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This page contains information The Rick A. Ross Institute has gathered about Tony Alamo. Visit Alamo Christian Ministries official website (Link takes you outside the Rick A. Ross Institute web site) The Rick A. Ross Institute email: info@culteducation.com URL: http://www.culteducation.com Copyright © 2003-2008 Rick Ross. \|\|\|\|\| There are stunning new developments in the case of cult leader Tony Alamo. The controversial evangelist who has a ministry in Fouke, Arkansas was arrested at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday. He's accused of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. News of Alamo's arrest is spreading fast in Fouke. Last weekend, authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministry, searching for evidence of child sex abuse. Six girls were taken in temporary state custody. Fouke Mayor Terry Purvis says news of Alamo's arrest is a relief, but he's still mainly concerned about the children. Probable case hearings start Friday for two of the girls taken into state custody. The other four hearings will be on Monday. Alamo has a court appearance set for Friday. \|\|\|\|\| News of Christian evangelist Tony Alamo's arrest Thursday was especially poignant for some of his ex-followers. A couple of them, including Jared Balsley, excitedly called or e-mailed ABCNews.com on Thursday evening and Friday morning to relay their feelings about Alamo's arrest at a motel in Flagstaff, Ariz., on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. Tony Alamo denounces raid and defends his church, stating "We're holy." "It's great news, and maybe he can finally be brought to justice," said Balsley, who claims he was regularly beaten by Alamo's aides and once, when he was only 8 years old, by Alamo himself after arguing with another boy over a Big Wheel. Alamo, who waived his right to fight extradition to Arkansas at a court appearance today, has been accused by ex-followers of beating children who misbehave and separating husbands from their wives and children to punish them for various infractions. Coverage of the arrest and last weekend's raid on the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Arkansas by more than 100 federal agents as part of a two-year investigation into allegations of child pornography, physical and sexual abuse of children, polygamy and underage marriage brought back terrible memories for Balsley and other ex-followers. The 32-year-old Modesto, Calif.-based radio DJ claimed he was regularly beaten by Alamo's aides, and once, when he was only 8 years old, by Alamo, himself, "We were not spanked at Tony Alamo's house on Georgia Ridge. ... We were beaten," Balsley told ABCNews.com. "Beaten for infractions of his rules. Tony would order four of his biggest guys to hold me up spread-eagled, and then they would hit you with a board that was nicknamed the 'Board of Education.'" Balsley continued, "There was a girl who had epilepsy, and I remember her having a seizure one time, and Tony brought in dozens of families, saying, 'Well, the devil is in this girl,' and he had her hit, strung her up in the air, and said they would beat the devil out of her ... He's a horrible, horrible person. He makes Warren Jeffs look like an angel, in my opinion." Anna Pugh, who says she was a member of the church for 11 years, believes that four of her children who she's hasn't seen in four years are at one of Alamo's compounds. "People out there who don't understand how someone out there can get pulled in to this and be controlled and brainwashed -- just answer the question, "How did Hitler take over an entire nation?'" Pugh told KATV. "It can be done when you're not allowed to listen to anything but some man dictate to you what is right and what is wrong 24 hours a day and they scare you and pump you up and fill you with fear." Pugh, who claims she was 20 when she was introduced to the Tony Alamo Ministries and soon married a man 17 years her senior, says she felt an overwhelming sense of hope when she heard about the federal and state raid of Alamo's compound. "There's another part of me that is relieved and hopeful they are going to put a stop to the abuse that is happening in that town, that has been going on for years, to children, to women especially." Alamo Laughed About Allegations But Alamo (pronounced ah-LAM-o) seemed relaxed when discussing the accusations and the raid with ABCNews.com on Tuesday, relishing the fact that the raid took place on his 74th birthday last weekend. And he remained defiant in his denial of the allegations, and unrepentant about his promotion of marriage between older men and girls as young as 10. "The government -- those devils -- they gave me this as a birthday present," said Alamo. "These attacks on me and the ministry have been going on for 44 years. It's nothing new. Nothing shaking but the leaves on the tree. "They think they're hurting me, but I'm feeling pretty good. The Bible says that when they persecute you, to leap for joy, because the prophets were dealt with in the same manner." Alamo, who told ABCNews.com at the time that he had not been contacted by federal officials, denied some of the allegations and sidesteped straight answers on some other claims. Asked if minors were abused, sexually or physically at the compound, Alamo sarcastically snapped, "Oh, yeah. We're just open to have minors abused. We're a church and we're not phonies, and that's why they're so obsessed with us." Alamo denied that there was any child pornography at the compound. "They ransacked our church, my bedroom, and they haven't even found one porn picture. Why would I be into that? I'm legally blind, and I wouldn't have been able to look at it." Alamo defended his treatment of his followers but admitted, "Some of them got spankings and I tossed some of them out because they were doing things that were against Scripture. They're miffed and disgruntled, and some of them bring accusations of child abuse." Asked about claims that children were kept out of school to work on his line of designer jeans, Alamo made light of the charge. "I had adults working on that, and kids would come in and count beads -- like that's real hard labor." As for his controversial positions on underage marriage, which he has long promoted on his radio shows, Alamo defended his views. "The Bible says the age of puberty is the age of consent," he said, emphasizing that he supports the idea of marriage to post-pubescent girls, but that members of his church don't act on that view and follow the law. "We don't have anyone married to children under the 18-year-old limit, but the Bible says that's OK if they're age 10 or 12, if they reached puberty." Dark Side to All-American Story It's the all-American story with a dark and dangerous twist. A Jewish newspaper delivery boy from Montana moves to Hollywood in the heyday of the swinging '60s and changes his name to Tony Alamo to pursue a career in music. Later, he converts to evangelical Christianity and becomes a preacher who ministers to the homeless and drug addicts, raising money for his church by selling a popular brand of sequined denim jackets worn by celebrities, such as Brooke Shields, Mr. T and Hulk Hogan during the 1980s. But Alamo's shadow side ended up dominating headlines. The man once described by former President Bill Clinton, the ex-governor of Arkansas, as "Roy Orbison on speed," was accused of leading a cult, landed in prison for tax evasion and weapons violations, spouted anti-Catholic propaganda on the air and in pamphlets, and attacked the pope and President Reagan by calling them "Anti-Christ Devils" in a tract titled "Genocide." After his wife, Susan, died in 1982, he placed her body in a crystal crypt on his dining room table while his followers prayed for her resurrection; later, he was accused of spiriting the body away before his religious compound was raided by federal marshals in 1991, and her body remained missing until church members turned it over to law enforcement in 1998. In the latest incident, the headquarters of his Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Church in the tiny town of Fouke, Ark., was raided over the weekend by more than 100 federal and state officials, and six children were removed from the compound while investigators searched for their parents, according to Arkansas State Police. The two-year investigation was "aimed at allegations that children living at the Alamo facilities may have been sexually and physically abused," according to Bill Sadler, spokesman for the Arkansas State Police. "We did make the decision to remove the children that we felt were in harm's way or in imminent danger," said Julie Munsell, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Defending Polygamy Alamo, who strongly defended the polygamy practiced by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Mormon sect after its Texas compound was raided in April, has long advocated that such unions between older men and teenage girls are God's will. "What I'm doing is fighting for these people that they, the ungodly beast, is throwing into prison for marrying someone 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, if they've reached puberty," he told his radio listeners in an April broadcast. In other radio sermons, Alamo contended that the Virgin Mary was only 6 when she conceived Jesus, asking his listeners whether that made God a pedophile. Before the arrest, spokesmen for the FBI and the Arkansas State Police would not discuss whether an arrest warrant is pending for Alamo or whether he has been interviewed as part of their investigation. "He has been around for a long time, and he is really creepy," said Heidi Beirich, deputy director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) Intelligence Project. "We interviewed some of the ministry's child brides, documented some of the virulent hatred directed at Catholics and have documented many complaints about the ministry, and forwarded the info to the FBI." From Hollywood to High Fashion to Holy Days It's been a long journey for Bernie LaZar Hoffman, the son of Jewish-Romanian parents, who worked delivering newspapers in Montana as a boy. Soon after heading out to Los Angeles, he changed his name several times while chasing a career in pop music, singing and producing albums, and claiming that the Beatles and Rolling Stones sought his services as a promoter. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Evangelist Tony Alamo was arrested Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges related to a child porn investigation, an FBI spokesman said. Tony Alamo is shown with his wife, Susan, in this undated photo from Tony Alamo Christian Ministries. The 74-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries was arrested without incident at 2:45 p.m. (4:45 p.m. ET) as he was departing the Little America Hotel with his wife, said Manuel Johnson, spokesman for the FBI in Phoenix, Arizona. The FBI, the Flagstaff Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety were involved in the arrest, he said. Alamo was charged under a federal statute with having knowingly transported a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity, Johnson said. Alamo, whose real name is Bernie Hoffman, was taken to Coconino County Jail in Flagstaff, where he is to have an initial appearance Friday in federal magistrate court, Johnson said. Over the weekend, about 100 federal and state agents authorities raided Alamo's 15-acre compound near Texarkana, Arkansas, and took six children into temporary custody. The children were interviewed as part of a two-year investigation into Tony Alamo Christian Ministries to determine whether they were physically or sexually abused, said Bill Sadler of the Arkansas State Police. Alamo, reached by phone Saturday in Los Angeles, California, denied any wrongdoing. "It's a hoax," Alamo said. "They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." Asked why authorities were searching the property, Alamo compared himself to Christ. "Why were they after Jesus?" he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me." All About Criminal Investigations • Religion • Tony Alamo \|\|\|\|\| This undated photo made available by Tony Alamo Christian Ministries shows Tony Alamo and his wife Susan. (AP Photo/Tony Alamo Christian Ministries) FBI: Evangelist Alamo arrested in child sex probe LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — FBI agents and Arizona police on Thursday arrested evangelist Tony Alamo at a resort near Flagstaff, alleging he transported minors across state lines for sexual purposes. Federal agents and state police had raided Alamo's Arkansas compound on Saturday and removed six girls from the home. After police and social workers interviewed the girls this week, prosecutors sought Alamo's arrest. FBI spokesman Steve Frazier in Little Rock would not disclose what the children said. Frazier said Alamo was staying at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, Ariz., when arrested. The evangelist — who began his career as a California street preacher in 1966 — was scheduled for a federal court appearance Friday in Flagstaff. "He has to have an initial apperance before I can say a whole lot," Frazier said. He said he did not believe children were with Alamo at the time of the arrest. Agents arrested Alamo on charges that he violated the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting children across state lines for illegal purposes. Frazier described the illegal purposes as "sexual activity." The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, describes the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries as a cult, as do many of the church's former members. As a group, Alamo's church despises homosexuals, Roman Catholics and the government; Alamo has preached that girls are fit for marriage once they are sexually mature. "Consent is puberty," he said in an interview with The Associated Press last week while agents raided his compound at Fouke. The Little America Hotel, in Arizona's northern mountains near the Grand Canyon, bills itself as a luxury resort. Fred Reese, a spokesman for the hotel, declined to comment and referred all questions to the FBI. The Arkansas raid had been scheduled for October but was moved up because a Justice Department employee inadvertantly notified Arkansas media about the investigation. While the FBI checked Alamo's property for evidence of child pornography, state officials went in to investigate other claims of child abuse. Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said that, as of Thursday night, no further arrests were planned that would involve his agency. An Arkansas judge has hearings set for Friday and Monday on whether the state Department of Human Services can maintain custody of the six girls taken from the compound during the state and federal raid. The girls will attend the hearings. "We will transport them to and from hearings. We will take part in any future hearings," DHS spokeswoman Julie Munsell said. "Our job right now is to basically take care of them." Circuit Judge Jim Hudson said two hearings would be conducted Friday and the other four are set for Monday in Texarkana. The girls, ranging in age from 10 to 17, all have been identified through police investigation and birth certificates, state officials said. Neither Hudson nor Munsell would disclose what the girls told investigators or state aid workers. State and federal agents raided Alamo's Fouke compound Saturday night, searching for evidence that children there had been molested or filmed having sex. The six hearings will be split among three circuit judges serving Miller County. Judges will decide whether the state had enough evidence to warrant temporarily removing the children from their homes. If a judge rules against the state, the girls would be returned to her parents. Hudson said all hearings, testimony and documents will be sealed because the cases involve juveniles — though he said he would announce a summary of his actions without naming the children. According to Frazier, FBI agents and local and state police in Arizona arrested Alamo as he was leaving the hotel, which is located along cross-country Interstate 40. When the AP interviewed him Saturday and Monday, Alamo called from telephone numbers registered in the Los Angeles area. Frazier said it wasn't known where Alamo was headed when he was picked up. Alamo and his late wife Susan were street preachers along Hollywood's Sunset Strip before forming a commune near Saugus, Calif. Susan Alamo died of cancer in 1982; Alamo claimed she would be resurrected and kept her body on display for six months while their followers prayed. Alamo was convicted of tax-related charges in 1994 after the IRS said he owed the government $7.9 million. He served four years in prison. Prosecutors in the tax case argued before sentencing that Alamo was a flight risk and a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation. Since establishing his ministries in Arkansas, Alamo has been both a controversial and flamboyant figure in the state. Snapshots often show Alamo wearing large dark sunglasses, as he recently said he's become legally blind as he's aged. In his autobiography, "My Life," former President Clinton described Alamo as "Roy Orbison on speed." Clinton recalled traveling to Alma in 1975 to see Dolly Parton sing at Alamo's compound, when Alamo's wife Susan was still alive. Remembering the fiasco after Susan Alamo's death, Clinton wrote: "A couple of years later, he (Alamo) got involved with a younger woman. Lo and behold, God spoke to him again and told him Susan wasn't coming back after all, so he took her out of the glass box and buried her." FBI documents identified Alamo by his birth name, Bernie Lazar Hoffman, who turned 74 the day of the raid. Alamo has said he was born a Jew but converted to Christianity. \|\|\|\|\| Click the play button on the video window to the right to view the story The FBI says evangelist Tony Alamo has been arrested in Flagstaff on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. FBI spokesman Steve Frazier said Alamo was staying at the Little America Hotel located at I-40 and Butler Road. He was arrested as he was leaving the hotel at about 2:45 p.m. Authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Arkansas last week and removed six girls. Frazier says he did not believe children were with Alamo when he was arrested. He is scheduled for a federal court appearance Friday in Arizona. Some critics, including the FBI, call Alamo's ministry a cult. Alamo will be scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in Flagstaff Friday to determine when he'll be returned to Arkansas to face charges, according the FBI. The FBI says evangelist Tony Alamo has been arrested in Flagstaff on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes.FBI spokesman Steve Frazier said Alamo was staying at the Little America Hotel located at I-40 and Butler Road.He was arrested as he was leaving the hotel at about 2:45 p.m.Authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Arkansas last week and removed six girls.Frazier says he did not believe children were with Alamo when he was arrested. He is scheduled for a federal court appearance Friday in Arizona.Some critics, including the FBI, call Alamo's ministry a cult.Alamo will be scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in Flagstaff Friday to determine when he'll be returned to Arkansas to face charges, according the FBI. \|\|\|\|\| Authorities looking for vehicle believed to be used by wanted charismatic ex-con. A federal arrest warrant has been issued for Bernie LaZar Hoffman, better known as Tony Alamo, the ex-con leader of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries with a compound on Sierra Highway near Agua Dulce. It was reported that FBI agents, with support from local sheriff deputies and county child welfare workers, visited the compound early Sunday morning, but no one was taken into custody. It is not known how many adults or children are living at the Saugus location. Lt. Mark Hershey of the Santa Clarita sheriff's station confirmed that the station was advised that a federal warrant had been issued for Hoffman/Alamo. Sgt. Darren Harris told KHTS that deputies have been given a description of the vehicle Hoffman/Alamo is believed to be using. Alamo served four years of a six year sentence for tax evasion, leaving prison in 1998. His cult-like ministries embrace a philosophy that supports polygamy and sex with underage girls and have established compounds in California , New Jersey , Georgia and Arkansas . Because of its anti-Catholic, anti-homosexual and anti-government stance, the Alamo organization is considered a hate group. The Fouke, Arkansas compound, near Texarkana , was raided Saturday by state and federal law enforcement officials in response to allegations of child abuse and pornography. During Saturday’s raid, six young girls were taken into protective custody. Hearings for the girls, who are between 10 and 17 years of age, will begin on Friday and continue on Monday. To read the first story in this chapter of the Alamo saga, click here . \|\|\|\|\| By Jonathan McCall - bio \| email SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - "He is definitely a man who arranges marriages of little girls, and orders beatings of little children." These are only a couple events Anthony Lane says he witnessed during his two month stay at the Tony Alamo Ministries in 1996 before being kicked out of the church and out of the lives of his three children. "I felt like I had lost any reason to live I didn't have a reason to live in fact I was suicidal."Lane was kicked out of the church after he says he questioned Alamo's teachings, and after a while he found help and support through a group know as PACA or Partnered against Cult Activities. "PACA has been giving me counseling about what steps I should take and giving me number of people I should call." Such as lawyers, who Lane says has been working with him to get custody of his kids from his wife who is still with the church, but he says it's not easy, when Alamo cuts off contact to his family. "It's hard to get somebody served and take them to court when they keep moving around on you deliberately."Lane says he's not sure if he will ever see his 2 daughters 13 year old Ashley and 11 year old Sarah ever again, but he says he won't stop trying to prevent them from becoming another victim of Tony Alamo. "It is heartbreaking because I don't know any of my kids." \|\|\|\|\| FBI agents raided the compound of a controversial ministry with ties to Southern California. The FBI suspects child sexual abuse. Ministry founder Tony Alamo, described as a "cult leader," denies the charges. The raid follows a two-year investigation into suspicions of child abuse and child pornography at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in Arkansas. Monday, Alamo said he has never promoted sexual abuse but believes there's a mandate in the bible for young girls to marry. Eyewitness News went to Alamo's church in Canyon Country and was met by armed security. In a phone interview with a Alamo Monday morning about the raid on his compound in Arkansas, Alamo began quoting bible scripture. He characterized the U.S. government as "Satan out to bring down God's church." More than 100 federal and state agents raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Complex in Fouke, Arkansas, Saturday. Agents say the raid was a culmination of a two-year investigation into child-abuse and pornography allegations. Authorities say they have reason to believe there has been the possible sexual abuse of children at the 15-acre evangelical compound. "It's the transportation of minors with the intent to engage in criminal activity," said Tom Browne, Little Rock FBI. "The state concerns are children living at the facility may have been sexually and physically abused." Eyewitness News spoke with Tony Alamo by phone about the raid and the allegations. "They went into my house and took everything, all sorts of different things," said Alamo. "They found no pornography, they found nothing. [They] said I was taking young girls across the border like a pimp, and that I was manufacturing pornography. I guarantee you they never found one piece of pornography." During the raid, authorities say six children were placed in temporary state custody and were being interviewed. No one was arrested. Residents who live near the compound talked about the raid. "The community has been very upset by what they know has been going on in this cult," said one nearby resident. "I am so thankful. I praise God this has happened," said another resident. In the mid-1990s, Alamo was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison on tax-related charges. Prosecutors in that case argued that Alamo was a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation. "We're the strongest Christian group in the entire world, and they're trying to tarnish my reputation," said Alamo by phone. Eyewitness News attempted to interview members of Tony Alamo Christian Church in Canyon Country, and was told to leave the premises. "I've been 44 years on the boulevard and around Los Angeles there, so you people are very familiar with me for sure," said Alamo by phone. During Monday morning's interview with Alamo, he was asked if he was concerned whether or not his church in Canyon Country would fall under the investigation, he said in essence: "There's no telling." - Get more L.A. breaking news, weather, traffic and sports - Have a news tip? Send your tips, video, or pictures (Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more National News » \|\|\|\|\| A gate blocks a driveway of the property of Tony Alamo, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 in Fouke, Ark., after FBI agents and state police raided the evangelist's headquarters Saturday as part of a child pornography investigation. (AP Photo/Mike Wintroath) 6 children in Ark. custody after raid on compound FOUKE, Ark. (AP) — Six minors have been temporarily placed in state custody as part of a child porn investigation after a raid on a ministry run by a man who says "consent is puberty" when it comes to sex, officials said Sunday. The children will be in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services as investigators interview them, state police spokesman Bill Sadler said in a statement. Sadler didn't say how long the interviews would last, but did say that courts would decide the children's status in the event of any "long-term separation" from the property of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in rural Fouke. He did not say how old the children were, but an e-mail that authorities inadvertently sent to media members last week referred to 12-, 13- and 14-year-old girls. The move comes after a raid Saturday by more than 100 federal and state authorities. Investigators said their two-year probe into allegations of child pornography and abuse focused on convicted tax evader Tony Alamo and his ministry, described by its critics as a cult. Alamo claimed in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Saturday that the investigation was part of a federal push to legalize same-sex marriage while outlawing polygamy. He also said for girls having sex, "consent is puberty." News of the raid brought Anthony Justin Lane, 34, into Fouke from his job roofing in nearby Texarkana, hoping for some word about his family. Lane said he has been trying for 10 years to reunite with his children, who belong to Alamo's ministry. Lane said he saw a 13-year-old girl marry a man of about 40 just before he was kicked out of the church for asking too many questions. Lane hired a lawyer and said that he is trying to subpoena his girlfriend, but that it remains difficult as she moves among Alamo's churches in Arkansas and California. Lane said he last saw his oldest daughter, who would now be 13, in 2005. She offered him a pamphlet as he sat in his car reading a newspaper outside Alamo's church in Fort Smith in 2005. When Lane told her he was her father, he said, she ran off. He has received only a few photos since then of the 13-year-old, an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son from a relative. His longtime girlfriend was pregnant with the boy when Lane said he was expelled from the church for questioning its practices. "I see pictures of those kids and I feel robbed — robbed of being a father," Lane told reporters. "I keep laying it in the Lord's hands and hoping he'll have mercy on my children and protect them," he said. Authorities' search of the Fouke complex ended after midnight Saturday, and Sadler said officials had no plans to search the buildings again. Authorities have not indicated any plans to search other ministry locations. Sunday afternoon, a van ferried members back and forth from a nearby 15-acre compound to the church on U.S. 71. Two women, one pushing a stroller, entered the building along with several children. A man at the door told reporters that "no visitors" would be allowed in for the services. U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe declined to comment when asked whether an arrest warrant had been issued for Alamo or other members of his church. Balfe said before the raid that he expected a warrant to be issued for the 74-year-old leader. As fog lifted Sunday morning from Fouke, no police cruisers blocked the dead-end drive up to Alamo's compound, as they had Saturday evening. Alamo's house, an L-shaped ranch home, sat empty with decorative bars over its windows. A black Cadillac Escalade was parked in the carport. The red-and-blue canopy of a carnival carousel could be seen from behind the home. Peacocks walked past the house, where the public road ends. Two gravel roads led off to either side, one winding its way back into the compound, the other off to a basketball court where an RV sat parked. Black cattle gates blocked entry to the roads. Other homes with brick fronts sat throughout the compound. Some didn't have exterior siding, while others appeared to be mobile homes parked on cinderblocks. Uniformed security guards patrolled the grounds and sat near the gates. None carried a pistol. A worker mowed the lawn in front of the compound and church Sunday afternoon as television news trucks passed by. A guard stationed there declined to comment and said no one was available to talk to reporters. Alamo and his late wife Susan were street preachers along Hollywood's Sunset Strip in 1966 before forming a commune near Saugus, Calif. Susan Alamo died of cancer in 1982; Alamo claimed she would be resurrected and kept her body on display for six months while their followers prayed. Alamo was convicted of tax-related charges in 1994 after the IRS said he owed the government $7.9 million. He served four years in prison. Prosecutors in the tax case argued before sentencing that Alamo was a flight risk and a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors the activities of extremist groups in the U.S., describes Alamo's ministry as a cult that opposes homosexuality, Catholicism and the government.	Controversial evangelist leader Tony Alamo was arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday and faces charges related to child sex abuse allegations at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministry organization. Alamo has previously been convicted on charges of tax evasion. United States federal agents raided Alamo's compound in Arkansas on Saturday and six girls were taken into state custody. Tony Alamo in 1986 Law enforcement officials raided Alamo's compound in Fouke, Arkansas on Saturday and removed six girls aged 10 to 17. Over 100 federal and state agents participated in the raid on the compound, which followed a two-year investigation into Alamo and his organization. Law enforcement officials were searching for evidence that minors had been videotaped performing sexual activities or had been molested. The Federal Bureau of Investigation searched Alamo's property for child pornography. Alamo, who claims he is legally blind and wouldn't be able to see child pornography, preaches that girls should marry young and sex with post-puberty girls is 'okay' because "in the Bible it happened". "It's the transportation of minors with the intent to engage in criminal activity. The state concerns are children living at the facility may have been sexually and physically abused," said Little Rock, Arkansas FBI representative Tom Browne in a statement to KABC-TV. The Associated Press (AP) has reported that Alamo will likely appear in federal court Friday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges that he violated the Mann Act by facilitating transport of minors across state lines for inappropriate sexual conduct. Documents produced by the FBI referred to Alamo by his birth name, Bernie Lazar Hoffman. Alamo has stated that he was born into Judaism but later converted to Christianity. According to the FBI, Alamo's court appearance Friday is intended to determine when he will be transported from Arizona back to Arkansas to face charges there. Hearings have been scheduled for Friday and Monday by a state judge, to decide if the Department of Human Services of Arkansas can retain custody of the six girls. "We will transport them to and from hearings. We will take part in any future hearings. Our job right now is to basically take care of them," said agency representative Julie Munsell in a statement reported to the AP. The six girls will be present at the hearings in Arkansas: hearings for two of the girls will take place Friday and hearings for the other four on Monday. The Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization which maintains data on hate groups, has described Alamo's organization as a "cult". ''The Ross Institute Internet Archives for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements'' maintains a web page on Tony Alamo and his organization. AP reported that many former members of Alamo's organization also characterize the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries as a "cult". Anna Pugh, a former member of the organization for 11 years, recounted some of her experiences in what she referred to as "Tony's Cult" to KOCO-TV. She stated that while she was living at Alamo's compound she felt she was brainwashed. Pugh says that while she was a member of the group a seven-year-old girl took her aside and told her Alamo had sexual conduct with minors while watching pornography. "I think that congregation in there needs to see what that man is. He is a monster. He is a very unmerciful, malicious, vindictive, judgemental, condemning person," said Pugh. Former member Anthony Lane told KSLA-TV he was kicked out of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries when he questioned some of Alamo's teachings. "He is definitely a man who arranges marriages of little girls, and orders beatings of little children," said Lane. He has been getting help from a support group called Partnered against Cult Activities (PACA). Lane is trying to gain custody of his three children who are still in the group with his wife. Alamo was convicted of tax evasion in 1994, and was released from prison in 1998 after serving four years out of a six year sentence. The Internal Revenue Service said Alamo owed the U.S. government US$7.9 million. Prosecutors in the tax evasion case argued prior to Alamo's sentencing that he was a flight risk, and a polygamist who conducted inappropriate activities with women and girls in his organization. The Tony Alamo Christian Ministry organization promotes a philosophy and belief system which asserts sex with underage girls and polygamy is acceptable. The organization is critical of Catholicism, homosexuality, and the government. Tony Alamo Christian Ministry has compounds in Arkansas, California, Georgia and New Jersey, and Alamo himself lives near Los Angeles.
Photo: AP The embattled Japanese manufacturer's new Lexus GX460 will be suspended from sale in the US while Toyota conducts tests. The 4x4 was branded a "safety risk" by Consumer Reports, which cautioned readers not to buy the vehicle – the first time in nine years it has issued such a warning. Consumer Reports warned readers that in tests the rear end of the 2010 model of the GX460 "slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability-control system was able to regain control". "In real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death," the article continued. Consumer Reports is one of America's most trusted publications and is in many ways similar to Which? in the UK. Around 5,000 GX460s have been sold in the US since it was launched three months ago. The suspension adds to Toyota's problems, coming hard on the heels of the recall of more than 8.5m cars as a result of safety concerns surrounding over-acceleration and braking. "At this time we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the 2010 GX460," Toyota said in a statement. "Lexus' extensive vehicle testing provides a good indication of how our vehicles perform and we are confident that the GX meets our high safety standards." Toyota was last week fined $16.4m (£10.7m) by the US Department of Transportation over delays in issuing recalls to customers. Ray LaHood, the Transportation Secretary, called the auto company "safety deaf". \|\|\|\|\| The GX 460 has been on sale for about three months in the US Japanese carmaker Toyota has announced that it will suspend sales in the US of one of its luxury vehicles. The move came after a US consumer organisation warned customers not to buy the Lexus GX 460 four-wheel drive because of fears it could roll over. The last time it judged a vehicle's performance unacceptable was in 2001. Toyota said it remained confident that the vehicle was safe, but would suspend its sale to identify and correct the safety issues identified. The carmaker has recalled over eight million cars globally due to safety fears over faulty accelerators, floor pedals that stuck in mats and braking issues. 'Injury risk' Consumer Reports said it had judged the Lexus GX 460 a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" because of a problem experienced during its standard emergency-handling tests. "When pushed to its limits on our track's handling course, the rear of the GX we bought slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control," it said. We will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports' test to determine if appropriate steps need to be taken Toyota statement "We believe that in real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death." However, it also said that it was not aware of any such reported incidents. The GX 460 has been on sale for about three months in the US and, according to the consumer group, about 5,000 vehicles have been sold. Toyota said in a statement: "Our engineers conduct similar tests and we feel these procedures provide a good indication of how our vehicles will perform in the real-world. "However, we will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports' test to determine if appropriate steps need to be taken." Toyota is currently facing a record $16.4m (£10.7m) fine from the US Transport Department for failing to notify it about defective accelerator pedals. The company must decide by the end of this week whether to challenge the fine. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	2010 Lexus GX 460. Japanese auto maker Toyota is to temporarily suspend sales of its luxury Lexus GX 460 SUV following an unfavorable verdict from ''Consumer Reports'', which concluded ''"Don't Buy: Safety Risk,"'' the first such warning in almost a decade. After conducting its standard emergency handling tests on the 2010 version of the Lexus GX 460, ''Consumer Reports'' became concerned that the rear of the vehicle had a tendency to slide out, which in real life situations could lead to rollovers. However, the consumer organisation is also unaware of any such incidents with the 5000 GX 460s sold since its launch three months ago. Already embattled with ongoing safety issues with its vehicles, Toyota has been quick to act, though it did claim that the car was safe to drive and that it had passed internal safety standards. According to Toyota, "Lexus' extensive vehicle testing provides a good indication of how our vehicles perform and we are confident that the GX meets our high safety standards."
Sport The Hague: The Kookaburras are world champions once again, defending their World Cup title with a 6-1 demolition of the Netherlands. Powerful defender, and penalty corner specialist, Chris Ciriello was the hat-trick hero as Australia dismantled the Dutch to silence the raucous home crowd in the Hague on Sunday. The win confirms the Kookaburras place atop the world, and is their third World Cup triumph – defending their 2010 title. The Kookaburras lift the hockey World Cup in the Hague on Sunday. Photo: Patrick Post Australia's goals came from familiar faces, with their two leading scorers Ciriello and Kieran Govers both on the scoresheet. Advertisement The pair had entered the final with four goals apiece, but Ciriello finished as Australia's leading sharpshooter with his hat-trick carrying him to seven for the tournament – behind only Argentina's Gonzalo Peillat (10). Ciriello, who finished the match with ice on his shoulder, and Govers delivered first half strikes to hand coach Ric Charlesworth a 2-1 lead at the break, which was extended by a further two goals quickly after halftime as Australia assumed complete control. Australia's Jamie Dwyer celebrates scoring for the Kookaburras. Photo: Peter Dejong Throughout the tournament Australia have earned plaudits for their blistering starts – they went five consecutive games scoring a goal in the opening seven minutes. But it was the Dutch who drew first blood, with Jeroen Hertzberger scoring an exceptional solo goal in which he evaded Robert Hammond's tackle before firing a tomahawk past Andrew Charter, who had a terrific tournament. But Australia's response was as swift as it was severe, with Ciriello converting from the first penalty corner with an expert drag flick. Australia's Kieran Govers celebrates a goal against the Netherlands during the World Cup final in the Hague on Sunday. Photo: Toussaint Kluiters Four minutes later, Govers outdid everyone with an exquisite reverse stick shot from the top of the circle that sailed into the top right corner of the goal. That goal proved pivotal, as did Glenn Turner's persistent effort two minutes after the break to make it a two-goal buffer. Turner's first effort was cleared from the line by the Dutch goalie, but his second effort couldn't be stopped as it bobbled over an outstretched leg. Ciriello then killed off any hope of a Dutch comeback with two goals in six minutes. Australia's sterling defence, which finished the tournament with just three goals conceded, was always going to protect the buffer. Australia's commitment to defence was typified by an outstanding cover defensive effort from midfield Simon Orchard, who raced back to single-handedly defuse a promising Dutch counter-attack. Five-time player-of-the-year Jamie Dwyer, who equalled Jay Stacey's record of 321 Kookaburra appearances on Sunday, put the icing on the cake with a terrific solo effort six minutes from time. As Australia's lead grew, Dutch players started to express their frustrations at the physical nature of the contest. Orchard was given a yellow card, and a five-minute sin bin, as was Dutch star Robbert Kemperman for an off-the-ball incident, while Australian pair Glenn Turner and Robert Hammond were handed green cards, and two-minute sin bins, for separate incidents. AAP \|\|\|\|\| Sport Nearing the summit: Georgie Parker and Emily Hurtz of the Hockeyroos after losing the final. Photo: Reuters THE HAGUE: The Hockeyroos believe the world No.1 ranking is within their reach they have bridged the gap with the Netherlands, despite going down 2-0 in the World Cup final on Saturday. The Australian women were valiant, but ultimately outclassed by a relentless Dutch outfit spurred on by a 15,000-strong partisan crowd in The Hague. It followed a defeat by the same margin in the group stages and confirmed the Dutch team's place as the world's best - but Australia coach Adam Commens believes the gap is narrowing quickly and he is optimistic his side could be on top by the time the 2016 Olympic Games roll around. Australia's goalkeeper Rachael Lynch, left, slides to block a shot on goal. The Dutch were awarded a penalty stroke. Photo: AP Commens, who earned 143 caps for the Kookaburras, compared the Hockeyroos current situation to that which Australia's men faced in the early 2000s. Advertisement The Kookaburras finished second in the 2002 World Cup behind Germany, but bounced back to claim gold in Athens two years later. "The progression that the Kookaburras made at that time, I think we're able to emulate that with the Hockeyroos," Commens said. World champions: The Dutch celebrate their victory. Photo: Reuters "I think it will be a tough ask. "They obviously have a large pool of talent coming through and a good group of coaching staff. "It will be difficult. But I think it's not unsurmountable." Arriving in Holland ranked fourth in the world, Australia cemented their place among the top teams once again by claiming silver and rising to second in the rankings. It is their best result in a major tournament since earning silver in the 2009 Champions Trophy. And Commens says the age of his group, with just a handful of players over 25, and their potential for improvement is what fuels his belief in the two years ahead. "The gap has been closed," he said. His thoughts were reflected by midfield star Casey Eastham, who said the past 18 months had been spent closing in on the Dutch. "We knew the Dutch were going to be the ones to beat come World Cup, so that was our goal, to do everything we could to close the gap on that," she told AAP. "We've done that quite well. We know the Rio Olympics is the long-term goal for us. "We've got another couple of years to go with that and we'll keep working with the squad we've got." For the moment, however, the Dutch are still a class above every other opponent on the planet and they showed that on Saturday. Australia did well to restrict the winning margin to just two goals - an achievement for which goalkeeper Rachael Lynch deserves enormous credit. The 27-year-old, who was named goalie of the tournament, made eight saves in the final and was a colossus before the net. She stood little chance with the opening goal of the match, a penalty stroke taken by Dutch captain Maartje Paumen, and could scarcely have done more to prevent their second either after spectacularly deflecting one attempt by Kim Lammers, only to have the ball rebound back into the path of the Dutch forward for a second attempt. Those first half goals were enough to secure a seventh World Cup for the Dutch. Australia will now begin preparations for next month's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where they are the two-time defending gold medal winners. Australia's men play for World Cup gold, also against the Dutch, on Sunday. AAP \|\|\|\|\| Hockeyroos lose to the Netherlands 2-0 in hockey World Cup final Updated Australia's women had to settle for silver at the hockey World Cup after going down 2-0 to the Netherlands in the final on Sunday morning. The Hockeyroos were valiant but outclassed by a relentless Dutch outfit who were spurred on by a 15,000-strong partisan crowd in The Hague. Watch live Tune in as the Kookaburras take on the Netherlands in the men's hockey World Cup final on ABC2 from 10:55pm Sunday night. It is the seventh World Cup for the Dutch, who prevailed through goals by captain Maartje Paumen and Kim Lammers. "I thought it was an excellent performance by our team under the circumstances," Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens told Grandstand. ...against that quality of opponent, you have to take those chances in the big games and put a bit of scoreboard pressure on them. Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens "We played against the Olympic champions and world number one team on their home pitch. "We created opportunities, we had three penalty corners, we had a number of goal shots in the first half, and against that quality of opponent, you have to take those chances in the big games and put a bit of scoreboard pressure on them. "Unfortunately we weren't able to do that, [the Netherlands] were able to take their chances and did really well." Despite the loss, the result highlights the improvement shown in the Hockeyroos, who entered the tournament ranked fourth in the world and have moved up to second. It is their best result in a major tournament since earning silver in the 2009 Champions Trophy. The Dutch broke the deadlock on 12 minutes when awarded a penalty stroke, after forward Roos Drost had been brought down by Australian goalkeeper Rachael Lynch. Unflappable veteran Paumen stepped up to take the penalty and calmly flicked into the top corner, sending the mostly orange-clad crowd into hysterics. Six minutes before the break, Australia's hopes plummeted when Kim Lammers doubled the Dutch advantage. Finishing off a sublime series of passes, Lammers had her first shot on goal saved by Lynch - whose deflection fall straight at the feet of the Dutch forward, who did not miss a second time. Lynch, a standout all tournament for Australia, was again a colossus in goal, repelling wave after wave of orange offence. By game's end she had tallied eight saves - some of them spectacular. Australia earned its first penalty corner on the stroke of half-time, but was unable to convert and carried a two-goal deficit into the break. Precious few opportunities fell for the Hockeyroos who managed just three shots on goal, though forward Emily Hurtz was typically busy up front and forced a good save from goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek early on. Australia's defence held firm after the break, matching its 2-0 loss to the Dutch in the round games. Defender Kate Jenner was shown a green card for a physical challenge with three minutes remaining. The loss continues the Netherlands' stranglehold over Australia in major competitions. The Hockeyroos have not beaten the Dutch in major competition outside of Australia since their 3-2 victory to secure gold at the 1998 World Cup in Utrech 16 years ago. Australia's men play for gold, also against the Dutch, on Sunday. AAP Topics: field-hockey, sport, netherlands, australia First posted \|\|\|\|\| Dutch women win hockey World Cup for the seventh time Celebrating victory. Photo: FIH The Dutch women’s hockey team on Saturday won their seventh World Cup, beating Australia 2-0 in the final in The Hague. The Netherlands were hot favourites to take the title when the competition started, and reached the final having scored 21 and conceded only one goal. Playing in front of 15,000 people at a packed Kyocera stadium in The Hague, the Dutch women - who are current Olympic champions and ranked one in the world - dominated much of the match. Maartje Paumen, twice voted best player in the world, is tournament top scorer with seven goals including four penalty corners. Paumen told Nos television after the match it is hard to be the favourite all the time. 'But I am so happy, so happy,' she said. Earlier on Sunday, defending champions Argentina won bronze, beating Team USA 2-1 in the play-off for third and fourth place. On Sunday, the Dutch men’s team take on Australia in their World Cup final. Match report and video highlights Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus \|\|\|\|\| Dutch men make it to hockey World Cup final Mink van der Weerden in action. Photo: FIH The Dutch men's hockey team has sealed a place in the hockey World Cup final after beating England 1-0 on Friday afternoon. It is the first time Oranje has qualified for the final in 16 years. They will play Australia, who beat Argentina 5-1 in the second semi-final. The men's semi-finals were brought forward to avoid the first Dutch football World Cup match against Spain which starts at 21.00. The Dutch women will play Australia for the women's world title on Saturday. It is the first time in hockey World Cup history that both finals are being contested by the same countries. Match report Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus \|\|\|\|\| Hockeyroos edge USA on penalties to reach World Cup hockey final Updated Australia's women are into the hockey World Cup final against the Netherlands after a controversial semi-final win over the USA. For the first time in nearly a decade the Hockeyroos will compete for a major title, after a nail-biting shootout victory over the United States on Thursday set up a World Cup final with the Netherlands. In a physical, and at times controversial, clash Australia's women were forced to dig deep for the win, with American star Kelsey Kolojejchick twice levelling the scores in the 2-2 (3-1) game. Kookaburras v Argentina live Follow the World Cup finals live on ABC2 TV. The men's semi-finals are on from 11pm (AEST) on Friday. First up England plays Netherlands followed by the Kookaburras taking on Netherlands. Australia appeared to have secured victory following goals to Kellie White and the tournament's leading sharp-shooter Anna Flanagan, only for Kolojejchick to send the match to a shootout by equalising with just two minutes left in regular time in the Hague. But Australia could not be denied, with goalkeeper Rachael Lynch standing tall to make three stunning saves and send the Hockeyroos into Saturday's final - their first World Cup or Olympic Games final since 2006. "To do it now is off the back of some hard work over a number of years," said coach Adam Commens, who took over in 2011. With Lynch's defensive brilliance, Australia cruised through the shootout care of goals to White, Georgie Parker and Jodie Kenny. "That's why we pick (Lynch)," Hockeyroos captain Madonna Blyth beamed afterwards. "For Rachael today to save as many as she did and come so close on that other one, I think it just shows that she's a really good, class player back there. And we rely heavily on it." The match was not without controversy, with the Americans complaining to officials about Australia's physical approach and aggressive tackling - while there were question marks surrounding the legitimacy of Kolojejchick's second goal. Her shot was deflected in by Blyth, who immediately complained to officials that it was high and had been sailing wide before ricocheting in off her shoulder - which would be cause for a penalty. Despite replays appearing to indicate the ball was indeed going wide, the goal stood. The Australians understand they will face an ever sterner test against world numner one Holland, who thumped Argentina 4-0 in the later semi-final in front of a raucous home crowd. The Dutch downed Australia 2-0 in the group stages, but Commens saw enough in that contest to suggest an upset is on the cards. "They've gone from a team that probably fought hard and was a tough side and was reasonably physically, to a side that is now capable of taking the game to the top nations in the world," he said. "I think we saw that against the Netherlands in the round match. "There's not many teams in the world that have been able to do that against the Netherlands in the last two years. "I thought we were better than them for that (first half). I think that shows how far we've come." Commens was not entirely satisfied with the performance against the US, but would've been pleased to see White notch her first goal of the tournament, a speculative swipe into the goal mouth which deflected in off the goalkeeper. Likewise, the continuation of Anna Flanagan's set piece dominance should have raised a smile - she netted a sixth goal of the tournament with another trademark drag-flick to restore Australia's one-goal advantage. AAP Topics: field-hockey, sport, netherlands, united-states, australia First posted	In at , , defeated the Netherlands to win the yesterday, and was defeated by the Netherlands in the on Saturday. Never before have the same two countries played in both Hockey World Cup finals in a single year. In the men's final, the , known as the Kookaburras and coached by , successfully defended the World Cup they won back in 2010 with a 6–1 win over the , which was playing in its first final since 1998. The Netherlands put the Kookaburras on the back foot when scored the first goal. In five consecutive games in the series the Australians had scored their first goal in the first seven minutes. Australia's equalised with a goal from a . Another goal by gave the Kookaburras a 2–1 lead at the half time break. Four more goals in the second half, including one by 321-game veteran , put the result beyond doubt. The story was very different in the women's competition, where the , known as the Hockeyroos, were the underdogs, having not made a final in the World Cup or the since 2006. They made this final only after defeating the in a semi-final after a 2–2 draw in which the teams alternated goals, each Australian goal followed by a US goal by . Whereas, the Netherlands team had scored 21 goals in the tournament up to this point, while only conceding one, and had not been beaten by Australia since 1998. Netherlands captain scored the first goal of the match from a , giving the Netherlands team their seventh Hockey World Cup win. then made it 2–0. Neither side was able to score in the second half, but it was not for want of trying, and Australian goal keeper ended up with a total of eight saves. defeated the United States 2–1 in the women's bronze medal game.
Most voters say they want peace and prosperity Polls have opened in Sri Lanka in the country's the presidential election, which comes after a bitter campaign. Early voters have been seen queuing up near the capital, Colombo. A few hours ago, people in the northern Tamil city of Jaffna reported hearing four blasts. The election is the first since the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated last year after 25 years of war. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is facing a tough test against his former army chief-turned-rival Gen Sarath Fonseka. More than 14m voters are eligible to vote in 11,000 centres from 0700 local time (0130GMT). Polls will close at 1600 local time. Counting will begin three hours later and the final results are expected to be announced on Wednesday morning, the election commission has said. There are 22 candidates standing for the presidency. If no candidate has 50% plus one vote after the first count, second preferences will be tallied and the candidate with the greatest number of votes wins. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement 'Remarkable victory' About 250,000 Sri Lankan election officials have moved into position throughout the country after collecting polling cards and ballot boxes from central election offices. President Rajapaksa and Gen Fonseka had a falling out last year Security is tight amid fears of violence and more than 68,000 police are being deployed to protect the polling stations. Among the early voters was President Rajapaksa. "Today's victory will be remarkable. It's been evident with voters across the nation participating towards our victory," news agency Reuters quoted Mr Rajapaksa as saying after voting in Medamulana, his rural district on the southern coast. "We expect a peaceful election and are getting ready to enjoy a better tomorrow." Most voters say they are voting for peace and an improved economy. "What I expect in the future is that in the same way peace was established, the cost of living will be brought down and the unemployment problem will be solved," Reuters quoted security guard Jayantha Perera as saying. Hours before the polling booths opened at dawn, people in Jaffna reported hearing up to four blasts. Acrimonious campaign A monitoring group said two bombs were thrown at a ruling party organiser while another account said an opposition MP's home and two polling booths were targeted, the BBC's Charles Haviland reports from Colombo. Police in Jaffna told the BBC they had no information of any trouble. The two-month-long campaign, often marked by acrimony, officially closed on Saturday. Election clashes have so far left four dead and hundreds wounded. "We had in this election I think a scale of abuse of state resources which had not been registered before," news agency Reuters quoted Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, co-convenor of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, as saying. But he added: "If enough Sri Lankan citizens go in large numbers as we have always done in the past and for over six decades... resisting the violence and the intimidation... then we may well get a result that at the end of the day reflects overall the wishes of the people of this country." On Sunday, President Rajapaksa suffered a blow when ex-President Chandrika Kumaratunga vowed to back his rival. Mrs Kumaratunga, a senior member of Mr Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party, said she was deeply concerned about violence, intimidation and corruption in the fiercely-contested poll. President Rajapaksa and Gen Fonseka were closely associated with the government's defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May but the pair fell out bitterly soon after. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| People lined up in areas of Colombo half an hour before polls opened on Tuesday [AFP] Sri Lankans have voted in the country's first presidential election since the civil war with Tamil separatists in the north was ended. Polls closed at 4pm (10:30GMT) on Tuesday amid claims of voter intimidation and sporadic acts of violence following a bitter campaign. Officials results were expected on Wednesday, with both Mahinda Rajapakse, the incumbent, and Sarath Fonseka, his former army chief, saying that expected to emerge victorous. "We will have a great victory," Rajapakse told reporters after casting his ballot in his southern home constituency of Mulkirigala. "We must be ready to face the challenges of reaching new heights after this vote," the 64-year-old, who called the election only four years into his six-year term to seize on the government's victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year, said. Vote prohibited Fonseka, however, suffered the embarrassment of not being able to vote, a problem he blamed on his name being omitted from the 2008 electoral register which was used for the poll. "My name is not on the 2008 register and therefore I cannot vote at this election," Fonseka said. "The government is trying to use this to mislead the public at the last minute." The opposition figurehead insisted he had sent in his voter registration papers. Ruling party politicians appeared on television saying he might be disqualified. "We are seeking a court order on the suitability of this candidate because he is not eligible to be declared as a candidate," Rohitha Bogollagama, the foreign minister, said. However, Fonseka received the full backing from the independent elections commissioner who said he was still eligible for the presidency. Dayananda Dissanayake, the independent Elections Commissioner, said: "Not having one's name on the electoral list is not a disqualification." Polling was reported to be busy in many areas, with people in the suburbs of the capital Colombo lining up half an hour before polls opened at 7am (01:30 GMT), according to witnesses. Team leadership Last May, Rajapakse and Fonseka defeated the Tamil Tiger separatists, who had fought for a Tamil homeland since 1972, in a military campaign which has since been dogged by allegations of war crimes. Fonseka blamed the use of the country's 2008 register for not being able to vote [AFP] But from close allies on the battlefield they have turned into irreconcilable enemies after Fonseka, a 59-year-old political newcomer, decided to challenge his former boss on an anti-corruption platform. There are no reliable opinion polls in the country and political observers said the election was too close to call between the men, who were the only realistic contenders in a field of 22 people. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), an independent monitoring body, confirmed nearly 100 violent incidents during the day, mostly in northern and eastern areas, and said the figure could rise to 150. Pre-dawn bomb blasts in the northern Tamil heartland of Jaffna gave a violent start to the contest which threatens to bring new instability to the Indian Ocean island nation. Dissanayake, a CMEV national co-ordinator, said: "We can't say it was a free and fair election because there were a number of incidents all over the country. Coup plot Before the election, Fonseka had alleged the government would intimidate voters and was preparing a coup if it lost. He was accused in turn of working with a militia of army deserters to disrupt the ballot. In the Tamil-dominated town of Vavuniya, where CMEV said grenades were let off near a polling station, streams of people caught up in the war made their way to makeshift voting booths in schools. Kandaswamy Wellarayanam, a Fonseka supporter, 73, walked six kilometres from one of the nearby internment camps where thousands of displaced Tamils were locked up after the fighting ended in May. Now able to move freely after repeated condemnation of the camps by the United Nations, he said he and his family were eager to take part, even though buses that were meant to transport them never turned up. "We walked to vote because we felt it was important after the war," he told the AFP news agency. "I was keen to have a say in who should be our next president." The opposition has said it would not accept the result if the 68,000 police and 12,000 soldiers on duty failed to prevent violence or if there was evidence of vote-rigging. The alliance behind Fonseka, which includes Marxists, Muslims, Tamils and right-wingers has threatened to stage street protests if it feels the result has been stolen. \|\|\|\|\| Photo: AP Now able to move freely, he said he and his wife, daughter and two grandchildren were eager to take part, even though buses that were meant to transport them never turned up. "We walked to vote because we felt it was important after the war," he said. "I was keen to have a say in who should be our next president... We've not had free food and rations for two months and depend on odd jobs to survive." He, like many other Tamils in the highly militarised Tamil-dominated town of Vavuniya, 160 miles north of the capital Colombo, said he would vote for former army chief Sarath Fonseka. Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is seeking re-election, were the architects of a final assault on Tamil Tiger separatists last year that the UN says killed 7,000 civilians in Tamil areas. After the end of the conflict, which has been mired in allegations of war crimes, an estimated 300,000 displaced Tamils were locked up until December in camps that were closed to the media and humanitarian groups . An estimated 80,000 remain, the rest having been freed at the end of last year under pressure from the United Nations. Voting started slowly in Vavuniya but picked up during the day as locals filed into the makeshift polling booths in schools. Among the majority Sinhalese population, there was support for Rajapakse, the scion of a political family known for his energetic oratory and popular touch. "I voted for Mahinda (Rajapakse) to thank him for ending the war and allowing my children to grow up without fear of bombs," said Sinhalese tradesman Japgath Karuntilake, 42. Ratnasingham Sittambaraja, 75, was in two minds as he entered the town's Tamil National School to vote. "I heard a lot of allegations about the president's corruption. I'm still not sure who to vote for," he said. Tamil politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan said there was enthusiastic polling in Tamil areas although many had failed to register as voters because they had been driven from place to place by years of fighting. "We saw a slow start, but voting is very peaceful," Sithadthan said. In the majority Sinhalese capital, Colombo, there was enthusiasm and turnout appeared to be high, according to voters and officials. "I have been voting at this booth for over 20 years but never saw a crowd like this," said Mohamed Sallel, a businessman casting his ballot in the city's Borella commercial area. Doctor Nimalka Perera turned up to vote on her way to the Colombo National Hospital, but ended up standing in line for an hour to vote at a polling booth inside a school building. "When I first came here, the queue was too long so I went back and came two hours later on my way to the hospital and found the line even longer," Perera said. Election officials checked her polling card and the national identity card before giving her a 46cm long ballot paper with 22 names of candidates. Officials apply indelible ink on the index finger of a voter as a means to prevent them from impersonating others and voting more than once at the election in which 14.08 million people are eligible to cast their ballots. Elsewhere, police briefly detained a key opposition lawmaker and 40 of his supporters who were driving through Vavuniya heading to the northern peninsula of Jaffna where a bomb attack was reported early Tuesday. "This is intimidation and a clear attempt to block us from trying to prevent irregularities in Tamil areas," Vijitha Herath told reporters. A private election monitoring group, the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections, confirmed that voting began peacefully despite pre-dawn bomb blasts in the northern peninsula of Jaffna. There were no casualties.	Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2006 Ballots are being counted in Sri Lanka, after a presidential election was held there, the first after the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated during a 25-year-long civil war. The incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is expected to be in a close race against former army chief, General Sarath Fonseka; both candidates say they expect to win. There are twenty other candidates on the ballot, but none of them are expected to win. Polls closed at 16.00 local time, or 10.30 GMT on Tuesday. There were claims of voter intimidation and sporadic acts of violence, and the BBC reports that there were some small bomb blasts. The independent operating organisation Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said it had confirmed close to a hundred violent incidents during the day, adding that it believes the number could rise to 150. Tamil politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan, however, described the voting as "very peaceful". Polls were reportedly busy, with stations in the capital of Colombo being filled with lines of people half an hour before polls officially opened at 07.00 (01.30 UTC). "I have been voting at this booth for over 20 years but never saw a crowd like this," said businessman Mohamed Sallel, who had voted in the Borella district of the capital, as quoted by The Telegraph. Another voter, Doctor Nimalka Perera, gave an account of the crowds: "When I first came here, the queue was too long so I went back and came two hours later on my way to the hospital and found the line even longer." President Rajapakse, after voting in his home constituency, addressed reporters. "We will have a great victory. We must be ready to face the challenges of reaching new heights after this vote," he said. Fonseka, however, wasn't able to cast a ballot, apparently because his name didn't appear on the 2008 electroral register used for the elections. "My name is not on the 2008 register and therefore I cannot vote at this election. The government is trying to use this to mislead the public at the last minute," Fonseka stated, saying that he had filled out his voter registration forms. Foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama, as well as other politicians from the ruling party, suggested that Fonseka might be disqualified from the elections. "We are seeking a court order on the suitability of this candidate because he is not eligible to be declared as a candidate," Bogollagama said, adding that the government wanted a ruling from the courts. Independent elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, however, remarked: "Not having one's name on the electoral list is not a disqualification." The country's electoral rules state that if neither candidate is able to obtain half of the ballots cast in the first count, then voters' second preferences are to be used to determine the winner. Political observers commented that election was too close to call between the two.
For the third time in a decade, New York City has agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle a lawsuit stemming from the illegal strip searches of thousands of nonviolent prisoners. The settlement, which was announced on Monday, provides $33 million to the roughly 100,000 people who were strip-searched after being charged with misdemeanors and taken to Rikers Island and other city correction facilities. Under the Giuliani administration, in 2001, the city settled a similar case filed on behalf of more than 50,000 people who were strip-searched as they waited to be arraigned, spending about $40 million. In 2005, the city once again agreed to pay several million dollars, this time to settle the claims of thousands of people who were illegally strip-searched in at least six New York detention centers, including Rikers Island, between 1999 and 2002. The most recent settlement stemmed from a lawsuit filed in 2005 by the law firm of Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady, and covered 100,000 people from 1999 to 2007. Two years after the suit was filed, the city acknowledged wrongdoing and agreed to install outside monitors to ensure that the practice had stopped. Yet the settlement covers 19 additional claimants who said they had been illegally strip-searched after 2007. Richard Emery, the lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, said it had been settled law since 1986 that it was unconstitutional to require people accused of minor crimes to strip naked. “The city knew this was illegal in 1986, they said it was illegal and they stopped in 2002, and they continued to pursue this illegal practice without justification,” Mr. Emery said. “We hope the settlement constitutes some semblance of justice.” A lawyer for the New York City Law Department said in a written statement that the Department of Correction and the city “have worked diligently to ensure that both safety and privacy are given high consideration during intake search procedures.” The lawyer, Genevieve Nelson, said, “The settlement reached today is the final step in a process during which D.O.C.’s intake search procedures were modified in 2007.” An outside administrator was appointed on Monday by the judge in the case, John G. Koeltl of Federal District Court, to oversee the payments. The lawyers for the prisoners and the city expect about 15 percent of those who were illegally strip-searched to file claims. If that projection is correct, prisoners who receive money can expect to get roughly $2,000. About $3 million of the settlement will go to the plaintiffs’ lawyers. As part of the agreement, the city said it would pay two women, who said they were forced to undergo gynecological exams without their consent, $20,000 each. Mr. Emery said many of those who were strip-searched had been accused of misdemeanors like trespassing, shoplifting, jumping turnstiles or failing to pay child support. “There was no reason to believe they were concealing drugs or anything else,” he said. David Sanchez, 39, of the Bronx, said he was arrested by police officers in November 2006 for having a small amount of marijuana in his pocket after they stopped him on the street outside of his friend’s apartment. He said the officers searched him twice after he was arrested but did not make him take off his clothes. But after he was arraigned and taken to Rikers Island, he said correction officers demanded that he take off his clothes and submit to another search. “I was put into a cage and told to take off my clothes,” he said Monday in a conference room at the law firm, describing how he had to squat and spread his buttocks. “It was horrifying, being a grown man. I was humiliated.” Mr. Emery said prisoners often had to undress fully in front of other prisoners and guards. Those being searched had to lift their genitals or breasts, spread their buttocks and allow guards to inspect their body cavities. Woman who were menstruating were not excluded from this practice, Mr. Emery said. “I don’t know why it was done,” he said, “but it seems like it was a punishment, a way of showing the inmates who is in charge.” Daniel C. Richman, a professor at Columbia Law School and former federal prosecutor, said that “given the financial constraints the city is facing, there must have been very bad facts for them to settle for this amount.” In January, a federal judge ordered the city to remedy years of discriminatory hiring practices by the Fire Department by giving black and Latino applicants jobs in the department, as well as offering retroactive pay and other damages. The city plans to appeal that decision. \|\|\|\|\| The city has agreed to pay $33 million in a class-action settlement to 100,000 individuals who were illegally strip-searched at city jails between 1999 and 2007. One plaintiff, 39-year-old David Sanchez from the Bronx, was told to strip after arriving at Rikers Island in 2006 for possessing pot. "I squatted. I grabbed my butt cheeks. Wow, it's like a blur now, but I had to run my fingers through my hair, through my mouth. I had to grab my genital area and lift it for them," he says. All the plaintiffs were arrested for low-level offenses, like jumping turnstiles, shoplifting, and trespassing. Mass searches as described by plaintiffs are illegal if there's no suspicion that they're carrying contraband. The original lawsuit was filed in 2002.	New York City settled a US$33 million (€24.3m, £21.8m) class-action lawsuit involving nearly 100,000 former and current prison inmates who were illegally strip-searched. This is the third strip-search court case in the past decade. The plaintiffs included convicts who were charged with misdemeanors including trespassing, shoplifting, and failing to pay child support. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the inmates by the Manhattan law firm ''Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady''. The lead lawyer, Richard Emery, said that "The city knew strip-searching was illegal in 1986. They said it was illegal and they stopped in 2002, and they continued to pursue this illegal practice without justification. We hope this settlement constitutes some semblance of justice." The plaintiffs claimed that both men and women were strip searched, and forced to show their genitals to corrections officers. Woman who were menstruating were not excluded from this practice, Emery said. One of the plaintiffs, David Sanchez from the Bronx, said that after he was arrested for a drug-possession misdemeanor, an officer forced him to "squat...grab my butt cheeks...run my fingers through my hair and through my mouth. I had to grab my genital area, and lift it for them."
A US navy ship has detected signals believed to be coming from the flight recorder of an Indonesian plane that went missing with 102 people aboard on New Year's day, the US embassy in Jakarta said on Friday. Wreckage from the missing Adam Air Boeing 737-400 started turning up in waters on the west coast of Sulawesi over recent weeks, but crash investigators want to find the black box and main body of the plane to determine the fate of the doomed plane. The USNS Mary Sears, an oceanographic survey ship with specialised equipment, had been helping search the waters in the area. "During the search of the projected crash site of Adam Air Flight 574, the Mary Sears, using a Towed Pinger Locator, detected pingers on the same frequency of the black box associated with the missing airplane," the US embassy said in a statement. After sweeping the ocean floor around the area, the ship found heavy debris scattered over a wide area and was analysing the data, it said. The embassy said the information had been passed onto Indonesian authorities and the ship would leave the area on Saturday. However, the chief of Indonesia's transport safety board told Reuters he has not yet received such a report. The Indonesian head of the search mission said earlier this month that the search for the plane's main body and black box was being hampered by the depth of the sea in areas where metal objects had been detected in the Makassar Strait. A flight recorder can give off signals for 30 days to aid detection, but this one may be lying in waters as deep as 1,700 metres in the area. The 17-year-old plane was heading from Surabaya in East Java to Manado in northern Sulawesi when it vanished in bad weather. The plane made no distress call, although the pilot had reported concerns over crosswinds. \|\|\|\|\| Adjust font size: JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy ship has picked up signals from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder of an Indonesian plane that crashed on New Year's Day, killing all 102 people on board, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said. The USNS Mary Sears, an oceanographic survey ship, detected signals coming from the area of the ocean where the Adam Air flight is believed to have crashed, the embassy statement said Thursday. Those signals, or "pingers," are "on the same frequency of the black boxes associated with the missing airplane," the embassy said. The Adam Air Boeing 737 went missing more than three weeks ago after reporting heavy winds off the western coast of Sulawesi while flying from Indonesia's main island of Java. The embassy did not say when the black box signals were picked up or where on the ocean floor off Sulawesi they were coming from. The hull of the aircraft has not yet been recovered, but the statement said that close to where the signals were coming from "the Mary Sears detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area" that was being analyzed to verify if it was from the missing aircraft. After informing the Indonesian government of its findings, the Mary Sears is scheduled to depart Indonesian waters on Friday. For more than a week after the Adam Air flight disappeared off the radar screens, Indonesian authorities scoured the mountainous terrain of western Sulawesi province and the Java Sea for any sign of the missing aircraft. The U.S. Navy was called in to help with the search, providing satellite imaging to help Indonesian authorities locate the crash site. Nearly 10 days after the crash, an Indonesian fisherman found a piece of the aircraft in the Java Sea, allowing investigators to determine that the plane went down in the ocean. The Adam Air Flight 574 went down on January 1 in bad weather -- the pilot reported 80mph winds before the plane disappeared. The flight originated in Jakarta, made a stopover in Surabaya, and was supposed to land in Manado, on the northeastern tip of Sulawesi Island. A day after the crash, family members were disheartened by reports, which later turned out to be false, that the crash site had been found on land and that there were 12 survivors. Those 12 survivors, it turned out later, were from an Indonesian ferry which sank four days earlier. Eddy Suyanto, the Indonesian air force commander in charge of the search and rescue mission, said he had not been formally informed of the ship's findings. "One thing is for sure, up until this second, I have not received any report from the (Indonesian) liaison officers who were onboard the ship," he told The Associated Press. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Parts of the plane have been found The USNS Mary Sears, which has been helping hunt for the missing Boeing 737, detected a distinctive signal from the boxes on the ocean floor. The Adam Air flight, which went missing halfway through its flight from Java to Sulawesi, had 102 people on board. Parts of the plane have been washed up off the west coast of Sulawesi. The Mary Sears located signals "on the same frequency" as the flight recorders of the missing plane, the US embassy in Jakarta said in a statement. The ship also "detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area", which is being analysed to verify whether it is the missing aircraft, the statement added. HUNT FOR MISSING JET 1 Jan: Plane goes missing 2 Jan: Reports that wreckage has been found prove false 3 Jan: Search resumes 5 Jan: Search area is expanded 8 Jan: Metal spotted in sea 10 Jan: US ship joins search 11 Jan: Fishermen find debris 25 Jan: Flight recorders found Indonesia's transport perils Information from the flight recorders could help investigators determine the cause of the crash. Officials said the government would now have to decide whether to try and retrieve the boxes from the ocean bed. "We do not have the technology to retrieve the black boxes," Setio Rahardjo, chairman of the National Commission on Transport Safety told AFP news agency. "Assuming we have the funds, then we have to ask for a country who has sophisticated technology, such as the US," he added. Meanwhile, the search has entered the fourth week in the Java Sea for a ferry which sank at the end of December - about 300 passengers are still missing. \|\|\|\|\| Article from: Agence France-Presse A US Navy ocean survey ship has located the "black box" flight recorders from an Indonesian airliner which crashed on New Year's Day. The USNS Mary Sears detected ultrasonic pinger signals from the ocean floor on the same frequency as the black boxes from the missing plane, the US embassy said. "In subsequent sweeping of the ocean floor around the pinger location, the Mary Sears detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area and is currently analysing that debris to verify if it is from the missing aircraft," it said. The Adam Air Boeing 737-400 was carrying 102 passengers and crew when it disappeared halfway through its flight from Surabaya on the central island of Java to Manado on Sulawesi on January 1. Indonesia has mounted a massive air, land and sea search for the plane which has been concentrated off the western coast of Sulawesi. The Mary Sears and Indonesian navy ships had earlier detected large objects at a depth of over 1000 metres. A part of the tailfin, found by a fisherman, is the largest piece of debris from the airliner recovered so far. Dozens of small fragments of the plane and pieces of seats or folding tray tables have been washed up on the beaches and plucked from the sea, but no bodies have been found. Preliminary assumptions were that the plane did not explode in mid-air, but may have broken into pieces as it crashed into the sea, a member of the National Committee for Transport Safety has said. The search for the airliner was marred by an embarrassing mix-up when officials wrongly reported wreckage and survivors had been found on a mountainside a day after it went missing.	A flight data recorder. The United States military may have found the Black Boxes from a missing Indonesian jetliner that went missing on January 1, 2007. Using ultrasonic pinger signals, the USNS Mary Sears located debris on the bottom of the ocean that match the signal that they are using to find the boxes. "We have detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area," said the U.S. embassy in Indonesia in a statement. Other debris may also have been located at least 1,000 meters below the oceans surface. "During the search of the projected crash site of Adam Air Flight 574, the Mary Sears, using a Towed Pinger Locator, detected pingers on the same frequency of the black box associated with the missing airplane," added the statement. Despite the announcement, Indonesia's transport safety board denies receiving any reports that the boxes have been found. "One thing is for sure, up until this second, I have not received any report from the (Indonesian) liaison officers who were onboard the ship," said Indonesian air force commander who is in charge of the ongoing search to find the plane, Eddy Suyanto. The largest piece of the plane to be recovered so far, is the tail of the plane, which was discovered by a fisherman. Trays and seats have also been recovered, but so far none of the bodies of the passengers or crew have been found. The plane, a Adam Air Boeing 737-400 went missing, in flight from Surabaya, on the island of Java, to Manado on the island Sulawesi. All 102 people on board the plane are believed to have been killed. Just 1 day after the plane crashed, false reports that the wreckage was found on land and 12 survivors were found had began to circulate. The 12 people that were reported to have been survivors, turned out to be the remaining survivors of a ferry crash in the same area 4 days before the plane was reported missing. The cause of the crash is still not known, and investigations are ongoing.
