft because they argue it weakens laws against abortion and allows special Islamic courts.	A stampede in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi has killed at least five people and left at least 79 more wounded, reports say. The incident occurred at a church rally, led by Christian leaders voicing their opposition to a new constitution to be voted on in a referendum later this summer, primarily because it is to include a clause for abortion. A petrol bomb apparently was thrown into the crowd as the rally was drawing to a close at dusk, prompting panic as people tried to flee. Some witness reports suggest there were two individual blasts. According to police, the explosions were not large and didn't leave any damage. Kenyan prime minister was present at the scene of the disaster. He commented on the incident, saying: "It is a very, very regrettable incident, and this incident is condemned in the strongest terms possible. We don't know as yet the cause of this incident." It was not immediately clear who was responsible for detonating the bomb. Spokesman for Kenyan police Eric Kiraithe said that "it is very, very much too early to say who is responsible. Our investigations have begun, and in due course the culprits will be found."
E-Mail News Alerts Get breaking news and daily headlines. Browse all e-mail newsletters Related To Story Troy Hill VIDEOS SLIDESHOW Family Tragedy In Penn Hills: Twins Stabbed, Brother Arrested POSTED: 5:31 pm EDT August 28, 2007 Twin 11-year-old brothers were stabbed at their home on Richey Drive -- allegedly by an older sibling, who police say is in custody after nearly 24 hours on the run. Early Wednesday afternoon, police confirmed that 18-year-old Troy Hill was arrested on charges of homicide and attempted homicide. Early Wednesday afternoon, police confirmed that 18-year-old Troy Hill was arrested on charges of homicide and attempted homicide. Hill's younger brother, Tyrel, was found Tuesday afternoon on top of his twin, Tyron, with "blood everywhere," according to grandfather Lovett Williams, who lives across the street and went looking for the boys when they didn't meet him after school. Hill's younger brother, Tyrel, was found Tuesday afternoon on top of his twin, Tyron, with "blood everywhere," according to grandfather Lovett Williams, who lives across the street and went looking for the boys when they didn't meet him after school. "I called them and called them and called them, and finally Tyrel goes, 'Pappy, we're up here, we're in the attic,'" Williams said. "He says, 'Pappy, I'm dying.' He says, 'I'm dying, and my stomach hurts, and my chest hurts.'" "I called them and called them and called them, and finally Tyrel goes, 'Pappy, we're up here, we're in the attic,'" Williams said. "He says, 'Pappy, I'm dying.' He says, 'I'm dying, and my stomach hurts, and my chest hurts.'" Tyron was pronounced dead at the scene, and Tyrel was taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he underwent surgery for several hours. Tyron was pronounced dead at the scene, and Tyrel was taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he underwent surgery for several hours. Williams told Allegheny County homicide detectives that the surviving boy identified his older brother as the attacker. Williams told Allegheny County homicide detectives that the surviving boy identified his older brother as the attacker. Search crews combed the neighborhood and some nearby woods with dogs and thermal imaging devices on Tuesday night, but the manhunt was unsuccessful. Search crews combed the neighborhood and some nearby woods with dogs and thermal imaging devices on Tuesday night, but the manhunt was unsuccessful. On Wednesday, police said a resident of Loretta Drive -- about a mile from the crime scene -- tipped them off that Troy Hill was in the area. On Wednesday, police said a resident of Loretta Drive -- about a mile from the crime scene -- tipped them off that Troy Hill was in the area. David Connelly said Hill first knocked on his door late Tuesday but took off running before Connelly realized who he was. Then on Wednesday, Connelly said Hill returned, asking for water and to use the phone. David Connelly said Hill first knocked on his door late Tuesday but took off running before Connelly realized who he was. Then on Wednesday, Connelly said Hill returned, asking for water and to use the phone. "He wanted in," said Connelly, whose wife was home at the time. "He asked to come in and then he wanted to use the phone. She said, 'I can't do that.' And then he asked for water. And he showed his hands, and they were covered in blood. He had scratches all over his face, and his lips were cracked. And she said she's calling 911, and he said, 'Go ahead. I want to give myself up.'" "He wanted in," said Connelly, whose wife was home at the time. "He asked to come in and then he wanted to use the phone. She said, 'I can't do that.' And then he asked for water. And he showed his hands, and they were covered in blood. He had scratches all over his face, and his lips were cracked. And she said she's calling 911, and he said, 'Go ahead. I want to give myself up.'" Connelly's wife did call 911, but Hill fled, police said. A short time later, police were able to apprehend him in a wooded area near the home. Connelly's wife did call 911, but Hill fled, police said. A short time later, police were able to apprehend him in a wooded area near the home. Troy Hill is being held at the county jail without bond. Family members said he has a history of emotional problems, but investigators have not discussed a motive for the stabbings. Troy Hill is being held at the county jail without bond. Family members said he has a history of emotional problems, but investigators have not discussed a motive for the stabbings. "The Sweetest Kids" Those who knew Tyron and Tyrel Hill called the two brothers outstanding young men who were practically inseparable. Those who knew Tyron and Tyrel Hill called the two brothers outstanding young men who were practically inseparable. Both children played for the Guyasuta Area Football Association, a youth program, and were well-known in their neighborhood. Both children played for the Guyasuta Area Football Association, a youth program, and were well-known in their neighborhood. "The whole team was so upset," said their football commissioner, Terry Wirginis. "You just couldn't know any nicer people, and people who are more honest or more forthcoming. Very dignified." "The whole team was so upset," said their football commissioner, Terry Wirginis. "You just couldn't know any nicer people, and people who are more honest or more forthcoming. Very dignified." "They were great athletes, straight-A students, just good, little boys," neighbor Don Taylor said. "It's tough." "They were great athletes, straight-A students, just good, little boys," neighbor Don Taylor said. "It's tough." "Wonderful neighbors, just the sweetest kids I've ever known," another neighbor said. "Wonderful neighbors, just the sweetest kids I've ever known," another neighbor said. Franny Morgan, who had no relationship with the Hill family, started a memorial at their home. Franny Morgan, who had no relationship with the Hill family, started a memorial at their home. "That little boy's 11 years old," said Morgan. "My little boy's 11 years old." "That little boy's 11 years old," said Morgan. "My little boy's 11 years old." Troy Hill's former teacher, Ron Richey, said he remembers Hill being protective of his younger brothers. Troy Hill's former teacher, Ron Richey, said he remembers Hill being protective of his younger brothers. "He was very concerned about their well-being," said Richey. "Total shock." "He was very concerned about their well-being," said Richey. "Total shock." Penn Hills School District officials said grief counselors were available Wednesday for the twins' classmates at Linton Middle School. Penn Hills School District officials said grief counselors were available Wednesday for the twins' classmates at Linton Middle School. Related Links: More Allegheny County News Get RSS \| E-Mail Alerts Copyright 2007 by ThePittsburghChannel. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Links We Like 5 Mistakes Married Women Make Don't let these simple mistakes ruin your financial future. More You Can Refinance Your Home Online Whether you want to pay off some bills, remodel, or get a better rate, you can refinance your home online. Just enter your name and other important information and get a handful of approval values and rates in return. More A How-To Guide For Yard Sales More Don't hold a yard sale without reading our tips for success. Dive In To A Quick Workout Here's a high-intensity workout that builds strength, shapes muscles, and burns a boatload of calories—all while being easy on your moving parts. More Links We Like includes a selection of information, tools and resources from our partners and sponsors. Like online video? Then you'll love Now See This. Links We Like includes a selection of information, tools and resources from our partners and sponsors. Sponsored Links \|\|\|\|\| This is a copy of a photo provided by the Allegheny County Police of Troy Lavalle Hill. Police are searching for Hill, an 18-year-old, charged with stabbing his 11-year-old twin brothers, killing one of them and leaving the other seriously injured. (The Allegheny County Police/AP Photo) Police on Wednesday arrested an 18-year-old accused of stabbing his 11-year-old twin half brothers, killing one of them and critically injuring the other. The boys' grandfather, Lovett Williams, said he heard Tyrel Hill call out, "Pappy, I'm dead. I'm dying," when he went to the family's suburban Pittsburgh home to check on them Tuesday. Williams went to the attic, where he found Tyrel, wrapped in a blood-soaked blanket, and the body of his twin, Tyron. "There was blood everywhere," Williams said. "Everywhere. Blood all over the house. Downstairs, up the steps." The surviving twin identified his older half-brother, Troy Lavalle Hill, as the attacker, police and Williams said. "I said, 'Who did this?' He said, 'Troy,'" Williams said. Police and dogs searching the woods near the family's Penn Hills home had been unable to find Troy Hill, but he was arrested Wednesday after he emerged from woods beyond the area authorities had searched. Allegheny County Police Assistant Superintendent James Morton said he did not know how far Hill had been from the home. "I know it's not where we were looking for him last night," Morton said Wednesday afternoon. "He just continued farther into the woods than we thought he did." Hill was arraigned in Allegheny County Night Court on charges of criminal homicide and attempted homicide and held without bond in the county jail. Police said they believe Hill has emotional problems. Tiffany Hill, the twins' mother and the suspect's stepmother, told police that Troy Hill "has been depressed and despondent" for about a month, according to the criminal complaint. Tyrel was in critical condition Wednesday at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, but police said he was expected to survive. "I don't know how I'm going to make it," Lovett Williams told reporters. "I moved here so I could be with my grandsons. I hope I can survive. As long as (Tyrel) makes it, I might make it, too." Troy Hill played football for Waynesburg College last season but did not return for the fall semester. \|\|\|\|\| Teen In Custody, Accused Of Stabbing Brothers 1 Twin Remains Hospitalized The search for 18-year-old Troy Hill ended Wednesday afternoon. Shortly before 2 p.m., police located Hill in the 1400 block of Loretta Drive of Penn Hills. He is accused of stabbing his twin 11-year-old brothers inside their Richey Drive home Tuesday afternoon. Tyron was found dead, and his twin Tyrel suffered several stab wounds. He was taken to Children’s Hospital. His condition is not being released. A couple that lives on Loretta Drive told Channel 11 that Hill came to the couple's house Tuesday night and returned again Wednesday afternoon. Hill reportedly asked the woman inside the home for a drink of water and to use their phone. She told him no and that she was calling 911. Hill was apprehended a short time later. He was taken to the Allegheny County Jail for processing and arraignment on charges. Friends of the young victims are in mourning. Counselors were brought in Wednesday to Linton Middle School, where the twins were A students and athletes. They both played football and baseball Children are so upset that many students are just putting their hands on the boys’ lockers The boys would have turned 12 years old in November. "On behalf of the entire Penn Hills Community, I would like to express our sadness over the recent events involving members of the Penn Hills School District family. I wish to express my deepest sympathies to everyone affected by this tragedy. All of those involved are in our hearts and in our prayers, and I want them to know that the School District stands ready and willing to assist them in any way that we can. "Our first priority is to provide support for the students and staff affected by this tragedy. Counseling services have been and will continue to be made available for our students and staff who may need help to deal with their feelings of shock, grief, and confusion. Services are being provided for students at Linton Middle School during school hours. Administrators and staff will assist students who feel the need to take advantage of these counseling services. Should additional support be needed, we will post that information on the District website. "The investigation into this tragedy is currently being conducted by local law enforcement authorities and details have not been made public. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for the District to comment on the investigation." \|\|\|\|\| PENN HILLS, Pa. Police on Wednesday arrested an 18-year-old man charged with stabbing his half brothers, 11-year-old twins, killing one of them and leaving the other seriously injured. Troy Hill was arrested after he emerged from some woods in Penn Hills, the same Pittsburgh suburb where he is alleged to have stabbed the twins. Search dogs were unable to locate Hill Tuesday night, but police they arrested him Wednesday afternoon when he walked out of a wooded area beyond the perimeter where police previously searched. Allegheny County Police Assistant Superintendent James Morton said he did not know how far away from the home Hill was found. "I know it's not where we were looking for him last night," Morton said Wednesday afternoon. "He just continued farther into the woods than we thought he did." The boys' grandfather found the twins, Tyrel and Tyron, stabbed in the bloody home when he went to check on them after school Tuesday. Tyron Hill died at the scene while his brother, Tyrel, was taken to Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, where he was in satisfactory condition and expected to survive. Allegheny County police charged Troy Hill with one count each of criminal homicide and attempted homicide because they said the surviving twin identified his brother as the attacker. Police Assistant Superintendent James Morton said authorities believe Troy Hill has emotional problems, but stopped short of offering a motive for the attacks. "There was blood everywhere," the boys' grandfather, Lovett Williams said. "Everywhere. Blood all over the house. Downstairs, up the steps." He then heard one of the boys calling out, "Pappy, I'm dead. I'm dying," and found Tyrel Hill hiding in the attic, bleeding and wrapped in a blanket. "I said, 'Who did this?' He said, 'Troy."' Tyrel's brother, Tyron, was also in the attic, stabbed to death. Troy Hill played football for Penn Hills High School and played defensive back at Waynesburg College last season, but did not return to college for the fall semester. The twins played for the Guyasuta Area Football Association in suburban Fox Chapel. Tyrel is a quarterback and Tyron was a running back. Penn Hills School District officials said grief counselors would be available Wednesday at Linton Middle School to help the boys' classmates cope. "I don't know how I'm going to make it," Williams said. "I moved here so I could be with my grandsons. I hope I can survive. As long as (Tyrel) makes it, I might make it, too."	Two 11-year-old twin brothers were found stabbed in their home in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania on Tuesday. Their older brother is being charged with the stabbings, one of which was fatal. Grandfather Lovett Williams said Tyrel was found upon his dead brother, Tyron. "Blood was everywhere," Williams said. Williams went looking for the boys because they did not show up to meet with him after the school day. Williams recalled the horrifying dialogue, "I called them and called them and called them, and finally Tyrel goes, 'Pappy, we're up here, we're in the attic'...He says, 'Pappy, I'm dying.' He says, 'I'm dying, and my stomach hurts, and my chest hurts." While Tyron was pronounced dead at the scene, Tyrel underwent hours of surgery at Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh and is expected to survive. Williams allegedly told police that Tyrel said his 18-year-old brother, Troy Lavalle Hill, was their killer. Troy Hill was babysitting the children. The boys have a 3-year-old sister who was not home at the time of the stabbing. Search parties worked throughout the night on Tuesday looking for Hill but he did not turn up until a neighbor spotted the suspect on Loretta Drive in Penn Hills. Troy Lavalle Hill reportedly has a history of emotional problems. Neighbors say they will miss Tyron. "They were great athletes, straight-A students, just good, little boys...It's tough," said neighbor Don Taylor. Another neighbor added, "Wonderful neighbors, just the sweetest kids I've ever known." Grief counselors were on duty at the childrens' middle school, Linton Middle School. There is no word on a motive in the case. Grandfather Williams said, "I don't know how I'm going to make it...I moved here so I could be with my grandsons. I hope I can survive. As long as Tyrel makes it, I might make it, too."
Goldie this afternoon made it a hat-trick of successive Reserve Race wins. The Cambridge reserve boat, coxed for the third successive year by American Russell Glenn, beat the Oxford reserves, Isis, by four lengths. Goldie crossed the finish line in 17 minutes 48 seconds, with Isis finishing in 18 minutes. It means Goldie now lead the Reserve Race series 28-15. This was a tense battle from the start to Hammersmith Bridge with the lead swapping hands several times by the narrowest of margins. Goldie seemed to be ahead as the crews passed the finish-end of Craven Cottage, Fulham FC’s football club but it was Isis who were up by a fraction at the Mile Post. Only half a second separated them at this landmark. Umpire Rob Clegg had his work cut out warning both crews at various times. As the Race shot under Hammersmith Bridge Goldie cox Russell Glenn was warned several times. Eventually a clash was avoided by just inches as Goldie passed the timing point in 7:01 with Isis just a second behind. Indeed it was between Hammersmith and St Pauls that this race was won with a considerable push from Goldie which saw them take a lead quickly before stretching it out to a length and a half on the approach to Chiswick Steps. Isis bowman Paul Kelly could not resist a look over his shoulder at this point. He would have been disappointed with what he saw as Goldie stretched out their lead onto Barnes Bridge and beyond. At Barnes Bridge Goldie went through in 14:45 to Goldie’s 15:55. By the finish Goldie were rating at 32 with Isis at 35 - indicating the disparity in power. Goldie took the eventual verdict by four lengths in a time of 17:48 with Goldie in 18:00. Split times: Mile Post: Goldie: 3:54.50; Isis: 3:54.00 Hammersmith Bridge: Goldie: 7:01; Isis 7:02 Chiswick Steps: Goldie: 10.56; Isis 11:03 Barnes Bridge: Goldie: 14:45; Isis: 15:55 Finish: Goldie: 17:48; Isis: 18:00 \|\|\|\|\| Cambridge lived up to their pre-race billing as favourites Although Oxford made the stronger start, the Light Blues hung in and began to exert their superiority midway through the race. Once the heavier Cambridge crew took control they showed their class and never looked like being pegged back. The win gave Cambridge their first success since 2004. After back-to-back defeats in the last two races from Putney to Mortlake, Cambridge were eager to make amends but Oxford gained an early advantage by the first mile. 606: DEBATE The Dark Blues were still marginally ahead at Hammersmith Bridge as the boats came close to touching oars. Cambridge nosed in front around Chiswick Steps and, as Barnes Bridge came into view, they were a length in front. Although Oxford pushed hard, they could not close the gap and Cambridge held on for a victory by a length and a quarter which denied their rivals a hat-trick of wins. The Light Blues won in a time of 17 minutes 49 seconds. It was a particularly sweet victory for Cambridge president Tom James, who finally became a Boat Race winner at his fourth and final attempt. Credit to Oxford. They threw everything they had at us, but we absorbed it all Cambridge's Kieran West "I didn't really want to think about losing again. I don't know what I would have done, but I wasn't thinking beyond this race," he said. "We knew they were going to hammer off the start and we had to stick to our guns and keep moving. "We kept pounding and coming down the straights. It was just a matter of listening to the calls and staying on your blades. "Having lost three times, it's a great relief not to be in that situation again." Oxford coach Sean Bowden paid tribute to his crew after their defeat. "We had a good race and made all the right moves to Hammersmith, but we couldn't quite shake them off and didn't quite have enough lead to defend," he said. "But our guys can be extraordinarily proud of themselves." Cambridge now lead the overall series, which dates back to 1829, by 79-73, with one dead heat. \|\|\|\|\| Cambridge today justified their pre-race tag as favourites by winning the 153rd Boat Race, sponsored by Xchanging. Under bright blue skies and with a slight tailwind, it was the Light Blues who won the gruelling four and a quarter mile race from Putney to Mortlake, taking victory by one and a quarter lengths from Oxford. Cambridge crossed the line in 17 minutes 49 seconds, with Oxford finishing in 17 minutes and 52 seconds. After winning the toss and choosing the Surrey station, it was Oxford who threw down the gauntlet, going out hard from the start. They had established a slight lead by the Mile Post and looked set to be in a good position to take advantage of the big Surrey Bend. But umpire Peter Bridge had to warn the Oxford cox, Nick Brodie, a number of times as the boats came perilously close to clashing oars as the crews pulled hard through Crab Tree Reach, passed the Harrod’s Depot and strained towards Hammersmith Bridge. As they passed beneath the bridge, Oxford were still marginally ahead - maybe by half a length - and the crew members’ friends and family in a following launch celebrated the slight advantage with encouraging cheers and raised fists. But the Dark Blues couldn’t quite shake off Cambridge who began to find their rhythm under the calm leadership of cox Rebbeca Dowbiggin and the steady pace of stroke Thorsten Engelmann. By the time the boats drew level with the Chiswick Eyot – the small island which separates the racers from the Middlesex bank at this stage of the Tideway – Cambridge were back level. With 10 minutes gone in the race, it was the Light Blues who now began to forge ahead down the Chiswick Reach. Going past the Bandstand - three miles into the race - and with Barnes Bridge in sight, they began to put clear water between the two boats for the first time in the race. With the advantage of the final bend to come, the race was now theirs to lose and they drove home their advantage, passing under Barnes Bridge to take the middle water and extend their lead to almost a length and a half. Yet even then, Oxford weren’t beaten. Cox Nick Brodie rallied his troops for one last effort and, with Chiswick Bridge and the finish line ahead of them, they began to close the gap. It was all to no avail, as Cambridge crossed the line to win by one and a quarter lengths, the Light Blues’ first win since 2004 and their first under head coach Duncan Holland. It was also the first time that a woman had coxed the winning crew since 2000. Afterwards Cambridge cox Rebecca Dowbiggin said she never doubted her crew would come up trumps. “It was a really hard race, there wasn’t a second to relax. It was a very full-on race, right to the line," she said. "I was always confident." Tom James, Cambridge President, added: “We were in our rhythm right from the start. It was harder than I thought, they were pushing so hard. We knew it was going to be tough, but it was relentless. Having lost three times, it’s a great relief not to be in that situation again.” Ante Kusurin, Oxford’s Croatian stroke, said: “We died there, we left our hearts out there. We fought to the end and I’m proud of the guys. Cambridge had a great race and I would like to congratulate them for that.” Split times: Cambridge - Oxford Mile Post: 3.49 - 3.48 Hammersmith Bridge: 6.58 - 6.57 Chiswick Steps: 10.55 - 10.55 1/2 Barnes Bridge: 14.46 - 14.50 Finish: 17.49 - 17.52 See ‘The Crews’ for further quotes from Boat Race rowers.	Cambridge University have defeated Oxford University by 1¼ lengths to win the 153rd Boat Race. The Light Blues won with a time of 17 minutes and 49 seconds to record their first win in three years. Oxford finished with a time of 18 minutes and 2 seconds. Oxford won the toss and chose to row on the Surrey side of the river, with Cambridge rowing on the Middlesex side. Oxford had the stronger start and were ahead for much of the first half of the race. They had a slight advantage over Cambridge at Hammersmith Bridge, where they would be favoured by racing the inside of the upcoming bend. However Cambridge never lost touch and pulled ahead at Chiswick steps, maintaining their lead for the remainder of the race. Before the race, Cambridge were strong favourites, being 9lb heavier per man on average. The Cambridge crew had 5 returning blues compared to Oxford's one. Furthermore the international achievement of Cambridge's rowers far exceeded that of Oxford: the World Champion stern pair of Germans Thorsten Engelmann (the heaviest ever oarsman at 110.8kg) and Sebastian Schulte, Olympic Gold medallist Kieran West MBE and GB medal winner Tom James. The heavily fancied Cambridge crew did not win by the margin expected by many, thanks in part to a strong row from Oxford, and the sagging stern containing the heaviest Cambridge oarsmen. Also of note, only a week before, Cambridge were victorious at the prestigious Head of the River Race (raced on the same course, but from Mortlake to Putney). However the race was abandoned due to weather conditions with only 29 out of 420 crews finishing. The race, first held in 1829, is currently held on a 6,779 m (4 miles and 374 yards) stretch of the River Thames in London from Putney to Mortlake. Overall, Cambridge lead Oxford by 79 wins to 73 with one dead heat. In the earlier race for reserve crews, Goldie (Cambridge) beat Isis (Oxford). Racing for the women's and lightweight crews took place at Henley on April 1st, where Cambridge won the Women's Boat Race and Oxford won the reserve women's, lightweight women's, lightweight men's and reserve lightweight men's races.