A Franco-Canadian initiative, which has won broad backing as a swipe at US "cultural imperialism", could mean that countries will be able to subsidise domestic film industries and restrict foreign music and content on their radio and television stations in the name of preserving and promoting cultural diversity. The US, supported only by Israel, filed 27 amendments in an unsuccessful bid to water down the resolution, criticising it as "flawed", "ambiguous" and "protectionist". France, which has long defended its right to a "cultural exception", could barely conceal its delight. "We are no longer the black sheep on this issue," said the culture minister, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, adding that the text was "a clear recognition" that cultural goods such as film, TV programmes and music are not "merchandise like any other" and should be treated separately in world trade talks. Even Britain has abandoned its traditional allies in Washington by backing the majority line on the 40-page convention. This states that cultural goods and services have a "distinctive nature" and that states have a right "to maintain, adopt, and implement policies and measures they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory". The text, likely to be approved by a majority of Unesco's 191 member states, must be formally ratified by at least 30. It can then be applied in World Trade Organisation talks on cultural goods. The British ambassador to Unesco, Timothy Craddock, speaking for the EU, said the draft was "clear, carefully balanced, and consistent with principles of international law and fundamental human rights". \|\|\|\|\| President George W. Bush’s monumental decision to rejoin the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2003 caught both conservatives and liberals by surprise. After all, the U.S. had pulled out of that organization in 1984 because it had become bloated and grossly over-politicized. At every turn, it espoused policies that ran contrary to UNESCO’s founding mission to advance freedom, such as advocating a “new world information order” that in the end would curtail freedom of expression and of the press. Nevertheless, UNESCO had reformed considerably under Director-General Matsuura, President Bush argued upon rejoining, and it could be a vital forum for helping the U.S. combat the global tide of intolerance and oppression embodied by the Taliban. Many Americans swallowed their residual distaste for the organization to give it the benefit of doubt. Indeed, the Heritage Foundation and more than 50 other organizations accepted spots on the reconstituted U.S.-UNESCO National Commission to become more engaged in UNESCO’s efforts to spread freedom, understanding, education for all, and tolerance. This week, however, all that hope and all that multilateral goodwill—not to mention all the millions that the U.S. pays each year as UNESCO’s biggest benefactor—could be rebuffed. Despite the Bush Administration’s best efforts, other member states are expected to adopt a “cultural diversity” convention that regrettably is more about trade protectionism and cultural prejudice than cultural diversity and understanding. Instead of promoting the right of people to learn about other cultures—the “free exchange of ideas and knowledge” called for in UNESCO’s constitution—the draft convention actually will make it possible for countries to limit their citizens’ access to foreign goods, foods, services, art, and traditions that express different cultures so well. Article 8 of the current draft, for example, would allow parties to the convention to take “all appropriate measures to protect and preserve cultural expressions,” which is defined in Article 3 as “expressions that result from the creativity of individuals, groups and societies, and that have cultural content.” The State Department rightly argues that such definitions are so vague that theycould be misinterpreted to enable “impermissible new barriers to trade in goods, services, or agricultural products.” Such vagueness, combined with an authority to “protect,” invites abuse, particularly when it comes to trade. It is easy to imagine certain countries citing the convention to justify trade restrictions againstcertain books written in foreign languages, or even foreign wines, because they pose a threat to local “culture.” Imagine how much bolder such a convention will make countries like Burma, China, Iran, or Cuba, all of which are notorious for restricting freedoms, especially freedom of speech and of the press. China already forces Internet providers like Microsoft’s MSN to restrict access to the words “freedom” and “democracy” if they want to do business there. Oppressive Islamic regimes that reject Western values, arts, and humanities could use the convention to restrict all sorts of goods that they consider perverse. In Iran, teens have been arrested for dancing, and recently, the regime announced that women wearing their veils “improperly” would be “treated” like those who have no veil at all in public. Iran already goes to great lengths to “protect and preserve”its oppressive definition of Iranian cultural expressions. Those who work diligentlyto bring attention to human rights abuses and trade protectionism should be concerned. There already are concerns in Washington that some countries are trying to rush this convention through to use it against the United States at the upcoming World Trade Organization summit in Doha. That could explain why the U.S. is finding it difficult to modify Article 21, which obligates countries to “promote the principles and objectives of the Convention in other international forums.” And it could explain why the convention also mandates that countries not subordinate it to other treaties. The draft also calls for establishing an “International Fund for Cultural Diversity.” Never mind that that is what UNESCO was supposed to be in the first place. The fund would be financed in part by contributions taken from the general UNESCO budget—of which the United States pays 22 percent. If all these countries are so enamored with this convention, don’t they expect there to be enough voluntary contributions to cover whatever this fund is supposed to do? No nation should be required to support a treaty that it has not ratified. If the draft convention is not reworded to remove all objectionable language, the U.S. should withhold the portion of its UNESCO dues that would go to support this fund. Sadly, even our democratic allies support this deceptive convention that is likely to result in the suppression of free trade and political rights. France, UNESCO’s host country, sees the convention as a way to protect its wine and film industries from Californian competition. No surprises there. What is surprising is that Britain—which had pulled out of UNESCO back in 1984 over such misguided policies—appears ready to sign on, most likely because it now holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and wants to go along to get along. It also views the convention as merely a political statement. The Administration is right to fight this, and it will be right to walk away from the convention next week if others adopt it. Once such language is a part of the body of international law, it will be abused by those opposed to free markets, free speech, and freedom. The United States should not be willing to take that risk. Janice A. Smith is Special Assistant to the Vice President in, and Helle Dale is Deputy Director of, the Kathryn and Shelby Collum Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation. \|\|\|\|\| Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC October 11, 2005 The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is holding its General Conference in Paris, October 3-21. At the Conference, Member States will consider a draft convention entitled the "Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions". The United States believes that the draft text of the Convention that has been submitted to the General Conference was hastily drafted and its final consideration has been unnecessarily rushed. The United States is a multicultural society that values diversity. We are urging UNESCO Member States to take more time to address serious concerns raised by the draft Convention. Respect for Free Trade The United States is concerned that Member States could misinterpret the Convention as a basis for impermissible new barriers to trade in goods, services, or agricultural products that might be viewed as being related to "cultural expressions." The possibility that the current draft of the Convention could be misinterpreted in this way is due to: • vague definitions as to the scope of the Convention; • potentially sweeping provisions as to measures that parties may take to defend ill-defined cultural objectives; and, • an ambiguous provision on the relationship between the Convention and other international agreements, including those related to trade. The Convention should be redrafted so that it cannot be misinterpreted to authorize governments to impose protectionist trade measures in the guise of protecting culture. Respect for Human Rights and the Free Flow of Information The draft is ambiguous and contradictory in its treatment of the flow of cultural information and goods. Some paragraphs emphasize freedom of expression, information, and communication, while other paragraphs imply that there are acceptable governmental controls on such freedoms. For example, Article 8 of the draft authorizes states party to the Convention to take "all appropriate measures" to protect and preserve cultural expressions under serious threat. The U.S. believes that such an action-oriented provision needs to be carefully circumscribed to ensure that it could not be misinterpreted to justify measures that would interfere with human rights and fundamental freedoms. At a minimum, the Convention should be redrafted so that it cannot be misinterpreted to authorize measures limiting freedom of expression or restricting the flow of information. The United States is a culturally diverse country and a vigorous proponent of cultural diversity, which is based on individuals’ freedom to choose how to express themselves and how to interact with others. Governments deciding what citizens can read, hear, or see denies individuals the opportunity to make independent choices about what they value. 2005/938 Released on October 11, 2005	The United States has become increasingly isolated this week in its stance against a new treaty designed to protect and promote cultural diversity in the age of transnational media industries. The treaty, called the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions, was sponsored by Canada and France and has been negotiated by government delegates from over 180 countries in a 2-year consensus process. It is expected to be approved later this week by the plenary session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNESCO. The treaty grants individual countries a right "to maintain, adopt, and implement policies and measures they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory". This is designed to protect national cultural policy from 'free trade' agreements like the WTO/GATS, the Free Trade Area of the Americas, or bilateral trade negotiations. For example, the screenquota system in South Korea that requires Korean cinemas to show Korean films about 50% of the time, which supporters argue has nurtured the growth of the Korean movie industry, would likely be eliminated if audiovisual services were brought into the WTO - as the United States Trade Representative has proposed. Other countries, like France and Canada have similar policies in place to support their local artists and film industry. Promoters of the treaty argued that it will allow countries to promote and maintain cultural diversity. The British ambassador to UNESCO characterized the draft as "clear, carefully balanced, and consistent with principles of international law and fundamental human rights". The United States government criticized the treaty on the grounds it would encourage trade protectionism and could serve as a justification for repressive governments to control their media systems. Condoleezza Rice wrote letters encouraging governments to oppose the treaty. The United States stood largely alone in that position. Last Monday night, the United States was only joined by Israel to vote for some last minute amendments brought in by the U.S., whereas 151 nations voted for the original wording of the treaty. Australia and Kiribati abstained.
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates to Step Down From Day to Day Role June 15 (Bloomberg) -- Bill Gates will step down from his day to day role running Microsoft Corp. starting in July 2008, three decades after founding the company that grew to become the world's largest software maker. Gates, 50, will remain chairman after that. Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will become chief research and strategy officer, the Redmond, Washington-based company said in a statement distributed by PR Newswire. \|\|\|\|\| >TELL A FRIEND >PRINTER FRIENDLY >SUBSCRIBE TO PORTFOLIO E-MAIL Attention Business And Technology Editors: Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates Working full time at Microsoft through June 2008, Gates then will continue as chairman and advisor while increasing Foundation efforts; Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie to assume expanded roles. REDMOND, Wash., June 15 /CNW/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that effective July 2008 Bill Gates, chairman, will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The company announced a two-year transition process to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities, and said that after July 2008 Gates would continue to serve as the company's chairman and an advisor on key development projects. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO ) The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, to ensure a smooth transition. Similarly, Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company's research and incubation efforts; Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft's intellectual property and technology policy efforts. "Our business and technical leadership has never been stronger, and Microsoft is well-positioned for success in the years ahead. I feel very fortunate to have such great technical leaders like Ray and Craig at the company," Gates said. "I remain fully committed and full time at Microsoft through June 2008 and will be working side by side with Ray and Craig to ensure that a smooth transition occurs." "This was a hard decision for me," Gates added. "I'm very lucky to have two passions that I feel are so important and so challenging. As I prepare for this change, I firmly believe the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever." In September 2005 Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer organized the company into three divisions under presidents Jim Allchin, Kevin Johnson, Robbie Bach and Jeff Raikes, who were given much greater responsibility for product development and strategy decisions within their respective businesses. In August 2005 the company appointed Kevin Turner as chief operating officer. "Bill and I are confident we've got a great team that can step up to fill his shoes and drive Microsoft innovation forward without missing a beat," Ballmer said. "We will continue to hire the world's best technical talent and give them the tools to do their best work, and we will continue to tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities for our customers by investing for the long term." Ballmer and Gates noted that Microsoft has been steadily expanding its senior leadership in recent years, and that today's announcement continues a transition process that has been underway for several years. In January 2000, Gates assumed the role of chief software architect and Ballmer assumed the role of CEO, responsible for all day-to-day operations and company business strategy. "This is a very sensible and thorough approach. A two-year transition will ensure that the company has a smooth transfer of strategy and knowledge from Bill to the next generation of leaders," said James I. Cash, Ph.D., member of the Microsoft board of directors and former James E. Robison Professor, Harvard Business School. "Steve and his management team are very impressive, and I'm confident the company will not miss a step." Ozzie, 50, worked on the first electronic spreadsheet, VisiCalc, in the early 1980s, then joined Lotus Development Corp. in 1983 to develop Lotus Symphony, an MS-DOS(R)-based integrated software management product that combined word processing, spreadsheet, business graphics, data management and communications capabilities. In 1984, Ozzie formed Iris Associates Inc. to develop Lotus Notes. In 1997 Ozzie founded Groove Networks, where he developed Groove Virtual Office. Microsoft acquired Groove Networks in April 2005 and named Ozzie chief technical officer. Mundie, 56, joined Microsoft in 1992 to create and run the Consumer Platforms Division, which was responsible for developing non-PC platform and service offerings including the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE operating system; software for handheld PCs, Pocket PCs and Auto PCs; and early telephony products. Mundie also started Microsoft's digital TV efforts and acquired and managed the WebTV Networks Inc. subsidiary. Mundie is also the original champion of the Trustworthy Computing Initiative at Microsoft, which has influenced Microsoft's software development strategy. His current responsibilities also include global technology policy and a variety of technical and business incubation activities. Ozzie and Mundie will continue to report to Gates. At an appropriate time during the two-year transition period, they will shift to reporting to Ballmer. Gates, 50, started Microsoft in 1975 with childhood friend Paul Allen. He took Microsoft public in 1986 and was the company's chairman and CEO until 2000, when Ballmer took over as CEO. For the past six years Gates has focused on Microsoft's software development as the company's chairman and chief software architect. In 2000, with his wife, he formed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, whose assets now are $29.1 billion. Founded in 1975, Microsoft has pioneered many of the software innovations that paved the way for the digital information revolution and launched the PC industry. Beginning with MS-DOS, Microsoft's first operating system, and continuing with products such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows and Xbox(R), the company has developed a broad range of software, services and solutions that have transformed the way people work, communicate and play. Microsoft has 63,000 employees in more than 100 countries and generates annual sales of more than $40 billion (U.S.). With products for desktop PCs, servers and mobile devices, Microsoft continues to be the worldwide leader in helping people and businesses realize their full potential. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. NOTE: Microsoft, Windows, MS-DOS and Xbox are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. NOTE TO EDITOR: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspas /For further information: pr.mspx./ /CONTACT: Rapid Response Team of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-503-443-7070, or rrt@waggeneredstrom.com, for Microsoft /Web Site: http://www.microsoft.com/ MICROSOFT CORP. - More on this organization Quotes & Charts News Releases (12) Photo Archive MSFT(AMEX) >TELL A FRIEND >PRINTER FRIENDLY >SUBSCRIBE TO PORTFOLIO E-MAIL	200px Bill Gates will step down from his daily roles at Microsoft by July 2008. Gates, who founded the company, has been running it for three decades now. Gates plans to spend more time working on health and education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Taking place immediately, Ray Ozzie, Chief Technical Officer, will assume the title of chief software architect. Also happening immediately, Craig Mundie, Chief Technical Officer, will become chief research and strategy officer. Gates said "Our business and technical leadership has never been stronger, and Microsoft is well-positioned for success in the years ahead. I feel very fortunate to have such great technical leaders like Ray and Craig at the company. I remain fully committed and full time at Microsoft through June 2008 and will be working side by side with Ray and Craig to ensure that a smooth transition occurs." Gates, who will remain chairman of the corporation, also said he believes "the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever."
The Pirate Bay Back Online June 3, 2006 Thomas Mennecke On May 31, 2006, BitTorrent as many people know it came to a grinding halt. The Swedish National Criminal Police raided Rex\|Port80, the home of The Pirate Bay and at least 200 other domains. The raid disrupted The Pirate Bay, throwing much of the BitTorrent community into chaos. News of The Pirate Bay's resurrection comes as little surprise. The Pirate Bay spokesperson "brokep" promised Slyck.com the site would resolve under a different country's flag if an immediate resolution could not be reached in Sweden. “We are not sure when it will return, but we are moving it to another country if necessary,” brokep told Slyck.com. It appears The Pirate Bay has made good on its promise, as it has reestablished itself in the Netherlands. Currently, its indexing capabilities are somewhat reduced from its former self, however should improve once news spreads of its resurrection. However, this bewilderment would prove temporary as The Pirate Bay is once again online. True to its defiant nature, The Pirate Bay is again indexing many of the same .torrent files that made it wildly popular.News of The Pirate Bay's resurrection comes as little surprise. The Pirate Bay spokesperson "brokep" promised Slyck.com the site would resolve under a different country's flag if an immediate resolution could not be reached in Sweden.“We are not sure when it will return, but we are moving it to another country if necessary,” brokep told Slyck.com.It appears The Pirate Bay has made good on its promise, as it has reestablished itself in the Netherlands. Currently, its indexing capabilities are somewhat reduced from its former self, however should improve once news spreads of its resurrection. Digg this article. You can discuss this article here - 265 replies \|\|\|\|\| Swedish 'The Pirate Bay' demo p2p news / p2pnet: Piratpartiet, Piratbyrån, Grön ungdom, Liberala Ungdomsförbundet and Ung vänster organized a one-hour demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, in response to the raid on The Pirate Bay when more than 100 servers were seized. "The demands of the demonstration were that the Swedish goverment, instead of criminalizing more than one million of their citizens should seek a compromise in the issue," says a Pirate Watch post. The lamescream media are reporting that the Swedish police were behind the bust, which temporarily closed TPB down. The instigator, however, was Hollywood's MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), which now routinely uses tax-payer funded international law enforcement agencies to do its corporate dirty work. The actions do, "nothing to stop the pirates [counterfeiters], and everything to stop normal people enjoying things the[y] have legitimately (not to mention the fact the industry isn't loosing anthying [sic] by it)," posts Spike on the Pirate Watch site. " If the pirate party had any balls whatsoever, they'd just call for a boycott," says an anonymous post, going on, "Course, that would mean sacrifice, and most persons involved in this fiasco don't seem willing to do so. Perhaps they're all a lot of whiny childish hypocrites." But, " Wait... a boycott of what?" asks another comment. "Their own government? The police?" Outrage was aimed at Swedish minister of justice Thomas Bodström, "who gave in to American orders," states the poster, adding, "do you propose that they boycott the law in general and just start murdering people to accomplish their goals?... Personally I'm just slightly disapointed [sic] international protests weren't organized." Digg this story. Also See: Pirate Watch - Pictures from the piracy demonstration, June 03, 2006 Swedish police - Return of the Pirate Bay, June 1, 2006 p2pnet newsfeeds for your site. rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss Mobile - http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php NOTE: p2pnet is being sued by Sharman Networks and Nikki Hemming, ceo of p2p application Kazaa. "The suit is a little odd, since P2PNet.net is a champion of peer-to-peer file-sharing, which is the same business that Kazaa is in," says The Globe & Mail. If you'd like to help p2pnet, or find out more, please go here. Other stories on p2pnet.net:	200px Swedish site The Pirate Bay is back online following the Swedish police raid of their office on May 31. Pirate Bay has previously announced on their website that they "will be up and fully functional within a day or two". A Pirate Bay spokesperson identified as brokep told Slyck News that if necessary, they'd reopen in another country. The reopened website is currently hosted in the Netherlands. The web page titles have been changed to ''The Police Bay'' and the indexing capability is reduced, with the search function disabled, though this is expected to change. All searches are now returned with the error message: :No hits due to politics :The search function will be back later today Searches can still be done with Google and other search engines by adding site:thepiratebay.org to the search. Most attempts at downloading .torrent files resulted in error messages during the first hours after the site went back online, however torrent downloads seem to be working fairly well now. Currently 11:00 a.m. June 6 , The Pirate Bay seems to be back and operational, but downloads still aren't working too well; you may be able to, you may not. There's probably a lot of traffic right now.
3.16pm ET 15:16 Hello and welcome. For Chile and Argentina, tonight’s the night: can a golden generation do what golden generations repeatedly don’t, and march off with a trophy? It’s been 22 years since Argentina last won a major international trophy, which, for a side of their calibre, is patently absurd. All that quality, and nothing to show! Since Gabriel Batistuta et al beat Mexico 2-1 in 1993, they’ve lunged, flailed, and mispunched in tournament play, but this evening they can end two decades of disappointment and actually win a cup. They’ve been slowly moving through the gears here in Chile, and they looked ominous in a 6-1 semi-final tonking of Paraguay on Wednesday. Chile beware. Hosts Chile – and this is truly ridiculous – have never won anything. One hundred and five years, more than 750 games, and their trophy cabinet is empty, barren and sad. But this is a team that bristles with spunk and skill, and tonight, led by their hugely impressive coach Jorge Sampaoli, they have the chance to make history. Win, and Santiago is going to be a party. Lose, and those cases of Chilean Merlot may very well stay corked. It’s the final of the 2015 Copa América, and it’s live from the national stadium in Santiago. Kick off is 4pm ET, 9pm BST, it should be a cracker – and I’d love you to join me. \|\|\|\|\| Chile secured the first major trophy in their history on home soil courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Argentina in the Copa America final. Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez slotted in the winning spot-kick after Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain fired over and Ever Banega was denied by Claudio Bravo. Higuain had earlier missed from close range after 90 minutes of few chances. Sanchez came closest in extra time for Chile, who scored all four of their penalties in the shootout. Where Chile held their nerve, Argentina wilted in the shootout at the end of a performance that fell well short of the heights they reached in their 6-1 semi-final win over Paraguay. Le Albiceleste are without a major trophy in the last 22 years since winning the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador. BBC World Service's Richard Padula in Santiago "It was a game in which the destroyers kicked, grappled and smothered the playmakers. Messi wasn't given a yard of space as Chile stifled Argentina's attack. In that regard Jorge Sampaoli's game-plan worked perfectly. Apparently he'd studied hours of tapes of Barcelona in action to discover the key to stopping Messi. "But throughout the tournament the Chileans have shown a strong will-to-win, which at times could even be described as dirty. Jara's finger the perfect case in point. They out-fought Uruguay and stamped out Argentina's goal menace." Chile make history Chile's victory brought an end to almost a century of competing in the Copa America without claiming a title. They were one of four teams who played in the very first tournament in 1916 in Argentina but the best they had done until this year was runner-up, which they have achieved on four occasions (1955, 1956, 1979 and 1987). Chile end a century of hurt Chile won their first Copa America after 173 games played in this competition, dating back to the first tournament in 1916. The Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos was a cauldron of noise on Saturday, full of flag-waving red-clad home supporters, some of whom had reportedly paid up to $25,000 for tickets. They were not treated to a dazzling attacking display from their side but rather one of drive, discipline and, ultimately, composure, epitomised by the industrious and energetic Sanchez and Charles Aranguiz. How the shoot-out unfolded Both sides scored their opening penalty, with Matias Fernandez emphatically finding the top corner for Chile before Lionel Messi sent his kick low into the bottom corner. However, after Arturo Vidal had powerfully dispatched Chile's second, Higuain blazed his effort way over the bar. Charles Aranguiz made it 3-1 to the hosts and it remained that way as Ever Banega's tame effort was palmed away by the diving Claudio Bravo. Sanchez showed supreme composure to chip his effort down the middle and in to win the game and the competition for his side. Missing Messi Following Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Germany last summer, four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi once again missed out on his first major international medal. He put in a supreme showing in the Copa America semi-final demolition of Paraguay, playing a part in all six of his nation's goals, but on Saturday he was largely on the periphery throughout, with his most significant contribution being a trademark run towards the Chile box to set up a wasted chance for Higuain in the final minute. The 28-year-old is not entirely to blame for his failure in Santiago. His team-mates did little to create the space the forward needs to be effective, not did they find him with the regularity he is used to when playing for his club. Credit must also go to Chile, who were quick to close him down whenever he did receive the ball in a threatening position. More horror for Higuain Napoli forward Higuain was criticised for missing a superb chance in the World Cup final defeat to Germany in Brazil last summer and he was once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons on Saturday. He was guilty of spurning an opportunity to win the game for his side in the last minute of normal time when he failed to turn in Ezequiel Lavezzi's low cross at the back post. And his penalty miss - Argentina's first in the shoot-out - was that of a player whose confidence and composure has deserted him. It handed Chile an advantage they would not relinquish. 'We left our life on the field' Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal: "This is a dream come true, this team deserves something like this. "We left our life on the field. Chilean people needed this joy and we managed to give it to them. "We'll fight a lot in the next World Cup. This generation of players deserved this." Lineup, Bookings (7) & Substitutions (5) Chile 01 Bravo 04 Isla 05 Silva Booked 17 Medel Booked 15 Beausejour 08 Vidal 21 Díaz Booked 10 Valdívia (Fernández - 75' ) (Fernández - 75' ) 20 Aránguiz Booked 07 Sánchez 11 Vargas (Henriquez Iturra - 95' ) Substitutes 02 Mena 03 Albornoz 06 Fuenzalida 09 Pinilla 12 Garcés 13 Rojas 14 Fernández 16 Pizarro 19 Gutiérrez 22 Henriquez Iturra 23 Herrera Argentina 01 Romero 04 Zabaleta 15 Demichelis 17 Otamendi 16 Rojo Booked 06 Biglia 14 Mascherano Booked 21 Pastore (Banega - 81' Booked ) (Banega - 81' ) 10 Messi 11 Agüero (Higuaín - 74' ) (Higuaín - 74' ) 07 Di María (Lavezzi - 29' ) Substitutes 02 Garay 03 Roncaglia 05 Gago 08 Pereyra 09 Higuaín 12 Guzmán 13 Casco 18 Tévez 19 Banega 20 Lamela 22 Lavezzi 23 Marchesín Ref: Wilmar Roldán \|\|\|\|\| USA Albania - Kategoria Superiore 2015/2016 Algeria - Championnat Mobilis de Ligue 1 2015/2016 American Samoa - FFAS Senior League 2014 Andorra - Lliga Nacional 2014/2015 Angola - Girabola 2015 Anguilla - AFA Senior Male Football Tournament 2014/2015 Antigua and Barbuda - ABFA Premier League 2014/2015 Argentina - Primera A 2015 Armenia - STAR Premier League 2014/2015 Aruba - Subway Cup 2014/2015 Australia - Hyundai A-League 2015/2016 Austria - Tipico-Bundesliga 2015/2016 Azerbaijan - Topaz Premyer Liqasi 2014/2015 Bahamas - BFA Senior League 2014/2015 Bahrain - Bahrain League 2014/2015 Bangladesh - Bangladesh Premier League 2015 Barbados - Digicel Premiere League 2015 Belarus - Vysshaya Liga 2015 Belgium - Jupiler Pro League 2015/2016 Belize - Premier League of Belize 2015 Clos Benin - Division 1 2014/2015 Bermuda - Premier Division 2014/2015 Bhutan - Coca Cola National League 2013/2014 Bolivia - Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano 2015 Clau Bosnia and Herzegovina - Premijer liga 2014/2015 Botswana - BeMobile Premier League 2014/2015 Brazil - Série A 2015 British Virgin Islands - BVIFA National League 2013/2014 Brunei Darussalam - DST Super League 2015 Bulgaria - A PFG 2015/2016 Burkina Faso - Première Division 2014/2015 Burundi - Primus League 2014/2015 Cambodia - Metfone Cambodian League 2015 Cameroon - League 1 2015 Canada - Amway Canadian Championship 2015 Cape Verde Islands - Campeonato Nacional Grupo Tecnicil 2014/2015 Cayman Islands - CIFA Premier League 2014/2015 Chad - Championnat National 2013 Chile - Primera División 2015 Torn China PR - Chinese Super League 2015 Chinese Taipei - National Urban League 2014 Colombia - Liga Águila 2015 Liga Comoros - Championnat des Comores 2014 Congo - Championnat National MTN 2014 Congo DR - Division 1 2014/2015 Cook Islands - CIFA Premiership 2014 Costa Rica - Primera Division Verano 20 Côte d'Ivoire - Ligue 1 2014/2015 Croatia - MAXtv Prva Liga 2015/2016 Cuba - Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol 2015 Curacao - Liga MCB 2015 Curacao - Sekshon Pagá Cyprus - Glafkos Klerides Championship 2014/2015 Czech Republic - Synot liga 2015/2016 Denmark - ALKA Superliga 2015/2016 Djibouti - Championnat national de la 1ère division 2014/2015 Dominican Republic - Liga Dominicana de Fútbol 2015 Ecuador - Copa Pilsener Serie A 2015 Egypt - Egyptian League 2014/2015 El Salvador - Liga Pepsi 2015 Clau England - Barclays Premier League 2015/2016 Estonia - A. 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MLS 2015 Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan Professional Football League 2015 Vanuatu - National Super League 2014 Venezuela - Liga Movistar 2014/2015 Vietnam - Eximbank V.League 1 2015 Wales - Dafabet Welsh Premier League 2015/2016 Yemen - Yemen League 2013/2014 Zambia - MTN/FAZ Super Division 2015 Zimbabwe - Premier Soccer League 2015	On Saturday, host nation Chile defeated Argentina 4–1 over penalties in the , which was held in located in the Chilean city of Santiago, to clinch the title for the very first time. File photo of Alexis Sanchez, who scored the winning penalty of the tournament. The first half saw 3 . In total, both halves, 49 fouls were committed. Nobody scored in the first half of the match. Chile had 57% possession of the ball. The second half saw 4 yellow cards, but neither team could find the net. Since the second half ended in 0–0, the match proceeded to . Gonzalo Higuaín missed some chances to score a goal for Argentina. Argentina has not won any major trophy in the past 22 years. Chile began the penalty-shootout. Chilean players converted each penalty kick into goal, whereas except for FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi, no other Argentine could score a penalty. Misses by Higuaín and turned out to be costly for Argentina and the final strike by Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez sealed the victory by the host nation. Chilean captain won the golden glove trophy and won top scorer award. ==Match details== GK '''1''' () '''5''' '''21''' Marcelo Díaz '''17''' '''4''' '''20''' '''8''' Arturo Vidal '''15''' '''10''' '''11''' '''7''' '''Substitutions:''' '''14''' '''22''' '''Manager:''' GK '''1''' '''4''' '''15''' '''17''' '''16''' '''6''' '''14''' '''21''' '''10''' Lionel Messi () '''11''' Sergio Agüero '''7''' '''Substitutions:''' '''22''' '''9''' Gonzalo Higuaín '''19''' '''Manager:''' '''Man of the Match:''' Arturo Vidal (Chile) ''':''' Alexander Guzmán () Cristian De La Cruz (Colombia) ''':''' () ''':''' Christian Lescano ()
GLAAD -- Bravo to Bono TMZ just got this statement from Neil G. Giuliano, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD): "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people," said Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "Coming out as transgender is an extremely personal decision and one that is never made lightly. We look forward to hearing Chaz's story in his own words in the future." "GLAAD encourages media outlets to cover this story accurately, and to avoid speculation about the details of Chaz's story before he is ready to tell it in his own words." "The GLAAD Media Reference Guide and the Associated Press Stylebook call on media to use the name and pronoun preferred by the transgender person - in this case, referring to him as Chaz and using male pronouns." Filed under: Chastity Bono \|\|\|\|\| Chastity Bono, daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono, is undergoing gender reassignment surgery, his publicist confirmed to ABCNews.com. The daughter of TV celebrities Sonny and Cher is going to become a man. More Photos "Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," Howard Bragman said. "He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago. "We ask that the media respect Chaz's privacy during this long process as he will not be doing any interviews at this time," Bragman added. Bono, an LGBT civil rights advocate, journalist, author and musician, began the process of changing his gender earlier this year, following his 40th birthday. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has already voiced its support of him. "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people," GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in a statement to reporters. "Coming out as transgender is an extremely personal decision and one that is never made lightly." Bono revealed to his parents that he was a lesbian at age 18 and wrote about the experience in his 1998 memoir, "Family Outing." In 2002, Bono wrote "The End of Innocence," a second memoir about coming out, his music career, and his partner's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.	The child of singer Cher and the late Sonny Bono, Chaz Bono (born Chastity), will undergo a sex change operation, according to a spokesperson. "Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He hopes that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago," said Howard Bragman, Bono's publicist. Bono, a journalist, gay rights activist, singer, actor and author, was 18 when she came out to his parents as a lesbian, and was outed publicly two years later by a tabloid magazine. She wrote a memoir titled ''Family Outing'' that her mother Cher was not happy about. She says Cher banned her from their apartment for some time after coming out. Eventually Cher reconciled the issue within herself and the two repaired their relationship. Bono, 40, was most recently seen on television in 2006 on the reality show ''Celebrity Fit Club'' to lose weight and to give up smoking. According to Bragman, Chaz began the transition from female to male in early 2009. LGBT groups were quick to support Bono's transition, with GLAAD announcing in a press release, "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people".
1. During June and July 2008 six young Arab men, two of them Israeli citizens and four residents of East Jerusalem , were detained by the Israeli security forces. The six, some of them students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem , were members of a closed religious network in Jerusalem which planned to set up an Al-Qaeda network and carry out terrorist attacks against Israel . On July 18 they were indicted in the Jerusalem district magistrate's court. 2. The six are: i) Ibrahim Nashef , 22, from Taibeh , studying physics and computers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem . ii) Muhammad Nijm , 24, from Nazareth , studying chemistry at the Hebrew University . iii) Yussuf Sumarin , 21, from Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem . iv) Anis Shweiki , 21, from Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem . v) Kamal Abu Qweidar , 22, from Jerusalem 's Old City . vi) Ahmad Shweiki , 22, from the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem . 3. Interrogation of the six revealed that they belonged to a radical Muslim group which customarily met in Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem . They planned to establish an Al-Qaeda network in Israel to implement the organization's ideology. In February 2008 the group joined Al-Qaeda. Its leader was Yussuf Soumarin , a resident of Jerusalem and a former political prisoner who had recently been released from an Israeli jail. 4. The network's activities consisted of enlisting operatives and planning terrorist attacks in Israel (which were not carried out). Muhammad Nijm , a Hebrew University student, lived in a student dormitory and surveilled a helicopter landing pad near the university's stadium. He used his cellular phone to photograph helicopters landing and taking off. He also asked an Al-Qaeda-affiliated Internet site about the possibility of downing President Bush's helicopter . In January 2008, after having collected the information, he decided to try to down the helicopter of an important public figure landing on the pad (at that time, President Bush was visiting Israel ). 5. The six absorbed their radical Islamic ideology from various Internet sites, some of them affiliated with Al-Qaeda . Instructions for manufacturing explosives and explosive devices downloaded from the Internet were found in some of their computers. It is yet another example of the intensive use Al-Qaeda and other jihad groups make of the Internet for indoctrination and operations, including the enlisting and activating of terrorist operatives around the world. 2 6. The group's exposure is another in a series of recent discoveries of Israeli Arab groups which support radical Islamic ideology and plan to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel . In that context, it should be noted that two residents of the Bedouin town of Rahat , members of the Islamic Movement, were recently detained. They had used the Internet to contact global jihad and Al-Qaeda networks, and even collected information for them about possible Israeli targets. 3 \|\|\|\|\| The indictments filed on Friday at The Jerusalem District and Magistrates' Courts against six Israeli Arabs on charges of planning to build an al-Qaeda infrastructure in Israel came as a shock to residents of the northern Arab Israeli town of Tayibe. The news that 22-year old local resident Ibrahim Nashef was part of the terror cell caught his neighbors by surprise. Indicted 6 Israeli Arabs charged with operating al-Qaeda cell / Efrat Weiss Hebrew University students indicted of trying to build terror infrastructure in Jerusalem. One of suspects allegedly collected information in attempt to shoot down helicopter carrying senior official during US President Bush's visit to Israel Full story Hamas we would somehow fathom and understand that this was a small local terror organization, but being part of al-Qaeda - that’s a big thing, very big. “Now it all makes sense, although we are surprised by his arrest,” said the resident. “He’s not someone known as a troublemaker…on the contrary, he is a quiet introverted guy who couldn’t be suspected of anything of this kind. “ \|\|\|\|\| VIDEO - Cleared for publication: The Shin Bet and the police have arrested six Israeli Arabs, four of them residents of east Jerusalem, on suspicion of planning to operate an al-Qaeda cell in Israel Among the suspects are students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Enemy Within 2 Israeli al-Qaeda suspects detained / Efrat Weiss Two members of Islamic Movement indicted on charges of affiliation with terror organization following joint Shin Bet, police operation; suspects supplied handlers with sensitive information about strategic facilities Full story The six suspects were identified as: Ibrahim Nashef, 22, of Tayibe, a physics and computer sciences student at the Hebrew University; Muhammas Najem, 24, of Nazareth, a chemistry student at the Hebrew University; Yusef Sumarin, 21, of the Jerusalem village of Beit Hanina; Anas Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Jabel Mukaber; Kamal Abu Kwaider, 22, of Jerusalem's Old City; and Ahmed Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Shuafat. All the suspects were charged with membership in a terror organization. Some of them will be tried for aiding the enemy at a time of war, possessing propaganda material in favor of a terror organization, soliciting and attempting to solicit others to join a terror organization. Video courtesy of infolive.tv According to the indictments filed against them Friday, the six used to meet at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. They surfed al-Qaeda websites containing radical Islam content, where they also found instructions for the production of explosive devices. Taking an interest in Bush's chopper One of the detainees lived in the Hebrew University dorms which overlook the university's landing ground. According to the suspicions, he watched the landing ground in January 2008, during US President George W. Bush's visit to Israel. He also allegedly looked for instructions for shooting down a landing helicopter on the internet, and took pictures of the landing choppers using his cellular phone. The six were arrested in a joint police and Shin Bet operation between the months of June and July. About two weeks ago, two residents of the southern Israeli town of Rahat were indicted Wednesday for allegedly being al-Qaeda operatives. Taher and Omar Abu-Sakut, who are registered members of the Islamic Movement, were arrested following a joint Shin Bet, police and Border Guard operation that took place in June. Raanan Ben-Zur contributed to this report	(''Illustration'') Muhammad Nijm , a Hebrew University student living in a student dormitory, surveilled a helicopter landing pad near the university's stadium, taking pictures with his cell phone. The Israel security forces have recently arrested six Israeli Arabs, four of them residents of east Jerusalem, on suspicion of planning to operate an al-Qaeda cell in Israel. The six, which include Hebrew University students, were indicted of trying to build terror infrastructure in Jerusalem and planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel, including an attack on a helicopter carrying a senior official during US President Bush's visit to Israel. Some of the suspects will be tried for aiding the enemy at a time of war and for soliciting and attempting to solicit others to join a terror organization. They were all charged with membership in a terror organization. One of the detainees, who lived in the Hebrew University dorms which overlook the university's landing ground, has recorded helicopter landings in the area using his cell phone and also, allegedly, looked for instructions for shooting down a landing helicopter on the internet. The six suspects were identified as: * Ibrahim Nashef, 22, of Tayibe, a physics and computer sciences student at the Hebrew University; * Muhammas Najem, 24, of Nazareth, a chemistry student at the Hebrew University; * Yusef Sumarin, 21, of the Jerusalem village of Beit Hanina; * Anas Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Jabel Mukaber; * Kamal Abu Kwaider, 22, of Jerusalem's Old City; and * Ahmed Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Shuafat.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it was ready to lend to countries hit by the raging global credit crunch and had activated an emergency financing mechanism first used in the 1990s Asian crisis. The Fund already sent a mission to Iceland, where the government has seized control of its largest bank, and has warned that the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Great Depression could inflict lasting economic harm on the world. “Yesterday I activated emergency procedures of the IMF to respond quickly ... based on streamlined conditionality,” IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn told a news conference. “We are ready to answer any demand by countries facing problems,” he added. After several years of no major crises in emerging economies, the move puts the IMF’s board of member countries and staff on alert that the Fund will have to respond quickly if a country needs financial help. It also puts the global financial firefighter more at the forefront of the current financial crisis following months of being on the sidelines. Panic over toxic, illiquid U.S. mortgage loans has sapped confidence in financial institutions, forced governments to pledge hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money and pushed Western and other central banks to deliver their first coordinated interest rate cut. Slideshow ( 3 images ) Speaking ahead of IMF and World Bank meetings of world finance leaders in Washington this weekend, Strauss-Kahn said the main task for policy-makers was to restore confidence and calm global markets. Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank chiefs also meet in Washington on Friday to consider their options. The IMF’s emergency facility was created in 1995 as a way of speeding up the approval of loans to countries in peril. It was first used in 1997 to help the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea end crushing runs on their currencies during the Asian financial crisis. The IMF, which played a central role in the bailouts of countries in Asia and Latin America in the 1990s, relied on lending to fund its operations. But with fewer crises over the years, it had faced a growing income deficit, prompting an agreement in April to sell some of its gold stocks and invest profits in government and corporate bonds. The IMF has about $200 billion immediately available to lend to countries in need but can tap other sources. This is small compared to the trillions of dollars central banks and governments have poured into the financial system over the past few weeks. Slideshow ( 3 images ) UNDER PRESSURE Emerging markets are under pressure again after strains in the United States and Europe spread. Investors are fleeing their securities for safer assets, foreign banks are cutting lending and the countries’ exporters are braced for weaker demand from Western consumers. Strauss-Kahn renewed calls for more coordinated steps to calm panicky markets beyond the unprecedented simultaneous action of central banks on Wednesday to cut interest rates. He said the global economy was on the cusp of recession but with quick and forceful action, the spreading crisis could be contained. “All kinds of cooperation has to be recommended. All lonely acts have to be avoided, if not condemned,” he said. His calls for more coordination were backed by World Bank President Robert Zoellick who said he hoped a meeting of Group of Seven industrial nations on Friday will indicate they “are getting ahead of the curve.” He said while countries will take different actions, tailored for their own circumstances, they should coordinate beyond just the G7 members to target the same basic problems. “The actions need to be coherent and reinforcing,” he said, referring to Wednesday’s simultaneous rate cut by central banks. \|\|\|\|\| IMF Survey Magazine: In the News Subscribe INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE Quick, Forceful, Cooperative Action Needed on Crisis—IMF IMF Survey online October 9, 2008 Crisis marked by regulatory, supervisory failures in advanced economies National plans should include recapitalization of financial institutions Cooperation across countries key to effective resolution of crisis Problems in the financial markets and in the global economy can be solved "if we act quickly, forcefully, and cooperatively,"IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said. He told a press briefing ahead of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings that the international financial architecture had failed to adapt to globalized financial markets. World economic and financial authorities are gathering in Washington for the October 13 Annual Meetings after weeks of turmoil in global equity and financial markets. They will discuss possible further steps to solve the crisis. Strauss-Kahn said the global financial crisis had been marked by important regulatory and supervisory failures in advanced economies, in the risk management frameworks of major private financial institutions, and in market discipline mechanisms. The world is on "the cusp of a global recession," but if countries act together, the world economy would recover, he stated. On October 8 the IMF unveiled a gloomy forecast for world growth, saying that the world economy is entering a major downturn in the face of the most dangerous financial shock in mature financial markets since the 1930s. Strauss-Kahn at news conference ahead of IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings: "There is no domestic solution to a crisis like this one" (IMF photo) Strauss-Kahn noted that emerging market economies had been affected by the crisis as trade was hit by slowing growth in advanced economies and as credit lines were cut. The IMF had activated emergency procedures to respond quickly to requests for support with high-access financing, based on streamlined conditionality that focused on crisis response priorities. Coordinated action Four principles drawn from the IMF's experience in handling past crises had been discussed by the IMF Executive Board, Strauss-Kahn said. • State action needs to have a clear objective so that effective oversight of how public money is used is possible. • National plans need to be comprehensive: they should provide liquidity from central banks, contain guarantees to depositors and assurances to creditors and, most important, include recapitalization of financial institutions. • Action should be coordinated, at the global level and at regional level, as with the recent coordinated central bank action on interest rates. • Taxpayers should be able to share upside risks once the crisis passes. The need for recapitalization was well understood on both sides of the Atlantic, Strauss-Kahn said, but he added that cooperation was less evident. He urged European countries to work together: "There is no domestic solution to a crisis like this one." Seven IMF messages Strauss-Kahn said the IMF had seven messages to convey on action to counter the global financial crisis: • All kinds of policy cooperation are to be commended. Unilateral actions should be avoided. • The crisis is serious and protracted, but a slow recovery should begin in the second half of 2009. • Following the activation of its emergency lending procedures, the IMF is ready to answer any request for support from countries facing problems. • While the IMF welcomed fiscal and monetary action to calm the turmoil, macroeconomic policies had to be combined with action on the financial front. • Policymakers should not forget "the other crisis"—the effects of the surge in food and fuel prices. Advanced countries should not respond to the financial crisis by cutting aid to the poorest and most vulnerable countries. • Authorities need to draw lessons from the crisis for financial regulation and supervision, including issues such as fair value accounting, changing rating agency behavior, closing loopholes in regulations, and filling gaps in information. "We need to come up with practical advice on how governments and central banks can use macroeconomic policies to puncture asset bubbles in good times." • The global financial architecture needs to be revamped to meet the need of 21st century globalized markets. Failure to adapt Strauss-Kahn said policymakers should not wait until the end of the current crisis before acting. The global financial architecture had clearly failed to adapt to globalized financial markets. The architecture's legitimacy and effectiveness had been called into question. "Legitimacy means that all countries have to be involved in the solution, because they are all involved in the problems. Effectiveness means we have to use the experience that has been accumulated in the international financial institutions, and that they follow up," Strauss-Kahn said. Strauss-Kahn illustrated his key messages with a slideshow. Click on the slides below to see the show or download (pdf) the presentation now. Comments on this article should be sent to imfsurvey@imf.org	made his comments at a press briefing. The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the world is on the brink of a global recession but predicts the economy will begin to recover by late 2009. , Managing Director of the IMF, stressed nations must work together to avert a global recession and warns there is "no domestic solution" to the crisis. He also said this week's coordinated interest rate cuts around the world are a good example of the international cooperation needed to restore faltering economies. Furthermore, he announced the IMF has activated an emergency program Wednesday that allows the fund to provide loans more easily and quickly to emerging countries in economic trouble. This program was first used during the . The program might be used in Iceland, which has seen major problems hitting the financial sector. Iceland has been forced to nationalize the three largest banks and, most recently, . The IMF chief made these remarks in on Thursday, as top officials from IMF nations and the G-7 industrialized countries are gathering for meetings on economic issues. U.S. President is set to meet with G-7 finance ministers at the White House on Saturday.
Sunshine Coast Grammar School. FORMER students of one of the Coast's most prestigious private schools have launched a scathing attack on a staff restructuring which they claim will make 21 teachers redundant. Members of the Sunshine Coast Grammar alumni have not ruled out staging a placard-waving protest at the gates of the school in a bid to force a backdown. The angry reaction follows an announcement of changes to the school's teaching staff. The school wants its teaching staff to be “less top-heavy”. It wants more teachers back in front of classes. Grammar principal Nigel Fairbairn, who announced the changes to staff on Friday, said it meant a reduction in the overall number of “added responsibility” positions such as heads-of-school. New positions would be created and the responsibilities redistributed, he said. As former students launched a string of attacks yesterday, Mr Fairbairn denied any redundancy notices had been issued. However, he could not say how many of the 21 teachers who held positions being restructured were guaranteed a job next year. “That will depend on how many people on that list apply for new positions of responsibility and are successful,” he said. “I can say that there are a number of those staff we desperately want on our team next year.” At least four of the teachers affected have been at the school since it first opened in 1997. A former prefect, speaking on behalf of the Grammar alumni, said those teachers had stood by the school during a period of turmoil in the late 1990s when it was revealed founding principal John Burgess had been guilty of two counts of carnal knowledge dating back to 1979. “They were the backbone of the school when that happened,” the former prefect said. “They got it through that crisis and this is the thanks they get.” Despite Mr Fairbairn's claims that most staff and parents were relieved the “tough decisions” had been made, the alumni spokeswoman said outrage was growing. The Daily received a number of angry letters from former students while several voiced their feelings on the Daily's wesbite and an almuni Facebook page. “People are angry and shocked,” the former prefect said. “I am aware of at least 10 families who have said they will pull their children out of the school – it's that bad.” A former Grammar school captain who also contacted the Daily, said she was “appalled” “Those teachers did so much for us when we were at school and really don't deserve what has happened. They deserve more respect than that,” she said. Both said they could not rule out protests at the school gates. “It's getting to that stage,” the former prefect said. “People are trying to look at it in an intelligent way but there is so much anger out there.” Mr Fairbairn said he had not heard of any threats of protests or student withdrawals and had received less than 10 emails and a handful of phone calls. The Independent Education Union of Australia said it was asking the school to delay advertising the restructured positions until urgent talks could take place on the validity of the changes. Read more... Grammar to adopt a new structure \|\|\|\|\| SUNSHINE Coast Grammar School will trim its management structure in a bid to get more teachers back into the classroom. The changes follow a year-long strategic review of the school’s delivery of teaching and learning, including consultation with staff and an independent survey of parents. Grammar principal Nigel Fairbairn said while the overall number of “added responsibility” positions would be cut, new positions would be created and responsibilities redistributed without cutting student resources, subjects or extracurricular activities. He said he had personally met with staff members to explain the restructure. Letters outlining the changes had been sent home to parents. “Most staff are relieved we made the hard decisions but obviously there have been some mixed emotions from staff who are directly impacted on,” Mr Fairbairn said. “There has been the full range of grief one expects when there is major change but nothing we hadn’t anticipated. All of the positions of added responsibility being abolished will remain in place until the end of the 2010 school year and we have offered support services to affected staff to assist them to apply for new roles.” Mr Fairbairn said the school’s highest priority had always been providing high quality teaching and learning for its students and the restructure was designed to best meet students’ needs and align with the 2011 adoption of the new Australian Curriculum. “We really want to make sure teaching and learning are our priority. People want to see teachers in front of classes. “The responsibilities of each of the roles being abolished will be redistributed to new and existing roles and students and programs will not be disadvantaged. “We are not cutting subject choices and extracurricular activities, but retaining a student-driven curriculum that integrates with the new Australian Curriculum, in keeping with our commitment to teaching and learning opportunities.” \|\|\|\|\| Queensland education unions sign historic friendship agreement with Shanghai Education Union The Independent Voice November 2002 Volume 2 Number 8 page 4 QIEU and the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) recently signed a friendship and co-operation agreement with the Shanghai Education Union which will not only strengthen the respective unions but also promote greater understanding between union members in the two countries. The Shanghai Education Union (SEU) represents over 240,000 members from kindergartens, elementary, middle and senior schools and universities and has a well founded reputation as a strong advocate for the interests of its members. The Friendship Agreement signed in Shanghai on 28 October 2002 commits the three unions to exchange information on industrial and professional issues and to support and further the work of the signatory unions. QIEU President Miriam Dunn said the co-operative agreement with the Shanghai Education Union was not only an opportunity to build a relationship with a union well placed to take a role in the economic development of China but also enables our union to support the co-operative activities of many Queensland schools in China. As part of the visit to sign the agreement the QTU/QIEU delegation visited a number of schools with exchange agreements with Australian schools. QIEU General Secretary Terry Burke said it was a pleasure to meet up with two teachers from St Mary's Ipswich (Poppy Masselos and Fiona Vail) at Weiju Middle School which has established a co-operative relationship with St Edmunds and St Mary's Ipswich. "The schools in China clearly appreciate the benefits of these relationships and Australian schools and teachers are having a very positive impact on the pedagogy and curriculum development in these schools," he said. \|\|\|\|\| Employment Information The Sunshine Coast Grammar School is proud of its dedicated and hard-working staff and we wish to attract more of the best staff to our school. All applications should include a completed Application Form, current CV and the names of two professional related referees ADMINISTRATION APPLICATIONS TO: BUSINESS MANAGER Sunshine Coast Grammar School, 372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556 email: Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 4401 BUSINESS MANAGERSunshine Coast Grammar School,372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556email: dwilliams@scgs.qld.edu.au Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 4401 ACADEMIC APPLICATIONS TO: HEAD OF STAFFING (ACADEMIC) Sunshine Coast Grammar School, 372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556 email: Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 449 HEAD OF STAFFING (ACADEMIC)Sunshine Coast Grammar School,372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556email: mlloyd@scgs.qld.edu.au Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 449 SCGS Current Vacancies We currently have the following positions available: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER We seek the services of a highly motivated and technically qualified person to fulfill the following full time position at Sunshine Coast grammar School: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER Get More Info... YEAR 7 TEACHER Due to growth in our Middle & Senior Schools, the following positions have become available for the commencement of the 2008 school year: YEAR 7 TEACHER Get More Info... SNR MATHS / IPT TEACHER Due to growth in our Middle & Senior Schools, the following positions have become available for the commencement of the 2008 school year: SNR MATHS / IPT TEACHER Get More Info... PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR(Yr7-12) Due to growth in our Middle & Senior Schools, the following positions have become available for the commencement of the 2008 school year: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR (Yr7-12) (must also be able to teach Christian Studies) Get More Info...	This article's primary contributor, Patrick Gillett, is an of Sunshine Coast Grammar School. The Sunshine Coast is a region approximately 95 km (60 miles) north of the state capital, Brisbane. ''Wikinews'' has obtained a list of middle management teaching staff allegedly made redundant, or laid off due to restructuring, by (SCGS), in Queensland, Australia. Sources say that those staff have been told that they can apply for new positions that have opened up. The list, published on the SCGS alumni Facebook page, contains the names of twenty-two staff members, eight of which taught this article's primary contributor. Seventeen positions are reportedly being opened up by the private Christian school, eight of which seem to significantly overlap the old ones. The changes are, apparently, designed to get teachers back into the classroom. "We are not cutting subject choices and extracurricular activities, but retaining a student-driven curriculum that integrates with the new Australian Curriculum, in keeping with our commitment to teaching and learning opportunities," said headmaster Nigel Fairbairn. Fairbairn could not guarantee that any of the staff would be given a position in 2011. “That will depend on how many people on that list apply for new positions of responsibility and are successful,” he said. "The Head of the School cannot guarantee the 21 staff a job at the School in the future, with many of the positions being advertised to external applicants," said Terry Burke, secretary for the Independent Education Union of Australia Queensland branch (Queensland Independent Education Union, QIEU). "There has been little or no consultation with affected staff, who should not have to reapply for their jobs," he said. "Most of the proposed restructuring is highly questionable and places at risk the high quality education at the School." Some former students responded angrily to the news. Four of the affected teachers "were the backbone of the school when controversy surrounded founding headmaster John Burgess happened," a former prefect (student leader) said. "They got it through that crisis and this is the thanks they get." "People are angry and shocked," they continued. "I am aware of at least 10 families who have said they will pull their children out of the school – it's that bad." The student body has not ruled out protesting the schools plans. "It's getting to that stage," the former prefect said. "People are trying to look at it in an intelligent way but there is so much anger out there." ''Wikinews'' understands that Fairbairn attracted criticism when he was a head teacher in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a former student claimed that Fairbairn "replaced the open and welcoming culture ... with the tyrannical and oppressive one."
Fri 26 May 2006 The substance is used by predators to drug victims because it has no taste and no colour. Picture: Colin Hattersley UK's biggest date rape drug haul UK's biggest haul of date rape drug GHB made in West Lothian Two arrested in Livingston and charged with exporting the class C drug GHB odourless and colourless, and is used for date rape and robbery Key quote "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people. This is not an urban myth, we get 800 to 900 new victims calling us every year." - SPOKESMAN, SUPPORT GROUP Story in full DRUG campaigners and women's groups have expressed alarm after the UK's biggest haul of the date rape drug GHB was made by Scottish police. It is understood a metric tonne of gamma-butyro lactone, which becomes GHB when ingested, was discovered after raids on a house and business premises in West Lothian. The drug is commonly used for recreational purposes by people involved in the club scene, but is also known to be used by sexual predators as a rape drug. It has been described as the sexual predator's drug of choice because it has no taste and no colour. The discovery of such a large quantity of the substance, which is produced and consumed in liquid or powder form, has prompted significant concern from women's groups and campaigners. Jane Cumming, the director of trauma support group Crisis, said they were now receiving about four calls a week from women who believed they had been victims of date rape. "It used to be we would get maybe one case a week. It's becoming more and more of a problem. The drug may be produced for recreational purposes but there are also other, more sinister purposes. "The potential for that amount of the drugs out on the streets simply doesn't bear thinking about." Tom Wood, the chairman of the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action, warned: "It is very concerning to find such a haul because it shows the quantity of drugs in circulation." Police said they believed the drug had been produced for distribution in Scotland and for export. Graeme Pearson, director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), said: "It is the most significant discovery of the drug in the UK." He said GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, was a "dangerous substance in its own right". "However, it has a history of being reported to be used for the purposes of rape, which is clearly a more sinister element to its use. The agency is pleased it has been able to intervene at a very early stage and report the circumstances to the procurator-fiscal." The Roofie Foundation, which runs a helpline for victims of drug rape, said it was "gobsmacked" by the amount of GHB that had been seized. Graham Rhodes, a spokesman, said: "It must have been a vat of the stuff. This stuff sells in bottles at around £10 a time. "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people. This is not an urban myth, we get 800 to 900 new victims calling us every year." Two people were arrested on Wednesday following an operation led by investigators from the SCDEA in Livingston. Denise Caron Macpherson, 45, and Hanan Rabin, 53, yesterday appeared in court charged with exporting the GHB derivative to the United States between 19 April and 24 May this year. They were also accused of supplying the substance from Macpherson's home in the Craigshill area of Livingston between the same dates. A Hebrew interpreter will have to be found to continue the case against Rabin, from Edinburgh, today, a Crown Office spokesman said. Macpherson, who was also charged with possession of cannabis, made no plea or declaration and was bailed. The Home Office made GHB illegal in 2003, reclassifying the drug to class C status. Odourless substance can be disabling when taken with alcohol GHB is a colourless, odourless, salty-tasting liquid usually sold in small bottles or in powder form as capsules. Developed in the early 1960s as an anaesthetic, it became popular in dance and rave culture, raising concerns over its use as a "date rape" drug applied to both women and men. Usually used recreationally as a depressant with effects similar to alcohol, a small dose accentuates the user's mood, making them happy, relaxed and uninhibited or more depressed. It takes about ten minutes to an hour to take effect and lasts up to a day. GHB (its full name is gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is also known as liquid ecstasy, liquid X and GBL. It can be used by body builders as an alternative to anabolic steroids, and is used as a slimming or sleeping aid. Taken in strong doses or with alcohol, it can be physically disabling. Large doses can cause numbness, disorientation, seizures and collapse. After use there is a lack of energy for hours, or even days. It is similar to gamma amino butyric acid, which occurs naturally in the brain. GHB is a Class C drug. It is illegal to possess, supply or produce it and the maximum penalty for offenders is two years' imprisonment. Related topics \|\|\|\|\| '); //--> E-mail \| Print \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters \| My Yahoo! \| RSS Drug Use a Factor in Two-Thirds of Sexual Assaults THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Drug use was a factor in nearly 62 percent of sexual assaults, and nearly 5 percent of victims were given "date-rape" drugs, a new U.S study finds. "In some cases, the substances are taken voluntarily by the victims, impairing their ability to make decisions. In other cases, the substances are given to the victims without their knowledge, which may decrease their ability to identify a dangerous situation or to resist the perpetrator," study author Adam Negrusz, an associate professor of forensic sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, said in a prepared statement. His team's study included 144 sexual assault victims who sought help at clinics in Texas, California, Minnesota and Washington state. The victims in this study ranged in age from 18 to 56, with a mean age of about 27 years. They provided two urine samples and a hair specimen, and also provided information about the sexual assault and any drugs they were using. "The urine and hair specimens were analyzed for about 45 drugs that have either been detected in sexual assault victims or whose pharmacology could be exploited for drug-facilitated sexual assaults," Negrusz said. The study found that nearly 62 percent of the victims had at least one of the 45 analyzed drugs in their system, about 5 percent tested positive for "classic" date-rape drugs, and just over 4 percent had been drugged without their knowledge. About 35 percent of the victims were impaired due to voluntary drug use at the time of the sexual assault. "This study demonstrated the need for toxicological analysis in sexual assault cases. It also demonstrated that sexual assault complainants severely underreport their illegal drug usage. This could be corrected if the administering nursing staff was better educated on taking a truthful drug history," Negrusz said. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Justice, and can be accessed via the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. More information The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about sexual assault. More On This Topic Article Controls E-mail \| Print \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters \| My Yahoo! \| RSS '); //-->	Scottish police have arrested a man and a woman after finding Britain's largest ever stash of Gamma-butyrolactone. The man in charge of the operation, Graeme Pearson, director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, called the find "the most significant discovery of the drug in the UK." The drug GHB in powder form Denise Caron MacPherson, 45, and Hanan Rabin, 53, have been charged with exporting the drug, also known as GHB, to the United States between 19 April and 24 May. The news of the Scottish factory comes as a US study found drug use was involved in two-thirds of sex attacks, while 5 per cent were given an actual "date rape" drug. Graham Rhodes for The Roofie Foundation, a helpline for victims of drug rape, said: "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people." Used by ravers, robbers and bodybuilders, the base chemical (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) was taken during a raid on a house and business in West Lothian. The haul would have been put on the United States illicit drug market and sold for fun and more sinister purposes. In its non-powder form GHB is barely detectable: clear and having no smell it can be particularly potent with a few drops mixed into an alcoholic drink. Once a sufficient amount of the salty liquid has been ingested the victim can be knocked out within an hour. While GHB is known both as "liquid ecstasy" and the date rapist's "Plan A", the versatile compound is also used by body builders instead of anabolic steroids, by dieters and as a sleeping aid. In Britain, GHB is a "Class C" drug which means making it, holding it and selling it is punishable with up to two years in prison. The effects of rape, for which the drug is reportedly used, can last a lifetime. Jane Cumming, from support group Crisis, said she received an average of 4 calls a week from people claiming to be victims of date rape. The pair, who were caught in Livingston, were accused of distributing the drug in Scotland from MacPherson's house around the same time as they were exporting to the United States, while MacPherson was also charged with Cannabis possession.
INDEPTH: SPONSORSHIP SCANDAL Gomery report: Major Findings CBC News Online \| November 1, 2005 The following list of findings is taken from the summary document of "Who is Responsible?" released Nov. 1, 2005 by the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities. The Commission of Inquiry found: Clear evidence of political involvement in the administration of the Sponsorship Program. Insufficient oversight at the very senior levels of the public service, which allowed program managers to circumvent proper contracting procedures and reporting lines. A veil of secrecy surrounding the administration of the Sponsorship Program and an absence of transparency in the contracting process. Reluctance, for fear of reprisal, by virtually all public servants to go against the will of a manager who was circumventing established policies and who had access to senior political officials. Gross overcharging by communication agencies for hours worked and goods and services provided. Inflated commissions, production costs and other expenses charged by communication agencies and their subcontractors, many of which were related businesses. The use of the Sponsorship Program for the purposes other than national unity or federal visibility because of a lack of objectives, criteria and guidelines for the Program. Deliberate actions to avoid compliance with federal legislation and policies, including the Canada Elections Act, Lobbyists Registration Act, the Access to Information Act and Financial Administration Act, as well as federal contracting policy. A complex web of financial transactions among Public Works and Government Services Canada, Crown Corporations and communication agencies, involving kickbacks and illegal contributions to a political party in the context of the Sponsorship Program. Five agencies that received large sponsorship contracts regularly channelling money, via legitimate donations or unrecorded cash gifts, to political fundraising activities in Quebec, with the expectation of receiving lucrative government contracts. Certain agencies carrying on their payrolls individuals who were, in effect, working on Liberal Party matters. The existence of a "culture of entitlement" among political officials and bureaucrats involved with the Sponsorship Program, including the receipt of monetary and non-monetary benefits. A pattern of activity whereby a public servant in retirement did extensive business with former recipients of Sponsorship Program contracts. The refusal of Ministers, senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and public servants to acknowledge their responsibility for the problems of mismanagement that occurred. ^TOP Jobs \| Contact Us \| Help \| RSS Terms of Use \| Privacy \| Copyright \| Other Policies Copyright © CBC 2005 \|\|\|\|\| Liberals operated kickback scheme: report Printer Friendly (Page 1 of 2) Top News Canadian gov't could topple as NDP yanks support US charges Canadian Guantanamo detainee France plans curfews as youths riot again Australia foils terrorist attack Canada's Air India bomb report expected this month By Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Members of Canada's ruling Liberal party ran an elaborate kickback scheme to illegally fund election campaigns, but Prime Minister Paul Martin knew nothing about the wrongdoing, a report into a damaging government corruption scandal said on Tuesday. Inquiry head Judge John Gomery highlighted greed, incompetence, carelessness and venality as the main problems in a deeply flawed government advertising program to promote Canadian unity in French-speaking Quebec from 1996 to 2003. He pinned some of the blame on former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. A defiant Chretien said he would ask the Federal Court to review Gomery's conclusions, saying the judge was biased against him. The scandal has dominated Canadian politics and headlines for the past 18 months, and public anger cost the Liberals their parliamentary majority in the June 2004 election. Opposition politicians reacted with outrage on Tuesday to Gomery's report, released after a year of hearings on how the advertising program channeled some C$100 million to pro-Liberal advertising firms. Martin, who ordered the inquiry, asked police to investigate and told the Liberal Party to repay more than C$1 million. He said he found the conclusions troubling. "Canadians must be able to have faith in the integrity of government and in the people who administer it. In this case, that means finding out what went wrong and repairing the system to prevent it from happening again," he said. Martin appeared to have dodged the prospect of a confidence vote in Parliament this month after opposition parties expressed reluctance about the idea. But he still faces an election early next year, and he will find it hard to win enough Liberal seats in Quebec to give him a majority government. The party's fortunes in the province plummeted last year after the scandal broke. Gomery said a handful of Quebec advertising firms had received lucrative federal contracts and then kicked some of the money back to the Liberal Party's Quebec wing, enabling it to sidestep electoral financing laws. Stephen Harper, leader of the opposition Conservatives, said Martin -- finance minister at the time of the sponsorship program -- had no option but to resign. Continued ... © Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved. 1 \| 2 Next	Justice John Gomery has released a preliminary report into Canada's Sponsorship Program, which was run from 1996 to 2003 by the federal Public Works Department to win support for federalism in Quebec. The program has recently come under fire for allegedly scandalous practices and has been accused of being a front to reward Liberal Party supporters. The issue came to a head in the spring of 2002, when the Globe and Mail, using Canada's Access to Information Act, discovered that $550,000 had been paid to Groupaction Marketing for a report that could not be located. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien then ordered Auditor General Sheila Fraser to look into the matter, who promptly launched a full investigation with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 2004, Fraser's audit was released and found that over $100 million was incorrectly paid to communications agencies rather than for social and cultural events which was the original intention of the program. According to Fraser, officials "broke just about every rule in the book." Under intense criticism from both the public and opposition parties Prime Minister Paul Martin launched a public inquiry into the scandal which was to be headed by Justice Gomery. The report found evidence of political involvement in the handling of the program, and found an "implicit link between the contributions and the expectation that the government contracts would be awarded." The report also claims that Chrétien holds some personal responsibility for the mismanagement. "Since Mr. Chretien chose to run the program from his own office," the report reasoned "he is accountable for the defective manner in which the sponsorship program and initiatives were implemented." Among those accused of wrongdoing are Jean Pelletier (Chrétien's former chief of staff), Chuck Guité (the bureaucrat in charge the program), Jacques Corriveau (president of PluriDesign Canada), and Jean Brault (president of Groupaction).
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Heavy snow and high winds have caused traffic chaos across Germany with at least three deaths reported nationwide. Conditions closed some motorways and caused long traffic jams on many others. North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes the cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf, recorded 300 accidents on Friday night and Saturday morning. Public transport in some areas has been shut down and police have advised people not to travel if possible. The traffic chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia led to one death and 40 more people injured, while in Bavaria another two people were killed on frozen roads. Flights at some airports were cancelled or delayed. With many roads almost impassable, some Germans used alternative transport Sport hit Bus services in the northern city of Rostock were suspended and sports fixtures cancelled after 30cm (12in) of snow fell in one night. Police warned motorists that if they got stranded they might have to wait hours for help. "People should just stay at home," a spokesman said. But despite the weather, some intrepid Germans were determined to enjoy the weekend. In Hamburg hundreds of families skated across the frozen Alster Lake, which forecasters said was a once in a decade phenomenon. \|\|\|\|\| Sudden and heavy snowfalls have hit Germany, bringing traffic chaos to the nation's roads and leaving at least three people dead. Police are advising drivers to stay at home. Heavy and rapid snowfall left roads in parts of Germany impassable, with three lives lost as a result of the blizzards. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone, police said that there had been at least 300 accidents that could be put down to snow and ice. One man in the region was killed, apparently after getting out of his car following an accident and being hit by another vehicle. Two people in Bavaria died in separate traffic accidents attributed to the weather, both colliding with oncoming vehicles. The northeastern state of Mecklenburg Pomerania, where ground snow has remained since mid-December, was hit hardest. Major highways were closed after trucks jack-knifed and railway lines were shut until they could be cleared. Cars were left buried in roads and even snow clearance vehicles became stranded. "People should just stay at home" In the city of Rostock, bus services were suspended and the second division city football team Hansa Rostock was forced to cancel its game with FC Union Berlin. "The ground is unplayable: we've had 30 centimeters of new snow and the blizzard hasn't finished," said soccer club spokesman Karsten Lehmann. There were traffic delays on many highways across the country while at airports some flights were late or even cancelled. Police warned motorists to keep off roads unless travel was absolutely necessary and that stranded drivers might wait hours for help. "People should just stay at home," a spokesman said. rc/dpa/AP/Reuters Editor: Andreas Illmer \|\|\|\|\| Published: 30 Jan 10 16:07 CET More than 25 centimetres of new snow disabled traffic throughout northern Germany on Saturday, particularly in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Baltic islands have been cut off. ADVERTISING The low pressure front known as "Keziban" has brought more brutal winter weather to Germany. Storms, new snow and several-metre-high snowdrifts have disrupted rail and road traffic throughout northern Germany. One Interior Ministry spokesman said that conditions were "even more drastic" that the storm front "Daisy" from a few weeks ago in some areas.Hundreds of road accidents have been reported throughout Germany, with around 70 cars apparently stuck on the roads of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The entire public transport system in the town Rostock has been shut down, as have several rail services in the area.Ferry services to and from Germany's Baltic Sea islands have also been partially shut down, with the island of Hiddensee completely cut off.The police and rescue services have been severely hindered by the weather, and the police have appealed to the population to avoid unnecessary journeys. The German Weather Service extended its storm warnings to huge parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the morning, and warned against entering wooded areas, where the weight of the snow threatens to bring down many trees.All football matches in the state have been cancelled, including Hansa Rostock's second division match against Union Berlin.The extreme weather has extended to other states. A total of 42 people were injured in around 300 accidents reported in North Rhine-Westphalia, and a man was killed on the A16 motorway near Bedburg. The A33 motorway has been closed between Paderborn-Sennelager and Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock.A driver was also killed in Bavaria after his car skidded off an icy road, while a truck crashed on the A21 in Schleswig-Holstein, blocking the motorway for several hours.	Heavy snow combined with high winds has caused at least three deaths, with major travel disruption throughout much of Germany. Several motorways were closed, with long traffic jams on many others. As flights were delayed and rail travel cancelled, the police of North Rhine-Westphalia recorded over three hundred accidents, with a total of 42 injured people, during Friday night and into Saturday, with one death as a result of a man stepping out of his car and into the path of another after a motorway accident. Cars were abandoned, and even the gritters were stranded. In the north of Germany, as much as 25cm of snow immobilised the transport network whilst police and other emergency services struggled to cope. Football matches have been cancelled across the entire nation, and ferry services to the Baltic Sea islands cancelled, with at least one completely cut off. The Alster Lake in Hamburg froze over, prompting hundreds of citizens to skate across it, in what meteorologists say happens just once a decade.
Crashed helicopter found on sea floor, recovery planned RCMP name 12 of 17 killed in crash off Newfoundland's east coast Mike Cunningham said a TSB team hopes to raise the sunken Cougar Helicopters aircraft early next week. (CBC) Mike Cunningham said a TSB team hopes to raise the sunken Cougar Helicopters aircraft early next week. (CBC) The Transportation Safety Board has confirmed the location of an oil industry helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic southeast of Newfoundland on Thursday, killing 17 of 18 people on board, while authorities identified many of the dead. "It looks like the fuselage is relatively intact," lead investigator Mike Cunningham told CBC News on Saturday afternoon after an underwater remote-operated vehicle confirmed the location of a Cougar Helicopters aircraft that went down in the frigid Atlantic waters. "It is laying on the bottom, on its side. The tail boom of the helicopter is broken off, but it is laying right beside the rest of the fuselage." The bodies were not, as yet, located, said Cunningham, but families had been notified. The search for the missing turned to a recovery effort as the sun set Friday evening, about 34 hours after the shuttle, carrying oil industry workers, went into the water about 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's. RCMP, meanwhile, gave the names of 12 of the deceased in Thursday's crash. The other families were "not prepared at this point of time to release the names of their loved ones, and we respect that," said Supt. Reg Reeves. One of the two crew members of the helicopter was identified as Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, B.C. The 11 passengers, all but two from Newfoundland and Labrador, were identified as: Peter Breen, 55, St. John's. Gary Corbett, 46, Conception Bay South. Wade Drake, 42, Fortune. Wade Duggan, 32, Witless Bay. Colin Henley, 38, St. John's. Ken MacRae, 47, Greenwood, N.S. Derrick Mullowney, 51, Bay Bulls. Burch Nash, 44, Fortune. Paul Pike, 49, Spaniard's Bay Allison Maher, 26, Mount Pearl, formerly of Aquaforte. Thomas Anwyll, 46, of Langley, B.C. Maher's body was pulled from the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, shortly after a frantic search began for survivors. Her funeral will be held Monday. Only one person, Robert Decker, who works at the White Rose oilfield, survived the crash. He remains in critical but stable condition in hospital in St. John's and is being treated for multiple injuries. Reeves said most family members are not willing to give interviews at this time. "They would like to have some privacy and respect," Reeves told reporters. 'Fairly large anomaly' led to chopper find Earlier in the day, Cunningham told a media briefing that a TSB sonar scan had found "a fairly large anomaly," which investigators believed was the Cougar Helicopters aircraft that crashed. At that time, authorities were hoping for a positive identification of the aircraft. Cunningham said the initial sweep showed the ground floor was largely flat and featureless. Underwater remote-operated vehicles were in the water Saturday afternoon to glean more information about the helicopter, which may still contain the bodies of the missing. The TSB has assembled a team of 20 people, including five experts from the U.S. who specialize in helicopters, to work on the investigation. Cunningham said Canadian military officials have volunteered their assistance. He said the Atlantic Osprey supply ship was also carrying RCMP investigators, as well as officials from Cougar Helicopters and Sikorsky, the chopper's manufacturer. "If everything goes well, if Mother Nature co-operates with us, if nothing goes against us, we're hoping that we may lift that aircraft out of the water on Monday or Tuesday," Cunningham said. He added that once the fuselage is recovered, the team will "very respectfully" remove the bodies from the fuselage. \|\|\|\|\| A Canadian Forces CH-149 Cormorant helicopter operates above the vessel Maersk Nascopi earlier today during the search for survivors after a Cougar Sikorsky S 92 ditched into the Atlantic Ocean some 47 nautical miles southeast of St. John's, Newfoundland.The Cougar helicopter was moving passengers from the mainland to an Hibernia oil rig approximately 170 nautical miles from St John's; 18 persons were reported on board. Military and civilian aircraft have been searching the scene as well as two Coast Guard vessels and two commercial vessels operating on the surface One survivor and one deceased have been confirmed. The search is expected to continue through the night. Canada has one the best search and rescue systems in the world and everything possible is being done in the search for survivors of the ditched helicopter. Photograph by: Sergeant Steve Rutt, 413 Squadron, Canadian Forces Edmonton - A 47-year-old employee of Edmonton company FGG Inspections was aboard a helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland last week. Ken MacRae was a senior analyst technician heading out to Husky Energy’s Sea Rose offshore oil drilling facility Thursday to do an inspection, FGG general manager Ron Gulliver said from Newfoundland on Saturday. MacRae once lived in Fort Saskatchewan, Global News Edmonton learned. Most recently, he worked out of the company’s Edmonton head office but kept his home in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. He had a wife and four children. “His family’s having a real rough time,” said Gulliver, speaking on their behalf. “I’ve known Kenny for a long, long time,” he said, adding they were good friends before MacRae joined the tight-knit company about five years ago. “It’s a great loss to all of us,” Gulliver said. “We were all best friends. We’re all just trying to cope with this.” At work, MacRae was a “highly capable” leader. In his downtime, he was a laid-back outdoorsman who especially loved to hunt and fish, Gulliver said. Before joining FGG, he served with the Canadian Air Force as a mechanical inspector. Eighteen people were in the helicopter when it went down. One man survived, and the body of Allison Maher, a 26-year-old woman from Newfoundland, was recovered Thursday. On Saturday, RCMP in Newfoundland identified MacRae and 10 others as victims of the crash. Those who have been identified are: First Officer Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, B.C.; Thomas Anyll, 46, of Langley, B.C.; Peter Breen, 55, of St. John’s; Gary Corbett, 46, of Conception Bay South, N.L.; Wade Drake, 42, of Fortune, N.L., Wade Duggan, 32, of Witless Bay, N.L.; Colin Henley, 38, of St. John’s; Derrick Mullowney, 51, of Bay Bulls, N.L.; Burch Nash, 44, of Fortune, N.L.; and Paul Pike, 49, of Spaniard’s Bay, N.L. RCMP spokesman Reg Reeves it was a partial list, but some families still haven’t agreed to publicly release the names of missing loved ones. “A lot of those people . . . I’ve seen their faces every morning,” said Cougar Helicopters base operations manager Hank Williams. Cougar is contracted to transport workers to and from Newfoundland’s offshore oilfields. “There’s some there that I think have been at the facility as long as I have been involved in the offshore work here,” Williams said. In a funeral notice in the St. John’s Telegram Saturday, Allison Maher’s family said the young woman “died tragically . . . Leaving to mourn parents Richard and Marjorie Maher, brother Brian (Melissa), grandmother Madeline Maher, boyfriend Greg Matthews and many aunts and uncles and her co-workers on The Sea Rose and many friends and relatives.” “She was a beautiful girl,” said 62-year-old Anita Armstrong, who lives in Witless Bay with some members of Maher’s family. Armstrong said there was a pall over the villages along the coast. “Now the thing is they’ve got to find the bodies, before there’s any release,” Armstrong said. “It’s like a cloud over the place. There’s nobody talking very much about it.” Only Maher’s body has been found so far, but a spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board, which is now spearheading the investigation, said recovering those bodies is a priority. “It’s very important for us to bring that kind of closure to retrieve the bodies and give them to their loved ones,” said Charles Laurence, TSB’s lead investigator of operations. He said investigators Saturday were examining sonar images of the wreckage to determine how best to raise the helicopter from where it lies 120 metres underwater. “The structure of the aircraft, the body of the aircraft seems to be in relatively solid state. The tail section has broken off and it is lying by the side of the aircraft which is not a problem,” Laurence said. “We are still evaluating how it’s going to be brought to the surface but we believe it should be done relatively easily, possibly in a couple of days.” Laurence said lifting the helicopter may take place as early as Monday, but the retrieval has to proceed with extreme caution. “You don’t want to lose parts, and you want to make sure you keep the integrity of the cabin and its contents,” he said. “We’re also very eager to find out what went wrong.... The recorders, both the data and the voice recorders, are really an important step in investigating an aircraft accident like this.” The goal will be to lift the whole of the fuselage as one piece, before bodies can be removed. Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Cunningham said he expects the missing 16 passengers are still strapped inside the Sikorsky S-9. “They’re very securely fastened inside the fuselage..” he said. “They actually have five-point harnesses on. So unless they were able to release those harnesses . . . the bodies may still be within the fuselage. “This is certainly what we’re hoping for. Because we want to be able to recover those bodies for the families.” The lone survivor of the crash, Robert Decker of St. John’s, was pulled from the water where the helicopter went down about 45 minutes after the crash. He remains in hospital in St. John’s in critical but stable condition, with salt in his lungs, a broken bone and hypothermia. “He was revived for a period of time on Friday and showed awareness of his surroundings and the family members who were with him,” his family said in a statement released Saturday. “However, the ventilator prevented him from speaking. He continues to be heavily sedated and in stable, but critical, condition.” bgelinas@thejournal.canwest.com © Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal \|\|\|\|\| No signals from locator beacons in crashed helicopter: officials A Sikorsky S92 helicopter flown by Cougar Helicopters crashed Thursday morning while en route to the White Rose and Hibernia oilfields. (Cougar Helicopters) A Sikorsky S92 helicopter flown by Cougar Helicopters crashed Thursday morning while en route to the White Rose and Hibernia oilfields. (Cougar Helicopters) Hours after a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southeast of St. John's, officials have still not received any locator signals from the beacons attached to survival suits the people aboard were wearing. A search and rescue operation will continue throughout the night for the 16 people still missing, out of a total 18 who were on board when the Cougar Helicopters chopper went down Thursday off Newfoundland, officials said during a news conference. (CBC) (CBC) "At this time, all we’ve got is the debris field. No indications of any survivors, but the search will continue, and obviously, we’ll hope for the best," said Maj. Denis McGuire, a spokesman for the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax. One man, Robert Decker, was recovered alive from the area where the Sikorsky S92 chopper, known as Cougar 911, crashed. Searchers also brought back the body of one person killed in the crash to St. John's. No further details were released. Two empty life-rafts were also found near the crash site. The helicopter was heading to two offshore oilfields. At about 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:48 a.m. ET, its crew issued a mayday and an alert about technical problems, saying there was a main gearbox oil-pressure problem and requesting clearance to return to St. John's. The Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter, which had turned back to St. John's after issuing the mayday, crashed into the water within 10 minutes of the mayday signal. The crash is believed to have occurred about 30 nautical miles, or about 55 kilometres, east-southeast of Newfoundland. McGuire also said that so far, there were "no signals, whatsoever from any of the [beacons]." "I cannot speculate on why they wouldn’t have worked or what the issues may have been, but we did not receive any signals," he said. The low-power beacons are designed to work when people are on the surface of the water, officials said. All passengers and crew must wear a survival suit before they board a helicopter. Authorities said a healthy adult wearing a survival suit could be expected to live for about 24 hours in the frigid Atlantic waters. From left to right, Maj. Denis McGuire of the Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters and Trevor Pritchard of Husky Energy speak at a press conference regarding the helicopter crash in the North Atlantic. (Paul Daly/Canadian Press) From left to right, Maj. Denis McGuire of the Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters and Trevor Pritchard of Husky Energy speak at a press conference regarding the helicopter crash in the North Atlantic. (Paul Daly/Canadian Press) Decker was listed in critical condition in hospital in St. John's. A source told CBC News he had aspirated sea water and was being treated in intensive care for hypothermia and a broken bone. Earlier Thursday afternoon, officials in St. John's were unable to say how many people survived after the helicopter, which was heading to two offshore oilfields, ditched into the ocean. "We only have one person at this point," Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters, told reporters in St. John's. "This is a very difficult time for Cougar, our colleagues, our customers and their families," said Burt, who was visibly shaken during two afternoon briefings with journalists. The crash is the first time a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers has gone down since oil was first pumped on the Grand Banks in 1997. The choppers are essentially shuttles for workers coming on and off shift, and are familiar sights in the skies of St. John's. Julie Leroux, an official with the Transportation Safety Board, said the helicopter's crew reported mechanical problems, but they did not know the nature of those problems. In 1982, the then-developing industry was rocked when 84 men died when the Ocean Ranger, a drilling rig that was exploring for oil in the Grand Banks, sank during a winter storm. Worried relatives gather at family centre Crew aboard Cougar 911 were largely working at the White Rose offshore oilfield, southeast of St. John's. Two were stationed at the nearby Hibernia platform. Two of the people aboard the helicopter worked directly for Cougar Helicopters. Calgary-based Husky, the operator of the White Rose project, and Hibernia Management both said they are assisting with the search and rescue effort. Another chopper, also operated by Cougar Helicopters, arrived at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's at noon with Decker, who was rushed into the hospital on a stretcher. Hopes had been high earlier in the day for a larger, immediate rescue. Eastern Health told CBC News that it had cleared its emergency rooms to prepare for what it described as patients who are critically ill and hypothermic. However, officials later told ambulances that had been waiting near a helipad that they were not needed for the time being. A family centre has been set up at the Comfort Inn next to the headquarters of Cougar Helicopters at St. John's airport. Worried relatives could be seen walking back and forth between the two buildings, while other people sat in their vehicles in the parking lot, listening to news reports on the radio and talking on cell phones. Joe Delaney said he's concerned for his nephew, who went out on a flight this morning. "He was here yesterday, got bumped off his flight, ended up coming back again this morning," he said. "So we're uncertain now as to where it stands." High winds reported High winds were reported as aircraft — including a military plane and two Cormorant helicopters — were dispatched to the scene. The coast guard also sent one of its ships, and companies active in the offshore oil industry have joined the effort. A supply ship was also en route to the scene. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams described the crash as a "terrible tragedy off of our shores." "We are a seafaring people who have for centuries lived from the sea, people risking their lives every day to provide for their families and contribute to this province. And yet, we will never, ever be able to accept the loss of precious lives to the sea," Williams said in a statement. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, speaking during question period on Thursday, said he had called Williams earlier in the day. "I know all of us in this chamber want to share our thoughts and prayers with the families who are anxiously awaiting word on their loved ones." Flights to Hibernia platform suspended Meanwhile, crews that arrived at Cougar's base, near the main terminal at the St. John's airport, were told they could not be ferried offshore on Thursday morning. "All of a sudden, we saw the cameras and police," said Rick Strickland, a steward aboard the Hibernia platform, describing the scene as he learned his transport to the Hibernia platform had been suspended. Having made regular shuttles to the Hibernia platform since 1997, Strickland said safety is a priority. He has such confidence in the helicopters and their crew that he usually sleeps during the flights, which take between 75 and 90 minutes. "It doesn't scare me as such, no. [But] it always crosses your mind at some point," he said. Cougar 911 usually flies crews to and from the Hibernia platform, about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's, and St. John's International Airport. On Thursday, however, it was working with a crew stationed at the floating Sea Rose platform, at the White Rose field.	Sikorsky S-92: detail of rotor The fuselage of the Sikorsky S92 helicopter that crashed in the on Friday has been found at a depth 120 to 150 meters and is being retrieved. 17 of the 18 people who were on board the helicopter died after it crashed. Personal belongings, upper and lower segments of the main entrance door, the aft cargo door, and one emergency exit door have been recovered. “We totally dissect everything we can and certainly that is going to be an area that will be examined," said Mike Cunningham, lead investigator with the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). "It looks like the fuselage is relatively intact." An underwater (ROV) is aiding in the investigation. “The structure of the aircraft, the body of the aircraft seems to be in relatively solid state. The tail section has broken off and it is lying by the side of the aircraft which is not a problem. We are still evaluating how it’s going to be brought to the surface but we believe it should be done relatively easily, possibly in a couple of days,” said Charles Laurence, TSB’s lead investigator of operations. The remaining victims may still be strapped within their five-point harnesses. The mayday to Transport Canada aviation database reported oil pressure in the main gearbox which caused the problem. The gearbox links the engines and transmission and is located on the top of the fuselage and under the main rotor head. Robert Decker remains in critical at the St. John's Health Sciences Centre but has stabilised. It is reported that he suffered a broken bone, hypothermia and had aspirated sea water. The recovered body is that of Allison Maher from Aquaforte, , aged 26. Throughout the search and rescue there were no locator signals received from survival suits of any of those missing. The (RCMP) have released the names of twelve of those who are are still missing. It is a partial list, as some relatives were "not prepared at this point of time to release the names of their loved ones, and we respect that," said Supt. Reg Reeves. They are: Peter Breen, from age 55; Gary Corbett, from age 46; Wade Drake, from age 42; Wade Duggan, from age 32; Colin Henley, from St. John's, N.L. age 38; Ken MacRae, from age 47; Derrick Mullowney, from age 51; Burch Nash, from Fortune, N.L. age 44; Paul Pike, from age 49; Allison Maher,from , age 26 Tim Lanouette, from , helicopter first officer age 48; and Thomas Anwyll, from Crew member age 46.
It is not the first time he has parted company with Ian Paisley He said he was leaving the party with immense sadness but that he felt Sinn Fein was "not fit for government". It comes after a ground-breaking meeting between Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams at Stormont when they agreed to share power on 8 May. Mr Allister said he would not be giving up his seat as an MEP. He said the DUP had not delivered on its election manifesto and accused Sinn Fein of "weasel words". Mr Allister, who previously left the party after a disagreement in the 1980s, was opposed to the DUP executive resolution committing to power-sharing. He announced his decision at a news conference in east Belfast. It seems to me that, sadly, the lure of office has clouded the party's judgment Jim Allister He said: "To continue as the DUP's MEP, it would be my obligation to accept the party executive policy decision to usher Sinn Fein into government in a few short weeks. "This, in conscience, I cannot do. Thus, I must resign from the DUP. "Sinn Fein, in my view, is not fit for government. Nor can it be in a few weeks." He added: "I have fought a protracted battle within the party over recent months against a premature DUP/Sinn Fein government. "I now have to accept that this battle is lost." The MEP said if Sinn Fein believed the IRA was truly and irreversibly committed to exclusively peaceful means, there was no need for an IRA army council. "I just cannot comprehend how the DUP can contemplate government, particularly where it will be joined at the hip in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with an organisation which clings to an illegal army council of an illegal army," he said. "It seems to me that, sadly, the lure of office has clouded the party's judgment." Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson said Mr Allister's resignation was "not a huge surprise". "I would like to assure him that regardless of his political affiliation, I have every intention of maintaining the good working relationship we have had since he was elected to the European Parliament," he said. 'Unrepentant terrorists' Meanwhile, Ballymena DUP councillor Sam Gaston has stepped down from the party as a result of Monday's developments. Mr Gaston said six weeks was not enough for republicans to prove themselves. "I think they have gone into government too quickly," Mr Gaston said. "I think those people who have suffered deserve that we don't have unrepentant terrorists in government." Mr Allister was elected to the European Parliament in 2004, ending a 17-year absence from frontline politics. BBC Northern Ireland political editor Mark Devenport said: "On Saturday, he was one of the members of the 120-strong DUP executive who voted against the resolution committing the party to sharing power in May. "He drove away from Castlereagh council before Ian Paisley emerged, flanked by the majority of his colleagues." The MEP was known to oppose power-sharing It is not be the first time he has parted company with Ian Paisley. In the 1980s, he left active politics after disagreeing with his leader's tactics after the Anglo-Irish Agreement. His return to the DUP fold to stand as an MEP surprised those who believed he had already given up politics to concentrate on his legal career. Last October, Mr Allister said the St Andrews Agreement had definite gains but also fundamental negatives. He said disadvantages included the length of the testing period for Sinn Fein and enforced mandatory coalition. He also said there was no mechanism to exclude Sinn Fein if it "defaulted", other than to punish all parties. Mr Allister said it would be "intolerable for any unionist" if the IRA army council was still in existence when the parties are due to share power. He said this would be a deal-breaker for him. \|\|\|\|\| MEP Jim Allister quits DUP over power-sharing deal Tuesday, March 27, 2007 The Democratic Unionist Party's sole MEP quit the party today over its power-sharing deal with Gerry Adams, claiming Sinn Fein was still not fit for government. It is the second time Jim Allister has resigned from the DUP. In 1987 he resigned after he was prevented from standing for a Westminster seat because of an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionists. But in 2004, he was persuaded back into frontline DUP politics when the Reverend Ian Paisley stood down from the European Parliament and topped the Northern Ireland-wide European election poll. In his east Belfast office, the QC admitted that he had lost a battle within the DUP against the party striking a power-sharing deal with Sinn Fein. ``It is with immense sadness that I must resign from the DUP,'' he declared. ``To continue as the DUP's MEP, it would be my obligation to accept the party executive policy decision to usher Sinn Fein into government in a few short weeks. ``This, in conscience, I cannot do. Thus, I must resign from the DUP. ``Sinn Fein, in my view, is not fit for government. Nor can it be in a few weeks.'' It is believed the image of Mr Paisley and Mr Adams sitting side by side in Stormont's Parliament Buildings, sealing a deal which would see their parties form a power-sharing government on May 8, finally pushed the MEP over the edge. Mr Allister expressed grave reservations about the prospect of devolved government featuring Sinn Fein, in the wake of last October's St Andrews talks. He said today: ``I have fought a protracted battle within the party over recent months against a premature DUP/Sinn Fein government. ``I now have to accept that this battle is lost. ``The import of the executive resolution and yesterday's spectacle is clear. Sadly, no more delivery is required from Sinn Fein - it is enough if they do not resile from the commitments already made. ``Since the present commitments are, at best, equivocal and permit outrageous utterances such as those of Ms (Michelle) Gildernew (the Sinn Fein MP) after the lawful arrest and charging of persons with attempted murder, and since Sinn Fein is now to be admitted to government while its IRA Army Council still exists, I believe the much vaunted `delivery to our satisfaction' has been so diluted as to have become meaningless, just as the ill-gotten gains, so robustly mentioned in that New Year's message, have become the forgotten gains.'' Mr Allister said he had believed the abolition of the IRA Army Council was always the litmus test of the Republican Movement's transition to exclusively peaceful and democratic means. He said if Sinn Fein believed the IRA was truly and irreversibly committed to exclusively peaceful means, there was no need for an Army Council.	, the (DUP) (MEP) for Northern Ireland, resigned because of his party's decision to enter into a power-sharing Government with . Mr Allister said that party colleagues had been "lured by office" and that he had not returned to politics in 2004 to "help ease Sinn Féin into Government". He acknowledged that although he had fought within the DUP against Sinn Féin being permitted to be members of the , he had failed to persuade the vast majority of the party's ruling executive on the issue. Yesterday, Ian Paisley, DUP leader, and Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin President, agreed to enter into a power sharing executive in May. This is the second time that Jim Allister has resigned from the DUP over disagreements with Ian Paisley entering pacts with other political parties.
U.S. Embassy officials in Ankara say two U.S. warplanes accidentally violated Turkish airspace last week near the Iraq border. U.S. and Turkish officials said they are investigating the incident. The Turkish military said on its Web site that two F-16s briefly crossed into Turkish airspace on May 24. Officials said the incursion lasted about four minutes. The incursion happened in an area of southeast Turkey near where thousands of Turkish troops are reported to be gathering. The airspace violation comes as speculation grows over whether Turkish troops will launch a cross-border operation against Kurdish militants in Iraq. Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said no plans were underway for such a raid. Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters. \|\|\|\|\| The decline of the U.S. has been a hot topic in policy debates and popular culture in the U.S. for the last few... More \|\|\|\|\| HAKKARİ’DE İHLAL Genelkurmay açıklamasında, ABD’ye ait iki F-16 uçağının 24 Mayıs Perşembe günü Hakkari’nin Üzümlü bölgesinde Türk Hava Sahası’nı dört dakika süreyle ihlal ettiği bildirildi. Gerekli girişimlerde bulunulması maksadıyla olayın Dışişleri Bakanlığı’na bildirildiği de kaydedildi. Hürriyet’e konuşan askeri yetkililer de, "Barış Zamanı" içinde ABD’den bir hava ihlalini hatırlamadıklarını belirterek, bunun ilk olmasına dikkat çektiler. Genelkurmay’ın olaydan üç gün sonra yaptığı açıklamanın, Irak Özel Temsilcisi Oğuz Çelikkol ve beraberindeki heyetin Bağdat’a gittiği güne denk gelmesi de bir diğer önemli ayrıntı oldu. Bakan Gül, dün Sivas’ta konu kendisine sorulduğunda ayrıntıların henüz kendisine ulaşmadığını belirterek, "Daha önce bu tür olaylar olduğunda Kuzey Irak’tan olmamıştı. Başka yerlerde bazı ihlaller olmuştu, gereken işlemler hemen yapılıp, nota verilmişti" diye konuştu. Türkiye ile ABD arasında "barış zamanında" ilk kez havada böylesine sıcak saatlerin yaşandığını ortaya koyan bu gelişmeyle ilgili, Dışişleri Bakanlığı, Genelkurmay’ın bildiriminin resmen eline ulaşmasını bekliyor. Üst düzey bir diplomat, araya hafta sonu tatili girdiği için Genelkurmay’ın başvurusuyla ilgili ABD nezdinde girişimin bugün yapılabileceğini belirtti. F-16 uçaklarında bulunan bir sistem uçakların konumunu elektronik olarak pilota ve merkeze bildirdiği için uçakların sınırı yanlışlıkla geçmesi mümkün değil. ABD:İHLAL 1 DAKİKA ABD Büyükelçisi Ross Wilson, ihlalin 1 dakikalık olduğunu söyleyerek, henüz yeterince bilgi almadığını kaydetti. Wilson, TSK ile ABD’nin sürekli yakın ilişki ve işbirliği içinde olduğunu da sözlerine ekledi. ABD Büyükelçiliği Basın Sözcüsü Cathryn Schalaw, Hürriyet muhabirine konu hakkında Türk Hükümeti tarafından birkaç gün önce bilgilendirildiklerini belirterek, "Söz konusu olayın tamamiyle önceden planlanmamış ve bir kaza sonucu gerçekleştiğini düşünüyoruz. Olay ve pilotlar hakkında soruşturma başlatıldı. Şu anda daha fazla açıklama yapmak mümkün değil" diye konuştu. BÜYÜKANIT İZMİR'DE ÖĞRENDİ ABD F-16 savaş uçaklarının 24 Mayıs 2007 günü hava sahamızı 4 dakika süreyle ihlal ettiği öğrenildi. Genelkurmay Başkanı Orgeneral Yaşar Büyükanıt ihlali Efes 2007 tatbikatı için gittiği İzmir’de öğrendi. Alınan bilgiye göre uçaklar Türk hava sahasını Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde Üzümlü Hakkari’de ihlal etti ve 4 dakika süreyle Türk sahasında uçtu ve Türk uçakları herhangi bir önlemede bulunmadan tekrar Irak’a döndü. 4 DAKİKA’DA NELER OLUR Sesten iki kat daha hıza ulaşabilen F-16 savaş uçakları bu hıza acil şartlar dışında çıkmaz ve genellikle saatte 900 kilometre hızla uçar bu nedenle 4 dakika sürede yaklaşık 80 kilometre boyunca Türk sınırında uçabilir. NEDEN 4 DAKİKA Hava sahası ihlallerinin genelde 1 ile 2 dakika sürdüğüne dikkat çeken uzmanlar Türk uçaklarının önleme uçuşu yapmak için duruma göre en az 2 en çok 5 dakika içinde havalandığına ve sesten 2 kat hızla uçarak kısa sürede olay yerine ulaşma imkanına sahip olduğuna dikkat çektiler. Türk hava kuvvetlerinin önleme uçuşu yapacak uçakları Diyarbakır’da konuşlu bulunuyor ve Hava sahası ihlali yapan bir uçak için bu nedenle 4 dakikalık ihlal uçuşu riske etmeyecek en uzun süre olarak geçiyor. UÇAKTA NE VARDI Bu tür ihlallerin havadan bilgi toplamak amacıyla yapıldığına dikkat çeken uzmanlar F-16 uçaklarının hava ve uçuş koşullarına göre uçtuğu hat boyunca 100 kilometre genişliğinde bir alanın fotoğraflarını çekebildiğini belirtiler. Uydulardan çekilen fotoğraflar iki boyutlu olduğu için yeterince bilgi vermiyor ve uçaktan çekilen fotoğraflar uydu görüntülerinin anlamlandırılmasına yardımcı oluyor. TSK, yaklaşık 2 aydır Kuzey Irak’a girmek için operasyon hazırlıkları yaptığı için Amerikan uçaklarının Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerinin hazırlıklarını gözlemlemesi en yakın ihtimal olarak görülüyor. SINIRIN YANLIŞLIKLA GEÇİLMESİ MÜMKÜN DEĞİL F-16 uçaklarında bulunan bir sistem uçakların konumunu elektronik olarak pilota ve merkeze bildirdiği içi uçakların sınırı yanlışlıkla geçmesi mümkün değil. Amerikan hava kuvvetlerine ait uçaklar daha önce hava sahasını ihlal etmemişti ancak geçmişte helikopterlerin sınır ihlalinde bulunduğu biliniyor. HİK OLSAYDI TÜRKİYE ÖNLEMİNİ DAHA ERKEN ALIRDI Türkiye bu tür olaylara karşı önlem olarak talep ettiği Havadan İhbar Uçağı (Batış Kartalı Projesine) şu anda sahip olsaydı Türkiye Güneydoğu sınırına yaklaşan uçaklardan daha erken haberdar olabilirdi. Türkiye’nin 2003 yılında başlattığı proje gecikmesiz yürüyor olsaydı ilk HİK uçağı Türkiye’ye teslim edilmiş olacaktı. HİK projesinin yürütücüsü Amerikan Boeing firması iki hafta önce yaptığı açıklamada projenin 3 yıl gecikeceğini belirtti ve gecikmenin Türkiye’ye getireceği güvenlik zafiyeti hakkında konuşmak istemedi. \|\|\|\|\| ABD Ankara Büyükelçisi Ross Wilson, Ankara'daki resepsiyonda 2 ABD F-16'sının Türk sınırını taciziyle ilgili şöyle dedi: "Kesinlikle ve kesinlikle ABD'nin Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devleti'ne herhangi bir şekilde mesaj verdiği yorumları doğru değildir. Bu olay tamamen 2 ABD pilotunun sınırı şaşırmasıyla ilgilidir. Konuyla ilgili soruşturmayı ABD Hava Kuvvetleri sürdürmektedir. Sonucuna göre gereken yapılacaktır." ABD Büyükelçisinin bu açıklamasından sonra Ankara kulislerinde şu soru soruldu: Eğer böyle anlık bir pilot hatası varsa Türk Genelkurmayı bunu neden uzun süre sonra bir sınır ihlali olarak açıkladı. RESEPSİYONDA SORULARI YANITLADI Büyükelçi Ross Wilson, Türkiye-ABD Parlamentolararası Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Egemen Bağış'ın, Türkiye'de temaslarda bulunan ABD kongre heyetine TBMM'de verdiği akşam yemeği öncesi gazetecilerin sorularını yanıtladı. Olayın geçen hafta perşembe ya da cuma günü meydana geldiğini belirten Wilson, şöyle konuştu: “Biz bu olayı Türk Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'ndan epeyi sonra öğrendik. Bu konuyu inceledik ve pilot hatası olduğunu belirledik. Pilot, uçuş sırasında Irak'ın kuzey kısmında, sınırın yerini yanlış anlamış. Konuyu araştırdık. Biz konuyu kapanmış sayıyoruz.” “KONUYU ORGENERAL SAYGUN İLE DE KONUŞTUK” Wilson, bugün ABD kongre heyetiyle Genelkurmay İkinci Başkanı Orgeneral Ergin Saygun'a yaptıkları ziyarette konununun gündeme geldiğini ifade ederek, “Konuyu Orgeneral Saygun ile de konuştuk. Bu bir kazaydı. Konu araştırılıyor. Sonuçlarının ne olacağına ABD Hava Kuvvetleri karar verecektir” dedi. Edinilen bilgiye göre, ABD kongre heyetinin Orgeneral Saygun'a ihlalin Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'nın internet sitesinde yayımlanmasından duyduğu rahatsızlığı dile getirdiği, Orgeneral Saygun'un ise “tüm ihlallerin internet sitesinde yayımlandığını, bunun olağan bir uygulama” olduğunu ifade ettiği öğrenildi. \|\|\|\|\| ABD Ankara Büyükelçisi Ross Wilson, Ankara'daki resepsiyonda 2 ABD F-16'sının Türk sınırını taciziyle ilgili şöyle dedi: "Kesinlikle ve kesinlikle ABD'nin Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devleti'ne herhangi bir şekilde mesaj verdiği yorumları doğru değildir. Bu olay tamamen 2 ABD pilotunun sınırı şaşırmasıyla ilgilidir. Konuyla ilgili soruşturmayı ABD Hava Kuvvetleri sürdürmektedir. Sonucuna göre gereken yapılacaktır." ABD Büyükelçisinin bu açıklamasından sonra Ankara kulislerinde şu soru soruldu: Eğer böyle anlık bir pilot hatası varsa Türk Genelkurmayı bunu neden uzun süre sonra bir sınır ihlali olarak açıkladı. RESEPSİYONDA SORULARI YANITLADI Büyükelçi Ross Wilson, Türkiye-ABD Parlamentolararası Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Egemen Bağış'ın, Türkiye'de temaslarda bulunan ABD kongre heyetine TBMM'de verdiği akşam yemeği öncesi gazetecilerin sorularını yanıtladı. Olayın geçen hafta perşembe ya da cuma günü meydana geldiğini belirten Wilson, şöyle konuştu: “Biz bu olayı Türk Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'ndan epeyi sonra öğrendik. Bu konuyu inceledik ve pilot hatası olduğunu belirledik. Pilot, uçuş sırasında Irak'ın kuzey kısmında, sınırın yerini yanlış anlamış. Konuyu araştırdık. Biz konuyu kapanmış sayıyoruz.” “KONUYU ORGENERAL SAYGUN İLE DE KONUŞTUK” Wilson, bugün ABD kongre heyetiyle Genelkurmay İkinci Başkanı Orgeneral Ergin Saygun'a yaptıkları ziyarette konununun gündeme geldiğini ifade ederek, “Konuyu Orgeneral Saygun ile de konuştuk. Bu bir kazaydı. Konu araştırılıyor. Sonuçlarının ne olacağına ABD Hava Kuvvetleri karar verecektir” dedi. Edinilen bilgiye göre, ABD kongre heyetinin Orgeneral Saygun'a ihlalin Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'nın internet sitesinde yayımlanmasından duyduğu rahatsızlığı dile getirdiği, Orgeneral Saygun'un ise “tüm ihlallerin internet sitesinde yayımlandığını, bunun olağan bir uygulama” olduğunu ifade ettiği öğrenildi.	Turkey Hakkari province F-16 Fighting Falcon Two US Air Force F-16's have violated Turkish airspace for four minutes over Hakkari province on 14 May 2007. The F-16's had reportedly taken off from Afghanistan. The air violation comes at the same time Turkish Armed Forces conducting a search and destroy operation against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) making preparations for a possible military operation in north of Iraq. Turkey, NATO, and European Union considers PKK to be a terrorist organization. Turkey had stepped up the pressure on Iraq and the United States to eliminate PKK presence in northern Iraq since the suicide attack at Ankara on May 22, 2007 which killed 6 people wounded 79. The US Embassy in Ankara stated that: "The interpretation that this was a message to the Republic of Turkey was most certainly not true. This incident is strictly two US pilots confusing the border. The investigation is being conducted by the US Air Force." Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on a program on the Turkish channel NTV stated that "if there is another airspace violation what needs to be done is clear". In military literature this translates to "unidentified military craft will be shot down" according to the Hürriyet.
CHP Election Candidates - Québec Affiliations: Roman Catholic General: Stefan is a US citizen born in 1964 in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He obtained his Canadian citizenship when he was 16 years old. Your donation will be gratefully accepted. Please make your cheque payable to: "Louis Casgrain, Official Agent for Stefan Jetchick" 5995, rue Banville, app. 4 Québec (Québec) G1P 1H7 (418) 877-0773 To view a map of this electoral district, please click here. top \|\|\|\|\| Pascal-Pierre Paillé Party: Bloc Québécois Age: 30 Education: Earned a bachelor's degree in teaching physical education and health from Laval University. He was also trained in behavioural disorders in psychopathology. Profession: Teacher, entrepreneur Career Background: He taught special education, physical education and health at various schools in Quebec. He also operated his own company for seven years. Community Activities: He coaches martial arts. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Quebec City Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 and 2007, he coordinated break dance competitions in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention of Quebec. Mailing address: 4562, rue Saint-Felix Cap-Rouge, Quebec G1Y 3B2 Contact information: Telephone: 418-204-0923 contact@pppaille.org www.pppaille.org Stefan Jetchick Party: Christian Heritage Party Age: 41 Birthplace: Camp Hill, PA, USA Education: Has a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Profession: Currently a conference interpreter (English-French). Previously a software engineer (object-oriented C++ programming). Marital Status: Single Electoral History Federal: Ran unsuccessfully in Louis-Hébert in the 2006 general election. Mailing address: 1450 Av. Des Pins Sillery, Que. G1S 4J6 Contact information: Telephone/Fax: 418-683-8554 www.chp-louishebert.ca Luc Harvey Party: Conservative Party of Canada Age: 43 Birthplace: Chicoutimi, Que. Education: BA, Laval University; studied English literature at the University of Guelph Marital Status: Married Children: Four Career Background: Completed the development of an electronic system for aircraft engines. Director in charge of business strategies for Centre financier ASSEP. Community Activities: Coaches youth soccer teams and is involved in the indoor soccer stadium project in Quebec City. Electoral History Federal: Elected in Louis-Hébert in the 2006 general election. Political History Committee:Member: Environment and Sustainable Development and Official Languages committees. Caucus: Member of the Conservative caucus. Michelle Fontaine Party: Green Party of Canada Birthdate: Feb. 20, 1957 Age: 51 Birthplace: Saint Foy, Que. Education: Visual arts diploma from Laval University; National Ballet of Canada, dance and tai- chi. Profession: Teacher Marital Status: Single Children: Two adult children Career Background: Teacher of classical and modern dance, visual arts and music. Customer service receptionist and small business owner. Jean Beaupré Party: Liberal Party of Canada Education: Graduated from Laval University Profession: Lawyer Marital Status: Married Name of Spouse: Marie-Louise Pineault Children: One daughter and two grandchildren Career Background: He is a partner at the Joli-Cœur Lacasse law firm in Quebec City. Community Activities: He has chaired several boards of directors including the Quebec City Winter Carnival, the Quebec City United Way and the Metropolitan Quebec City Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He sat on several other boards, including the United Way of Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, the foundation of the Musée de la civilisation, a historic museum in Quebec City, and three hospital foundations - Saint-François-d’Assise, Enfant-Jésus and Saint-Sacrement. Denis Blanchette Party: New Democratic Party of Canada Education: College studies in Human Sciences and Information Technology; university courses in sociology and journalism; masters candidate in public administration, National School of Public Administration Profession: Analyst Career Background: Information analyst for the provincial government since 1983. Community Activities: Former officer of the Syndicat de la Fonction publique du Québec (SFPQ) and was co-chair of a joint committee on workplace health and safety. Electoral History Federal: Ran unsuccessfully in this riding in the 2006 general election. CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window. 2008 Results	In an attempt to speak with as many candidates as possible during the 2008 Canadian federal election, Wikinews has talked via email with Stefan Jetchick, who is a candidate in Quebec's Louis-Hébert riding, running under the Christian Heritage Party of Canada (CHP) banner. The CHP is a minor, registered political party running a significant number of candidates across the country, looking to earn its first ever seat in the House of Commons. Jetchick is their only candidate running in the province. The Quebec riding of Louis-Hébert, in the Capitale-Nationale region, has existed in the House of Commons since 2004. It includes the west section of Quebec City, primarily Sainte-Foy—Sillery and Laurentien's south end. The Conservative incumbent in the riding is Luc Harvey; also running are Pascal-Pierre Paillé (Bloc Québécois), Denis Blanchette (New Democratic Party), Jean Beaupré (Liberal Party of Canada), and Michelle Fontaine (Green Party of Canada). The following is an interview with Mr. Jetchick, conducted via email. The interview is published unedited, as sent to Wikinews; this includes Mr. Jetchick's separation of multipart questions into fragments, and his formatting relating to his applicable experience.
Busy Atlantic season could bring up to 10 hurricanes (CNN) -- The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be an active one, with up to 10 of the big storms, the National Hurricane Center announced Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that four to six of those hurricanes could reach Category 3 strength or higher -- with maximum sustained winds topping 111 mph. NOAA predicts 13 to 16 named storms this season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Eight to 10 of those storms are expected to reach hurricane strength. (Watch how close that came to an earlier prediction -- 3:12) A storm gets a name when it reaches tropical storm strength, with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph. It becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph. NOAA administrator, retired Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, said that warmer sea surface temperatures, low wind shear and other wind conditions are favorable to hurricane development. Wind shear, which is a change in air movement at different heights, can block the formation of hurricanes or make them weaker. Lautenbacher said that it was too early to predict how many storms would make landfall, but said that "it is statistically within reason to assume that two to four hurricanes could affect the United States." (Watch how you can prep for hurricane season -- 7:35 ) The Atlantic Basin has been in an active hurricane cycle that began in 1995, and nine of the 11 hurricane seasons since then have been above normal, according to NOAA. There were so many storms in 2005 that the National Weather Service had to use Greek letters when it used up its list of 21 names. This season is not expected to be as busy as last year, the busiest and deadliest on record with 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes. But forecasters and emergency officials urged people to make preparations now. (Full story) "It's not all about the numbers, it just takes one hurricane over your house to make for a bad year," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. Four Category 3 storms -- Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma -- hit the U.S. in 2005. Hurricane Katrina's strong winds and heavy waves devastated the Gulf Coast in late August. The storm and resulting flooding caused more than 1,300 deaths and an estimated $100 billion in damage, making it the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, according to the National Climatic Data Center. (Full story) The World Meteorological Organization retired five storm names from the 2005 season: Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan and Wilma. Stan dumped torrential rains on Central America and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, killing as many as 2,000 people. Names are retired out of sensitivity to the victims, and for historical, scientific and legal purposes. \|\|\|\|\| NOAA forecasts 10 hurricanes in Atlantic Federal forecasters yesterday predicted that up to 10 hurricanes will form during the six-month Atlantic season that begins June 1, but they do not expect a repeat of the record-breaking onslaught of last year. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said, "It is statistically within reason that two to four hurricanes ... could hit the Gulf Coast. It's a troubling yet real possibility." NOAA predicted a total of 16 named storms, as many as 10 of which could reach hurricane strength, and that four to six of those would be major. Last year, 28 tropical storms strengthened into 15 hurricanes, six more than NOAA forecast. Seven of those were considered major hurricanes, two more than NOAA predicted. A hurricane is considered major when it reaches Category 3 strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, or when winds are recorded at least 111 mph. "It's not just all about the numbers," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where the NOAA released its predictions. "It just takes that one hurricane over your house to make for a bad year. "But the research is telling us we are in an active period that may last 20 years, and that's not good news. So the message is clear: We need to be prepared." Nine of the past 11 hurricane seasons have shown above-normal activity, but researchers say it is part of a pattern recorded since the 1850s. Scientists are debating whether global warming has increased the intensity, but not necessarily the number, of storms. In New Orleans, Army Corps of Engineers officials and contractors are working around the clock to repair 170 miles of the 350-mile levee system that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina last year. Corps spokesman Jim Taylor said yesterday that the work to restore the levee system to its condition before Katrina is about 90 percent complete and should be finished by mid-June. He said new floodgates are being installed and that the system "will be more stronger and more resilient than the levee was before it failed." Portable pumps will be used to remove water from canals in case of a storm surge before the levee work is completed, Mr. Taylor said. advertisement advertisement Copyright © 1999 - 2006 News World Communications, Inc. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060522-114706-7296r.htm	Forecasters with the U.S. in predict that up to ten hurricanes will form in the North this hurricane season, and that up to six of them will be considered "major." The hurricane center also predicts that from 13 to 16 "named" storms this season (i.e. of strength or greater, with winds in excess of 39 mph or 62 km/h.) A major hurricane, as defined by the National Hurricane Center, is one that rates Category 3 or above on the , with sustained winds of 111 mph (179 km/h) or more. Conrad Lautenbacher, administrator of the , says that warmer ocean temperatures and low make conditions favorable for hurricane development. Although it is too soon to predict how many storms will make landfall, Lautenbacher says that it is possible that two to four hurricanes could affect the United States. According to NOAA, the Atlantic basin has been in an active period since 1995, with nine of the past eleven seasons with above average storm activity. Max Mayfield, directory of the National Hurricane Center, said, "the research is telling us we are in an active period that may last 20 years, and that's not good news. So the message is clear: We need to be prepared." "It takes just one hurricane over your house to make for a bad year," said Mayfield. Last year, 28 named storms developed into 15 hurricanes, of which seven were major. The hurricane center had predicted five major hurricanes out of nine total hurricanes that year. Five hurricanes (, , , , and ) were so destructive that the World Meteorological Organization retired their names. The North Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
By Louis Charbonneau BERLIN (Reuters) - German federal and state interior ministers declared the Church of Scientology unconstitutional on Friday, opening the door for a possible ban on the organization. Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and 16 state interior chiefs agreed "that we do not consider Scientology an organization that is compatible with the constitution", Ehrhart Koerting, Berlin's interior minister and chairman of a ministers' conference in Berlin, told reporters. Germany does not recognize Scientology as a religion. seeing it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money. Scientologists reject this view. The government permits the Church of Scientology to operate in Germany as an organization, and in January it opened a six-storey headquarters in the heart of west Berlin. Earlier this week, a Berlin district set up an office to deal with complaints about Scientology. Koerting said Germany's domestic intelligence agencies should continue gathering information on the legality of Scientology's activities in Germany so that a decision could be made on what to do about it next year. Earlier this year, the German Defense Ministry said it would not allow the makers of a movie about an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler to film at German military sites because U.S. actor Tom Cruise, a Scientologist, was appearing in it. The government later insisted that Cruise's personal beliefs had nothing to do with its initial decision to prevent him from shooting scenes at a site in the Defense Ministry complex and permitted the actor to film there. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| German officials want Church of Scientology banned in the country BERLIN Top German officials announced Friday that they will seek to outlaw the U.S.-based Church of Scientology. The announcement came after a two-day conference of interior ministers of Germany's 16 states well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. Berlin Interior Minister Erhart Koerting, who presided over the two-day conference, told reporters that Scientology is an organization that is not compatible with the German constitution. The German government considers Scientology not a religion but a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people, he added. The ministers said the planned to ask Germany's domestic intelligence agency to begin preparing the necessary information to ban Scientology. The agency has had Scientology under observation for a decade on allegations that it “threatens the peaceful democratic order” of the country. Sabine Weber, president of the Church of Scientology in Berlin, said she views the renewed attempt to ban her group as a reaction to increasing acceptance of Scientologists in several European countries. “It is very, very clear that the true picture of what Scientology is about is pushing its way through,” Ms. Weber said. “The interior ministers are clearly reacting to that.” Scientologists have long battled to end the surveillance, saying it is an abuse of their right to freedom of religion. The U.S. State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for the monitoring practice. The interior ministers gave no specific examples of abuse for their decision, but the most recent annual report on extremism compiled by their agencies criticized the organization for disregarding human rights. “From a number of sources, some of them not available to the public, it has been determined that (the organization) seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally,” the report said. Earlier this year, the German government initially refused to allow the producers of a movie starring Scientology member Tom Cruise to film at a site where Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter was executed, although it did not expressly state Scientology as its reason. It later allowed the production to go ahead. The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It first set up in Germany in 1970 and officials estimate it has some 6,000 members there. \|\|\|\|\| Germany Seeks to Ban Scientology BERLIN (AP) — Germany's top security officials said Friday they consider the goals of the U.S.-based Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution and will seek to ban the group. The interior ministers of the nation's 16 states as well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble "consider Scientology to be an organization that is not compatible with the constitution," Berlin Interior Minister Erhart Koerting, who presided over the officials' two-day conference, told reporters. The German government considers Scientology a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people. During the summer, it initially refused to allow the producers of a movie starring Scientology member Tom Cruise as Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter to film at the site where the hero was executed, although it did not expressly state Scientology as its reason. The ministers plan to task the nation's domestic intelligence agency to begin preparing the necessary information to ban Scientology in Germany. The agency has had Scientology under observation for a decade on allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order" of the country. Scientologists have long battled to end the surveillance, saying it is an abuse of their right to freedom of religion. The State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for the monitoring practice. \|\|\|\|\| Vittorio Hernandez - AHN News Writer Hamburg, Germany (AHN) - Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel wants a national ban in Germany on Scientology, which claims many high-profile adherents, including Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. Nagel's opposition to Scientology is premised on his view of the religion as a commercial enterprise and an anti-constitutional body with aggressive tactics. Nagel shared his thoughts with fellow state interior ministers in a gathering at Hamburg. He apparently has the state on his side. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been monitoring the group's recruitment practices. The state fears that Scientology, a foreign organization, may win over so many followers and become a swing vote in German elections. Since a single state like Hamburg cannot impose a national ban, Nagel is building support among other state interior ministers to have a sufficient number to impose a nationwide prohibition. As proof that Germany views Scientology more of an enterprise than a faith repository, it taxes the group, which complained of religious discrimination. Despite Germany's misgivings, there is a Scientology center in Berlin. When Cruise was in Berlin to film a movie, he managing to shoot even in some restricted Nazi edifices. Scientology was founded over 30 years ago by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Although a religion, it does not have a deity. Instead it teaches spiritual release and freedom from life's problems can be achieved by one-on-one guidance sessions, wherein the members' replies are recorded on an e-meter similar to a lie detector machine. \|\|\|\|\| German suspicion of Scientology resurfaced in Hamburg this week after a security official said he would seek a nationwide ban against the organization. He's arguing that Scientology is an "unconstitutional" big business. DDP A German police officer stands in front of the Berlin Scientology Center after its grand opening in January 2007. Germany and Scientology have never been the best of friends. German officials consider Scientology a business, not a religion, and tax the outfit accordingly. Scientology has responded by complaining about "religious discrimination." Yet Berlin has a Scientology center, and the famous Scientologist Tom Cruise came to Berlin this year to film a big-budget Hollywood film -- even, after some debate, in restricted Nazi-era buildings. Now an official in Hamburg named Udo Nagel is pursuing a national ban against the US-based organization. As the city-state's interior minister, Nagel is Hamburg's top security official. At a meeting this week of other interior ministers from other states around Germany he plans to argue that Scientology is not only a commercial enterprise but also an "anti-constitutional" group with "aggressively fierce" tactics. The argument is nothing new; in fact the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has watched the group for years because of its recruitment practices. The federal government worries that Scientology, as a foreign organization, wants to win over adherents and influence German politics. "There is substantial evidence that the Scientology organization is involved in activities directed against the free democratic order," the agency has written in official reports. Nagel hinted at his new campaign last summer, when he said the group founded by and devoted to the American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard aimed at nothing less than the "complete repression of the individual." But Nagel's office said a single German state can't push through a ban. (The city of Hamburg is governed as an independent state.) So Nagel is taking his case to colleagues in other states with the idea of forging a nationwide prohibition. Whether it will work or not is far from clear. A spokesman for Scientology in Germany, Sabine Weber, said the new ambition to ban the group was "more than incomprehensible." She pointed out that the European Court of Human Rights had ruled in favor of Scientology after Russia denied its application to register as a religion. msm/ap	Official warning leaflets from the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior on (from left to right) Islamic extremism, Scientology, and organized crime. After an investigation into the Church of Scientology (CoS), top security officials in Germany said that they consider its goals to be in conflict with the German constitution. Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel first brought complaints to state interior ministers in Hamburg. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has also been monitoring the group, fearing they may gain control in German elections. In official reports, the government agency has said "There is substantial evidence that the Scientology organization is involved in activities directed against the free democratic order." Nagel has been building support among other interior ministers. Berlin's Interior Minister, Senator Erhart Koerting, presided over a two-day conference on the issue with the interior ministers of all of Germany's 16 states. Federal Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, also attended. The German government does not believe Scientology is a religion, but instead treats it as a commercial enterprise, and states that it takes advantage of its members. The government taxes the CoS and its sister organizations as businesses in the country. The interior ministers will ask Germany's domestic intelligence agency to determine what will be necessary in order to ban the CoS in Germany. The organization has been under investigation by the German government for over a decade, under allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order." Scientologists have said that the investigation is a violation of their freedom of religion, and the United States Department of State has criticized Germany in its Human Rights Reports in previous years. Sabine Weber, a representative of Scientology in Germany, called the actions to ban Scientology "more than incomprehensible." This past summer, Germany had initially refused producers of a film starring Scientologist Tom Cruise to film at key sites. Cruise was later able to shoot his film in certain restricted areas.
Riot police have entered the town of San Salvador Atenco near Mexico City, and at least one 14 year old boy has been killed. Both the police and the rioters have taken hostages, and large scale demonstrations are being planned for tomorrow, Friday. This is not being reported in any of the major mainstream media in the US yet, so I thought I would share what I know. (photos from the Okupazion Auditorio Che Guevara web site) San Salvador Atenco is considered a 'rebel' town. Five years ago the government tried to build a new airport there but the town blocked the efforts, kicked out the mayor, and established a form of self rule. Apparently, recent plans to build a WalMart in Atenco were also not received with much enthusiasm (WalMart is the biggest private employer in Mexico, and I think the logic is that Mexicans should be grateful for the opportunity to be exploited). In recent days, the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation), visited the town as part of its 'Other' (as in Alternative) Campaign. Mexicans will elect a new president in July, and the candidates from the major parties (the right-wing PAN, the left-wing (at least in name) PRD, and the oligarchic-but-disintegrating PRI) represent the usual mixture of incompetence, corruption, and alignment to interests other than those of the average Mexican. [Parenthetically, it is interesting to see from a distance how the middle class --to which I suppose my family and friends belong-- and the media that caters to them are in a quasi-hysterical state over the possibility that the PRD will win.] The goal of the Other Campaign, according to the EZLN and its spokesperson, Subcomandante Marcos, (pictured below entering Atenco), is to represent the people in a process outside the farce of the electoral system. While the Zapatistas have not managed to put forth a practical political agenda, they do have the support of the working class, and situations such as the one unfolding in Atenco is probably going to help their cause. According to Indymedia Mexico and a Mexico Solidarity Network email alert, violence erupted when police tried to evict 'illegal' flower sellers from a market near the proposed WalMart site. Reuters describes the aftermath of the riots in Atenco today as follows: Squads of police went house to house on Thursday, scaling concrete walls in search of missing officers and militant leaders, and hustling out bloodied prisoners to waiting pickup trucks. The acrid smell of tear gas hung in the air. There are calls to block principal avenues in Mexico City, and a major demonstration led by Marcos is being planned for tomorrow in Tlatelolco, the site where in 1968 the government massacred protesting students. It could get ugly. Then again maybe one cannot expect a nation where half of the population lives below the poverty line to be stable. \|\|\|\|\| Clashes continued for two days before police regained control In pictures Six police officers taken hostage by the rioters had been released, state of Mexico officials said on Thursday. A teenage boy was killed and dozens of people were injured in the riots which lasted throughout Wednesday. The violence erupted when three street vendors were arrested on suspicion of trading without permits. Local residents are then reported to have attacked police with machetes and petrol bombs, and blocked the main road. Police fired tear gas into the crowds and used batons. Dozens of protesters were arrested - among them a prominent peasant movement leader, Ignacio del Valle. Boy's death 'unclear' Local reports say up to 50 police officers were injured in the clashes - a number of them seriously. Up to 50 police are reported to have been wounded Six of them were taken hostage by the armed protesters, who later handed them over to the Red Cross. Officials in the state, which borders Mexico City, said the circumstances surrounding the death of a 14-year-old boy were unclear. Police said they had managed to make it into the centre of town at about 0700 (1200 GMT) on Thursday and had re-opened the road. An estimated 4,000 federal and state police are reported to be in Atenco area. The town was the scene of violent protests in 2002, when local farmers opposed the construction of a new international airport for Mexico City. Plans for the airport were cancelled after days of pitched battles with police. \|\|\|\|\| May 5, 2006 - 3:14PM Thousands of riot police firing tear gas forced their way into a rebellious town near Mexico City and freed fellow officers taken hostage in a riot that left one person dead. Scores of police in body armour swept into the fractious farming town of San Salvador Atenco, 25km north of Mexico City, and hauled off bleeding protesters amid peasants armed with sticks, machetes and petrol bombs. Violence exploded in the area when police tried to evict unlicensed flower traders from a market. A 14-year-old boy was killed in the riots, whose televised images raised concerns of stability in a presidential election year. Squads of police then went house to house, scaling concrete walls in search of missing officers and militant leaders, and hustling out bloodied prisoners to waiting utility trucks. The acrid smell of tear gas hung in the air. Eleven police officers held hostage by protesters were all released, Televisa television station said, and police took control of the town. "The only objective was to restore the rule of law," senior security official Wilfrido Robles said at a news conference in the town hall, which had been occupied by the rioters. It was the first time state and federal police had entered the town since machete-toting protesters blocked President Vicente Fox's plan to build a new airport there five years ago with a standoff that lasted several days. San Salvador Atenco ousted its mayor and has been under a form of self-rule since then, with local leaders trying to spread the system to neighbouring villages. The airport defeat and the subsequent failure to bring the area totally under government control have been held up by rival politicians as an example of Fox's supposed weakness in dealing with conflicts. \|\|\|\|\| The steeple bell rang at 1 o’clock Friday to welcome mourners who trailed a small white coffin into the sanctuary of the church of San Francisco. “Let Javier’s death be a benefit to the community,” Father Alfonso Tapia Duarte told the overflow crowd. “There is no evil that good cannot spring from.” It’s a lot to ask of anyone, much less a 14-year-old boy. But many townspeople are praying that the death of Javier Cortes Santiago during riots Wednesday marks the defeat of separatists who overthrew democratic rule in a town 14 miles from Mexico City. Advertisement “The only law was the law of the machete,” Teodoro Martinez, a 40-year-old machinist, said outside the church. The separatists now are aligned with Subcommander Marcos, the leader of Zapatista rebels in southern Mexico. “The riot was a tragedy,” iron worker Agustin Santillan said, “but we needed something to end it. They thought they were untouchable.” He was talking about the rule of Ignacio del Valle. He and several family members are in custody, accused by prosecutors and townspeople of inciting riots that injured dozens of people before being quashed Thursday by 3,000 state and federal police officers. Advertisement Del Valle created the People’s Front for the Defense of the Land. It gained broad support in 2002 during a fight to defeat a proposal by Mexican President Vicente Fox to build an international airport nearby. “The fight was a good one, to defend the land,” said Martinez, adding that he has known Del Valle since they were children. Even though much of the soil here is barren, and prices for corn and beans have plummeted, Martinez said, land passed from father to son has tremendous emotional value. The government offered a fraction of what people thought it was worth. Advertisement In July 2002, militants held 15 state and local officials for five days, until Fox agreed to amnesty in a deal to free the hostages. Two months later, Fox killed the airport plan, and Del Valle became known for his victory over the president. Many people supported him and his group politically and financially when they ran the police and elected officials out of town. For years city officials had done little to improve town life and people thought maybe this group would do better, one shopkeeper said. Del Valle and his followers occupied City Hall and other government offices for more than a year. But roads were still unpaved and electricity was spotty. Advertisement The difference, people said, was that those who had seized control didn’t like to hear complaints. “They thought they were the only ones who spoke the truth,” Father Tapia Duarte said. “They held rallies in the plaza. The town started to feel discontent, but most people were afraid to express it.” Then the marches began. Crime was increasing and people wanted police, Santillan said. They wanted public services. Del Valle, a former city employee responsible for potable water, wanted to be in charge, people said, but didn’t want the work. “He has land but in the years I’ve known him, he’s never once plowed his field,” Santillan said. “He and the Front are made up of people who don’t work.” Advertisement Del Valle and his followers cleared out of government offices in August 2003, but continued a practice of kidnapping officials, waving machetes and blocking nearby federal highway 142 when they were angry. “The joke around here is that the emcee at weddings always asks, ‘Shall we cut the cake? Or block the highway?’ ” Santillan said. Although there is now an elected mayor and five police officers who patrol San Salvador Atenco, most people say the office is largely symbolic. Signs in front of City Hall say in Spanish, “Welcome EZLN” -- referring tp Marcos’ Zapatistas. “We’re still very insecure here,” said Fernando Martinez Razo, the city’s director of public safety. “There are still a lot of people here who took part in the violence. We hear they are regrouping.” Advertisement But many at the funeral mass Friday said the movement was spent. When thousands of riot police arrived early Thursday, rebels sounded an alarm with the church bell but few of their compatriots responded. A day later, the bell rang in mourning. Family members said Javier was a serious student who juggled school and two jobs. He was supposed to go to pick up tamales at his grandfather’s house, along a path that took him near the riot triggered Wednesday by the removal of flower vendors from their usual spot in a nearby city. Advertisement Officials have not disclosed the cause of death. “He was saving up for a suit to wear to a friend’s 15th birthday party in July,” said Beatriz Davila, an aunt. To earn money, she said, Javier worked at a clothing factory after school and helped his family sell candies on weekends. Mourners walked several blocks from the church to the cemetery to bury the boy. Advertisement Men lowered the casket by rope into the brown and rocky soil, and then placed on top a blue sweater, a red cap and a soccer ball. “We need a new Atenco,” said Martinez, who carried a wreath of palm leaves and flowers to the grave. “There are lots of young people here and they need to be the new blood and have the new ideas.”	There has been a riot in Santiago, a small town 25 kilometers from Mexico City. Violence exploded when three flower sellers were arrested on suspicion of trading without permits. Rioters attacked the police with sticks, machetes and petrol bombs. Thousands of police quelled the crowd with tear gas and batons. Dozens were arrested. The arrested include peasant leader, Ignacio del Valle. All 11 police officers held hostage by rioters were released. Javier Cortes Santiago, a fourteen year old boy, was killed in the riots. In 2002 rioters managed to cancel plans to build an airport in the town.
Analysis The mayor is dependent on the central government for most of their funds, so how much power do they really have? \|\|\|\|\| Renault have been formally accused of interfering with the outcome of last year's Singapore grand prix to the benefit of their driver and eventual winner, Fernando Alonso. An investigation by the FIA led the sport's governing body to call Renault before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September, days before the teams return to Singapore for the 14th round of the 2009 championship. The former world champions will answer charges that the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to crash deliberately with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of Alonso. When Piquet hit the wall and spread debris across the track on the 14th of 61 laps, the heavy crash caused the appearance of the safety car. Alonso was the only driver in the field to have refuelled unusually early, three laps before the incident, before rejoining at the back of the field. As the 18 cars running ahead of the former world champion took advantage of the safety car and made their stops, Alonso gradually moved to the front to score a win that went completely against form for the struggling team. There is no precedent for such an alleged offence. Renault could face anything from a fine to exclusion from either the next race or, at worst, the 2009 world championship. The fear in F1 circles is that this could cause Renault to pull out. This will be the second visit by Renault to the FIA in as many months, the Anglo-French team successfully appealing against a one-race ban for the unsafe release of Alonso's car before a front wheel was properly attached during a pit stop in Hungary. The wheel came off and bounced across the track a minute later. The Singapore incident was potentially just as serious since the debris could have affected other drivers or gone into the crowd. The argument this time will centre on Renault's alleged interference with the outcome of the race. The FIA will have examined telemetry measuring steering inputs and throttle applications on Piquet's car as well as listening to pit-to-car radio communications.	Alonso tops the podium after the race An investigation by the FIA has led to Formula One team Renault to be called to appear before the World Motor Sport Council to answer a race fixing allegation. The charge stems from last year's Singapore Grand Prix. Renault Fernando Alonso won the race after taking an early refuelling stop. Fellow Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. then crashed, causing a safety car to come out. One by one the cars ahead of Alonso pitted for fuel, allowing him to move up from nineteenth to take victory. Piquet's wrecked car is removed from the track Piquet has always maintained that the crash was an accident. If the charges are upheld, the punishments could include a fine, exclusion from races or complete disqualification from the current championship. Renault are due to appear before the council in Paris on September 21st, days before this year's race in Singapore. The team has refused to comment before the hearing. Renault have already been in trouble this season, being suspended for one race after releasing Alonso's car with an unsafe wheel, which came off on the track. The team succeeded in appealing this.