Sign-up to receive the weekly top stories, contest and promotion announcements every Tuesday Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Canada.com Newsletter will soon be in your inbox. \|\|\|\|\| Operations at the BHP nickel mine at Leinster, in Western Australia's Goldfields, have been suspended after the death of a mine worker. The 32-year-old man was working about 900 metres underground late yesterday when there was an explosion. Police says it is believed the man was working alone and may have been handling explosives at the time of the accident. BHP Billiton says other employees at the site are being briefed and counselled over the incident. Government authorities are travelling to the site today to investigate the man's death. The mine will remain closed until the investigation is complete and police will prepare a report for the coroner. \|\|\|\|\| BHP Billiton has released the name of a mine worker who was killed at the Leinster nickel operation in the Western Australian Goldfields. Mark Quinn, 32, died in an explosion late yesterday while he was working about 900 metres underground. Department of Community and Employment Protection investigators have travelled to the site from Kalgoorlie to conduct an inquiry. The mine remains closed and BHP says other employees at the site are being briefed and counselled over the incident. \|\|\|\|\| This story is from our news.com.au network Fatal mine blast being investigated 04feb06 The mine was part of BHP Billiton's Leinster Nickel Operation, 950km northeast of Perth. No-one else was injured in the explosion, the cause of which is not yet known. Operations at Leinster have been halted and employees at the site briefed on the accident and counselled. BHP Billiton said investigations were being conducted by the mining group and the relevant government authorities. Investigators from WA's Department of Community and Employment Protection have travelled to the site from Kalgoorlie to conduct an inquiry. Reports from sources near the site suggest the man was working alone and may have been handling explosives at the time of the accident. Police are preparing a report for the coroner. The accident comes almost two years after a BHP Billiton worker in WA was killed in a gas explosion at the Boodarie hot briquetted iron plant at Port Hedland. The plant was mothballed after the incident in May 2004 and its closure announced late last year. In April 2004, a man was killed at BHP Billiton's Nelson Point facility, also at Port Hedland in WA. And in May 2000 a truck driver was killed at a BHP Pilbara iron ore operation in WA.	A BHP Billiton nickel mine at Leinster, 645Km northeast of Perth, Western Australia has halted operations after the death of a mine worker. WA Police say Mark Quinn, 32, an employee of mining contractor MacMahon's, working about 900 metres underground, was killed in an explosion. The cause of the explosion is not yet known. Department of Community and Employment Protection investigators have travelled to the site from Kalgoorlie to conduct an inquiry. Global resources giant BHP Billiton Ltd./Plc, says employees are being briefed and counselled over the incident. The mine will remain closed until the investigation is complete. Police will prepare a report for the coroner. According to media reports, no-one else was injured in the explosion - the cause of which is not yet known. The accident comes almost two years after a BHP Billiton worker died in a gas explosion at the Boodarie iron plant in Port Hedland, WA. The plant was then abandoned after the incident in May 2004. In April 2004, a man was killed at BHP Billiton's Nelson Point facility, also at Port Hedland in WA. In May 2000 a truck driver was killed at a BHP Pilbara iron ore operation in WA. BHP Billiton employ some 37,000 people at over 100 operations in 25 countries. Coal mines in the United States' West Virginia district were also suspended earlier this week, due to increased amounts of miners' deaths.
NEW DELHI, April 16 -- Violence marred the start of the month-long national election in the world's largest democracy Thursday, as Indian voters cast ballots to choose a new government that will confront the twin challenges of the global economic slowdown and the growing threat of terrorism. In 14 attacks on polling stations and vehicles carrying election officials, 17 people were killed in eastern and central India. The strikes were blamed on Maoist insurgents, who used land mines and rocket launchers. The Maoist groups had called for an election boycott in several areas and had vowed to disrupt the vote. India's election commission said voter turnout ranged from 46 to 86 percent of the 140 million eligible voters in the 17 states that went to the polls Thursday. The turnout was lower in areas affected by violence. The staggered, five-phase national election, which ends May 13, will cost an estimated $2 billion, with about 714 million voters. Vote-counting is scheduled for May 16, with 543 lawmakers being chosen for the lower house of Parliament. More than 6 million security and civil officials are responsible for helping to oversee the elections, and 1.3 million voting machines will be used. The government deployed hundreds of thousands of police and paramilitary forces to guard polling stations, especially along thickly forested areas that security officials call India's "red corridor" because of the Maoist presence. "Their political philosophy is such that they don't want to believe in democracy," M.L. Kumawat, director general of the Border Security Force, told reporters in New Delhi. The attacks targeted security forces and polling officials, not voters. Helicopters were flown into some areas to evacuate soldiers who had come under fire. Maoists also destroyed electronic voting machines. The Maoist rebels are active in 17 of India's 28 states, and for four decades, they have been waging a low-grade insurgency that they say is intended to promote the rights of landless farmers and tribal people. "The extent of violence is unprecedented and shows it will be a significant political and security challenge for the next government," said Mahesh Rangarajan, a political analyst at Delhi University. "In many parts of India, they run parallel governments." The marathon election involves voting at polling booths from high in the Himalayas to remote islands in the Bay of Bengal. About 131 seats have been set aside for lower-caste candidates or members of indigenous tribes. Opinion polls forecast that no party will gain a clear majority to form a government on its own. Analysts predict that a coalition of parties will be stitched together after the final results are announced next month. The election features three primary political alliances: the ruling, left-of-center coalition led by the Congress party; the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party-led group; and a third bloc consisting of smaller, regional and communist parties. The Congress party coalition -- headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Oxford-educated economist -- is appealing to voters by showcasing several anti-poverty programs that the government has launched. About 76 percent of Indians live on less than $2 a day. But Singh is under attack from the opposition BJP for weakening the nation's security. Several Indian cities were rocked by bombings in 2008, culminating in a deadly three-day siege in the financial capital, Mumbai, that killed more than 170 people, including six Americans. The vote also comes as India battles a slowing economy after five years of heady growth. The BJP, led by 82-year old party patriarch L.K. Advani, says it will clamp down on terrorism. But the party has been criticized for its role in fomenting violence against Muslims and Christians. The third front includes a group of communist parties that supported Singh's coalition until last fall, when they withdrew to protest the signing of a controversial India-U.S. civilian nuclear agreement. Some economists have said the prospect of an unstable and unwieldy coalition government is worrisome for an economy that is saddled with job losses and the biggest fiscal deficit in two decades. But not everybody agrees. "It is a mishmash of different, smaller contests in the states that will eventually form the big, national picture in this election. But stimulating the economy will be a priority for whoever forms the government," said Rangarajan, the political analyst. "India has had coalition governments for more than a decade now. They are not a blessing from heaven, but they are not a complete disaster either." \|\|\|\|\| At least 18 people were killed today as India witnessed some of the worst electoral violence in its history on the first day of voting in month-long national elections. Polling was peaceful in many areas but in a string of attacks across central and eastern states Maoist guerrillas attacked polling stations, seized electronic voting machines, kidnapped electoral officials and killed security personnel. At least 18 people were killed and four election officials were kidnapped inside what is commonly referred to as the "red corridor" - a vast, desperately poor region extending across five states in which armed Maoist rebels, known as Naxalites, have waged a long-running insurgency. The Naxalites had called for a boycott of the vote, and the threat of violence was an important reason for the national election commission's decision to stagger the voting process. Polling was conducted today in 124 of the 543 parliamentary constituencies and the final results will be announced on 16 May. Voting for the remaining seats will take place during the next four weeks, primarily to facilitate the movement of paramilitary battalions guarding the elections from state to state. More than 250,000 police have been deployed to provide security for the polls. Apart from in pockets dominated by the Maoists, voters today turned out in significant numbers in most constituencies, varying from about 50% to more than 85% across states. Re-polling was ordered in 17 polling booths as a result of the violence. As millions cast their votes in one part of the country, campaigning began in other areas, though a more vigorous enforcement of laws that limit expenditure by candidates this time has made electioneering quieter and less colourful. "The election commission has taken the fun out of the elections," said political analyst Javed Ansari. "The strength of India's democracy comes from its participatory character - lots of meetings, heavy canvassing, posters, loudspeaker vans. But candidates are now very cautious about spending money less they be debarred." He added: "India's general elections are becoming like elections to the Oxford Union." The campaigning has been quieter in another way. There have been fewer violent clashes between supporters of rival candidates. But a new form of protest appears to have taken root. In the third such incident in recent weeks, a party worker threw footwear at Lal Kishen Advani, the leader of the opposition Bharatiya Janata party and a prime ministerial hopeful. The traditional wooden sandal missed its target and the thrower was taken away by the police from a meeting of BJP workers which Advani was to address in Madhya Pradesh state. "You cannot ask party workers to come barefoot to meetings," said India Today's editor, Prabhu Chawla, on a TV news channel. "The BJP has to address their grievances." There was another source of excitement though for the Hindu nationalist BJP. The supreme court ordered the release of one of its star candidates, Varun Gandhi, who was arrested after making a speech attacking Muslims while campaigning in his parliamentary constituency in the northern Uttar Pradesh state. Varun is the estranged grandson of Indira Gandhi whose other grandson, Rahul, is a star campaigner for the ruling Congress. The Congress and the BJP are locked in a struggle to emerge as the biggest party in this election. The BJP is expected to use Gandhi for campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, a crucial state with 80 parliamentary seats. "Opinion within the BJP is divided about Varun," said Ansari. "One section wants to use him to consolidate party votes. But other leaders, including Advani, see him as too intemperate, and are wary of turning him into a big star."	Violence in India has left at least 18 people dead as Maoist guerrillas attacked voting stations during the first day of elections in the country. At least four other people, reported to be election officials, were kidnapped. The guerrillas made fourteen attacks on polling stations and vehicles transporting election officials in central and eastern regions of India. The insurgents were armed with rocket launchers and landmines. They were calling for the polls to be boycotted, and had pledged to disrupt the elections. The violence was aimed at election authorities, not the voters. Soldiers who had been shot were evacuated by helicopters in some areas. A re-vote was called in seventeen voting booths as a result of the attacks. "Their the insurgents' political philosophy is such that they don't want to believe in democracy," said the director general of the Border Security Force, M L Kumawat. "The extent of violence is unprecedented and shows it will be a significant political and security challenge for the next government. In many parts of India, they run parallel governments," said a political analyst from the Delhi University, Mahesh Rangarajan. The elections, which are spread out over five phases, end on May 13. They are estimated to cost about US$2 billion, and it is forecast that about 714 million voters will attend the polls. Thirteen million voting machines will be used, and over six million security officials will help oversee the election. More than a quarter of a million police officers have been deployed to keep the peace at the polls.
New Clashes in Somalia Kill at Least 14 Witnesses in central Somalia say at least 14 people have been killed in a third day of fighting between Islamist groups. The militant group al-Shabab and the more moderate Ahlu Sunna Wal-Jama clashed in the villages of Wabho and Warhole late Monday. Local residents say the fighting continued into Tuesday, and has prompted hundreds of people to flee their homes. Witnesses also report more fighting Tuesday in the town of Beledweyn, where Ahlu Sunna has been battling another Islamist group, Hizbul Islam, since Sunday. At least 13 people have died in that fighting. Al-Shabab and Hizbul Islam are trying to expand their control over Somalia and set up a strict Islamic state. Ahlu Sunna advocates a more moderate version of Islam and began fighting the militant groups a little more than a year ago. Ahlu Sunna is nominally aligned with Somalia's Western-backed government. But the group has expressed frustration with the lack of support it gets from the government in Mogadishu. Somalia has been without a stable central government for nearly two decades, since the fall of dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and Reuters. \|\|\|\|\| MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At least 14 people were killed in a third day of fighting between pro-government militias and al Shabaab rebel group in central Somalia, witnesses and a rights group said Tuesday. Al Shabaab, branded by Washington as an al Qaeda proxy in the region, want to enforce a strict version of Sharia (Islamic law) in the anarchic Horn of Africa nation that has had no functional central government since 1991. Its fighters and those of government-friendly Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca, who advocate a more moderate version of Islam, clashed in Wabho and Warhole, north of Mogadishu. “At least 14 people died and 32 others were injured in Warhole. Most of the casualties are fighters from both groups,” Ali Yasin Geddi, the vice chairman of Elman peace and human rights, told Reuters. “So far 250 families, mostly pastoralists have fled and there is fear fighting might spread to other areas.” Residents say the fighting in Warhole started Monday and continued in Wabho where al Shabaab fighters retreated. “Armed Ahlu Sunna vehicles took over Warhole yesterday afternoon and their fighters are on the streets,” resident Farhan Ali told Reuters by telephone. Fighting in the strategic town of Baladwayne in central Somalia killed at least 13 people Sunday and Monday. Since the beginning of 2007, clashes have killed 19,000 Somalis and displaced 1.5 million people.	Witnesses in central Somalia have said that at least fourteen people were killed in a third day of fighting between Islamist groups. The al-Shabaab and the Ahlu Sunna Wal-Jama groups clashed in the villages of Wabho and Warhole late yesterday. Local residents say the fighting continued into today, and has prompted hundreds of people to flee their homes. "At least 14 people died and 32 others were injured in Warhole. Most of the casualties are fighters from both groups. So far 250 families, mostly pastoralists have fled and there is fear fighting might spread to other areas," commented Ali Yasin Geddi, vice chairman of Elman peace and human rights, to the Reuters news agency.
Theme: All Agriculture and Environment Business and Energy Children, Education and Skills Crime and Justice Economy Government Health and Social Care Labour Market People and Places Population Travel and Transport Dept: All Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute Agriculture and Rural Development (Northern Ireland) Business, Innovation and Skills Cabinet Office Cancer Registry Northern Ireland Child Maintenance and Enforcement Commission Commission for Social Care Inspection Communities and Local Government Culture, Arts and Leisure (Northern Ireland) Culture, Media and Sport Defence Education Education (Northern Ireland) Employment Earnings and Innovation Employment and Learning (Northern Ireland) Energy and Climate Change Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Northern Ireland) Environment (Northern Ireland) Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Finance and Personnel (Northern Ireland) Food Standards Agency Forestry Commission HM Revenue and Customs HM Treasury Health Health Protection Agency Health and Safety Executive Health and Social Care Information Centre Health, Social Service and Public Safety (Northern Ireland) Higher Education Statistics Agency Home Office ISD Scotland (part of NHS National Services Scotland) Independent Police Complaints Commission International Development Iron & Steel Statistics Bureau Justice Justice (Northern Ireland) Learning and Skills Council Marine Management Organisation NHS England National Records of Scotland National Treatment Agency Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency Office for National Statistics Office for Rail Regulation Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation Office of the First and Deputy First Minister Passenger Focus Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) Public Health England Regional Development (Northern Ireland) Scottish Consortium for Learning Disability Scottish Funding Council Scottish Government Social Development (Northern Ireland) Student Loans Company Transport Welsh Government Work and Pensions \|\|\|\|\| UK to avoid triple dip recession, says BCC Britain's service industries had a strong start to the year, according to official figures Continue reading the main story Related Stories The UK has avoided a triple dip recession, business group the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) has said. It believes a strong performance by Britain's service industries during the first three months of the year has kept the economy growing. The weakness of the pound has also given exports a boost, it said. The BCC's survey of more than 7,000 firms also showed improvements in the manufacturing sector, although employment had weakened. David Kern, BCC chief economist, said the results suggested the economy continued to grow in the first three months of 2013. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote These results provide a glimpse of the as-yet-distant sunlit uplands of recovery” End Quote John Longworth CBI diretor general "The survey reinforces our assessment that recent gross domestic product (GDP) figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have exaggerated the weakness of the UK economy and the volatility in output," he said. "If an announcement of negative growth in the first quarter is misleadingly described as a triple-dip recession, confidence will again be damaged unnecessarily." Official GDP figures for the first quarter do not come out until later this month. However, the Office for National Statistics has already provided figures for the service industry that showed growth of 0.8% for the first quarter. If that can offset performance by manufacturers and construction, Britain may have avoided going into another technical recession. John Longworth, director general of the BCC, said its figures suggest a "long and tortuous road to recovery". "These results provide a glimpse of the as-yet-distant sunlit uplands of recovery. "Businesses up and down the country are working hard to drive the economy, create jobs and export, but they cannot accelerate this process alone," Mr Longworth said. \|\|\|\|\| The UK's manufacturing and services sectors have strengthened in the first quarter of the year, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). The group's survey of more than 7,000 businesses revealed that export orders and sales in services were particularly strong - close to their all-time high of 1994. Investment levels and business confidence about the next 12 months also increased over the period, the BCC said. It comes ahead of GDP figures for the first quarter of the year - which, if negative, would mean that Britain had slipped into its third recession in less than five years. But the BCC's director general, John Longworth, has told Jeff Randall Live its survey results showed exports are booming, suggesting things have improved this quarter. "As I go around the country businesses have been saying for quite some time, it's tough, it's harder than it used to be but we're doing ok and if all the businesses I'm seeing are saying that one wonders where all the gloom is coming from," he said. Mr Longworth questioned the validity of the early data captured by the Office for National Statistics: The EEF said the poor state of the UK's roads were hitting businesses "It's very clear that the ONS figures are revised upwards again and again, even from 20 years ago. They capture only a proportion of the data when they make their first announcement. Even if ONS produces negative figures this time round, I don’t think that’s actually right." The BCC warned that despite the economic improvements, most of the group's key indicators remain below their pre-recession levels, last seen in 2007. But the survey's positive report on Britain's manufacturing contrasts with separate figures which showed a contraction in the sector for the second consecutive month in March. The Markit/CIPS manufacturing purchasing managers' index came in weaker than forecast for the month, but was slightly higher than February's four-month low. In response, the EEF manufacturers' organisation said there had been little to suggest the sector had staged a recovery in the first quarter of the year - despite the BCC’s survey. "The continued weakness in the PMI is disappointing overall, but of particular concern is another month of falling export demand," the EEF's chief economist Lee Hopley said. "While manufacturers have made some good gains in non-EU markets over the past couple of years, the ongoing drag on orders from the eurozone is still significant and likely to impact on prospects over the coming months." It comes as the group called on the Government to boost spending on roads - ahead of investment in high speed rail. The EEF said that half of its members said their operating costs were significantly higher because of the poor state of the UK's roads. It said an independent infrastructure commission should be set up to "take the politics out of" spending plans.	The United Kingdom will avoid a triple dip said the (BCC) in a statement yesterday reasoning that a better than expected performance in the in the first quarter of 2013 has led to an increase in . The BCC , David Kern said: "The survey reinforces our assessment that recent figures published by the (ONS) have exaggerated the weakness of the UK economy and the volatility in output ... If an announcement of negative growth in the first quarter is misleadingly described as a triple-dip recession, confidence will again be damaged unnecessarily." The ONS statistics show the British economy shrank by 0.3% in the final quarter of 2012 and output remained flat throughout last year - the economy would have to grow in the first quarter of 2013 in order to avoid a recession. Later this month the ONS will publish its preliminary estimate of the first quarter GDP figures on April 25 which will indicate as to whether Britain has avoided a triple dip recession. A survey which was released on Tuesday by stated that the British manufacturing sector had shrank and output was falling. They also blamed the recent bad weather of heavy snow and loss of market confidence in the UK for the fall in output. The value of the British has fallen resulting in an increase in exports abroad. The director general of the BCC, John Longworth said to the ''BBC'' that "the pound's helping" to increase exports. He went on to say, "There's been a major focus on helping businesses to export, rebalance the economy towards exports away from domestic. The fact that the domestic economy is flat and the is flat in terms of trading is driving exports to the rest of the world." == Sources == * * *
The subject of community cohesion, for understandable reasons, has become prominent in our national conversation over the past few years. But it is a challenge we have faced before: the question of how we live together is as old as humanity itself. Throughout history, there have been periods when Britain has not been entirely comfortable with itself or individual communities within it. Who would now question the contribution made by Jewish people to British society - or even talk about there being a conflict between being British and Jewish? And yet, only 50 years ago, this was exactly the debate going on in both the Jewish and non-Jewish communities. More recently, Britain's Irish community was questioning and being questioned about its loyalty to Britain. Each time, over time, we have kept our country together by having faith in our institutions and our way of doing things: freedom under the rule of law, a common culture defined by pluralism and tolerance and a distinctively British approach (calm, thoughtful, reasonable) to potentially incendiary issues. The challenge today may have its own specific characteristics, but our approach should be the same. In that context, I am concerned by the direction that the debate on cohesion has taken recently. I believe it is time for a more British approach. First, we must not fall for the illusion that the problems of community cohesion can be solved simply through top-down, quick-fix state action. State action is certainly necessary today, but it is not sufficient. Second, it must be the right kind of action, expressed in a calm, thoughtful and reasonable way. The doctrine of multiculturalism has undermined our nation's sense of cohesion because it emphasises what divides us rather than what brings us together. It has been manipulated to entrench the right to difference (a divisive concept) at the expense of the right to equal treatment despite difference (a unifying concept). But in seeking to atone for those mistakes, we should not lurch, with the zeal of the convert, into a simplistic promotion of 'Britishness' that is neither in keeping with our traditions, nor likely to bring our communities closer together. Yes, we need to ensure that every one of our citizens can speak to each other in our national language. Yes, we need to ensure that our children are taught British history properly. And I do think it is important to create more opportunities for celebrating our sense of nationhood. Unlike Labour, we will set out a clear and consistent path to ensure these things actually happen, starting with our policy review which will make specific recommendations this week. But I think we need to go much deeper than this if we are to address the substantial alienation and division that exist in our country today. It's no use behaving like the proverbial English tourist abroad, shouting ever more loudly at the hapless foreigner who doesn't understand what is being said. We can't bully people into feeling British - we have to inspire them. A number of the interventions we have seen from ministers recently have spectacularly failed to do that. Instructing Muslim parents to spy on their children. Offending our war heroes with the proposal of a new 'Veteran's Day' when we already have Remembrance Sunday. Suggesting that we put flags on the lawn. These and similar clunking attempts to address the complexities of community cohesion show a serious misunderstanding of the scale of the challenge, and the shape of the solution. Above all, we have seen a dangerous muddling of concerns: community cohesion, the threat of terrorism and the integration of British Muslims. Promoting community cohesion should indeed be part of our response to terrorism. But cohesion is not just about terrorism and it is certainly not just about Muslims. Similarly, promoting integration will help protect our security. But too mechanistic a connection between these objectives will make it harder to achieve both, by giving the impression that the state considers all Muslims to be a security risk. This week's report from our policy review, the product of months of dialogue with Britain's diverse communities, will seek to disentangle these threads and point a clear and responsible way forward. There will be no shying away from the tough issues: the influence of those who twist faith into ideology; the cultural attitudes that exclude women from mainstream society; the impact of foreign policy on domestic affairs; and, vitally, the divisive effects of the catastrophic failure of state education in many parts of urban Britain. I want the Conservative party to stand for a broad and generous vision of British identity. In a speech in Birmingham tomorrow, I will argue that questions of social cohesion are also questions of social justice and social inclusion. Cohesion is as much about rich and poor, included and left behind as it is about English and Scot or Muslim and Christian. Inspiring as well as demanding loyalty from every citizen will require a new crusade for fairness. A society that consistently denies some of its people the chance to escape poverty, to get on in life, to fulfil their dreams and to feel that their contribution is part of a national effort: such a society will struggle to inspire loyalty, however many citizenship classes it provides. Fairness will be our most powerful weapon against fragmentation. In America, new immigrants feel part of something from the moment they arrive because they feel they have the opportunity to succeed. It is that belief in equal opportunity that we need in Britain today and it is why the denial of quality education to so many is such a vital part of the cohesion argument. There is no easy short cut. Having tried to impose democracy in Iraq at the point of a gun, we must surely realise that we will never impose cohesion at home with the ping of a press release. There are serious divisions in our country today. Many thousands - maybe millions - feel shut out, under attack. Turning the situation around will require patience. We must be calm, thoughtful and reasonable: that is the British way. Building cohesion is a social responsibility. Government must enforce the rules of the road - speaking English, teaching history, upholding and celebrating the symbols of nationhood - and we will be absolutely clear about what needs to be done. If the government brings forward these measures, they will have our full support. But this is about much more than government and politics. We must each do all we can to make this a fairer and more just society - helping others, creating opportunity and ensuring that no one is excluded from it. \|\|\|\|\| David Cameron today dramatically shifts the terms of the debate over Britishness by demanding a new language of cohesiveness on the controversial issues of faith, race and nationhood. In a ground-breaking article in today's Observer, the Tory leader lambasts the government for its aggressive approach, arguing: 'It's no use behaving like the proverbial English tourist abroad, shouting ever more loudly at the hapless foreigner who doesn't understand what is being said. We can't bully people into feeling British - we have to inspire them. The call for a 'calm, thoughtful, reasonable' approach to defining Britishness rather than hectoring ethnic minorities comes ahead of a speech today in which Cameron will nonetheless warn that such a stance must not mean tolerating injustices, such as Muslim women being prevented from studying or working outside the home. In today's article Cameron attacks 'clunking' government ideas to shore up national identity, such as urging Britons to fly the flag at home, and the 'dangerous muddling' of community cohesion with the threat from terrorism. New ways should be found to celebrate 'our sense of nationhood' instead, he adds, although it is not clear what these might be. 'A number of the interventions we have seen from ministers recently have spectacularly failed to do that. Instructing Muslim parents to spy on their children. Offending our war heroes with the proposal of a new "Veterans' Day" when we already have Remembrance Sunday. Suggesting that we put flags on the lawn.' And while promoting cohesion could be part of responding to the war on terror, it was 'not just about terrorism and certainly not just about Muslims', he added. His argument will be underlined by a report this week from the party's policy commission on national security calling for new thinking on community cohesion. It will highlight the removal of teenage Asian girls from school and question whether some Muslim parents are supporting their daughters' desire for education, as well as calling for forced marriage to be made a criminal offence. In his speech in Birmingham, Cameron will argue that the oppression of women in some communities is a cultural rather than religious phenomenon. Tories must 'be bold, and not hide behind the screen of cultural sensitivity, to say publicly that no woman should be denied rights which both their religion and their country, Britain, support'. Sayeeda Warsi, Tory vice-chairman and adviser to Cameron, said she was struck by the way some female Muslims were held back while she was out canvassing at the last election. 'The number of women I came across who said they wanted to go to university but their parents didn't want them to, who wanted to get a job but were not allowed, who were not allowed to vote freely because the men in their family got postal votes... I came away feeling that here was an enormous resource wasted,' she said. 'This way of life is not because of the faith, it is cultural interpretations of it. David feels we can't be culturally sensitive to issues which are fundamentally wrong.' Cameron's decoupling of cohesion from national security issues was welcomed by the Muslim Council of Great Britain. However, the Commission for Human Rights and Equality said it would reserve judgment for the full report. \|\|\|\|\| Cash for access: Lords exposed Jonathan Calvert and Heidi Blake PEERS have been caught offering to ask parliamentary questions, lobby ministers and host events on... Sexterminate! Doctor Who may come back as a woman Richard Brooks, Arts Editor THE Time Lord may be about to become a Time Lady. Matt Smith, the 11th actor to play Doctor Who, is... O'Brien rules the world David Walsh Aidan O'Brien won his fourth Epsom Derby as Ruler Of The World secured victory with favourite Dawn... B&I Lions 59 Barbarians 8: Phillips brings his side to the boil Stephen Jones CONSIDERING that the hellish conditions in the Hong Kong stadium seemed to some to constitute a... £40bn: the real cost of going green Danny Fortson Energy companies can hit carbon targets and save cash with a ‘dash for gas’, says a report Barclays dragged into money laundering probe Simon Duke Barclays has been dragged into the money laundering scandal engulfing Liberty Reserve Don’t mention immigration, or the dinner party’s over Rod Liddle There’s a mildly amusing website called First World Problems, which parodies the dilemmas faced by... Keep bashing Ed and he might seem a contender Adam Boulton Ed Miliband knows that his most likely route to power is to “keep his head down, silently hope the... Just one last dispatch, OK? Paul Conroy A shout came from the darkened room where Marie was about to broadcast to a worldwide audience.... She’s in the mood for love Matthew Campbell After nights sipping champagne on celebrity-packed rooftops and billionaires’ yachts, Adèle... What an eye-opener Stephen Armstrong Lenny Henry gets serious in the West End — the comic star on his most challenging role yet Dangerous calling Louis Wise Nobody sits comfortably in a visceral Punchdrunk show. Louis Wise finds out what drives the... Beauty and the beach The Sunday Times A shot of bold colour is all you need to offset basic bronze. Liberty Ross shows us how Mein camp Colin McDowell Vulgar, kitsch and thoroughly entertaining: as the glittering Liberace biopic arrives in cinemas,... The world's best hotels, picked by the experts Susan d’Arcy Where do the world’s trendiest hoteliers check in when they go on holiday? We report Holidays that make all the right moves Jeremy Lazell Work that body, feel the passion and get in the true swing of things on a learn-to-dance escape HRM: Her Royal Middletonness Camilla Long Her grandmother worked in a factory. She’ll be grandmother to a future king or queen. Carole...	David Cameron, leader of the U.K. Conservative Party, has outlined his vision for the future of a multicultural Britain in an article published in the Observer on January 28, 2007. In a sharp criticism of the efforts launched by the Labour government to promote national identity - which include among other things a Britishness test for those wanting to become UK citizens - he advocates "a common culture defined by pluralism and tolerance and a distinctively British approach (calm, thoughtful, reasonable) to potentially incendiary issues." Cameron agrees that there is a substantial alienation and division in the UK today and that "many thousands, maybe millions, feel shut out, under attack." However, he underlines that the way forward is not bullying people into Britishness but inspiring them to feel British. According to him, this can only be achieved by offering equal opportunities and a quality education to everybody without denying anyone the chance to escape poverty and to fulfill their dreams.