NEW YORK, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Houston recorded its earliest snowfall, beating a previous record by nearly a week, meteorologists said Saturday. Houston's rare snowfall came Friday, besting previous records for earliest snowfalls set Dec. 10 in both 1944 and 2008. Advertisement The inch or so of snow throughout metro Houston delayed flights at the city's airport and led to icy roads and two fatal traffic accidents, the Houston Chronicle reported Saturday. Elsewhere in the nation, the season's first widespread snowstorm pushed into the Northeast Saturday, disrupting travel for many as far south as Tennessee, Accuweather reported. Snow was to continue spreading northward from New York City to Boston and into Pennsylvania through Saturday night. \|\|\|\|\| The winter storm warning continues for southern Alberta and police are asking people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. The storm that pelted the city and surrounding area over the last few days has dumped up to 20 cm of snow in some parts and more is on the way. City crews have cleared major routes but motorists are struggling to get through on side streets. The city started applying an anti-icing agent and salt chips on major roads in the early morning hours and will switch to a sand/salt mixture as the temperature drops to provide extra traction. The city says that drivers should anticipate delays, drive defensively, and slow down. Highways in southern and central Alberta are also in poor condition. Heavy winds, blowing snow, icy sections and reduced visibility is making highway travel between Lethbridge and Edmonton treacherous. The QEII Highway was shut down in both directions north of Calgary for several hours on Saturday but has since reopened. Environment Canada has issued a Winter Storm Warning and says the snow will taper off through the day on Saturday and temperatures may go as low as -25 with the wind chill. The system is heading south and an additional 5 to 10 cm of snow is expected for southern regions of the province. In Lethbridge, wind gusts of up to 60 km per hour caused heavy drifting in several areas, and made it extremely difficult for drivers. Lethbridge Regional Police are also advising residents to avoid driving if at all possible. Arrivals and departures at the Calgary International Airport have been disrupted and several flights are cancelled or delayed. For up to date flight arrivals and departures visit the Calgary Airport Authority Website.	A snowstorm, in many areas the first of the season, has impacted much of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada today and is expected to continue until early on Sunday morning. Cities closer to the coast first received rain this morning and early afternoon, but precipitation has changed over to snow as the low pressure system moves northeastward and gains strength. Forecasters say the storm is related to the same system that brought record-breaking snowfall to the Houston, Texas region a few days ago. Most locations will pick up a few inches of snow when all is said and done, enough to cause widespread travel delays and traffic accidents throughout the area. Accordingly, the National Weather Service has issued several winter weather warnings stretching from the South through Maine. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Atlantic Canada and is expecting 15 to 30 centimeters of snow. By midday Sunday, the storm will have pulled out of the region, leaving behind clearing skies. Meanwhile, a winter storm hit southern Alberta, Canada on Friday causing blizzard like conditions and dumping over 20 centimeters of snow. === Picture gallery ===
To fully use the features on this site, please enable your javascript. About Us \| Election Laws \| Frequently Asked Questions \| Text-Only Site \| Web Policy \| Governor of Virginia \|\|\|\|\| R. Creigh Deeds, a longtime state legislator from rural Bath County, won a stunning come-from-behind victory in the Democratic primary for Virginia governor last night, overwhelming a pair of better-funded and better-positioned opponents. Deeds beat Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe in every region of the state, including vote-rich Northern Virginia, despite a pro-gun stance and relatively conservative positions that are out of line with many of the area's voters. His victory was so dominant that he captured 10 of the state's 11 congressional districts, including the one held by Moran's brother, U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. All three campaigns and state political experts had agreed that Deeds was coming on strong in the final days of the race, but no one expected him -- or the other candidates -- to come close to winning the 50 percent of the vote that he captured. In an e-mail sent to supporters less than two hours before polls closed, McAuliffe's campaign predicted that "this thing could come down to the wire." McAuliffe came in second, with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Brian Moran with 24 percent. Deeds, 51, will face Republican Robert F. McDonnell in a general election battle that amounts to a rematch of the race for attorney general four years ago, which McDonnell barely won after a late surge by Deeds. This year, Deeds surged when he needed to, airing statewide TV ads in the final weeks of the race and capitalizing on an endorsement from this newspaper that quickly became a theme of his campaign in the Washington suburbs. As soon as it came out, he agreed to make a joint appearance with the other candidates in front of hundreds of business leaders, which he had previously turned down. He then added numerous other events in Northern Virginia and launched a week-long television blitz in the region. Deeds, already known by Virginians in all corners of the state after his 2005 bid, began receiving the support of many undecided voters who were attracted to his pledge to bridge regional and partisan divides and invest in road and transit improvements. Early in the race, it was Moran and McAuliffe who seemed to attract the most support. Many local Democratic leaders backed Moran, while McAuliffe assembled an all-star cast of Virginia campaign veterans. Both virtually ignored Deeds for months as polls repeatedly showed him in a distant third place. But Deeds, a quiet, unpolished lawmaker who refused to attack or engage his rivals for much of the race, showed an authenticity that appeared to resonate with voters. "He's intelligent. He's got a sense of Virginia history. He knows how to be effective, and he's dedicated to what's best for Virginia," said Peppy G. Linden, 59, executive director of the Children's Museum in Charlottesville. "He's not egotistical. And he works so damn hard." At Deeds's victory party in Charlottesville, drinks were flowing, the sound system blared Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" -- the theme of Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign -- and the crowd chanted "Deeds, Not Words!" as Deeds and his wife, Pam, took the stage to deliver a victory speech whose opening was a bit understated. "Well," he began, drawing laughs. He told the crowd that the message that had carried him this far -- fixing the state's transportation woes, improving the quality of its schools and creating more jobs -- would carry him to victory in the fall against McDonnell. \|\|\|\|\| Creigh Deeds surrounded by everyone who voted in the Virginia primary. RICHMOND, Va. -- Terry McAuliffe had the star power. He had the cash. But even with all the sparkle and pizazz, he still couldn't beat an underdog state senator. Creigh Deeds pounded Clinton confidante McAuliffe Tuesday in Virginia's Democratic primary for governor. McAuliffe was a former Clinton White House insider and former Democratic National Committee chairman who hoped to benefit from campaigning by former President Bill Clinton and music star will.i.am. But Deeds, who picked up a crucial Washington Post endorsement in northern Virginia, was too much for McAuliffe and former state Democratic legislative leader Brian Moran to handle. On Wednesday morning, Deeds had to end a planned unity news conference to take a congratulatory call from President Barack Obama. Before the call Deeds, appeared with Gov. Tim Kaine and the two men he defeated. Deeds Gets It Done State Sen. Creigh Deeds defeated Clinton confidante Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's Democratic primary for governor. (Published Wednesday, June 10, 2009) Deeds' victory sets up a Deeds rematch with Republican Bob McDonnell, who beat him in the 2005 attorney general election by 323 votes. McDonnell is a conservative with strong ties to religious broadcaster Pat Robertson. He was unopposed for the GOP nomination. Deeds was the only Democrat in the race not from the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Primary rivals criticized him for legislative votes supporting Virginia's broad, pro-gun laws, actions popular in rural areas that don't play well in cities and affluent suburbs. Former state Finance Secretary Jody Wagner defeated Democratic campaign strategist A. Michael Signer to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Wagner will take on Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is seeking a second term. Wagner served as state treasurer under former Gov. Mark Warner and as finance secretary for Gov. Tim Kaine. Signer was a deputy counselor to Warner and a senior strategist for U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello's upset of six-term congressman Virgil Goode Jr. last year. Voter turnout was relatively light Tuesday, as expected. The primary marked the first bid for elective office for McAuliffe, who also led Hillary Clinton's 2008 White House run. Local election officials, professionals in the three campaigns and political scientists said the turnout was likely to be 5 percent or less of the state's 5 million registered voters. Officials said turnout was heavier in some parts of the Washington, D.C., suburbs. In Arlington, for instance, about 10 percent of voters cast ballots, drawn by a House of Delegates race. State Board of Elections Secretary Nancy Rodrigues said other turnout ranged from 4 percent in Richmond to 2 percent in the rural southwest. McAuliffe's political connections from his days working for Bill Clinton helped him dominate press coverage and amass a hefty amount of cash. He seized on the down economy by promising to bring jobs to Virginia, touring the state with his confidante Bill Clinton. However, that left the venture capitalist open to attacks over his involvement in a telecommunications firm that made him millions before the company went bust, leaving 10,000 people jobless and costing investors $54 billion. Moran, from Alexandria, went further to the left than his rivals in appealing to liberal activists. He pledged to oppose new coal-fired power initiatives and reverse the state's same-sex marriage ban. Deeds hewed toward the middle. He drew fire late from primary rivals for legislative votes supporting Virginia's broad, pro-gun laws, actions popular in rural areas that don't play well in cities and affluent suburbs. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the new Democratic National Committee chairman, is barred by the state Constitution from seeking re-election. Copyright Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| The Clickocracy, Virginia Edition If Creigh Deeds wins the Democratic primary tonight, it might be partly due to the fact that he blasted away the competition. Online -- that is. Starting at 3 p.m EST Monday, hours before polls opened across Virginia, Deeds's campaign bought what's called a "Google blast." Or, more appropriately, a Google attack. If you live in Northern Virginia (or, like many voters, work in D.C. but live in NoVa), Deeds has been almost inescapable on highly-trafficked sites such as washingtonpost.com, the blog Talking Points Memo and Oxygen.com, which is popular among women. Capitalizing on his Post endorsement, he peppered those sites with banner ads reading "The Washington Post endorsed one Democrat -- Creigh Deeds" until polls closed. And, the blast aside, searches for his first name surpassed Terry (McAuliffe) and Brian (Moran) on May 29. As of last Tuesday, searches for "Deeds" were up more than 25 percent compared to McAuliffe. Deeds, however, is not only the candidate who's leveraged the Web during his campaign. All of the Democratic contenders are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the social networking trifecta. McAuliffe edges Deeds and Moran on the three sites, drawing more fans on Facebook, followers on Twitter and channel views on YouTube. In such a contested primary, and with voter turn-out expected to be low, every number counts. -- Jose Antonio Vargas This is one in a series of online columns on our growing "clickocracy," in which we are one nation under Google, with e-mail and video for all. Please send suggestions, comments and tips to vargasj@washpost.com. \|\|\|\|\| Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 5/18-20. Likely voters. MoE 4% (4/6-8 results) Democratic Primary Brian Moran (D) 22 (24) Terry McAuliffe (D) 36 (19) Creigh Deeds (D) 13 (16) A pretty dramatic gain for McAuliffe in the last six weeks for an election that will be decided in about three weeks (June 9), while Deeds and Moran essentially tread water. Let's look at favorable/unfavorable ratings for the Democratic candidates among Democratic respondents: Moran (D) 56/16 (56/15) McAuliffe (D) 62/19 (55/17) Deeds (D) 56/17 (55/12) That could explain the movement in the head-to-head matchup -- while Moran has remained steady and while Deeds has edged back, McAuliffe has managed to move his favorability numbers forward despite an increasingly negative primary. General election matchups Bob McDonnell (R) 42 (37) Brian Moran (D) 35 (36) Bob McDonnell (R) 44 (40) Terry McAuliffe (D) 34 (33) Bob McDonnell (R) 45 (38) Creigh Deeds (D) 32 (31) Moran still performs best against McDonnell, but he's lost ground. That's to be expected as the Democratic candidates take shots at each other. What generally happens is that once a winner is crowned in a contested primary, there's a bandwagon effect that boosts the winner in the head-to-heads. So the general-election numbers will inevitably tighten up post-primary, but let's not kid ourselves. McDonnell will be a tough opponent. Here are the favorability ratings for all candidates, from all respondents: Moran (D) 35/36 (36/33) McAuliffe (D) 37/40 (35/36) Deeds (D) 35/36 (34/30) McDonnell (R) 53/33 (48/31) While the Dems have all lost ground in their favorability ratings, McDonnell has been able to stay above the fray, edging his slight higher (a net +3). And at +20, he has a nice advantage over the the -1 net favorability ratings of Moran and Deeds, and -3 of McAuliffe. And with 36 percent favorability from Democrats and 52 percent from Independents, McDonnell is showing some strong cross-over support. So whichever Democrat emerges victorious in three weeks (and this thing is still anyone's game with 29 percent remaining undecided in the primary) will still face an uphill climb to November.	File:Creigh Deeds.jpg\|Creigh Deeds File:McAuliffe Herndon.jpg\|Terry McAuliffe File:Brian Moran Rally.jpg\|Brian Moran Creigh Deeds has defeated Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran to win the 2009 Democratic Party gubernatorial primary election in Virginia, United States, according to unofficial results from the state's board of elections. Deeds won by a nearly two-to-one margin against his opponents, 50% for Deeds versus 26% for McAuliffe and 24% for Moran, on a low turnout with just six and a half per cent of registered voters taking part. Jody Wagner easily won the Democratic primary to be candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Flag of the Commonwealth of VirginiaCreigh Deeds was the first to enter the governors' race, in early January 2008. A sitting senator in the Virginia legislature, Deeds' campaign was hampered by restrictions on his ability to fundraise and the amount of time he spent on the Senate floor. A veteran of state politics who ran as a centrist in Virginia, whose northern counties are increasingly dominated by Democratic voters but whose western and southern areas still tend to support Republicans, Deeds benefited from several high-profile endorsements including that of the Washington Post. What may have clinched Deeds' victory, though, was a strategy of saturating online media sources with campaign advertisements, finished with a "google blast" of particularly intense advertising on Election Day itself. Terry McAuliffe, an early favorite to win the race, was formerly the chair of the Democratic National committee and later chair of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid, and entered the Virginia race just days after Election Day 2008. A New Yorker by birth with much experience in the Democratic party, McAuliffe's best skill was seen as his ability to raise funds in what analysts say will be an early test of whether Democrats, who won control of the White House and solidified control of both houses of Congress in 2008, can consolidate their gains in light of a contracting economy and an ongoing financial crisis. Brian Moran, a former public prosecutor and former member of the Virginia State House, entered the race shortly after Deeds. His brother, Jim Moran, currently represents the part of Virginia closest to Washington, DC in the United States House of Representatives. Polling before the vote showed Deeds pulling ahead from a statistical tie in May, but the likelihood of low turnout made the race hard to predict. Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell ran unopposed for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. McDonnell, who defeated Deeds by a fraction of a percent in the 2005 Virginia Attorney General race, currently holds a strong advantage over him in the fall general election, according to a recent poll conducted by the political blog ''DailyKos''. Voters will elect a new governor to replace outgoing governor and rising Democratic star Tim Kaine on November 3.
NEW HAVEN — Yale University was locked down and a massive response by heavily armed police caused traffic problems throughout the city Monday after an anonymous call from a phone booth warned of an armed man stalking the campus. A report a short time later of a man on campus carrying a rifle added credence to the initial call, although police and Yale officials said later that the man with a rifle spotted by a Yale employee was probably one of the first responding police officers. Police said Monday evening they now suspect the call may have been a prank and are trying to track down the man who made the call. On Tuesday, police announced they had several persons of interest and are conducting interviews. Yale, New Haven and state police scoured the Yale campus most of Monday before the lockdown was lifted about 4:40 p.m. No armed man was found. "It feels good now to be finally let out," said Samantha Brown, a Yale freshman who was locked in her Old Campus dorm room with a roommate. She praised Yale and New Haven police for their response, and the university for keeping people informed through its alert system. "It just feels safe right now and I'm glad it's over," she said. New Haven police received the anonymous call at 9:48 a.m. from a man who said his roommate was headed to campus with a gun to shoot people, police said. The caller did not identify himself and hung up before police could get more details, Officer David Hartman said. Police said the call came from a phone booth in the 300 block of Columbus Avenue, between Howard Avenue and Hallock Street. Esserman said the caller sounded distracted, and that police began to have doubts about the story as the day wore on. That person "sounded like a confused gentleman," Esserman said. "I wouldn't describe his words as clear and concise." Police and the FBI are investigating whether video surveillance could have captured an image of the caller or anyone else of interest. At 10:17 a.m., Yale sent a text alert to the community about the report. Within about an hour of the anonymous call, two witnesses told police they had seen a person with a "long gun," Hartman said. "It now appears that the man [the Yale employee] saw may have been one of the early responding police officers carrying a rifle," Yale Vice President Linda Koch Lorimer said in a statement posted on Yale's website. Police focused their search efforts in the Old Campus area bordered by College, Chapel, Elm and High streets, Hartman said. Yale police conducted room-to-room searches of residential college areas. Multiple SWAT teams joined the search, Hartman said. Police shut down roads around the Old Campus to traffic and pedestrians. Several public schools in the area were put on lockdown as a precaution. Many students had already left campus for the Thanksgiving break. \|\|\|\|\| This was a developing story. Updates were posted here until 3pm today. The complete story can now be found here. Reports of a gunman on campus were “confirmed” near Old Campus, where freshmen dorms are housed, by a text update from the University around 11 a.m. Announcements have been broadcast in dorm rooms and sightings of police and the SWAT team have been reported outside Old Campus. New Haven Police Department Lieutenant Jeff Hoffman confirms no shootings, no injuries. Rob O’Gara ’16, said that police are concentrated on Elm Street between Saybrook, Berkeley and Old Campus. O’Gara said that, for the past 20 minutes, police have been yelling at each other to “get cover” and at someone else — likely the gunman — to pull back. The standoff has continued since, and officers seen near Saybrook are reported to be carrying rifles. Many students have left campus for Thanksgiving break, but those interviewed from campus said that they have not noticed anything unusual other than the alert messages. Maria Bouffard, director of emergency management, confirmed that NHPD and YPD officers have been brought to the scene. Bouffard said that updates will continue to be posted on the University’s official emergency services website as they are received. At 10:20 a.m., the Yale emergency alert system sent out phone calls and text messages to students notifying them of reports of a man with a gun on campus. The messages indicated that an anonymous tip to the NHPD had been made from a phone booth on Columbus Avenue. The messages told students to remain in place. The University’s PA system, which is used to announce other emergency situations like fires, has not been used. Cops were not seen around Pierson or Calhoun colleges as of 10:37 a.m. A 10:50 a.m. text update to students stated the shelter was still in place. At 11:55 a.m. a text update confirmed that the shelter in place and lock-down remain in effect. 12:16 p.m. Traffic was being diverted by New Haven police, and ambulances were are on the scene as a precaution. It is not clear whether anyone is inside. According to NBC Connecticut, the following streets are closed: High Street between Elm and Chapel streets Chapel Street between High and College streets College Street between Chapel and Elm streets Elm Street between College and High streets 12:31 p.m. According toJeff Hoffman one person has been detained, and is being interviewed the by the YPD and the NHPD. He was arrested on Elm Street, near College Street, but did not have a gun on him. Hoffman said there still has not been a sighting of anyone in possession of a gun. Hoffman added he could not confirm rumors of a gunman inside of Battell Chapel. The search appears to be continuing for the suspect. Reports have been that the suspect is a white male, some saying with a backpack and rifle. The New Haven Independent reported that a Yale student called the police to report that his roommate “wanted to shoot up the school” on Monday. Hoffman said that a call from the Hill neighborhood was the reason for the initial lockdown. However, the caller did not remain on the scene and did not talk the police, calling his credibility into doubt. 1:25 p.m. New Haven Police Department spokesman David Hartman said the call lasted only a few seconds, and was from a payphone at 9:30 a.m. this morning. Hartman described the call as “a statement,” that the caller’s roommate was headed to campus with a gun. The caller was male and did not identify himself as a Yale student. Hartman said that no suspect has been detained, and that reports from witnesses interviewed have been contradictory. According to NBC, SWAT teams are conducting searches to clear buildings on Old Campus. Gateway Community College is on a precautionary lockdown, as are several New Haven Public Schools. 1:45 p.m. Yale Alert sends a text message to the Yale Community that police are conducting room to room searches beginning with the residential colleges, and that the shelter in place continues. A following call said that the police would identify themselves by slipping a Yale ID under the door, and requested that students cooperate. It added that in some areas Yale Police may simply use keys. 1:55 p.m. In an update from Hartman, he said, “Things are pretty status quo as far as our investigation is concerned.” Hartman confirmed that the NHPD and YPD are being supplemented by the FBI and Connecticut state police. He added that earlier reports of sightings of someone with a long gun may in fact have referred to law enforcement officers responding to the situation. Hartman confirmed that no one is in custody at the moment and said that an all clear will likely not be given for at least several hours. 2:25 p.m. NBC reports that border patrol and Department of Homeland Security are also on the scene. There have still been no reports of a gun fired or injuries on campus. Tasnim Elboute and Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed reporting. \|\|\|\|\| A day-long lockdown of the Yale University campus was lifted this evening after authorities determined that a call warning of a gunman intent on shooting people was likely a hoax. Yale's New Haven, Conn., campus was put on lockdown after an anonymous male called 911 this morning to say his roommate was on his way to the campus with the intention of shooting people, according to officials. New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman said there was "malicious intent" behind the call. However, after a search of the campus did not reveal any threats, he said authorities are "leaning toward this being a hoax." Esserman said once police identify the caller, that person "will face every charge possibly imaginable." The anonymous call was placed from a phone booth and the university sent out an alert at 10:17 a.m. ET. At a news conference earlier today, New Haven Police Officer David Hartman said authorities interviewed several witnesses who said they saw someone with a "long gun." After speaking with some of the witnesses, Hartman said, "Some of those witnesses in all probability saw police officers with long guns instead of a suspect." Yale Police Chief Ronell Higgins said this incident showed that the school's emergency preparedness plan worked well. "You have to exchange business cards with local law enforcement and schools before incidents like this one," he said. "We are always in constant communication." An email was also sent by Yale's dean to notify parents of undergraduate students of the threat. The school is on its November break, meaning there are fewer people on campus than usual. An alert send by the university this morning instructed people to shelter in place. "Confirmed report of person with a gun on/near Old Campus. SHELTER IN PLACE. This is NOT a test," the alert said. A search of the campus dorms was hampered because some students refused to open their doors to police, fearing that the person knocking was not really a police officer. The university has over 11,000 students. \|\|\|\|\| Police say a call that sparked fears of a gunman on the Yale University campus appears to have been a hoax. Students had been urged to "shelter in place" following the security scare, but the lockdown has now been lifted. New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman told a news conference the campus was safe. SWAT teams had been scrambled to the university, while students received a text message saying: "Confirmed report of person with gun on/near Old Campus. Shelter in place. This is not a test." Yale University is in Connecticut Police got an anonymous phone call from a phone booth at around 10am local time reporting a person on campus with a gun. Streets close to the campus have been blockaded, and the FBI is looking at footage of the area around the phone booth to identify the caller. Police spokesman David Harman had said: "We don't have a suspect. There's nothing tangible." New Haven Police Department Lieutenant Jeff Hoffman said there had been no shootings and no injuries. Room-to-room searches conducted by Yale's police department found nothing untoward. Several New Haven schools had also been placed on lockdown, as had a nearby community college. Yale has been on November recess since Saturday, meaning many students have left to celebrate Thanksgiving.	Yale University in , Connecticut, alerted students today that a gunman was loose on campus. The university asked students to "shelter in place" and warned students who are off-campus to stay away from the university. The university lifted the lockdown some hours later. At 10:17 AM (), a message was sent to Yale's students from the university saying that the New Haven Police had received an anonymous phone call from a public pay phone on Columbus Avenue saying that a person with a gun was loose on the Yale campus. A further update at 11:57 am EST noted that campus police and New Haven police were both on campus. Yale's student newspaper, , reported that SWAT teams were spotted on campus. At 1:45 PM (EST), Yale's emergency alert system indicated the lockdown was still in place, and that police officers were planning to do a door-to-door search of Yale University starting with student residences. Sources indicated that as of 1:55 PM (EST) no suspect was in custody, but the lockdown was anticipated to remain in place for "several hours." The university lifted the lockdown at about 5 PM (EST). Police stated the information leading to the alert was likely a prank, and if so they intended to find and prosecute the responsible party. University vice-president Linda Koch Lorimer stated on the university's emergency alert system after the lockdown was lifted, "The safety of our community is our paramount priority. I want to underscore our collective thanks to the superb mobilization of the Yale, New Haven, and State Police, and the FBI, as well as Yale’s own Emergency Response team." == Sources == * * * * *
Widow Rita Schwerner Bender said the verdict was a "first step" The 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klan man was convicted of manslaughter and recruiting the killers by a jury of nine whites and three blacks. Killen now faces up to 20 years in jail for the role he played. Rita Schwerner Bender, widow of victim Michael Schwerner, said the conviction was a "very important first step". But she asked why the jury "could not bring themselves to acknowledge that these were murders, that they were committed with malice". Michael Schwerner's widow added that the state of Mississippi was "complicit in these crimes and all the crimes that occurred" and called for a further inquiry. I believe we proved murder Mark Duncan prosecutor Bennie Thompson, the state's only black congressman, said justice had "finally arrived in Philadelphia". Ben Chaney, brother of James Chaney, the only black man among the three victims, thanked prosecutors and said he sensed "hope". District Attorney Mark Duncan said he still believed the prosecution had "proved murder". Clearly referring to the Alan Parker 1988 film Mississippi Burning about the struggle to bring the killers to justice, he added: "We won't be painted or described or known throughout the world by a Hollywood movie any more." No emotion The jury in Mississippi rejected the murder charges against Killen but did find him guilty of recruiting a mob to kill the three. His wife, Betty Jo, went to her husband with tears in her eyes and hugged him. Ray Killen sat in a wheelchair and wore a breathing tube while in court As he was wheeled away, he struck out at two television microphones and a TV camera. The defendant had denied taking any part in the killings of Mr Schwerner, 24, Mr Chaney, 21, and Andy Goodman, 20. A Baptist preacher, he showed no emotion as the verdict was read in the courtroom. He used a wheelchair in court and was connected to breathing apparatus during the trial. Killed and buried The activists were two white men from New York and a local black colleague, who were killed while campaigning for the registration of black voters. They were arrested for a dubious traffic violation, and attacked by a gang of Klansmen and police after being released in the middle of the night. They were abducted as they drove out of the Mississippi town and shot dead. Their bodies, riddled with bullets and badly beaten, were buried at a dam and only found 44 days later after an extensive search. Killen, who was a suspect in the original investigation but never convicted, was re-arrested after new evidence emerged. \|\|\|\|\| 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.	Ku Klux Klan members in disguise Edward Killen, an 80-year old former Ku Klux Klan member, was convicted of three counts of manslaughter today for the murder of three civil rights workers exactly 41 years ago this very day. Michael Schwerner, 24, Mr Chaney, 21, and Andy Goodman, 20, were killed in 1964. Killen was originally a suspect and was rearrested when new evidence emerged. Killen now faces twenty years in jail. He was cleared of carrying out the murder, but convicted of recruiting a gang of Klansmen and police, who abducted the three men, shot them and beat them to death before burying them in a dam.
We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. \|\|\|\|\| Overcrowding is still a problem for many passengers on the network Ruth Kelly said £10bn would be invested by 2014 to increase services and lengthen trains. Among pledges were an extra 1,300 train carriages and upgrades at 150 stations. Consumers raised concerns about fare rises, while Lib Dems said the plan was a "missed opportunity", and Tories said it was "reheated announcements". Other key proposals from the White Paper included: The aim is to carry at least 180m more passengers within seven years More than 150 stations are to be upgraded and refurbished at a cost of £150m - London Bridge and Blackfriars stations to be upgraded by 2015 and 2011 respectively £5.5bn Thameslink modernisation programme approved, trebling the number of stations on that cross-London network £425m for improvements at Reading Station £128m for improvements at Birmingham New Street station Punctuality target of 92.6% of trains by 2014, up from the current 88% No closures for rural rail lines Protection remains on regulated fare rises - which must be no more than 1% above the annual rate of inflation The government believes its plans will allow trains to carry twice the number of passengers and freight by 2030, but acknowledges that estimate might be outstripped by demand. If that is the case, "more radical options" may have to be considered, particularly on the London-Birmingham-Manchester corridor and on London's busiest commuter routes. HAVE YOUR SAY Proper investment in high speed rail links would minimise the need for internal flights Kay, Liverpool Send us your comments New look for 'ugly' station It favours extra long trains of up to 16 carriages over double-decker trains, but says a high-speed magnetic rail link and dedicated freight lines were too expensive. Ms Kelly told MPs that the government had drawn up "the most ambitious strategy for growth on the railways in over 50 years". She said the challenge was "to provide a railway that carries more passengers, on more and better trains and on more frequent, reliable, safe and affordable service." She added: "We can't know precisely what our railway will look like in 30 years' time but now we can be confident of making it bigger, stronger and more flexible." But fares will have to cover some of the cost as Ms Kelly said government subsidies had nearly doubled during the "difficult years" of Railtrack. "It is right that we now seek to return it closer to historic levels," she said. She said most people used "regulated fares" which were capped so prices could not rise more than 1% above inflation. But the transport union TSSA said passengers faced a 34% rise in fares. 'False dawn' Also in the White Paper, Ms Kelly said the government was committed to Crossrail, a proposed high-speed rail link from Berkshire to Essex via central London - and was currently trying to "pin down" private sector funding, to match government funding. But Conservative Theresa Villiers said it was another "false dawn" for the £15bn scheme, saying it was "getting more distant by the day". She added that overcrowded trains were packed so tight "it would be a criminal offence to transport animals in the same conditions". And Lib Dem transport spokeswoman Susan Kramer said the White Paper was a "missed opportunity" to get people out of cars and planes and onto the railways and suggested most of the money outlined had been announced before. She said it "seems extraordinary" that the government had not made more mention of Crossrail in the paper. George Muir, director-general of the Association of Train Operating Companies, described the proposals as the "first plausible plan for expanding the railway" in recent years. But passenger groups have been angered that some train companies have raised off-peak prices by up to 20%. Those carriages aren't going to be put into place until 2014 so that's a long wait and passenger numbers keep going up Julia Thomas Transport 2000 Julia Thomas, of campaign group Transport 2000, told BBC Radio Five Live that the White Paper was a "major step in the right direction" but she had two main concerns. "Firstly, those carriages aren't going to be put into place until 2014 so that's a long wait and passenger numbers keep going up," she said. "Secondly, although they are concentrating on bottle necks like Reading and Birmingham New Street where there are major delays, there are quick gains to be made through signal improvements, looking at time tabling that would help passengers now." TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: "Passengers will be forced to pay twice for improvements which are meant to benefit them, first as taxpayers and then as rail users. "Ministers claim they want to encourage rail travel and then kick passengers in the teeth with huge regular hikes in fares. They are pricing people off rail and onto the roads."	The "Delivering a Sustainable Railway" white paper Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly The government of the United Kingdom has outlined its plans for the development of the Britain's railway network in a white paper presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly. Ruth Kelly described the report as "the most ambitious strategy for growth on the railways in over 50 years" and announced that capacity will be increased to cope with an expected 20% growth in passenger numbers over the next seven years through a £10 billion investment. The government is to continue to limit the rate of increase of regulated tickets, which include standard season and saver tickets, to a maximum of 1% above inflation, and plan to introduce a simplified ticketing structure of four basic ticket types. Today's announcement also extended the government's commitment made in March of this year to fund extra carriages. An additional 300 brings the total to 1,300 carriages to be acquired to relieve overcrowding. The impact of the investment the government has outlined will be concentrated in tackling areas of high overcrowding on the rail network. In particular, Ms Kelly has highlighted a number of key projects. These include the improvement of Reading and Birmingham New Street stations and the approval of the Thameslink modernisation programme. 150 stations across the network will be upgraded and refurbished at a cost of £150 million. The largest opposition party, the Conservative Party, greeted the release with much scepticism, saying that the paper contains "reheated announcements that are years later than promised". A spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats described it as a "missed opportunity" to encourage more people to use trains in favour of cars or planes and suggested that much of the investment outlined in the document had been announced before. George Muir, of the Association of Train Operating Companies which represents the companies providing passenger train services on the British rail network, said that the white paper is the "first plausible plan for expanding the railway" in recent years.
By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News Skylon would be totally reusable An innovative UK launcher concept is to get 1m euros (£900,000) of investment from the European Space Agency (Esa). The Skylon spaceplane would take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over 12 tonnes to orbit and then return to land on the same runway. The money will help prove the vehicle's core technologies, including its Sabre air-breathing rocket engine. Reaction Engines, the company behind the project, believes its reusable launcher could fly within 10 years. Alan Bond, the Oxfordshire firm's managing director, said: "Traditional throw-away rockets costing more than a $100m per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. "The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly reusable space-plane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth." The Skylon concept's key enabling technology is its Sabre propulsion system. It is part jet engine, part rocket engine. It burns hydrogen and oxygen to provide thrust - but in the lower atmosphere this oxygen is taken from the atmosphere. At high speeds, this requires Sabre be able to cope with 1,000-degree gasses entering its intake. These need to be cooled prior to being compressed and burnt with the hydrogen. Reaction Engines' breakthrough is a remarkable heat exchanger pre-cooler. Arrays of extremely fine piping plunge the hot intake gases to minus 130C in just 1/100th of a second. Skylon would operate like more traditional transportation systems The Esa money comes from the agency's technology development programmes and contributes to a total programme of investment in Skylon worth almost £6m. It will enable Reaction Engines to build a full test pre-cooler at its facility at Culham. Other aspects of the Skylon design will be investigated by EADS Astrium, the German space agency (DLR) and the University of Bristol. Europe already has a very capable expendable rocket system in the Ariane 5, but Esa constantly has one eye on the future and the technologies that will provide the next generation of launch systems. Guaranteed access to space for its member states is one of Esa's primary objectives, but lowering the cost of that access is also important. The "brochure price" for an Ariane 5 is about 160m euros (£140m). 'Good position' "People are looking for the technologies which are going to enable us to really transform the economics of putting stuff up into space," said UK science minister Lord Drayson. "Britain is well placed here. The Skylon project is a good example; but I'd also point to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited with their microsatellites that are a fraction of the price of conventional satellites. "We're in a promising position as a country to be working on those areas of technology that are applicable to the future of space research," he told BBC News. Lord Drayson said the coming year was an exciting one for the UK as it finessed its policies in the light of an important review being undertaken into space activity and exploration. The minister said it was possible a new structure - meaning a dedicated UK space agency - was needed to oversee this future. "We need to ask ourselves, 'are we as well organised as we can be to make the best from this good position we've got?' We haven't made any decisions about this yet because I'm waiting for this review to come to me." Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| The rocket that thinks it's a jet A reusable space plane that can take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over 12 tonnes into orbit and return to land on the same runway, could be less than a decade away thanks to engineers at Bristol University and a €1 million award by the European Space Agency (ESA). The project, led by space propulsion experts, Reaction Engines Limited (REL), is part of a joint public and private multi-million pound research programme. The technology, developed by a European team of experts including academics from the University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, is for the SABRE air-breathing rocket engine, which will power the ‘SKYLON’ space plane. The SABRE is a unique hybrid engine that can ‘breathe in’ air when in the atmosphere, like a jet engine, and become a rocket engine when in space. In air-breathing mode, air is first cooled by a revolutionary heat exchanger pre-cooler before being compressed and fed to the rocket engine to be burnt with hydrogen fuel. When in rocket mode the hydrogen is burnt with liquid oxygen. Alan Bond, Managing Director of REL, said: “Traditional throw-away rockets costing more than a $100 million per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly re-usable space plane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth.“ Years of planning and research by REL on the ‘SKYLON’ vehicle and its unique SABRE air-breathing engine mean that we have an inside track on realising this goal. SKYLON could reduce the cost of getting into space by a factor of ten.” The demonstration programme will look at three key areas in the engine. The first area, conducted by REL, concerns the revolutionary pre-cooler that cools the incoming air as it enters the engine. During the programme a test pre-cooler will be constructed using the actual module design for the flight engines. This will be tested on the company’s B9 jet engine powered experimental facility at Culham in Oxfordshire. The second area is the cooling of the combustion chamber, where the propellants are mixed and burnt producing water vapour at around 3,000oC. The SABRE engine uses the air or liquid oxygen as the cooling fluid – a key and unusual design feature as most rocket engines use the hydrogen fuel for cooling instead. EADS Astrium and DLR in Germany will be conducting this work using demonstration chambers fired at the DLR Lampoldhausen facility. The third area, led by Dr Neil Taylor in the University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, will explore advanced exhaust nozzles that can adapt to the ambient atmospheric pressure. This follows on from the successful STERN (Static Test of ED Rocket Nozzle) test rocket programme that was conducted last year. As part of the ESA contract a new water-cooled chamber will be constructed and test fired. Dr Taylor said: “It’s excellent news, and allows us here to build on the extensive successes we had with the STERN project. If successful, the impact the overall project will have is enormous, and it's really exciting to be in at the beginning of a potential revolution in the space world.” The demonstration programme has the objective of removing all the outstanding technical concerns on the SABRE engine. This will pave the way to a full engine development programme as part of the overall development of SKYLON. Cheap, easy and reliable access to space is critical to the development of the global space market, now worth more than $150 billion a year worldwide. Lord Drayson , Minister for Science and Innovation, said: “This is an example of a British company developing world-beating technology with exciting consequences for the future of space. It is fantastic that Reaction Engines, the British National Space Centre and ESA have successfully secured this public-private partnership arrangement and I look forward to seeing how the project progresses.” \|\|\|\|\| A REVOLUTIONARY space craft which can take off from a runway could be less than 10 years away, it was claimed today. Engineers at the University of Bristol are part of the European team working on the Skylon space plane. The reusable craft will be able to deliver a payload of more than 12 tonnes into orbit, returning to land on the same runway it took off from. Its success depends on the Sabre air-breathing rocket engine partly being developed in Bristol. Sabre is a unique hybrid engine that can “breathe” air when in the atmosphere like a conventional jet and switch to rocket power in space. In air-breathing mode, air is cooled and compressed before being fed into the rocket engine along with hydrogen fuel. When in rocket mode, the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen. Alan Bond, managing director of Oxford-based Reaction Engines Ltd (REL) which is leading the multi-million pound hybrid engine project, said: “Traditional throwaway rockets costing more than a 100million euros (£70million) per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. “The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly reusable space plane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth. Advertisement A Skylon launch could be less than a decade away, said the engineers. The programme is being supported by a new million euro (£90,000) grant from the European Space Agency. \|\|\|\|\| THE ROCKET THAT THINKS IT’S A JET The SKYLON spaceplane is one step closer to realization thanks to European Space Agency and UK Government support for revolutionary British propulsion technology. A reusable spaceplane that can take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over twelve tonnes to orbit and then return to land on the same runway could be less than a decade away thanks to a one million euro award by the European Space Agency (ESA). The contract awarded to Reaction Engines Limited (REL), is part of a joint public and private multi-million pound development programme, that will demonstrate the core technologies for the SABRE air-breathing rocket engine, which will power the SKYLON spaceplane. Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, said: “This is an example of a British company developing world beating technology with exciting consequences for the future of space. It is fantastic that Reaction Engines, the British National Space Centre and ESA have successfully secured this public-private partnership arrangement and I look forward to seeing how the project progresses.” The SABRE is a unique hybrid engine that can “breathe” air when in the atmosphere, like a jet engine, and become a rocket engine when in space. In air-breathing mode air is first cooled by a revolutionary heat exchanger pre-cooler before being compressed and fed to the rocket engine to be burned with hydrogen fuel. When in rocket mode the hydrogen is burnt with liquid oxygen. Alan Bond, Managing Director of REL, said: “Traditional throw-away rockets costing more than a $100 million per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly reusable spaceplane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth. “Years of planning and research by REL on the SKYLON vehicle and its unique SABRE engine mean that we have an inside track on realising this goal. SKYLON could reduce the cost of getting into space by a factor of ten and improve the reliability by a thousand.” The demonstration programme has the objective of removing all the outstanding technical concerns on the SABRE engine. This will pave the way to a full engine development programme as part of the overall development of SKYLON. Cheap, easy and reliable access to space is critical to the development of the global space market, now worth more than $150 billion a year worldwide. The demonstration programme will look at three key areas in the engine. The first area, conducted by REL, concerns the revolutionary precooler that cools the incoming air as it enters the engine. During the programme a test precooler will be constructed using the actual module design for the flight engines. This will be tested on the company’s B9 jet engine experimental facility at Culham in Oxfordshire. The second area is the cooling of the combustion chamber, where the propellants are mixed and burnt producing water vapour at around 3,000oC. The SABRE engine uses the air or liquid oxygen as the cooling fluid a key and unusual design feature as most rocket engines use the hydrogen fuel for cooling instead. EADS Astrium and DLR in Germany will be conducting this work using demonstration chambers fired at the DLR Lampoldhausen facility. The third area, led by the University of Bristol, will explore advanced exhaust nozzles that can adapt to the ambient atmospheric pressure. This follows on from the successful STERN (Static Test of ED Rocket Nozzle) test rocket programme that was conducted last year. As part of the ESA contract a new water cooled chamber will be constructed and test fired. . . . ENDS Notes to editors: 1. Reaction Engines Limited (REL) has been awarded a major European Space Agency (ESA) contract worth one million euro called “Experimental Investigation of Key Technologies for a Turbine Based Combined Airbreather Rocket Engine”. 2. The ESA contract contributes towards a total programme of almost £6 million. 3. ESA’s funding for the project is provided via subscriptions by the British National Space Centre partnership to two technology programmes of ESA the Technology Research Programme (TRP) and the General Support Technology Programme (GSTP). 4. The British National Space Centre (BNSC) is at the heart of UK efforts to explore and exploit space. BNSC is a partnership of seven Government Departments, two Research Councils, the Met Office and the Technology Strategy Board. It co-ordinates UK civil space activities and represents the UK at the European Space Agency. For more information, visit www.bnsc.gov.uk 5. REL’s partners in this programme are EADS Astrium at Ottobrun, Germany; DLR (Deutsches Zentrum fűr Luft- und Raumfahrt) in Lampoldhausen, Germany; and the University of Bristol, England. 6. Public domain images and video can be found - For SKYLON and SABRE at - www.reactionengines.co.uk - For STERN at - www.projectstern.co.uk Contacts: Reaction Engines Limited Building D5, Culham Science Centre, Reaction Engines Ltd, tel +44 (0)1865 408314, email: enquiries@reactionengines.co.uk. Contact: Natalie.Allred, Public Communications Officer BNSC The British National Space Centre, Second Floor South, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1SZ Contact: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) press office - Science and Innovation Desk Tel: 0203 300 8881 University of Bristol Public Relations Office, Communications & Marketing Services, University of Bristol, tel + 44 (0) 117 331 7276, mobile 07747 768805, email: caroline.clancy@bristol.ac.uk Contact: Caroline Clancy, Press Officer. DLR Institut für Raumfahrtantriebe, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), tel. +49 629828214, Fax. +49 629828119 email: oskar.haidn@dlr.de, contact: Oskar Haidn, Vice Director R&D Institut für Raumfahrtantriebe	Reaction Engines Limited, a firm in Oxford, United Kingdom, has recently been awarded €1 million by the European Space Agency. This money is to be used for development work for the firm's SABRE engines. The SABRE engines are for a reusable spaceplane that it is intended to be able to travel into space and return completely intact. Reaction Engines Limited says the Skylon plane could be in service within 10 years. When in service it would be intended to be regularly carrying up to 60 passengers into orbit much more cheaply than today. Diagram of the Reaction Engines Skylon The cash will be used to test a precooled jet engine that would cool the very hot air entering the engines and should permit the aircraft to fly more economically, like a jet plane. The plane will fly through the air to 26 km (85,000 feet) altitude and five times the speed of sound before using rockets to push the aircraft the rest of the way to orbit. The BBC says that other aspects of the Skylon design will be investigated by EADS Astrium, the German space agency (DLR) and the University of Bristol.
First BotPrize Winners Get $200,000 Photo Editor 2.0, Masks and Homemade GIFs Trending Stickers, Storage and More Keep Calm and Send Telegrams! Drafts, Picture-in-Picture, and More Edit Messages, New Mentions and More \|\|\|\|\| Telegram is branching beyond being a messaging app into something more well-rounded. The company on Tuesday launched Telegraph, a publishing platform with striking similarities to Medium and Quip. What’s interesting about the service is that no account is needed — simply visit the website and begin typing away. When you’re done, hit publish and it’s immediately on the web. Described as “a publishing tool that lets you create rich posts with markdown, photos, and all sorts of embedded stuff,” Telegraph is an interesting play, especially since it’s as if Facebook Messenger launched a Notes tool, or if Twitter natively integrated with Medium. Creating a post can be done in no time and with little restrictions — you create a title for your screed, enter in someone’s name as the author, and begin typing. Your post will let you insert videos from YouTube or Vimeo, as well as tweets, just by dropping in the link. Images from your computer can also be embedded. Because it doesn’t require you to log in, Telegraph is different from Medium in that you won’t be able to catalog your past work or assign them into collections. Each post has a dedicated web address following the format of “telegra.ph/[title]-[date of publishing]”. It appears that currently the only way for you to edit published work is if your computer has stored cookies. If you clear your cache, view it in an incognito browser, or access it from another device, you won’t be able to edit the post. This freeform process may seem appealing to some, but it’s not without its risks. In an age of fake news and proliferation of anonymity, there’s little to stop me from penning a post to read like it came from President Obama, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, my colleague Jordan Novet, or anyone else — so you’ll have to be extra vigilant when reading these missives. Introducing Instant View for articles, Jump to Date, Groups in Common, and Telegraph – a publishing tool. https://t.co/Vzp3onQrZn — Telegram Messenger (@telegram) November 22, 2016 Why did Telegram create this publishing tool? The exact motivation isn’t clear, but it’s probably because the company feels its more than 100 million monthly active users want something else to do beyond instant-messaging one another or conversing with bots. This will be particularly impactful for those on Telegram running channels that have amassed a following, because the service could become a place for publications to run stories, pushing content away from mainstream platforms especially when it’s dealing with more sensitive topics that readers want additional assurances before reading. In its launch announcement today, the company couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cast some shade on the media, saying “with Telegraph, your Telegram channel can run stories just like the mainstream media (although you may find it tricky to become as biased).” More than 12 billion messages are delivered on the popular messaging app each day, so diving into longer-form content could be of interest to the users, simplifying the process without hindering communication. In other news, Telegram also debuted Instant View, a new mobile offering similar to Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and Facebook’s Instant Articles, designed to improve article load times in a native setting. “Only a handful of websites are supported at the moment,” the company acknowledged, but promised that more would be onboarded in the future. It also added a way to search inside any chat by date, enabling you to quickly view previous moments you’ve had in the app. Users will now be able to view all the recently sent stickers just by having a long-tap on a sticker and selecting “view pack.” Lastly, the app will show you all the groups you and a contact have in common within their profile. And if that’s not enough to get you excited, Telegram teased that it has “something big” brewing in its “secret dungeons” that will be unveiled soon.	Telegram introduced an instant view button, seen here, to load articles from site including ''Medium'' and ''TechCrunch'' quickly to save time and data On Tuesday instant messaging application Telegram announced publishing service ''Telegraph''. They also introduced "instant view" and "jump to date" features. Telegraph offers a simple publishing service without an account. It supports embedding photos, tweets from Twitter, and videos from YouTube and by dropping in a link. It allows users to create with by filling the title, author name and the story. Telegraph is similar to other publishing websites like '''' and ''''. Unlike Medium and Quip Telegraph does not require a login and thus anyone can use a false name to publish a story. The stories can only be edited from the same browser on the same device if the user accepts the policy and does not clear the . According to Telegram, instant view offers "an elegant way to view articles with zero pageload time". Links to articles on sites including ''Medium'' and '''' shows an instant view option which can be viewed directly within the application which was built to save time and data. Telegram also introduced a jump to date option to search chats by dates. A calendar icon enables user to choose a date to search old messages. Other features in the new update, version 3.14, include improved camera speed, better video compression and photo viewer, and improved security for passcodes. A new interface for notifications and creating groups for the operating system is also included, with Telegram saying "Make Android Great Again!". Telegram also introduced a feature to view an entire sticker pack by pressing a long hold on the recently sent sticker. Users can also view the list of groups the user shares with a particular contact.
The page you are attempting to reach is accessible to Transport Briefing subscribers only. To continue, please enter your account details in the spaces below: Email address: Password: To find out more about subscribing to Transport Briefing, which includes full access to our online news service, archive, agenda and weekly newsletter detailing the latest developments in the transport sector click here. Alternatively, you can discuss your requirements by telephoning the Transport Briefing office on +44 (0)20 8405 2456. \|\|\|\|\| TfL obtains its first ASBO against graffiti menace This ASBO demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community Jeroen Weimar, Director of the Transport Policing and Enforcement Directive Transport for London (TfL) has won its first Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against a persistent graffiti vandal. He is now banned from the top deck of any public transport bus in England and Wales. Billy Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead in South East London, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport. These include vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and convictions for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens. The ASBO against Mr Murrell prevents him from travelling on the top deck of any public transport bus within England and Wales. It also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider's property. Resolving crime Jeroen Weimar, Director of the Transport Policing and Enforcement Directive (TPED), said: "Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. "This ASBO demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community. "TfL will only use its powers in relation to ASBOs when it is necessary to do so, but this shows that we are prepared to take action to protect public transport for our passengers." The ASBO is valid for three years and any breach of its terms could be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years once Mr Murrell turns 18. Borough police, including Bexleys new Safer Transport Team, which patrols the borough's buses and is funded by TfL, are being made aware of this ASBO, and have distributed a picture of Mr Murrell. Safer transport Bexley Police's Partnership Manager, Chief Inspector Chris Hafford, said: "The Bexley Safer Transport Team have had a massive impact since they were introduced. "They have targeted a number of bus routes where anti-social behaviour has been identified, detecting and preventing offences and reassuring passengers." TfL with the Metropolitan Police Service's Transport Operational Command Unit, set up Operation BusTag almost three years ago. It has targeted criminal damage to London buses using CCTV evidence, which has seen the arrest rate for this type of offence triple and now has conviction rates of over 90per cent. Editors notes: \|\|\|\|\| Transport for London (TfL) has won its first Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against a persistent graffiti vandal. He is now banned from the top deck of any public transport bus in England and Wales.Billy Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead in South East London, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport. These include vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and convictions for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens.The ASBO against Mr Murrell prevents him from travelling on the top deck of any public transport bus within England and Wales. It also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider’s property.Jeroen Weimar, Director of the Transport Policing and Enforcement Directive (TPED), said “Murrell’s vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. This ASBO demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community.“TfL will only use its powers in relation to ASBOs when it is necessary to do so, but this shows that we are prepared to take action to protect public transport for our passengers.”The ASBO is valid for three years and any breach of its terms could be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years once Mr Murrell turns 18.Borough police, including Bexley’s new Safer Transport Team, which patrols the borough’s buses and is funded by TfL, are being made aware of this ASBO, and have distributed a picture of Mr Murrell.Bexley Police’s Partnership Manager, Chief Inspector Chris Hafford, said “The Bexley Safer Transport Team have had a massive impact since they were introduced.“They have targeted a number of bus routes where anti-social behaviour has been identified, detecting and preventing offences and reassuring passengers.”Transport for London, with the Metropolitan Police Service’s Transport Operational Command Unit, set up Operation BusTag almost three years ago. It has targeted criminal damage to London buses using CCTV evidence, which has seen the arrest rate for this type of offence triple and now has conviction rates of over 90%.· A picture of Billy Murrell, issued by Bexley Police, is available upon request from Leslee Williams at the Metropolitan Police. She can be contacted on 020 8284 9154 or 07884 043 776 or leslee.williams@met.police.uk · The Anti Social Behaviour Order was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on September 12 2007.· Under the ASBO, the Defendant is prohibited from:. Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any transport providers property which is not expressly open to the public whether on payment or otherwise throughout England and Wales.. Carrying the following articles, in any area specified in (1) or in any public place, namely any form of unset paint in any form of container, any form of permanent marker pen, any form of shoe dye or permanent ink in any form of container, any form of paint stripper in any form of container, any form of grinding stone, glass cutting equipment, glass etching solution or paste, throughout England and Wales.. Aiding, abetting, counselling or encourage any person who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales.. Travelling on the top deck of the any public transport bus within England and Wales.· If without reasonable excuse the defendant does anything which he is prohibited from doing by this Order, he shall be liable to a detention and training order, which has a maximum term of 24 months – 12 months of which is custodial and 12 months in the community.· Upon turning 18 he will be liable to imprisonment up to 5years.· TfL was granted the power to apply for ASBOs in its own right by the Home Secretary in September 2006.· The ASBO was obtained by TfL’s Transport Policing and Enforcement Directorate. TPED is responsible for Transport Policing, Bus Enforcement and Traffic Enforcement.· TPED manages TfL`s relationship with the Metropolitan Police Service`s Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) which was set up in 2002 to fight crime on buses, tackle illegal taxi touts and assist with the control of traffic congestion, there are now more than 1,200 uniformed officers in the unit. It is funded by Transport for London at a cost of £70 million a year.· This year TfL has also funded the deployment of Safer Transport Teams made up of 18 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), two Sergeants and a PC to 21 outer London boroughs. These teams will tackle local priorities and provide visibility and reassurance to passengers. Bexley Safer Transport Team was launched on March 20th 2007.· All 8,000 London buses are now fitted with CCTV and there are now up to 60,000 cameras on the fleet of 8,000 vehicles.· Operation BusTag is a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Investigation Unit set up in November 2004 by the Transport Operational Command Unit to:- Tackle criminal damage being committed on London's buses.- Identify and bring to justice those who have committed criminal damage on London's buses.- Liaise with bus companies and other authorities to tackle criminal damage and anti-social behaviour.- Since it started in November 2004 Operation BusTag has achieved over 1,900 arrests for criminal damage throughout London during the past two years.Lucy EmeleEmail: lucyemele@tfl.gov.uk Direct line: 0207 126 4727 \|\|\|\|\| Murrell risks detention if he breaches the order Billy Murrell, 17, from Plumstead, south-east London, has several criminal damage convictions on trains and buses using marker pens, police said. It is the first time Transport for London (TfL) has obtained an anti-social order against a "tagger". The order also bans Murrell from carrying marker pens or sharp instruments on public transport. The anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) which is valid for three years, was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 12 September. Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users Jeroen Weimar, TfL If Murrell, whose tag is "Raider", is in breach of the order, he risks detention of up to 24 months or up to five years in jail once he is over 18. Jeroen Weimar, of TfL, said "Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. "This Asbo demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community." TfL was granted the power to apply for Asbos through the courts in its own right in September 2006. Operation BusTag, a joint TfL and police initiative targeting criminal damage, has seen 1,900 people arrested in the past two years. \|\|\|\|\| Graffiti vandal banned from bus top decks 5:23pm Friday 21st September 2007 Comments (17) Have your say » A PERSISTENT vandal has been slapped with an Asbo banning him from the top deck of public transport buses. The order, made by Greenwich magistrates on 17-year-old Billy Murrell, is the first one by Transport for London (TfL) for graffiti. Murrell, from Plumstead, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport. These include damaging buses and other public property using marker pens and vandalising a Tube carriage. Jeroen Weimar, who heads TfL's transport policing and enforcement directive, said: "Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. "This Asbo demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community. "TfL will only use its powers in relation to Asbos when it is necessary to do so, but this shows that we are prepared to take action to protect public transport for our passengers." The Asbo is valid for three years. CONDITIONS OF THE ORDER The Asbo bars him from: Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any other transport company's property which is not open to the public throughout England and Wales. Carrying unset paint in any form of container, permanent marker pens, shoe dye or permanent ink, paint stripper, a grinding stone, glass cutting equipment or glass etching solution or paste anywhere mentioned above and any public place in England and Wales. Aiding, abetting, counselling or encouraging anyone who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or being under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales. Travelling on the top deck of any public transport bus within England and Wales. If he breaches the order he could be sentenced to a two-year detention and training order, with 12 months to be served in custody and 12 months to be served in the community. When he turns 18 any breach could carry a five-year jail sentence. Your Say YourShopper	Billy Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead in S.E. London Billy Murrell, a persistent graffiti vandal from South East London, has become the first recipient of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) granted to Transport for London (TfL) by Greenwich Magistrates. The civil order also bans him from the top deck of buses throughout England and Wales for three years. Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport, including vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens. This is Transport for London's first Anti-Social Behaviour Order against a graffiti vandal — TfL was granted the power to apply for Asbos by the Home Secretary in September 2006. The Anti-Social Behaviour Order was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 12 September and also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider's property. Metropolitan and Transport police have been made aware of Murrell's Asbo, and have distributed his photo. '''In detail, Murrell is prohibited from:''' Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any transport providers property which is not expressly open to the public whether on payment or otherwise throughout England and Wales Carrying the following articles, in any area specified (above) or in any public place, namely any form of unset paint in any form of container, any form of permanent marker pen, any form of shoe dye or permanent ink in any form of container, any form of paint stripper in any form of container, any form of grinding stone, glass cutting equipment, glass etching solution or paste, throughout England and Wales Aiding, abetting, counselling or encourage any person who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales Travelling on the top deck of the any public transport bus within England and Wales If without reasonable excuse the defendant does anything which he is prohibited from doing by this order, he shall be liable to a detention and training order, which has a maximum term of 24 months - 12 months of which is custodial and 12 months in the community Upon turning 18 he will be liable to imprisonment up to five years.
Gary Coleman Dies Gary Coleman has died as the result of injuries he suffered earlier this week, the hospital tells TMZ. We've learned Gary's wife, Shannon, made the decision to pull life support early this AM. We're told Coleman died at 12:05 PM MST. He died of a intracranial hemorrhage. Family members and close friends were at Coleman's side when life support was pulled. He was 42. As TMZ first reported, Coleman was rushed to a hospital in Utah after he fell and hurt his head. He was on life support since Thursday. There will be a press conference at the hospital at 3:00 PM PT. A rep for Coleman released this statement: "Thanks to everyone for their well wishing and support during this tragic time. Now that Gary has passed, we know he will be missed because of all the love and support shown in the past couple of days. Gary is now at peace and his memory will be kept in the hearts of those who were entertained by him throughout the years." \|\|\|\|\| Enlarge Gary Coleman died Friday after suffering a serious head injury. Enlarge AP file Gary Coleman and earlier TV comedy icon Lucille Ball in 1979. See more photos here Diff'rent Strokes, died Friday after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42. Gary Coleman , the child star of the TV sitcomdied Friday after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank says life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. Coleman was hospitalized Wednesday after falling and suffering a head injury at his home south of Salt Lake City, according to family members. For a while, it seemed that Gary Coleman's cherubic face was everywhere, from TV to T-shirts to lunchboxes. PHOTOS: A look back at Coleman's life On Diff'rent Strokes, he played precocious Arnold Jackson, who, with his brother Willis (Todd Bridges), was adopted by a wealthy, white Manhattan man (Conrad Bain) and his daughter (Dana Plato). Coleman's pudgy cheeks and flawless comic timing made him the break-out star of the popular series, which ran from 1978-86. His signature line, "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" became a national catchphrase. But Coleman's bright beginnings were overshadowed by domestic disputes, legal troubles and health issues. Coleman was born with a congenital kidney disease that resulted in his small stature. He had two kidney transplants and required frequent dialysis. At the height of Diff'rent Strokes' popularity, Coleman reportedly received up to $100,000 an episode. Beginning in 1980, he won four consecutive People's Choice Awards as Favorite Young TV Performer He parlayed his prime-time success into steady work in TV guest spots, made-for-TV movies and feature films, including On the Right Track and The Kid with the Broken Halo. The latter inspired the animated TV series The Gary Coleman Show. But in the years after Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman was in the headlines more often for his off-screen troubles than for his acting. In 1989, he successfully sued his parents and former advisers for misappropriation of his trust fund, which had dwindled. He was awarded $1.3 million. In 1999, Coleman filed for bankruptcy, blaming his troubles on financial mismanagement. In 1998, while working as a security guard, he was charged with assault for hitting a woman who had been seeking an autograph. He pleaded no contest and received a suspended sentence. In 2007 he was cited for disorderly conduct after arguing with his wife, Shannon Price, whom he married that August. They had met on the set of the 2006 comedy Church Ball. In 2008, he and Price appeared on the syndicated TV show Divorce Court in an attempt to save their marriage. But last year, the two were involved in a domestic dispute which resulted in Price being arrested and both receiving disorderly conduct citations. And he recently settled a lawsuit with a man he allegedly hit with his car outside a Utah bowling alley in 2008. In January, Coleman was arrested for failure to appear in court for an unspecified earlier charge. Coleman's troubles led him to be the butt of jokes for comedians and he even inspired a character by the same name in the Tony-winning musical Avenue Q. Through it all, Coleman maintained his perspective and sense of humor. "I parody myself every chance I get," he said. "I try to make fun of myself and let people know that I'm a human being, and these things that have happened to me are real. I'm not just some cartoon who exists and suddenly doesn't exist." Despite his real-life travails, Coleman will remain an '80s TV icon, a quick-witted boy whose onscreen charm lives on in television syndication. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more \|\|\|\|\| FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2008 file photo, actor Gary Coleman appears on the the NBC "Today" program... FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2008 file photo, actor Gary Coleman appears on the the NBC "Today" program in New York. A Utah hospital says said Thursday May 27, 2010 that former child television star Gary Coleman has been admitted in critical condition.(AP Photo/Richard Drew) (AP) Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42. Coleman was taken off life support and died with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said. He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City. Frank said Coleman was hospitalized because of an accident at the home, but she had no further details. Coleman's family, in a statement read by his brother-in-law Shawn Price, said information would be released shortly about his death. Best remembered for "Diff'rent Strokes" character Arnold Jackson and his "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" catchphrase, Coleman chafed at his permanent association with the show but also tried to capitalize on it through reality shows and other TV appearances. His adult life was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor. "I want to escape that legacy of Arnold Jackson," he told The New York Times during his gubernatorial run. "I'm someone more. It would be nice if the world thought of me as something more." A statement from the family said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support. "It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played Coleman's older brother, Willis, on "Diff'rent Strokes." "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted on NBC in 1978 and drew most of its laughs from Coleman, then a tiny 10-year-old with sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing. He played the younger of two African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy white man. Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up. \|\|\|\|\| Richard Drew/Associated Press Gary Coleman, the actor who as a child star of the television comedy “Diff’rent Strokes” made “What’choo talkin ’bout, Willis?” a catchphrase of the 1980s, has died. He was 42. The death was reported by CBS News, citing the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, where Mr. Coleman had been hospitalized after an injury. A diminutive actor who stood at 4 feet eight inches, Mr. Coleman became a star at age 10 for his role on “Diff’rent Strokes.” The show, which had its debut in 1978, cast him as Arnold Jackson, the younger of two children adopted by the millionaire Philip Drummond (played by Conrad Bain). The show ran for eight years on NBC and ABC. In 1989, Mr. Coleman sued his adopted parents for mismanaging the money he made on the show and won a settlement, but later filed for bankruptcy. He continued to appear in brief film and television roles, often as himself, and often poking fun at his grownup struggles. A full obituary article can be found here.	Gary Coleman in a promotional poster of . US actor died Friday at the in , Utah, after complications from a . Coleman was admitted to the hospital on May 26 after falling and injuring his head. He went into a coma on May 27 and required life support. He was taken off life support and died shortly after noon on Friday. He was 42 years old. Coleman had been suffering multiple medical problems throughout his life, however, it is unknown if these problems affected his death. He suffered from a congenital kidney disease which required two transplants and daily dialysis. On February 27, 2010 Coleman suffered a seizure on the set of the television show ''''. Coleman's career began with appearances in US 's such as '''' and ''''. He was best known for his recurring role as Arnold Jackson on '''' and his recurring line, "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?".
The Malaysian Grand Prix has been suspended due to heavy rain after 33 laps at Sepang. The race could yet restart if conditions improve sufficiently. When the race was suspended, Brawn's Jenson Button was leading from Toyota's Timo Glock and and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld. Half points will be awarded if the race cannot be restarted. Results will follow when available. \|\|\|\|\| Jenson Button wins after heavy downpour halts Malaysian GP JENSON BUTTON recorded his second consecutive victory for Brawn GP at the rain-soaked Malaysian Grand Prix. The British driver, who had qualified in pole, was leading on the 33rd of 56 scheduled laps when the race was stopped after a thunderstorm broke at the Sepang International Circuit. With the torrential rain refusing to relent and darkness descending on the track due to the late starting time, organisers eventually decided not to restart the race, awarding half-points to the top eight finishers. Nick Heidfeld benefited from a decision to run a heavy fuel load as he finished second for BMW Sauber while Timo Glock was third after a strong run in intermediates during a period before the heavens fully opened. Jarno Trulli was fourth in the second Toyota, with Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello fifth and Mark Webber sixth for Red Bull. World champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh for McLaren with Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams. It was the first race to be red-flagged for rain since the 1991 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. Rosberg got a great jump at the start, accelerating past Glock and Trulli and passing Button on the inside of the first corner. Button, who had changed the front wing of his car shortly before the start, looked out of sorts early and dropped to fourth after also being passed by Trulli and Fernando Alonso in the first complex of corners. He regained third place from Alonso at turn 13 but it was Rosberg that held a 1.2-second lead over Trulli at the end of the opening lap. Heikki Kovalainen was an early casualty, spinning his McLaren out on turn five of the first lap when something appeared to break on the back of his car, while Robert Kubica, who had started slowly in his badly-misfiring BMW Sauber retired on the second when his engine gave out. Barrichello and Alonso were involved in an early scrap with the Brazilian putting the two-time champion under intense pressure before finally overtaking him on the run to the first corner on the fourth lap. The Spaniard was running a heavily-fuelled Renault and dropped to sixth when he let Kimi Raikkonen past on turn four of the 11th lap after his tyres lost traction on the 11th lap. Rosberg had opened a 3.3-second lead when he came in for his first pit stop on the 15th lap, handing the lead to Trulli, with Button in hot pursuit in second. Trulli went into the pits at the end of the 17th lap handing the lead over to Button, who ran a fastest lap of 1:36.041 to maintain first place when the first sequence of pit stops ended. Raikkonen made a switch to wet tyres on lap 19 but the gamble failed to pay off as the threatening dark clouds failed to open immediately, dropping his Ferrari down to near the back of the field. The rain finally arrived on lap 22, bringing most of the field in for a change to wet tyres and Hamilton was the biggest beneficiary as his first fuel stop helped to elevate his McLaren up to sixth place. The Brawn had enjoyed little testing in wet conditions but Button showed his mastery of the conditions by opening up a 24.6-second lead over second-placed teammate Barrichello by lap 25. But Glock was flying in his Toyota, moving up through the field rapidly on intermediate tyres. Having swallowed up many of the other runners, the German took the lead when Button came in to the pits to change from wets to intermediates on lap 29. It proved an untimely decision for the Brawn GP driver as the heavens opened up immediately after forcing Button into the pits for a fourth time to change back to wets but with Glock also stopping for wets, he managed to emerge from the pits in first place. The rain intensified and Giancarlo Fisichella, Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi spun out in the treacherous conditions. The safety car was deployed soon afterwards before the cars were red-flagged on lap 33 with Button leading from Glock in second and Heidfeld in third. Trulli was fourth at the stoppage with Barrichello fifth, Hamilton sixth, Rosberg seventh and Webber eighth. Some drivers opted to wait out the stoppage in their cars but Raikkonen decided not to restart and was seen on television dressed in civilian clothes and enjoying an ice cream. But with the rain refusing to relent and darkness approaching, the decision was made, 50 minutes after the stoppage, not to restart with half-points awarded to the top eight finishers. The results were counted back to the end of the 31st lap with Heidfeld taking second and Glock third behind Button. \|\|\|\|\| News Jenson Button wins Malaysian Grand Prix 05 Apr, 2009 04:20 pm IST,TIMESOFINDIA.COM Print Save EMail Write to Editor NEW DELHI: Briton Jenson Button of Brawn GP won the Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of Timo Glock of Toyota and Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber. The race was suspended as the red flag is out due to heavy rain after lap 32. The teams and drivers will only get half points because less than 75% of the race was completed. S Vettel of Red Bull, S Buemi of Toro Rosso and G Fisichella of Force India retired after rain halted the race. McLaren's H Kovalainen made a terrible mistake at the turn during the second lap and got retired while Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber also got retired due to some engine problem in his car. Drivers' Standings Constructor Standings Position after Lap 32 Lap 56 Position Drivers Teams Pit stops 1 J Button Brawn 4 2 T Glock Toyota 3 3 N Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1 4 M Webber Red Bull 4 5 R Barrichello Brawn 4 6 L Hamilton McLaren 3 18 G Fisichella Force India 1 (Ret) 15 A Sutil Force India 3 Print Save EMail Write to Editor Comments to the Editor \|\|\|\|\| What do you think? Help us improve The Times. We welcome your feedback, suggestions and ideas. Click here to send us your feedback. Need help from our Customer Services team? You can contact the team via the following channels: Live Chat Twitter Email Telephone: +0044 20 7711 1523	Jenson Button (2008) Photo credit: Mark McArdle at Flickr Sepang International Circuit Brawn-Mercedes driver Jenson Button wins FIA Formula One 2009 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. The race was suspended by red flag due to heavy rain after 33 laps and later stopped after more than half an hour of waiting the track to dry up. All drivers earned only half possible points counted after 31 laps. Nick Heidfeld on his KERS-equipped BMW Sauber car placed second from 11th place on the starting grid. Both Toyota drivers Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli ended up behind Heidfeld. Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello finished 5th. Mark Webber's Red Bull gained one place from the start, finishing 6th. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton finished 7th after burst from 13th place on the start. Nico Rosberg had a fantastic start overtaking all drivers in front of his 6th place to the first corner. Still he lose this advantage throughout the race and closed the top eight with only half a point for his Williams team.
Some office workers leave their PC on all night Computer magazine PC Pro measured the electricity consumed by PCs, printers and TVs. It found many devices were extremely hungry when it comes to eating power. But a few minor adjustments could save people hundreds of pounds. Turn it off A CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor left on during the day and in standby mode during the night costs an equivalent in electricity over five years as a brand new flat screen monitor, it found. Even if you can't be bothered to save the planet, at least save yourself a few bob Nick Ross, PC Pro Magazine Bad practice in UK offices means many employees do not bother turning their computer off at all when they leave in the evening. "If the screensaver is running then the monitor isn't in standby mode and it can be drawing over 100W," said PC Pro's deputy lab editor Nick Ross. This could add up to a substantial sum when multiplied by the number of monitors in an office building. "It would be worth many companies actually paying an employee extra to go round turning things off at the end of the day," he said. Computers even consume electricity when they have been turned off, although a change to the settings or investing in a special power strip can cut off the entire electricity supply to the computer and its peripherals. Saving cash "Most people could easily save £100 a year and a small-to-medium sized company should easily cut £5,000 off its bills just by following our advice," said Mr Ross. The picture is slightly better when it comes to TVs. While older models can suck up 13W in standby mode, newer ones were far more environmentally friendly. The Sony Wega widescreen and Philips flat screen TV used less than 1W when in standby, the results showed. To highlight the issue of wasted electricity, PC Pro has launched a Switch IT Off campaign, designed to make users and manufacturers more aware of the true cost of owning electronics. "Even if you can't be bothered to save the planet, at least save yourself a few bob," said Mr Ross. \|\|\|\|\| News [Desktop computers] PC Pro launches Switch IT Off campaign 1:46PM The new issue of PC Pro launches a campaign to cut its readers' power bills - both in their homes and their businesses. 'Our tests show that individuals can save £250 per year while a medium-sized company could cut £5,000 from its annual bill,' said PC Pro editor, Tim Danton. 'And, unlike so many other green measures, you don't have to invest lots of money to reap the rewards.' The campaign stems from PC Pro's investigations into the true cost of running a PC. Using state-of-the-art equipment, it discovered that a desktop PC alone could cost its owner up to £175 a year. But it also discovered that some minor changes could reap instant rewards. 'What many people don't realise is that computers can still consume lots of power when in standby mode,' said Tim Danton. 'We found that one minor adjustment to settings could cut bills in half with no loss of performance whatsoever.' PC Pro also put monitors, printers and consumer electronics to the test. 'Our most striking discovery ADVERTISEMENT was that, if you replace a CRT with an LCD, then it could pay for itself within five years.' PC Pro's Switch IT off campaign intends to raise the awareness of IT power consumption in the home and in the office, and also to make it easier for people to change their computing habits. 'We've teamed up with OneClickPower, so that more people take advantage of its six-socket power strip,' said Tim Danton. 'Just plug your PC into the master socket, then when you put your PC into standby or switch it off, the strip automatically cuts power to the peripherals plugged into any other socket. PC Pro subscribers can buy it for a reduced price too: £25 rather than £30.' To encourage its readers to follow the power-cutting advice, PC Pro has also formed a partnership with two environmentally aware companies: Eizo and Fujitsu Siemens. Over the next few months, the two will be providing thousands of pounds in prizes, with any PC Pro readers who have taken power-saving measures entered into a monthly draw. The new May issue (#127) of PC Pro goes on sale today. FACTS & FIGURES * The cost of powering an old CRT monitor for five years, £150, is now more than a 17in LCD monitor * Using a screensaver is costing some PC owners £100 per year * Switching off a single laser printer overnight and at weekends will save a business £70 during the printer's lifetime * One settings tweak could save PC owners £75 per year	British computer magazine ''PC Pro'' has investigated the electricity costs of running today's computers. Their investigations showed that an individual could save £250 a year while a medium-sized business could potentially save £5,000 a year by making changes to the way computers and their peripherals are operated. A CRT monitor uses £150 of electricity over five years; enough to pay for a new low-power LCD monitor. Using a screen saver, rather than turning the monitor off or using many computers' built-in feature to turn monitors off after a period of inactivity, could cost £100 alone in a year. It was also discovered that turning a single laser printer off overnight and on weekends would save £70 over the life of the printer. Many others computer users however run 'distributed computing' projects while their computers are idle, such as the '@home' series of projects (including the well-known 'SETI@home').
Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison and ordered to pay $23 million in restitution to victims based on his pleading guilty to conspiracy, honest services fraud and tax evasion charges. Abramoff is already serving nearly six years for fraud in connection with a Florida casino deal. He faced an additional 11 years when he entered the sentencing hearing, but prosecutors asked for a much more lenient sentence of less than four years. Defense attorneys said he deserves even less time because of his help in nabbing others convicted in lobbyist and corruption cases. The recent sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle of the District of Columbia. Abramoff, 49, was also sentenced to three years of supervision following his release from prison. Abramoff on Jan. 3, 2006, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit “honest services” fraud involving public officials and fraud involving Abramoff’s clients, one count of honest services fraud involving public officials, and one count of tax evasion. According to the plea agreement signed by Abramoff, from 1994 through early 2004, he lobbied public officials in the federal government while working in the Washington, D.C., offices of two law firms – first at Seattle-based Preston Gates & Ellis and in 2001 for Miami-based Greenberg Traurig. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Abramoff admitted he conspired to defraud four Native American Indian tribes that either operated, or were interested in operating, gaming casinos. Each of the clients, which were tribes located in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Michigan, hired Abramoff, through his employers, to give advice regarding how best to limit competition from competing casinos or, in one instance, to reopen a previously closed casino. \|\|\|\|\| Search For: appearing anywhere in the headline in the section in the lead in the byline Help While there is no fee to search the Union Leader archives, a fee will be charged to retrieve the full text of any article in the archives. To retrieve the full-length story you must establish an archive account. The Union Leader archive has a variety of pricing options for purchasing articles. To allow for flexibility, we offer packages with a variety of expiration times along with single article purchasing. You will be asked for your credit card information as part of the registration process. Single article purchase = $2.50 You can choose to purchase one article at a time for $2.50 each. The Union Leader also offers a variety of other options for purchasing articles: Article Package Price Duration 3 pack $6.95 one week 10 pack $21.95 one month 25 pack $49.95 one month 40 pack $79.95 one month 500 pack $995.00 one year 1,000 pack $1,995.00 one year \|\|\|\|\| Search results Searched for: Returned: 1 displays of 1 matches Returning the tainted money just a first step Author: MONITOR STAFF Date: January 6, 2006 Publication: Concord Monitor (NH) Page: B04 Word Count: 561 Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's long-running campaign to win influence and bribe politicians is not the true measure of the degree to which money has tainted Washington politics. The true measure can be seen in the belated rush by politicians to return or donate "gifts" from the corrupt wheeler-dealer. MONITOR STAFFJanuary 6, 2006Concord Monitor (NH)B04561 Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's long-running campaign to win influence and bribe politicians is not the true measure of the degree to which money has tainted Washington politics. The true measure can be seen in the belated rush by politicians to return or donate "gifts" from the corrupt wheeler-dealer. New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu are among those who are turning the cash they got from Abramoff over to charity. Gregg accepted $12,000 from the lobbyist between 2002 and... Click here for complete article New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu are among those who are turning the cash they got from Abramoff over to charity. Gregg accepted $12,000 from the lobbyist between 2002 and... You may search and display articles from the last 7 days free of charge. For archived articles that are older than 7 days, we offer a variety of pricing options for purchasing articles. To allow for flexibility, we offer single article purchasing and multiple article packages. You will be asked for your credit card information as part of the set up process. When you are ready to purchase, you can choose from the following options: Single article purchase = $2.50 You can choose to purchase one article at a time for $2.50 per article. Each purchase is reflected as a single purchase on your credit card. There is also a variety of other options for purchasing articles: One month pass 10 articles ($19.95) One month pass 25 articles ($39.95) Three month pass 50 articles ($59.95) Three month pass 100 articles ($99.95) One year pass 250 articles ($199.95) One year pass 500 articles ($349.95) One year pass 1000 articles ($599.95) Having trouble? If you have any technical difficulties, either with your user name and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at: concordmonitor@newsbank.com We will respond within one business day; longer on weekends and holidays.	John E Sununu in 2006 On October 24, 2001, convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and four Alexander Strategies Group associates donated $1,000 each to the Rely on Your Beliefs Fund. This political action committee in turn donated $3,000 to Republican Representative John Sununu's primary campaign in New Hampshire on the same day, through the political action committee Team Sununu. The Greenberg Traurig lobbying company, which also employed Abramoff, gave $1000 to Team Sununu on December 16, 2002 for purposes of 'debt retirement.' According to a report by the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Jack Abramoff commonly told Native American tribal clients to divert their funds through the Alexander Strategies Group. Earlier that October, Jack Abramoff had met with the legislative director of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe in Michigan. Representative John Sununu, now a sitting senator from New Hampshire, had served on the Appropriations Committee that helped draft the Department of Interior funding bill. In the section on Native American water claims, land claims, and miscellaneous payments, over $6,000,000 in funding was given to Michigan fishing in the Great Lakes. The event occurred a day before the presentation of a Department of Interior funding bill to President George W. Bush for signing, and a week after the conference report settling differences between the House and the Senate. Abramoff wrote to fellow lobbyist Michael Scanlon on October 4, 2001 via e-mail, "I had dinner tonight with Chris Petras of Sag Chip. He was salivating at the $4-5 million program I described to him (is that enough? Probably not)." Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison earlier this month. He had admitted to conspiring to defraud four Native American tribes that either operated or were interested in operating casinos. The other three donors to the fund linked to Sununu were all members of the Alexander Strategy Group, including its founder, former Tom DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham. Donor Jim Ellis had led the group Preston Gates & Ellis, which also employed Jack Abramoff. A fourth contributor was J. Thomas Smith, Jr., who had served as the Alexander Strategy Group's lawyer. The Alexander Strategy Group was shut down in January due to ties with Jack Abramoff and former House majority leader Tom DeLay. The Rely On Your Beliefs Fund, owned by former Rep. Roy Blunt, has already donated to charity $8,500 equivalent to the amount personally contributed by Jack Abramoff in 2006. In November 2004, Gannett News Service had reported that Abromoff directed the Tigua tribe to contribute to the Rely On Your Beliefs Fund. In January 2006, John Sununu donated to charity $3000 he had received from the Saginaw Chipewa from the Daniel Webster PAC.
Two Indian doctoral students killed on US university campus BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: Two Indian doctoral students were found shot dead in an apparent home invasion in a Louisiana university campus apartment, and police Friday were searching for three suspects in the killings. The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex on the campus of Louisiana State University late Thursday night after authorities received a call from Allam's pregnant wife requesting urgent medical aid. Both men had been shot once in the head, said Charles Zewe, an LSU spokesman. The three men seen leaving the area were being sought, he said. "From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door." Allam's wife called authorities after returning home and finding the men dead, said Srinivasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Komma's. Komma, a biochemstry student was visiting the apartment. Allam was in the chemistry program. Pothakamuri said Komma's wife contacted his wife Thursday night, worried that her husband had not returned after what he had said would be a 10 minute trip to see Allam. "He never came home," Pothakamuri said. They went to the apartment, and saw police. The killings were the first homicides on LSU's campus since the early 1990s, said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman. No other violence was reported and students were free to move around the campus. "Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," Calongne said. An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the mass shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year where a South Korean student killed 32 people before killing himself. Calongne said only 8,000 students — less than one-third of the student body — had signed up for cell-phone notification. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU Web site. The apartment building where the shootings took place is designated for married and graduate students. The complex is located on the edge of the 2,000 acre (809.39 hectare) campus, close to one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas. ___ Associated Press Writer Mary Foster contributed to this story. \|\|\|\|\| 2 Indian students murdered in US A Correspondent in New York \| December 14, 2007 22:13 IST Last Updated: December 15, 2007 01:25 IST Related Articles New York police sued for harassing Indian student Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, two PhD students from India at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge , were found murdered at the latter's apartment on December 13. Allam lived at the Edward Gay Apartments, located near the intersection of West Roosevelt Street and Governor Claiborne Drive , adjacent to the LSU Band practice field in Baton Rouge . The apartment building was inside the university campus. The initial call to LSU police department came in at 10:37 pm on Thursday as a medical emergency. Officials did not reveal who made that call. "Nobody knows what happened or the motive behind the murders. But it was not like the Virginia Tech shooting," Praveen Mudunuri, treasurer of the Indian Students Association, said. "We are in a state of shock. We still cannot believe this kind of a thing can happen on campus. I hope the security on campus will be strengthened. I don't know what else to say, it is a complete massacre," said Dheeraj Reddy, incoming student coordinator for the association. Both Komma and Allam hailed from Andhra Pradesh. While Allam was doing his PhD in chemistry, Komma was pursuing a doctorate in biology. They had been students of the Louisiana State University for the last 3-4 years, Mudunuri said. Over 300 Indian students study at the LSU. Ravi Tej Kavalipati, president of the association, spoke with the victims' families in India and offered to help with the arrangements to take the bodies back to India . Komma and Allam might have been killed during a home invasion, said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman. Both had been shot in the head, but there was no sign of forced entry. Komma was bound with a computer cable and Allam's body was found near the door. A 911 call was also made by Allam's pregnant wife, who returned home and found the bodies, Komma's friend Srinivasa Pothakamuri told the media. Both Komma and Allam were married. The LSUPD is currently investigating the case, with assistance from the Baton Rouge Police Department, but no suspects have been identified, a university press release said. The murders may not be a random event, according to LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe. At a press conference on December 14, O'Keefe said that Komma and Allam "appeared to be targeted for reasons unknown. This does not appear to be a random event." O'Keefe also offered his condolences to the victims' families. LSU Police Major Lawrence Rabalais said that investigators are looking into a 2006 incident in which a chemistry student threatened one of the victims. However, Rabalais said he wasn't sure which of the victims was involved, according to the Morning Advocate. Soon after the incident, the university officials asked the LSU community to use caution when moving around in the campus. Officers and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. The university officials, who rushed to the campus, gathered the latest information and sent out an emergency text message to members of the LSU community who had previously registered their cell phone numbers with the university's emergency text-message system. University officials also sent out a broadcast e-mail to members of the LSU community, sent a broadcast voice message to all campus phones and posted a message to the LSU. However, not everyone who had registered their cell phones with the system received an emergency message about the incident. The university is now investigating the problem with clearTXT, which is the text-message service provider, and is trying to fix the problem. Read More: www.lsu.edu Doctoral Pair Shot Dead on LSU Campus \|\|\|\|\| LOUISIANA: Two students of Indian-origin were shot dead inside an apartment at a university in the US state of Louisiana. Authorities said on Friday that the men were likely slain during a home invasion. The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph.D students at Louisiana State University, were found dead inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex, police said. The bodies were discovered after a call to campus police on Thursday night seeking medical attention. No suspects had been identified. An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said in a news release. The problem was being investigated. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU website. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the mass shooting of 32 people at Virginia Tech earlier this year by a gunman who killed himself. \|\|\|\|\| Advertisement Search CBS News The Web • » 2 Louisiana State Students Found Dead International Ph.D. Scholars Slain In Campus Apartment; 3 Men Sought In Home Invasion The body of one of the two men that were killed on the Louisiana State University campus is taken to a waiting coroner's van in Baton Rouge, La., on Friday, Dec. 14, 2007. Two students were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion at a Louisiana State University apartment, and officials decided to keep the campus open Friday while police searched for three suspects. (AP Photo) Related Interactive Campus Insecurity Find out the crime data on your campus and check the national statistics. Interactive Crime Beat Statistics and specifics on crime in America. Stories Online Shooting Threat Alarms L.A. Campus Miss. Student's Body Found; Ex Charged (CBS/AP) Two students were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion at a Louisiana State University apartment, and officials decided to keep the campus open Friday while police searched for three suspects. The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph.D. students, were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex late Thursday night after authorities received a call seeking medical attention. Both men had been shot once in the head, said Charles Zewe, an LSU system spokesman. Three men were seen leaving the area, and police were searching for them. "From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door." No other violence was reported and the campus was not locked down, though officials were cautioning students about traveling to the university Friday morning and police patrols were increased on campus. Students were taking final exams, and many on the 30,000-student campus had already gone home for the semester break. "Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman. An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated. Calongne said only 8,000 students - less than one-third of the student body - had signed up for cell-phone notification. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU Web site. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year. The call that alerted police to the crime was made by Allam's pregnant wife, who returned home and found the men dead, said Srinivasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Komma. Komma, a biochemstry student, was visiting the apartment at the time. Allam was in the chemistry program. Both men were from India, Zewe said. Pothakamuri said Komma's wife contacted his wife Thursday night, worried that her husband hadn't returned after what he had said would be a 10 minute trip to see Allam. "He never came home," Pothakamuri said. They went to the apartment, and saw police. The apartment building where the shootings took place is designated for married and graduate students, and is near a field on the 2,000-acre campus where the university's band practices. It is on the edge of the campus, close to one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas and near an elementary school. The apartment complex, a cluster of pale yellow cinderblock, three-story buildings, is within sight of the transition offices of Louisiana Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal. LSU's police department and Baton Rouge Police are both working the case - they are urging students to use caution when moving about the campus, reports CBS News affiliate WWL-TV. They also said at no time was any part of the campus under lockdown. The killings were the first homicides on LSU's campus since the early 1990s, Calogne said. Two students were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion at a Louisiana State University apartment, and officials decided to keep the campus open Friday while police searched for three suspects.The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph.D. students, were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex late Thursday night after authorities received a call seeking medical attention.Both men had been shot once in the head, said Charles Zewe, an LSU system spokesman. Three men were seen leaving the area, and police were searching for them."From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door."No other violence was reported and the campus was not locked down, though officials were cautioning students about traveling to the university Friday morning and police patrols were increased on campus. Students were taking final exams, and many on the 30,000-student campus had already gone home for the semester break."Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman.An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated.Calongne said only 8,000 students - less than one-third of the student body - had signed up for cell-phone notification. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU Web site. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year.The call that alerted police to the crime was made by Allam's pregnant wife, who returned home and found the men dead, said Srinivasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Komma. Komma, a biochemstry student, was visiting the apartment at the time. Allam was in the chemistry program. Both men were from India, Zewe said.Pothakamuri said Komma's wife contacted his wife Thursday night, worried that her husband hadn't returned after what he had said would be a 10 minute trip to see Allam. "He never came home," Pothakamuri said. They went to the apartment, and saw police.The apartment building where the shootings took place is designated for married and graduate students, and is near a field on the 2,000-acre campus where the university's band practices. It is on the edge of the campus, close to one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas and near an elementary school. The apartment complex, a cluster of pale yellow cinderblock, three-story buildings, is within sight of the transition offices of Louisiana Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal.LSU's police department and Baton Rouge Police are both working the case - they are urging students to use caution when moving about the campus, reportsThey also said at no time was any part of the campus under lockdown.The killings were the first homicides on LSU's campus since the early 1990s, Calogne said. © MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| New Delhi: Two Indian students, studying in Louisiana State University, were shot dead by unidentified assailants on the campus on Friday. The two students were identified as Chandrashekhar Reddy and Kiran Kumar, who hailed from Kurnool and Karim Nagar in Andhra Pradesh respectively. They were doctoral students at the university. CBS News quoted Charles Zewe, a spokesman for the LSU System, as saying that the two had been shot once in the head. Zewe said Chandrasekhar "was bound with a computer cable and shot, while Kiran was found near the door." The first call of a 'medical emergency' came into the LSU police department at 10:37 PM (EST). The call was made by Kiran's wife, who first found the two dead. Kiran's wife is a software engineer and is said to be pregnant. The shootout took place in Kiran's friend's room. Family sources in Karim Nagar said Kiran's parents are leaving for US early on Saturday. Chandrasekhar was working toward a doctorate degree in biochemistry and Kiran was in the chemistry doctoral programme. Louisiana police said the two were likely to have been shot dead during a home invasion. No suspects were identified immediately, but reports said the police are looking for three men. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Michael Ruffner, also claimed that it was a home invasion. "It was not a shootout. It was a home invasion. There were two PhD students who were shot and killed sometime last evening after 10:30 PM, Central time," he told CNN-IBN. This is the first killing on the campus since the early 1990s. The incident took place inside an apartment complex at the Edward Gay Complex. The apartment building is designated for married and graduate students and it is on the north edge of the campus, near one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas and near an elementary school. The apartment complex, a cluster of pale yellow cinderblock, three-story buildings, is within sight of the transition offices of Louisiana Governor-elect Bobby Jindal. Narain, an uncle of Kiran Kumar, however, told CNN-IBN that Kiran and his wife Sapna used to live on Roosevelt Street. "Their residence is different from the university campus," he said. Srinivas, a friend of Komma Chandrashekhar Reddy in US, told CNN-IBN that they were alarmed on Friday night when Chandrashekhar didn't return home in time.	Memorial Tower which is located at the heart of the LSU campus. Two students were found dead in an apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. They had been shot in the head by unidentified assailants in what investigators are calling an apparent . The deceased students have been identified as Chandrashekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both of who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, India. They were doctorate students at the Louisiana State University (LSU). The homicides occurred at the Edwards Gay Apartments on the school's campus, and police have been searching for three suspects. These appear to be the first killings on the campus since the early 1990s. The bodies were discovered after Allam's pregnant wife called emergency to request urgent medical aid. Both men had been shot once through the head, according to Charles Zewe, a spokesperson for the EWU system. Officers and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. The University officials gathered the latest information and sent out an emergency text message to the members of the LSU community who had previously registered their phone numbers with the university's emergency text-messaging system. "From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door." There were no indications of a forced entry. "Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," said Kristine Calongne, a university spokesperson. The university was not in a state of at any time.
Button leads 1-2 finish for McLaren at Chinese GP SHANGHAI — Jenson Button won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and took over the Formula One championship lead by beating teammate Lewis Hamilton in a 1-2 finish for McLaren. In a chaotic race with rapidly changing weather conditions, forcing most drivers to pit at least four times, 2009 world champion Button benefited from shrewd tire strategy, needing only two stops while Hamilton had to make four. "It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right," Button said. "It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions." Mercedes' Nico Rosberg finished third. The German driver took over the lead when he and Button elected to stay out on a dry-weather tires while most others went to wet-weather ones and soon realized they had to switch back. Rosberg held the lead until the 19th lap when he ran wide on worn tires. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took the lead at the start, but was quickly penalized for jumping the lights and given a drive-through penalty. He finished fourth after five trips to pit lane. Renault's Robert Kubica finished fifth and teammate Vitaly Petrov earned his first-ever F1 points by taking seventh. Separating the Renault pair was pole sitter Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver was shuffled back by his hasty change to wet tires and then back to dry ones, and was never in contention. His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber enlisted the same strategy and finished eighth, ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher. Schumacher, back after a three-year retirement, won this race in 2006 for the last of his record 91 victories. After four races this season, Button leads the drivers' standings with 60 points, ahead of Rosberg's 50. Hamilton and Alonso are tied for third with 49 points. McLaren also took over the lead in the constructors' standings, with 109, ahead of Ferrari with 90. Mercedes jumped to third with 78, ahead of Red Bull with 73. The next race will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 9. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| By Marc Vesty Jenson Button stormed to his second win of the season, beatimg team-mate Lewis Hamilton as McLaren took a one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix. Rain played havoc in China as Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg held off Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to finish third with Renault's Robert Kubica in fifth. Button's win means he leads the drivers' championship by 10 points. Despite starting at the front of the grid, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber finished sixth and eighth. Kubica's team-mate Vitaly Petrov completed an impressive day for Renault when he overtook Webber late on to take seventh position and earn his first points in Formula 1. Button had won the Australian Grand Prix after an early swap to slick tyres proved crucial and it was again superior strategic decisions by the 2009 world champion which led to him dominating for much of the race. "It was a tricky race and we called it right. It's not just about being quick - it's about reading the conditions," said Button. Meanwhile, Hamilton once again proved his class when climbing the field. The 2008 world champion made four pit stops throughout the grand prix in comparison to Button's two but still managed to fight back and pick up a vital 18 points. "Jenson made the better choice on the tyres. It wasn't easy making the call when to change the tyres. I chose very late halfway around the last corner. Clearly it wasn't the right choice," said Hamilton. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself Michael Schumacher Rosberg, challenged hard by Alonso in the closing stages, again out-performed team-mate Michael Schumacher who finished tenth, while Webber and Vettel will be hugely disappointed with their race performance. A disappointed Schumacher said: "It is one of those races that you call frustrating. There were some good emotions but there were too many bad. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself." Elsewhere, Felipe Massa fell from leading the driver's championship to sixth place overall after finishing ninth in China. With rain starting as the drivers lined up on the grid, the race got off to a manic start. Third-placed Alonso immediately sprung to the front, overtaking the Red Bulls who had started at the front of the grid - but it was a jump-start by the Spaniard, who subsequently had to serve a drive through penalty. On the first corner Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi careered across the track to wipe out Virgin's Timo Glock, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Sebastien Buemi in the Toro Rosso, which led to the safety car being deployed. That yellow flag bunched the cars and within minutes a complete re-jig of the grid order followed, as rain forced the vast majority of drivers to go in for intermediate tyres before, two laps later, the same cars headed back in to swap to slicks. Those double pit stops allowed Rosberg, Button and Kubica, who did not pit and instead stuck on soft tyres, to charge into the podium positions and establish a 50-second lead. Behind the leaders a thrilling battle ensued between Hamilton and Vettel as they fought to climb back into the top spots. First the duo tussled on entrance into the pit before, as they were released out of the pits at the same time, the pair went wheel-to-wheel in a tense exchange which left Vettel narrowly ahead. The face-off continued and at the hairpin on Turn 14 Hamilton cut inside Force India's Adrian Sutil and Vettel with an impeccably timed pass which put the McLaren up to sixth position. That early yellow flag also handed Alonso the opportunity to recover from his drive-through penalty and power his way through the field with a stunning drive, which included a canny overtake of team-mate Massa at the entry to the pit lane. ANDREW BENSON BLOG How stupid do those who questioned Button's move to McLaren look now? And still the rain came and went unpredictably, throwing up a season's worth of drama in one grand prix. At the end of lap 22 debris from a disturbance to Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso front wing forced the safety car out for a second time, bunching the pack once more. That ruined the lead Button had been working hard to establish after overtaking Rosberg - and the Englishman subsequently slowed the field as racing restarted, bringing everyone incredibly close around the final hairpin. "When the safety car was clearing debris off the circuit I had my heart in my mouth," said Button. "We had built up such a good gap and then everyone caught up, it was very tricky." With large clouds of rain rising behind the cars, the second half of the race saw the ever-daring Hamilton dash for the lead. The McLaren man charged past the Renaults before launching his challenge on Rosberg, until a fourth pit stop again relegated the Briton's position. However, Rosberg's second pit stop handed Hamilton the opportunity to pull through in front of the German, whose general pace was slower, and set his sights on his team-mate. But with degenerating tyres both McLarens were forced to nurse their way through the closing stages, albeit with a couple of violent swerves, to finish one second apart and seal a convincing victory for their team. "Towards the end of the race, when we put the intermediates on, the car felt really good," said Button. "I wasn't pushing the tyres too much but then it started raining again. "I made a mistake on the hairpin and ran wide and from then on I couldn't get any heat into the tyres. Any water I touched I aquaplaned so I had to back off." For Button a second win in only his fourth Grand Prix for McLaren means he will lead the championship going into the Spanish Grand Prix. And Button can take extra confidence in the knowledge that in the last 20 seasons the driver leading after four rounds has won the championship on 15 occasions. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Jenson Button driving for McLaren during a practice session in Bahrain. McLaren driver Jenson Button won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and took a ten point lead in the driver's championship in the 2010 Formula One. Teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second in the race, followed by Nico Rosberg for Mercedes. "It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right," Button commented. "It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions." Ferrari's Fernando Alonso initially took the lead. He was penalized for starting before the race commenced and given a drive through penalty. He finished fourth as he entered the pit lane four times. Alonso initially took a lead in his Ferrari, but was later penalized for beginning before the race commenced. Rosberg's teammate, Michael Schumacher finished tenth in the race. Admitting that his performance was disappointing, Schumacher said that the race was one of the "frustrating" ones. "There were some good emotions but there were too many bad. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself," he added. Felipe Massa of Ferrari slipped to sixth from the top position in the driver's championship after a ninth-placed finish. Renault's Robert Kubica was fifth while his teammate Vitaly Petrov finished seventh. Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull who had taken the pole in qualifying to the main race changed to wet tires and then reversed his decision and finished sixth as a result of this. Mark Webber of Red Bull adopted a similar strategy and finished eighth. After four races this season, Button is at the top of the driver's championship with 60 points, followed by Rosberg who has 50 points. Hamilton and Alonso are third with 49 points each. McLaren now leads constructors' standings, with 109 points. They are followed by Ferrari with 90, Mercedes with 78, and Red Bull with 73.
McDonald's served 60 million customers a day in 2009 A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an employee for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, a court has ruled. The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added. The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have been more appropriate. It is just a slice of cheese Leeuwarden district court McDonald's profits jump by 23% McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 euros ($5,900; £3,660) for the last five months of her contract. The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was too severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP news agency. The ruling comes days after McDonald's reported an increase in net profits by almost a quarter in the last three months of 2009. \|\|\|\|\| McDonalds wrong to sack worker over cheese A branch of the McDonalds hamburger chain in the Friesian town of Lemmer was wrong to sack a worker for giving a colleague on a break an extra piece of cheese on her hamburger, a court ruled on Tuesday. McDonalds' rules state staff cannot give away products to staff, family and friends. And by giving the extra slice of cheese, the hamburger turned into a more expensive cheeseburger, Nos tv reported. The judge said McDonalds had acted too severely in sacking the woman. 'The cost of a slice of cheese is not comparable to a severe step such as redundancy,' Nos quoted the judge as saying. In addition, the branch manager had not asked the woman to explain her actions, nor had it taken any steps against the colleague who asked for the burger. It is unclear from the reports if the hamburger was actually paid for. The sacked worker will not be reinstated but was awarded €4,500 in compensation - equivalent to five month's wages plus holiday pay and interest, Nos said. Get the DutchNews.nl newsletter in your mailbox: Click here to subscribe Readers' comments Place your comments:	A file photograph of a cheeseburger A court in the Netherlands ruled yesterday that the fast-food company McDonald's over-reacted in dismissing an employee who added a piece of cheese to a colleague's hamburger without charging for it. McDonalds has been ordered to pay compensation since, the court ruled, "The cost of a slice of cheese is not comparable to a severe step such as redundancy". In March 2009, a waitress in Lemmer sold a hamburger to a colleague, and then added some cheese when her colleague asked for some. McDonald's said that this made the meal a cheeseburger, not a hamburger, and so she was sacked for not charging extra for the cheese. Rules for staff, the company argued, prevented them from giving food away for free. Now a court in Leeuwarden has ordered McDonald's to pay her more than €4,200 (about US$5,900 or £3,700), since it decided that a written warning would have been a more appropriate reaction. The compensation is for five months of lost earnings, with holiday pay and interest. The court noted that the manager of the branch had not asked the employee for an explanation before firing her, nor had McDonald's considered taking action against the colleague who asked for the cheese. "The dismissal was too severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," said the court.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today announced a package of loans and guarantees for the "reinvention" of the British motor industry as a producer of greener vehicles. Acknowledging the manufacturers and their suppliers were on the "front line" of the recession, he told the Lords the Government will offer guarantees to unlock £1.3 billion of loans from the European Investment Bank. It will also offer a further £1 billion in guarantees or loans to cover investments which bring "special value" to Britain. advertisement A further £35 million could be made available to increase funding for workers in the automotive sector and there will be a "step change" in research for greener vehicles. New trade and investment minister Mervyn Davies will also draw up a plan to improve the car companies' financing arms' access to funding. Lord Mandelson said: "Today's measures will provide a specific boost to the industry, providing real help and laying the foundations of its reinvention for a low carbon future." mf Lord Mandelson said: "The automotive industry - with its near one million employees from manufacturing to retailing and £10 billion worth of added value to the economy - is in the front line of the downturn, with output falling faster and further than any other sector since the summer." The health of the sector was "vital to the strength of manufacturing in Britain" and action was needed to "prevent an irreversible loss of capacity, skills and technology". But, he added: "This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail-out. "The industry has been transformed over the past decade. "Productivity has risen, catching up and overtaking that in both France and Sweden. "In Britain today, we have some of the world's most productive car plants. "For the future, Britain needs an economy with less financial engineering and more real engineering. "The car industry can and should be a vibrant part of that future." He said there would be "no blank cheque" and "no operating subsidies" for the industry. Any applications for Government support would need to offer value for money for taxpayers, help "green Britain's economic recovery", deliver "significant innovation" and support British jobs and skills. Lord Mandelson said funding to support training could rise from £65 million to £100 million if there was demand from auto manufacturers. The Regional Development Agencies will work with the Technology Strategy Board to help develop "cleaner engines, lighter cars, plug-in hybrids and components for electric vehicles". The Government has already announced £250 million to support consumers switching to cleaner vehicles and Lord Mandelson said: "We want the car industry in Britain to meet that demand for low carbon cars." The measures announced today would provide the industry with a "significant boost" while helping to make Britain "a world leader in the development and manufacture of low carbon vehicles". \|\|\|\|\| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has outlined a package of government support for the UK car industry potentially worth up to £2.3bn. The package includes a scheme to unlock £1.3bn of loans from Europe for car manufacturers and major suppliers. He said the government would also guarantee up to £1bn of further loans. But shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said the European loans were announced last year and called the whole package "pretty small beer". Outlining the measures in the House of Lords, Lord Mandelson said the automotive industry was vital to British manufacturing and at the heart of many regional economies but was "in the frontline of the downturn". 'Low carbon future' He said the measures would boost the industry and lay "the foundations of its reinvention for a low carbon future". They include guarantees to unlock loans of up to £1.3bn from the European Investment Bank and another £1bn in loans to fund investment in green-friendly vehicles. This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail out Lord Mandelson Q&A;: Car support plan But he said there would be "no blank cheque" and any schemes supported had to provide jobs, develop new technology and processes for the long term and provide value for money. Regional development agencies and the Technology Strategy Board are to be invited to bring forward new research and development programmes into cleaner engines, lighter cars and "plug-in hybrids". He also said spending on skills training for employees would be boosted to £100m from its current £65m, if there was demand from the industry. And trade and investment minister Mervyn Davies had been asked to draw up plans to improve access to additional funding for car companies' financing arms. The car industry had to change to succeed in the "new world" and had to be cleaner and greener, Lord Mandelson said. "This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail out," he added. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Responding in the Commons, shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said the package seemed to be "pretty small beer" compared with stories that had appeared over the weekend. "I'm slightly disappointed. I thought the secretary of state who I am shadowing would produce some new ideas, some dynamite," he said. "Is it the case that the secretary of state has not produced a bail-out because the Treasury has finally won an argument inside the government and explained to him that they can't afford the kind of support for the industry that was being trailed." 'Dithering' The government was "behind the curve" on helping the car industry which he said, as far back as October, ministers had said they stood "ready to help" while the Tories had suggested loan guarantees for the finance arms of car companies in November. "Here we are months later and during that time sales of cars in this country have dropped by half whilst the government dithers," he told MPs. And he said on the "key subject" of getting people who could afford it credit to buy cars - the government had only said it was "looking at steps" to address it. The specific nature of the challenge we face is that credit has dried up at the same time as demand evaporated David Smith Jaguar Land Rover "For the rest of the statement I think the car industry will have listened in vain," he said. John Thurso, for the Liberal Democrats, said he had "grave concerns" about whether the package would work and said much had been announced already. "There are a number of worthy crumbs of comfort for the automotive industry but as it has been announced today, it is neither strategic nor comprehensive nor the panacea it was trailed to be," he said. Unite general secretary Derek Simpson told the BBC he was pleased the government had made a start in helping the car industry but questioned whether the loans would be enough. "In the case of the car industry I suspect much more needs to be done," he said. Jaguar Land Rover and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders welcomed the announcement which they said recognised the strategic importance of the car industry to the British economy but said they would go through the detail with Lord Mandelson on Wednesday. And Stephen Sklaroff, of the Finance and Leasing Association - which represents the motor finance sector, said he looked forward "to early discussions with Mervyn Davies on how best to support all types of lenders to free up credit for new and used cars". Friends of the Earth welcomed the announcement but said more needed to be done to make sure the car industry was building cars that used less fuel - and providing incentives for people to buy them. Have you been affected by issues covered in this story? Do you work in the motor industry? 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 Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Britain's car industry is to get help in the shape of a £2bn loan guarantee scheme from the Government. Bentley is one of many marques that has cut production The Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said £1.3bn worth of loans from the European Investment Bank would be guaranteed, as well as £1bn of loans for "worthwhile investments". He told the House of Lords the Government was committed to making sure anything backed by the scheme offered value for taxpayers. "This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail-out," he said. The industry was in "the front line" of the economic downturn and its output was "falling faster and further than any other sector," he said. "The automotive industry is vital to the strength of manufacturing in Britain and is at the heart of many of our regional industries. "For the future Britain needs an economy with less financial engineering and more real engineering." Mandelson Speaks To Sky Lord Mandelson said the measures would make the industry greener and more productive. And he added that the guarantees would back up investments in research and development. But the package did not amount to a blank cheque, he insisted, and applications would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Derek Simpson of the union Unite, told Sky News' Jeff Randall Live show he is happy the Government has made a start "because it was important that something was done". He added: "Even if it's only guaranteeing loans it will make a contribution but the amount is not really not going to be sufficient, we believe, to stave off the loss of jobs, skilled jobs once lost will not ever return." The Conservatives were unimpressed with the measures. In his response, the new shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said the package had come to late. Debating with business minister Ian Pearson in the Commons, Mr Clarke asked: "Can the new trade minister (Lord Mandelson) be asked through the minister (Mr Pearson), to do something to improve the Government's competence, its ability to keep up with events, and its ability to produce programmes which work?" In the Upper House, Lord Hunt of Wirral said the package was too little, too late and told peers "after years of persecuting the motorist, ministers now offer a range of placebos to an industry facing the worst crisis it has ever faced".	The British government has announced a £2.3 billion package of aid to attempt to support the country's car manufacturing industry. Peter Mandelson Lord Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform announced to the House of Lords that the government planned to obtain £1.3 billion from the European Investment Bank for the industry. A further £1 billion loan is available if the industry agrees to invest it in environmentally friendly vehicles. Mandleson told the Lords that the industry is vital to the British economy, which with "near one million employees from manufacturing to retailing" provides "£10 billion worth of added value to the economy." However, he stressed that the government was not providing a "blank cheque" and would not provide operating subsidies. His newly-appointed shadow Kenneth Clarke told the House of Commons that the plans were "pretty small beer" and repeated the Conservative charge that the government was "dithering" in the face of the downturn. Liberal Democrat John Thurso also expressed disappointment in the plans.
Some analysts believe the FTSE will rise further this week The FTSE 100 has closed at its highest level for more than a year, boosted by stronger commodity prices and optimism about the US corporate earnings season. London's leading share index rose 48.3 points to 5,210.17 - its highest close since September 2008. Insurer Old Mutual was the top gainer on the index, rising 4.6%, as traders re-evaluated its stock. Rising metal prices pushed up miners, while the price of oil rose almost 2%, boosting energy companies. Oil giants BP rose 1.8% and Royal Dutch Shell gained 1.6%. Some analysts believe the FTSE will continue to rise throughout the week. "The next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5,350 high hit in September last year and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week," said David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index. Dutch electronics giant Philips also gave markets a boost, when it reported better-than-expected quarterly profits. Markets elsewhere in Europe rose, with France's Cac 40 index gaining 46.19 points to close at 3,845.8, and Germany's Dax climbing 71.35 points to 5,783.23. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 20.86 points at 9,885.8. Trading had been light as much of the US observes the Columbus Day holiday. \|\|\|\|\| Stronger commodity prices, optimism around the next round of US corporate results and talk that FTSE 100 could be embarking on yet another rally, lifted the index through a key level to a fresh one-year high on Monday. Following a broad-based rally and a buoyant open on Wall Street, the FTSE 100 ended up 48.2 points, or 0.9%, at 5210.2, the highest since late September 2008. The fact the rally was, for once, not driven by miners and banks alone was coupled with a decisive move through the psychologically important 5200 mark. That sparked speculation over this being the start of the next move higher for shares, after some directionless trading over recent weeks, said David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index. "It is only natural after a run like this that we start to wonder how far away a correction is, but for now stock markets are continuing to shrug off any weakness and slides are proving to be short-lived. The next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5350 high hit in September last year - and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week," he added. Insurer Old Mutual was the top performer of the day, rallying to a 16-month high as investors made the most of a weak run against its peers to buy into the stock. A weaker pound also helped given the proportion on Old Mutual's earnings outside the UK and the shares ended up 4.8p, or 4.6%, at 110.1p. The pound's role in UK stock performance is something Morgan Stanley focusses on today in its note on the UK equities outlook - covered in an earlier Market Forces blog. AMEC, the consultancy and engineering group, was also among the strongest performers after Collins Stewart made it a "top pick" in the oilfield services sector. Analyst Gordon Gray rates it a "buy" and has a target price of 950p. "We think AMEC offers one of the best combinations of healthy growth and low risk in the sector, with its exposure to oil sands and nuclear being key long term positives," he said. Rising metal prices boosted miners, with Vedanta was one of the top risers, up 61p at £22.23. A solid rally for oil prices simlarly helped energy companies and Royal Dutch Shell ended up 28p, or 1.6%, at £17.83 while BP added 9.7p, or 1.8%, to 552.2p. Among the midcaps, ITV was up 0.95p, or 2.1% at 47.33p despite the latest upset in the broadcaster's quest to fill its leadership vacuum. Goldman Sachs boosted the shares on an otherwise gloomy day for the troubled company, by raising its recommendation on the shares to "buy" from "neutral". Analysts at the investment bank noted "evidence of modestly stronger-than-expected recovery in third-quarter and fourth-quarter TV ad markets." They have a 58p price target on ITV, arguing it offers an "attractive valuation case" and that underperformance by the shares provides buying opportunity. They echoed other analysts' comments on ITV's potential to become an acquisition target again. "In the medium term we continue to see plausible acquisition interest from RTL/Bertelsmann which previously indicated interest in ITV to replace its Five channel which continues to lose audience share in the UK market," they said. Ladbrokes was headed the other way, one of the FTSE 250's biggest losers as the fall out from last week's downbeat trading update continues. The shares closed at a eight-month low of 141.1p, a fall of 2.3% from Friday when Britain's biggest bookmaker confirmed a rights issue and conceded too few draws had hurt takings. Pubs group Punch Taverns was the biggest midcap loser of the day after a downgrade from KBC Peel Hunt to "hold" from "buy" ahead of Wednesday's results. The shares ended down 4.9% at 115.1p in a FTSE 250 up 82.8 points, or 0.9%, at 9460.1.	The British stock index FTSE 100 closed at its highest levels in over a year on Monday, following news of stronger commodity prices. The share index increased by 48.3 points, or 0.9% to finish the day at a level of 5,210.17, a figure not seen since last September. The best performer was the Old Mutual insurance company, reaching a sixteen-month high after gaining 4.6%. Some economic analysts think that the FTSE index could continue to gain for the remainder of the week. David Jones, the chief market strategist at IG Index, said that "the next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5,350 high hit in September last year and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week." Other European markets also posted gains on Monday. The German DAX index gained 71.35 points to a level of 5,783.23, while the French CAC 40 increased 46.19 points to 3,845.8.
Crowds flocked to see the Pope Enlarge Image The government has introduced a number of reforms including gay marriage, but the Pope insisted there were some things the Church had to reject. "The family is a unique institution in God's plan, and the church cannot fail to proclaim and promote its fundamental importance," he said. He also prayed at the scene of a subway crash which killed 42 people on Monday. The Pope met relatives of some of the underground crash victims "We ask God's comfort for those who remain and those who left us," he said. The crash, the worst on the underground in Spanish history, happened when the train entered a station at double its normal speed. Later in the Pope's visit, around one million people are expected to attend an open-air mass being celebrated in a park on Sunday. As he arrived for his 24-hour visit, the Pope was met at the airport by King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. It comes a year after the Spanish government legalised marriage between homosexuals, sparking a bitter dispute with Spain's Catholic bishops. The Pope and Mr Zapatero will hold talks, but Spanish officials say Mr Zapatero will not attend Sunday's mass. \|\|\|\|\| homepage \| greengrass live TV fifa worldcup 2006 news latest bulletin business europa interview europeans pass agora europinion parlamento le mag comment no comment space hi tech futuris terra viva agenda weather feedback company jobs contact mobile EU coverage advertising links help Business location guide terms and conditions \|\|\|\|\| From the Magazine The Pope's planned visit to Spain is a volley in his battle against secularism Time With reporting by Jane Walker/Madrid From the Jul. 10, 2006 issue of TIME Europe magazine The signature sound bite of Benedict XVI's papacy may have been delivered the day before he became Pope. Just hours before entering the Sistine Chapel to help choose John Paul II's successor, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger gave an impassioned sermon in which he decried the "dictatorship of relativism." The conservative German theologian used the phrase to warn against modernity's creation of aideology "that does not recognize anything as definitive, and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's ego and desires." The "dictatorship of relativism" quote has become a rallying cry for some Roman Catholic conservatives, especially those dismayed by the growing spread of secularism in Europe, once the bastion of Christianity.His message has not softened. In a June 5 speech in Rome, Benedict again warned about "our current secularized society" that, he said,"corrodes the mostbonds and most worthy affections of the human being, with the result that people are debilitated and our reciprocal relations rendered precarious and unstable."Such workaday pronouncements in Rome may not draw much attention. But this week Benedict visits Spain, the European democracy that arguably best represents the relativist tyranny he so dreads. Having accepted an invitation to attend the church's World Meeting of Families in Valencia on July 8-9, Benedict will arrive in a once devoutly Catholic nation that both admirers andaround the globe now refer to as "Zapatero's Spain." Since his March 2004 electoral victory, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has pushed through a series of social policies from gay marriage and adoption to easier divorce proceedings and increased stem-cell research that have made him a lightning rod in the ongoing Western debate over family values.And for many participants in that debate, Benedict has become the anti-Zapatero. With a fierce intellect and clear ideas about fixing Catholicism's troubles on its home Continent, Benedict sees Spain as a prime. When he welcomed the newly appointed Spanish ambassador to the Holy See on May 20, Benedict went beyond the typical diplomatic niceties, alluding to gay marriage, abortion and the right to a Catholic education. No doubt, the encounter with Zapatero on Saturday evening is the photo-op the worldwide media are most anticipating.The real tone of that encounter, however, will be established after the event, when the Pope addresses the Valencia conference and sets out his views on family. Angelo Cardinal Scola, the Patriarch of Venice, a Ratzinger disciple who has written extensively on this issue, will be in Spain. "Rather than a 'better opinion,' we speak of a 'prevalent,'" he tells. "The word family has a meaning. The word marriage means a union between a man and woman open to life. I hold that a homosexual couple does not constitute a family."It seems likely that Benedict has chosen his destination strategically, in order to hammer home a point. (He is free to select his foreign jaunts from endless.) "It's a gift for the Pope," says Austen Ivereigh, a top aide to Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster. "He can say, 'Look at Zapatero, this is what really underlies European secularism.' In Spain, he will look like he's articulating what is close to the heart of the mass of Europeans." Of course, that heart is also susceptible to relativism.Polls consistently show that 80% of Spaniards identify themselves as Catholic, even if only about one-fourth actually practice their faith. Although gay marriage, and certainly gay adoption, is unacceptable to many, only a tiny proportion of Catholics follow the church's stricton birth control and premarital sex doctrines that Benedict himself has recently reiterated. Rates of divorce in Spain, where just a quarter-century ago the practice was still outlawed, are about 50%, and abortion rights are guaranteed in virtually every corner of the Continent.Still, Ivereigh, whose boss at Westminster is considered less conservative than his former fellow Cardinal Ratzinger, thinks the new Pope may be particularly well suited for swaying the European discourse. "Benedict is a real intellectual. He has an almost touching faith in the power of reason," says Ivereigh. "He's convinced that the intellectualare on his side. The challenge for him is to make the case without looking like he's old-fashioned. How do you make the case about traditional marriage something interesting and exciting? But if any Pope can do it, he can."For his part, Zapatero seems bound to look for new ways to make his case for radical social change. Though some have called for a new liberal euthanasia law, which would again raise the church's ire, the government has found that some of the changes it seeks surprisingly overlap with the church's interests like a proposal made two weeks ago that would extend maternity leave for working mothers. But Anglo-Spanish writer Tom Burns Marañon, a liberal Catholic, anticipates an intellectualin Valencia. "What are Popes for if not to lay down the law over anything they don't like? Of course the government won't like it, but it does no harm to a government to hear the Pope criticizing them. If the Pope came here and didn't lay down the law, then Catholics would be very unhappy and the left would be in disarray. This way both sides will be happy." Spoken like a true relativist.	Pope Benedict XVI, with Spain's King Juan Carlos, waves to a cheering crowd upon his arrival at Manises airport, near Valencia, Spain, Saturday, July 8, 2006. Pope Benedict XVI visited the city of Valencia in Spain. During his visit, he encouraged his followers in the country to defend traditional family values. The government in Spain has introduced a number of reforms including gay marriage. "It is a man and a woman who are made for each other and made to give humanity a future" said the Pope. "The family is a unique institution in God's plan, and the church cannot fail to proclaim and promote its fundamental importance," he said. He arrived for a 24-hour visit and was met at an airport by King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofía, and Prime Minister José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero. "The presence of your holiness brings great relief to everyone, especially to families who have lost loved ones," the king said in a welcoming speech. The pope also met relatives of some of the underground crash victims. He prayed at the scene of a subway crash that killed 42 people on Monday. "We ask God's comfort for those who remain and those who left us," he said. The pope will have a Mass tomorrow, which will close the visit. Zapatero said that he would not attend the mass on Sunday.
Related THE CANADIAN PRESSORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- It was billed the Winter Classic and pretty much lived up to its name.The biggest crowd in NHL history, the first regular-season outdoor game on U.S. soil, and the game's brightest star wins it. Safe to say the NHL went home happy Tuesday after Sidney Crosby 's shootout winner lifted his Pittsburgh Penguins over the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 before 71,217 fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium."When you see 70,000 people jammed into a stadium to watch hockey it's a good sign," Crosby said. "The atmosphere and environment, I don't think you can beat that. I think it's something to look back and say we had a lot of great memories being part of it."And like the great ones before him, Sid The Kid made sure to make the moment memorable. Crosby, the third Pittsburgh shooter, ended the NHL's second-ever outdoor game when he found the five-hole on Sabres goalie Ryan Miller . The 20-year-old Crosby, who couldn't stop smiling in pre-game warm-up, jumped up in the air and raised his arms in jubilation as his teammates mobbed him on the makeshift ice surface. This wasn't just another shootout winner."It's a great feeling and a great experience all in all," said Crosby, who assisted on his team's opening goal. "And obviously when you win, it's a lot nicer." Colby Armstrong of the Penguins and Brian Campbell of the Sabres scored in regulation as both teams battled through intermittent snowfalls in less-than-perfect conditions. But nearly every fan stood on their feet and stayed for the entirety of the game. It was the place to be."You know, it may not be the best hockey game because of the situation, because of the weather, because of the snow, but the atmosphere was incredible -- it was incredible," said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff.And unlike four years ago in Edmonton when minus-19 C temperatures nullified any physical play at the Heritage Classic between the Canadiens and Oilers, this outdoor game was not a no-hitter. Campbell had a pair of big hits in a game that featured plenty, temperatures that hovered around 0 C allowing the Penguins and Sabres to play something resembling closer to a normal game.The record NHL crowd arrived hours before the game to tailgate NFL-like outside Ralph Wilson Stadium, a party atmosphere reigning throughout on New Year's Day.NHL facilities operations manager Dan Craig, because of an NFL game here Dec. 23, was allotted only half the time he had in Edmonton four years ago to put in the ice, but it held up for the most part. One area inside the blue-line near the Sabres bench gave Craig's crew problems all game long and produced a few delays as they tried to continually fix it.The snow on the ice affected the passing game, the puck bouncing over stick blades. It was by no coincidence that both goals in regulation were scored early in periods when the ice had just been flooded.In a sharp move, Zambonis also scraped the ice midway through all three periods to clean away some of the snow. It produced more delays, but the players' safety mattered most."I thought they did a pretty good job of trying to maintain the ice," said Crosby.Penguins goalie Ty Conklin this time came out on the winning end after dropping a 4-3 decision in the Edmonton goal four years ago at the Heritage Classic. He stopped 36 shots for the win Tuesday to improve to 5-0-0 on the season since his call-up from the AHL. He somehow resurfaced in the NHL just in time to start again in an outdoor game.The fans were on their feet before the pre-game warm-up to welcome the players from both teams as they made the long trek from the football dressing rooms, through the tunnel and out to the rink. The ovation sent chills, just another reminder that the biggest crowd in NHL history made this such a special day. The players could feel the moment as well, unable to wipe the smile off their faces as they battled the snow-covered ice surface in warm-up. They were kids again."I think the warm-up when you come on the ice and the pre-game ceremony, the initial feel out there is probably something you remember the most," said Crosby."Once you're in the game, we're all competitive. We all want to win this. So you get back to thinking of the things that you have to do and you probably don't take things in as much because you're trying to win the game."The players hit the ice for real in time for a 1:25 p.m. ET puck drop, a heavy snowfall giving the stadium a winter wonderland postcard moment. While the images were TV-friendly, they weren't hockey ideal. The snowfall at game time reduced players' visibility, a league concern, but not enough to delay the start.Crosby gave the game the fast start it needed, blowing in from the left side and trying a shot that was stopped by Miller, only to see Armstrong pound home the rebound just 21 seconds in to give Pittsburgh the 1-0 lead. The Penguins, in their powder-blue retro jerseys, celebrated like it was the opening goal of the Stanley Cup final.Crosby produced another highlight in the first period, batting a bouncing puck over Sabres defenceman Jaroslav Spacek and nearly skating around him for a chance that would have been one of the plays of the year.The Sabres, some of them wearing eye black like football players, were slow to come around, but dominated the visitors in the middle period, outshooting Pittsburgh 14-2. They tied the game 1-1 when Campbell found the top corner over Conklin's glove side 1:25 into the period, the Sabres' blue-liner taking a nifty cross-ice pass from Tim Connolly The Penguins, despite having the wind at their back, didn't get their first shot on goal until the 18:08 mark.The buzzer sounded at the 10-minute mark of the third period, signalling for the teams to switch ends after another Zamboni scrape. The switch was to ensure both teams got 30 minutes apiece at each end, a rule put in place in case the wind was a major factor. It turned out the wind wasn't nearly as strong as it is for many Buffalo Bills games. The winds varied from 10 to 20 kilometres an hour throughout the afternoon.Sixty minutes wasn't enough. Neither was 65. With most of the 71,217 fans still in their seats, Crosby's shootout winner decided a game that has to be considered a success for the NHL."This is the type of event we certainly will be looking at doing in the future," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.Will the outdoor game become an annual occurrence? That's a question the NHL hopes to answer from within after a careful de-briefing of the Winter Classic over the next month or so. Clubs are already lined up hoping to stage the next one, with Montreal, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Colorado and the New York Rangers among the apparent suitors.A source said Tuesday that maybe even two outdoor games could be held next season. Or maybe none at all. It depends greatly on the league's analysis of the Winter Classic.The event gave the league the kind of U.S. national media attention it does not get aside from the Stanley Cup final and to a lesser degree the all-star game. League sponsors loved it, saying it gave their products a national platform it doesn't otherwise get during regular games. That in itself should be enough to convince NHL owners the outdoor game should be a mainstay.But there are risks. The weather must co-operate, which it did in Edmonton four years ago and again this week in Buffalo. Not just the weather on game day either, but also in the days leading up in the building of the rink.TV ratings in the U.S. will also have an influence. Going up head-to-head against the Capital One Bowl between Florida and Michigan won't help. The league will weigh the pros and cons going forward.Notes : There were also 11,500 fans at HSBC Arena in downtown Buffalo watching the game on the big screen ... The biggest crowd for a hockey game remains the 74,544 that turned out at Spartan Stadium for the 2001 Cold War between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, a game in which the Sabres' Miller and Pittsburgh's Adam Hall played ... Penguins part-owner Mario Lemieux was on hand ...: Before the game, the league announced several contingency plans in case weather affected the game. Period and game format would be reconfigured on the fly. If 40 minutes was played when weather forced a stop, the game would have been deemed official -- much like seven innings in a rain-delayed baseball game. If fewer than 40 minutes were played when the game was stopped, the game would have been replayed in its entirety Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Ralph Wilson Stadium. If that game also couldn't played, the game would have been re-played at another date at HSBC Arena. Should the game have been tied after 40 minutes and stopped by weather, each team would have got a point in the standings with a penalty shootout deciding the other point. If weather didn't permit for the shootout either, the shootout would have been held Sunday, Feb. 17, prior to a Pens-Sabres game at HSBC Arena. ... If the rink looks similar than the one at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton four years ago, it's because the same boards and glass were used again. \|\|\|\|\| Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby celebrates teammate Colby Armstrong's goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period of the Winter Classic hockey game in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Don Heupel) Crosby Lifts Penguins in Winter Classic ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Sidney Crosby's shootout goal will always be frozen in time. The Penguins captain somehow saw space between Ryan Miller's pads as he shifted through driving snow and gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres at the outdoor Winter Classic in front of an NHL-record 71,217 fans on Tuesday. In elements way more suited for football than hockey, Crosby won the NHL's second outdoor game — and first in the United States — in the most dramatic of fashion at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Crosby skated down the middle, eluded a pokecheck by Miller and put a shot between the goalie's pads on the final round of the shootout. Ty Conklin allowed Ales Kotalik's goal to open the tiebreaker before stopping Tim Connolly and Maxim Afinogenov. Kris Letang also scored for the Penguins, pushing his shootout record to 4-for-4. Colby Armstrong gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds after the opening faceoff, and Brian Campbell tied it 1:25 into the second. Despite both teams dressed in retro-style jerseys, this games was decided by the most modern of methods — the shootout. Surprisingly, Zambonis didn't clean the ice as they would for a regular NHL game. Given the choice of which goal to defend, both Miller and Conklin picked the West end to avoid the heavy snow that swirled and poured in toward the right. Blowing winds and dropping temperatures worked against everyone inside the vast stadium that easily housed the hockey rink between the 16-yard lines. By the time the shootout became necessary, no one seemed to mind the typical January weather in western New York. With the success of this event, it seems likely the NHL would seek to host more, perhaps even on an annual basis. "When you see 70,000 people packed into a stadium to watch hockey, that's usually a good sign," Crosby said. The record crowd that topped the one in Edmonton four years earlier, cheered and took pictures as the conclusion approached. The camera flashes dotted the entire stadium as each of the six shooters came in on goal through lake-effect snow. When Crosby saw the puck cross the goal line, he spun toward the jubilant Penguins bench and jumped up and down with his hands raised. Fans in the lower bowl stood throughout to get a better view of the puck as they looked out over the height of the rink's boards and the NBC and CBC television broadcast platforms behind the penalty boxes. The biggest cheers came from hits and the few good scoring chances. Boos broke out when Penguins fans were pictured on the big video board behind where Crosby scored the winner. The snow and cold was embraced. One enthusiastic patron held a poster that read, "Look Mom, no roof." That was most clear in the final 5 minutes of regulation when snow fell at its heaviest clip and continued at that pace through the finish. Miller and Conklin both had one game of experience playing a major game in the great outdoors, but neither owned a victory. Miller earned a 3-3 tie for Michigan State against Michigan in the 2001 "Cold War" game in front of 74,554 fans. Conklin took the loss in host Edmonton's 4-3 defeat to Montreal on Nov. 22, 2003, during the NHL's first outdoor game that was attended by 57,167. Miller donned a cap, fashioned out of a hockey sock, on top of his mask. Conklin went with just a standard head covering that featured snowflakes and a Winter Classic theme. Sabres forward Thomas Vanek was the last to wear the full head sleeve that stretched over his mouth in warmups but was pulled down to his chin by the third period. Penguins defenseman Darryl Sydor shed his visor that fogged and absorbed pelting snow and sleet. Another lengthy delay occurred when an ice flaw required attention in the Buffalo zone. When the buzzer sounded to break up the third period, it didn't stop a rush or any kind of scoring chance. The Penguins peeled back in their zone and essentially took a knee where Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly did many times in the glory days of the Bills, letting the final seconds tick off before the clubs changed sides at the 10-minute mark. The final mid-period Zamboni run took longer than the others as the second cleaning machine was blocked in the tunnel by a chunk of ice. The wind picked up, the temperature dropped and the chilly players skated and stretched in a seemingly futile attempt to keep their muscles warm. Vanek had two prime chances to win it in the final minute for Buffalo when he tried a wraparound and then forced Conklin to make a juggling catch. Momentum changed with the weather that featured snow through the first 10 minutes, benign cloud cover through the opening intermission and then a wintery mix during the second. The stadium lights took effect as the sky darkened and provided a unique brightness to the rink. The NHL supplied flames and smoke as the players left the tunnel en route to the ice and fireworks after the anthems. As though they were trudging from home to the frozen pond, each team plodded down mats from the tunnel to the ice — stopping first to peel off their skate guards. Moms weren't there to call these grown kids back inside, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman didn't do it, either. The only thing that got in their way was a buildup of snow that held up the movement of pucks and skates and the occasional Zamboni break to give the rink a clean and shine during a slow-paced first period. Armstrong provided the lightning with his quick goal, with help from the snow. The puck came to a stop in the neutral zone near center ice, and Crosby carried it into the Sabres zone. He got off a shot that Miller stopped, before the snow put another hold on the puck in front. It sat there for Armstrong to punch in his sixth goal and Pittsburgh's quickest of the season. The snow slowed and tapered off about midway through the first, and the ice got a mid-period shine from the Zambonis with 9:54 left. Three trouble spots cropped up along the wall in front of the players' benches, two in the zone Buffalo defended in the first period. Before the Penguins' third power play of the frame, with 7:43 remaining, the ice crew did patch work that caused a delay for several minutes. \|\|\|\|\| Crosby's shootout goal lifts Penguins over Sabres in Winter Classic Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Sidney Crosby scored on the final chance of the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in the first NHL game played outdoors in the United States. Buffalo's Ales Kotalik scored in the first round of the shootout and the Penguins tied it in the second round when Kristopher Letang lifted a backhander home. After Pittsburgh goaltender Ty Conklin stopped Maxim Afinogenov's backhander, it came down to Crosby and the NHL's brightest star delivered. He skated in on Ryan Miller, who went for a poke-check and missed. Crosby quickly slipped the puck through the five-hole to win it. "I lost the puck, I felt like he just kind of throw it back in," said Miller. "I was going for a tip check on him and he was trying to get around me. I thought he was going to stop, just the break in where that snow was." The game, dubbed the "Winter Classic," was played before an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium -- home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Snow fell throughout much of the contest and the temperature at game time was about 30 degrees, dropping to the high 20s late in the third period and in overtime. "Some offensive chances got kabashed with all the snow," said Conklin. "It had the potential to be a higher scoring game, certainly." The league last held an outdoor game on November 22, 2003 when Montreal played in Edmonton before a then-NHL-record crowd of 57,167. Conklin was a member of the Oilers for the game in 2003, while Miller had previous outdoor experience on a grand scale when he played for Michigan State in a matchup with arch-rival Michigan before 74,544 fans at Spartan Stadium. The teams also sported throwback jerseys. The Penguins wore light blue sweaters from their first few years of the late 1960s, while the Sabres trotted out their classic white with the logo featuring a charging buffalo over a pair of swords. Crosby notched an assist on Colby Armstrong's first-period goal for the Penguins, who have won four in a row and also beat the Sabres at home on Saturday night. Conklin finished with 36 saves. "The whole big picture, sit back and look at it," said Armstrong. "Packed stadium, snow falling, Crosby putting it in to win with his little celebration. I thought it was great for the game and we got two points, too, so thats a big thing." Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for Buffalo, which has lost four straight on the heels of a six-game winning streak. Miller stopped 24 shots in defeat. "We're in a little bit of a funk here with scoring goals," said Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff. "We've been playing some decent hockey. We have a tough January with a tough road schedule so it's important that we get back on track and start winning some games. "I thought it was good for the game. I think it brings it back to the roots. For most players this is where it all started. It might not be the best hockey game because of the conditions but the atmosphere was incredible." Snow fell throughout much of the first period and the elements helped the Penguins open the scoring just 21 seconds into the contest. The Sabres turned the puck over at center ice and Crosby raced into the Buffalo zone along the left wing. He cut toward the net through the circle and had the puck poked off his stick, but it went directly to Armstrong and he fired it into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season. Each team had a great scoring chance in the closing minutes of the first. Ryan Malone blasted a shot off the iron on a 3-on-2 break, and the Sabres went the other way and nearly scored, but Derek Roy's point-blank chance from the slot rang off the crossbar. The snow stopped late in the first, but sleet began to fall when the teams came out for the second period and Buffalo tied it just 1:25 into the middle stanza. Tim Connolly skated down the left boards and fired a cross-ice pass to the right circle for Campbell, who snapped a shot past Conklin for his fourth goal. The Penguins failed to mount much of an attack in the second period, tallying a mere two shots. Conklin, though, kept it even by turning aside 13 shots in the frame. Because of the elements, the third period was stopped midway through to give each team an equal amount of time attacking each end. The Sabres had a couple of good chances in the late stages of regulation, as Conklin stopped a wraparound attempt by Thomas Vanek, who moments later was unable to get his stick on a rebound after a shot by Roy. Armstrong took a hooking penalty at the conclusion of regulation and the Sabres were unable to capitalize on the power play in the extra period, despite throwing five shots at Conklin. Buffalo had all seven shots in the five-minute stanza. Game Notes The teams also switched ends midway through the overtime period...The Pens improved to 6-1 in shootouts this year, while the Sabres fell to 1-2. \|\|\|\|\| Due to wind, Winter Classic will have different format than other games ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The Winter Classic will include a third period that will be played differently than any other NHL game. Because wind might be a factor, the league wants the teams to have equal time with the wind at players' backs. So, play will be stopped Tuesday at the 10-minute mark of the third period and the goalies will switch ends. If Sidney Crosby happens to be on a breakaway as the timer reaches 10:00, too bad. Play stops. CREW READY: Dan Craig, facilities operations manager for the NHL, will be on skates during the Winter Classic in case he's needed to help clear snow from the ice in the temporary rink in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Weather forecasts call for 10 to 15 centimetres of snow overnight and Tuesday morning, but Craig has his Zambonis fuelled and isn't overly concerned about the white stuff. "Overnight, it's just going out there with the Zams and going back out there," he says. "With the wind, (snow) goes right along the wall". "So, it's really easy to take one pass with the machine alone the outside wall and we pick up ninety per cent of it." Winds in excess of 25 kilometres an hour could hinder skating, but it won't blow down the boards. "There is cable up on the tall glass so everything is going to be held in place very securely," says Craig. TOO HOT: The tuque Sabres forward Jason Pominville wore during practice Monday will come off for the big game. He doesn't need it, he says, and he'd like it if somebody turned down the heaters at the players' benches. "I thought it was too warm at the benches," he said. DID IT BEFORE: Four players on the Buffalo and Pittsburgh active rosters - the Sabres' Ryan Miller and the Penguins' Ty Conklin, Adam Hall and Georges Laraque - have previously played in large-scale outdoor games. Miller and Hall were Michigan State teammates for the 2001 "Cold War" against the University of Michigan in East Lansing, Mich., and will be opponents this time. Laraque played for the Edmonton Oilers in the first NHL regular-season outdoor game, the 2003 Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium. Penguins goalie Ty Conklin was the starting goalie for the Oilers in the Heritage Classic. He allowed four goals on 23 shots in a 4-3 loss to Montreal. "Normally, I just wear long underwear underneath, but I had a full-body neoprene suit," Conklin recalls. "It was about an eighth-inch, maybe three-sixteenths, thick, like a diving suit. It did the trick. I wasn't nearly as cold as I thought I was going to be." Adam Mair of the Sabres also played in an outdoor game during the 2004-2005 lockout season in his home city of Hamilton. It poured rain in Ivor Wynne Stadium. MUSICAL PERFORMANCES: Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will sing "God Bless America" and Sabres anthem singer Doug Allen will perform "O Canada" prior to the start of the game Tuesday (1 p.m. ET). Sam Roberts, the three-time Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter, will perform songs from his band's latest album "Chemical City" during the second intermission. Below 73,000 empty seats, Roberts rehearsed on a stage a stone's throw from the rink as a Zamboni resurfaced the ice late Monday afternoon. \|\|\|\|\| Sabres.NHL.com is the official Web site of the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo Sabres and Sabres.NHL.com are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and the NHL Shield and NHL Conference logos are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 2007 Hockey Western LLC and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.	The game was held in Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. On New Year's Day, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League played in the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor game held at Orchard Park, New York's Ralph Wilson Stadium. This was the second outdoor game in league history and the first outdoor game held in the United States. The Penguins won the game 2 to 1 after a shootout in which Sidney Crosby made a goal between the legs of goalie Ryan Miller to win it. Colby Armstrong of the Penguins scored 21 seconds into the game, and Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for the Sabres in the 2nd period. A temporary ice rink was built on the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which normally hosts games played by the National Football League's Buffalo Bills. Sidney Crosby, who made the winning goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Snow and heavy winds were prevalent throughout the game, and Zambonis were brought out to clear the ice in the middle of each period. The temperature was around the freezing point when the game began at 1:20 p.m. ET. Several rule changes were in effect in order to lessen the impact of the weather on gameplay. These changes included stopping play in the middle of the 3rd period to allow teams to switch sides and dividing the overtime period into two 2:30 segments. In the shootout, the goalies were allowed to choose which side to defend, with both choosing the same side. The attendance for the game was 71,217, beating the record of 57,167 at the Heritage Classic, another outdoor game which was held in 2003 between the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. Two of the Edmonton players in the Heritage Classic, Georges Laraque and Ty Conklin, played for Pittsburgh in the Winter Classic. Tickets to the game were made available to the general public on September 18, 2007; all 41,000 were sold out within 30 minutes.