VALENCIA, Spain, June 26 — With light and shifting winds proving unreliable, the crews on Alinghi and Emirates Team New Zealand had to stew for about two hours Tuesday before the third race of the America’s Cup could begin. But what was two hours when sailing aficionados had been waiting decades for a Cup race as entertaining and unpredictable as this one? In the end, it was more of a lark for the New Zealanders. They crossed the finish line with a 25-second advantage and, more important, a 2-1 lead in the best-of-nine series, which is taking this old competition in a refreshing direction. After three consecutive sweeps and six consecutive routs in previous Cups, this edition is already the best since 1983, when the skipper John Bertrand and the Australians managed to wrest the Auld Mug from the United States and the New York Yacht Club after 132 years. \|\|\|\|\| VALENCIA, Spain, June 26 — With light and shifting winds proving unreliable, the crews on Alinghi and Emirates Team New Zealand had to stew for about two hours Tuesday before the third race of the America’s Cup could begin. But what was two hours when sailing aficionados had been waiting decades for a Cup race as entertaining and unpredictable as this one? In the end, it was more of a lark for the New Zealanders. They crossed the finish line with a 25-second advantage and, more important, a 2-1 lead in the best-of-nine series, which is taking this old competition in a refreshing direction. After three consecutive sweeps and six consecutive routs in previous Cups, this edition is already the best since 1983, when the skipper John Bertrand and the Australians managed to wrest the Auld Mug from the United States and the New York Yacht Club after 132 years. \|\|\|\|\| Team New Zealand navigator Kevin Hall: Tricky Tactics at the start "We chose the left gate down on the bottom for pressure on the right on the beat and we ended up a little thin on the lay line and lifted so we decided to switch to the right gate and start left, which would have been fine." But just as we were about to commit to the right gate we got a shift and the right gate ceased to be an option, and we had to scramble to get around the left gate. It wasn't as pretty as we would have hoped but it wasn't so bad that we couldn't stay in the race and get the job done later." Swiss bank on safety - and get burgled on the final run "It was a shifty run with lanes of pressure and often just staying on the long side is a safe bet and that's what they chose. We flicked over the inshore side of them and towards the end of the run we saw some good pressure and a pretty big shift for the separation that we ended up with." Cardiac concerns at the finish "My heart rate would be doing about 180 right now but it's nice to be towing in and looking at them back there instead of in front of us like they were in the second beat." Unprecedented in history "It probably hasn't happened very often that you see three passes in an America's Cup race. It's a testament to the strength of both teams." Syndicate head Grant Dalton: Positive Predictions "The afterguard and weather team was superb. The weather call on the first beat set us up for a win if we sailed well, covered and kept our cool." Paying the price "But as so often happens in these conditions nothing is ever that simple. The trouble we had at the leeward mark let them back into the race and we paid the price." Stressful day "On the second run Alinghi allowed a wide separation and we got a shift and a little more pressure and we were back in the race. It was a stressful day." \|\|\|\|\| Team New Zealand beat Alinghi in a classic America's Cup race on Tuesday, recovering from a spinnaker drop which nearly ended their hopes, to take a 2-1 lead over the Swiss in the best-of-nine series. Team New Zealand sailed a stunning final downwind leg to get back past Alinghi, which had taken advantage of the Kiwis' problems to round the final mark ahead of them. The Kiwis crossed the line 25 seconds ahead of Alinghi. \|\|\|\|\| More Porirua children are riding bikes, thanks to a unique local collaboration. A national initiative, Bikes in Schools is gathering pace in six primary schools in Titahi Bay and East Porirua, offering cycling for all, and setting the wheels in motion for benefits beyond biking. Audio, Gallery	Team New Zealand's boat with Alinghi in the background. have won the third yacht race in the bid for , beating the defending champion, Swiss syndicate . Sport commentators and yachties are describing the win as one of the greatest races in the history of the Cup. Team New Zealand finished the race 25 seconds ahead of Alinghi, despite the leader changing three times throughout the race. This new win for Team New Zealand puts the overall score at 2 wins for Team New Zealand and one win for Alinghi. The winner of the America's Cup will be the first to reach five wins. By the first mark of the race, Team New Zealand had a lead of one minute and 23 seconds. However, at this turn, their spinnaker got caught in the genoa gear and Richard Meacham, mid bowman, almost went over board. Due to this mistake, Alinghi were able to catch up and lead the second mark by 15 seconds. Grant Dalton, head of Team New Zealand, said, "The trouble we had at the leeward mark let Alinghi back into the race and Team New Zealand paid the price." But Team New Zealand managed to win, 25 seconds in front. Team New Zealand navigator Kevin Hall said, "My heart rate would be doing about 180 right now but it's nice to be towing in and looking at them back there instead of in front of us like they were in the second beat." The head of Alinghi, , believes that the race committee should not have started the race, which it did so at 4:59 p.m.. The race cannot be announced after 5.00 p.m.. "We waited for two hours..." Team New Zealand strategist Ray Davies said, "There was certainly a bit of dice rolling." President of the Nelson Marlborough Yachting Association Doug Mckee described the race as the most exciting one since Australia winning the America's Cup when the Australians won the Auld Mug from the New York Yacht Club who had held it for 132 years. "We are definitely good enough to win the cup." Hall said, "It probably hasn't happened very often that you see three passes in an America's Cup race. It's a testament to the strength of both teams." The wind speed was around 8–9 knots. Alinghi beat Team New Zealand in 2003, also winning the America's Cup in , New Zealand.
All peers, apart from 92 hereditary peers, are currently appointed Proposals for a fully elected House of Lords will be set out shortly by the government, the transport secretary has told the BBC. Lord Adonis said Justice Secretary Jack Straw would outline full plans soon, ahead of a firm commitment to reform in the Labour election manifesto. He said being fully elected was "the only way that a legislative assembly can be legitimate in the modern world". The Tories have said they want to see a "mainly elected" second chamber. The Lib Dems also say they want to replace the current House of Lords with a fully elected second chamber. 'Workmanlike assembly' The Sunday Telegraph claims to have seen leaked proposals to create a new chamber in which all members are UK residents and fully domiciled for tax purposes. That requirement follows the controversy surrounding Lord Ashcroft, Tory donor and deputy party chairman, who has admitted being a "non-dom". Members would also be subject to a US-style "recall ballot" which would disqualify them for incompetence, and would be directly elected through a form of proportional representation to serve fixed terms of up to 15 years, the paper reported. They'll be firm proposals and they'll build on the big changes we've already made to the House of Lords Transport Secretary Lord Adonis Lord Adonis said the removal of most of the hereditary peers from the House of Lords under Labour in 1999 had "fundamentally transformed" the chamber into a "workmanlike assembly". But he said more reform was still needed and would be outlined soon. "I think the time has now come to make it legitimate in the only way that a legislative assembly can be legitimate in the modern world, which is to be elected, and Jack Straw will be setting out full proposals very shortly," he said. "There will be firm proposals in our manifesto for an elected House of Lords. "Of course, you couldn't introduce that reform until after the election, but they'll be firm proposals and they'll build on the big changes we've already made to the House of Lords." Currently, the Lords is made up of 746 peers, including 92 hereditary peers who were saved in the 1999 cull. At present, it is not possible for members to be expelled. Critics of further reform warn that electing the Lords would lead to a power struggle with the House of Commons. But Lord Adonis said: "We can do it in this country as most democracies do it: we'd have two chambers, both of which are elected but with the government accountable to the first chamber." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Ministers are working on proposals to transform the House of Lords into a democratically elected second chamber based loosely on the US Senate. The transport secretary, Lord Adonis, who would lose his seat in the Lords and his post in government under the plans, confirmed today that they would be published "very shortly". Leaked blueprints reveal the current 704-seat chamber would be reduced to 300 seats, its members elected under a system of proportional representation. The justice secretary, Jack Straw, will publish his proposals in a draft bill before the election and these will feature prominently in Labour's manifesto. Labour strategists hope that it will create a new dividing line with the Tories, allowing them to portray the Conservatives as being anti-reform. The second chamber would no longer be known as the House of Lords, a name which has been in use since the 14th century. Members would face elections every three terms and earn a salary of around £65,000. They would also be subject to a US-style "recall ballot" which would disqualify them for incompetence. The plans are designed to make parliament and legislative scrutiny more accountable, but they predate the recent rows about privilege in the Lords centring on the revelations of the Tory donor Lord Ashcroft's non-dom tax status. Adonis told the BBC's Marr show: "The time has now come to make it legitimate in the only way that a legislative assembly can be legitimate in the modern world, which is to be elected. Of course you couldn't introduce that reform until after the election, but there'll be firm proposals. And they build on the big changes we've already made to the House of Lords – notably the removal of the hereditary peers which has transformed it from being an essentially one-party Tory assembly with very little connection with modern life to being a proper working assembly." There are still 92 hereditary peers, a concession the government made to force through the 1999 reforms. Under the new plans, which were leaked to the Sunday Telegraph, they would all be removed. It is understood the main sticking points still to be overcome are over what to do about the 25 bishops in the Lords, whose removal would trigger a row with the church, and how to manage the transition to the new system. A spokesman for the Conservatives said that Labour had had 13 years to reform the Lords, and to launch proposals now was playing politics with the electoral system. " We will work to build a consensus for a mainly elected second chamber to replace the House of Lords," he said.	The Westminster Palace, House of Lords on the left. The UK government plans to replace the , the upper house of , with a duly elected one to make it "legitimate." Ministers working on this proposal plan to style this new chamber loosely on the United States Senate. Transport Secretary said on a BBC show, "The time has now come to make it legitimate in the only way that a can be legitimate in the modern world, which is to be elected." He assured that there would be "firm proposals" for an elected House of Lords in the 's manifesto for the in May. He added "We can do it in this country as most democracies do it: We'd have two chambers, both of which are elected but with the government accountable to the first chamber." has leaked a plan which reveals that the 704 seats would be reduced to 300 seats and its members elected under a system of "". This new chamber would no longer be known as the House of Lords and citizens will have the privilege to remove incompetent members through a "". The paper reported that each member would serve up to fifteen years and one-third of the chamber would be elected during the usual general elections. The salary is reported to be around £65,000 per annum. All members should be UK residents and fully for tax purposes. The Lords scrutinise and revise government legislation and are seen by the public as an undemocratic house or a place for the aristocrats and political appointees. The chamber currently has around 740 members. 92 hold hereditary seats, and 26 are clergy. The rest are appointed for life. Former prime minister , with the , had expelled from the upper house, apart from the 92 permitted to remain in the House on an interim basis. Another ten inheritors were created life peers to be able to remain in the House. Lord Adonis commented that this expulsion had "fundamentally transformed" the chamber into a "workmanlike assembly". A spokesman for the (which is the opposition party) alleged that Labour was playing politics with the electoral system by introducing such proposals before the General election despite having thirteen years to reform the Lords. "We will work to build a consensus for a mainly elected second chamber to replace the House of Lords," he added. For centuries, the House of Lords had included several hundred members who inherited their seats; the 1999 Act removed such a right. The Act decreased the membership of the House from 1,330 to 669. The is expected to present a bill to remove the remaining 92 hereditary peers from the House. It also introduced in 2009 the Constitutional Reform and Governance Bill, which would end to replace hereditaries, removing them by steady reduction instead of removing all of them outright.
Monmouth County real estate investor surrenders after being charged with $2M theft by Maryann Spoto/The Star-Ledger Friday March 20, 2009, 4:44 PM The owner of an Asbury Park real estate investment group surrendered to authorities today after being charged with diverting $2 million to projects the money was not intended to finance, including construction of his home. Gary Klein, 45, of Colts Neck, was indicted by a grand jury in Monmouth County on Wednesday on one count of theft by deception in connection with a three-year investigation into practices at his company, REI Group Inc. in Asbury Park. Monmouth County Prosecutor Luis Valentin said Klein, the founder and sole owner of the real estate development and investment firm, enticed clients with promises of returns of between 12 percent and 85 percent over one or two years. Klein told them he would use their money to invest in particular projects. Instead of fulfilling his end of the bargain, Klein sometimes combined their contributions with money raised for other properties or to finance REI business expenses such as paying off mortgage debt or repaying investors who were cashing out, Valentin said. Klein also used the money to build a new home for himself in Colts Neck, he said. The prosecutor said there were more than 130 investors from several states, including New Jersey and Florida. "Klein's actions as revealed by the investigation mirror those of the classic Ponzi scheme, destined to collapse when promises of abnormally high short-term returns eventually fail to attract a sufficient number of new investors to keep the scheme alive," Valentin said. Klein's attorney, Robert Weir of Red Bank, disputed the allegations and said his client only pulled his own monetary investments from the company. "This is not a Ponzi scheme. Mr. Klein was a very successful real estate investor for 10 years," Weir said. Weir said the investments started to sour when the economy declined. He said Klein hired a receiver and tried return the investors' money. "It's a shame that a business that experienced a turn in the real estate market is now being treated as a criminal problem. That was not Mr. Klein's intent," Weir said. The investments were primarily for building rehabilitation projects in Asbury Park and construction of condominium complexes in Florida, Weir said. He said investors sometimes attained an 85-percent return on investment, though that mainly involved properties in Asbury Park, where depressed values had started rising after 2003 when the city started moving on redevelopment. In one case, Weir said, REI purchased property on Bangs Avenue in Asbury Park for $3 million and two years later it had a $6.8 million market value. The state Bureau of Securities sued Klein civilly in April 2006 and Weir said Klein has been working with the agency to reimburse the investors. "He is just devastated by the fact the prosecutor's office said three years after the event 'OK, now we're going to prosecute you,"' Weir said. Klein surrendered this morning to authorities at the Monmouth County Courthouse in Freehold where Superior Court Judge Edward Neafsey set his bail at $75,000. Klein posted bail and was later released. If convicted of the single charge, Klein could face up to 10 years in prison and a judge could order him to repay all the victims. \|\|\|\|\| FREEHOLD, N.J. - The owner of a New Jersey real estate investment firm is accused of misappropriating about $2 million in investors' money. An indictment handed up Friday by a Monmouth County grand jury charges 45-year-old Gary Klein of Colts Neck with theft by deception. Klein, who faces up to 10 years in state prison if convicted, turned himself in and was released after posting $75,000 bail. Authorities say Klein's Asbury Park-based REI Group attracted more than 130 investors by promising returns ranging from 12 to 85 percent over one or two years. The money was to be used to develop real estate projects, but authorities say Klein used some of it to build himself a new home and to repay earlier investors who were cashing out.	The owner of a New Jersey real estate investment firm has been charged with using $2 million of his company's money for construction at his home and other projects not related to work. Gary Klein, owner of the Asbury Park-based REI Group Inc., surrendered himself to police after a Monmouth County grand jury indicted him on one count of theft by deception charges. The charges were the result of a three-year investigation into his practices. Klein, 45, of Colts Neck Township, faces up to 10 years in state prison if convicted. Klein was released Friday after posting $75,000 bail. Klein attracted clients by telling them he would invest their money in projects that would result in returns of 12 and 85 percent. Prosecutors said the actions mirrored those of a Ponzi scheme. Robert Weir, Klein's attorney, said the operation was not a Ponzi scheme, but legitimate business investments that went bad as the economy declined. Weir also said Klein hired a receiver to try and return the investors' money once the investments started to go sour. "It's a shame that a business that experienced a turn in the real estate market is now being treated as a criminal problem. That was not Mr. Klein's intent," Weir said to ''The Star-Ledger''. Weir said the investments were used for building rehabilitation projects in Asbury Park and the construction of Florida condominium complexes, but authorities said Klein used the money to repay earlier investors who were cashing out, as well to help build his own home.
Why did this happen? Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy. \|\|\|\|\| After three decades of successful conservation efforts involving federal and state agencies and many other partners, the greater Yellowstone population of grizzly bears has recovered and no longer needs the protection of the Endangered Species Act, Interior Secretary Gale Norton announced today. As a result, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing to remove the Yellowstone population from the list of threatened and endangered species. Four other grizzly populations in the lower 48 states have not yet recovered and will continue to be protected as threatened species under the Act. When it was listed in 1975, this majestic animal that greeted Lewis and Clark on their historic expedition stood at risk of disappearing from the American West, Norton said. Thanks to the work of many partners, more than 600 grizzlies now inhabit the Yellowstone ecosystem and the population is no longer threatened. With a comprehensive conservation strategy ready to be put into place upon delisting, we are confident that the future of the grizzly bear in Yellowstone is bright, she said. Our grandchildrens grandchildren will see grizzly bears roaming Yellowstone. Grizzly bears in the Yellowstone area have made a remarkable recovery in the past three decades. When the species was listed, only 220 to 320 bears remained in the ecosystem, and these animals were jeopardized by loss of habitat and high mortality from conflict with humans. Cooperation, consultation and communication among numerous federal and state agencies, non-government organizations, local governments and citizens have reversed the trend. Since the mid 1990s, the Yellowstone population has grown at a rate of 4 percent to 7 percent per year. Grizzlies have occupied 48 percent more habitat since they were listed, and biologists have sighted bears more than 60 miles from what was once thought to be the outer limits of their range. The recovery of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem is the result of intensive scientific research, state and federal cooperation to manage habitat and limit mortality, and the implementation of regulatory protections over more than three decades. In 1973 two years prior to the bears addition to the threatened species list scientists at various federal agencies formed a grizzly bear scientific study team. The team currently consists of scientists involved in grizzly bear recovery from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, the USDA-Forest Service, the state wildlife agencies in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming and several universities. This science team has developed protocols and techniques to monitor grizzly bear populations and habitat and to document the status of the grizzly bear population. Later, in 1983, these agencies formed the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, also including the state of Washington, the Bureau of Land Management, province of British Columbia and the province of Alberta. In addition, the team developed a conservation strategy for future management of the Yellowstone population and its habitat should the species be delisted. The strategy incorporates the best available science and establishes an adaptive management framework that allows the Service and its partners to adjust management guidelines in response to new scientific information and/or environmental and population changes. State and federal managers will continue to work cooperatively under this framework to manage and maintain healthy grizzly bear populations throughout the Greater Yellowstone area into the foreseeable future. The proposal to delist the Yellowstone population of grizzly bears will be published in the Federal Register on Thursday, November 17. The proposal and more information about todays announcement can be found at http://mountain-prairie.fws.gov/species/mammals/grizzly/2yellowstone.htm The public can submit comments on the proposal to: Grizzly Bear Recovery Coordinator, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University Hall 309, University of Montana, Missoula, Montana 59812. Comments can also be sent by electronic mail to FW6_grizzly_yellowstone@fws.gov. All comments must be received by February 15, 2006. Grizzly bears are generally larger and more heavily built than other bears. They can be distinguished from black bears by longer, curved claws, humped shoulders and a face that appears to be concave. A wide range of coloration from light brown to nearly black is common. The bears coat features longer guard hairs over a dense mat of underfur whose tips lighten as the bear ages - hence the name grizzly. In the lower 48 states, the average weight of grizzly bears is generally 400 to 600 pounds for males and 250 to 350 pounds for females. Grizzly bears are long-lived mammals and generally live to be around 25 years old. Grizzlies are opportunistic feeders and will consume almost any available food including living or dead mammals or fish, grasses, roots, bulbs, tubers and fungi. The distribution and abundance of these grizzly bear foods vary naturally among seasons and years. Biologists believe the Yellowstone area grizzly population and other remaining grizzly bear populations in the lower 48 states and Canada are markedly separate from each other, with no evidence of interaction with other populations. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is the principal federal agency responsible for conserving, protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 95-million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System, which encompasses 545 national wildlife refuges, thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. It also operates 69 national fish hatcheries, 64 fishery resources offices and 81 ecological services field stations. The agency enforces federal wildlife laws, administers the Endangered Species Act, manages migratory bird populations, restores nationally significant fisheries, conserves and restores wildlife habitat such as wetlands, and helps foreign and Native American tribal governments with their conservation efforts. It also oversees the Federal Assistance program, which distributes hundreds of millions of dollars in excise taxes on fishing and hunting equipment to state fish and wildlife agencies. \|\|\|\|\| Yellowstone Ecosystem As the habitat area most remote from the other remaining grizzly bear habitat, the Yellowstone ecosystem has been the primary focus of grizzly recovery efforts to date. This work has been very successful; the grizzly population numbers and distribution here have exceeded target recovery levels for the last several years. The population of adult female grizzlies, for example, has grown from a low point in 1983 of less than 30 to over 100 today. Recovery work continues to reduce grizzly bear mortalities and ensure habitat standards for maintaining a recovered population. The Conservation Strategy for managing this population in the future, once it is recovered and removed from federal ESA protection, was finalized in March 2003.	Grizzly Bears The United States Fish and Wildlife Service has announced that "The greater Yellowstone area population of grizzly bears ... is now recovered". They propose removing this population from the list of threatened and endangered species. More than 600 grizzly bears now live in the greater Yellowstone area. This area, which includes Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, and several national forests covers 18 million acres. Grizzlies occupy 68% of the suitable habitat within the area. They have been spotted over 60 miles from what was once thought to be the outer limits of their range. The bears' range and distribution has been increasing annually and is now 48% larger than when they were listed. When Lewis and Clark crossed North America in 1804 there were more than 50,000 grizzlies in the west. By the 1970s there were less than 1,000 and they only covered 2% of their historic range. In 1975, when the Grizzly Bear was listed as threatened, biologists estimated the Yellowstone ecosystem had between 220 and 320 bears. Since then, various government agencies and private organizations worked on a conservation plan that involved education, conflict reduction, and monitoring programs. Four other populations of Grizzly Bear in the lower 48 states will remain on the list.
At least 20 soldiers were injured in the attack It is the deadliest attack by militants on the army since it began operations against pro-Taleban and al-Qaeda fighters close to the Afghan border. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. It happened in the town of Dargai in North West Frontier Province, not far from where the army said it killed some 80 militants last week. The BBC's M Ilyas Khan says Wednesday's attack could undermine recent agreements between the military and pro-Taleban militants in other border areas. Emotions in the region have been running high since an air strike on a religious school (madrassa) last week in the neighbouring area of Bajaur, in which the army said 80 militants were killed. Local people insisted the dead were innocent religious students. 'Expected' The army base targeted in Wednesday's suicide bombing is about 40km (30 miles) south-east of the bombed madrassa. MILITANT ATTACKS 25 June 2002 - 10 soldiers killed during raid on alleged Al Qaeda hideout in South Waziristan 14 Dec 2002 - Failed attempt to assassinate President Musharraf in Rawalpindi 25 Dec 2002 - 15 killed in suicide car bomb attack on Gen Musharraf who escapes unscathed 16 March 2004 - 18 security personnel killed in ambush in South Waziristan 22 March - 19 solders killed in South Waziristan 10 June 2004 - 11 soldiers killed in attack on convoy carrying the current vice chief of army staff 30 September 2005 - 11 soldiers killed in South Waziristan 8 November 2006 - At least 42 soldiers killed by suicide attacker in North West Frontier Province 'Ominous omens' for army "The attack was carried out by a man who got down from a car wearing a chaddor [cloak] and walked into the parade," Interior Minister Aftab Sherpao said. "After the Bajaur incident this was expected, but we will continue the fight against terror. We condemn it, innocent lives were lost." The US government condemned the army camp attack and praised the efforts of the Pakistani government in tackling militants. An eyewitness, Aurangzeb, told the BBC he saw soldiers picking up scattered body parts minutes after the explosion. "The victims were dying. Their shoes and caps were scattered all over the place," he said. It appeared that most of the men who died were military recruits who had been doing morning exercises. Up to 20 soldiers were wounded in the attack. Some are believed to be in a critical condition. The military are reported to have sealed off the area and also the hospital where the wounded are being treated. Dargai is a stronghold of a banned pro-Taleban movement, Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-Mohammadi (TNSM). The head of the madrassa targeted last week was a TNSM member. He was killed in the attack. Survivors examine the dead after Wednesday's attack The TNSM led thousands of tribesmen across the border into Afghanistan to take on American forces after the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001. Many never returned. In recent days, tribesmen have openly threatened suicide attacks against the army in retaliation for the madrassa air raid which many also blamed on US forces across the border. Pakistan has deployed nearly 80,000 troops along the border to hunt militants who sought refuge after the ousting of the Taleban in Afghanistan in 2001. Have you been affected by this incident? Are you in Dargai? Send us your comments and experiences. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments \|\|\|\|\| CNN name, logo and all associated elements ® and © 2020 Cable News Network LP, LLLP. A Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, LP LLLP, displayed with permission. Use of the CNN name and/or logo on or as part of NEWS18.com does not derogate from the intellectual property rights of Cable News Network in respect of them. © Copyright Network18 Media and Investments Ltd 2020. All rights reserved.	A suicide bomber killed at least 42 Pakistani soldiers at an army training centre today in the North West Frontier Province, according to Pakistani government soldiers. The attack took place in the town of Dargai, 100 km north of Peshawar at 8:40 a.m. local time (0310 UTC) today. 20 people were injured in the attack. Some of them are in a critical condition. The injured were admitted to hospitals in Mardan and Peshawar. Aftab Ahmed Sherpao, Pakistani Federal Minister of Interior, said that the attack was carried out by a man who got down from a car wearing a chaddor cloak and walked into the parade. He added, "After the Bajaur incident this was expected, but we will continue the fight against terror. We condemn it, innocent lives were lost." Pakistani president General Pervez Musharraf condemned the suicide attack and directed the interior ministry to track down the culprits involved in the attack. No group has claimed for the responsibility of the attack yet.
ABC News It's Apple vs. Apple in British Court A Fight to the Core: Case of Beatles' Apple Record Label vs. Apple Computers to Be Heard in London By JENNIFER QUINN LONDON Mar 28, 2006 (AP) Two legendary companies in the music industry are to meet Wednesday in a London courtroom to fight it out over what might be the world's most recognizable logo: A simple piece of fruit. Apple Corps Ltd., the Beatles' record company and guardian of the band's musical heritage and business interests, is suing Apple Computer Inc., claiming the company violated a 1991 agreement by entering the music business with its iTunes online music store. The case will be heard by Judge Martin Mann, who said during pretrial hearings that he was the owner of an iPod digital music player, which is used with the iTunes music store. At issue is a 1991 pact that ended a long-running trademark fight between the two Apples in which each agreed not to tread on the other's toes by entering into a "field of use" agreement over the trademark. London-based Apple Corps said in a statement that "unfortunately, Apple and Apple Corps now have differing interpretations of this agreement and will need to ask a court to resolve this dispute." Apple Corps founded in 1968 and owned by surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, the widow of John Lennon and the estate of George Harrison is seeking both an injunction to enforce the 1991 agreement and monetary damages for the alleged contract breach. The computer company's logo is a cartoonish apple with a neat bite out of the side; the record company is represented by a perfect, shiny green Granny Smith apple. Apple Computer had asked to have the case heard in California, where it is based, but Mann rejected that application in 2004 and ordered the case be heard at the stately Royal Courts of Justice in central London. Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple Computer was formed in 1976, when two college dropouts Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak filed partnership papers on April Fools' Day. Their goal was to build and sell personal computers, and their first product was a build-it-yourself computer kit. In 1984, the Apple Macintosh was introduced. Their ubiquitous iPods first came out in October 2001. \|\|\|\|\| 404 We're sorry but the page you requested could not be found.Please try again from the home page or contact us \|\|\|\|\| Free Digital Access Honda Indy, Taste of the Danforth among major events cancelled, as are summer camps; Air Canada plans to lay off at least 20,000 employees Ontario says data hitch means it did not just see the fewest cases since March; extends wage subsidy program to August; Ottawa to halt layoffs of thousands of medical researchers with $450 million in wage subsidies after Star asked questions about it. \|\|\|\|\| Apple vs. Apple: Perfect harmony? As eager Macintosh developers waited for Steve Jobs to speak, the familiar strains of "Magical Mystery Tour" filled the darkened hall at an Apple Computer conference in June. A buzz arose in the San Francisco hall. Did it mean Apple Computer had finally settled its trademark litigation with Apple Corps, the company founded by the Beatles? Was Apple's CEO about to announce a historic alliance between his iTunes music store and the surviving members of the Fab Four? The answer was no, and music industry sources say recent rumors of an incipient settlement are equally unfounded. But Apple watchers eager to see such a pact remain hopeful. News.context What's new: Speculation is once again rising that Apple Computer is in talks with Apple Corps to resolve a trademark dispute. One report quotes a legal source predicting the "biggest settlement anywhere in legal history." Speculation is once again rising that Apple Computer is in talks with Apple Corps to resolve a trademark dispute. One report quotes a legal source predicting the "biggest settlement anywhere in legal history." Bottom line: Steve Jobs is an avid Beatles fan, and some say that an alliance between the two companies would give iTunes needed differentiation in the online-music market. But others say rumors of an impending settlement are unfounded and question whether a big payout would make good business sense for Jobs' company. More stories on this topic Music industry sources have said representatives of the surviving Beatles are at last discussing ideas for digital distribution with online companies but are asking for as much as $15 million for six months of exclusive rights to the music. That high price has some observers betting that Apple Computer might be the only company ready to pay, particularly if the payment comes attached to a legal settlement in which millions of dollars are already changing hands. "In a market where differentiation is hard to come by, any means of differentiation is going to help," said Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg. "It would not surprise me if, as a part of a (legal) arrangement, they would come up with some kind of deal for the store." Attorneys for both sides declined to comment on the status of the case. Apple Computer reiterated its previous statement on the issue, saying the two companies "have differing interpretations of this agreement and will need to ask a court to resolve this dispute." The latest round of speculation stems from a report in Hollywood trade magazine Daily Variety last week that a deal between Apple Computer and Apple Corps might be near and that one legal source expected it to be the "biggest settlement anywhere in legal history." However, music industry sources call that report baseless. Legal experts separately question whether the settlement would really be among the largest non-class-action settlements, as Variety reported. "I would take that proposition with a big grain of salt," said Lee Bromberg, an intellectual-property lawyer and founding partner at Boston-based law firm Bromberg & Sunstein. "I can't imagine it is going to be the biggest settlement we've ever heard of." The trademark litigation between Apple Computer and Apple Corps could conceivably stretch on for many more months, or even years, legal experts said. The Beatles' business operation sued Jobs' company a year ago, more than a decade after the computer company paid more than $26 million to settle the first trademark lawsuit with Beatles representatives. That settlement included an agreement that laid out the respective ways each company could use the Apple name. The release of iTunes had violated that agreement, Apple Corps contends. According to a recent court decision quoting the 1991 settlement agreement, the Beatles were given the right to use the Apple name wherever their songs were involved and on "any current or future creative works whose principal content is music." However, Apple Computer was allowed to use its brand on "goods or services...used to reproduce, run, play or otherwise deliver such content," as long as it was not on physical media such as a CD. The idea that Apple might pair any settlement with a deal to bring the Beatles to iTunes is seen as a natural for Jobs, who is an avowed Beatles fan. Jobs has been known to feature the band's music when demonstrating Apple products, and the company included songs from two Beatles CDs on the iPod devices it gave to reporters when the music player debuted in 2001. But money could be a sticking point no matter what the size of a settlement in the trademark lawsuit. According to sources in the online music business, representatives of the Beatles have talked to a handful of digital music companies about exclusive rights to the Fab Four's music, for a limited time period. One idea floated has been to create an online ministore for the band, where song downloads might share digital shelf space with DVDs, videos and interviews. Apple does not create separate Web-based stores, but it has created a separate category for Disney works inside the iTunes store. Some industry insiders have speculated that if the Beatles want "premium" treatment, Apple could similarly create a separate, high-profile category for the band. And although the computer company doesn't yet sell videos or DVDs, it does offer spoken word content, such as interviews, through a partnership with Audible. Preliminary discussions across the online music industry have not gone far, however. Companies from Microsoft down have decided that the price on such a Beatles deal--which some have said has ranged as high as $25 million--was too steep. Even a $15 million payment to Apple Corps would be difficult for a digital music company to recoup quickly. Songs that sell for 99 cents online typically require about 75 cents in payments to the associated music labels and music publishers. Nearly 15 cents typically goes for overhead, leaving online song stores with a margin of about 10 cents per song at best. That would require a store to sell 150 million songs to break even on a $15 million payment to Apple Corps--a steep goal, even if the deal was ultimately responsible for a blitz of publicity. But of course, it may all depend on how big a Beatles fan Jobs really is. "That may, in fact, be a big driver to a settlement in this case," Bromberg said, but he cautioned that Jobs may want to curb his enthusiasm. "If he looks too eager on that score, it's going to cost him." Have an opinion on this story? Share it with other News.com readers. \|\|\|\|\| SPONSORED LINKSIntuit provides Track-It! and Network Monitor - the leading help desk and network management solutions for call tracking, problem resolution, IT asset management, electronic software distribution, and network performance monitoring. Free demo & trialRepliWeb R-1 is ideal for enterprises looking to replace SiteServer 3.0 publishing functionality. R-1 provides unattended content deployment that scales in volume of data and number of target machines, in cross-platform server environments.This white paper will guide you step-by-step through the best practices for securing PDAs and smartphones, along with the benefits of implementing a CREDANT Technologies solution for detecting and protecting these popular productivity tools.Enterprise Project Management lets you get control over your project workflow to help align resources with strategic priorities. Register today for the EPM webcasts!Tired of tape and CD backup? The Mirra Personal Server is the easiest way to automatically backup your files, emails, and more. Plus, remote access and secure file sharing over the Internet. 30-day money back guarantee.Receive 8-page summaries of the most popular business booksBuy an e-print or reprint for any BW magazine or online article. New BusinessWeek Digital Edition - Get instant, electronic delivery of this week's newsstand issue or back issues in an easy-to-read formatFor a nominal monthly fee, you can now get real-time quotes.BusinessWeek's new investor education course.A complete index of white papers to assist in your company's decisionsThe Outlook is a unique advisory service from Standard & Poor's. S&P Advisor Insight INVESTOR RELATIONS departments for companies in the S&P; 500 S&P; 600 and S&P; 400	The Beatles' Apple Corps has filed a lawsuit against computer and electronics maker Apple Computer in a London court this week, the third such lawsuit in a long running trademark dispute between the two companies. Apple Corps claims that Apple Computer's iTunes Music Store violates an agreement reached between the two companies in 1991, which barred Apple Computer from using the "Apple" brand in certain uses in the music business. The trial is set to begin on Wednesday in the Royal Courts of Justice, located in central London. Presiding Judge Martin Mann has stated that he owns an iPod portable music player, which is made by Apple Computer and marketed alongside the iTunes Music Store. Apple Corps has twice before sued Apple Computer over its use of the "Apple" name. The first lawsuit was settled out of court in 1981, with the young computer maker paying $80,000 and agreeing to stay out of the music business. In the late 1980's Apple Computer added audio recording abilities to its Macintosh computers, prompting Apple Corps to file suit again in 1989. That lawsuit was settled in 1991, also out of court, with Apple paying $26.5 million. The settlement included a more specific agreement over the boundaries between the two brands: Apple Computer was allowed to use its name to market "goods or services...used to reproduce, run, play or otherwise deliver such content," but barred from distributing music on a physical medium such as CD or cassette. Apple Corps' latest suit, filed in September 2003, claims that the computer company violated the 1991 agreement with its iTunes Music Store, which sells digital music that can be downloaded to personal computers. A statement from Apple Computer stated that "Apple and Apple Corps now have differing interpretations of this agreement and will need to ask a court to resolve this dispute." Some observers have suggested that the wording of the 1991 agreement, which did not explicitly bar digital music distribution, could be to Apple Computer's advantage. A similar suit was filed simultaneously in California, Apple Computer's home state, but on September 21, 2004 the parties agreed to have the case heard by the UK court. Beatles songs have not been licensed for digital download on any of the online music services. Apple Corps was founded by the Beatles in 1968. Apple Computer was started by Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak in 1976, and launched the iTunes Music Store in 2003.
NEW DELHI: The Sachar Committee findings are likely to trigger an involved debate in the Muslim community with reactions ranging from demand for quotas, affirmative action to sharply enhanced spending on education targeted at districts with high Muslim populations. The quota demand is seen to be more or less inevitable though Kamal Farooqui, secretary, All India Personal Law Board, said that reservations could quickly get politicised and may face legal hurdles. "On the basis of this report, it may be considered whether the community can be given greater access to education by spending more on schools and colleges," he said. While Farooqui does not speak of new quotas altogether, he does suggest that a "specific" percentage be fixed in the 27% OBC quota. While this would be with regard to OBC Muslims, he also said that the findings could be considered by the National Commission of Linguistic and Religious Minorities as to whether the community as a whole could be classified as "backward". Jamait-Ulama-i-Hind's spokesperson Abdul Hamid Numani is clearly in favour of reservations for Muslims in jobs and educational institutions. Terming reservations as a means to bring about "upliftment" of the minority community Numani said: "The condition of Muslims in the country is worse off than Dalits and Scheduled Tribes. There seems to be no other way to improve these conditions but reservations. Discrimination against the community must also be stopped." \|\|\|\|\| Published on Fri, Nov 17, 2006 at 19:07 , Updated on Mon, Nov 20, 2006 at 23:55 in Nation section Related Headlines powered by Keywords: New Delhi: The Justice Rajinder Sachar committee on Friday submitted a report which said Muslims in the country were "lagging behind" other religious groups but it was silent on whether they needed reservations Though report does not explicitly mention quota, it suggests setting up of an Equal Opportunity Commission and increasing the legal basis for providing equal opportunity. CNN-IBN has exclusive details of the committee's report, which says that Muslims are only slightly better off than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and worse off than Other Backward Classes (OBCs). In some places the community is worse off than Dalits. The seven-member committee headed by Sachar, a former chief justice of the Delhi High Court, gave its report to the Prime Minister. Asked if the committee had recommended any affirmative action like reservations for Muslims, Sachar said this was for the Government to decide. The report said the community was "relatively poor, more illiterate, has lower access to education, lower representation in public and private sector jobs and lower availability of bank credit for self-employment". "In urban areas, the community mostly lives in slums characterised by poor municipal infrastructure," it said adding that there was, however, considerable variation in the condition of the community across states and regions. "We all feel it was a honest and just report," Sachar said. The report says Muslims have little access to education, and suggests that Madarsas need to be brought into the mainstream, teacher training programmes and supporting Urdu. The report finds that Muslims have lowest representation in public and private sector jobs and argues in favour of allocating 15 per cent of all government funds to Muslims under all Central schemes Thanking Sachar and other members of the committee for a "comprehensive" report, the Prime Minister said the document would be tabled in the winter session of Parliament so that it was widely discussed and debated upon to enable a "national consensus" on how to improve the social, educational and economic status of Muslims. This, he said, would also be in accordance with the government's commitment to achieve growth with equity, to strengthen pluralistic ethos and build an inclusive society. Sachar told the Prime Minister that the committee had visited a number of states and met a wide spectrum of people, commissioned detailed surveys and research papers by experts, collated available data and interacted with various departments and agencies of the Central and state governments. In a brief statement to CNN-IBN after the report was submitted, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said: "We don't want the Government to use this report as a launching pad for religion-based reservation."	The Justice Rajinder Sachar Committee report states that Indian Muslims are "lagging behind" other religious communities and need to be provided more "equal opportunities". The report, however, remains silent on the issue of reservations for Muslims in the workplace and educational institutions. The report went on to say that the community is relatively poorer, more illiterate, has lower access to education, lower representation in public and private sector jobs and lower availability of bank credit for self-employment. In urban areas, the report said that Muslims mostly lives in slums characterised by poor municipal infrastructure. The committee says that the community is "only slightly better off than Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and worse off than Other Backward Classes (OBCs), and in some cases, behind Dalits." The report suggests educational reforms in madrassas, and the allocation of 15% of all government funds to Muslims. Justice Sachar, who led the seven-member team, submitted his report to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who praised the comprehensive nature of the study and indicated that it would be tabled in the next session of Parliament.