By Robert Verkaik, Home affairs editor Ministers face an embarrassing showdown in court after the European Commission accused Britain of failing to protect its citizens from secret surveillance on the internet. The move adds to claims that Britain is creeping towards a Big Brother state and could end with the Government being forced to defend its policy on internet privacy in front of judges at the European Court of Justice. The legal action is being brought over the use of controversial behavioural advertising services which were tested on BT's internet customers without their consent to gather commercial information about their web-shopping habits. Under the programme, the UK-listed company Phorm has developed technology that allows internet service providers (ISPs) to track what their users are doing online. ISPs can then sell that information to media companies and advertisers, who can use it to place more relevant advertisements on websites the user subsequently visits. The EU has accused Britain of turning a blind eye to the growth in this kind of internet marketing. Ministers were warned by the EU in April that if the Government failed to combat internet data snooping it would face charges before the European Court of Justice. The European Commission made it clear this week that it is unhappy with the Government's response and began further legal action to force ministers to address the problem. Commissioners are disappointed that there is still no independent national authority to supervise interception of communications. Europe's information commissioner Viviane Reding said that the aim of the Commission was to bring about a change in UK law. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data in the digital world is not only an important matter: it is a fundamental right, protected by European law," she said. "I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications." The Commission said the UK had failed to comply with both the European e-Privacy Directive and the Data Protection Directive. The Commission also criticised the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) as it does not require that people give informed, specific consent to their communications being intercepted for purposes such as behavioural advertising, while sanctions under Ripa only apply when unlawful interception is intentional rather than simply unlawful. A Home Office spokesman confirmed it had received the Commission's letter. Ministers will respond to the letter when they have had time to consider it fully. The Commission received its first complaints over the issue in April last year following BT's trial. Users complained to the UK data protection authority, and the police. The Commission wrote to the UK authorities in July and, upon receiving its answers, "has concerns that there are structural problems in the way the UK has implemented EU rules". The City of London Police dropped an investigation of Phorm last year in relation to BT's secret 2006/2007 trials because it would have cost too much money, been too complex and those taking part in the trials were curiously deemed to have given their "implied consent". \|\|\|\|\| Given the amount of CCTV there is everywhere, we know the UK tolerates spying on its citizens more than other EU countries. But now Britain might be taken to court by the EU for failing to provide the UK citizens with enough privacy and personal data protection. The EU just launched the second step of legal action to force Britain to bring its data protection framework into line with its rules, which guarantee the confidentiality of electronic communication such as emails and internet surfing. Before being internationally embarrassed, the UK has two month to comply with the detailed opinion, which was sent to the UK by the European Commission yesterday and marks the second stage of infringement procedure. The EU Commission has basically identified three failings. First, there is no independent authority supervising the interception of communications and hearing related complaints. Second, there is an excessively wide interpretation of the principle of consent given in Britain's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Third, its sanctions against the interception of personal data are too limited. The case came up last year when the technology company Phorm planned a targeted web advertising system. This included the tracking of their customers' internet traffic without telling them. British MEPs protested and campaigners complained to the information commissioner, the interception commissioner, government departments, Ofcom and the police. All refused to act. Government investigation concluded that Phorm didn't breach European laws on data protection and The City of London police announced as well, that they had found no evidence of illegal activity. So in 2008 the campaigners wrote to Viviane Reding, the EU telecoms commissioner. And she responded. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data ... is a fundamental right, protected by European law. That is why the Commission is vigilant in ensuring that EU rules and rights are put in place," she said in a statement yesterday. "I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications." A consolation might be that the EU Commission has also sent letters of formal notice, the first stage of the infringement procedure, to Romania, Poland and Germany. \|\|\|\|\| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday moved a step closer to taking Britain to court for failing to provide its citizens with adequate privacy and personal data protection when using electronic communications. The European Union's executive said it had begun a second phase of legal action to force the government to bring its data protection framework into line with EU rules. The Commission said Britain had failed to comply with EU rules protecting the confidentiality of communications such as emails and internet surfing, citing shortcomings in Britain's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) of 2000. The Commission began legal action after an inquiry into how the country had responded to people's complaints about the use of targeted advertising by internet service providers. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data ... is a fundamental right, protected by European law. That is why the Commission is vigilant in ensuring that EU rules and rights are put in place," EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement. She said the government should change its laws to ensure citizens benefited from the safeguards set out in the EU's confidentiality of electronic communications laws. The Commission said one of the problems was the absence of an independent national authority to supervise interception of communications. Such an authority is required under EU laws. It also said the act did not comply with EU rules defining consent. The Commission said it would send the government a "reasoned opinion" letter, to which it has two months to reply. If the Commission is not satisfied by the response, it can take the matter to the EU court, which could force a change in the law. (Reporting by Bate Felix; editing by Erik Kirschbaum)	The European Union has warned the UK government that it does not do enough to protect its citizens' online privacy and personal data. Now the EU has moved to the next stage of legal action, which could see Britain taken to court. The warning follows complaints over the Phorm company's targeted advertising system. The controversial technology is designed to track the activities of internet users, and was tested on some BT customers without their consent. Campaigners complained to various bodies including the UK's data protection agency, and the communications regulator Ofcom. No action was taken. The City of London police began an investigation, but this was soon dropped. The EU Commission formally warned Britain that it was not meeting EU rules in April. Other countries that have been warned include Germany, Poland and Romania. However, last week the Commission moved onto the second stage of the infringement procedure against the UK, with a letter to the government. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) has been particularly criticised by the Commission for its weak definition of "consent" and its limited sanctions. The Commission also found that there was no independent body to oversee and hear complaints about communications interception. Overall, the letter says that the UK fails to comply with the EU's Data Protection Directive and e-Privacy Directive. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data in the digital world is not only an important matter: it is a fundamental right, protected by European law," the EU's Information Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement on Thursday. "I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications." The Home Office confirmed that it had received the letter, but has so far not responded. Ministers said that they would reply to the letter after they have taken some time to consider it. The Home Office has two months to reply, and if the Commission is not satisfied with the response, then Britain could face charges in the European Court of Justice.
The peak of passion There’s something about Mount Rainier that inspires a deep dedication. Take Elizabeth Putnam. The 74-year-old is one of an army of 2,000 healing the mountain’s wounds from last year’s storms. She’s been a presence at Mount Rainier National Park for 52 years. Read more on the clean-up effort from staff reporter Colin McDonald. For more on the park’s progress, check out the Washington Trails Association. And don’t forget to browse through our WTA reader blog, Trail Talk. The newest post: s’mores at the Trail Fest. Facebook founder sued If a group of Harvard students are telling it right, red-hot social networking site Facebook could be in a lot of trouble. Three founders of rival site ConnectU (which boasts 70,000 members — a small huddle next to Facebook’s 31 million) allege that Facebook creator and classmate Mark Zuckerberg agreed to help them with the site, then jumped ship and created Facebook. Facebook is asking a judge to dismiss the suit. The AP has the story. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Should Facebook users be worried? I don’t know, but I couldn’t get to my profile this morning. Site’s “upgrading.” Gulp. Candidates, you’re killing me I know, I know, enough with the 2008 presidential campaign talk, but USA Today has got a great story on how the ever-more-mediated campaign trail and the shift toward more MySpace and YouTube friendly stumping has gotten the candidates doing stand-up. But as the article explains, humor is a hard thing to pull off — and a lot harder than kissing babies. Want to see what’s so funny? See if you get the punchlines in this video from ABC News. You think politicians are bad … Check out those sports stars. The P-I’s Ted Miller rants about the recent upswing in scandals from the NBA to the NFL and everywhere in between. Seriously — can we have one year when someone from the Tour de France isn’t busted for cheating? Just one? Paul Allen picks Seattle author for next film project A Seattle author is getting her shot at the big screen, thanks to Seattle gagillionaire Paul Allen — whose renaissance-man interests go beyond technology, philanthropy and music to that most eye-popping art, film. P-I film critic William Arnold tells how author Deb Caletti’s book series, “Honey, Baby, Sweetheart” could find itself before the cameras next spring. The six-book coming-of-age series takes place in a Washington town that’s a lot like Issaquah, Caletti’s hometown. And, for some utterly pointless fun, an old video of “Frasier’s” own Kelsey Grammer falling off a stage: Kelsey Grammer Falls Off StagePosted May 02, 2005 The actor fell off a stage while giving a speech at Disneyland. Don’t worry, he’s okay. \|\|\|\|\| : Ok so it would seem that Facebook were fixing a technical issue regarding proxies, and nothing to do with security, according to the Scobleizer blog (which has some sort of access to Facebook’s PR team). Facebook is now alive again, and sporting some new hash values in the URLs - presumably unique to prevent proxy issues again… I’ve seen a lot of links mention my employer in association with this post. I’d just like to reiterate that although I am employed by IBM, this is a personal, non-work related blog. The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions. For more details about this and the IBM blogging guidelines, please read the About page. Earlier on today I was getting some trouble connecting to Facebook’s login page - after trying to log in the connection just kept timing out instead of taking me to my home page like it usually does. Its pretty unusual for Facebook as its usually pretty reliable. But, these things do happen from time to time so I thought nothing of it. A couple of hours later I came back to my computer after finishing up some work elsewhere and tried logging in again (I’m not addicted - I can stop any time I want…!). To my surprise my login details - usually stored and prefilled by Firefox - had gone and were replaced by an unfamiliar email address. I was certain that I had locked my computer before I left it (good habit to get into…), but it wasn’t beyond the realms of reality that I had forgotten and someone took the chance to log into Facebook. Unlikely - but certainly not impossible. So I cleared the cookie and went back to Facebook again to log in. But now the Facebook page was showing me a completely different email address. A quick look in the source code and sure enough the email address was hard-coded into the tag’s value attribute! If I refreshed the page immediately I got my email again, but if I closed the browser and left it for a few minutes then went back - bingo! Another person’s email address had appeared! I wonder how many “live” email address got harvested today? I know I saw at least 5 or 6 and I was only looking for a few minutes… So fast forward another couple of hours and I visit facebook again - now more out of curiosity than clinical addiction - and there is a notice up (click for larger version): Pardon my paranoia, but is this not pretty odd? No prior warning, no adverts, no schedule, the source code has what looks like some frantically hand-coded HTML using and despite the XHTML doctype . Makes you wonder. What happened today Facebook? \|\|\|\|\| Shaun Trennery Johannesburg, South Africa I'm a 29 year old developer from Johannesburg South Africa. I'm passionate about all things Web2.0, Ajax, Podcasting, Cycling, Fatherhood etc. ClaimID is a simple way to manage your online identity. This is the claimID page of Shaun Trennery. : Shaun Trennery add shauntrennery as contact \| register \| login Main \| Contacts Verified Viewing 5 links \| Blogs Favorites ClaimID has verified an ownership claim on the following links. Verified OpenID Identities http://claimid.com/shauntrennery http://claimid.com/shauntrennery http://openid.claimid.com/shauntrennery These were verified using OpenID. Verified Claimed Links (1/5) del.icio.us/shaun.trennery - Verified 1 out of 5 possible links verified using MicroID. I'm a 29 year old developer from Johannesburg South Africa. I'm passionate about all things Web2.0, Ajax, Podcasting, Cycling, Fatherhood etc. Shaun Trennery + \|\|\|\|\| I’m a Facebook fan and strongly believe that it is destined to break all records when it is either bought or is listed. Today however, Facebook took its first real knock with users reporting that they were getting data that was not their own. The team at my office first thought it was a proxy issue but we later discovered that the problems were widespread. Facebook is currently down with an “We’re upgrading” message on their sparse home page. I wish I was a fly on their wall. The tension must be excruciating. Will the rumored offer of something like $5 billion be something that the owners later look at with broken hearts. Can you imagine the disappointment if similar offers fail to materialize. Update: Here is a link to a pdf document detailing an xss attack on Facebook. The document, written by Adrienne Felt, has been censored by the author until the vulnerability has been fixed by Facebook. It appears that the outage today was to correct security holes as identified in the document. Update: Facebook is online. I’ve noticed that now after the update if you click on a profile of a member that is not one of your friends, you are redirected to the basic search screen. All profiles, even those marked as public behave in a similar manner. Update: Facebook PR has a group that they’ve invited some of the press and bloggers into. Here’s an official statement that was just posted to that group: This morning, we temporarily took down the Facebook site to fix a bug we identified earlier today. This was not the result of a security breach. Specifically, the bug caused some third party proxy servers to cache otherwise inaccessible content. The result was that an isolated group of users could see some pages that were not intended for them. The site has now been restored and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.” Update: Is Facebook still insecure?	Facebook is a social networking website Popular social networking website Facebook went down for unknown upgrades, possibly to circumvent multiple holes that were published in a white paper earlier. From roughly 1:00 to 4:15 pm ET, users reported the site was down. Blogs have speculated it may be simply a server upgrade, or it may be new features. One web development blogger has even raised the theory that the site was hacked, with the login box showing multiple random email addresses, through "" coding. Another user replied to this posting, saying that they were even able to read the other, random user's inbox. Both a blogger who works at a computing company's office in Johannesburg, South Africa and a Norwegian news outlet reported similar troubles. Many blogs received comments from people with similar circumstances, worldwide. A white paper by Adrienne Felt, posted on July 27, 2007, explained step-by-step how to use an exploit to hijack a user's account. The white paper was then partially censored by the author, until the vulnerability has been fixed by Facebook. Regardless of whether the change was prompted by this paper, both the XSS hole and problem with forms described by the author were fixed during the upgrade. The site read "We're upgrading. We'll be back soon." with no further explanation. This is the first known global outage for the site. This comes as a rival site, ConnectU, has filed a lawsuit against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for allegedly stealing the idea and the code. The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Also on Wednesday, the Black Hat Briefings computer security conference begins. The conference unites people from "government agencies and global corporations with the underground's most respected hackers."
Some Copiague parents want their students back in classrooms They complained about having to choose between all virtual classes or following a hybrid model under district restrictions to reduce risk of coronavirus exposure. 7:34 PM Trustee defeats incumbent Hempstead Village mayor Waylyn Hobbs beats Mayor Don Ryan in a four-way mayoral election Tuesday. 8:16 PM Cops: Teen suffers multiple head injuries in street attack Dominick Palumbo, a freshman at SUNY Maritime College, remained hospitalized Wednesday after an altercation between two groups early Saturday in a Sayville parking lot, Suffolk police said. 8:02 PM She had no family, so strangers came to honor her at funeral None of them had known Celia Teresa de Jesus Alferez. Still about 50 parishioners attended her funeral Mass last week at St. Joseph Church in Ronkonkoma. LI golfers continue to flock to courses amid pandemic Golf was one of the few activities that people could do during the pandemic, leading to a banner year for rounds played in 2020. 1:49 WATCH NOW Amid a year of pandemic hardship, NY parks thrived Experts say state parks on Long Island and across New York helped ward off negative emotions that swept in with COVID-19's arrival one year ago, as isolation helped breed fear, anxiety, depression — and sorrow kept ratcheting up. 2:03 Breaking News LI officials, NYPD on alert in Asian communities after Georgia killings The NYPD is beefing up patrols and Long Island official are urging Asian residents to report hate incidents after eight people, many of them Asian women, were shot to death at Atlanta-area massage parlors. \|\|\|\|\| Classes to Resume at St.Edwards Authorities say 'No threat found' 4/17/2007 The Newsroom Officials at St. Edwards University evacuated their campus Tuesday after finding a threatening note in a bathroom on campus. The University's Michelle Amador says all classes have been cancelled for the day, including evening classes. Classes will resume tomorrow morning. Amador says the University police, assisted by APD, have serched the camus and report no threat has been found. Fore more information please check St. Edwards University Website. last modified: 4/18/2007 12:59:26 AM	St. Edwards University in Austin has been evacuated after a non-specific bomb threat note was found by a staff member. Students are asked not to come on campus, and classes have been cancelled until 5 PM. This is according to a public relations officer for the school and the St. Edwards web site. The message on the website reads, Around noon police had completed an evacuation, secured the campus and begun searching buildings. As police completed the search of dormitory buildings, students were being allowed to return. University spokesperson, Mischelle Amador, indicated that the precautions taken were in no way related to or influenced by yesterday's Virginia Tech shootings.
The American military has been working since 1996 on a tricked-out 747 that could blast ballistic missiles out of the sky with a ultra-powerful laser. After 14 years of promising “the American people their first light saber,” the Missile Defense Agency finally pulled it off Thursday night at 8:44 p.m It’s one of a number of steps forward for real-life ray guns in the past year or so. “Solid state” electric lasers finally hit what’s commonly considered battlefield strength. A laser-equipped Air Force gunship disabled a truck with its energy beam. A ground-mounted ray gun blasted drones out of the sky. But all of those energy weapons were weak — and the engineering challenges limited — compared to last night’s shoot-down. A short-range, Scud-like ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform near the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center, off of the central California coast. “Within seconds, the Airborne Laser Test Bed [ALTB] used on-board sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting,” according to a statement from the Missile Defense Agency. [Update: That's the video of Thursday night's test, above.] This is a test the MDA was hoping to conduct in 2002, after spending about a billion dollars. But the Airborne Laser ran into all kinds of problems along the way. The chemicals the jet depended on to generate its high-strength laser weighed down the 747. Getting the laser to accurately zap through the atmosphere proved tougher than anticipated. The Airborne Laser eventually ballooned into a $7.3 billion project. Finally, Defense Secretary Robert Gates got so fed up, he told the MDA to end the Airborne Laser program after a single jet. “I don’t know anybody at the Department of Defense who thinks that this program should, or would, ever be operationally deployed,” Gates told Congress last year. “The reality is that you would need a laser something like 20 to 30 times more powerful than the chemical laser in the plane right now to be able to get any distance from the launch site to fire.” So, right now the [jet] would have to orbit inside the borders of Iran in order to be able to try and use its laser to shoot down that missile in the boost phase. And if you were to operationalize this you would be looking at 10 to 20 747s, at a billion-and-a-half dollars apiece, and $100 million a year to operate. And there’s nobody in uniform that I know who believes that this is a workable concept. But Gates did add that the concept of using laser and other speed-of-light “directed energy” weapons to knock down missiles still had promise. It might be the only way to stop missiles in “boost phase” — when they were just getting off of the ground. That’s why many in the military will be excited about Thursday night’s test. As the MDA notes, it’s the first time a laser in the sky has successfully downed a missile. And even if this particular weapon doesn’t work out, the technology developed can be used for later systems. “The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies,” the agency notes. “Less than one hour later,” there was a second test, with another missile. The Airborne Laser lit it up. But didn’t destroy the thing. That test was for another day. See Also: \|\|\|\|\| By KING5.com KING5 EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - A U.S. military aircraft, equipped with an airborne laser device, successfully shot down a test missile in the sky off the central California coast Thursday night. The high-energy laser, mounted on the nose of a modified Boeing 747-400F, was focused on the missile target during its boosting phase. The laser beam burned a hole in the side of the missile. It was the first time that a laser weapon has engaged and destroyed an in-flight ballistic missile, and is the first time that any system has accomplished destroyed a missile as it was in its boosting phase. "This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform," the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said in a press release. "The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers (miles), and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies." Boeing is the prime contractor for the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) program. Boeing produces the aircraft, while Northrop Grumman supplies the higher-energy laser and Lockheed Martin is developing the beam and fire control systems. "The (Boeing) Airborne Laser Testbed team has made history with this experiment," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "Through its hard work and technical ingenuity, the government-industry team has produced a breakthrough with incredible potential." \|\|\|\|\| MDANews Release www.mda.mil mda.info@mda.mil 7100 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-7100 Airborne Laser Testbed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile. The experiment, conducted at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast, serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology. The ALTB is a pathfinder for the nationâ€™s directed energy program and its potential application for missile defense technology. At 8:44 p.m. (PST), February 11, 2010, a short-range threat-representative ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform. Within seconds, the ALTB used onboard sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting. This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform. The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies. Less than one hour later, a second solid fuel short-range missile was launched from a ground location on San Nicolas Island, Calif. and the ALTB successfully engaged the boosting target with its High Energy Laser, met all its test criteria, and terminated lasing prior to destroying the second target. The ALTB destroyed a solid fuel missile, identical to the second target, in flight on February 3, 2010. [top of page] \|\|\|\|\| Airborne Laser fires tracking laser, hits target by Tech. Sgt. Eric M. Grill 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs 3/21/2007 --- The YAL-1A Airborne Laser, a modified Boeing 747-400F, successfully test fired its target illuminator laser March 15 during a five-hour test flight.The mission and test firing represented the Airborne Laser's first in-flight external laser firing, and used the NC-135E "Big Crow" test aircraft to verify the ABL's ability to track an airborne target and measure atmospheric turbulence.The Airborne Laser aircraft is undergoing a long-term test phase at the Air Force Flight Test Center here."This mission is a big milestone for our program," said Lt. Col. Michel Zumwalt, the 417th Flight Test Squadron Airborne Laser Combined Test Force operations officer. "It's the first time we've actually had photons leaving the airplane in flight. In other words, we shot a kilowatt-class laser out of our aircraft and we were able to track a target, which is a big step towards meeting one of the mid-milestones (or knowledge points) for this program."The test firing was performed multiple times off the California coast, said Colonel Zumwalt, who is one of only three Air Force ABL pilots.Current testing of the ABL is in preparation for the integration later this year of the chemical oxygen iodine laser, or COIL, a missile-killing, high-energy chemical laser.The COIL is composed of six interconnected modules, each as large as a sport-utility vehicle turned on end. Each module weighs about 6,500 pounds and has 3,600 separate parts. When fired through a window in the aircraft's nose turret, it produces enough energy in a 5-second burst to power a typical household for more than one hour.The COIL is a megawatt-class laser, as opposed to the less-powerful kilowatt-class targeting laser test fired on the March 15 mission, said Dr. Roc White, a contract test director and test conductor for the Airborne Laser Combined Test Force, who was aboard the aircraft during the test flight."We spent an intense four or five months of ground tests back at Wichita (Kansas), first installing and then thoroughly testing out the beam control system which involved two high-power illuminator lasers," Dr. White said, talking about the different classes of lasers the Airborne Laser weapon system will have. " We call it low-power system integration, but that is a relative term, relative to the ultimate weapon system, which is the COIL."These high-power illuminators are significant laser systems, hence all of the concentration on doing this safely (which was) initially proven out on the ground," he said. "The ground testing enabled us to basically walk through the steps, but there is nothing like a live test. Since we got back here to Edwards in December, we've been working to make it to this point to do this first open-air laze. The mission couldn't have gone much better."Mitchell Ray, the Boeing air vehicle integration and test operations lead, also the test director for the March 15 mission, said, "I think it's probably pretty clear by now that this is a rather complex choreography, if you will, of assets. All kinds of things need to come together to enable us to do this. What we want to do is get all the external factors just right so we test the actual weapons system."On the 15th, everything came together and allowed us to do that," Mr. Ray said. "(This was) our first attempt at doing it, and on our very first try, we got it right (on) the mark."The next major step for the test program is to combine what was started with the tracking of another aircraft with the Target Illuminator Laser, Dr. White said, thus being able to then project out the surrogate high-energy laser, called the SHEL."The surrogate high-energy laser will be representative of what the COIL is (and perform) in a manner that will prepare us for actually installing the COIL," he said.The Missile Defense Agency is testing and developing the Airborne Laser as part of the boost phase defense segment of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The ABL, designed to identify, track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles shortly after missile launch, would operate at altitudes above the clouds to locate and track missiles in their boost flight phase, and then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser to intercept enemy missiles near their launch areas, MDA officials said. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)	The ALTB in flight. An infrared video of the Airborne Laser Testbed (right) disabling a threat-representative short-range ballistic missile (left) during the initial boost phase. The United States Missile Defense Agency have announced that their airborne laser system has successfully shot down a ballistic missile for the first time. In a test on Thursday the "Airborne Laser Testbed" (ALTB), a modified Boeing 747-400F, detected a boosting short-range missile and tracked it using a low-energy laser. A second low-energy laser was used to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance, before the aircraft's High Energy Laser was used to destroy the target. The missile was liquid-fuelled and said to be "threat-representative", possibly similar to a Scud. It was launched from sea, and shot down by the ALTB within two minutes. In a second test less than an hour later, a solid-fuel missile launched from a ground location was also successfully hit by the High Energy Laser, but deliberately not destroyed. A similar missile was destroyed on February 3. In a press release announcing the successful tests the Missile Defense Agency said: "The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies." The ALTB is described as a "pathfinder" for the use of directed energy in missile defense. It is designed to operate at high altitudes above the clouds, and to detect and destroy ballistic missiles soon after launch whilst they are still in their boosting phase. The aircraft is provided by Boeing, the main laser by Northrop Grumman, and the control systems by Lockheed Martin. "Through its hard work and technical ingenuity, the government-industry team has produced a breakthrough with incredible potential," stated Greg Hyslop, vice president of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. He said that the experiment had "made history". The US has been working on the program since 1996, and has faced numerous problems in that time. The megawatt-class High Energy Laser is known as the chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL), and consists of six modules, each as large as an SUV. The sheer weight of chemicals needed was almost too much for the 747 jet. The laser also had problems with accuracy due to atmospheric conditions. February's tests were originally scheduled to be carried out in 2002. The amount spent getting the project to this stage has also risen from a planned US$1 billion to $7.3 billion. Last year, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates cut the program back to a single jet for research, suggesting it would not see actual deployment. “The reality is that you would need a laser something like 20 to 30 times more powerful than the chemical laser in the plane right now to be able to get any distance from the launch site to fire,” Gates told Congress. "So, right now the jet would have to orbit inside the borders of Iran in order to be able to try and use its laser to shoot down that missile in the boost phase." Gates also raised concerns at the large number of planes that would be required, and the ensuing cost. However, he said that directed energy weapons still had potential for missile defense.
Mr Tsvangirai's MDC says at least 70 of its supporters have been killed Zimbabwe's opposition MDC will announce on Monday whether the party will withdraw from the 27 June presidential run-off, a party source told the BBC. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is said to be under pressure to pull out in view of escalating poll-related violence. The withdrawal threat may be aimed at pressuring other countries to demand a fair vote, a BBC correspondent says. Angola's leader, one of President Robert Mugabe's closest allies, has urged him to stop the violence. President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos advised Mr Mugabe to "observe the spirit of tolerance, respect for difference and cease all forms of intimidation and political violence". Unless there's a change in conditions on the ground, the election will be a charade Nelson Chamisa MDC spokesman Your questions answered 'Raped for opposing Mugabe' Send us your comments The message was delivered through an Angolan election observer, the Angolan president's office says. The two men were fighting colonial rule together in the 1970s and intervened together in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s. The MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) says dozens of its supporters have been killed but President Mugabe blames the opposition for the violence. But if the MDC does pull out, it will be handing victory to Robert Mugabe, making it a tricky decision to take, says the BBC's Caroline Hawley in Johannesburg, South Africa. The MDC suffered at least five violent deaths of activists or their family members this week and its secretary general, Tendai Biti, was charged with treason and subversion. In Brussels, the European Union has drafted a summit statement saying it is ready to take unspecified "additional measures against those responsible for violence". UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters he believed President Mugabe's government was behind the violence. "Mugabe's increasingly desperate and isolated regime has unleashed still more violence," he said. "This is a blatant attempt to intimidate and to steal the election." 'Subjected to terror' "Differences of opinion" have emerged among the party's senior officials over its next move, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told the BBC after the leadership met in Harare. Tendai Biti was arrested after returning from South Africa The party, he said, needed to assess the situation in the country but if conditions did not change, the vote would be a "charade". "We are assessing the situation as some areas are inaccessible," he added. "People are being abducted at night. Our grass-roots activists are being subjected to terror. Some of them are staying in the bushes and mountains to avoid Zanu-PF militias. "Unless there's a change in conditions on the ground, the election will be a charade." The MDC says at least 70 of its supporters have been killed in recent weeks and 25,000 forced from their homes in a state-sponsored campaign of violence. MDC rallies have also been disrupted and Mr Tsvangirai has been detained by police on several occasions. A Harare court refused to dismiss the charges against Mr Biti, delaying his case until 7 July, more than a week after the election. However, he could still be granted bail. The charges carry a possible death sentence. One of the accusations against him is that he portrayed President Mugabe "as an evil man". International concern Zimbabwe's immediate neighbours have voiced increasing concern over the validity of next week's vote, given the violence and intimidation. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, head of an election monitoring team, told the BBC on Thursday that violence appeared to be "escalating throughout Zimbabwe". The EU already has an arms embargo against Zimbabwe and has placed travel bans on and frozen the assets of President Mugabe and other senior government and ruling Zanu-PF party officials. It urged African states to deploy as many election observers on the ground as soon as possible. Mr Mugabe blames the sanctions for causing Zimbabwe's economic freefall. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Mugabe says 'only God' can remove him as rivals consider pullout HARARE (AFP) — President Robert Mugabe said Friday that "only God" could remove him from office, as Zimbabwe's opposition considered pulling out of next week's run-off election amid escalating violence. "The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country -- never ever," Mugabe told local business people in Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo, referring to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. "Only God who appointed me will remove me -- not the MDC, not the British." Mugabe -- in power since independence from Britain in 1980 -- has frequently accused his presidential run-off opponent Morgan Tsvangirai of being a stooge of the former colonial power. Later Friday, at a rally in Bulawayo, Mugabe said: "We will never allow an event like an election reverse our independence, our sovereignty, our sweat and all that we fought for ... all that our comrades died fighting for." The MDC plans to meet Sunday to consider whether to contest the June 27 vote, with the party claiming that around 70 of its supporters have been killed since the first round of voting in March. "In the light of the violence and intimidation, we will make a position whether we still feel the people's will will be realised, whether it's conducive to go into an election," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told AFP. There were signs the party was deeply split on the issue, with other MDC officials contradicting Chamisa and vowing to press ahead. Pulling out would likely mean handing victory to Mugabe, who is defying harsh criticism from abroad. Western powers and human rights groups say the election has been tainted by violence and intimidation, while Tsvangirai alleges that Zimbabwe now is run by what is essentially a "military junta". "The people have been subjected to violence and intimidation which are so blatant and they are disappointed that we are not having access to the electorate," Innocent Gonese, the MDC's secretary for legal affairs, told AFP. "People are saying despite all that we should not withdraw and we also believe withdrawing will not solve anything." Asked about the possibility of pulling out of the election, MDC treasurer general Roy Bennett told AFP in Johannesburg: "That's nonsense. There is no such thing." Mugabe has vowed the opposition will never come to power in his lifetime and has pledged to fight to keep it from happening. Referring to Mugabe's remarks, Chamisa said in comments published Friday in the South African newspaper The Star: "What therefore is the point of this election?" "Why should we participate in it? Many of our members are now wondering and want us to pull out." Mugabe has threatened to arrest opposition leaders over the pre-election violence, though the United Nations has said the president's supporters were responsible for the bulk of it. Zimbabwe's police chief Augustine Chihuri said Friday the MDC was the "main culprit to the political violence that we are currently witnessing in the country". "As the country prepares for a presidential election run-off next week, all necessary force will be applied on malcontents and perpetrators of violence... This violence is aimed at intimidating people from voting and we know it is in preparation of influencing the outcome of the election." In a case the opposition describes as harassment, a court on Friday refused to dismiss subversion and vote-rigging charges against MDC number-two Tendai Biti, who if convicted faces a possible death sentence. The magistrate ordered Biti held in prison until at least July 7. Zimbabwe's attorney general refused to allow bail for Biti later in the day, though his lawyer has appealed to the high court and a hearing has been set for Tuesday. Biti, the MDC's secretary general, was arrested on June 12 minutes after arriving back in Zimbabwe following a long stay in South Africa. He has been held in prison since then and was officially charged on Thursday. A harsh critic of Mugabe, Biti faces a total of four charges including subverting the government, election rigging and "projecting the president as an evil man." Meanwhile, the human rights group Amnesty International urged regional leaders to meet urgently on Zimbabwe's crisis, in a letter written to the head of the Southern African Development Community. "People are being killed, tortured and subjected to other ill-treatment while the perpetrators are enjoying complete impunity," its secretary general Irene Khan wrote.	According to party officials, Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will announce Monday, June 23, whether they will pull out of the 2008 presidential election, due to election violence, or stay in the race. This week alone, at least five MDC activists or their family members have been killed in election violence. The MDC's secretary general, Tendai Biti, was charged with subversion and treason. The case has been delayed until July 7, more than a week after the run-off election on June 27. The charges carry a possible death sentence, but he could still be granted bail. The MDC has said that during the run-off elections, at least 70 of its supporters were killed, and over 25,000 have been evicted from their homes in a campaign of violence endorsed by President Robert Mugabe. Mugabe, however, has blamed the MDC for the violence. Mugabe has repeatedly said that he would not allow the MDC to come into power. "The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country -- never ever," Mugabe said on Friday. "Only God who appointed me will remove me - not the MDC, not the British," he added, referring to the accusation that his election opponent Morgan Tsvangirai is a puppet of former colonial power Britain. "In the light of the violence and intimidation, we will make a position whether we still feel the people's will will be realised, whether it's conducive to go into an election," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa. Some party members are split over the issue. Innocent Gonese, the MDC's secretary for legal affairs, said, "People are saying despite all that we should not withdraw and we also believe withdrawing will not solve anything." Nelson Chamisa said the party needs to assess the situation before deciding their next move, as some areas are inaccessible. "Our grass-roots activists are being subjected to terror," Chamisa said. "Some of them are staying in the bushes and mountains to avoid Zanu-PF militias. Unless there's a change in conditions on the ground, the election will be a charade."
Office of the Premier / Education Condolences on deaths of seven students and teacher (08/01/12) NB 19 Jan. 12, 2008 FREDERICTON (CNB) -- Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock offered their condolences today following a fatal accident which claimed the lives of seven Bathurst High School students and one District 15 teacher. "Like all New Brunswickers, I was shocked and saddened when I received word of this tragic accident," Graham said. "This is a sad day for the families, for the people of Bathurst and for our province as a whole." "Our thoughts are also with the four others who were injured in this accident." The accident involving a van carrying the Bathurst High School boys' basketball team and a tractor trailer occurred early this morning shortly after midnight on Route 8 outside of Bathurst. "The Department of Education is working with the district and Bathurst High officials to ensure that they receive the support and resources they need to cope with this devastating loss," Lamrock said. Bathurst High is open today with counselling services available to students. "On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I extend our most heartfelt sympathies to the parents, families and friends and the entire community of Bathurst. Our thoughts and prayers are with you," the premier said. 08/01/12 \|\|\|\|\| Crash kills 7 Canada school basketball players Van driver's wife is also dead Associated Press BATHURST, New Brunswick — A van carrying a Canadian high school boys' basketball team collided with a truck on Saturday, killing seven students on their way home from a game and the driver's wife. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Derek Strong said the seven players — aged between 15 and 18 — were pronounced dead at the crash site after their van crossed the center line and hit the tractor-trailer shortly after midnight. The accident occurred as the team was returning home to Bathurst from Moncton in Canada's far eastern New Brunswick province, Strong said. Road conditions were said to be slippery. Strong said most of the victims were ejected from the van. "This is a whole community in mourning," Bathurst High School superintendent John McLaughlin said. "It's unthinkable what happened and everyone's trying to make some sense of it." There were 12 people in the van. The four survivors are expected to recover. The truck driver was not hurt. The driver of the van was a teacher at Bathurst High School and his wife was a teacher at another school, Bathurst Mayor Stephen Brunet said. \|\|\|\|\| A close-knit city in northern New Brunswick is in mourning after seven high school basketball players and a teacher died early Saturday when the van carrying them slammed into a transport truck on an icy road. The Bathurst High School boys' basketball team, the Phantoms, was returning from a game in Moncton, about 220 kilometres to the south, when the van fish-tailed on a slippery highway and collided with a truck driving in the opposite lane, police said. The entire passenger side of the van was ripped off during a collision with a tractor-trailer. (CBC) The accident happened around midnight local time on Highway 8 just 500 metres from the Bathurst exit, about five minutes away from their hometown. Of the 12 in the vehicle, four survived, including the team's coach and his daughter. The seven boys killed in the crash ranged from 15 to 18 years old. The coach's wife, a teacher at another school, also died. Weather was a factor, police said Police said the entire passenger side of the van was ripped off during the collision and most of the passengers ejected. "There was nothing we could do," RCMP Sgt. Derek Strong told reporters. "The force of the impact was so great that the benches they were sitting on were also ejected from the vehicle, so this was a very, very major impact." At the time of the crash, the road was slippery from snow, freezing rain and ice pellets. "The road had snow and slush. We had a light snowstorm [Friday] that started in the afternoon," said RCMP Cpl. Daniel Melanson. Three people were still in hospital late Saturday, while the fourth had been treated for injuries and released, a hospital spokeswoman said. The driver of the transport truck was not injured, police said. Grief counselling offered at school The community of 13,000 was in shock after hearing news of the crash. Students mourn the deaths of seven basketball players from Bathurst High School. (CBC) As early as 4 a.m., students, parents and community members began trickling in to the school where a grief counselling centre was opened for much of the day. "There is such disbelief," said school district superintendent John McLaughlin. "A tragedy of this proportion — it's unspeakable." He described the seven teammates as "your typical all-Canadian boys" who were positive, athletic and popular at the school of some 800 students. Bathurst Mayor Stephen Brunet, who once taught at the school, noted that it is not only the small city that is trying to cope with the tragedy, but the whole region. "Bathurst is a feeder school that has students coming in from around the region … so this affects a lot of young people," he said. Families want a public funeral The parents of Nathan Cleland, one of the boys killed, said they spoke to their son minutes before the crash when he called to tell them he was on his way home. 'They played as a team, they rolled as a team and they went out as a team.'—Victim's father, John Cleland In the background, they could hear the boys "whooping and hollering … and having a good time." The parents said their 17-year-old son died alongside some of his closest friends. "They played as a team, they rolled as a team and they went out as a team. So what better way possible than to be with your friends under circumstances like this," his father said. Families of the victims have said they want a public funeral to be held at the city's sports arena so the entire community can gather to grieve. An 'unthinkable' accident, PM says Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent a letter of condolence to high school principal Coleen Ramsay. "The sudden loss of eight people in this unthinkable accident shocked the nation, and all Canadians join you in mourning their passing," he wrote. Harper said that as a father, he sympathizes with the parents of the teenage boys killed in the crash. New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham, speaking from Ottawa where he is attending a first ministers' meeting, also expressed his condolences to the victims' families. "I just want to extend sympathies to the affected families," he said. "This is a tragic situation for the community of Bathurst and our province." With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| Crash kills seven students, teacher in New Brunswick Richard Foot, Helen Morris and David Wylie , Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, January 12, 2008 BATHURST, N.B. - Tragedy struck the tightly-knit city of Bathurst, N.B., early Saturday when seven teenagers from the high school basketball team and a teacher were killed in a horrific highway crash. The minivan carrying the Bathurst High Phantoms senior boys basketball team home from a game in Moncton lost control on an icy highway shortly after midnight and hit a tractor-trailer with enough force to rip the van open and eject the passenger benches from the vehicle. The victims - one woman and seven boys aged 15 to 18 - died at the scene. RCMP say they will not identify the dead until all family have been contacted. However, obituaries have been posted on a local funeral home website for Cody Branch, 17; Javier Acevedo, 17; and Nickolas Quinn, 16. Online memorials have paid tribute to students Justin Cormier and Daniel Hains, as well as teacher, Beth Lord. And family members have identified the remaining two boys as Nick Kelly and Nathan Cleland. Emily Cleland, a student at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, said she got the word at 2 a.m. that her younger brother, Nathan - one of the players, was dead. "They told me that seven of the players had died on impact and the coach's wife and that my brother had been one of the seven to die," she said. "He was great. He was my best friend my whole life." She said he was among five of the students who were due to graduate this year. "One or two of them were considering going to university next year." Three of four injured students are still in hospital. One, a student, is in intensive care. All are in stable condition and their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The driver of the van, a teacher and coach, survived. His wife, also a coach and teacher, died at the scene. Their daughter was among the survivors. "When members arrived at the scene all eight victims were dead," said New Brunswick RCMP spokesman Sgt. Derek Strong, calling the crash scene "indescribable." "There was nothing we could do. "The roads were quite icy, and it was a matter of the driver . . . losing control at the wrong time. I want to make it clear to everyone that at this time we do not suspect any illegal activity on behalf of either driver. It's a collision because of the weather." Reports say that conditions on Route 11 were slippery around the time of the crash, with freezing rain and snow falling in the area. The driver of the tractor-trailer escaped injury. "It was extremely traumatic," Strong said. "Our members are trained to deal with a certain amount of calls of an unpleasant nature but last night was beyond description. "We can only dare to imagine what the families are going through today." Ed Kelly said his grandson Nick died in the crash. The 15-year-old athlete died alongside his best friend, Nickolas Quinn, who was going celebrate his 16th birthday Saturday, added Kelly. "He was athletic, smart . . . whatever he tried, he achieved it. He was everybody's dream," said Kelly, 64, of his grandson. "I've been (in Bathurst) for 32 years - that's the worst (tragedy) I've heard of here. We always think it's not going to happen to us," he said. "It's a shock and we still have to deal with it. It's part of life." The streets of Bathurst, normally lively on a Saturday night, were dark and virtually deserted - except in front of Bathurst High School. There, dozens of grieving students were still milling around the entrance to the school, hugging, weeping and placing bouquets against the entrance doors. "R.I.P Boys - We will hold you in our hearts forever," read the card on one bouquet. The dead students were known for their devotion to the game. One transferred in from another school just to join the team. Grade 11 student Katie Gormely cried as she recounted how she and the other members of the school's senior girls basketball team got the call about the crash around 4 a.m. at their hotel in Woodstock, N.B., where they were playing an away game. The team piled into their van and drove back to Bathurst immediately. "They were the nicest guys you could ever meet," she said. "They just lit up the halls. They all had this glow. They all had a real passion for basketball. They were just amazing guys." Grade 11 student Patrick Wafer said, "I don't even know how I feel yet. We're still trying to deal with this. Some of these guys were so good I wouldn't have been surprised to see them playing college ball." Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sent a letter of condolence to the school. Meanwhile, school district superintendent John McLaughlin called the crash "a tragedy of unthinkable proportions." He said a crisis centre has been set up at the school since 4 a.m. Saturday to provide "a safe, caring, nurturing place" for students, parents and community members to grieve. The crisis centre will remain open Saturday and Sunday. The high school will be open on Monday, McLaughlin said, and psychologists, social workers and guidance counsellors will be in place to help students deal with the tragedy. "We are a city in mourning," said Bathurst mayor Stephen Brunet. "We're still in a state of shock." Sophie Boudreau, a student at the school, said of the victims: "You couldn't have asked for better guys than those boys." "These guys were multiple athletes. They were amazing, they had the biggest hearts, they were so kind to everybody," Boudreau said. "They were all like big teddy bears." Boudreau said the community is "devastated," and the tragedy is pulling citizens and students together. "Today all the students were just together, nobody wanted to be alone," she said. "We were all just together, we were all just comforting each other, hugging each other and we had to be with each other." Emily Cleland said her brother was the sort of person who drew others to him. "He was so charismatic, people were really drawn to him and he was just such a great guy. He had this love for life anything to do with sports or exercise." Cleland broke down when she recalled her brother's plans for post-graduation: he wanted to train to be an emergency response paramedic. "If there is anyone else who goes through what we're going through, know that there are lots of people out there to support them who understand what it feels like to lose someone you love so much." Stephanie Brennan, a reporter with local radio station CKBC-FM, described a "sombre mood" in the city Saturday. "It's a tough time for everyone involved," Brennan said. "It's still hitting close to home in a city of 12,000 that's really community oriented." The station hires students from the high school for weekend work, and it was from one of those students that Brennan heard news of the crash. "I got a call from one of the girls this morning at about 5:30, she was crying hysterically saying there was an accident. She said the basketball team died." The town is pulling together to cope with the tragedy, Brennan said. "There's such great community spirit and when something happens to someone everyone really pulls together. "This morning at the high school the mayor was there, the councillors were there. The local police officers were at the hospital with the students." Premier Shawn Graham said he was "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy. "This is a sad day for the families, for the people of Bathurst and for our province as a whole," Graham said in a statement. With files from Michael Barber © Canwest News Service 2008	New Brunswick's road network. Bathurst is located in the province's north coast on the Baie des Chaleurs. A deadly road crash in New Brunswick, Canada has claimed the lives of eight people near the city of Bathurst on Saturday. A van carrying 12 people was returning from a school basketball game in Moncton when it slid on an icy highway and collided with a semi-trailer truck. Of the dead, seven were members of the Bathurst High School boys basketball team and the other was a teacher, the van driver's wife. The survivors are three teammates and a coach who was driving the van, all of whom were hospitalised at Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst. The driver of the semi-trailer was uninjured. The crash occurred on New Brunswick Route 8 as it approached the junction with Route 11 into Bathurst. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his shock and condolences, describing the tragedy as "unthinkable". New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham also expressed his condolences.
Wikiseek is a new search engine which indexes only results from Wikipedia and sites which are linked to from Wikipedia. Wikiseek is the first product from SearchMe, a California based startup which has raised $5 million from Sequoia Capital, and plans a range of ‘long tail search engines’. The company claims that, because the results are limited to Wikipedia and sites linked to from it, their search engine is far less susceptible to spam and SEO schemes (in fact, there may well be some duplicate content issues, since it is pulling content from Wikipedia, so SEO ). On the plus side, the interface is clean and the tag cloud containing relevant Wikipedia categories is useful in refining your search. The big problem with this search engine is the relevance of the results. As Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land points out, when compared with results from the big three search engines, Wikiseek’s results are far less relevant. As SearchMe CEO Randy Adams points out in reply to Danny’s criticisms, Wikiseek is in beta stage, and is still in the process of ironing out any problems. Further Reading: Wikia launches free wiki tools \|\|\|\|\| The Wikipedia reference site is getting a new and improved search engine from Searchme, which announced the development Wednesday. Called Wikiseek, the search engine was financed in large part by Sequoia Capital, the venture capital firm that financed Google, Searchme representatives said. The fledgling search engine will be available both as a beta destination Web site as well as a Firefox extension inside Wikipedia. To avoid the perils of too many false hits, Searchme said user feedback will be used to update Wikiseek on a continuous basis. The process will result in a relatively low incidence of search engine optimization spam. Searchme also noted that Wikipedia editors will approve "authoritative" pages. The announcement predicted that the service will grow in value over time as Wikipedia blossoms and as more links are added. Unlike most search engines whose business models rely on sponsored links, most of the Wikiseek site's advertising revenue will be donated to the Wikipedia Foundation, which operates the Wikipedia encyclopedia. "It just makes sense to donate the advertising revenue to the Wikimedia Foundation since our search results are enabled by the work done by Wikipedia volunteers," said Randy Adams, Searchme CEO. "Every time somebody edits a Wikipedia page, our search engine gets better." The Wikiseek site can be accessed from multiple browsers, which often feature keyword ads. However, the Firefox extension version, available under open source licensing, carries no ads. \|\|\|\|\| As expected, Jimmy Wales, founder of the Wikipedia , has launched his search engine, named Wikiseek.com. (This is not a search engine by Wikipedia, but it does use Wikipedia's content - sorry, still catching up). All I have seen are negative reviews about the search engines, you can read Danny's huge analysis at Search Engine Land, his conclusion: In the end, if you want to search Wikipedia, just go to Wikipedia and search there rather than Wikiseek. That seems the better experience. Or search at Google -- it tends to bring up Wikipedia pages all the time for relevant queries. I have searched through the various discussion forums and honestly did not find much conversation on it. There is a large thread at WebmasterWorld and a very short one at DigitalPoint Forums. The overall consensus is that it is currently a poor search experience because of the restrictions of only showing results within the wikiepdia community. I also did notice someone at WebmasterWorld noted that http://wikiseek.com/ returns a 404, they need to 301 that to the www version. Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld & DigitalPoint Forums. \|\|\|\|\| This is different than the Wikiasari search engine announced last month. WikiSeek is a search engine that returns results only from Wikipedia and sites linked to from Wikipedia. It has been in development since 2005 and launched 1 hour ago. \|\|\|\|\| This tool shows the articles from the English Wikipedia that are viewed most. Statistics have been running 31 days. This tool is still being tested. Some of the results may be false or misleading! Change the settings... I added another field: 'View this page in another language'. Please send me your translations.This page is brought to you by a new output script.-- Leon Information This page shows the most viewed articles of wikimedia projects. How it works WikiCharts makes the user's browser send http requests to the toolserver. This is done using javascript (source). A java program (source, written by DaB.) is called every 15 minutes, which reads the apache log file and inserts the requests into a MySQL database. Now, users want to access the stats, so the third part is an output script, which you're viewing. It's written in PHP, and of course you may also see the source. More detailed information can be found on meta. Contact	Wikiseek logo. A new search engine that was announced yesterday finds articles and links within the English Wikipedia. Wikiseek, run by a California based startup company called "searchme", is a website which aims to be "A better way to search Wikipedia." Although most keywords work without problems, Digg users have found search terms that the site does not recognize. If you enter "Chicago" for example, it shows no Wikipedia articles at all, and clicking "Chicago, Illinois" leads to an article on West Chicago, Illinois and other related articles to the subject. Similarly, entering "Christmas", "United States" or "PlayStation 3" only provides links to related articles on Wikipedia, although they are in the top 10 of most viewed articles in the English Wikipedia. Searching "porn" comes up with commercial websites linked from Wikipedia, but not the relevant articles in the free encyclopedia. For most articles however, the relevant Wikipedia article is the first result or among the results. The site says that "The contents of Wikiseek are restricted to Wikipedia pages and only those sites which are referenced within Wikipedia, making it an authoritative source of information less subject to spam and SEO schemes." The site also offers a Toolbar plugin and a Firefox extension to add a Wikiseek search button inside of Wikipedia pages. Danny Sullivan at the Search Engine Land blog found Wikiseek's results inferior compared to the results from established search engines. SearchMe CEO Randy Adams stressed that Wikiseek is still in a beta phase. He pointed out that they welcome feedback more than the average search engine, which can be posted on their company wiki. Searchme put a button on their main page, encouraging beta testers to instantly promote the site on Digg. In August 2006, Digg had half a million registered users. Some media outlets have reported that Wikiseek was created by either the Wikimedia Foundation which runs Wikipedia, or private corporation Wikia, which hosts a collection of wiki communities. Both rumors are untrue, says Angela Beesley, co-founder of Wikia and chair of the Advisory Board of the Wikimedia Foundation. "Wikiseek is an independent project with no affiliation with either Wikia or the Wikimedia Foundation." The Wikiseek site says they contribute the majority of its revenue from advertisement to the Wikimedia Foundation's fundraising effort.
WHO Says H1N1 World's Dominant Flu Virus The United Nations World Health Organization says the H1N1 virus - commonly known as swine flu - has become the dominant flu strain in the world. U.S. World Health Organization Assistant Director Keiji Fukuda attends a conference on swine flu in Cancun, Mexico (File) In a briefing with reporters Thursday, WHO Special Pandemic Influenza Adviser, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, said the H1N1 virus has been particularly active in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months. He said he expects that trend to continue through the winter months, with more severe cases and even deaths. Fukuda said the vaccine currently in use in some 20 countries around the world remains effective and safe. He said no rare or dangerous side effects have been reported. The H1N1 virus has differed from normal, seasonal flu in that it has persisted during the summer months and affected relatively healthy people under the age of 65. The WHO says most people recover without hospitalization. The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. As of October 25, 2009, the WHO says there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and more than 5,700 deaths reported to the U.N. agency. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. In a briefing with reporters Thursday, WHO Special Pandemic Influenza Adviser, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, said the H1N1 virus has been particularly active in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months.He said he expects that trend to continue through the winter months, with more severe cases and even deaths.Fukuda said the vaccine currently in use in some 20 countries around the world remains effective and safe. He said no rare or dangerous side effects have been reported.The H1N1 virus has differed from normal, seasonal flu in that it has persisted during the summer months and affected relatively healthy people under the age of 65. The WHO says most people recover without hospitalization.The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. As of October 25, 2009, the WHO says there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and more than 5,700 deaths reported to the U.N. agency. E-mail Print Digg Yahoo Buzz Facebook del.icio.us StumbleUpon \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- The H1N1 virus has now become the dominant influenza virus around the globe, with high levels and an increase of activity in many regions, the World Health Organization said Thursday. In a weekly update, the WHO's point person on the H1N1 virus, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, also warned the public not to treat the virus like just another flu. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 is more active in the winter than in the summer, and a majority of infected people get better on their own, Fukuda said. H1N1 also is as transmissible and infectious as seasonal flu, he said. But unusually for influenza, Fukuda said, H1N1 continues at high levels over the summer months, and many of the serious illnesses and deaths are concentrated in people younger than 65. Seven months into the pandemic, the virus commonly known as swine flu remains at high levels and continues to increase in North America, Fukuda said. Mexico, for example, has seen more cases from September to November than they saw in the preceding months from April, when the virus emerged, he said. The virus is also becoming more active in Europe and Central and Western Asia, Fukuda said. Health officials this week reported an outbreak of cases in Ukraine, which now has more than 250,000 cases of influenza-like illness, with 235 patients requiring intensive care, the WHO said. Activity is picking up in East Asia, Fukuda said. Mongolia reported "a number" of cases over the past week, he said. "East Asia is one of the parts of the world where seasonal influenza viruses have remained in reasonably high circulation," Fukuda said. "But even in that part of the world, the pandemic virus is becoming dominant." More cases are being reported from a number of Caribbean countries such as Cuba and Haiti, he said. In Central America and the Southern Hemisphere, however, activity levels have dropped as those regions enter the summer season, Fukuda said. "There are several regions in the world -- North America, Europe, Northern and Central Asia -- where we are clearly seeing pandemic influenza activity increase," he said, but "there is no one single place in the world where we are focused on." Disease activity has been difficult to predict, Fukuda said. "We really are not going to know what the future is going to bring, and so the main focus of our effort here is ... what steps are needed to make sure countries are as prepared as possible to deal with disease levels," he said. H1N1 poses different challenges in different countries, but it does seem to be affecting indigenous groups more heavily than nonindigenous groups, he said. In Australia, for example, "aboriginal groups are disproportionately represented in people who end up in hospitals from diseases related to the pandemic," Fukuda said. The WHO still doesn't know whether the effect on indigenous groups is because of the pandemic itself or because of underlying factors. Because most people infected with swine flu tend to recover on their own and don't suffer major problems afterwards, some people are tempted to dismiss the infection and think it's not serious. But Fukuda said that's a dangerous mind-set. "At WHO, we remain quite concerned about the patterns we are seeing, particularly because a sizable number of people develop complications [that lead to death]," he said. "We do see that the serious complications are concentrated in the younger age groups rather than the older age groups." While the complications are most often seen in people who have chronic, underlying health conditions and in pregnant women, they also can develop in people "who are currently healthy and young." But contrary to some reports, Fukuda said, the WHO has not seen big mutations in the virus since it first emerged. He said viruses being isolated now are "generally similar" to those isolated over the past several months, indicating they haven't changed much. The WHO also has no evidence of widespread resistance to antiviral medication, Fukuda said. There have been sporadic instances of resistance to oseltamivir -- the generic name for Tamiflu, one of the main drugs used against influenza -- but such cases are still "isolated and infrequent," he said. "Antivirals are quite useful against these infections," he said. Fukuda praised as "innovative" the decision by Norway to distribute antiviral medication over the counter for a limited period of time. The move can help take stress off the primary health system and allow patients to get the medicine more quickly, he said. Other useful protections against H1N1 are vaccines, which the WHO recommends against pandemic infections, Fukuda said. "These vaccines now have been used in a significant number of countries ... and based on this experience, in which millions of people have now received vaccine, we in fact see that these vaccines are very safe," he said. The only side effects are swelling and pain at the injection site, but "these are occurring at rates that are expected and usually seen with seasonal influenza vaccine," Fukuda said. "WHO, along with other public health authorities, believes that these vaccines are very useful against pandemic infections and [we] do support their use," he said. \|\|\|\|\| AFP - The World Health Organisation on Thursday urged people not to drop their guard over the swine flu pandemic and insisted on the value of vaccination despite the broadly mild symptoms of the virus. "At the WHO we remain quite concerned about the pattern we are seeing, particularly because a sizeable number of people do develop serious complications and death," said Keiji Fukuda, special adviser on pandemic. "Again, we are seeing most of this develop in people who are younger than 65 years, a picture which is different from seasonal influenza," he explained. Fukuda reiterated that the cases of serious complications were largely found among the chronically ill, pregnant women as well as some otherwise healthy younger people. He also countered signs of public scepticism about the vaccine revealed by surveys in several countries, despite the resurgence of swine flu in the northern hemisphere with the onset of the colder season. "WHO believes that these vaccines are very useful against the pandemic virus," Fukuda said in a telephone news conference. Vaccination against A(H1N1) influenza has now started in more than 20 countries and were demonstrably safe, according to the WHO. "What we are seeing is that these vaccines are highly safe and have been received by a significant number of people without any problems," Fukuda said. Swine flu has differed from seasonal flu in persisting in the northern hemisphere during the summer period and in a pattern of occasional serious illness affecting under 65-year-olds. However, Fukuda acknowledged that it was as transmissible as seasonal flu, showed the same pattern of spreading more widely in winter and was "self limiting" in that the large majority of people who caught it got better without the need for special treatment. More than 5,700 people have died worldwide since the pandemic virus was first discovered in April, with most deaths -- 4,175 -- reported in the Americas region, according to WHO data.	The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as swine flu, has become the dominant flu strain in the world. H1N1 virus. In a briefing with reporters Thursday, WHO Special Pandemic Influenza Advisor Keiji Fukuda said the virus has been particularly active in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months. He added that he expects the trend to continue through the winter months, with more severe cases and even deaths. Fukuda said the vaccine currently in use in some 20 countries around the world remains effective and safe, and that no rare or dangerous side effects have been reported. "East Asia is one of the parts of the world where seasonal influenza viruses have remained in reasonably high circulation. But even in that part of the world, the pandemic virus is becoming dominant," Fukuda commented. He noted that it was difficult to predict the activity of the virus. "We really are not going to know what the future is going to bring, and so the main focus of our effort here is ... what steps are needed to make sure countries are as prepared as possible to deal with disease levels," he said. The H1N1 virus differs from the normal seasonal flu in that it has persisted during the summer months and affected relatively healthy people under the age of 65. The WHO says most people recover without hospitalization, although Fuduka pointed out that people with severe health complications and pregnant women were most at risk. The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. As of October 25, 2009, the WHO says there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and more than 5,700 deaths reported to the UN agency.
By Paul Rincon Science reporter, BBC News Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement The Large Hadron Collider experiment has re-started after a 14-month hiatus while the machine was being repaired. Engineers have made two stable proton beams circulate in opposite directions around the machine, which is in a tunnel beneath the French-Swiss border. The team may try to increase the £6bn ($10bn) collider's energy to record-breaking levels this weekend. The LHC is being used to smash together beams of protons in a bid to shed light on the nature of the Universe. It is the world's largest machine and is housed in a 27km-long circular tunnel. During the experiment, scientists will search for signs of the Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that is crucial to our current understanding of physics. Although it is predicted to exist, scientists have never found it. It happened faster than anyone could have dreamed of, everything went very smoothly James Gillies Cern In pictures: LHC restarts Large Hadron Collider: Guide Q&A: Fixing a particle smasher The LHC: worth the wait? Dozens of giant superconducting magnets that accelerate the particles at the speed of light have had to be replaced after faults developed just days after the collider was inaugurated last year. Operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern), the LHC will create similar conditions to those which were present moments after the Big Bang. The BBC's Pallab Ghosh in Geneva says the restart of the collider was the moment the scientists had been waiting for. It means they can once again go in search of the new discoveries they believe will roll back the frontiers of understanding our universe, says our correspondent. "It's great to see beams circulating in the LHC again," said Cern's director-general Rolf Heuer. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement "We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way." Record attempt The beams themselves are made up of "packets" - each about a metre long - containing billions of protons. But they would disperse if left to their own devices. Electrical forces had to be used to "capture" the protons. This keeps them tightly huddled in packets, for a stable, circulating beam. Engineers had not been expected to try for a circulating beam before 0600 GMT on Saturday. This giant machine part will try to detect the elusive Higgs boson James Gillies, Cern's director of communications, told BBC News: "It happened faster than anyone could have dreamed of." "Everything went very smoothly." The first beam was sent all the way round the LHC's circumference 100m underground after 1930 GMT on Friday. Engineers captured this clockwise-circulating beam at 2100 GMT. A second anti-clockwise beam made a full circle of the LHC at 2153 GMT and was captured at 2310 GMT. Dr Gillies said that if everything continued to go well, Cern might try to reach a record-breaking beam energy of 1.2 trillion electron volts this weekend. Only the Tevatron particle accelerator in Chicago, US, has approached this energy, operating at just under one trillion electron volts. But other team members want to keep the beam circulating at low energy and try for the machine's first proton beam collisions. "The LHC is a far better understood machine than it was a year ago," said Steve Myers, Cern's director for accelerators. "We've learned from our experience, and engineered the technology that allows us to move on. That's how progress is made." 1 - 14 quadrupole magnets replaced 2 - 39 dipole magnets replaced 3 - More than 200 electrical connections repaired 4 - Over 4km of beam pipe cleaned 5 - New restraining system installed for some magnets 6 - Hundreds of new helium ports being installed around machine 7 - Thousands of detectors added to early warning system There are some 1,200 superconducting magnets which form the LHC's main "ring". These magnets bend proton beams in opposite directions around the tunnel at close to the speed of light. At allotted points around the tunnel, the proton beams cross paths, smashing into one another with enormous energy. Large "detector" machines located at the crossing points will scour the wreckage of these collisions for discoveries that should extend our knowledge of physics. Engineers first circulated a beam all the way around the LHC on 10 September 2008. But just nine days later, an electrical fault in one of the connections between superconducting magnets caused a tonne of liquid helium to leak into the tunnel. Liquid helium is used to cool the LHC to its operating temperature of 1.9 kelvin (-271C; -456F). The machine has been shut down ever since the accident, to allow repairs to take place. Professor Norman McCubbin, from the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, added: "I'm sure every particle physicist has been feeling just a little bit impatient as the 're-start' of the LHC has drawn nearer. It's great to see beams circulating again." The damage caused to the collider meant 53 superconducting magnets had to be replaced and about 200 electrical connections repaired. Engineers have also been installing a new early warning system which could prevent incidents of the kind which shut down the experiment. Cern has spent some 40m Swiss Francs (£24m) on repairs to the collider. Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| CERN atom-smasher restarts after 14-month hiatus: official GENEVA — The world's biggest atom-smasher, shut down after its inauguration in September 2008 amid technical faults, restarted on Friday, a spokesman for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said. "The first tests of injecting sub-atomic particles began around 1600 (1500 GMT)," CERN spokesman James Gillies told AFP. He said the injections lasted a fraction of a second, enough for "a half or even a complete circuit" of the Large Hadron Collider built in a 27-kilometre (17-mile) long tunnel straddling the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. CERN's director general Rolf Heuer said later the scientists had been successful and that they had been able to go ahead earlier than expected. "If all goes well tonight we will try to circulate a beam of particles for several minutes around 0700 (0600 GMT)," on Saturday, added Gillies. The LHC promises to unlock scientific mysteries about the creation of the Universe and the fundamental nature of matter. But the machine was shut down just nine days after its inauguration last September following a series of technical faults. Since then, the LHC's components have been tested to an energy equivalent of five teraelectronvolts at full power. The maximum output of what is currently the largest functioning collider in the world, at the Fermilab near Chicago in the United States, is one teraelectronvolt. CERN had said in August that upon its relaunch, the LHC will run at 3.5 teraelectronvolts in order to allow its operators to gain experience of running the machine. The first data should be collected a few weeks after the first particle beam is fired. CERN said the partial power level will be kept until "a significant data sample has been gathered" and ramped up thereafter. Designed to shed light on the origins of the universe, the LHC at CERN took nearly 20 years to complete and cost six billion Swiss francs (3.9 billion euros, 4.9 billion dollars) to build. Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More » \|\|\|\|\| A giant scientific instrument that was designed to recreate the big bang but blew itself up in the process will be back in business on Friday. Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, the nuclear research organisation near Geneva, aim to have beams of subatomic particles whizzing around the machine on Friday evening, and will begin smashing them together soon after. The first collisions will mark the end of a long and frustrating period for the researchers, who waited eight years for the machine to be built only to see it explode shortly after being switched on in September last year. Repairs and a new safety system cost an estimated £24m. The machine, which occupies a 27km tunnel 100m beneath the French-Swiss border, will probe some of the deepest mysteries of the universe by crashing subatomic particles into one another at close to the speed of light. The collisions are expected to reveal tantalising signs of new physics that could include extra dimensions of space and "supersymmetry", a theory that calls for every particle in the universe to have an invisible partner. Scientists also hope the machine will finally discover the elusive Higgs boson, aka the God particle, which imbues other particles with mass. It may also expose the nature of dark matter, a mysterious, invisible material that stretches across the cosmos and collects around galaxies. The £6bn machine was shut down last year after a spark caused by faulty wiring tore a hole in the collider and released liquid helium, wrecking surrounding equipment and encasing it in a layer of ice. Engineers have spent the past year checking the wiring in the rest of the machine and installing safety measures to prevent another catastrophe. Work on the machine was interrupted earlier this month when a short circuit took out an electrical substation. The incident was blamed on a piece of baguette dropped by a passing bird. The first collisions will be at low energies but will give scientists working on the machine's four giant detectors their first real data to work on. Two beams of subatomic particles called protons, travelling in opposite directions around the tunnel, will be accelerated to almost the speed of light. At four points around the ring the beams will cross over, slamming the protons into each other head-on. The violent impacts will release fleeting bursts of energy that will recreate in microcosm the conditions that existed only a fraction of a second after the big bang. Lyn Evans, who has overseen the construction of the LHC for the past 15 years, said Cern hoped to get two beams of protons circulating in the machine on Friday evening. "Then we just have to steer them into one another," he said. Collisions are expected to reach an energy of 2.2 trillion electronvolts by Christmas, enough for the LHC to take the title of the most powerful particle collider in the world. By January, the machine should be running with at least three times as much energy as the current world-leading particle smasher, the Tevatron at Fermilab near Chicago. "It's been a frustrating time, but what we do know is that the machine works beautifully," Evans said. "By Christmas, I expect we will take the high-energy frontier, if only by a whisker." Cern engineers have already sent beams of particles half way around the machine. Their first goal later this week will be to circulate two beams of protons at low energy, the stage they reached this time last year before the machine exploded. The first low-energy collisions will give scientists a chance to check the machine is working properly and ensure its detectors are recording the beautiful streaks of subatomic debris created when the particles crash into one another. The machine will close for a couple of weeks over Christmas while engineers finish installing safety measures to prevent the machine exploding again when it is running at higher energies next year. Jim Virdee, a physicist at Imperial College, London, and spokesman for the machine's giant CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) detector, has spent the past year calibrating the detector by watching high-energy particles in cosmic rays hurtle through it. "There's a mood of great anticipation here. We're cautiously optimistic and looking forward to finally getting going," he said. "We will soon be making great inroads into new territory. We'll be looking for new things, but what we find depends on how kind nature is to us." Some scientists are relying on the LHC to pull physics out of at least a decade in the doldrums. While theoretical physicists have pushed ahead with string theory and other models that describe the particles and forces of nature, experiments to prove any of them right or wrong have been lacking. Last year, an American court dismissed a legal challenge that claimed the LHC might destroy the planet by creating a black hole or a clump of matter known as a strangelet. This year, physicists at the Niels Bohr Institute proposed an even more extraordinary possibility. Their calculations suggested that the long-sought Higgs boson was so abhorrent to nature that any machine that tried to make it would be "sabotaged" from the future. Few scientists are losing sleep over the prospect. "We are absolutely and totally confident that the machine is perfectly safe, just as we were last year," said Evans. "And i'm not at all worried about the it being destroyed by its own future." \|\|\|\|\| To recognize and encourage outstanding achievement in particle theory. The prize consists of $10,000, an allowance for travel to the meeting of the Society at which the prize is to be awarded, and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient. It will be presented annually. Deadline: Sunday, June 1, 2008	The Large Hadron Collider, a vast scientific experiment to smash together sub-atomic particles, moved a step closer to its goal on Friday night. Physicists announced they had sent protons all the way round the 27 km ring beneath the France–Switzerland border, for the first time since a major failure 14 months ago. Part of the LHC's 27 km of tunnels The experiment, the largest of its kind in the world, was first switched on with great fanfare in September 2008, but suffered an electrical fault just nine days later. This caused a leak of ultra-cold liquid helium, resulting in severe damage. Repairs have cost approximately £24 million, on top of the £6 billion spent originally. Particles were injected into the ring at around 1500 GMT on Friday, and just after 1930 GMT the first completed circuit was confirmed. Further testing is planned for Saturday. "We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way," stated Rolf Heuer, director-general of CERN, the European research group running the collider. The Large Hadron Collider is designed to smash together particles at almost the speed of light, creating conditions similar to those only moments after the Big Bang. By studying these collisions, scientists hope to shed light on theories such as supersymmetry and the Higgs boson. The six physicists Guralnik, Hagen, Kibble, Higgs, Brout, and Englert who predicted this particle in 1964 were recently awarded the 2010 J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics for this work. Barring further problems, the first collisions are scheduled to take place in January next year.