A teenager has confessed to the murder of Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink, after his aunt and father saw pictures of him on the television and contacted the police. Ogun Samast, who is 16 or 17 years old, was caught late on Saturday night on a coach in the Black Sea city of Samsun, 32 hours after he is alleged to have gunned Dink down outside the offices of his newspaper in central Istanbul. This has raised questions about the country's tolerance for minorities and freedom of expression as it seeks to join the European Union. Police said he was carrying both a pistol and a white hat that had become a symbol of the murder investigation since the press began broadcasting close-up security camera images of Samast last Saturday . Dink, 53, was shot from behind a number of times at the entrance of Agos, the bilingual Turkish-Armenian weekly. Police said six other men had also been brought in for questioning. "The suspect went into the Agos office at midday but wasn't allowed to speak to Dink," Muammer Guler, the Istanbul governor leading the investigation, told the Sabah daily. "He then waited outside, up to the time of the murder, about two hours later. We don't think a professional would have behaved like this." Allegedly a member of the youth branch of a small right wing nationalist party, Samast told interrogators in Samsun that he killed Dink "because he said Turkish blood was dirty blood." Dink was a respected intellectual and an outspoken critic of Turkey's continuing denial that the mass killing of Armenians in 1915 amounted to genocide and in October 2005 was sentenced to six months in prison for 'insulting Turkishness'. "The bullets aimed at Hrant Dink were shot into all of us", the Turkish prime minister Tayyip Erdogan said in one of several televised statements. In the last editorial Dink wrote before his death, he referred to his trial under the code as a turning point in his life. Because of it, he wrote, "a significant segment of the population ... view Hrant Dink as someone 'denigrating Turkishness'." Interviewed in the daily Milliyet yesterday, Dink's brother Orhan Dink said the family had seriously considered fleeing Turkey after Dink had received hate mail for months. "We told ourselves this was our country, though", he said. "So we discussed security. We even thought of getting a bullet-proof vest brought over from Germany. But the murderer moved faster than us." He added that there was absolutely no question of the family leaving now. "We've lost already. We've already made our sacrifice. Leaving now would be a betrayal of our brother." Istanbul governor Muammer Guler yesterday rejected accusations that the government had not done enough to protect Dink. Turkey has been worrying for weeks that the newly Democrat-heavy US Congress may pass a law recognising the mass murder of Ottoman Armenians as a genocide. There has been much speculation in Turkey and outside, that Dink's death increases the chances for recognition . "I don't care about Turkey's prestige", says Erdal Guven, a liberal-minded commentator who knew Dink well. "What I care about is that a man who thought differently from most people, and an Armenian, has been murdered." \|\|\|\|\| 20 Ocak 2007 12:19 Genel yayın yönetmenliği yaptığı Agos Gazetesi önünde uğradığı silahlı saldırı sonucu yaşamını yitiren Hrant Dink’in avukatı Erdal Doğan, “En tedirgin olduğu şahıs Veli Küçük’dü"dedi.Doğan, Agos Gazetesi önünde gazetecilere yaptığı açıklamada, Dink’in kendisine “5-6 ay önce Veli Küçük tarafından birkaç kez telefonla tehdit edildiğini" anlattığını aktardı. Doğan, “O zaman biz çok üzerinde durmadık. Çünkü, yüzlerce tehdit alıyordu. Ama kendisi Veli Küçük’ün tehditlerinden, diğer tehditlere göre daha fazla tedirgin olduğunu söyledi.Doğan, Dink’e karşı 2-2.5 yıldır toplumsal bir linç kampanyası sürdürüldüğünü dile getirerek, “Bu cinayet 2.5 yıldır ‘geliyorum’ diyordu. Türkiye’nin en yüksek kademesinde işlenen hukuk cinayeti ile Dink mahkum edildi ve linç süreci başladı" diye konuştu.Doğan, Hukukçular Birliği Başakanı Kemal kerinçsiz’i kastederek, Kerinçsiz ve adamlarını, Dink’e karşı gazete binası önünde, mahkeme önlerinde sürekli “kışkırtıcı" eylemlerde bulunduğunu ifade ettiSusurluk soruşturmasında adı ciddi iddia ve belgelerle gündeme gelen tek asker. MHP'ye yakınlığıyla tanınıyor. Şeriat ve İslami partileri sevmediği biliniyor. Ayrıca döneminde soruşturmaya uğradığı ve sürgüne gönderildiği için 7. Cumhurbaşkanı Turgut Özal'a sempati duymuyor.Resmi varlığı kabul edilmeyen JİTEM'in kurucusu olduğu ileri sürülen Küçük, Kocaeli İl Jandarma Alay Komutanlığı yaptı. Adı ilk kez Hanefi Avcı'nın Emniyet Genel Müdürlüğü İstihbarat Dairesi Başkan Yardımcısı olduğu dönemde Susurluk Komisyonu'na verdiği ifadede ortaya atıldı. Küçük'ün kazada ölen Abdullah Çatlı'yla defalarca telefon görüşmesi yaptığı belirlendi. Avcı'nın suçlamaları üzerine İstanbul DGM, Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'na suç duyurusunda bulundu. Başbakanlık Teftiş Kurulu Başkanvekili Kutlu Savaş'ın Susurluk raporunda "Yeşil" kod adlı Mahmut Yıldırım'ın kullandığı belirtilen cep telefonu numarasının Küçük üzerine kayıtlı olduğu da ortaya çıktı.Küçük, Susurluk olayında adının geçtiği dönemde Giresun Jandarma Bölge Komutanı'ydı. Daha sonra Çanakkale 116. Jandarma Er Eğitim Alayı'nda görev aldı. Ağustos 2000'de Yüksek Askeri Şura kararıyla emekli edildi. Emekli olduktan sonra bir marketler zincirinin yönetim kurulu başkanı oldu, ancak adı değişik iddialara da karıştı. Küçük, Ağustos 2001'de İran - Azerbaycan ilişkilerinin gerildiği bir dönemde Bakü'de ortaya çıktı. Azeri basınına "Türk ordusu yardıma hazır" açıklaması yaptı.	Hrant Dink was shot dead three days ago In an interview, Orhan Dink, the younger brother of the Turkish-Armenian journalist Hrant Dink who was shot dead in Istanbul on Friday, told journalists that his brother was worried for his life after learning that Veli Küçük, a retired major general of the Turkish army, was watching his trial. Hrant Dink was a prominent Armenian voice in Turkey, and his use of the word "genocide" to describe the forced mass evacuation and related deaths of hundreds of thousands to over a million Armenians during the government of the Young Turks from 1915 to 1917 in the Ottoman Empire was controversial in Turkey, where the state denies the event constitutes a genocide. In 2005, Dink was tried and convicted of "insulting Turkishness" over an article he had written. Orhan Dink told reporters that his brother told him he became worried when Veli Küçük, once a prominent member of Turkey's controversial and unofficial Jandarma İstihbarat ve Terörle Mücadele (Gendarme Intelligence and Counter Terrorism organization), the JITEM, came to the trial and that the affair was "turning into a dangerous one". Hrand Dink said, 'I am being pointed at as the target', Orhan Dink told reporters. Orhan Dink said that Küçük never threatened his brother directly. "After Küçük came, we suspected that the bullet might have followed, and it did. ... We were speaking within the family... What can we do? Should we leave the country or should we stay? Sometimes we would decide to leave. But then we would say that this nation is ours.", Orhan Dink said. He added, "I wish they killed us all. We are no longer doves, we are now falcons. We love the people of Turkey. We will not let a bunch of people to take over. And we are not considering to leave any more. We gave our sacrifice. In order to stay, we can give more. We consider leaving as a treason against our brother."
This gold strip carries the Latin inscription: "Rise up O Lord, and may thy enemies be dispersed and those who hate thee be driven from thy face." It has two sources, the Book of Numbers or Psalm 67, taken from the Vulgate, the Bible used by the Saxons. Several sword fittings discovered in the hoard exhibit artwork known as Salin's Style II. This style of animal-related artwork showed beasts intertwined in complex, symmetrical patterns. Examples of this style were also found at Sutton Hoo. Anglo-Saxon helmets are very rare - only four helmets like the one from which the above cheek plate is taken have survived. Despite the intricate artwork, this helmet would have been used in battle, the decoration marking out the wearer's status. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT The UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been discovered buried in a field in Staffordshire. Experts say the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date to the 7th Century, is unparalleled in size and worth "a seven-figure sum". It has been declared treasure by South Staffordshire coroner Andrew Haigh, meaning it belongs to the Crown. Terry Herbert, who found it on farmland using a metal detector, said it "was what metal detectorists dream of". It could take more than a year for it to be valued. (It is) absolutely the equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells Leslie Webster Analysis: Hoard lights up Dark Ages In pictures: Hoard uncovered BBC History: The Anglo-Saxons The Staffordshire hoard contains about 5kg of gold and 2.5kg of silver, making it far bigger than the Sutton Hoo discovery in 1939 when 1.5kg of Anglo-Saxon gold was found near Woodbridge in Suffolk. Leslie Webster, former keeper at the British Museum's Department of Prehistory and Europe, said: "This is going to alter our perceptions of Anglo-Saxon England as radically, if not more so, as the Sutton Hoo discoveries. "(It is) absolutely the equivalent of finding a new Lindisfarne Gospels or Book of Kells." The Book of Kells and Lindisfarne Gospels are intricately illuminated manuscripts of the four New Testament Gospels dating from the 9th and 8th Centuries. 'Just unbelievable' Mr Herbert, 55, of Burntwood in Staffordshire, who has been metal detecting for 18 years, came across the hoard as he searched land belonging to a farmer friend over five days in July. The exact location has not been disclosed. "I have this phrase that I say sometimes; 'spirits of yesteryear take me where the coins appear', but on that day I changed coins to gold," he said. "I don't know why I said it that day but I think somebody was listening and directed me to it. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement "This is what metal detectorists dream of, finding stuff like this. But the vast amount there is just unbelievable." BBC correspondent Nick Higham said the hoard would be valued by the British Museum and the money passed on to Mr Herbert and the landowner. A total of 1,345 items have been examined by experts, although the list includes 56 clods of earth which have been X-rayed and are known to contain further metal artefacts. This means the total number of items found is likely to rise to about 1,500. Following the initial find, Alex Jones, director of Birmingham Archaeology and his colleagues were invited to excavate the site, Birmingham University said. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Mr Jones said it was fantastic news for the region and raised the importance of heritage research. "Being a partner in one of the most exciting archaeological discoveries of our time is something we can all be proud of," he said. Experts have so far established that there were at least 650 items of gold in the haul, weighing more than 5kgs (11lb), and 530 silver objects totalling more than 1kg (2.2lb) in weight. Copper alloy, garnets and glass objects were also discovered at the site. Duncan Slarke, finds liaison officer for Staffordshire, was the first professional to see the hoard, which contains warfare paraphernalia, including sword pommel caps and hilt plates inlaid with precious stones. He said he was "virtually speechless" when he saw the items. "I saw boxes full of gold, items exhibiting the very finest Anglo-Saxon workmanship," he added. Roger Bland, head of portable antiquities and treasure at the British Museum, said: "The most we can say is, I think we're fairly confident it is likely to be a seven-figure sum." 'Truly remarkable' The collection is currently being kept in secure storage at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery but a selection of the items is to be displayed at the museum from Friday until 13 October. Dr Kevin Leahy, who has been cataloguing the find for the Portable Antiquities Scheme, said it was "a truly remarkable collection". He said it had been found in the heartland of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Mercia. "All the archaeologists who've worked with it have been awestruck," he added. "It's been actually quite scary working on this material to be in the presence of greatness." He said the most striking feature of the find was that it was almost totally weapon fittings with no feminine objects such as dress fittings, brooches or pendants. "Swords and sword fittings were very important in the Anglo-Saxon period," Dr Leahy added. "It looks like a collection of trophies, but it is impossible to say if the hoard was the spoils from a single battle or a long and highly successful military career. "We also cannot say who the original, or the final, owners were, who took it from them, why they buried it or when. "It will be debated for decades." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Terry Herbert says he plans to buy a bungalow with his share of the reward Discovering the UK's largest haul of Anglo-Saxon treasure has been the highlight of Terry Herbert's 18-year hobby. "People laugh at metal detectorists," said the unemployed 55-year-old, who stands to make a fortune. "I've had people go past and go 'beep beep, he's after pennies'. Well no, we are out there to find this kind of stuff and it is out there." He made the find in a field near his Staffordshire home with a detector he bought in 1995. Experts have said the collection of 1,500 gold and silver pieces, which may date back to the seventh century, was unparalleled in size. One has suggested the find was the hobbyist's equivalent of uncovering Tutankhamen's tomb. "I just flushed all over when he said that. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up, you just never expect this," Mr Herbert said. Lucky touch Mr Herbert, from Burntwood, said he dug up so much gold over five days in July he was seeing the precious metal in his sleep. He bought his first metal detector for £2.50 in a car boot sale. A member of of Bloxwich Research and Metal Detecting Club, he is known for having a lucky touch. Hundreds of gold artefacts were discovered buried in the field But he said the find went far beyond past triumphs. "My mates at the metal detecting club always say if there is a gold coin in a field I will be the one to find it. "I dread to think what they'll say when they hear about this." The financial worth of the hoard may take months to assess, but its market value will eventually go to Mr Herbert and the owner of the farmland where it was found. "It's been more fun than winning the lottery," Mr Herbert said. He plans to spend some of his share of the Crown's reward on a bungalow. "I have this phrase that I say sometimes; 'spirits of yesteryear take me where the coins appear', but on that day I changed coins to gold," he said. "I don't know why I said it that day, but I think somebody was listening and directed me to it." Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Pieces from the hoard. A large hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold has been found in a field in Staffordshire, England. The hoard, which was found in a private field over the course of five days in July 2009, is in fact the most Anglo-Saxon gold that has ever been unearthed at one site in the United Kingdom. Roughly 1,500 gold and silver pieces were found and the hoard contains roughly 5kgs of gold and 2.5kgs of silver — far more than the previous record of 2.5kgs of gold which was found at Sutton Hoo, near Woodbridge. The big haul in Staffordshire was found by 55-year-old Terry Herbert, while he was using a metal-detector. He had asked a local farmer's permission to search the land beforehand. Terry is unemployed, and has been in the hobby of metal-detecting for the last 18 years. He said: "People laugh at metal detectorists. "I've had people go past and go 'beep beep, he's after pennies'. Well no, we are out there to find this kind of stuff and it is out there." It is estimated to take over twelve months before the value of the hoard can be valued specifically. South Staffordshire Coroner Andrew Haigh declared it "treasure". That means that it belongs to the Crown. Archaeology experts have predicted that it could be worth "a seven-figure sum" and that the treasure may date back to the 7th century. The exact location where the hoard was found is currently being kept secret.
Sign-up to receive the weekly top stories, contest and promotion announcements every Tuesday Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Canada.com Newsletter will soon be in your inbox. \|\|\|\|\| Siirt'in Şirvan İlçesi'nde PKK’lı teröristler, yola döşedikleri mayını askeri araç geçerken uzaktan kumandayla patlattı. Patlamada, ilk bilgilere göre 3 er şehit oldu, 3 er yaralandı. Şirvan'da, Orman İşletme Şefliği'ne ait odun deposuna kalabalık bir grup PKK'lı terörist tarafından bu akşam saat 20.00 sıralarında, uzun namlulu silahlarla ateş açıldı. Saldırının güvenlik güçlerine haber verilmesi üzerine Şirvan ilçesinden bölgeye takviye giden askeri aracın geçiş güzergahına da PKK'lı teröristler tarafından uzaktan kumandalı mayınlı tuzak kuruldu. Askeri aracın geçişi sırasında mayını uzaktan kumandayla patlatılması üzerine ilk bilgilere göre 3 asker şehit oldu, aralarında rütbelilerinde bulunduğu 3 asker ise yaralandı. Yaralı askerler helikopterle Siirt'e getirilerek Devlet Hastanesi'nde tedavi altına alındı. Durumu ağır olan bir asker ameliyata alındı. Karanlıktan istifade ederek kaçan PKK teröristlerin etkisiz hale getirilmesi amacıyla bölgede geniş çaplı operasyon başlatıldı. \|\|\|\|\| ISTANBUL, Turkey -- Turkish artillery shelled suspected positions of Kurdish rebels based across the border in northern Iraq on Friday, according to reports. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Turkey that it risked expanding regional tensions with any "robust" move of troops into Iraq. Turkey has been building up its forces along the border with Iraq, and its leaders are debating whether to stage a major incursion to pursue Kurdish rebels from Turkey who rest, train and resupply at bases in Iraq. Such an operation could ignite a wider conflict involving Iraqi Kurds, and draw in its NATO ally, the United States. Rice, speaking in New York to a panel of journalists and editors from The Associated Press, said it's "not good for anybody for a robust move across the border." She described it as "not good for Iraq and not good for Turkey." The statement by Rice suggested Washington has acknowledged that Turkey might conduct limited incursions across the rugged frontier against the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party, also known as PKK. Iran has also clashed with Iranian Kurd fighters who have bases in remote, mountainous areas of northern Iraq, and Iranian forces reportedly participated in the overnight shelling. Tension and violence involving Kurds, who lack a nation-state but have long sought autonomy, have ebbed and surged in the past century in Turkey, Syria, Iran and Iraq. In Turkey, Kurds make up about 20 percent of the country's population of more than 70 million. The Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, or PUK, the party of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani, reported the overnight Turkish and Iranian shelling on its Web site. Turkish military authorities at the General Staff in Ankara were not immediately available for comment. Iranian officials in Tehran could not be reached for comment late Friday. Iranian media contained no reports on any shelling, and usually wait several days to report such incidents. The PUK said artillery shells overnight hit some areas in the Sidikan area in Irbil province, where the borders of Turkey, Iran and Iraq converge, and that nine villages were affected. It was unclear whether there was any degree of coordination among Turkish and Iranian gunners. "Huge damage was inflicted on the area," the PUK said, citing what it described as an unidentified "source" in the area. "The source said that residents have left their houses, fearing for their lives." Lt. Ahmed Karim of the Iraqi border guards force told the AP that seven Turkish shells landed on a forest near Sakta village in the Batous area, but no casualties were reported. Belgium-based Firat, a pro-Kurdish news agency that Turkey says is a rebel mouthpiece, said Turkish forces shelled areas in Iraq for three hours beginning at 11 p.m. Thursday. It said there were no reports of casualties. On Friday, Turkey's military declared its "unshakable determination" to defeat Kurdish rebels, and a fourth soldier died of injuries from a roadside bomb in a new Turkish security zone north of the Iraq border. The bombing Thursday was blamed on Kurdish separatists. On Wednesday, Turkish security officials and an Iraqi Kurdish official said Turkish soldiers had crossed into Iraq in pursuit of rebels based there. Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul denied such a raid took place. Turkish forces occasionally have pursued Kurdish rebels just across the border, but rarely announce the operations.	At 1800 hours (UTC) a remote controlled exploded in , Turkey. The government of Turkey believes that the (PKK) was responsible for the explosion. At least 3 soldiers of the were killed and six others were injured when their military vehicle passed over the device. The injured personnel and soldiers were immediately taken to a hospital in Siirt via medical helicopters. Turkish army Generals have told the Turkish people "to resist in the face of these terrorist actions. The Turkish Armed Forces has an unshakable determination in fighting terrorism and it will absolutely give the necessary answer to such attacks."
AIDS' Site of Vulnerability Found AIDS virus handshakes with the cells it attacks - this was revealed by scientists who managed to capture the image of such biological handshaking. The scientists say this discovery gives them a hope to find a vaccine against the deadly disease which very easily transmits through sexual intercourse. They revealed that there is a place on the outside of the HIV which might be vulnerable to antibodies that can prevent it from infecting human cells. The study on this matter published in the journal Nature is said to be likely to reveal the long-sought „site of vulnerability“ of the human immunodificiency virus. This vulnerable site can be targeted with a special vaccine which prevents infection. According to U. S National Institutes of Health researcher Peter Kwong, the discovery definitely means that a vaccine against AIDS is no more only a dream. It is really possible, though it is not found yet. Scientists agree that nothing but a vaccine can stop the spread of AIDS which is to blame of death of more than 25 million people throughout the world since it was for the first time in 1981. Today there are about 40 million people living with HIV, the majority being concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa. Thought today dozens of possible vaccines are in development, there are only two AIDS vaccine candidates today. These are vaccines made by Merck and Co. and by Sanofi-Aventis SA. The main difficulty in finding a vaccine against HIV is that the virus attacks immune systém cells. Researchers at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases managed to make images of the virus and to reveal the structure of protein on the virus' s surface.This protein called gp120 is bound to an infection-fighting antibody and seems to be susceptible to this antibody's attacks. This antibody is called b12 and it can neutralize the virus. Scientists revealed a definite interaction. The virus tries to grab the cells sent by the body to protect it and to infect them. The first contact between the cells and the virus is like cautions handshake which than becomes like bear hug. HIV uses gp120 to get entry into the cells it infects. The scientists found that antibody gp120 is capable to block this process. The worst thing is that HIV mutates very quickly and neutralizes the immune systém's efforts to target it. As well it prevents antibodies from blocking the proteins which the virus uses to infect a cell. This makes it clear that though the findings are of very great importance, much work in human studies is needed. Any vaccine against AIDS is years away, so all measures to prevent it, like use of condoms, must be taken. \|\|\|\|\| By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Scientists have captured an image of the AIDS virus in a biological handshake with the immune cells it attacks, and said on Wednesday they hope this can help lead to a better vaccine against the incurable disease. They pinpointed a place on the outside of the human immunodeficiency virus that could be vulnerable to antibodies that could block it from infecting human cells. U.S. National Institutes of Health researcher Peter Kwong said the study, published in the journal Nature, may reveal HIV's long-sought "site of vulnerability" that can be targeted with a vaccine aimed at preventing initial infection. "Having that site and knowing that you can make antibodies against it means that a vaccine is possible," Kwong said in a telephone interview. "It doesn't say we've gotten there. But it's taken it off the list from an impossible dream and converted it to something that is a (mere) technical barrier." Experts agree that a vaccine is the only hope of stopping the pandemic of AIDS, which has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. About 40 million people now live with HIV, with sub-Saharan Africa hardest hit. But while dozens of potential vaccines are in development, only two AIDS vaccine candidates are in advanced human trials -- one made by Merck and Co. and another by Sanofi-Aventis SA. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| Nature 445, 732-737 (15 February 2007) \| doi :10.1038/nature05580; Received 2 November 2006; Accepted 8 January 2007 Tongqing Zhou1, Ling Xu1, Barna Dey1, Ann J. Hessell3, Donald Van Ryk2, Shi-Hua Xiang4, Xinzhen Yang4, Mei-Yun Zhang5, Michael B. Zwick3, James Arthos2, Dennis R. Burton3, Dimiter S. Dimitrov5, Joseph Sodroski4, Richard Wyatt1, Gary J. Nabel1 and Peter D. Kwong1 of page Abstract The remarkable diversity, glycosylation and conformational flexibility of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope (Env), including substantial rearrangement of the gp120 glycoprotein upon binding the CD4 receptor, allow it to evade antibody-mediated neutralization. Despite this complexity, the HIV-1 Env must retain conserved determinants that mediate CD4 binding. To evaluate how these determinants might provide opportunities for antibody recognition, we created variants of gp120 stabilized in the CD4-bound state, assessed binding of CD4 and of receptor-binding-site antibodies, and determined the structure at 2.3 Å resolution of the broadly neutralizing antibody b12 in complex with gp120. b12 binds to a conformationally invariant surface that overlaps a distinct subset of the CD4-binding site. This surface is involved in the metastable attachment of CD4, before the gp120 rearrangement required for stable engagement. A site of vulnerability, related to a functional requirement for efficient association with CD4, can therefore be targeted by antibody to neutralize HIV-1.	Scientists have discovered a place on the outside part of AIDS virus that might be vulnerable to antibodies blocking the virus from infecting human cells. This could mean that an anti-HIV vaccine is possible in the future. According to Peter Kwong, researcher at U.S National Institute of Health (NIH), this study is likely to contribute to finding HIV's "site of vulnerability" which could then be targeted with a vaccine that prevents the initial infection. human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The team of researchers have made atomic-level images of HIV and revealed the structure of a protein on the surface of the virus. This protein, called gp120, binds to an infection-fighting antibody and seems to be susceptible to attacks by this antibody called 'b12'. B12 can broadly neutralize the virus. Researchers detailed the precise interaction as the virus tries to hook on to and infect cells sent to protect the body. They have captured an image of how the virus of human immunodeficiency attacks the human cells. Dr. Gary Nabel, an NIH vaccine expert and a co-author of the research, describes this first contact between the virus and the cells as a 'cautious handshake' which then becomes a 'hearty bear hug'. The virus grabs and infects the cells that are aimed at protecting the body. Then the virus mutates quickly to fight the immune system's attacks as well as to counter the effect of antibodies that block the proteins with help of which HIV binds to a cell to infect it. Scientists agree that a vaccine against AIDS would be an ideal way to stop the pandemic of this disease, but, with all importance of these findings, much work and studies are still needed. This implies that any vaccine against AIDS is probably still many years away. The AIDS virus has killed more than 25 million people since it was first detected in 1981. Sub-Saharan Africa is the most severely affected by the epidemic. Approximately 40 million people live with HIV. About a dozen potential vaccines are currently under development. Two products, one by Merck and one by Sanofi-Aventis, are now in advanced human trials.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Renowned US novelist John Updike has died at the age of 76, his publisher has announced. He had been suffering from lung cancer. Updike won many top literary prizes, including Pulitzers for two volumes of his famous Rabbit series. In about 50 books over half a century, he chronicled sex, divorce and other aspects of life in post-war America. He once told an interviewer that his subject was "the American small town, Protestant middle class". He died in a hospice near his home in Beverly Farms, Massachussetts, his publisher said. The son of a schoolmaster, Updike was born in Pennsylvania in 1932 and, after attending Harvard, spent a year as an art student in Oxford in the UK. Later he joined the staff of the New Yorker magazine, to which he contributed numerous poems, essays and short stories. Updike's first novel, The Poorhouse Fair, was published in 1959. The following year, though, saw the publication of the book which established him as one of the greatest novelists of his age, Rabbit, Run. PROMINENT UPDIKE NOVELS Rabbit, Run, 1960 Couples, 1968 Rabbit Redux, 1971 The Witches of Eastwick, 1984 Memories of the Ford Administration, 1992 Obituary: John Updike Updike in his own words Life in pictures John Updike: Your views It marked the debut of his most enduring character, Harold "Rabbit" Angstrom. In the following decades he would write sequels, including Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest, charting the course of a man's life - his job, marriage, affairs, minor triumphs and death. The death was announced by publisher Alfred A Knopf. "He was one of our greatest writers and he will be sorely missed," Knopf publicity director Nicholas Latimer said. In an interview, Updike explained why most of his novels were about the lives of ordinary Americans. "The writer must face the fact that ordinary lives are what most people live most of the time, and that the novel as a narration of the fantastic and the adventurous is really an escapist plot; that aesthetically the ordinary, the banal, is what you must deal with." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. In September 2001, Updike was visiting relatives in New York when he found himself witnessing the attack on the World Trade Centre. The experience led to one of his last novels, Terrorist, in which he imagined the life of a radicalised American Muslim. "To actually be seeing it not a mile away was very moving, very disturbing, very unsettling. It's like the bottom fell out of your own existence, somehow." Updike also wrote The Witches of Eastwick in 1984, which was made into a film starring Jack Nicholson, Cher, Michelle Pfeiffer and Susan Sarandon. Send us your comments about John Updike and his legacy using the form below. Name Your E-mail address Town & Country Phone number (optional): Comments The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. Terms & Conditions Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| John Updike, prize-winning writer, dead at age 76 NEW YORK (AP) — John Updike, the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist, prolific man of letters and erudite chronicler of sex, divorce and other adventures in the postwar prime of the American empire, died Tuesday at age 76. Updike, a resident of Beverly Farms, Mass., died of lung cancer, according to a statement from his publisher, Alfred A. Knopf. A literary writer who frequently appeared on best-seller lists, the tall, hawk-nosed Updike wrote novels, short stories, poems, criticism, the memoir "Self-Consciousness" and even a famous essay about baseball great Ted Williams. He was prolific, even compulsive, releasing more than 50 books in a career that started in the 1950s. Updike won virtually every literary prize, including two Pulitzers, for "Rabbit Is Rich" and "Rabbit at Rest," and two National Book Awards. Although himself deprived of a Nobel, he did bestow it upon one of his fictional characters, Henry Bech, the womanizing, egotistical Jewish novelist who collected the literature prize in 1999. His settings ranged from the court of "Hamlet" to postcolonial Africa, but his literary home was the American suburb. Born in 1932, Updike spoke for millions of Depression-era readers raised by "penny-pinching parents," united by "the patriotic cohesion of World War II" and blessed by a "disproportionate share of the world's resources," the postwar, suburban boom of "idealistic careers and early marriages." He captured, and sometimes embodied, a generation's confusion over the civil rights and women's movements, and opposition to the Vietnam War. Updike was called a misogynist, a racist and an apologist for the establishment. On purely literary grounds, he was attacked by Norman Mailer as the kind of author appreciated by readers who knew nothing about writing. But more often he was praised for his flowing, poetic writing style. Describing a man's interrupted quest to make love, Updike likened it "to a small angel to which all afternoon tiny lead weights are attached." Nothing was too great or too small for Updike to poeticize. He might rhapsodize over the film projector's "chuckling whir" or look to the stars and observe that "the universe is perfectly transparent: we exist as flaws in ancient glass." In the richest detail, his books recorded the extremes of earthly desire and spiritual zealotry, whether the comic philandering of the preacher in "A Month of Sundays" or the steady rage of the young Muslim in "Terrorist." Raised in the Protestant community of Shillington, Pa., where the Lord's Prayer was recited daily at school, Updike was a lifelong churchgoer influenced by his faith, but not immune to doubts. "I remember the times when I was wrestling with these issues that I would feel crushed. I was crushed by the purely materialistic, atheistic account of the universe," Updike told The Associated Press during a 2006 interview. "I am very prone to accept all that the scientists tell us, the truth of it, the authority of the efforts of all the men and woman spent trying to understand more about atoms and molecules. But I can't quite make the leap of unfaith, as it were, and say, `This is it. Carpe diem (seize the day), and tough luck.'" He received his greatest acclaim for the "Rabbit" series, a quartet of novels published over a 30-year span that featured ex-high school basketball star Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom and his restless adjustment to adulthood and the constraints of work and family. To the very end, Harry was in motion, an innocent in his belief that any door could be opened, a believer in God even as he bedded women other than his wife. "The tetralogy to me is the tale of a life, a life led an American citizen who shares the national passion for youth, freedom, and sex, the national openness and willingness to learn, the national habit of improvisation," Updike would later write. "He is furthermore a Protestant, haunted by a God whose manifestations are elusive, yet all-important." Other notable books included "Couples," a sexually explicit tale of suburban mating that sold millions of copies; "In the Beauty of the Lilies," an epic of American faith and fantasy; and "Too Far to Go, which followed the courtship, marriage and divorce of the Maples, a suburban couple with parallels to Updike's own first marriage. Plagued from an early age by asthma, psoriasis and a stammer, he found creative outlets in drawing and writing. Updike was born in Reading, Pa., his mother a department store worker who longed to write, his father a high school teacher remembered with sadness and affection in "The Centaur," a novel published in 1964. The author brooded over his father's low pay and mocking students, but also wrote of a childhood of "warm and action-packed houses that accommodated the presence of a stranger, my strange ambition to be glamorous." For Updike, the high life meant books, such as the volumes of P.G. Wodehouse and Robert Benchley he borrowed from the library as a child, or, as he later recalled, the "chastely severe, time-honored classics" he read in his dorm room at Harvard University, leaning back in his "wooden Harvard chair," cigarette in hand. While studying on full scholarship at Harvard, he headed the staff of the Harvard Lampoon and met the woman who became his first wife, Mary Entwistle Pennington, whom he married in June 1953, a year before he earned his A.B. degree summa cum laude. (Updike divorced Pennington in 1975 and was remarried two years later, to Martha Bernhard). After graduating, he accepted a one-year fellowship to study painting at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Arts at Oxford University. During his stay in England, a literary idol, E.B. White, offered him a position at The New Yorker, where he served briefly as foreign books reviewer. Many of Updike's reviews and short stories were published in The New Yorker, often edited by White's stepson, Roger Angell. By the end of the 1950s, Updike had published a story collection, a book of poetry and his first novel, "The Poorhouse Fair," soon followed by the first of the Rabbit books, "Rabbit, Run." Praise came so early and so often that New York Times critic Arthur Mizener worried that Updike's "natural talent" was exposing him "from an early age to a great deal of head-turning praise." Updike learned to write about everyday life by, in part, living it. In 1957, he left New York, with its "cultural hassle" and melting pot of "agents and wisenheimers," and settled with his first wife and four kids in Ipswich, Mass, a "rather out-of-the-way town" about 30 miles north of Boston. "The real America seemed to me 'out there,' too heterogeneous and electrified by now to pose much threat of the provinciality that people used to come to New York to escape," Updike later wrote. "There were also practical attractions: free parking for my car, public education for my children, a beach to tan my skin on, a church to attend without seeming too strange." \|\|\|\|\| BOSTON (Reuters) - John Updike, a leading writer of his generation who chronicled the drama of small-town American life with flowing and vivid prose, wit and a frank eye for sex, died on Tuesday of lung cancer. He was 76. "It is with great sadness that I report that John Updike died this morning," said Nicholas Latimer of Alfred A. Knopf, a unit of Random House. "He was one of our greatest writers, and he will be sorely missed." The Pulitzer Prize-winning author died in a hospice in Massachusetts, the state where he lived for more than half a century, prolific in his writing of novels, short stories, essays and criticism. Updike's stories often focused on undercurrents of tension masked by the mundane surface of suburban America, which boomed in 1960s and 1970s as his career was taking off. Ripples of sexual tension were frequent. An early short story, "A&P," chronicled an adolescent boy's inner turmoil when three bikini-clad teenage girls appeared in the supermarket where he worked. "It's one thing to have a girl in a bathing suit down on the beach," Updike wrote, "and another thing in the cool of the A&P, under the fluorescent lights, against all those stacked packages, with her feet paddling along naked over our checkerboard green-and-cream rubber-tile floor." Updike's frank focus on sex came before the profound changes in U.S. culture of the late 1960s lifted some of the taboo from the topic. His publisher rewrote portions of his second novel, "Rabbit, Run," before its first printing out of fear of being charged with obscenity. That novel introduced the fictional hero Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom, the subject of four Updike novels and a novella over four decades, which won him two Pulitzer Prizes for fiction. 'AMONG THE VERY BEST' Updike was acclaimed nearly as much for his short stories, poetry and critical essays as for his 28 novels. More than 800 Updike stories, reviews, poems and articles were published in The New Yorker magazine from 1954 through 2008. Many American readers strongly associated Updike with that publication. "Even though his literary career transcended any magazine -- he was obviously among the very best writers in the world -- he still loved writing for this weekly magazine, loved being part of an enterprise that he joined when he was so young," said David Remnick, editor of The New Yorker. "He was, for so long, the spirit of The New Yorker and it is very hard to imagine things without him." William Pritchard, a professor of English at Amherst College who studied and knew Updike, said Updike stood out for his versatility -- writing fiction, nonfiction and verse. "He stands, for me, at the very top of the practice of being a man of letters," Pritchard said. "Each activity was carried on with great intelligence and wit and love." 'MAKE EVERYTHING COUNT' Born in Reading, Pennsylvania, Updike studied English at Harvard University, where he contributed to, and later edited, the satirical Harvard Lampoon magazine. After a year studying at Oxford, Updike moved to New York where he worked for two years on the New Yorker's staff. In 1957 he moved his family to Ipswich, Massachusetts, a coastal town north of Boston, and later moved to nearby Beverly Farms. A New England flavor features in Updike's 1984 novel "The Witches of Eastwick," set in a fictional Rhode Island town, which was made into a commercially successful 1987 film starring Jack Nicholson and Cher. In a Reuters interview in 2005, he said his view of himself as a writer had changed in recent years as he produced an increasing volume of art and literary criticism and struggled with the short-story medium. When asked which genre he preferred, he paused. "If I had been asked that 10 years ago I would have said short stories is where I feel most at home. I'm not sure I do feel totally at home any more, whether I have maybe written all my short stories," he said. He was candid about the need to get writing published: "I've become much more of a book reviewer and an art reviewer for that matter than I ever planned to. At least there is a comfort when you sit down to write one of these that you'll be sure that it will get printed and you'll get paid for it. It's not the case with a short story." (Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York, Editing by Jason Szep and Frances Kerry) \|\|\|\|\| John Updike: Magisterial chronicler of The American Century John Updike's novels, magisterial dissections of the soul of post-World War II middle America, placed him at the very pinnacle of his profession. Works such as Couples and the Rabbit series chronicled the obsessions, passions and anxieties of three generations. Whether writing novels, short stories, essays or poems, John Updike's work always seemed to find the pulse of modern America. Often controversial, he remained at the cutting edge of literature into his 70s and, with his most celebrated character, Harold "Rabbit" Angstrom, he found an authentic 20th-Century everyman. The son of a schoolmaster, John Updike was born in Pennsylvania in March 1932 and, after attending Harvard, spent a year in the UK, as a student at the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art at Oxford. Later he joined the staff of the New Yorker magazine, to which he contributed numerous poems, essays and short stories. Updike's first novel, The Poorhouse Fair, was published in 1959, to mixed, but generally favourable, reviews. The following year, though, saw the publication of the book which established him as one of the greatest novelists of his age. Rabbit, Run marked the debut of his most enduring, if not endearing, character, Harold "Rabbit" Angstrom. Updike's Rabbit novels spanned a generation In this and its sequels, Rabbit Redux, Rabbit is Rich and Rabbit at Rest - published at ten-yearly intervals - Updike charts the course of one man's life: his job, marriage, affairs, minor triumphs and death. The Rabbit novels, though, are as much about the changing soul of the United States as about any individual character. Even so, with all his petty failings and unrequited hopes, their main character presents not a mere cipher but a rounded, fully realised, portrait of a human being. Updike was clear about the focus of his work: "My subject is the American Protestant small town middle class." "I like middles. It is in middles that extremes clash, where ambiguity restlessly rules." During the mid-60s, works such as The Centaur and Of the Farm brought Updike critical acclaim but Couples, published in 1968, gave him his first popular success. Couples, has been called "the best-written dirty book since the Decameron" - but this does less than justice to either Updike or Boccaccio. Updike's themes, though American, were universal The theme of the book is indeed adultery, as practised by ten middle-class couples in a small New England town Though the author does not hesitate to give detailed descriptions of sexual intercourse, he does so with a lucidity and reverence that is completely removed from pornography. Altogether, John Updike published more than 50 novels: one of his novels about Harold Angstrom, Rabbit is Rich, won the 1982 Pulitzer Prize for fiction, while Rabbit at Rest won in 1993. Though often berated by critics for his seeming obsession with golf and sex, it is his mastery of the English language, its nuances, vagueries and sheer beauty, which brought John Updike millions of admirers. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Updike ''(left)'', with Mrs Barbara and President George H W Bush on 17 November 1989 Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist John Updike has died of lung cancer at a hospice near his home in Beverly Farms, Massachusetts. He was 76. Born John Hoyer Updike in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1932, he documented ordinary — if highly sexualized — American life in around 50 works, beginning with ''The Poorhouse Fair'' in 1959. He once said that his books were about "the American small town, Protestant middle class". The son of a Pennsylvania school teacher who worked in the holidays as a laborer, he was educated at Harvard University — where he edited the magazine Lampoon — and United Kingdom's The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art. From there, he went on to write for ''The New Yorker''. After ''The Poorhouse Fair'', he introduced the character of Harold 'Rabbit' Angstrom in his 1960 work ''Rabbit, Run''. His two Pulitzer prizes were won for further books featuring the character: ''Rabbit Is Rich'' and ''Rabbit at Rest''. His 1984 novel ''The Witches of Eastwick'' was made into a film starring Jack Nicholson, Cher and Susan Sarandon. His work drew criticism as well as awards, not least for his depiction of female characters and voyeuristic passages describing rape. He was ambivalent about his reputation, noting in his 1989 autobiography ''Self-Consciousness'' that he was aware of "my ponderously growing ''oeuvre'', dragging behind me like an ever-heavier tail". As well as the Pulitzer prizes, Updike won many literary awards, including the National Medal for Humanities in 2003. He was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Updike had two daughters, Elizabeth and Miranda, and two sons, David and Michael, by his first wife Mary. His second wife Martha survives him.