R.I. students return home after Canadian bus crash injures 14 SAINT-PATRICE-DE-BEAURIVAGE, Que. -- Students at a private school in Providence are back home after a harrowing trip to Canada, where their bus toppled onto its side after veering off a road. The 7th and 8th graders from The Wheeler School returned late last night to Providence. Fourteen people were injured in the crash off a rain-slicked road south of Quebec City Sunday evening. Most had minor injuries, although a chaperone had a broken collarbone and is still in a hospital in Canada. Police in Canada say 39 students and five chaperones were on the bus when the driver apparently lost control in a heavy storm. The group was returning to Quebec City from a day trip to watch maple syrup being made. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) \|\|\|\|\| Twelve middle school students from Massachusetts and Rhode Island are recovering from injuries suffered in Canada when their bus overturned and flipped into a ditch Sunday night during a field trip. The injured students were released from a Canadian hospital yesterday and were due back at Wheeler School in Providence late last night, school officials said. Two faculty chaperones were also injured. None of the injuries was considered life-threatening, Quebec police and school officials said. The bus was returning to Quebec City from a maple sugar production facility about 45 minutes outside Quebec when the driver lost control in poor weather conditions, police said. "It was very, very rainy and the visibility was not too good," said Ann Mathieu , a spokeswoman for the Quebec Provincial Police. "The bus slid, and the driver tried to get it back on the road . . . then it fell down on its side." Thirty-nine students and six chaperones were on the bus when it crashed. The injuries ranged from cuts and bruises on students to a faculty member's broken clavicle, said Young Un , director of the middle school at Wheeler. "The students are doing very well. We've been lucky," Un said. Each year, some seventh- and eighth-graders take the trip to Quebec, Un said. The students were expected to return to the school at about 11 p.m. and counselors would be available for students and parents, Un said. "This was a scary incident and a long night for the students and families. We are fortunate that the injuries are relatively minor and grateful for the fine work of the faculty chaperones," said Dan Miller , head of Wheeler School, in a statement. Parents at the school last night recalled what they heard from their children who were on the bus when it crashed. "He woke up and he was thrown on the other side of the bus," Myles Pickar told WHDH-TV last night about his son. "The students who got really hurt were the ones that were where the glass broke. We just want to see him and talk to him and hug him." Mathieu said there were no mechanical problems with the bus and no charges were expected. © Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| Sixteen people remain hospitalized today after a bus carrying U.S. students crashed near Quebec City yesterday evening. The bus, which was carrying 39 students, five chaperones and a bus driver, was travelling through St. Patrice de Beaurivage about 9:30 when the driver lost control, according to Surete du Quebec Constable Ann Mathieu. When the bus left the road and turned over, all of those on board received injuries varying in severity, Mathieu said. The students on the bus attend a school in Rhode Island and live in that state and Massachusetts. They were returning to their Quebec City hotel from a sugar shack in the Beauce region when the accident happened. Fourteen people remain at a hospital in Levis today with minor injuries, and two others with more serious injuries are receiving treatment at Quebec City's Enfant Jesus Hospital. Most of those who received less serious injuries are returning home to Rhode Island today, Mathieu said. SQ investigators are trying to determine if fatigue or a distraction caused the bus driver to lose control, Mathieu said. They are also testing the bus to see if a mechanical malfunction might be to blame, she said. Neither alcohol nor excessive speed were involved in the accident, Mathieu said, however, visibility was poor because of rain when the bus went off the road.	Province of Québec, Canada.14 people were injured after a bus carrying 39 students and five chaperones veered off the road and into a ditch South of Quebec City before overturning at about 9:30 p.m. local time yesterday evening. The bus was about 45 minutes from the city, close to the town of St. Patrice de Beaurivage The bus was returning to the city with students from a day trip to watch the manufacture of maple syrup. 12 students and two chaperones spent the night in hospital, with the most serious injury being a broken collarbone suffered by a chaperone, who remained in hospital. All people on board were injured to varying degrees, but most sustained only small cuts and bruises. Although most sources put the toll of injured at 14, some say 16. School officials and the Quebec police agreed that none of the injuries were life-threatening. The students were all middle school students from The Wheeler School, a private school in Providence, Rhode Island. The head of the middle school described the students as "resilient" and as having "high spirits", and said that "they bounce back really quickly.". Councillors were made available to parents and students. It is thought the accident occurred when the driver lost control in a heavy storm. Ann Mathieu, a provincial police spokeswoman, said the weather at the time of the crash "was very, very rainy and the visibility was not too good." She said the crash happened when the bus skidded and the driver swerved to try to keep it on the road, causing it instead to overturn. She also said that charges are unlikely as a result of the incident and that no mechanical problems could be found with the bus. She told reporters that neither alcohol nor excessive speed were factors in the accident. The bus is thought to originate from Massachusetts as it has a Massachusetts license plate.
NEW ZEALAND LEAD: Video: Auckland Protest Kicks Of Int. Opposion To Iraq Occupation - AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Global Peace and Justice Auckland organised a protest on Saturday as part of an International Day of Action calling for all foreign troops to be withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan. The international day of action marked the 4th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Scoop Video: International Day Of Action Begins In NZ Scoop Satire: Mr Field Goes To Wellington - Plot Outline: An idealistic man joins the New Zealand Parliament filled with a selfless desire to make the world a better place for his constituents, and for many people from places quite removed from his constituency. However, he rapidly discovers that the administration has been corrupted by the powerful and ruthless children's lobby. See... Lyndon Hood: Mr Field Goes To Wellington ALSO: Scoop Full Coverage - Scoop Full Coverage of Anti-Smacking Bill RECOMMENDED AUDIO: KiwiFM Audio: KiwiFM's Wammo discusses with Paul Buchanan the upcoming state visit to the White House by Prime Minister Helen Clark confirms the view that US-New Zealand relations are warming up. But should Helen Clark front-foot a NZ want-list? Justice: McCully Accuses Parole Board Of Neglect And Incompetence - National MP Murray Mcully writes - 'The review of the actions of the Parole Board, conducted by Chief District Court Judge RJ Johnson and Professor JRP Ogloff, is a thinly veiled white-wash. But if readers ignore the shameful attempt to minimise the incompetent and outrageous actions of the Board, the facts exposed in the report are truly chilling.' See... www.mccully.co.nz - 16 March 2007 Pacific Affairs: Pacific Leaders Prepare To Find Fiji Solution - Fiji will be the focus when Foreign Minister Winston Peters attends a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Friday. “This is a particularly important meeting for the future of Fiji and the region. Rarely has the Forum had to deal with such a complex and disturbing situation as has arisen in Fiji as a consequence of the December 5 coup," Mr Peters said. See... Peters to attend Forum meeting on Fiji ALSO: Leaked Eminent Persons Group Report on Fiji (pdf) NEWS HEADLINES: New Zealand ratifies protocol against torture IHC's reiterates position on repeal of the DPEPA Lower Hutt Police Continue Crackdown On Boy Racers Tax season underway NZ Comedian Scores Break On U.K. Radio Charity: Actors Give Up The Script For 40 Hour Famine - This weekend: A 24 hour non-stop spectacle of Improvised Comedy in aid of the 2007 World Vision 40 Hour Famine. For the first time in New Zealand, the finest improvisors in the country gather on one stage. This time the comedy has a cause. Every single dollar raised will help support World Vision projects in more than 12 countries around the world including Vanuatu, Honduras and Niger. See... 24 Hr Improv-a-thon. Comedy With a Cause ALSO: Scoop Link - 24 Hr Improv-a-thon homepage World Vision New Zealand - 40 Hour Famine events in Wellington Bats Theatre - Save me some daylight Art/Medical: Art For Art's Sake Gets Money For Patients Sake - Around $40,000 was raised last night (Thursday) to buy art for Bay of Plenty District Health Board hospitals in Tauranga and Whakatane. The money was raised during an auction of artwork donated by 18 Bay of Plenty artists. Guest of honour was prime minister Helen Clark. See... Art auction raises money for hospital art Foreign Affairs: What Is To Gain From A Cosy NZ/US Relationship?Paul G. Buchanan writes that the upcoming state visit to the White House by Prime Minister Helen Clark confirms the view that US-New Zealand relations are warming up. After a cooling of relations during the first term of George W. Bush, notable for the intemperate remarks by US envoys about the obstacles New Zealand’s anti-nuclear policy and refusal to send combat troops (at least publicly) to Iraq pose for the achievement of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, recent statements by US diplomatic and congressional officials point towards a softening of the US stance. Scoop Image of Paul Buchanan by Jason Dorday. See... Paul G. Buchanan: When Beggars can be Choosy Human Rights: Unique Film Festival On The Way - The Human Rights Network of Aotearoa is proud to present the third annual New Zealand Human Rights Film Festival. This years Festival showcases stories of activists and survivors through the eyes of courageous filmmakers, putting a human face on threats to individual freedom and giving voice to those who might otherwise be silenced. See... Human Rights Film Festival Opens in May RECOMMENDED AUDIO: Scoop Audio: Scoop's Selwyn Manning & Radio Adelaide's Peter Godfrey discuss: How a rest home owner kept patients alive on paper so as to claim subsidies. Also, a bill before Parliament will see armed air marshals on Air New Zealand flights. KiwiFM Audio - Iraq! Scoop's Selwyn Manning and KiwiFM's Wallace Chapman discuss a top-level summit meeting that has taken place in Iraq between the Iraqi Prime Minister, Iran, Syria and the five permanent members of the UN security council, including the USA. What does this mean for the war-torn-region? SCOOP REPORTS: Scoop Satire: The Week InJustice - Lyndon Hood writes: A report into the parole of Graeme Burton, written for Graeme Burton by Graeme Burton and published in the Dominion Post, has found that Graeme Burton was not at fault in the tragic failure of Graeme Burton's parole. Last week reports on the Parole Board's and Corrections Department's actions found all procedures that would have made any difference were followed... See... Lyndon Hood: Law and Order Briefs MORE SCOOP REPORTS: Scoop Transcript - National's Statements On Iraq 2003 and 2007 Kevin List - Taser Trial Puts Green MP In A Tizz Karim Sahai - Te Matatini Kapa Kaha Festival Photos Karim Sahai - Images Of the Cuba Street Carnival Parade Lyndon Hood - Hood: Ode in Apology to Helen Clark Scoop Full Coverage - Fringe 07 \|\|\|\|\| NEW ZEALAND LEAD: Environment: Are Kiwi Benefitting From Tory Charity? - A new report detailing the status of New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi, was launched today by Conservation Minister Chris Carter. The report highlights a huge increase in private kiwi conservation efforts around New Zealand, and was launched at Auckland Zoo to mark the end of Bank of New Zealand managing director Peter Thodey's chairmanship of the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust. See... Carter Launches New Report on the Status of Kiwi Medical: Health Commissioner To Inquire Into Failed Tubal Ligations - Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson has initiated an inquiry into the standard of care provided by Dr Roman Hasil at Wanganui Hospital. The inquiry has been prompted by a complaint to the Commissioner's Office, information provided by Whanganui District Health Board, and community concern about failed tubal ligation procedures undertaken by Dr Hasil. See... Commissioner launches Wanganui inquiry Sludge Report: RBNZ Raises Interest Rates – But Will It Make A Difference? - From today's Monetary Policy Statement itappears that our Reserve Bank Governor Dr Alan Bollard remains fixated on New Zealand house price inflation... However from this MPS it is also apparent that there is growing recognition inside the bank that there is not a lot it can do about its biggest bugbear. See... Sludge Report #174: RBNZ Remains Housing Fixated (includes full audio of Dr Bollard's Q&A;) MORE: Scoop Report - Bollard Gives Committee Fiscal Warning RBNZ Press Release - Reserve Bank raises OCR to 7.50 percent RBNZ Full Text - Monetary Policy Statement – 885k PDF Scoop Full Coverage - Reserve Bank Lifts Rates Entertainment: Help A Kiwi Lass Meet Donald Trump! - The search for Miss Universe New Zealand 2007 is on and this year the public can have their say in who should represent our country internationally.From this year's 24 contestants the winner will depart New Zealand on April 29 to go on to the Miss Universe 2007 pageant in Mexico City May 28th 2007. Your vote can help the judges make a decision. See... Decide who is the most beautiful woman in NZ Defence: Are The LAVs Going Down The Toilet? - A minor fault has been found in the Army's fleet of Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAV) says Defence Minister Phil Goff. However he says that it had not caused any disruption to routine Army activities. "A weld crack on a bracket that connects the steering and suspension to the vehicle's hull, was discovered during maintenance", said Mr Goff. See... Repair to minor fault on LAVs ALSO: National - When precisely will the LAVs be deployed? NZ Govt - Mapp's NZLAV comments fatuous National - LAVs ready to go at 'short notice' - really? Employment: Dyson Helps launch CTU Pay Equity Push "With the gender pay gap hovering at 13%, at current progress we are still many years away from true pay and employment equity for women," CTU vice president Helen Kelly said. Marking International Working Women's Day today, the Council of Trade Unions launched a new DVD resource on Pay and Employment Equity at an event in Wellington last evening. See... Union Launches Pay Equity DVD With Fanfare Obesity: Slim Chance Of Waste Says Ministry – Eat That Says Govt To Nat MP - The Government's recent $76 million investment in a variety of initiatives to curb the obesity epidemic will be well monitored and evaluated to allow planners to better focus on future programmes. See... Obesity Epidemic Initiatives well monitored ALSO: National Would you write a cheque for $76m? NZ Govt - Coleman's disgrace Women's Affairs: 30th International Women's Day - On Thursday 8th March Amnesty International groups around New Zealand and the globe will be celebrating International Women's Day with infostalls, appeals and candle-lit vigils. Activist groups will be lighting 180 candles, signifying both 30 years of UN recognition of International Women's Day and the 150th Anniversary of the first known industrial protest organised by women on 8 March 1857. See... 30 years of International Women's Day ALSO: Scoop Full Coverage - Women's Day 2007 Internet: NZ-Designed Search Engine Mentioned In Dispatches - An Internet search engine designed by Wellington campus digital media specialist Mark Zeman has been voted one of the world’s top 100 alternative search engines – the only one from New Zealand to make the list. The list of alternatives to the world’s most popular search engine, Google, was assembled by Read/WriteWeb, a leading blog that analyses trends in web development. See... Search engines emerge from Google's shadow ALSO: Scoop Link - Read/WriteWeb: Top 100 Alternative Search Engines, February 2007 No Right Turn: Nats' $1.25 Billion Carbon Credit Giveaway - At a meeting in Christchurch yesterday, National Party leader John Key announced that a National government would deliver a carbon windfall to forest owners by hand out carbon credits for all forests planted since 1990... it's an idea that makes a lot of sense if you view climate change policy primarily as a way of delivering corporate welfare to business interests. See... No Right Turn: National's $1.25 billion giveaway ALSO: NZ Govt - Key stumbles with policy on the hoof NZ Govt - Key promises the earth again National - Anderton attempts to distract from carbon fiasco National - Climate change consultation needs to be longer National - Get your cheque book out for roaming rights KFA - Anderton’s Personal Attacks Can’t Disguise Crisis KFA - South Island Set To Lose $2.7 Billion KFA - National Party Signals on Kyoto Forests Welcomed NZ Forest Owners' Association - National, Green & ACT forest policies welcomed Global Warming: Opinion - Robert Anderson: Humanity’s Greatest Challenge Land Access: Walking Access Report Released - The independent report on walking access provides a blueprint for the way forward on an extremely complex and longstanding issue, Rural Affairs Minister Damien O'Connor says. The report, released publicly by Mr O'Connor today, was prepared by an independent panel of stakeholders representing farmers, recreational and other interest groups, and led by South Island farmer John Acland. See... Walking access report a blueprint for way forward ALSO: Scoop Link - Full Report and Info: www.walkingaccess.org.nz Bryce Johnson - Minority view: Walking Access Consultation Panel NZ Govt - Walking Access Report - Questions and Answers NZ Govt - Access over Maori land a decision for landowners United Future - Walking Access Report a source of encouragement United Future - Copeland: You cannot be serious David?! National - Labour backs down on public access National - Get your cheque book out for roaming rights Greens - Access report: questions unanswered - Greens Maori Party - Supports Govt backdown – but Contradiction Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations - Land Access Report Welcomed But Timid Fish and Game New Zealand - Land Access Report Welcomed as a Good Start Federation Of Maori Authorities - Outdoor Walking Access a welcome review Waiareka Valley Preservation Society - Marsden B an inconvenient truth for Holcim to face NEWS HEADLINES: Peters offers condolences after plane crash Inquiry Update - Taito Phillip Field Police: Ex-Tall Fern Graduates Top Of Class Electronic Monitoring Welcomed Lloyd Jones awarded Berlin Writers’ Residency Electricity: Mighty River Opts Out On Marsden B - Mighty River Power has decided not to proceed with seeking the consents necessary to enable recommissioning of the Marsden B power station, following a review of the company's potential generation developments and future market conditions. Chief Executive Doug Heffernan said the company was now confident New Zealand could meet its energy supply requirements over the next decade without the Marsden B station. See... Marsden B consent plans discontinued ALSO: NZ Govt - Minister welcomes Marsden B decision Greens - Mighty River Power sees the light - at last National - Marsden B scrapped over policy uncertainty Greenpeace New Zealand - Climate the winner as Marsden B scrapped Internet: Broadband Connections Keep On Growing - Internet broadband (non-analog) subscriber numbers continue to increase, and are up nearly 30 percent in the six months to 30 September 2006, Statistics New Zealand said today. The total number of Internet subscribers in New Zealand is now almost 1.4 million. See... Kiwis Continue to Embrace Broadband RECOMMENDED AUDIO: KiwiFM Audio: NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark is scheduled to meet with US President George Bush on March 20. Is New Zealand about to increase its involvement in Afghanistan, in the Persian Gulf, in containment operations in Central-Asia, and in this US-led War On Terror? KiwiFM Audio: Former Police Minister John Banks talks to KiwiFM's Wallace about why Clint Rickards, recently acquitted of rape charges, must not be reinstated as Assistant Police Commissioner and in charge of the Auckland Police District. Fringe Update: 'Best Production Design' Show For Return Season - Fresh from a successful season during the Fringe Festival, the award-winning play Brain Power returns to the BATS stage for one last brief return season in March. Written and directed by Dean Hewison, the show is a strikingly inventive and hilarious film-noir styled comedy set in the darkest regions of the human brain and featuring a massive cast of 17 actors. See... Brain Power Returns ALSO: Brain Power press release Fringe Festival - Best of the Fringe Festival 2007 announced Scoop Full Coverage - Fringe 07 MORE SCOOP REPORTS: Kevin List - Taser Trial Puts Green MP In A Tizz Karim Sahai - Te Matatini Kapa Kaha Festival Photos Karim Sahai - Images Of the Cuba Street Carnival Parade Lyndon Hood - Hood: Ode in Apology to Helen Clark Scoop Full Coverage - Fringe 07 Lyndon Hood - Hood: Howard Fails to Call Blair a Terrorist Patsy Kevin List - Hon Robson Becomes Contemptuous Robson Kevin List - Green And Labour Politicians Launch Timor Book \|\|\|\|\| Mar 7, 2007 Broadband users are continuing to rise with the number of New Zealand broadband subscribers reaching 1.4 million. Statistics New Zealand says the number increased 30% in the six months to September last year. That has seen New Zealand jump from 22nd to 19th in OECD rankings. Almost 98% of broadband users have a data allowance cap on their subscription. Ihug Chief Executive Mark Rushworth says New Zealanders have always embraced technology and it is no surprise we continue to sign up for broadband. He says Kiwis use broadband to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Rushworth says despite the uptake of broadband there will always be a place for dial-up internet. The Internet Society of New Zealand has welcomed the improvements but advises there is still plenty of work to be done before we can experience the full benefits of broadband. InternetNZ Executive Director Keith Davidson says he is pleased at the increase in uptake and anticipates that broadband will overtake dial-up in the next six months. "Clearly improvements in pricing and plans for broadband are assisting in the increase in uptake. "However, it is disappointing that 97.6% of broadband subscribers have data caps and 68.6% have a cap of less than 5Gb per month... we have a long way to go before New Zealanders are able to experience the full potential of broadband," says Davidson. The statistics also show Internet Service Providers are happier with the government's changes to the regulatory environment. In March 2005, 73% felt the regulatory environment was a barrier to growth. This is now down to 48%.	The amount of subscribers to broadband in New Zealand have increased 30%, which also results in New Zealand jumping from 22 place to 19 in the OECD rankings, and having a total of 1.4 million Internet subscribers. In a six-monthly survey by Statistics New Zealand, Internet Service Provider Survey, covering the six months prior to September 30, 2006, the amount of non-analog broadband subscribers reached 28.6%, more than the previous survey conducted the previous year, reaching a total of 611,600. There are currently 14.7 broadband subscribers per 100 people in New Zealand, previously nine. Because of the increase in broadband subscribers, dial-up subscribers have dropped 5.1% since the start of April, 2006. Chief executive of ihug, an Internet service provider, Mark Rushworth said that dial-up will always have its place. Out of all the broadband subscribers, 97.6% have a data cap, which limits the amount of monthly downloading that can occur, usually measured in multiples of gigabytes. 66.6% of all those who do have a data cap, have a limit of up to 5 gigabytes. Which the Internet Society of New Zealand's (InternetNZ) executive director, Keith Davidson, said was disappointing. The increase in broadband subscribers rose the position of New Zealand from 22 to 19 on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rankings for broadband uptake, dated June, 2006. InternetNZ, has said that they welcome the survey saying that it is a good improvement, but "...with 60 percent of DSL subscribers having download speeds of less than 256Kbps and 90 percent having upload speeds of less than 256Kbps, we have a long way to go before New Zealanders are able to experience the full potential of broadband." InternetNZ also says that it will be hard for New Zealand to reach the targets set out by the Government's "Digital Strategy". Mr Davidson said that the main reason for the uptake in broadband is the better plans and pricing for the plans. In the 18-months leading up to the end of September, 2006, 34% of ISP's had reported that the regulatory environment had been restricting their growth.
Fianna Fáil Senator Kieran Phelan has died suddenly in Dublin. Senator Phelan, who was 60, fell ill at his hotel this morning, shortly before the Seanad met. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and five children. A farmer and auctioneer from Raheen Upper, Donaghmore, Portlaoise, Co Laois, he was first elected to the Seanad in 2002. He was re-elected in 2007 and sat on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. He was a former member of Laois County Council and was elected chairman of the Council in 1998. Taoiseach Brian Cowen has paid tribute to Senator Phelan. Mr Cowen said Senator Phelan had been a well-known and respected member of the Seanad, as well as being his constituency colleague and life-long friend. The Taoiseach extended his sympathy to the late Senator's immediate and extended family. The Seanad also paid tribute to Senator Phelan. Leader of the House Senator Donie Cassidy has proposed that the House be adjourned until 1 June because of the death. Fine Gael Seanad leader Frances Fitzgerald said: 'It was with a real sense of shock and sadness that I heard of the sudden passing of our colleague, Senator Kieran Phelan, this morning. 'My heartfelt sympathy goes out to [his family] on this extremely sad day at this most unexpected time.' \|\|\|\|\| Death of Senator Kieran Phelan The Seanad was suspended today following the death of Fianna Fáil Senator Kieran Phelan at the age of 60. The father of five suffered a suspected heart attack in a Dublin city centre hotel as he prepared to go to the Seanad today.	Irish Senator has died suddenly at the age of 60. Phelan died after falling ill in his hotel in Dublin this morning, shortly before a meeting due to be held by the . Phelan sat on the and had been a Senator since 2002. He was also a County councillor and was elected council chairman in 1998. He was a member of the party. released a statement on the death of Senator Phelan. "Kieran is a well known, much admired and greatly respected member of Seanad Éireann. He is a constituency colleague of mine and a lifelong friend. I will miss him deeply," he said. As a mark of respect, proposed that the house be adjourned until June 1st.
Search for more information on other Fish and Wildlife Service web sites. This page provides selected links to USFWS sites and those of our Federal and State partners. Other organizations such as environmental groups may also have web sites with information on this species. \|\|\|\|\| American alligator, (Alligator mississippiensis) The American alligator is a member of the crocodile family, whose members are living fossils from the Age of Reptiles, having survived on earth for 200 million years. However, the alligator can be distinguished from the crocodile by its head shape and color. The crocodile has a narrower snout, and unlike the alligator, has teeth in the lower jaw which are visible even when its mouth is shut. In addition, adult alligators are black, while crocodiles are brownish in color. Today, alligators are found throughout the Southeast, from the Carolinas to Texas and north to Arkansas. As during the Reptile Age, today alligators live in wetlands, and it is this vital habitat that holds the key to their continued long-term survival. Alligators depend on the wetlands -- and in some ways the wetlands depend on them. As predators at the top of the food chain, they help control numbers of rodents and other animals that might overtax the marshland vegetation. The alligator has a large, slightly rounded body, with thick limbs, a broad head, and a very powerful tail which it uses to propel itself through water. The tail accounts for half the alligator's length. While alligators move very quickly in water, they are generally slow-moving on land, although they can be quick for short distances. Alligators will eat just about anything, but primarily consume fish, turtles, and snails. Small animals that come to the water's edge to drink make easy prey for the voracious alligator. Young alligators mostly feed on insects, crustaceans, snails, and fish. The alligator's greatest value to the marsh and the other animals within it are the "gator holes" that many adults create and expand on over a period of years. An alligator uses its mouth and claws to uproot vegetation to clear out a space; then, shoving with its body and slashing with its powerful tail, it wallows out a depression that stays full of water in the wet season and holds water after the rains stop. During the dry season, and particularly during extended droughts, gator holes provide vital water for fish, insects, crustaceans, snakes, turtles, birds, and other animals in addition to the alligator itself. Sometimes, the alligator may expand its gator hole by digging beneath an overhanging bank to create a hidden den. After tunneling as far as 20 feet, it enlarges the end, making a chamber with a ceiling high enough above water level to permit breathing. This is not the alligator's nest but merely a way for the reptile to survive the dry season and winters. The breeding season begins in the spring. Although alligators have no vocal cords, males bellow loudly to attract mates and warn off other males during this time by sucking air into their lungs and blowing it out in intermittent, deep-toned roars. The female builds a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. After she lays her 20 to 50 white, goose-egg-sized eggs, she covers them under more vegetation, which, like mulch, heats as it decays, helping to keep the eggs warm. She remains near the nest throughout the 65- day incubation period, protecting the nest from intruders. When the young begin to hatch they emit a high-pitched croaking noise, and the female quickly digs them out. The young, which are tiny replicas of adult alligators with a series of yellow bands around their bodies, then find their way to water. For several days they continue to live on yolk masses within their bellies. Alligators reach breeding maturity at about 8 to 13 years of age, at which time they are about 6 to 7 feet long. From then on, growth continues at a slower rate. Old males may grow to be 14 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds during a lifespan of 30 or more years. Historically, alligators were depleted from many parts of their range as a result of market hunting and loss of habitat, and 30 years ago many people believed this unique reptile would never recover. In 1967, the alligator was listed as an endangered species (under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973), meaning it was considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. But a combined effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies in the South saved these unique animals. The Endangered Species Act prohibited alligator hunting, allowing the species to rebound in numbers in many areas where it had been depleted. As the alligator began to make a comeback, states established alligator population monitoring programs and used this information to ensure alligator numbers continued to increase. In 1987, the Fish and Wildlife Service pronounced the American alligator fully recovered and consequently removed the animal from the list of endangered species. Although the American alligator is secure, some related animals -- such as several species of crocodiles and caimans -- are still in trouble. For this reason, the Fish and Wildlife Service still regulates the legal trade in alligator skins, or products made from them, in order to protect these endangered animals with skin that is similar in appearance, but illegal in the commercial market. The story of the American alligator is one of both drastic decline and complete recovery, it is a story of state and federal cooperation, and it is truly one of the prominent success stories of the nation's endangered species program. Updated July 1995	File photo of an alligator. ''Source: Wikicommons'' A Virginia man who allegedly clubbed to death an alligator he hooked while fishing, is under consideration by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond for destroying a “threatened species”. But according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web page of delisted species on the Endangered Species Act, the American alligator was removed from the list in 1987. The reason cited for its removal was the species had recovered. Fisherman Max Belle reportedly used an oar to bring into submission the 44-inch-long, 9 pound creature when he brought it to the boat. Belle was fishing on the Chesterfield County Falling Creek Reservoir, where the alligator was first sighted in May. An alligator is not a native species in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA, and it is thought that it was released by someone who once kept it as a pet.U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee attempts to capture and relocate it were unsuccessful. The native habitat of the alligator is in regions of the Southeast, starting from the Carolinas and moving southwards to Texas. The fisherman’s attorney, David P. Baugh, said area residents surrounding the reservoir are happy the alligator is gone. Referring to the support for Mr. Belle of reservoir neighbors, he said, "... next time they USDA will ask to hire Mr. Belle to come catch the alligator." His client received a court summons Thursday and is prepared to pay a $300 fine and $50 court costs if he is found guilty of the federal misdemeanor crime. It took investigators two weeks to positively identify the toothy crocodile as an American alligator, (''Alligator mississippiensis'').
Donnette Sanz, 33, a traffic agent for the city police department, was pronounced dead Thursday, shortly after her baby's birth by an emergency C-section. The three-pound, six-ounce boy was in critical condition. Sanz was walking across a Bronx street around lunchtime Thursday when she was struck by a van that pushed her in front of the bus. "I ran out of my house to join 10 people trying to lift up the bus," said Cheryl Brown, 47. "At first, we couldn't get it up, so then another 10 people ran over to help, and we got the bus up and the lady out." The van's driver, Walter Walker, was arrested on charges of criminally negligent homicide and driving without a licence, police said. "My brakes went out," said Walker, 72. "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. ... I tried to miss her." Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Walker had 20 suspensions to his driver's licence. Mayor Michael Bloomberg met with Sanz's husband, Rafael, at nearby St. Barnabas Hospital. "It's a terrible poignancy that Donnette's son's birthday will now coincide with the day his mother died," Bloomberg said in a statement. Sanz's sister, Beverly, said the baby was named Sean Michael. \|\|\|\|\| DOZENS of strangers helped lift a 4.5-tonne bus off a pregnant woman in New York - a heroic effort that saved the life of her child but was too late for her. Seven months pregnant, Donnette Sanz was crossing a busy intersection in the Bronx on Thursday when she was struck by a van whose brakes failed. The impact sent the 33-year-old police department worker into the path of a yellow school bus and pinned her underneath. About 30 people helped lift the bus, before Ms Sanz was rushed to St Barnabas Hospital, where doctors delivered her baby by caesarean section. Ms Sanz survived the delivery but died about an hour later. The 1.5-kilogram boy, named Sean Michael, was in a critical condition yesterday, but showing signs of improvement. Mourners and local residents gathered outside the hospital to pray for Ms Sanz and her child. The 72-year-old van driver, Walter Walker, pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. He was being held on $115,000 bail. Police said in court papers that the brakes on Walker's van had deteriorated so badly that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. Walker's licence has been suspended 20 times, most recently for failure to pay parking fines. "We was riding along, coming down the hill," John Dargan, a passenger in Walker's van, told the Daily News. "He said, 'Oh, my Lord, I don't have no brakes.' It happened so quick." Walker told the New York Post: "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. I tried to miss her." Bystanders, including Gary Burgess, lifted the bus from Ms Sanz. "It was the human thing to do," said Mr Burgess, 50. There were no children on the bus. At the hospital New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered condolences to Ms Sanz's husband, Rafael. \|\|\|\|\| Driver's road riddled with wrong turns The accidentÂ that killed a pregnant NYPD traffic agent was Walter Walker's worst alleged misdeed - but it was far from his first. His history of recklessness dates back to at least 1986, when he fired a gun on a Harlem street for no apparent reason, according to court records. When he got caught, he tried to stash the weapon in the clothes of an 8-month-old baby, police sources said. Walker was busted again in 1993 when he and two buddies tried to scam a 62-year-old woman out of $9,000 worth of savings in an investment scheme, police sources said. He was arrested on charges of grand larceny and possession of stolen property but pleaded guilty to a lesser count of fraudulent accosting. In March 1993, was sentenced to five days' community service. Walker was in trouble again in 2003 when he threatened to bash a neighbor in the head with an aluminum baseball bat. He chased the man up and down W. 139th St. until cops arrested him on charges of menacing and harassment. Again he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge - disorderly conduct - and was told it would be dismissed if he didn't get into trouble and attended an anger management class, sources said. It was unclear if he ever did. Walker didn't pay any attention to the laws of the road, either. He has driven without a legitimate license since 1989, when he got his first of two dozen suspensions. He was arrested in August 1999, when he was caught in a traffic checkpoint driving without a license. He was busted again for the same thing in 2005 and convicted in 2006. Now charged with criminally negligent homicide, Walker, 72, blames the accident on bad breaks, said defense attorney Michael Torres. "My client is absolutely remorseful. He said he tried to repair the brakes," Torres said in court. Walker's wife, Yvette, said her husband's life is full of good deeds. "He's no villain," she said. ccoleman@nydailynews.com With Kerry Burke	A MTA Bus A seven-month pregnant New York City resident was killed after being run over by a bus. 33-year-old Donnette Sanz, a traffic agent for the city police department was crossing a Bronx intersection at East 188th Street and Webster Avenue when a van pushed her into the path of an oncoming school bus that then pinned her to the road. "We was riding along, coming down the hill," John Dargan, a passenger in the van, told the Daily News. "He said, 'Oh, my Lord, I don't have no brakes.' It happened so quick." Approximately 30 people helped lift the bus off of the woman. "I ran out of my house to join 10 people trying to lift up the bus," said Cheryl Brown, 47. "At first, we couldn't get it up, so then another 10 people ran over to help, and we got the bus up and the lady out." After being freed from beneath the bus, Sanz was then transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where her baby was delivered by caesarean section. Sanz survived the birth, but died an hour later. The 1.5kg boy, named Sean Michael, was initially classified as being in critical condition, but later showed signs of improvement. "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. I tried to miss her," said the van's driver, 72-year-old Walter Walker, to the New York Post. Walker was arrested on charges of criminally negligent homicide and driving without a license. He pleaded not guilty. Police said the brakes on Walter's van were in such poor condition that the vehicle was unsafe. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that Walker already had 20 suspensions on his driver's license. Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered condolences to Sanz's husband, Rafael. "It's a terrible poignancy that Donnette's son's birthday will now coincide with the day his mother died," Bloomberg said in a statement. Sanz's colleagues have set up a memorial at the intersection where she was killed.
Istanbul (CNN) -- An earthquake that rattled western Turkey killed at least two people and injured dozens more, hospital and government officials said on Friday. The 5.8 magnitude quake, recorded late Thursday, occurred more than 200 miles west-southwest of the capital of Ankara, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Turkey's Kandilli Earthquake Observatory said the epicenter was the town of Simav in Kutahya province, where aftershocks rippled across the region overnight. Hospital officials in Simav reported about 150 injuries, most of them minor, and some structural damage has been reported. Emergency officials swiftly responded with search and medical crews, and supplies such as blankets, water and food. The Kutahya region recently had a scare of leaked cyanide-contaminated water from a wastewater dam after an embankment collapse. Crews are checking to see whether the dam was damaged by the quake and so far, there is "no risk," said Veysel Eroglu, the environment minister. \|\|\|\|\| Turkey: Earthquake in Kutahya province leaves two dead Residents of Simav were warned not to go back to their homes Continue reading the main story Related Stories An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 has struck north-west Turkey, killing at least two people and injuring 79. The tremor struck just before midnight local time and centred on the town of Simav, in Kutahya province, some 310km (190 miles) west of the capital Ankara. Terrified residents ran into the streets, and many spent the night in cars after being warned not to go back to their homes. One person died after jumping from a window in panic, officials said. Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu put the death toll at two, and said that of the 79 injured only one was in a serious condition. Kutahya Governor Kenan Ciftci said three people had died. State media reported that at least one derelict building collapsed and the windows in some buildings were shattered by the quake, which struck at 2315 (2015 GMT). "It was so strong that we could not even move in the first few seconds," lawmaker Idris Bal told NTV television. "People are waiting in their cars now." The quake was followed by around 50 aftershocks, the Kandilli observatory in Istanbul reported. Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on major geological fault lines. At least 51 people were killed in a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey in March 2010. Two earthquakes in 1999 with a magnitude of more than 7 killed almost 20,000 people in densely populated parts of the north-west of the country. \|\|\|\|\| A 5.9-magnitude earthquake partly destroyed some buildings and one mosque in western Turkey, killing at least three people and injuring nearly 100, authorities said Friday. The quake that struck at 11:15 p.m. (2015 GMT) on Thursday, sent terrified residents running from their homes before midnight. It was centered in the town of Simav, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. Two people, including one who jumped out of a window in panic, were killed in Simav, Environment Minister Veysel Eroğlu told reporters. An elderly woman died of a heart attack in another town, İnegöl, authorities said. Eroğlu said 79 people, including some who suffered injuries after jumping from balconies and windows and those who suffered from heart attacks or panic-related shock, were taken to hospitals in Simav. He said only one of the injured was in serious condition. Fifteen others were treated at hospitals in the neighboring province of Uşak, said Şeracettin Çom, a senior health official. The Red Crescent said the temblor partly collapsed two empty buildings in Simav, along with a five-story building and a mosque. Authorities evacuated the state hospital in Simav and transferred the injured to other hospitals in the region, the governor's office said. Bilgin Türkmentepe, a member of the search and rescue group Akut, said some elderly people did not notice the cracks at one mosque at dawn and only left morning prayers after their warnings. Many residents spent the rest of the night in their cars or in the streets as authorities cautioned them against re-entering their homes. The Red Crescent set up soup kitchens and dispatched tents to the area, said Tekin Küçükali, head of the organization told NTV television. Murat Nurlu, head of the emergency earthquake center at the prime minister's office, said a team has been dispatched to a silver mine in Kütahya where an alleged leak from a cyanide pool was reported several days before the quake hit the area. Eroğlu, however, said measures have already been taken at the site. The quake was followed by about 50 aftershocks, the strongest with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 that shook Kütahya, said Mustafa Erdik, head of the Kandilli Observatory. He warned of more aftershocks in the coming days. Most of the town of Simav was without electricity and telephone lines were down, reports said. İdris Bal, a lawmaker who was in Kütahya, said he experienced the quake on the fifth floor of an apartment building. "It was so strong that we could not even move in the first few seconds," Bal told NTV television. "People are waiting in their cars now." The quake was felt as far as the Aegean city of İzmir, the northwestern city of Bursa, Istanbul and the city of Edirne, close to the Greek and Bulgarian borders. Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by fault lines. In March 2010, a 6.0-magnitude quake knocked down houses in five villages in eastern Turkey, killing 51 people. In 2003, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed 177 people in the southeastern city of Bingöl, including 84 children whose school dormitory collapsed. In 1999, two earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7 struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people. \|\|\|\|\| Uploaded by AssociatedPress on A 5.9-magnitude earthquake partly collapsed some buildings and one mosque in western Turkey on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 70 according to authorities. (May 20)	Two people were killed in a 5.9 earthquake in Turkey shortly before midnight local time on Thursday. The was located in , , and was at a depth of 7.6 km. In the hours following the initial earthquake, Kütahya was shaken by several aftershocks. Officials said two people were killed; one was thought to have suffered a and the other died after jumping from a window in panic. Dozens more were injured. Emergency services dispatched and gave out blankets, food and water. Officials said a had not been damaged by the earthquake, and it posed "no risk." The earthquake was felt as far away as the Aegean province of , the northwestern provinces of and İstanbul, and even the city of , not far from the Bulgarian and Greek and borders, because the depth was very shallow. More than 18,000 people died following two earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7.0 in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Sunday. VOA's Jim Teeple reports that on a trip the West Bank, Cheney warned Palestinians that continued violence against Israel will hurt efforts to create a Palestinian state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, talks with US Vice President Dick Cheney during their meeting at Abbas' office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 23 Mar 2008 Cheney traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah Sunday where he met with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. In remarks following the talks with Mr. Abbas, Cheney said the U.S. is strongly committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, he said Palestinian violence against Israel could doom any chance for a future Palestine. "Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said. "A negotiated end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one that addresses the legitimate national claims of both peoples, would have limitless value. Years of mistrust and violence have achieved nothing, and the extremists who have stood in the way of a settlement have only caused grief and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples." In his remarks, Palestinian President Abbas condemned rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip that target towns in southern Israel. He also called on Israel to ease its restrictions on the Palestinians. Mr. Abbas says peace will not come to the Middle East as long as Israel continues to build settlements in the occupied West Bank and kills Palestinians in their own territory. Palestinian and Israeli negotiators have been holding a series of talks since late last year, aimed at reaching a peace agreement by the end of this year. However Palestinians say the talks have not resulted in any progress when it comes to stopping Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, or easing restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement. Israel says Palestinians must do more to stop terrorism, including the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for Hamas militants who control Gaza criticized Cheney's visit, saying it was designed only to offer support for Israel's actions against the Palestinians. Hamas militants defeated Fatah forces loyal to Mr. Abbas last year, taking control of Gaza and effectively splitting the Palestinian territories in two. Mr. Abbas says any reconciliation must be contingent upon Hamas agreeing to restore his authority in Gaza, something Hamas leaders have so far been unwilling to do. Efforts to reconcile Palestinians appeared to take a step forward on Sunday when Hamas and Fatah representatives meeting in Yemen agreed to hold direct talks aimed at resolving their split. No date has been set for the talks, but the issue is expected to be on the agenda at the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus scheduled to take place at the end of March. \|\|\|\|\| RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- A Mideast peace agreement will require "painful concessions" by Israelis and Palestinians who must work together to defeat those "committed to violence," Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney meet in Ramallah Sunday. After meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Cheney stressed the U.S. commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state, saying it was "long overdue." "Achieving that vision will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table and painful concessions on both sides," said Cheney, whose stop in Ramallah came just two months after President Bush's trip to the West Bank. Abbas, a moderate, controls the West Bank and is battling Hamas militants who have taken charge of Gaza from Abbas-allied forces and have bombarded southern Israel with rockets. "Terror and violence do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said. In their meeting, Abbas asked Cheney to help stop Israeli settlement expansion and military operations targeting militants, said Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide. Speaking at the news conference, Abbas thanked Cheney for U.S. support. But he also lashed out at Israel's settlements and checkpoints, and called for an end to Israeli military operations. "Peace and security can't be achieved through settlement expansion and building barriers," he said. To reach peace, Abbas said, "what is required is will, courage and strong support from the international community, especially the U.S." In his remarks, Cheney said, "A negotiated end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- one that addresses the legitimate national claims of both people -- will have limitless value. Years of mistrust and violence have achieved nothing, and the extremists who have stood in the way of a settlement have only caused further grief and suffering to the Palestinian and Israeli people." "No one," he said, "deserves to go through life in a climate of fear of deprivation. ... That should not be and must not be the direction of events in this region." Before the session, aides to Abbas said Abbas would tell Cheney there had been little progress in peace talks since the Palestinian leader and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to a resumption at a November conference hosted by President Bush in Maryland. Cheney said "the future belongs to the advocates of peace and reconciliation." He quoted Bush and said that "the establishment of a state of Palestine is long overdue." The Bush administration, Cheney said, will commit resources to help the Palestinians build the infrastructure necessary to prosper. Cheney held talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem before flying by helicopter to the West Bank. After seeing Abbas, Cheney planned a separate meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The vice president began Easter Sunday with a prayer and the singing of "Amazing Grace" at a tiny chapel in Jerusalem, then launched into a day of talks about the Mideast peace process and the rising influence of Iran in the region. "We are obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States as well," Cheney said in a meeting with Israel's president, Shimon Peres. It was clear that Cheney was referring to Iran. Peres was more specific, saying the declarations that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes against Israel cannot be ignored. "We have this problem of the Iranians who want to build two satellites, the Hezbollah and the Hamas in Gaza. ... Nobody can control us and say that declarations by Ahmadinejad are less serious," Peres said. "We have to take it seriously." He said time is of the essence in the peace negotiations, but that he believes progress is achievable. Cheney is on a 10-day trip to the Mideast, where oil, the future of Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran's rising influence in the region have highlighted his talks with foreign leaders. His visit here is part of the Bush administration's strategy to keep the pressure on Israel and the Palestinians to reach a framework agreement for peace before Bush leaves office in January 2009. E-mail to a friend Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All About Dick Cheney • Mahmoud Abbas • Israel • Palestinian Politics \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President March 23, 2008 Remarks by Vice President Cheney and Palestinian Authority President Abbas Muqata Ramallah 3:04 P.M. (Local) PRESIDENT ABBAS: (As translated.) In the name of God the merciful and the compassionate, Mr. Vice President Dick Cheney, it is my pleasure to welcome you here in our country, Palestine, as a dear guest. Your visit comes at a time when we are exerting our utmost efforts to reach a comprehensive and just peace with our Israeli neighbors. This peace is based upon the international resolution and the vision of the President George Bush, and the road map plan, and the Arab initiative for peace, which would lead independently to end occupation -- Israeli occupation -- that started in 1967, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with its capital, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, that lives in peace and stability alongside the state of Israel and all neighboring countries. We appreciate the efforts that your administration is exerting, and the commitment of President George Bush to the two state solution and the hosting of the important Annapolis conference, and his insistence on reaching and concluding a peace, an Israeli peace, Palestinian-Israeli agreement by the end of the year 2008, as well as the ongoing and persevering work of Secretary of State, Dr. Rice. Peace and stability will not be achieved through a settlement expansion, or the setting up of checkpoints around towns and villages, and the military escalation against Gaza, nor the incursions, continuous incursions into West Bank villages and towns, as well as the arrest which led to more than 11,000 prisoners in the Israeli jails. We also reiterate our condemnation and rejection for the firing of missiles being launched from Gaza against Israel. We believe in a genuine peace, that would put an end to this long conflict that is causing a focus of tensions in the region, if not at the international level. The requirements of the peace between the two sides are very clear. And what is required is good will and the courage, and strong support from the international community -- particularly the United States of America -- and effective contribution from the quartet. This is the spirit of the Annapolis conference that we need to observe and maintain. The required peace and desired peace is one that addresses all core issues, final status negotiation issues, without exception, particularly Jerusalem, the refugees. And if this peace is established, then its first results would be to weaken the extremist forces and the creation of a regional environment for cooperation and good neighborhood relations. I thank you, Mr. Vice President, for your assistance to our people, and most recently, that we received $150 million support to the PA budget. And we hope that through your continuous support and your participation, also at the Moscow conference to follow up on Annapolis conference and accomplishments, as well as the other security, economic and investment conferences in Bethlehem, London and Berlin. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Thank you, President Abbas. I want to thank you for your hospitality, and for welcoming me here today. The President and I have just completed a good meeting, and in a few moments I'll have the opportunity to sit down for further for further discussions with Prime Minister Fayyad. I'm pleased to bring good wishes to the Palestinian people from President Bush, and from the people of the United States. My arrival here today comes, of course, only two months after President Bush's historic visit to Ramallah. I come, at his direction, to give further support and encouragement to the Palestinian leaders in their vital negotiations with the leaders of Israel. As President Abbas has pointed out, George W. Bush is the first president of the United States to endorse the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. Our administration is strongly committed to that objective, and we look forward to the day that an independent, viable, democratic, and peaceful Palestinian State comes into being. Achieving that vision will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table, and painful concessions on both sides. It will also require a determination to defeat those who are committed to violence and who refuse to accept the basic right of the other side to exist. A difficult but immutable truth must continue to be told: terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people. A negotiated end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one that addresses the legitimate national claims of both peoples, would have limitless value. Years of mistrust and violence have achieved nothing. And the extremists who have stood in the way of a settlement have only caused further grief and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. No one deserves to go through life in a climate of fear, or deprivation, or dreading what the next day may bring. That should not be, and must not be, the direction of events in this region. The future belongs to the advocates of peace and reconciliation, if only they seize the opportunities in front of them and maintain the resolve to join in defeating the forces of terror and extremism. Across this region, men and women of good will are many in number. They have the character and the resolve to bring about a settlement that is durable and fair to all concerned. And they can be assured of America's help as they work to that end. As President Bush has said, "The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it." The United States will commit resources to help the Palestinians build the infrastructure necessary for a stable, secure and prosperous democracy, and a society led by a government that joins in the fight against terror and honors the aspirations of all its people. This can be done. And if all concerned stay at the work, success will be achieved. END 3:12 P.M. (Local) \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President March 23, 2008 Remarks by Vice President Cheney and President Peres of Israel in Press Availability Presidential Residence Jerusalem 9:09 A.M. (Local) PRESIDENT PERES: Mr. Vice President, I would like to welcome you upon your visit at this time, in this place. I think time is of essence, and we don't have too much time, but this is the finale maybe of a very long trip here in the Middle East. And we have to try, all of us, to make the best of it. I do believe there are some things that are still achievable, in spite of the shortage of the time. We are actually dealing on three different issues one is political negotiations about peace. It will take a little bit longer than we would like to, but I believe they are making some progress. Actually, I wouldn't underestimate its importance. The mere fact that in spite of the differences the negotiations go on is a great hope for the future. The second is the economic trail. I do believe that we have to make a supreme effort, before the visit of the President here on May, and things can be concluded into the mains. One is in building industrial parks in the West Bank to help the Palestinian Authority to gain economic strengths to overcome some other weaknesses, and the other is what we call the "valley of peace," between the Jordanians and ourselves, that can inject a great deal of economic hope in the veins of the Jordanian kingdom, of the Palestinian Authority, and of Israel. It's a workable project. It may take less time than we think. By the way, on the two projects, so the finances are coming from different sources. The finances are made up -- doesn't depend upon governmental money. And then we have this problem of the Iranians, who wants to build their two satellites -- the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Hamas in Gaza. And with all our search for good neighbors, we would like that the Iranians be represented on our borders; take it very seriously. Nobody can console us and say that the declarations of Ahmadinejad are less serious than they are; we have to take it seriously, out of experience. You are a man of great experience and of great knowledge. And I think your counsel and maybe facilitation of the situation can be of great help right away, even for the visit of a short while. We have to make the most of it and the best use of it, and clearly together we can probably contribute quite a while to those three problems. Thank you. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: I want to thank you, Mr. President, for welcoming me back again to Israel. I remember when we first met many years ago, when you were Defense Minister -- PRESIDENT PERES: Both of us. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Both of us, yes. This was before I was defense minister. This was Rumsfeld's first time as defense minister. But we've known each other for many, many years, and I've always admired, had great respect for your contribution, not only to issues that affected your government, but on broader international basis, too. We're obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and also obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States, as well. So I'm here today to share some thoughts with you. The President looks forward very much to his return visit in May to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel. So we're spending a good deal of time these days on issues related to our friends here in Israel. I'm delighted to be back. PRESIDENT PERES: Thank you very much. END 9:16 A.M. (Local) \|\|\|\|\| Cheney: US Will Never Pressure Israel if Security is Threatened United States Vice President Dick Cheney is in Israel, the latest stop on a Middle East tour. As Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem, he hopes to advance the peace process. US VP Cheney (left) and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert Vice President Dick Cheney went right into a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Vice President began with a message of reassurance. "The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security," he said. Cheney said the U.S. backs Israel's right to defend itself against Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas. But he said America would also work for peace between Israel and the moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank. "On this journey, I am reiterating the President's commitment to his vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security." President Bush's goal is to reach a peace agreement before he leaves office in January. "Reaching the necessary agreement will require tough decisions and painful concessions by both sides, but America is committed to moving the process forward," he said. In response, Prime Minister Olmert said Israel would do its part for peace. "We are anxious to carry on the peace negotiations with the Palestinians," he said. But he warned of threats from radical forces in the region. "We are watching very carefully the northern front, the behavior of Syria and the Hizbollah and naturally I know how much concerned America is with the continued terrorist attacks against Israel coming from Gaza against innocent civilians," he said. \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President March 22, 2008 Remarks by Vice President Cheney and Prime Minister Olmert of Israel in Press Availability Prime Minister's Residence Jerusalem 8:25 P.M. (Local) PRIME MINISTER OLMERT: Good evening. Welcome, Mr. Vice President. I'm honored and delighted to have you visiting here after five years, which was your last visit. It is particularly significant this time because you are coming in the beginning of the 60th anniversary for the state of Israel, and you were always a very good supporter and friend of the state of Israel. And we are very proud to have you with us at this time. I have to add that we are going to discuss, naturally, many things tonight and Monday. There are many items on the common agenda of America and the state of Israel: We are both very concerned about Iran, we are anxious to carry on the peace negotiations with the Palestinians, we are watching very carefully the northern front, the behavior of Syria and the Hezbollah, and naturally I know how much concerned America is with the continued terrorist attacks against Israel coming from Gaza against innocent civilians in the south part of the state of Israel. All these matters will be discussed while you are visiting here, and we will always be happy to hear your advice and your observations about these very important issues which are on the top of the agenda of the state of Israel at this part of the world. Vice President, you were always a supporter of Israel. I remember your visit in Israel immediately after the first Gulf War, the early '90s, when you were Secretary of Defense. And throughout this period, in your different positions, you were always interested, concerned, and involved in matters which were very important for the state of Israel. I am proud that we are friendly for many years, meeting in different places, in America, and sharing the observations and the judgments about the events in different parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East. And now I'm proud that I can host you as the Prime Minister of Israel, in the state of Israel, at this very important time to all of us. Welcome, Mr. Vice President. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister. I'm delighted to be in Jerusalem once again, with my old friend, the Prime Minister. And I want to thank him for the kind invitation that he extended to me and to my wife, Lynne, to visit Israel again. I've been gone too long. It's now been five years since I was last here, and I'm glad to be back. I also want to convey the good wishes of all -- to all Israelis of the people of the United States, and of our President, George W. Bush. I'm especially pleased to be here as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel's emergence as a modern nation state. The state of Israel's rise out of the ashes of World War II is one of history's great miracles. So too is the fact that Israel has survived these six decades despite often violent assaults against its very existence. At the same time, the nation has flourished, growing in population and prosperity and military strength, while making remarkable contributions to the worlds of science, culture and technology. The founding of the new Jewish state declared on the 14th of May, 1948, at 12:00 midnight -- only 11 minutes later, by the direction of President Harry S. Truman, the United States recognized Israel. From that moment, our two countries have been more than just strong allies. We've been friends -- special friends -- and our peoples bound together by unique ties of history, culture, religion, and memory. Today, both our nations share the ideals of liberty, equality, human dignity, and representative government. Both our nations have stood firmly against the forces of terror and intimidation. Both our nations have shown a great willingness to work and sacrifice for the cause of peace. We are natural allies. America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakeable, as is our commitment to Israel's right to defend itself always against terrorism, rocket attacks and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction. The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security. As successful democracies, the U.S. and Israel have a basic confidence in the power of freedom to lift up whole societies and to lay the foundation for peace. We will defend ourselves and protect our people. But as President Bush said here in January, "We will do more than defend ourselves. We will seek lasting peace." History has clearly shown that when encountered by Arab partners like Anwar Sadat and the late King Hussein of Jordan, who accepted Israel's permanence and are willing and capable of delivering on their commitments, Israelis are prepared to make wrenching national sacrifices on behalf of peace. I have no doubt this is equally the case with Palestinians. On this journey, I am reiterating the President's commitment to his vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. He stated that vision early in his presidency, and as I like to remind people, he was the very first American President to do so. Reaching the necessary agreement will require tough decisions and painful concessions by both sides, but America is committed to moving the process forward -- and to that end, I will meet with President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. They, too, can be certain of America's good will in this process. It is not America's role to dictate the outcome. But we will help in the negotiations, and provide all the support and encouragement we can. We care deeply about these issues. We want to see a resolution to the conflict, an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis, and a new beginning for the Palestinian people. Mr. Prime Minister, I'm looking forward to our discussions. We have a full agenda, filled both with opportunities and with dangers. As we continue to work for peace, we must not and will not ignore the darkening shadows of the situations in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria, and in Iran, and the forces there that are working to derail the hopes of the world. Together, the United States and Israel will fulfill our responsibilities to our peoples, overcome our challenges, and continue to seek a future of security, freedom, prosperity and peace. Thank you, sir. PRIME MINISTER OLMERT: Thank you very much. END 8:34 P.M. (Local)	United States Vice President Dick Cheney watches Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert make a statement on March 22. United States Vice President Dick Cheney met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Sunday. Cheney met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Primer Minister Ehud Olmert and their Palestinian counterparts, the moderate President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as part of a tour of the Middle East. Cheney told Palestinians that continuing violence against ill damage efforts for a Palestinian state. Cheney noted "Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people." The Vice President remarked he is committed towards a Palestinian state, quoting President George W. Bush, "The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it." Cheney also noted that "Achieving that vision will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table and painful concessions on both sides." Abbas condemned rocket attacks against Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, but also told Israel to ease their restrictions on Palestinians. He also noted that Israel needs to stop building settlements within the West Bank. Abbas noted that, "Peace and stability will not be achieved through a settlement expansion, or the setting up of checkpoints around towns and villages, and the military escalation against Gaza, nor the incursions, continuous incursions into West Bank villages and towns." Cheney met earlier in the day with Shimon Peres, the Israeli president. Both men spoke of Iran, with Peres noting upfront that Iran and their leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to "build their two satellites -- the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Hamas in Gaza ... Nobody can console us and say that the declarations of Ahmadinejad are less serious than they are; we have to take it seriously, out of experience." Cheney noted that the Bush administration is pledged to the peace process and also referenced Iran but not directly, "We're obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and also obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States, as well." Cheney met with Prime Minister Olmert on Saturday and told Olmert that, "The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security." He also told Olmert that the United States backs Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks but that America was also working for a peace deal between Israel and the moderate Fatah-controlled Palestinian government in the West Bank. Abbas lost control of the Gaza Strip to the rival Hamas party last year. Abbas, who is the leader of the more moderate Fatah party currently runs the Palestinian government located in the West Bank, the other Palestinian territory.
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. \|\|\|\|\| From NBC's Doug Adams and Mark Murray First Read can confirm, per a Democratic source with knowledge of the pick, that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) will select former general counsel Carte Goodwin to fill Robert Byrd's Senate seat until November's special election, in which Manchin is expected to run. So who is Carte Goodwin? He is 36 years old and currently a practicing attorney in West Virginia. He served as Manchin's general counsel from 2005-2009. He's thought to be a trusted associate of Manchin, and has known the governor since 2004, when Goodwin worked as a volunteer in his campaign. Goodwin is also a from a prominent West Virginia family -- his uncle is a federal judge, his cousin a U.S. attorney, and his father (who recently died) had chaired the West Virginia university board of governors. Also, Goodwin's wife, Rochelle, is the state director for soon-to-be colleague -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller. Goodwin left office in January of last year to go back into private practice as an attorney. He's currently a partner at his family's law firm based in Charleston, appropriately named Goodwin & Goodwin. Here is his bio at Goodwin & Goodwin... Bio: -- General Counsel to West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III, 2005-2009 -- Chairman, School Building Authority Member, -- Consolidated Public Retirement Board Chairman, -- Governor's Advisory Committee on Judicial Nominations -- Clerk for the Honorable Robert B. King, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1999-2000 Practice details: -- Representing clients in civil litigation throughout West Virginia's state and federal courts. -- Representing clients in mass and class action litigation. -- Representing clients in various commercial transactions as well as the formation and organization of business entities. -- Representing clients in the preparation and registration of federal trademark applications, license agreements and intellectual property litigation. Education: -- Marietta College, B.A., Philosophy, magna cum laude 1996 -- The Emory University School of Law, Doctor of Law, 1999 -- Order of the Coif -- Executive Notes & Comments Editor, Emory International Law Review -- Authored "Live, In Concert and Beyond: A New Standard of Contributory Copyright Infringement." 13 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 345 (1999)	Location of West Virginia , governor of West Virginia, named attorney to replace the late , who died at age 92 on June 28, in the U.S. Senate until a is held. Goodwin will be sworn in next Tuesday. The special election has not been scheduled; however, it could occur as early as November 2. Senator , member of the Democratic Party in West Virginia, says that the appointment of the Senate's 59th Democrat is crucial to passing an unemployment benefits bill that has been blocked by members of the Republican Party. "My responsibility is to work very hard every day to maintain the trust of the people of West Virginia," Goodwin said. "My sole objective will be to make West Virginia proud. I'm excited about the challenge. I'm looking forward to it," he added. Goodwin, who is 36, will become the youngest member of the Senate. He served as an adviser to Governor Manchin from 2005 to 2009. Before this assignment was announced, Goodwin worked as an associate in his family's -based law firm.
Some 10,000 peacekeepers are charged monitoring a buffer zone UN mission head Pierre Schori told the BBC he would recommend the move after a New Forces rebel group announcment rejecting South African mediation. Last year, President Thabo Mbeki was appointed mediator by the African Union to try to solve the Ivorian crisis. The country has been split since rebels seized the north three years ago. South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on Tuesday that the New Forces were blocking the peace process. The New Forces' statement claims this shows the clear bias the mediation has shown to President Laurent Gbagbo. Their statement, signed by spokesman Sidiki Konate, says they will no longer work with the South Africans. The statement says that despite following Ivory Coast for nine months, the South Africans have not fully understood the country. The New Forces also accused South Africa of selling weapons to President Gbagbo, in violation of a UN embargo, and said they might bring legal action. The statement called on the President of Nigeria and the African Union, Olusegun Obasanjo, to move the peace process forward. Finally, the New Forces said the most urgent issue to be resolved is that of identity. The BBC's James Copnall in Abidjan says that many northerners, including New Forces fighters, do not have Ivorian passports. The issue of who can be considered Ivorian - is one of the building blocks of this crisis. Elections There are clearly other problems to be resolved too, if the country is to hold presidential elections. They are due on 30 October, though President Gbagbo has already admitted they may be postponed from between one week and two months because of insufficient organisational material. The New Forces and the opposition say legal reforms on identification, nationality and electoral laws have not been made correctly by President Gbagbo, but the South African mediators agreed with President Gbagbo on this issue. In addition, the numerous militias who support President Gbagbo have not yet been dismantled. Until the reforms have been made to their satisfaction, and the militias have been closed down, the New Forces say they will not disarm. \|\|\|\|\| NAIROBI The ongoing peace process between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) is threatened by its almost total exclusivity, necessitating a new approach from both the negotiating parties and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediators, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think-tank. Whereas the first phase of the process had necessitated a narrow focus on the two main belligerents, a second phase after the signing of a bilateral peace agreement would need to radically change to involve the Sudanese public, said ISS in a report entitled: "The Sudan IGAD Peace Process: Signposts for the Way Forward". "For IGAD it means a marked change in philosophy and direction from that of the first stage, which can be characterised as secretive, eite driven, narrowly focused and which pointedly ignored the issue of human rights, to the next stage where transparency, engaging the large mass of Sudanese, and vastly expanding the focus and direction of the peace initiative, must set the tone," it said. Once a peace agreement was signed, a new approach taking account of the rights of all Sudan's citizens needed to be implemented, said the report. "It will be a critical test of the IGAD mediators whether they can adapt to the new demands placed upon them and carry the process forward." The Machakos Protocol, signed by both the government and the SPLM/A in July 2002, underlines the need for a democratic transformation of Sudan, referring to "democratic governance, accountability, equality, respect and justice for all citizens of Sudan", and for the Sudanese to establish "a democratic system of governance". But so far, a number of key groups, including northern opposition groups, southern militias and the National Democratic Alliance have been pointedly excluded from peace negotiations. The rebellion in Darfur, northwestern Sudan, which exploded in February 2003, is deemed by observers to be a direct reaction to this exclusivity and to fears that the national cake is being divided up into only two slices. In southern Sudan, there has also been no sustained effort to bring about south-south reconciliation, despite the fact that the South Sudan Defence Forces, an umbrella of government-aligned militias, are armed, control large swathes of the region, and hold many strategic positions particularly around the oil fields. According to ISS, a failure to win the popular support of Sudanese civil society and the country's major political players threatens the viability of the entire peace process and raises the possibility of a return to war. "However difficult the task, IGAD must play a leading role in the intimately linked objectives of an inclusive peace process and establishing a democratic Sudan," it warned. "The building of a democratic Sudan is not a luxury, but the best - and perhaps only - insurance that the many aggrieved groups in Sudan do not take up arms," said ISS, adding that southern grievances increasingly coming to the fore represented "only the tip of the iceberg of resentment". "Remarkably, the issue of human rights has received almost no attention thus far in the IGAD negotiations, but it cannot be ignored much longer," it added, urging a change of approach and the setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Last week, the US State Department's 2003 report for Sudan noted that the two key parties to the peace process - who will be governing Sudan once a peace agreement is signed - had poor human rights records. The Sudanese government's record "remained extremely poor", with security forces and associated militias responsible for extrajudicial killings and disappearances, beatings, torture, rape and harassment with impunity. Similarly, the SPLM/A was accused of killings, beatings, rape, arbitrary detention, forcible military conscription of underage young men, and the manipulation of humanitarian assistance for military advantage. \|\|\|\|\| PRESS STATEMENT ON C ÔTE D’IVOIRE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT Following is the text of today’s statement to the press by Security Council President Kenzo Oshima ( Japan): The members of the Council heard briefings by Mr. Mosiuoa Lekota, Minister of Defence for South Africa; Mr. Aminu Wali, Permanent Representative of Nigeria; and Mr. Pierre Schori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire. The South African Mediation stated that it will continue its efforts, with the support of the United Nations and the African Union, to ensure the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in Côte d’Ivoire as scheduled, which is the only solution to the crisis. The South African Mediation also underlined that it was now time for the implementation in good faith and without delay of the agreements signed by all Ivorian parties. The members of the Security Council reiterate their readiness to take all steps they consider necessary, including the implementation of individual sanctions, in order to ensure the respect of the resolutions of the Security Council. The members of the Security Council reiterate their full support for the action undertaken by the South African Mediation, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the High Representative for the elections. * *** *	Yesterday, the United Nations Security Council said it would take all steps necessary, including the implementation of individual sanctions, in order to ensure that the resolutions of the Security Council were adhered to by both sides of the troubled Ivoiran peace process. The remarks followed a briefing to the Security Council by representatives from the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire and African Union-appointed South African mediators. "The South African Mediation stated that it will continue its efforts, with the support of the United Nations and the African Union, to ensure the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in Côte d'Ivoire as scheduled, which is the only solution to the crisis," the Security Council said in a statement following the meeting. The next round of elections are scheduled for the end of October although it is widely believed this date is unlikely to be met. The peace process in Cote d'Ivoire has been on shaky ground following the failure of the rebel forces to begin the disarmament process originally scheduled for 31 July. The rebels, led by the Forces Nouvelles, claimed that Ivorian President Gbagbo had failed to make the necessary legal reforms necessary to begin the disarmament. The international community later ratified the legal changes made by the Ivorian government as being in compliance with the peace deal.