KHIAM SOUTHERN LEBANON A BOMB’S ANATOMY By Flaviano Masella, Angelo Saso, Maurizio Torrealta The special report was triggered by the radioactivity measurements reported on a crater probably created by an Israeli Bunker Buster bomb in the village of Khiam, in southern Lebanon. The measurements were carried out by two Lebanese professors of physics - Mohammad Ali Kubaissi and Ibrahim Rachidi. The data - 700 nanosieverts per hour – showed remarkably higher radiocativity then the average in the area (Beirut = 35 nSv/hr ). Successivamente, on September 17th, Ali Kubaissi took British researcher Dai Williams, from the environmentalist organization Green Audit, to the same site, to take samples that were then submitted to Chris Busby, technical adisor of the Supervisory Committee on Depleted Uranium, which reports to the British Ministry of Defense. The samples were tested by Harwell’s nuclear laboratory, one of the most authoritative research centers in the world. On October 17th, Harwell disclosed the testing results - two samples in 10 did contain radioactivity. On November 2nd, another British lab, The School of Oceanographic Sciences, confirmed Harwell’s results – the Khiam crater contains slightly enriched uranium. Rainews24 also took a sample taken by Dai Williams for testing by the Department of Earth Sciences of the University of Ferrara. The testing - which is still ongoing - found an anomalous structure: the sample’s surface includes alluminium and iron silicates, normal elements in a soil fragment. Yet, looking inside, estremely small bubbles can be found with high concentration of iron. Further testing will clarify the origin of these structures: what seems to be certain at the moment is that they are not caused by a natural process. What kind of weapon is this? What weapon leaves traces of radiation and produces such lethal and circumscribed consequences? Researcher Dai Williams believes this is a new class of weapons using enriched uranium, not through fission processes but through new physical processes kept secret for at least 20 years. Physicist Emilio del Giudice form the National Institute of Nuclear Phisics came to the same conlcusion: “There are two ways to explain the origin of the enriched uranium found in Khiam: About the origin of enriched Uranium there are two possibilities: 1) this material was present already in the structure of the bombs, but I am puzzled since one should explain the rationale of the use of a material which is both expensive and dangerous , because of its enhanced radioactivity, to people handling it , including military personnel of Israeli Army. 2) the enrichment has been the consequence of the use of the bomb; this possibility is hardly compatible with the known effects of conventional nuclear weapons and should imply that some newly discovered nuclear phenomenon could be at work. The Israeli army denied the use of uranium-based weapons in Lebanon. So, how can people defend themselves from potential uranium-related harm? What precautions will the Unifil troops in the area take, and what kind of testing has been carried out to prevent the risks? The documentary directly covers those qestions. Translation by Desiree Berlangieri and Maria Letizia Tesorini http://www.rainews24.rai.it/ran24/inchieste/09112006_bomba_ing.asp \|\|\|\|\| Did Israel use a secret new uranium-based weapon in southern Lebanon this summer in the 34-day assault that cost more than 1,300 Lebanese lives, most of them civilians? We know that the Israelis used American "bunker-buster" bombs on Hizbollah's Beirut headquarters. We know that they drenched southern Lebanon with cluster bombs in the last 72 hours of the war, leaving tens of thousands of bomblets which are still killing Lebanese civilians every week. And we now know - after it first categorically denied using such munitions - that the Israeli army also used phosphorous bombs, weapons which are supposed to be restricted under the third protocol of the Geneva Conventions, which neither Israel nor the United States have signed. But scientific evidence gathered from at least two bomb craters in Khiam and At-Tiri, the scene of fierce fighting between Hizbollah guerrillas and Israeli troops last July and August, suggests that uranium-based munitions may now also be included in Israel's weapons inventory - and were used against targets in Lebanon. According to Dr Chris Busby, the British Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, two soil samples thrown up by Israeli heavy or guided bombs showed "elevated radiation signatures". Both have been forwarded for further examination to the Harwell laboratory in Oxfordshire for mass spectrometry - used by the Ministry of Defence - which has confirmed the concentration of uranium isotopes in the samples. Dr Busby's initial report states that there are two possible reasons for the contamination. "The first is that the weapon was some novel small experimental nuclear fission device or other experimental weapon (eg, a thermobaric weapon) based on the high temperature of a uranium oxidation flash ... The second is that the weapon was a bunker-busting conventional uranium penetrator weapon employing enriched uranium rather than depleted uranium." A photograph of the explosion of the first bomb shows large clouds of black smoke that might result from burning uranium. Enriched uranium is produced from natural uranium ore and is used as fuel for nuclear reactors. A waste productof the enrichment process is depleted uranium, it is an extremely hard metal used in anti-tank missiles for penetrating armour. Depleted uranium is less radioactive than natural uranium, which is less radioactive than enriched uranium. Israel has a poor reputation for telling the truth about its use of weapons in Lebanon. In 1982, it denied using phosphorous munitions on civilian areas - until journalists discovered dying and dead civilians whose wounds caught fire when exposed to air. I saw two dead babies who, when taken from a mortuary drawer in West Beirut during the Israeli siege of the city, suddenly burst back into flames. Israel officially denied using phosphorous again in Lebanon during the summer - except for "marking" targets - even after civilians were photographed in Lebanese hospitals with burn wounds consistent with phosphorous munitions. Then on Sunday, Israel suddenly admitted that it had not been telling the truth. Jacob Edery, the Israeli minister in charge of government-parliament relations, confirmed that phosphorous shells were used in direct attacks against Hizbollah, adding that "according to international law, the use of phosphorous munitions is authorised and the (Israeli) army keeps to the rules of international norms". Asked by The Independent if the Israeli army had been using uranium-based munitions in Lebanon this summer, Mark Regev, the Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman, said: "Israel does not use any weaponry which is not authorised by international law or international conventions." This, however, begs more questions than it answers. Much international law does not cover modern uranium weapons because they were not invented when humanitarian rules such as the Geneva Conventions were drawn up and because Western governments still refuse to believe that their use can cause long-term damage to the health of thousands of civilians living in the area of the explosions. American and British forces used hundreds of tons of depleted uranium (DU) shells in Iraq in 1991 - their hardened penetrator warheads manufactured from the waste products of the nuclear industry - and five years later, a plague of cancers emerged across the south of Iraq. Initial US military assessments warned of grave consequences for public health if such weapons were used against armoured vehicles. But the US administration and the British government later went out of their way to belittle these claims. Yet the cancers continued to spread amid reports that civilians in Bosnia - where DU was also used by Nato aircraft - were suffering new forms of cancer. DU shells were again used in the 2003 Anglo-American invasion of Iraq but it is too early to register any health effects. "When a uranium penetrator hits a hard target, the particles of the explosion are very long-lived in the environment," Dr Busby said yesterday. "They spread over long distances. They can be inhaled into the lungs. The military really seem to believe that this stuff is not as dangerous as it is." Yet why would Israel use such a weapon when its targets - in the case of Khiam, for example - were only two miles from the Israeli border? The dust ignited by DU munitions can be blown across international borders, just as the chlorine gas used in attacks by both sides in the First World War often blew back on its perpetrators. Chris Bellamy, the professor of military science and doctrine at Cranfield University, who has reviewed the Busby report, said: "At worst it's some sort of experimental weapon with an enriched uranium component the purpose of which we don't yet know. At best - if you can say that - it shows a remarkably cavalier attitude to the use of nuclear waste products." The soil sample from Khiam - site of a notorious torture prison when Israel occupied southern Lebanon between 1978 and 2000, and a frontline Hizbollah stronghold in the summer war - was a piece of impacted red earth from an explosion; the isotope ratio was 108, indicative of the presence of enriched uranium. "The health effects on local civilian populations following the use of large uranium penetrators and the large amounts of respirable uranium oxide particles in the atmosphere," the Busby report says, "are likely to be significant ... we recommend that the area is examined for further traces of these weapons with a view to clean up." This summer's Lebanon war began after Hizbollah guerrillas crossed the Lebanese frontier into Israel, captured two Israeli soldiers and killed three others, prompting Israel to unleash a massive bombardment of Lebanon's villages, cities, bridges and civilian infrastructure. Human rights groups have said that Israel committed war crimes when it attacked civilians, but that Hizbollah was also guilty of such crimes because it fired missiles into Israel which were also filled with ball-bearings, turning their rockets into primitive one-time-only cluster bombs. Many Lebanese, however, long ago concluded that the latest Lebanon war was a weapons testing ground for the Americans and Iranians, who respectively supply Israel and Hizbollah with munitions. Just as Israel used hitherto-unproven US missiles in its attacks, so the Iranians were able to test-fire a rocket which hit an Israeli corvette off the Lebanese coast, killing four Israeli sailors and almost sinking the vessel after it suffered a 15-hour on-board fire. What the weapons manufacturers make of the latest scientific findings of potential uranium weapons use in southern Lebanon is not yet known. Nor is their effect on civilians. \|\|\|\|\| The British newspaper, Independent, reported on Saturday that during this summer's war in Lebanon, Israel used uranium-tipped bunker-buster bombs. According to the report, Dr. Chris Busby, the British Scientific Secretary of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, found two soil samples thrown up by Israeli heavy or guided bombs which showed "elevated radiation signatures." Busby says that these findings suggest Israel used radioactive weaponry. \|\|\|\|\| The Eos life~work resource centre Consultant profile: Dai Williams I am an independent consultant specialising in career, organisation and community psychology issues. For Eos projects I work with other specialists in occupational psychology, human resource management, organisation change and occupational health. Education I read Psychology and Sociology at Swansea University graduating in 1970. The Occupational Psychology Masters course at Birkbeck College, London University (77-79) was a major inspiration featuring many new developments in work, organisation and personal development psychology. I became a Chartered Occupational Psychologist in 1989. Previous Employment From 1971-86 I worked with Shell in the UK and Canada in various Personnel functions including employee and public relations, career planning, personnel systems, job evaluation, job design, international recruitment and staff development. Work and life in Canada (81-83) offered me very different perspectives on employment and personal development from those in the UK. These included far more positive approaches to self-motivated careers and to age, gender and ethnic differences. I returned to Shell International to work as overseas recruitment and education advisor for companies in the Far East, Middle East and Africa (83-86) before voluntary redundancy created the opportunity to set up my own business. Eos work & career psychology Eos initially specialised in international graduate recruitment and education programmes for companies in the Far East. Clients included Singapore Airlines, Singapore Broadcasting Corporation and Guardian Pharmacy and several companies in Japan. From 1987-90 I was a member of the AGCAS Overseas Student Working Party working with UK university careers services, co-author of their handbooks on international careers for students and career advisers. Eos life-career planning and outplacement programmes began in 1987 and became a major priority during the UK Recession, 1990 onwards. Traditional approaches to employment, career guidance and career patterns became obsolete as the UK labour market became more unstable. Eos programmes were developed to help clients cope with severe career crises, stress and change - both in and out of work. Many of the topics covered in Eos Life-Work Themes come from action research into problems faced by my clients. From these I have developed a "toolkit" for career planning and strategies for turning crises into opportunities for career and personal development. Corporate clients have used Eos programmes to assess training and development opportunities for management and departmental teams, development potential for staff, internal redeployment of staff (inplacement), redundancy programmes (outplacement) and support for staff in career or personal crisis situations. Sectors covered include IT, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, publishing, postal services and education plus family businesses and the self-employed. I have lectured part-time on the occupational psychology and counselling in organisations courses at Surrey University and joined Surrey Training & Enterprise Council's New Directions network when it was launched. Eos is now the longest established independent career consultancy in Surrey. Eos community, political and peace psychology Career challenges faced by individuals and employers are often symptoms of wider social and employment issues. My interests in this area are listed in the Community Psychology Index. I convened a national workshop on Psychological Effects of the Recession for the British Psychological Society in 1993 and became a contributor to the UK Forum for Organisational Health. I ran seminars with local support groups for the unemployed through the Recession and wrote a handbook for support group leaders and helpers with them. In September 1997 I began to apply work psychology and organisation change principles to events in UK and international politics. On a hunch I applied transition psychology principles to anticipate the potential effects of trauma and change on UK politicians after the 1997 General Election. I wrote a short survival guide for MPs and ex-MPs After the Honeymoon, featured on BBC TV's Newsnight programme (Oct 97). A revised version called Parliament in Transition (Dec 97) suggested ways to move from crisis to recovery. This "landslide syndrome" appeared to affect members of the new Government and Opposition from Oct 97 to Feb 98. The predicted recovery phase took longer than expected but developed rapidly in spring 98. Through 1998 I continued to monitor periods of crisis and recovery for individual MPs and political leaders. These indicated strong connections between psychological factors (good and bad) and national and international events in Northern Ireland, Iraq and Sudan. I convened a symposium on the Psychology of Change and its societal implications for the BPS Conference in January 1999 with three leading specialists in occupational psychology (see Human responses to change). During 1999 further events suggested wider psychological issues in conflict and political change especially the outlook for the Peace Process in Northern Ireland, the conduct and aftermath of the Balkans War and the Devolution transition. In January 2000 these were collated in a new analysis of psychological climate in the UK Government from April 98 with forecasts to Sept 2000, Accidents waiting to happen. These propositions have been covered from time to time in the press and by BBC Radio 4 but need testing in wider debate with other researchers and political analysts. Most occupational psychology research and practice focusses on business organisations. However many of the same principles apply to political careers and organisations. In one sense politics is just another employment sector. But in every country politicians determine the economic, social and legal environment that shapes the world of work. The successes and crises of national leaders and governments offer highly visible examples of the hazards and opportunities that face managers and staff in many other organisations. Encouraging real-time discussion of psychological processes in politics is hazardous. The conclusions are not always what press editors or politicians want to hear. Some media reports have been handled with great integrity. Others have been changed to suit editorial news campaigns. Accidents waiting to happen was reported in The Times on 6 July. The report was accurate but the headlines and illustration seriously mispresented the positive outlook for Government to support their "spin war" campaign against the Prime Minister. If the forecast recovery occurs this will become obvious within two months. Observations continue! Future projects The Eos Life-Work website is an exciting opportunity to increase public awareness of psychological hazards and opportunities in everyday life including: new approaches to career and personal development for individuals and employers important interactions between work and personal life the need for a new Fair Work Ethic to replace the obsolete Protestant Work Ethic psychological aspects of conflict and change in organisations and communities psychological aspects of national and international political processes the opportunity for closer collaboration between psychologists and other professions on employment, community and political issues including peace psychology and psycho-history (see Professional Networking). The Internet offers a fast and economical way to promote these issues in the UK and around the world. High quality website links enable us to share a wide range of research and professional experience easily. Future updates will include seminars and networking events promoting best practice, action research and policy reviews in the world of work. Thank you for visiting the Eos website! Dai Williams Contact details Eos Career Services, 32 Send, Road, Send, Woking, Surrey GU23 7ET, UK Phone: 44-(0)-1483-222017 EMail: eosuk@btinternet.com page updated 24 July 2000 © Eos Career Services 2000 Return to top of page \|\|\|\|\| Chris Busby was born in Paignton Devon UK in 1945 but brought up in India and Africa until the age of 13. He took a First Class Honours degree in Chemistry from the University of London in 1969 and then studied for a PhD in Physical Chemistry (nmr spectroscopy) at Queen Mary College. He then spent seven years with the Wellcome Foundation where he did research into the physical chemistry and pharmacology of molecular drug receptor interaction. He was elected to the Royal Society of Chemistry and Chartered Chemist status in 1974. He left Wellcome to spend some years cruising in various yachts with his family after which he returned to research at the University of Kent at Canterbury where he studied Laser Raman Spectroelectrochemistry in collaboration with Shell Research and later as SRC Research Fellow, a project which resulted in a PhD in Chemical Physics. He left Kent in 1982 and moved with his family to Wales where, after the Chernobyl accident, he became interested in the health effects of low level radiation. Together with his eldest daughter Celia he developed the Second Event Theory, which distinguishes between the hazards of external and internal radiation exposure. In 1995 he was funded by the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust to develop his arguments and write Wings of Death: Nuclear Pollution and Human Health, an account of the results of his research into radiation and cancer and also into cancer increases in Wales which he argued were a result of global weapons fallout exposure. In 1997 he was invited to the World Conference of Breast Cancer in Kingston, Ontario to outline his finding on breast cancer cohort effects in the weapons fallout generation women. In 1997 he became the UK representative of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, and in 1998 was invited as expert speaker on radiation risk to the STOA workshop of the European Parliament. His analysis of the increases in childhood leukemia in Wales and Scotland following Chernobyl was recently published in the journal Energy and Environment. This is a defining study in that it shows unequivocally that the conventional model for low level radiation exposure from internal radioisotopes is in error by upward of 100-fold. He is a member of the International Society for Environmental Epidemiology. He is also the national spokesman on Science and Technology for the Green Party of England and Wales, and in addition advises the Green Group in the European Parliament on radiation and health. Recently, he has traveled to Iraq and to Kosovo to investigate the health effects of Depleted Uranium, and has given formal evidence on two occasions to the Royal Society Committee on Depleted Uranium and health. In 1994, he helped found the Low Level Radiation Campaign and has been its scientific consultant since then. He is currently funded by the Irish State to carry out research for the STAD litigation against BNFL Sellafield which involves cancer incidence and proximity to the Irish Sea. Dr Busby is the author of many research papers and articles and is a director of Green Audit, the environmental consultancy, which he helped found in 1992. He is a member of the UK Ministry of Defence Depleted Uranium Oversight Board and a member of the Committee Examining Radiation Risk of Internal Emitters, set up by the UK Departments of Health and Environment. Dr. Busby has recently completed the draft of the 2002 Recommendations of the European Committee on Radiation Risk, which will shortly be published. He is currently writing The Wolves of Water - a sequel to Wings of Death. (The title is a reference to the Louis MacNeice poem Wolves) Dr Busby lives in Aberystwyth, Wales, UK with his partner Molly Scott Cato and their three children. If you are seeing this page full screen (i.e. without a navigation bar on the left) you can't see how the rest of the site is organised. This Home page link takes you to the index page, which has links to all the topics we discuss on the site [only use it if this page is full screen] Send email to: SiteManager@llrc.org with questions or comments about this web site.	Studies carried out by researchers near the village of Khiam found radio active material at the site of bombing by Israel during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict. The UN says that it has found no evidence of urianum-based munitions. Two previously unknown Lebanese professors of physics, Mohammad Ali Kubaissi and Ibrahim Rachidi claim that the levels of radiation, about 700 nanosieverts per hour, twenty times the average levels, are consistent with the use of a depleted uranium bomb casing. Military use of depleted uranium is quite controversial due to its toxicity and low level radioactivity. Depleted uranium features in the list of weapons capable of causing mass destruction, superflous injury and unnecessary suffering, passed by the Sub-Commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities of the UNHRC in 1996 and 1997. This analysis has been partially coroborated by an independent consultant specialising in career, organisation and community psychology issues, Dai Williams, affiliated with the environmentalist organisation Green Audit, with testing done by Chris Busby, a member of the Defence Depleted Uranium Oversight Board of the British Ministry of Defence and a director and co-founder of Green Audit. Williams believes that these anomalies may have been caused by Israel's use of uranium based weapons involving some secret physical techniques, not nuclear fission; however, there are no known such physical processes. The U.S. is currently the only nation known to use depleted uranium bomb casings and munitions. Some observers have claimed that Israel used depleted uranium muntions during the 1973 Arab-Israeli war; however, U.N. observers have never found Israel using depleted uranium. This level of radiation is also consistent with Israel having destroyed some form of storage facility for nuclear material. Such facilities are speculated to exist in the Middle East, often controlled by Islamic extremist groups who (allegedly) hope to construct a dirty bomb. Dirty bombs are not considered to be as effective militarily as merely using more explosives. Post September 11th news reports about the dangers of dirty bombs have been criticized as fear mongering for fallaciously assuming years of continued exposure by victims without acounting for clean up procedures, or even rain fall.
The last papal visit was in May 1982 Pope Benedict XVI is to visit Britain in 2010, the BBC has learned. It will be the first papal visit to Britain since 1982, when Pope John Paul II's six-day tour drew huge crowds. The news of Pope Benedict's visit comes after Gordon Brown extended a formal invitation to the Pope during a private audience in February. A spokesman for the prime minister said he was "delighted" and "it would be a moving and momentous occasion for the whole country". Details of his visit have yet to emerge but the trip is set to be the first official state visit by a pontiff - John Paul II's visit in May 1982 was on a pastoral basis and did not follow an official invitation by the UK government. Masses were held in cities including Cardiff, London, Liverpool, Manchester and Edinburgh and he also met the Queen and Archbishop of Canterbury. 'Warmly received' A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "The PM is obviously delighted at the prospect of a visit from Pope Benedict XVI to Britain. "It would be a moving and momentous occasion for the whole country and he would undoubtedly receive the warmest of welcomes." Conservative leader David Cameron said he was "delighted" to hear of the possible visit. He said: "Such a visit - the first in over a quarter of a century - would be greatly welcomed not only by Roman Catholics but by the country as a whole." I'm sure I speak on behalf of Anglicans throughout Britain, in assuring him that he would be received with great warmth and joy Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams The Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales also sent the Pope a formal invitation in 2007. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, said he had long hoped for such a visit. He said: "I'm sure I speak on behalf of Anglicans throughout Britain, in assuring him that he would be received with great warmth and joy." The BBC's Robert Piggott said Mr Brown, who comes from a staunchly Protestant background, has met Pope Benedict three times. Our correspondent said the prime minister's invitation in February had been "warmly received" by the Vatican and was linked to the beatification of Cardinal Newman - England's most celebrated convert to Roman Catholicism. Closer to sainthood The Pope, who is 82, is said to have a particular interest in Newman and to support his canonisation, he said. Earlier this year, Pope Benedict approved as a miracle the cure of a US Roman Catholic deacon from a crippling spinal disease, bringing Cardinal Newman, who died in 1890, one step closer to sainthood. Deacon Jack Sullivan, who is to visit Britain in November, said he became completely free of pain after praying to Cardinal Newman in 2001. It is not yet known when and where Pope Benedict will visit but our correspondent said it was likely to be another six-day trip. He said there was a possibility that the Pope might visit Northern Ireland - unlike Pope John II who, on his visit to the Irish Republic in 1982, prayed for an end to sectarian violence in the North. Pope Benedict's visit would only be the second by a head of the Catholic Church since Henry VIII declared himself head of the church in England more than 500 years ago. There are an estimated 4.2 million Catholics in England and Wales. The National Secular Society said it was planning demonstrations against the visit in protest at what it called Pope Benedict's "intransigence and fundamentalism". A spokesman for the society said it would "make clear to the Pope that whatever celebrations the government lays on for him, he is not welcomed here by everyone". Your comments I am delighted that we have invited the Holy Father to Britain. It is a measure of how far the UK has come in its respect for what is very likely the largest practising Christian Church in the country. The relationship has evoked historical misgivings and conflict over many years. However, genuine people of good will respect all our faith groups that strive to make ours a better community. I feel very proud. Chris Burke, Lincoln I now know when I'll be taking my holidays next year! Brian Brown, London It's good to see that the Pope is on a formal visit to visit England and Wales' many millions of Catholics. I'm not sure if I'll go and see him, but whilst, as your article points out, Gordon Brown is "staunchly Protestant", it is 500 years since The Reformation, so hopefully a little religious tolerance has crept into the country since then! Sinead, St Albans It is wonderful news, the atmosphere during John Paul II's visit in 1982 was amazing, everyone prayerful and united. It will bring a renewal to the already growing Catholic faith in the UK. Stephen Tsang, London Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| The pope is to visit Britain next year, the first papal visit to the UK in 30 years, after accepting an invitation from Gordon Brown. An announcement is due to be made by Buckingham Palace and the Vatican in the next few days. Brown, a member of the Church of Scotland, has made three visits to the Vatican, and formally extended his invitation in February, when he met the pope with his wife, Sarah, and his children. With 4 million Catholics in Britain, the news that the pope has agreed to visit will be seen as a much-needed political boost for Brown. But he may not be prime minister during the visit because it is likely to be next autumn, by which time David Cameron, if the polls are correct, will be installed in office. Cameron has described his own Christianity as shaky, comparing his beliefs to the reception of Radio Chilterns: coming in and out from time to time. But last night the Tory leader said: "Such a visit – the first in over a quarter of a century – would be greatly welcomed not only by Roman Catholics but by the country as a whole." A spokesman for the prime minister said: "It would be a moving and momentous occasion for the whole country and he would undoubtedly receive the warmest of welcomes." Pope Benedict is expected to visit several parts of Britain, but interest will focus on whether he decides to travel to Northern Ireland, where his presence could stir sectarian trouble. Parts of the Protestant community in Northern Ireland would regard a visit by the pope as a provocative act. The last pope to visit Britain was Benedict's predecessor, John Paul II, in May 1982, who visited England, Wales and Scotland during a six-day tour. Last night the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, who was visiting the Anglican Church in Japan, said he was delighted that the pontiff would be visiting Britain. "I'm sure I speak on behalf of Anglicans throughout Britain, in assuring him that he would be received with great warmth and joy." But a spokesman for the National Secular Society said it would organise "a coalition of groups to make clear to the pope that whatever celebrations the government lays on for him, he is not welcomed here by everyone". The pope is expected to mark the beatification of John Henry Newman, the most celebrated Anglican convert to Catholicism. In June he announced the beatification of Newman, following recognition by the Vatican of the healing of an American man with a severe spinal condition as a miracle that was a result of praying to him. As chancellor, Brown forged personal relations with the pope when he worked with him on his efforts to confront poverty in the developing world. But the visit could raise issues about Labour's relations with the church, which have sometimes hit trouble owing to controversies such as the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act, which allowed the use of hybrid embryos for use in medical research. \|\|\|\|\| Vatican's annoyance at No.10 leak of Pope's visit to Britain By Tim Shipman and Nick Pisa Last updated at 3:55 PM on 24th September 2009 Downing St has irritated the Vatican by announcing the Pope's historic visit to Britain. The news emerged ahead of schedule from sources close to Gordon Brown as he travelled to the U.S. for a United Nations summit. Papal visits are usually announced by the Vatican or the Conference of Catholic Bishops in the host country. Pope fever: Pope Benedict XVI has a wave for the faithful as he arrives for the traditional weekly Wednesday audience in Paul VI Hall in the Vatican City today A Vatican spokesman said yesterday: 'This sort of announcement is made by the Vatican and in this case the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales and to my knowledge it has not been made.' Senior Vatican sources also said the visit marked an 'unprecedented era in relations between the Pope and Britain'. It will be the first papal visit in almost three decades. Benedict XVI is expected to travel to Northern Ireland as part of the trip - the first time a pontiff has been to Ulster. Despite its irritaion, the Vatican will announce the visit, which comes following an invitation from Gordon Brown, within days. It is a coup for the Prime Minister who has succeeded where Catholic convert Tony Blair failed in persuading the 82-year-old German to visit Britain. It will be only the second visit ever to British shores by a Pope since Henry VIII broke with the Roman Catholic Church to establish the Church of England in 1534. In 1982 Pope John Paul II spent six days in Britain to great public acclaim. But next year's event is likely to overshadow even that since it is being accorded the status of a state visit. Pope Benedict will meet the Queen and may even stay at Buckingham Palace. He is expected to address followers in Wembley Stadium, which holds 90,000. The visit is due to take place next autumn, just months after the beatification of Cardinal John Henry Newman, the 19th century Anglican convert to Catholicism, who is expected to be made the first British saint in almost 40 years. Government officials travelling with Mr Brown on his visit to the UN in New York said that may have helped persuade the Pope to come to Britain. Cardinal Newman, one of the leading theologians of the last 200 years, is said to be a hero of Benedict XVI. Pope John Paul II kisses the ground at Gatwick Airport as he arrives for the last papal visit to the UK in 1982 Mr Brown extended his invitation to the Pope when he visited the Vatican in March. The itinerary has yet to be finalised but Downing Street officials stressed that the Prime Minister made a point of asking the pontiff to visit all parts of the UK. A draft of proposed stopping off points included London, Birmingham, Oxford, Edinburgh, Armagh, in Northern Ireland, and Dublin. The Pope did not visit Northern Ireland in 1982 because of security fears prompted by the Troubles. But No 10 is hopeful that the relative peace in the province since the Good Friday Agreement will make it possible for him to call there. 'It would be logical for him to go to Armagh and Belfast,' one official said. 'It will be a hugely symbolic act of reconciliation' \|\|\|\|\| It means David Cameron, the Conservative leader, could be part of the formal party meeting the Pope. Unlike Mr Brown, who makes much of his Presbyterian upbringing, Mr Cameron has remarked that his own religion is like “Magic FM in the Chilterns”, something that fades in and out.	Pope Benedict XVI. Pope Benedict XVI has announced that he will be coming to the United Kingdom in January 2010. The information was announced that the Pope had accepted an invitation to visit the United Kingdom from Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The latter had visited the Vatican City three times and had invited the Pope to come to Great Britain in February 2009. Downing Street is expected to confirm the arrangements later today. This visit would make the first Papal visit to the UK since Pope John Paul II's visit in 1982. However, John Paul's visit was on a pastoral basis, so this is set to be the first state visit to the UK by a pope in that it is the first to follow an official invitation. John Paul's six-day tour through England, Scotland and Wales was hugely popular, attracting hundreds of thousands of people from the Catholic religion. It became the first ever UK visit from the Pope, which will make Pope Benedict's visit the second papal one. John Paul's visit was likely to be cancelled due to the Falklands War and assasination attempts.
MELBOURNE, Fla., Feb. 21 (UPI) -- Three girls believed to have been in their teens were struck and killed by a train as they walked along a bridge in Melbourne, Fla., authorities said Sunday. The girls were among a group of four crossing the trestle bridge on foot around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, WESH-TV, Orlando, and Florida Today reported. A boy, who was walking ahead of the girls, tried to warn them as he made it to safety on other side of Crane Creek, Florida Today said. "They were unable to get out of the way in time and they were struck by the train," Melbourne Police Lt. Marc Claycomb said. There was no immediate information about the train, which stopped for several hours after the accident. "It's tragic," Claycomb said. "There's no other way to put it." Although walking on the tracks is illegal and several "No Trespassing" signs are posted, neighbors told Florida Today it was not unusual to see pedestrians using the Florida East Coast bridge to cross the creek. \|\|\|\|\| Three Girls Killed By Train On Rail Bridge Katie Cassidy, Sky News Online Three teenage girls have been hit and killed by a train on the tracks of a rail bridge in Florida. Emergency vehicles at the scene. Pic: Florida Today A fourth teen, a boy, had gone ahead of the girls and made it safely to the other side when he saw the train approaching. Following the tracks was the only way off the trestle bridge, which spans a creek in Melbourne, Florida. Police said the boy shouted to the girls, warning them to go faster - but they failed to reach the end in time and were hit from behind. "At this time it is unknown why the juveniles were walking on the train tracks," Lieutenant March Claycomb said. I was watching TV and I heard the train hit its emergency brakes and heard all the cars start slamming together, so I was curious to see what was going on. Local resident John Vallee A nearby level crossing had to be closed for several hours, causing cars to be diverted around the accident scene, reports said. Lt Claycomb said the victims have not yet been named as officers were still trying to contact next of kin. The city's police department along with the Florida East Coast Railway Police are investigating the accident. Local resident John Vallee told Florida Today: "I was watching TV and I heard the train hit its emergency brakes and heard all the cars start slamming together, so I was curious to see what was going on." He said he walked up to the guarded crossing and saw a body near the first carriage. "It's going to be hard for me to get to sleep," Mr Vallee said. "I can't get it out of my mind." \|\|\|\|\| Send Us Your Video And Photos! If you're there when news happens, Eyewitness News wants to know! Send us your video or photographs of news events in the Central Florida area. Use your computer or cell phone, attach them to an email and send it to news@wftv.com By submitting photos, you agree to the terms of our license agreeement.Please note the following file requirements:No larger than 2 MB, mpg, .avi, 3GP.Jpg or .Gif, No Larger than 500k \|\|\|\|\| Send Us Your Video And Photos! If you're there when news happens, Eyewitness News wants to know! Send us your video or photographs of news events in the Central Florida area. Use your computer or cell phone, attach them to an email and send it to news@wftv.com By submitting photos, you agree to the terms of our license agreeement.Please note the following file requirements:No larger than 2 MB, mpg, .avi, 3GP.Jpg or .Gif, No Larger than 500k \|\|\|\|\| 3 teen girls crossing Florida bridge killed by train, while helpless friend watches MELBOURNE, Fla. — Three teenage girls were joking around and taking pictures on a narrow bridge in a Florida town when they were hit by a train, killing them as a friend watched helplessly, police and a witness said Sunday. The girls and the fourth teenager, a boy, had been hanging out in Melbourne's downtown area - known for its shops and nightclubs - when they decided to cross the trestle around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Lt. Curtis Barger said. Their parents had dropped them off at a mall, and then they took a bus downtown where they were "just goofing off," he said. The boy yelled for the girls to run when he saw the train approach, then told them to jump, Barger said. Crane Creek, about 20 feet (six meters) below the bridge, is slow-moving and about 10 feet (three meters) deep. The girls did not have enough time. Bruce Dumas, 53, said he was fishing in Crane Creek, about 20 feet (six meters) under the bridge, when he saw the teens walk onto the trestle around sunset. He warned them to be careful, but he said they didn't pay much attention to him. "You know how kids are," Dumas said. "They probably wanted pictures of themselves on the track." The girls were about midway across when the train barreled down the tracks, blowing its whistle continuously, he said. Dumas said he could hear the sound of the brakes. After the impact, he heard a girl screaming and crying. "I think the train was on them so fast they froze and didn't know what to do," Dumas said. "It's crazy to watch a young life snuffed out like that. They didn't have a chance to live yet." The teens could have jumped onto an old, rusty trestle next to one they were on, though it was unclear why they didn't. Barger said all the teens were from the area, but their identities weren't likely to be released until Monday, after officials can compare dental records. John Vallee, 54, lives near the trestle and was watching TV when he heard a loud screech. He told the Florida Today newspaper he went outside and first thought he saw a blanket tangled under a rail car. Then he realized it was a person. "It's going to be hard for me to get to sleep," Vallee told the newspaper. "I can't get it out of my mind." Authorities in Melbourne, a city of about 77,000 nearly 50 miles (80 kilometres) southeast of Orlando, are investigating. The track is owned by the Florida East Coast Railway, which operates about 350 miles (563 kilometres) of track along the state's east coast. Railway officials did not immediately return calls for comment. Copyright © 2010 The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.	Map of Melbourne, Florida Three teenage girls were killed in Florida after they were hit by a train while crossing a narrow bridge. The accident occurred Saturday night at around 1830 local time (2330 UTC) in Melbourne, Brevard County. The names of the girls have not been released, as the next of kin are still to be notified. A boy had walked ahead, and successfully made his way across the bridge. When the other girls began to cross, they had not noticed a train was coming. Melbourne Police Department spokesman Lieutenant Marc Claycomb said "They were unable to get out of the way in time and they were struck by the train." Witness John Vallee said he heard the train operated by Florida East Coast Railway make a sudden stop after the incident. He then came the the bridge and made the discovery, and called 9-1-1. "It's tragic," Lieutenant Claycomb said. "There's no other way to put it."
George Clooney logged some time back at the ER—unfortunately for the Oscar-winning star, this trip was all too real. The actor and his girlfriend, Sarah Larson, suffered broken bones Friday after their motorcycle was sideswiped by a car in New Jersey, his publicist Stan Rosenfield tells E! News. According to Weehawken Police Sergeant Sean Kelly, the accident occurred at 3:30 p.m. on a Boulevard East, a narrow road with views of the New York skyline, when Clooney tried to pass a 1999 Mazda Millenia that was allegedly attempting a righthand turn from the left lane. The Mazda driver, 27-year-old Albert Sciancalepore, told police that Clooney was the one hastily passing cars in the right lane, while the actor said that the other driver sped up to pass him to make the turn. "The car signaled left. George was riding to the right," Rosenfield said. "The driver decided to make an abrupt right turn and clipped George." No citations have been issued but the accident remains under investigation. "It's a he-said, she-said right now, but you can't pass on the right in Weehawken or anywhere in Jersey," Kelly said, adding that it's unknown whether the Mazda's turn signal was on. Clooney, an avid biker, was treated for a hairline fracture of a rib and "road rash" at Palisades Medical Center in North Bergen, New Jersey, not far from the New York border. Larson was taken away by ambulance but Clooney was able to leave the scene on his Harley-Davidson, Kelly said. Each was wearing a helmet when the crash occurred. Larson sustained a broken foot and appeared to have cuts on her face, according to police. They were released shortly after entering the facility. Aside from the injury being "very painful" and likely taking "a long time to heal," Rosenfield said Clooney is "doing fine." Clooney, 46, recently made the red carpet rounds with Larson at the Deauville, Venice and Toronto film festivals, touting his new Best Actor-bait legal thriller, Michael Clayton. The film is set for an Oct. 12 release. The two were first linked in June, following the premiere of Ocean's Thirteen at Las Vegas' Palms Casino Resort, where the 28-year-old Larson worked as a cocktail waitress. Larson had her first brush with fame in 2005, when she and her former boyfriend won NBC's Fear Factor. Clooney is in the Tristate area shooting his latest film, Joel and Ethan Coen's Burn After Reading, which also stars Brad Pitt, John Malkovich and Frances McDormand. \|\|\|\|\| Associated Press UPDATED (9/24): Clooney Recovering Following Motorcycle Accident PALISADES, New Jersey (September 24, 2007) – Film star George Clooney is recovering from a motorcycle accident, which occurred Friday. The star of the “Ocean’s” series was on his motorcycle when a car stuck his two-wheeler, a rep for Clooney told Access Hollywood. Clooney’s new gal pal, Sarah Larson was on the back of the motorcycle when it hit. Clooney was taken to the Palisades Medical Center in Palisades, New Jersey where he was treated for a hairline fracture of the rib and road rash. Larson’s foot was broken in the accident, Clooney’s rep told Access Hollywood Both Clooney and Larson were released after receiving treatment. In an e-mail to Access Hollywood’s Nancy O’Dell on Friday, the always playful Clooney said, “All is fine... not like giving birth” [O’Dell recently gave birth to her first child]. Today, Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush interviewed the 27-year-old chef, Albert Sciancalepore, who was involved in the accident with Clooney and when asked about his reaction to realizing it was Clooney he said, “My main concern was there’s two people on the ground, they just hit me and, you know, I’m concerned for them. They’re both bleeding, it’s more of a shock than anything, not because he’s a celebrity but more to the fact that there’s two people hurt on the ground that could have been severely hurt.” Who Is George Clooney's New Gal? Weehawken Police Sgt. Sean Kelly told the Associated Press the collision occurred at 3:30 p.m. as Clooney and Larson were traveling north on Boulevard East and sped up to pass on the right a 1999 Mazda Millenia that was preparing to make a right turn. “It’s a he-said, she-said right now, but you can’t pass on the right in Weehawken or anywhere in Jersey,” Kelly told the AP, adding the accident remains under investigation. Despite the crash, Access Hollywood has learned Clooney still plans to attend the world premiere of his new drama “Michael Clayton,” Monday night in New York City. Copyright 2007 by NBC Universal, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. \|\|\|\|\| George Clooney Injured in Motorcycle Crash George Clooney was involved in a motorcycle accident this afternoon, when his cycle was hit by a motorist. He was treated for a hairline rib fracture and road rash at Palisades Medical Center in Palisades, New Jersey.Sarah Larson, who was riding on the motorcycle with Clooney, suffered a broken foot. Clooney and Larson were released shortly after being treated.	Winnetka, Illinois on the set for opening scene of ''Oceans 12'' According to a spokesperson, actor George Clooney, 46, along with his girlfriend Sarah Larson, 28, were injured in a motorcycle accident in New Jersey after the motorcycle was sideswiped by another vehicle. "George Clooney was involved in a motorcycle accident this afternoon after the bike he was riding was hit by a car. He's doing fine. He has a broken rib, it's very painful and it'll take a long time to heal," said Stan Rosenfield, a spokesman for Clooney in a statement. Clooney received fractured ribs and road rash whereas Larson broke a foot. Both were treated and released from North Bergen, New Jersey's Palisades Medical Center. Clooney is still expected to attend the opening of his new film ''Michael Clayton'', which is to take place in New York City, New York on Monday.
By Paul de Bendern ANKARA (Reuters) - Thousands of Turkish troops have crossed into northern Iraq to hunt Kurdish rebels, television and a military source said on Friday, escalating a conflict that could undermine stability in the region. Turkey's military said the cross-border offensive, possibly the largest in a decade, would continue until they had stopped the threat from PKK rebels, who have been using northern Iraq as a base to stage attacks in Turkey. It said in a statement 24 PKK rebels and five soldiers were killed in clashes in Iraq. It also said at least 20 rebels were killed in separate aerial attacks. The United States urged Turkey, a key regional ally, to limit its offensive to precise PKK targets and to bring the operation to a swift conclusion. Iraq's government called on Turkey to respect its sovereignty and to avoid any military action which would threaten security. The European Union and the United Nations also urged restraint, fearing the offensive could jeopardize the most stable region in Iraq at a time when security is improving, and also rekindle tensions between Turks and ethnic Kurds. The Turkish military said its troops had entered Iraq late on Thursday to destroy PKK camps and hunt rebels of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which has been battling for decades to create a Kurdish homeland in southeast Turkey. "The operations inside Iraq will intensify tomorrow," said a Turkish military source, who declined to be named. Turkish television said between 3,000 and 10,000 soldiers had entered Iraq, but several Iraqi officials and a military source with U.S.-led coalition forces in Baghdad said only a few hundred troops were involved. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Turkish troops backed by air support attacked Kurdish rebels Friday in northern Iraq, the Turkish military said. Turkish tanks on the move near the border town of Silopi in Sirnak province, southeastern Turkey. At least 24 suspected Kurd militants were killed, the Turkish military reported, adding it suffered 5 casualties. The incursion against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Iraq began around 7 p.m. Thursday. In a statement, the Turkish military said it would act with "utmost sensitivity in order to avoid negative impact on local elements" -- a reference to keeping civilians out of the conflict. "The Turkish Armed Forces, which values Iraq's territorial integrity and its stability, will return as soon as planned goals are achieved," the military said. "The executed operation will prevent the region from being a permanent and safe base for the terrorists and will contribute to Iraq's stability and internal peace." Turkey has been taking cross-border military action, including airstrikes and artillery shelling, against the PKK in retaliation to attacks by the group on targets in Turkey from bases in the Kurdish region of northern Iraq. The PKK has spent two decades fighting for autonomy for Kurds in southeastern Turkey. Turkey has also been carrying out small ground operations into Iraq, forays characterized as "hot pursuit" incursions with a few hundred commandos responding to a particular threat. Citing Turkish media reports estimating that as many as 10,000 Turkish troops had been involved, Fadi Hakura, an analyst with UK military thinktank Chatham House, said the operation was the first major incursion by Turkey into Iraq since Hussein was toppled in 2003. Hakura said the Turkish military wanted to conduct a surprise attack against the PKK prior to the springtime, when violent attacks tend to escalate, and when the snow in the mountainous border region leaves the fighters' footprints. "Normally during the 1980s and the 1990s, the incursions involved 35,000 50,000 troops and they tended to be somewhat open-ended over weeks. This one is expected to be limited to a matter of days and targeted attacks against the PKK," he said. U.S. officials were downplaying the scope of the operation Friday. Tom Casey, deputy State Department spokesman, said Iraqi Foreign Ministry Hoshyar Zebari called the incursion "limited in nature" and not "major." "The PKK is a common enemy of the U.S., Turkey and Iraq. We need to work together to resolve it," Casey said. "We are pleased that Turks have stressed that they will do everything possible to avoid acts that would harm civilians." Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Iraq, told CNN the military is "aware" of a Turkish "operation of limited duration to specifically target PKK terrorists in that region." "Turkey has given its assurances it will do everything possible to avoid collateral damage to innocent civilians or Kurdish infrastructure," Smith said. The ground troops' deployment followed cross-border shelling early Thursday by Turkish soldiers into abandoned villages north of Irbil -- the capital of Iraq's Kurdish Regional Government. The shelling, which struck abandoned villages in the Khwar-Kork area north of Irbil, lasted two hours and was followed by heavy gunfire, a KRG official told CNN. There were no reports of casualties. Border tensions have been a source of diplomatic disagreement between the U,S. and its Iraqi and Turkish allies. U.S. and Iraqi authorities have been concerned that any large-scale operation by Turkey into Iraq to chase down Kurdish rebels could destabilize the region. At the same time, the U.S. backs Turkey's efforts to battle the PKK, which both countries regard as a terrorist group and has been providing intelligence to the Turks. "The United States continues to support Turkey's right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK and has encouraged Turkey to use all available means, to include diplomacy and close coordination with the Government of Iraq to ultimately resolve this issue," Smith said. E-mail to a friend CNN's Paula Hancocks, Zain Verjee and Erin McLaughlin contributed to this report. All About Kurdish Politics • Kurdistan Workers' Party • Turkey	CIA map of Iraq (2003) Reports say that Turkey has sent at least 10,000 troops into northern Iraq in an attempt to take down terrorists from the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and their bases of operations. Reports also say that thousands more Turkish troops are prepared to enter Iraq if needed. "The Turkish Armed Forces, which attach great importance to Iraq's territorial integrity and stability, will return home in the shortest time possible after its goals have been achieved," said a statement posted on the Turkish military's website. The United States military in Iraq is "aware" that Turkish troops have begun to enter the country and Rear Adm. Gregory Smith, a U.S. military spokesman states that "Turkey has given its assurances it will do everything possible to avoid collateral damage to innocent civilians or Kurdish infrastructure." "The United States continues to support Turkey's right to defend itself from the terrorist activities of the PKK and has encouraged Turkey to use all available means, to include diplomacy and close coordination with the Government of Iraq to ultimately resolve this issue," stated Smith. On Thursday February 21, Turkish troops began to take out buildings in abandoned villages believed to be hideouts for militants of the PKK.
British dwarf's penis gets stuck in vacuum cleaner A dwarf performer at the Edinburgh fringe festival had to be rushed to hospital after his penis got stuck to a vacuum cleaner during an act that went horribly awry. Daniel Blackner, or "Captain Dan the Demon Dwarf", was due to perform at the Circus of Horrors at the festival known for its oddball, offbeat performances. The main part of his act saw him appear on stage with a vacuum cleaner attached to his member through a special attachment. The attachment broke before the performance and Blackner tried to fix it using extra-strong glue, but unfortunately only let it dry for 20 seconds instead of the 20 minutes required. He then joined it directly to his organ. The end result? A solid attachment, laughter, mortification and ... hospitalisation. "It was the most embarrassing moment of my life when I got wheeled into a packed A&E with a vacuum attached to me," Blackner said. "I just wished the ground could swallow me up. Luckily, they saw me quickly so the embarrassment was short-lived." \|\|\|\|\| Dwarf gets penis stuck to vacuum cleaner Posted A dwarf performer at the Edinburgh Fringe festival had to be rushed to hospital after his penis got stuck to a vacuum cleaner during an act that went horribly awry. Daniel Blackner, or 'Captain Dan the Demon Dwarf', was due to perform at the Circus of Horrors at the festival known for its oddball, offbeat performances. The main part of his act saw him appear on stage with a vacuum cleaner attached to his member through a special attachment. The attachment broke before the performance and Blackner tried to fix it using extra-strong glue, but unfortunately only let it dry for 20 seconds instead of the 20 minutes required. He then joined it directly to his organ. The end result? A solid attachment, laughter, mortification and ... hospitalisation. "It was the most embarrassing moment of my life when I got wheeled into a packed A&E; [accident and emergency ward] with a vacuum attached to me," Blackner said. -AFP \|\|\|\|\| Mar 12, 2021 via redfin.com The real estate industry has been shifting to a digital landscape over the years, but no one expected the digital revolution to happen so quickly. In 2020, 63% of homebuyers across the US housing market made an offer on a house sight-unseen, thanks to virtual house tours. Even though it's a seller's market, it's just … How to Make Your Home Stand Out During a Virtual House Tour Read More >> The post How to Make Your Home Stand Out During a Virtual House Tour appeared first on Redfin \| Real Estate Tips for Home Buying, Selling & More.	A British dwarf who was performing at the 'Edinburgh Festival' found his penis glued to a vacuum cleaner while preparing for a live show. Daniel Blackner, known as "Captain Dan the Demon Dwarf" performed at the ''Circus of Horrors'', known for its oddball and offbeat performances. As part of the show, the dwarf pulls a Henry vacuum cleaner using a special attachment, across the show attached to his penis. However, the vacuum cleaner was broken before a performance and performer Blackner placed extra-strong glue on the attachment to fix it, neglecting to wait the entire 20 minutes required for the glue to dry, which resulted in his penis becoming glued to the vacuum cleaner. After being rushed to the A&E department of Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Blackner was freed after an hour and remarked that: "It was the most embarrassing moment of my life when I got wheeled into a packed A&E with a vacuum attached to me. I just wished the ground could swallow me up. Luckily, they saw me quickly so the embarrassment was short lived." Hospital sources confirmed that they treated the performer, but a spokesman for the Royal Infirmary said he could not comment on individual cases.
Gerd Müller & Co. Bayern's legendary strikers and their best goals From Gerd Müller to Robert Lewandowski, every generation of Bayern team has had great strikers ... Oliver Kahn interview Kahn: ‘'It's not a final training session behind closed doors but a competitive match without a crowd.' Oliver Kahn speaks to FC Bayern.tv about the Bundesliga restart and the associated opportunities... Back in the Allianz Arena FC Bayern complete team training in the Allianz Arena Bayern's first team were able to get back onto the Allianz Arena pitch in a Sunday afternoon training... Wash hands, stay apart Coronavirus hygiene tips with Lewy, David, Serge and Joshua Sneeze, wash hands and maintain distance the right way, as demonstrated by Lewandowski, Alaba, ...... \|\|\|\|\| MUNICH, Germany (AP) -- Bayern Munich rescinded a contract offer to Philipp Lahm on Tuesday, raising the possibility the Germany defender could move to another club. Munich made the move after Lahm refused a new three-year contract following weeks of negotiations. FC Barcelona is among the clubs that reportedly want to sign him, but Lahm's current deal ends in 2009. "One thing is clear, even if he doesn't extend, he will stay with FC Bayern until June 30, 2009," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. The 24-year-old Lahm rose to greater prominence at the 2006 World Cup, scoring the tournament's first goal. He came out of the Bayern system, signed at 13, and has played 39 games for Germany. The last time Munich rescinded a contract offer was in 2006 when Michael Ballack turned down the proposed deal. He eventually signed for Chelsea. Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Bayern Munich have withdrawen their contract offer to Philipp Lahm after contract talks between the club and player broke down. Lahm's contract as it currently stands will expire on June 30, 2009. Barcelona are one of the clubs that are reportly interested in Lahm. Bayern Munich Forward Jan Schlaudraff will be leaving for Hannover on July 1st when the summer transfer window opens. It is uncertain if there is any fee involved with this transfer. Schlaudraff never got going due to an early season injury and the fact that he was the 4th choice strike behind Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski.
By Phillip Hudson, Canberra March 12, 2006 GEORGE BUSH has nominated a university friend, Robert Davis McCallum jnr, to fill the job of American ambassador after leaving the job vacant for 13 months. The US President and Mr McCallum both attended Yale and in 1968 were chosen as members of its elite and secret Skull and Bones society. The 170-year-old group boasts presidents, judges, diplomats and business chiefs among its ranks. It is believed exactly 15 university juniors are recruited each year by being "tapped" on the shoulder by seniors. The appointment must be confirmed by the US Senate, meaning it could still be a few months before Mr McCallum arrives in Canberra. Prime Minister John Howard welcomed the decision, saying Mr McCallum was well qualified. He is currently associate attorney-general at the Department of Justice and before that was assistant attorney-general for the civil division. He was a partner at Atlanta law firm Alston & Bird where he represented big tobacco companies. He is a Rhodes Scholar, has a master's degree from Oxford University and a bachelor's degree from Yale. Despite the close relationship between Mr Bush and Mr Howard, Australia has been uncomfortable about the job being vacant since the departure in February last year of Tom Schieffer, another mate of Mr Bush who was a co-owner in the Texas Rangers baseball team. Former deputy prime minister Tim Fischer said the delay was "unforgivable" and the announcement was "long overdue and forced through by the proximity of (US Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice's visit" to Australia this week. \|\|\|\|\| The United States has moved a step closer to sending a new ambassador to Australia with the nomination of lawyer Robert D McCallum jnr to the post. The delay in appointing a replacement for Tom Schieffer, who left in February 2005, is the longest period without a serving US ambassador to Australia since it was given embassy status in July 1946. The US took only a month to appoint Mr Schieffer to replace his predecessor Edward Gnehm in 2001. US President George W Bush on Saturday announced he had nominated Mr McCallum for the position, which is still to be confirmed by the US Senate. A spokeswoman for the US embassy said the government hoped for a swift confirmation.	United States President George W. Bush has nominated Robert Davis McCallum, Jr. to be the new US Ambassador to Australia. The ambassadorship has been vacant for 12 months and 28 days. McCallum is an associate attorney-general for the Department of Justice and previously represented big tobacco companies at an Atlanta law firm. He also has a master's degree from Oxford University and is a Rhodes Scholar as well as having a bachelor's degree from Yale. Former deputy secretary of state, Richard Armitage, said earlier this month that the fact Australia was still without an ambassador might indicate a "lackadaisical attitude" to the region. McCallum is one of the 15 Skull and Bones members from the 1968 group, of which President Bush was also a member.

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