People walk through Pearson International Airport's new Terminal 1 in Toronto. (CP / Aaron Harris) Scorpion on plane causes delay at Pearson Airport toronto.ctv.ca Airport security officials scoured a Toronto-bound plane on Sunday after a scorpion got loose onboard and stung a man. The critter snuck into the carry-on backpack of a passenger who was returning from a camping trip in Costa Rica, the Toronto Star reported. Once the flight was in the air, the arachnid climbed out of the bag and up the man's leg. It then stung him on the back of the knee. The man was treated by paramedics after the plane landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Animal control workers said the scorpion was not lethal and the man is expected to recover, the Star reported. The incident caused some nervousness among fliers and forced an hour-long delay as security personnel combed the plane for other possibly dangerous critters. The scorpion apparently got through security in Costa Rica and was not detected when the American Airlines flight had a stopover in Miami. The victim is believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s. The scorpion was killed during its capture, officials said. "As a precaution, we did go in and search the aircraft just to see if we could find anything else," said American Airlines spokesman John Hotard, who added the incident was not completely unheard of. "We've had cases where passengers have brought critters on board in their backpack and they get out and crawl around, but it's rare." Passengers waiting in the departure lounge at Terminal 2 were told of the situation. Some made jokes about the incident. When passengers finally boarded the plane, the captain came on and announced: "Welcome to Scorpion Flight 1011." \|\|\|\|\| You've probably heard of the movie Snakes On A Plane. Well, passengers aboard a Toronto-bound jet experienced a similarly frightening mid-air experience this weekend when a scorpion made it onto an American Airlines flight from Costa Rica to Toronto and ending up biting a man. The flight made its scheduled stopover in Miami Sunday and had taken off again for Toronto when the critter made its unwanted appearance. After hiding undetected in the man's carry-on bag, the scorpion decided to slip out during the flight, crawling up his oblivious victim's pant leg. He wasn't oblivious for long, however. He reached a unique level of awareness when the poisonous stinger painfully sunk into his skin and a quiet flight took on an ominous, creepy tone. The man did manage to kill the scorpion after it bit him. But the fear of more carnage wasn't totally assuaged. The incident caused an hour-long delay at Pearson International Airport as officials looked to see if any others had gotten loose. After the plane landed the traveller was treated at Etobicoke General and released. Animal control officers identified the scorpion as a non-lethal species. According to Zoo Keeper Doug Chessell, the man was lucky he didn't encounter a more potent version of the vilified creature. "Some scorpions do have a lethal injection," he said. "A lot of it depends on the person and how they react to the venom." All scorpions are venomous. Both those who've watched those endless nature shows might think they're also all deadly. The truth is most of the creatures don't possess enough poison to kill a healthy adult. The venom is mostly used in the wild, where the arachnid is trying to kill or paralyze its prey. Once it's administered, the poison is quick and effective. But only a few species of scorpions are generally known to be very dangerous to humans. A lot depends on the type and the ability of medicine to counteract the poison. Those who do die from the creepy crawler's sting tend to be in countries like Mexico and Africa, and are often very young, infirm, elderly or have an allergy to the poison. But most of the creatures only bite to catch food or defend themselves and it's rare they go after something as large as a person. Most would prefer to simply run away and hide until the peril passes. What does a bite feel like? It generally begins with immediate and intense burning at the area where the venom went in. That can last between half an hour to half a day. It often gets worse over 24 hours. Symptoms can include: Abdominal cramps, Inflammation, Sensitivity to clothing, bedding and noise, "Pins and needles" sensations in the limbs, Stiff legs, Tremors, Involuntary movement, Increased pulse rate, Raised blood pressure Difficulty swallowing, Excessive salivation, Speech problems, Excessive perspiration, Headches, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Restlessness and in the most serious cases, Respiratory distress and possible death. Save this page on del.icio.us Sign up for a del.icio.us account here to save your bookmarks for free online.	A black scorpion. A man who visited Costa Rica who was on American Airlines flight 1552 from Miami, Florida to Toronto was stung by a scorpion on Sunday. The scorpion was from Costa Rica, where the man was on a camping trip with his brother. The scorpion crawled out of the man's carry-on knapsack. Then, the scorpion stung the man, who is believed to be in his 20s or early 30s. Flight officials immediately delayed the outbound flight. The man was treated by paramedics and was taken to hospital. Later, the scorpion was killed. Animal control officers said the scorpion was a non-lethal species. "We delayed the outbound flight and searched the cabin of the aircraft to see if we could find any more, which we did not," said John Hotard, a company spokesman in Fort Worth, Texas. "This is rare. I'm not aware of a scorpion stinging a person on any of our flights before." "We've had cases where passengers have brought critters on board in their backpack and they get out and crawl around, but it's rare," he added. They arrived safely at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. The flight back to Miami was delayed by less than an hour. When the flight resumed, the pilot said: "Welcome to Scorpion Flight 1011." The scorpion is said to have been brought on the plane unintentionally.
Rann wants unconditional 'sorry' from Hicks Posted Updated South Australian Premier Mike Rann says convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks should make an unconditional apology for becoming involved with terrorist organisations. Mr Hicks was expected to make an apology when he was released from Adelaide's Yatala prison on Saturday, but instead his lawyer read a prepared statement. Mr Hicks is now staying in a secret location. Mr Hicks spent six years in custody after being captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. He admitted to training with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 2001 and joining with pro-Taliban fighters after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He spent five years in the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Mr Rann says it would be appropriate for Mr Hicks to say sorry. "My sympathies this Christmas/New Year are with those families in Australia who don't have their dads coming home because they were killed by the Taliban," he said. "Rather than working for the Taliban, I think it's appropriate for Mr Hicks to make an apology to the people of Australia." \|\|\|\|\| David Hicks has been released from prison. Wearing jeans and a green polo shirt, the 32-year-old walked from Adelaide's Yatala Prison at 8.17am (CDT) and was escorted to a waiting car, bypassing the waiting media pack that had been keeping a round-the-clock vigil. A small crowd of mostly elderly supporters were outside the prison as Hicks left, many holding banners reading 'This could have been your son' and 'David Hicks is no threat'. The supporters surrounded the car in which Terry Hicks and lawyer David McLeod left the prison, cheering as the car left the prison grounds. Hicks glanced at waiting media as he was driven from the jail in a blue sedan, escorted by police. His lawyer, David McLeod, later read a statement of Hicks's behalf. In the statement read to the media by his lawyer, Hicks said he didn't want to risk breaking the gag order placed on him as he didn't want to risk going back to Guantanamo. He also said he didn't feel that he could face the media at this point. He thanked his lawyers, various politicians and organisations that had lobbied for his fair treatment. In the statement, Hicks, captured among Taliban forces in Afghanistan in December 2001, did not apologise for his terrorist-related conduct. "I had hoped to be able to speak to the media but I am just not strong enough at the moment, it's as simple as that,'' Hicks said through his lawyer. "I am sorry for that. "As part of my conditions of release from Guantanamo Bay, I agreed not to speak to the media on a range of issues before March 30, 2008. "It's my intention to honour this agreement as I don't want to do anything that might result in my return there. "So for now, I will limit what I have to say - I will say more at a later time.'' Hicks said he recognised "the huge debt of gratitude that I owe the Australian public for getting me home''. "I will not forget or let you down,'' he said. He also thanked his lawyers, various politicians and organisations that had lobbied for his fair treatment. "Right now I am looking forward to some quiet time with my wonderful Dad, my family and friends,'' Hicks said. "I ask that you will respect my privacy as I will need time to readjust to society and obtain medical care for the consequences of five and a half years at Guantanamo Bay. "I have been told that my readjustment will be a slow process and should involve a gentle transition away from the media spotlight.'' Hicks, a father of two, was driven from jail to a secret location in Adelaide. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son was "on a high''. "It's now up to him,'' Mr Hicks told reporters. "He now has got to get on with his life. "He's on a high, he seems alright but I suppose in the quiet times everything will come back.'' Hicks has been in custody since being captured among Taliban forces in Afghanistan, in December 2001. The father of two has completed a jail sentence, after pleading guilty before a US military commission in March this year to a charge of providing material support for terrorism. Hicks will have to report to police within 24 hours. - with AAP \|\|\|\|\| THE confessed terrorism supporter David Hicks should be given a fair go when he is released from an Adelaide prison this morning, but he should make a genuine apology for his conduct, politicians say. When the 32-year-old father of two is released from Yatala prison, he will be a free man for the first time since he was captured with Taliban forces in Afghanistan six years ago. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, yesterday said Hicks "should be treated no differently to any other Australian citizen in these circumstances". "Our expectation of Mr Hicks is he would comply with the requirements which have been imposed upon him." Mr Rudd's comments were supported by the US military spokesman Commander J.D. Gordon, who said justice had been done. Hicks's father, Terry, said his son was "looking forward to finally stepping out into the open. All he wants is to get out and try and get some sort of normality." Hicks was sentenced to seven years' jail, with all but nine months suspended, after pleading guilty to providing material support for terrorism. As part of a plea bargain struck with US authorities he forfeited the right to appeal or sue the US government and agreed to a 12-month gag preventing him from speaking to the media. However, Hicks is expected to make a statement today through his family or lawyers. His father said it would include an apology for the "inconvenience" he had caused and would thank supporters who had lobbied for his fair treatment. The South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, said Hicks should use the opportunity to make an unconditional apology. "All of us want to see David Hicks turn his life around," Mr Rann said yesterday. "We have heard he intends to make an apology and we hope that, if that is the case, it's a genuine and unconditional apology." Hicks is also subject to an Australian control order, which includes a midnight to 6am curfew and reporting to police three times a week. Hicks's former military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, said the control order was unlikely to worry Hicks, who survived detention at Guantanamo Bay for almost 5½ years, mostly without charge. "Compared to the rigours of Guantanamo Bay, [complying with a control order] will not be a challenge for him," Major Mori said. "The real challenge will be the media hounding him." The Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, said most Australians believed Hicks had served his time and should now be treated like any other citizen. "As he is an Australian citizen, I feel most Australians will say, 'Look, give the guy a fair go.' " AAP and Ian Munro	South Australian Premier Mike Rann. South Australian Premier has said that David Hicks, a convicted terrorism supporter, should apologise unconditionally to the Australian public for his actions. Hicks, who was released from in , was expected to make an apology upon release, but his lawyer read a prepared statement instead. He spent six years at Guantanamo Bay before being convicted of providing material support to terrorists. Mr. Rann says it would be appropriate for Hicks to apologise. "Rather than working for the Taliban, I think it's appropriate for Mr. Hicks to make an apology to the people of Australia," Rann stated. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said that Hicks "should be treated no differently to any other Australian citizen in these circumstances".
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of security guards protesting over pay World Cup security guards have clashed with police after a football match between Australia and Germany in South Africa. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of workers who were protesting over salary levels. The workers, deployed as match stewards on Sunday, said they were being paid only a fraction of what they had been promised. One worker said their employer paid 150 rand, or less than $20, for the day's work, when their contract stipulated almost three times that amount. Riot police chased the workers, who had earlier been responsible for the security of 62,660 fans, from the new Moses Mabhida stadium in the city of Durban. "We were mounting a peaceful protest because they were not paying us what we expected and we were surprised that the police started charging at us," Sydney Nzoli, one of the workers, said. "They fired teargas at us." Woman injured At least one woman was injured when she was hit by a rubber bullet, a witness told Reuters news agency. At least two workers were detained by police, one of them after he handed over a pistol. The 2010 Organising Committee on Monday said a meeting was under way to resolve the pay dispute. The incident highlights the frustrations of the poor who feel they are not benefiting from Africa’s first-ever world cup. South Africa has some of the biggest wealth disparities in the world. Some workers' unions have threatened to bring the country to a standstill during the month-long football tournament if their demands are not met. Ttemba Maseko, a government spokesperson, said "People will and must be allowed to raise their issues but we will not tolerate anybody either threatening and disrupting the World Cup. "It's not going to happen and I can assure you let alone our security services, ordinary South Africans will not allow anyone to spoil this party." \|\|\|\|\| A rally by hundreds of world cup workers protesting over wages deteriorated into a confrontation with police outside the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. Riot police armed with shot guns and riot shields chased the workers who were deployed as stewards in the ground where Germany had earlier beaten Australia 4 – 0. Tear gas and rubber bullets were used injuring at least one woman. The disturbance started after the employees were paid less than half what they had expected for their work during the match. About 500 were contained by police although only two were eventually detained. \|\|\|\|\| Stewards at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town left their posts ahead of this evening’s game between Italy and Paraguay. The walk out has prompted fears over the security for England’s match on Friday against Algeria where more than 15,000 fans are expected to attend from the UK. The South African Police Service has taken over responsibility for security services, which includes screening those entering the ground for offensive weapons and other banned objects. The move follows a demonstration by staff at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban last night which ended in armed police firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters. The dispute is among stewards hired by security firm, Stallion Security Consortium Pty (Ltd), who have complained they have not been paid the wages they were originally promised. In Durban more than 300 staff staged a sit in at the ground following the match between Germany and Australia. The workers claimed they had been promised £130 per shift but when they had received their wage packets some had earned as little as £17. Riot police moved in after the protesters refused to disperse and at least one woman was injured after being hit by a rubber bullet. The World Cup Organising Committee have confirmed that the South African Police Service have now taken over security at both the stadiums in Durban and Cape Town. Officers manned the turnstiles at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town ahead of the match between Italy and Paraguay and officials insisted security was not compromised. The organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan said: “This is an employer, employee wage dispute. Although we have respect for worker’s rights, we find it unacceptable for them to disrupt match day proceedings and will not hesitate to take action in such instances.” Thousands of extra security guards and police have been employed in order to clamp down on criminals targeting World Cup fans and also to ensure there are no outbreaks of violence between rival sets of supporters. More than 10,000 England fans who attended the team’s opening game against the USA in Rustenburg on Saturday were praised for their good behaviour by the South African police. No arrests were made and there were no reports of any supporters being targeted by criminals. But with more supporters expected to attend Friday’s match against Algeria, concern is mounting that the security operation will not be at full strength.	Following a labour dispute involving soccer match stewards, South African police have taken over security duties for World Cup games in Cape Town and . Security personnel staged a sit-down protest in the Durban stadium on Sunday, and walked off the job before yesterday's match in Cape Town. The security workers are in a contract dispute with their employer, Stallion Security Consortium Pty (Ltd). Workers claim they were promised as much as seven times as much pay for a shift than what they are currently receiving. Following the 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Germany and Australia on Sunday, workers staged a sit-in on the grounds of the Durban stadium and were attacked by police with tear gas and rubber bullets. The 2010 organizing committee claims they are working on resolving this dispute. Some South African unions have threatened to severely disrupt the country during the World Cup if labour demands are not met. South Africa currently has one of the largest disparities in the world.
WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Japanese company Nipro Corp (8086.T) has recalled 2 million needles distributed in the United States for withdrawing blood, injecting medicines and other purposes, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. Stocks \| Regulatory News The needles are used to access ports implanted under the skin of chronically ill patients for repeated access to veins. The Food and Drug Administration said October 2009 inspections of Nipro facilities in Japan found problems with the companies' needles that could allow pieces of the port's silicone core to become dislodged. The inspections found 60 percent to 72 percent of Nipro's needles tested had that problem, the FDA said. No harm has been documented, but FDA officials told reporters on a conference call they were concerned a piece of silicone could enter a patient's bloodstream. The needles are a type known as Huber needles and were distributed by privately held Exel International. Nipro subsidiary Nipro Medical Corp referred questions to Exel. An Exel official could not immediately be reached for comment. Details about the recalled needles were posted on the FDA website here (Reporting by Lisa Richwine, editing by Leslie Gevirtz) \|\|\|\|\| Washington (CNN) -- Millions of needles used in ports implanted under the skin of chronically ill patients are being voluntarily recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday. More than 2 million Huber needles, manufactured by Nipro Medical Corp. in Japan and distributed by Exelint International Corp., headquartered in Los Angeles, California, are affected. Huber needles are used primarily in hospitals and clinics -- and in some instances by patients receiving long-term treatment at home -- to draw blood or to inject medicine, other nutritional solutions or blood products. They are used with ports, which are small medical appliances placed under the skin. The Class 1 recall -- denoting that the FDA considers the product to be of the highest risk -- involves Exel/Exelint Huber needles, Exel/Exelint Huber Infusion Sets and Exel/Exelint "Securetouch+" Safety Huber Infusion Sets. Approximately 6 million Huber needles are used each year in the United States. The agency determined that 60 to 70 percent of Exelint's needles "cored," or cut slivers of silicone, when inserted into ports, raising the possibility of the silicone slivers entering the veins, damaging the port itself or harming the surrounding tissue. There have been reports of leakage, the FDA said, but none of silicone entering the vascular system as a result of the needles. It said anyone using the products should stop immediately and return any unused needles to Exelint. Investigations are being done of needles from 20 companies, and 10 of those investigations have been completed, the agency said. So far, no other products have been recalled. The FDA said it has sent letters to all Huber manufacturers asking them to address any design or manufacturing problems. There was no immediate public comment from Exelint.	The Japanese company Nipro has voluntarily recalled two million needles in the US used for withdrawing blood and medicine injections, health officials said today. The affected items are Huber needles, manufactured in Japan and distributed by Exelint International Corporation. The needles are intended to access ports placed under chronically ill patients' skin, for frequent access to veins. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), inspections of Nipro facilities last October revealed problems with the needles, which could allow parts of silicone in the port to be dislodged. 60%–72% of tested needles had that problem. In a conference call with reporters, FDA officials remarked that they were concerned the silicone could enter the bloodstream of a patient, although, to date, no harm from this has been reported. "There are more than 2 million units impacted by this recall in distribution nationwide. Recalled needles were manufactured from January 2007 to August 2009," read a statement on the FDA's website. "... Hospitals, clinics and patients who have needles from these lists should immediately stop using these affected products and return any unused products to Exelint International Corporation." "At this time, the FDA has not received any adverse event reports related to silicone foreign bodies released in patients from Huber needle coring ... However, because it may be very difficult for clinicians to associate adverse patient outcomes with the use of defective Huber needles, there may be under-reporting of events," the statement continued. Exelint has not yet issued a public statement about the report from the FDA.
Caso não seja cadastrado, preencha os campos abaixo para ter acesso a todo o conteúdo do Globo On Line E-mail: Confirme o e-mail: Senha: Confirme a senha: Lembrar a senha para ter acesso automático ao site nas próximas visitas Nome Completo: Data de Nascimento: / / Sexo: Masculino Feminino Telefone: ( ) De onde acessa: Brasil África América Latina Ásia América do Norte Europa Oceania CEP residencial: - consulte Estado: AC AL AM AP BA CE DF ES GO MA MG MS MT PA PB PE PI PR RJ RN RO RR RS SC SE SP TO Renda individual mensal: Selecione Até R$500 De R$500 a R$1.000 De R$1.000 a R$2.000 De R$2.000 a R$3.000 De R$3.000 a R$5.000 De R$5.000 a R$7.000 Mais de R$7.000 Prefiro não informar Escolaridade: Selecione Fundamental incompleto Fundamental Médio incompleto Médio Superior incompleto Superior Pós-graduação É leitor do Globo impresso? Selecione Sou assinante - titular da assinatura Sou assinante - dependente Compro na banca Leio comprado por outra pessoa Assino outro jornal Compro outro jornal na banca Só leio na internet Com que freqüência? Selecione Leio diariamente Leio de 3 a 5 vezes por semana Leio até 3 vezes por semana Leio só aos domingos \|\|\|\|\| 06/06/2005 - 13h23 Filho de Pelé é detido durante operação do Denarc Publicidade J.Araújo/Folha Imagem O ex-jogador Edinho, filho de Pelé Com Folha de S.Paulo daO ex-goleiro Edson do Nascimento, o Edinho, filho de Pelé, foi preso nesta segunda-feira sob suspeita de envolvimento com tráfico de drogas.Edinho foi detido em Santos (litoral de São Paulo). Além dele, cerca de 20 pessoas também foram presas, como parte de investigações realizadas pelo Denarc (Departamento de Investigações sobre Narcóticos).Há suspeita que entre os presos estejam envolvidos no seqüestro de Marina Souza, mãe do jogador Robinho. Ela foi levada pelos seqüestradores no dia 6 de novembro do ano passado e ficou 41 dias no cativeiro.A Polícia Civil, porém, ainda não divulgou detalhes sobre os trabalhos ou apreensões feitas durante a operação. A reportagem não conseguiu localizar, por telefone, representantes de Edinho para comentar a prisão.Como goleiro do time que deu fama ao pai, Edinho foi vice-campeão brasileiro em 95. Até se firmar como goleiro da equipe, jogou pela Portuguesa Santista (92) e pelo São Caetano (93). Retornou à Vila Belmiro em 94 e ficou até 98. Voltou um ano depois, após passar pela Ponte Preta.Em 2003, virou empresário de jogadores, ao abrir uma empresa com Shep Messing --companheiro de Pelé no time Cosmos, time dos EUA. Rompeu com o sócio para abrir seu próprio negócio. \|\|\|\|\| Seg, 06 Jun - 13h47 Filho de Pelé é preso por envolvimento com tráfico Agência Estado Após oito meses de investigação, a polícia prendeu na manhã desta segunda-feira o ex-jogador Edinho, filho de Pelé, com outras 17 pessoas acusadas de tráfico de drogas e ligação com uma organização criminosa do Rio de Janeiro. Foram apreendidos também onze carro e armas. As informações são do jornal SPTV, da TV Globo.	According to the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, the newspaper of TV Globo informed that the former-goalkeeper of Santos Football Club and son of the famous soccer player Pelé, Edinho, was arrested in company of another 17 persons. The police accuse them of drug trafficking and connections with a criminal organization in Rio de Janeiro. The arrest happened this Monday, June 6, by morning.
Kenya is expected to file a notice of non-participation in the he... Carey Joy says her marriage to Albert Wanyonyi was ordained in he... How Bukusu man won the heart of an American girl Njoroge said the donation was a gesture of love and appreciation ... The Standard Podcasts Get all your favorite podcasts: Gumzo la Maisha, Maji Makuu, Maisha Kilimo, Danadana Viwanjani, What Your Mama Didn't Tell You and many more... Read The Standard newspaper without interuption on all your devices. Subscribe \|\|\|\|\| A day after the jubilation of South Sudan's independence proclamation, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. warned Sunday of a "real risk" that the north-south peace process could unravel unless outstanding issues such as oil and border demarcations are quickly resolved. Celebrations rang out Saturday in the South Sudan capital of Juba, the first day of independence after decades of civil war between Sudan's north and south. Some 2 million people died in the most recent war, from 1983-2005. On Sunday, the capital appeared hungover from its massive celebration, though small groups of people still sang and danced on street corners. The new country's national anthem played from speakers and cell phones. The joy of independence day temporarily overshadowed the ongoing hostilities between the northern army and southern-allied forces in the northern state of South Kordofan and other violence along the north-south border. The south and north have yet to agree on a demarcated border, and the issue of oil remains contentious. The south has most of the oil but it must move it through the north's pipes. Dozens of world leaders joined a crowd tens of thousands strong in Juba on Saturday. The American delegation was led by Susan Rice, who told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Sunday that the U.S. government remains "focused on the urgency of resolving" the outstanding north-south issues. "We feel that until they are resolved, there's a real risk of the process to date beginning to unravel," she said. Rice said that the U.S. government would remain "very actively involved" in supporting negotiations between Khartoum and Juba. U.S. officials say they hope the talks will restart in the next week through a process led by an African Union panel. "As wonderful a day as yesterday (Saturday) was ... we are mindful that even as those presidents pledge a commitment to peaceful and cooperative relations, that these issues are such that in the absence of resolution there is a risk of things beginning to disintegrate," she added. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes for his role in the conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur, attended Saturday's ceremony and appealed for the two nations to work to "overcome the bitterness of the past." Rice dismissed the possibility of U.S. military intervention in South Kordofan, where northern aerial bombardments have driven tens of thousands of black Africans from the Nuba ethnic group into caves for protection from the raids. She noted that the U.S. has not been involved militarily in Sudan and she doesn't foresee that changing in the near future. She said that given the great urgency of the ongoing crisis, the U.S. is working hard to continue to "engage diplomatically to try to broker (a) cessation" of hostilities. Southern Sudan voted in a January referendum to break away from the north as part of a north-south peace deal that ended the decades-long civil war in 2005. But the future of the 4,000-square-mile (10,500-square-kilometer) Abyei region, which lies near the north-south border, is still in flux. South Sudan is expected to become the 193rd country recognized by the United Nations next week and the 54th U.N. member state in Africa. \|\|\|\|\| South Sudan formally declares independence Updated South Sudan has hoisted its national flag after declaring independence and becoming the world's newest sovereign state to wild applause, tears and song. "We shall never, never surrender," the crowd chanted, as people whistled and wiped tears from their eyes. "I should cry for the recognition of this flag among the flags of the world," shouted one tearful man. "We have been denied our rights. Today, no more shall that happen." The South Sudanese parliament speaker read out the formal declaration of independence for the Republic of South Sudan, the final step in a 2005 deal that followed decades of war between the north and south. "We, the democratically elected representatives of the people, hereby declare Southern Sudan to be an independent and sovereign state," speaker James Wani Igga said, splitting Africa's largest country in two. The declaration of independence affirmed the new state's democratic and multi-ethnic and multi-confessional character, and its commitment to friendly relations with all countries "including the Republic of Sudan", Mr Igga said. The parliament speaker said as a "strategic priority," South Sudan would seek admission to the United Nations, the African Union, the east African bloc IGAD and other international bodies. South Sudan's Salva Kiir was sworn in as president. "I ... do hereby swear by Almighty God that as the president of the Republic of South Sudan I shall be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of South Sudan," Mr Kiir said, reading out an oath on a podium before tens of thousands of southerners. Mr Kiir offered an amnesty to armed groups fighting his government, and promised to bring peace to troubled border areas. "I would to take this opportunity to declare amnesty for all those who have taken up arms against Sudan," he said. "I want to assure the people of Abyei, Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan that we have not forgotten you. "When you cry, we cry. When you bleed, we bleed. I pledge to you today that we will find a just peace for all." Guest of honour Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was guest of honour at the ceremony, and watched a parade by thousands of members of the former rebel army that he failed to defeat in 16 years command of the northern forces. Bashir was guest of honour, even though he is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. He congratulated South Sudan on its independence and called for good neighbourly relations. In a gesture of goodwill, Sudan was the first nation to recognise the south, hours before the official birth of the new state. "We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of their new state," said Bashir, addressing thousands of southerners who cheered after he spoke. "We share their joy and celebration. The will of the people of the south has to be respected. "Despite our belief that Sudan's unity would have been better ... the gains achieved over the last years from the shared conviction of the feasibility of peace ... must be protected." From early morning, revellers gathered at the venue, singing songs and carrying flags, amid tight security for the ceremony, which was attended by scores of African leaders and senior Western officials. It was the largest international gathering ever seen in the war-damaged former garrison town on the White Nile that lacks even basic infrastructure, and army generals were asked to vacate their seats to make space for foreign dignitaries. South Sudan's independence came exactly six months after southerners voted almost unanimously to split with their former civil war enemies in the north. For decades, until a peace agreement was signed in 2005, southern rebels fought successive wars with the north, leaving the region in ruins, millions of people dead and a legacy of mutual mistrust. UN chief Ban Ki-moon, a prominent guest at the ceremony, praised the "political courage" of the Sudanese government in accepting southern independence. "I know secession is painful, emotionally and financially," Ban said after meeting Foreign Minister Ali Karti in Khartoum before flying to Juba for the celebrations. "While the people of north and south Sudan will soon live in different countries, their future will be closely linked." President Barack Obama later granted US recognition of South Sudan as an independent state. "After so much struggle by the people of South Sudan, the United States of America welcomes the birth of a new nation," Mr Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. - AFP/Reuters First posted \|\|\|\|\| South Sudan's flag raised at independence ceremony Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have watched the raising of the country's new flag at an independence ceremony in the capital, Juba. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon are among dignitaries who came for the event. South Sudan became the world's newest nation at midnight, the climax of a process made possible by the 2005 peace deal that ended a long civil war. Sudan earlier became the first state to officially recognise its new neighbour. The south's independence follows decades of conflict with the north in which some 1.5 million people died. Excitement and relief Celebrations in Juba began at midnight (2100 GMT). A countdown clock in the city centre reached zero and the new national anthem was played on television. South Sudan became the 193rd country recognised by the UN and the 54th UN member state in Africa. Continue reading the main story At the scene Officials had planned for people to hold quiet celebrations at home, with the formal declaration of independence due later on Saturday. But the people clearly couldn't wait. Two hours before midnight and lines of cars zoomed around town packed with people waving flags and waiting to celebrate. When the final countdown arrived, the atmosphere was wild. Groups ran down roads, dancing to drum beats. Soldiers and policemen joined in too, waving paper flags and laughing. A sign read: "Congratulations, free at last, South Sudan." But the people didn't need to read the message - they were already dancing and leaping with happiness. "It is a shout of freedom," said Alfred Tut, lifting his head back and screaming. The BBC's Will Ross in Juba says the new country's problems were put aside for the night amid an air of great jubilation. People were in the streets cheering, waving South Sudan flags, banging drums and chanting the name of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, he adds. On Saturday, a formal independence ceremony was held at the mausoleum of the late rebel leader John Garang, who died just months after signing the peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running conflict. Our correspondent says South Sudanese have flocked to the event on a baking hot day - some of them are even climbing trees to get a view of what is going on. There is celebratory mood and there is a heartfelt display of excitement mixed with relief that after so many years of feeling oppressed the tie with the north has finally been cut, he says. The Speaker of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga, read out the Proclamation of the Independence of South Sudan. Afterwards, crowds cheered as Sudan's national flag was lowered and the new flag of South Sudan was raised. 'Southern brothers' Earlier, Mr Bashir arrived at Juba airport where he was greeted by Mr Kiir. Other attendees include former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the US permanent representative to the UN, Susan Rice, and the head of the US military's Africa Command, Gen Carter Ham. Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was held on independence, which was approved by more than 99% of voters. The new country is rich in oil, but one of the least developed countries in the world, where one in seven children dies before the age of five. Unresolved disputes between the north and south, particularly over the new border, have also raised the possibility of renewed conflict. Continue reading the main story South Sudan Facts and figures: Population: 7.5-9.7 million Size: 619,745 sq km (239,285 sq miles), larger than Spain and Portugal combined Major languages: English, Arabic (both official), Juba Arabic, Dinka Religion: Traditional and a Christian minority Main export: Oil Challenges ahead: One of world's least developed countries: Worst maternal mortality rate; most children below 13 not in school; 84% of women are illiterate Relations with Sudan: Dividing debts and oil; border disputes; citizenship Security: At least seven active rebel groups President Bashir, who agreed the 2005 peace deal with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), stressed his country's "readiness to work with our southern brothers and help them set up their state so that, God willing, this state will be stable and develop". "The co-operation between us will be excellent, particularly when it comes to marking and preserving the border so there is a movement of citizens and goods via this border," he told journalists in Khartoum. Fears of fresh conflict resurfaced after recent fighting in two border areas, Abyei and South Kordofan, which forced some 170,000 people from their homes. But separate deals - and the withdrawal of rival forces from the border - have calmed tensions. The UN Security Council has passed a resolution approving a new 7,000-strong peacekeeping force for South Sudan - but this is basically a rebranding of the force which was already in Sudan, mostly in the south. Khartoum has said its mandate would not be renewed, leading the US to argue that the 1,000 UN troops should be allowed to remain in South Kordofan. The 1,000 troops in the disputed town of Abyei are to be replaced by 4,200 Ethiopian soldiers. Our correspondent says keeping both the north and the south stable long after the celebratory parties have ended will be a mighty challenge. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The two sides must still decide on issues such as drawing up the new border and how to divide Sudan's debts and oil wealth. Analysts say the priority for Khartoum will be to negotiate a favourable deal on oil revenue, as most oilfields lie in the south. At present, the revenues are being shared equally. Khartoum has some leverage, as most of the oil pipelines flow north to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Citizenship is also a key issue which has not yet been decided. A new law passed by the National Assembly in Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship from all southerners. The UN refugee agency (UNCHR), has urged both governments to prevent statelessness. Sudan: A country divided \|\|\|\|\| "Today we shall raise the flag of South Sudan to join the nations of the world," said Pagan Amum, the secretary general of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement, speaking at the base of a giant flagpole after independence was declared. Celebrations were not dimmed by the daunting problems faced by South Sudan , born as one of the poorest and most war-ravaged nations on Earth despite massive, under-developed oil resources. From early morning, thousands started to arrive at the official venue of Saturday's celebrations in the capital Juba, singing songs and carrying flags. Bells rang out in churches as midnight arrived, the moment of independence. The streets of the dusty city on banks of the White Nile were patrolled by heavily-armed soldiers. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, was among the dignitaries due to attend a historic ceremony, along with 30 African leaders and senior Western officials. "I have not slept all night, we have been dancing and singing and praising God all night for this our independence," said Mary Ajah, 28, who spent the evening with her congregation at her Protestant church in Juba, the capital. "Not since Adam and Eve walked the Earth have South Sudanese had freedom, until today." Valentino Achak Deng, a former refugee from the war, said: "Really in my heart what makes me happiest is that from today, when people ask me where I am from, I do not have to say Sudan." "Before, we were associated in statehood with the very people trying to exterminate us." South Sudan's independence comes exactly six months after a referendum in which predominantly Christian southerners voted almost unanimously to split with their former civil war enemies in the north of Sudan, which is mostly Muslim. For decades, until a peace agreement was signed in 2005, southern rebels fought a series of wars with the north, leaving the region in ruins, two million dead and a legacy of mutual mistrust. Military parades, prayers and a performance of the new national anthem were due early in the morning, followed by the declaration of independence, the raising of the Republic of South Sudan's flag and the swearing of an oath of office by the new country's first president, Salva Kiir. Southern officials have said the chief guest of honour at the celebrations would be Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, the south's old enemy and a leader who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Alain Juppe, the French Foreign Minister, has already said he will try to avoid an encounter with Mr Bashir at the independence ceremony. But Sudan was among the first countries to officially recognise the fledgling nation, which needs all the help it can get to overcome the vast challenges of building a stable and prosperous future. Northern and southern leaders have still not agreed on a list of issues, most importantly the line of the border and how they will handle oil revenues, the lifeblood of both economies. Sudan, which was Africa's biggest nation until midnight on Friday, has lost much of its oil reserves to the new nation. The Nuba Mountains on the border between Sudan and the new nation has recently been the scene of deadly clashes between northern troops and pro-southern militia. The United Nations Security Council voted on Friday to establish a force of up to 7,000 peacekeepers for South Sudan. \|\|\|\|\| JUBA, South Sudan — The celebrations erupted at midnight. Thousands of revelers poured into Juba’s steamy streets in the predawn hours on Saturday, hoisting enormous flags, singing, dancing and leaping on the back of cars. “Freedom!” they screamed. A new nation was being born in what used to be a forlorn, war-racked patch of Africa, and to many it seemed nothing short of miraculous. After more than five decades of an underdog, guerrilla struggle and two million lives lost, the Republic of South Sudan, Africa’s 54th state, was about to declare its independence in front of a who’s who of Africa, including the president of the country letting it go: Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan, a war-crimes suspect. Many of those who turned out to celebrate, overcome with emotion, spoke of their fathers, mothers, sons and daughters killed in the long struggle to break free from the Arab-dominated north. “My whole body feels happy,” said George Garang, an English teacher who lost his father, grandfather and 11 brothers in the war. \|\|\|\|\| The countdown clock ran out, the flag ascended over the fledgling capital and a new nation born from Africa's longest civil war and the deaths of 2 million people joined the world. The mood in Juba was euphoric Saturday as the Republic of South Sudan formally declared its independence from the north, its bitter antagonist for generations. For the day, at least, a people weary of conflict were willing to ignore that their nation came into being as one the world's most troubled states. Dozens of heads of state gathered outside the mausoleum of southern war hero John Garang at a massive ceremony featuring marching soldiers. Thousands of Sudanese crammed into the parade grounds, singing and cheering. The man sworn in as South Sudan's first president, Salva Kiir, stood alongside his old nemesis, northern President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes in the western region of Darfur. Bashir's presence was a powerful sign that he has acceded to the partition, however grudgingly. It would not exactly be true to say the country is starting from scratch, because it has been building the rudiments of a functioning government since the 2005 peace deal that made independence possible. But nationhood comes fraught with outsized problems. The country, roughly the size of France, has profound poverty, the highest incidence of maternal death in the world and one of the lowest rates of elementary school enrollment. More than 90% of the population survives on less than a dollar a day, and nearly one in five people are chronically hungry, according to the United Nations. Only about a third of the population has access to safe drinking water, and only a fourth is literate, the U.N. says. There are also concerns about the new country's leaders, most of them former rebel fighters united by a foe that, on peace declarations at least, no longer exists. And devilish issues remain unresolved. Mostly Christian and animist South Sudan says the Arab Muslim north is fomenting insurgencies in its territory. Both claim the oil-rich Abyei region, and they have not decided how to divide their abundant oil revenue: The south has the oil and the north has the pipelines to carry it to market. With independence, the question of exactly what each side will demand, and will be prepared to risk, is expected to come into sharper focus. "In a way, the poker game has just begun," said R. Barrie Walkley, the U.S. consul general in Juba, South Sudan's capital. The United States, which helped broker the peace deal, gives South Sudan $300 million a year in development funds and $150 million in food aid, and is financing the building of the country's first paved highway, which will run from the capital to the border with Uganda at a cost of $225 million. How responsibly the Juba government will spend donor money "is obviously a big concern," Walkley said. "If you talk to the man on the street here, there is the perception that there is corruption at the highest levels." Although the government has an anticorruption commission, he said, it lacks prosecutorial powers. U.S. investment here has been discouraged by sanctions against Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, but with independence, South Sudan breaks free of them. USAID will hold a conference this year to give potential American investors a sense of the business landscape. "There are opportunities here," and the agricultural potential is enormous, Walkley said. "It should be the breadbasket of this part of Africa." Nhial Bol, owner and editor of the Citizen, a 5,000-circulation daily newspaper with the motto "Fighting Corruption and Dictatorship Everyday," believes the leadership of South Sudan wasn't prepared for independence when voters overwhelmingly approved it in January. What used to unite the men now running the country was their battle against the north, he said, "but they don't have one vision for the nation." Bol said he has been arrested and detained three times in the last four years — most recently last month — after criticizing officials for corruption and mismanagement. "People like our leaders have not been challenged in their life," Bol said. Most were once rebel fighters in the bush, and rank brought absolute authority, he said. In that environment, "you can just choose to claim somebody's life, and nobody can challenge you," Bol said. "Now, if you ask, 'What did you do with the money?' he won't like it." Recently, he has published critical articles detailing the funneling of large amounts of money to the army without a proper paper trail. "There is no accounting," Bol said. "The corruption here is very high because the culture of war has been institutionalized."	At 0000 Saturday (2100 Friday), the Republic of South Sudan achieved independent recognition, becoming the newest country on the planet. The parliament speaker for the new country recited a formal independence declaration. After independence was declared, the South Sudanese flag was lifted for all to see, with secretary general Pagan Amum stating: "Today we shall raise the flag of South Sudan to join the nations of the world". Thousands of jubilant people celebrated in the new country's capital Juba. They danced in the streets, sang songs and waved flags. Churches rang their bells at midnight as independence arrived. People crowded to the official ceremonial site, held at the of , leader of the rebellion who died several months after the peace deal was signed with Sudan, ending the bloody conflict. Many of the celebrants spoke emotionally of their family members who died in the long struggle with Sudan. George Garang, an English teacher, said he lost his father, grandfather and eleven brothers. "My whole body feels happy," he said. Valentino Achak Deng, who was a refugee during the war, said: "Really in my heart what makes me happiest is that from today, when people ask me where I am from, I do not have to say Sudan." has assumed the role as president of South Sudan. Kiir swore to pledge true alliance and faithfulness to South Sudan. In a speech, Kiir declared amnesty for any who have taken up arms against Sudan. Kiir insisted that martyrs for the cause of the new country did not die in vain, although South Sudan waited 56 years to be free. The southern Sudanese had agitated for more rights, even before Sudan became free from its British colonizers in 1956. Sudan was divided into three separate demographic groups, with the southern part of the country home to Christians and animists and the northern part dominated by Arab populations and those of Muslim faith. Kiir said to people of , Darfur, and , who remain part of Sudan, that "we have not forgotten you. When you cry, we cry. When you bleed, we bleed. I pledge to you today that we will find a just peace for all." Amongst those attending the event were Ban Ki-moon, the current and , the current president of Sudan. The latter was the guest of honour, despite the fact that the has a warrant out for his arrest based on offences of and in the Darfur region. "We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of their new state," al-Bashir said at the event. "We share their joy and celebration. The will of the people of the south has to be respected." Two million individuals died in the between the two territories of Sudan and Southern Sudan and four million more exiled, a war that was waged for decades. Control of south Sudan's oil rich reserves was the primary reason for the fighting. An was signed in 2005, effectively bringing the war to an end, and Sudan became one of the first countries to recognise South Sudan. Under the regulations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Sudan held an independence referendum. In excess of 99% of those participating in the vote agreed to the concept of independence for South Sudan. Meanwhile, the United Nations plans to make the independent state its 193rd recognised country and its 54th African U.N. member state. United States president Barack Obama formerly recognized the new nation on behalf of the US and acknowledged the enormous struggle of its people to achieve independence. South Sudan remains a desperately poor country, with one in five of its inhabitants chronically hungry, only one third having access to safe drinking water and with the world's highest rate of maternal death. The country lacks infrastructure such as roads and railways. It remains torn by ethnic and tribal rivalries and many problems with the north remain unresolved, including the exact boundary line. Important revenue for Sudan has come from the rich oilfields of the south, keeping the country afloat and essential now for both economies. A formula remains to be developed on how to split these revenues between the two areas. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. said today that the peace process between Sudan and North Sudan could come apart if issues such as the division of the oil revenues and the border location are not solved soon.
Paul Kirk Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has named former Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul Kirk, Jr., to temporarily replace the late Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate. Kirk, a longtime friend and former aide to the late senator, will serve in the post until voters pick a permanent replacement during a special election in January. The governor told reporters Thursday that matters before Congress and the nation are "too important for us to be one voice short" in Washington. The appointment gives Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate the 60th seat needed to circumvent efforts by Senate Republicans to prevent crucial votes on a health care reform bill. The late senator had called reform of the nation's health care system the cause of his life. U.S. President Barack Obama says Kirk is an excellent interim choice to carry on the work of the late senator. Kirk described the appointment as a profound honor and added that he will not run in the special election. Kennedy's widow, Victoria, and his two sons, Edward Junior and U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, each urged Governor Patrick to name Kirk. Kennedy died August 25 of brain cancer. The appointment comes one day after the Massachusetts state House and Senate passed legislation allowing the governor to name an interim replacement until a special election is held. \|\|\|\|\| Paul Kirk said it would be an honour to serve as senator The governor of Massachusetts has named Paul Kirk as a temporary replacement to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy. Mr Kirk, 71, is a former Democratic Party chairman and worked for Sen Kennedy for eight years. The move means that Democrats in the US Senate have regained the majority needed to push through President Obama's healthcare reform agenda. They fell one seat short through the death of Sen Kennedy. The Massachusetts state senate voted on Wednesday to allow the state governor to appoint a temporary replacement senator. Without the change, Sen Kennedy's seat would have stayed vacant until January. The rule change was one of Edward Kennedy's last wishes. 'Highest honour' The late senator feared that if his fellow Democrats did not have a full complement of senators, passing a healthcare reform bill would be more difficult. Mr Kennedy campaigned throughout his career for universal healthcare, and did not want his death to jeopardise prospects for reform. His widow Vicki Kennedy and son Edward Kennedy Jr had urged Governor Deval Patrick to choose Paul Kirk. "He (Sen Kennedy) often said that representing the people of Massachusetts in the Senate of the United States was the highest honour that he could possible imagine, and it is certainly nothing that I imagined, but it will be my highest honour, as well," said Mr Kirk. He is expected to be sworn in on Friday and will serve until 19 January. \|\|\|\|\| This was a test of Camelot's clout and Governor Deval Patrick's loyalties. Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, lobbied for Paul G. Kirk, Jr. as Ted Kennedy's interim successor. So did Kennedy's sons, Patrick and Edward M. Kennedy Jr. The pressure built. Patrick yielded. In picking Kirk, Patrick chose a loyal Kennedy foot soldier and political insider who is well-known inside Washington';s power circles -- but is virtually unknown to Massachusetts voters. In picking Kirk, Patrick rejected Michael S. Dukakis, who served three terms as governor of Massachusetts and won his party's presidential nomination, fighting all the while for core Democratic values. The Dukakis loss to George H.W. Bush in the 1988 presidential race is an unpleasant reminder of Democratic failure. But it is also an example of Dukakis's unwavering commitment to key Democratic principles, including health care reform. Dukakis' wife, Kitty, was also an early and avid Patrick supporter, who stood behind his bid for governor when other Democrats wrote it off. Kennedy's last wish for an interim replacement is being framed as a noble desire to retain two votes for Massachusetts, and especially to deliver a vote on health care legislation in the US Senate. It's also about keeping Kennedy's office staff in Washington as long as possible. Given the Kennedy staff reputation for excellence, there's nothing wrong with that goal and there's nothing terrible about choosing Kirk to carry it out. He's a good man for the interim job. But let's not over-wrap it in Camelot's gauze. Pushing Kirk as the temporary bearer of the Kennedy torch is typical backroom politics. And, and it was done with typically sharp Kennedy elbows. Kirk, a lawyer and onetime chairman of the Democratic National Committee, served as a special assistant to Kennedy from 1969 to 1977. He is currently the chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. He will do exactly what Kennedy would want him to do on health care reform and other issues that come up in the limited time of his interim appointment. But so would Dukakis. Or maybe he wouldn't. Is that so bad? Why must Kirk be promoted at Dukakis's expense, by painting the former governor as a stubborn, aging, trash-collecting, eccentric? It's pathetic to read the whispers of unnamed party officials who suggest that "an independent streak" makes Dukakis unsuitable for Washington. It's sad to hear the twenty-year-old jokes about a politician who left office to teach college students, not make millions in lobbyist fees; who walked away from elective office but stayed in the fight for public policy; who knows what he believes in and isn't afraid to state it; and who has a humble side, at odds with the over-inflated political ego that is a Washington staple. In New York, Caroline Kennedy tried and failed to win appointment as Hillary Clinton's replacement, after the former first lady and presidential candidate left the US Senate to become secretary of state. But in Massachusetts, the Kennedy legacy has more staying power and the Kennedy family believes it has more to say about who carries it forth. Ted Kennedy's temporary replacement must reflect Kennedy's values and embody his spirit, as they define it. The interim senator will hold the job only until a new senator is elected on Jan. 19. But the person should be more than a seat-warmer, not that either Kirk or Dukakis fits that description. As James Michael Curley once said, "Every time you do a favor for a constituent, you make nine enemies and one ingrate." From the start, Camelot's last hurrah was a dilemma for Patrick. To paraphrase Curley, who would be the ingrate, who the enemies? If it is a last hurrah. One of Joe Kennedy's twin sons is supposedly interested in the eighth congressional district seat that his father once held. Its current occupant, Rep. Michael Capuano, is running to replace Ted Kennedy in January's special election. A Capuano win would leave an opening for another Kennedy-for-Congress campaign. The torch may yet be passed to another Kennedy generation. No one wants to get burned. Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com. © Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary __________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 2009 Statement by The President on The Appointment of Paul Kirk as US Senator From Massachusetts "I am pleased that Massachusetts will have its full representation in the United States Senate in the coming months, as important issues such as health care, financial reform and energy will be debated. Paul Kirk is a distinguished leader, whose long collaboration with Senator Kennedy makes him an excellent, interim choice to carry on his work until the voters make their choice in January." ### \|\|\|\|\| BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today spoke at a press conference in which Governor Deval Patrick appointed Paul Kirk to temporarily fill Senator Kennedy’s seat. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery. “Governor Patrick, I think we all agree that the mark of a good Chief Executive isn't just making the difficult decisions, but getting them right. We are blessed in Massachusetts to have an enduring surplus of political and civic talent. There are a number of highly qualified people the Governor could have appointed. This was no easy call. But I believe the choice the Governor has made is completely in keeping with the intent of the change in the law by the legislature and the intent of all of us who advocated for the changes, including Senator Kennedy. This is a caretaker appointment, a gentle transition, a kind of stewardship -- and Paul Kirk will be a superb steward of this seat. Governor Patrick found the person for this moment and did what's in the best interests of our state. “I also want to thank Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Murray, without whose leadership and legislative skill the forces of taking the easiest route and the path of political least resistance would’ve prevailed, and this day would never have come. Like Ted Kennedy, they weren't afraid to sail into the political winds and do what's right for Massachusetts. “And none of us here today forget the fact that Ted Kennedy spent the final weeks of his life just as he had spent his life in the Senate looking out for Massachusetts. He reminded us that it was “vital for this Commonwealth to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate” - especially in these times. He asked us to act, not for him, but for Massachusetts, and we did. “Vicki, Teddy Jr, and Patrick keep his memory alive --and understand that Paul Kirk shares Ted's love of this state and this country as well as his passion for public service. And they well understood we’re facing an historic moment in this country, the most critical legislative work in Washington since the New Deal - work in which every vote will count and in which Massachusetts must be fully counted. “In that work, Paul Kirk will ensure Massachusetts has a voice and a steward in these next months. Paul never ran for public office, but he’ll hit the ground running in the Senate with a familiarity with the Teddy’s Senate staff, a command of all the issues, an understanding of the politics at play in Washington, and with such a kinship with Teddy’s public values. “But more than that, he understands that public service is a higher calling and that we have a responsibility to carry on. This is not the first time that the passing of a Kennedy brother brought Paul back into service to his state. After Robert Kennedy’s assassination, Paul was ready to quit politics but after Ted told him he had a responsibility to fight on, he signed on to Teddy’s staff in 1969 and became one of Teddy’s most important advisers, a role he continued even after he left the Senate staff in 1977 through Teddy's final days. And it was during Paul’s tenure on Teddy’s Senate staff that Paul was first drawn into the debate over health care and drawn in with passion. He will represent Massachusetts now in the fight to make Teddy's life's work a reality. “It wasn’t always politics that pulled Ted and Paul together, however. It was a deep and abiding friendship between these two great men. They celebrated Thanksgivings together with their families or the weekends of the Harvard-Yale football games or, in recent months, long visits of shared reminiscing. It is no wonder that in his memoirs, Teddy refers to Paul as ‘my dear friend.’ “All of us were touched these last weeks to see Teddy's desk in the Senate, adorned with his favorite flowers and a simple cherished poem by Robert Frost, Teddy's favorite. But the selection of Paul to replace his friend in the Senate brings to mind a line from one of Frost’s other poems. Frost wrote: “Men work together,” I told him from the heart, ‘whether they work together or apart.’ “Teddy and Paul worked together for much of their lives, and even though they are apart now I have no doubt that they will still be working together in the United States Senate -- working together for Massachusetts.” \|\|\|\|\| "If it had to be somebody else, believe me, this was the guy," Dukakis said in an interview at his Brookline home. "He will hit the ground running, probably even faster than I would because he was down in Washington. He's going to be fine." Dukakis, 75, was for several weeks the most often-mentioned candidate for appointment by Gov. Deval Patrick to temporarily replace the late Edward M. Kennedy in the US Senate until a special election is held Jan. 19 . But this morning, Patrick announced that he had made a different choice, naming Paul G. Kirk Jr., a former Democratic National Committee chairman and the favorite of the Kennedy, to take the seat. "Hey, after you've run for the presidency of the United States..." Dukakis said, before trailing off. Then he graciously fielded questions on what it was like, once again, to be a contender but not quite make it. He took his wife, Kitty, for outpatient knee surgery. He taught a political science class at Northeastern University, and spoke at a campus event about health care as a basic right. BROOKLINE -- If he was having a difficult day, former Governor Michael Dukakis tried not to show it. Dukakis has experienced plenty of disappointment before -- he suffered a bruising defeat in his first bid for re-election, in 1978, and then was crushed by George H.W. Bush in the presidential campaign of 1988. But he remains widely popular among Massachusetts liberals, many of whom were rooting to see him in the public square once more. "The reality is, among Democrats he's very popular," said Philip Johnston, former chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and Dukakis' secretary of health and human services, who was among those initially lobbying for Dukakis to win the appointment. Dukakis had already been vetted by the Patrick administration and was among those under serious consideration when Kirk's name surfaced as the preferred candidate of Kennedy's widow and sons. "I think the governor -- in a politically tenuous re-election position -- caved to pressure from the Kennedys," said one Dukakis fan, Sam Solomon, a fund-raising and organizational development consultant from Brookline who worked on Dukakis's presidential campaign. "Not catering to the family could hurt him next year. Snubbing Mike comes with no real political cost." Republicans -- including GOP gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos -- had been relishing the idea of reviving Dukakis politically so they could remind voters of Dukakis' worst moments as a presidential candidate and link the current Democratic governor to old images of "Taxachusetts." "Go ahead -- make my day," Mihos was quoted as saying of the prospect of Dukakis' appointment. Some political observers were unhappy that Patrick had let Dukakis' name be bandied about publicly if he did not intend ultimately to appoint him. But Dukakis said he has no complaints. "In the last analysis, it's the guy in the governor's office who's got to make this decision. I have a lot of respect for Deval and you've got to make a choice," said Dukakis. "You do this almost every day and you're disappointing somebody when you pick somebody else -- but that's not a problem with me." Dukakis, now gray and subdued, adopted the tone of an elder statesman as he spoke about Kirk, whom he had helped become chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "I have enormous respect for him," Dukakis said. And then, speaking of the period when Kirk headed the Democratic Party and Dukakis was the party's presidential nominee, he said, "He did a fabulous job, and I regret to say I kind of screwed it up at the end." Dukakis, who now teaches political science to about 65 undergraduate and graduate students at Northeastern, said he is happy to continue his academic life. "I'm a very pretty steady guy," he said. "I take my professional work seriously." Does that mean he has no regrets about his latest moment as a contender? The former governor looked down at his kitchen table quietly. "That's that," he said.	Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has named former Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul Kirk to temporarily replace the late Edward "Ted" Kennedy in the US Senate. Ted Kennedy Kirk, a longtime friend and former aide to Kennedy, is to be sworn in as senator this Friday. He will serve in the post until voters pick a permanent replacement during a special election next January. The governor told reporters Thursday that matters before Congress and the nation are "too important for us to be one voice short" in Washington. The appointment gives Democratic leaders in the Senate the 60th seat needed to circumvent efforts by Senate Republicans to prevent crucial votes on a health care reform bill. The late senator had called reform of the nation's health care system the cause of his life. Kirk said he was honoured to be appointed and added that he will not run in the special election. "He Kennedy often said that representing the people of Massachusetts in the Senate of the United States was the highest honour that he could possibly imagine, and it is certainly nothing that I imagined, but it will be my highest honour, as well," Kirk said. Kennedy's widow, Victoria, and his two sons, Edward Kennedy, Jr. and US Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, both urged Governor Patrick to name Kirk. The appointment comes one day after the Massachusetts House and Senate passed legislation allowing the governor to name an interim replacement until a special election is held. Kennedy's seat would have remained empty until the next elections, had that legislation not been approved. The rule change was one of Kennedy's last wishes.
Few Congolese benefit from the country's mineral wealth Voting has been mostly peaceful but at least one person died in protests over alleged fraud in the north-east. Results are not expected to be announced for about a week. Congolese hope the election will end years of conflict and abuse of power. Incumbent President Joseph Kabila faces ex-rebel Jean-Pierre Bemba. The run-off concludes DR Congo's first fully democratic polls since independence in 1960 and is supposed to draw a line under a five-year conflict. 'For the people' Voting started slowly in the capital, Kinshasa, and other western areas because of a violent thunderstorm. Turn-out is reported to be lower across the country, compared to July's first round. HAVE YOUR SAY I think this election will bring peace to neighbouring countries Patrick, Uganda Send us your comments In the north-eastern town of Bumba, supporters of Mr Bemba burnt ballot boxes, after claims of vote-rigging, AP reports. "Two people were killed when the police opened fire to disperse the crowds," local Equateur province governor Yves Mobando told Reuters but a UN spokeswoman said only one person had died. Shots were also fired at a polling station in Kinshasa following claims of attempted fraud. The BBC's Mark Doyle in Kinshasa says it is impossible to exaggerate how the destiny of DR Congo could shape the future of Africa. Nine states border the country and all were affected by the wars caused by the long lack of real government in DR Congo, the power vacuum at the heart of Africa, he says. Some four million people are thought to have died. Its rich reserves of minerals such as gold, diamonds and coltan - used in mobile phones - have attracted a series of armed groups, both Congolese and foreign, intent on looting. DR Congo is two-thirds the size of Western Europe but has just 300 miles of paved roads after years of conflict and gross mismanagement. UN officials say the polls are the most important on the continent since the 1994 election that ended apartheid in South Africa. Polls were due to start closing at 1500 GMT in the east and an hour later in the west, but voting was extended in some areas. Troops standby Mr Kabila has strong support in the east of Congo; Mr Bemba is popular in the west. Many easterners credit Mr Kabila with ending the war and blame the conflict on rebels such as Mr Bemba. FIRST ROUND RESULTS DR CONGO WAR 1998 - 2002 4m dead At least 8 armies, many rebel groups 2003: Rebels join unity government East remains unstable 17,000 UN peacekeepers Mr Kabila won first round polls on 30 July, but fell just short of the 50% needed for outright victory. He has also gained the support of the candidates who came third and fourth - veteran nationalist Antoine Gizenga and Nzanga Mobutu, son of the country's long-time leader, Mobutu Sese Seko. At least 23 people were killed in armed clashes between security forces loyal to Mr Kabila and Mr Bemba in Kinshasa after the results were announced. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on the two candidates to ensure that the election progress passes off peacefully. Both men have promised to urge their supporters against violence and to abide by election rules. Extra UN peacekeeping troops are on standby in the east of the country. In Kinshasa, the UN is being backed up by a special European Union military force. \|\|\|\|\| DRC: Voting begins, marking completion of long democratic transition [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] © Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) Joseph Kabila, 35, who won 44.8 percent of the first round presidential vote on 30 July. KINSHASA, 29 Oct 2006 (IRIN) - Voting began on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a presidential run-off marking the official completion of a transition from war to peace that began in 2003. Incumbent President Joseph Kabila, 35, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, 44, had swept aside a field of 33 candidates in the first round on 30 July. Kabila won 44.8 percent of the vote and Bemba 20 percent. A candidate needed to garner 51 percent plus one vote to be declared the outright winner in the first round. The winner of the second round will be decided by a simple majority. There are 50,045 polling stations open, according to the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Apollinaire Malumalu. Each office will count their ballots, then the voting papers will be transported to compilation centres and the provisional results announced. In the run-up to this round, the country has been tense and there have been several incidents of violence between Kabila’s and Bemba’s bodyguards. The most sensitive area of contention is the capital, Kinshasa, where on 20 August two days of fighting broke out between Kabila's guards and those of Bemba. International institutions supporting the transition to democracy in the DRC intervened to reduce tensions. The DRC, endowed with considerable mineral resources, making it potentially Africa's wealthiest nation, has had a turbulent political history. For five years, it experienced a civil war that eventually involved several African countries, some fighting against the government of the time. The war, in which Kabila and Bemba took part as combatants, killed four million people, mostly through hunger and disease, and displaced five million. This has presented the country with a huge humanitarian challenge. During their 15-day campaign to the run-off, both presidential candidates expressed their determination to end this tragedy by restoring order to the country. "There are five priorities for the rectification of the country after the elections, but the priority of priorities is security," Kabila told reporters at a news conference on Friday. In a separate news conference on Thursday, Bemba said: "Without safety we will not be able to do anything. If elected, our first action will be to restore security." Jean-Pierre Bemba, 44, runner up in the first round ballot on 30 July, with 20 percent of the vote. Bemba and his aides have said that if elected, he would first disband the remaining Congolese militias and expel all foreign fighters from the country. "If obliged to help them return to their countries he will utilise robust methods," Moise Musangana, the spokesman for Bemba's Mouvement de libération du Congo, said. Bemba has said the presence of armed Congolese and foreigners has been the main reason for the continued displacement of at least one million people in the country. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the DRC has said that four million of the five million people displaced during the war had been resettled. The majority of them are in the east of the country. Since 2002, nearly 17,000 primarily Rwandan fighters and their dependents have been repatriated voluntarily, under a scheme supervised by the UN Mission to the DRC. Despite this, nearly 15,000 foreign armed combatants are still present in the east and northeast of the country. A small number are Ugandan and Burundian rebels but most are former Rwandan army troops. Known as the ex-FAR, they and their Interahamwe militia allies are accused of instigating the 1994 Rwandan genocide. They have been operating in the east of the country where they have been accused of violence, theft and rape. Kabila said during his news conference that this problem had almost been solved and the government controlled 99.9 percent of the country. However, he said, it was necessary to build a republican army - one that represented all peoples of the country. Efforts to achieve this have been slow. Since the beginning of this initiative in June, only 14 brigades - each comprising 3,500 men - have been formed. It was hoped to have 18 brigades ready before the elections. Kabila and Bemba said if elected they would complete the process speedily. The brigades, comprising former rival factions, have been deployed to the troublesome Ituri District in the northeast where an armed group created in June 2005, called the Mouvement des volontaires congolais, formed from an alliance of various militiamen who refused to disband and be integrated into the national army, have maintained hostilities. At least 16,500 combatants of six armed groups and militia - transformed into political parties or disarmed - are awaiting integration into the regular army. These Ituri militia have been fighting since 1999, leading to the deaths of at least 50,000 and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more, according to NGOs. In the southeastern province of Katanga, militia previously supported by the government have resisted government disarmament efforts. The militias have continued to attack civilians, causing hundreds of thousands to flee. The army this year launched an operation to disarm and disband them. Kabila and Bemba have both said that apart from integrating the military they would rebuild dilapidated barracks and other military infrastructure dating to the colonial period 46 years ago. In 1960, the police numbered 50,000 men but today this has tripled without a corresponding increase in facilities. Both have also said they would fight against impunity, corruption and bad governance. They said fighting poverty would remain a priority by creating jobs. Countdown in the Congo ei/oss/mw [ENDS] Theme(s) Peace Security \|\|\|\|\| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. \| Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. \| \|\|\|\|\| D.R.CONGO : Congolese Mark the Final Lap in a Watershed Election Eva Weymuller KINSHASA, Oct 29 (IPS) - Two people were reported killed and three injured when police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shot at supporters of Jean-Pierre Bemba, one of two candidates in Sunday's run-off presidential election. The supporters were said to be protesting ballot stuffing in the northern city of Lisala. However, polling got underway peacefully in eastern DRC, still volatile after the country's recent civil conflicts. Voters were waiting quietly outside polling stations hours before the official start of balloting at 06.00 local time (05.00 GMT), although there were visibly fewer in queues than during the first round of voting Jul. 30. Heavy rains disrupted polling in the west. City roads were flooded in the Bas Congo province and in the capital -- Kinshasa -- which is riddled with clogged-up sewers and poor drainage, preventing voters from reaching their polling stations. Some 25 million people registered to cast ballots at over 50,000 polling stations, in the DRC's first democratic elections in over forty years. The vote will decide whether incumbent President Joseph Kabila or Vice President Bemba inherits the leadership of a country that endured consecutive wars between 1996 and 2002. Nearly four million people lost their lives in the fighting, and as a result of the famine and disease provoked by conflict. Kabila received 45 percent of ballots in the first round of polling, more than double Bemba's 20 percent. Electoral rules called for a second round runoff if no candidate won a simple majority in the earlier election. The president is widely expected to win Sunday's ballot, having made alliances with other key candidates since the first round was concluded. His allies include Nzanga Mobutu, son of long time head of state Mobutu Sese Seko. Nzanga Mobutu was captured by Bemba's soldiers last week, while he was campaigning for Kabila in Gbadolite, a former stronghold of Bemba. He was later evacuated in a United Nations tank. Many Congolese are voting in the hope that elections will lead to the establishment of a responsible government, and bring positive change to a country that has been badly affected by war, and the poor governance of Mobutu Sese Seko (ousted in 1997). On Saturday, William Swing, chief of the U.N peacekeeping mission in Congo, said the Congolese polls were the most important on the African continent since the 1994 election held in South Africa that brought Nelson Mandela to power -- and ended apartheid. The U.N. has deployed 17,000 peacekeepers in the Central African country, while the European Union has sent another 2,000 troops to secure the DRC. On election day, armoured personnel carriers teeming with peacekeepers in blue helmets and carrying guns, trundled down roads in Kinshasa and other Congolese cities. Still, security remains a concern. Troops loyal to Bemba and Kabila clashed repeatedly after the announcement of first round results in August during three days of fierce gun battles in Kinshasa, killing more than 30 people. The capital remains heavily armed, and troops with Kalashnikovs slung over their shoulders can often be seen. Kabila keeps an estimated 5,000 soldiers of the presidential guard on hand, and Bemba is reported to have 600 of his own fighters in Kinshasa. Both camps accuse each other of provoking pre-election violence, which has included fistfights at several rallies in Kinshasa and in other provinces between supporters of the two candidates. "Bemba's people are determined to bring this country to ruin," said Chikaya Bin Karubi, a top counselor to Kabila. "Kabila wants to sell our country, and he'll do anything to keep power in his hands," observed Sesanga Dully, spokesman for Bemba. Neither Bemba or Kabila made as many public appearances as they did before the last vote in July, with Bemba canceling a rally in Kinshasa, Friday, the official end of the campaigning period. While popular in the Swahili-speaking east, where he grew up, the president is disliked by many in Kinshasa, where Bemba is the favorite. Both candidates are former belligerents, Kabila having served as a rebel soldier under his father, former president Laurent Kabila, who led forces that overthrew Mobutu with the help of neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. Bemba was a rebel leader backed by Uganda during the 1998-2002 war'; he also stands accused of war crimes for supporting a failed coup in the Central African Republic. The track records of the two candidates have sparked concerns on the part of certain Congolese, who fear that Sunday's vote may lead to more fighting. "I think our candidates are ill-prepared to govern the country," said Fannie Mboyo, a commerce student in Kinshasa. "How can a young rebel and a warlord be our leader?" But Emmanuel Bushashire, an election observer in the eastern city of Goma, sounded a more positive note. "I vote for peace, so my country can reach its potential and become a star in Africa," she said. "Our country has had the worst luck. Maybe now things will change." Peace in the DRC could also herald stability for the troubled heart of the continent, and the start of large-scale foreign investment, which all but disappeared during the times of conflict. The DRC borders nine African countries, and its wars drew in six different armies, some with an eye to exploiting the Congo's rich reserves of gold, diamonds, coltan -- used in cellphones -- and uranium, amongst other resources. (END/2006) Send your comments to the editor \|\|\|\|\| Le diaporama du jour 0 / 10 05/03/2016 - Un porcelet peint aux couleurs du drapeau tricolore, pour les besoins d'une action coup de poing d'un collectif d'éleveurs "Sauvons l'elevage francais", dans une grande surface de la région rennaise (ouest de la France) 1 / 10 05/03/2016 - Le soleil se couche sur le port de Manille, où est amarré le navire militaire américain "USS Blue Ridge" 2 / 10 05/03/2016 - Une femme se couvre le visage,alors que la police anti-émeutes turque fait usage de gaz lacrymogènes pour disperser une manifestation de soutien au quotidien Zaman, à Istanbul 3 / 10 05/03/2016 - Des danseurs montés sur échasses, devant le palais de la Culture, à Abidjan pour l'ouverture de la 9e édition du festival MASA (Marché des arts du spectacle africain) 4 / 10 05/03/2016 - Une patrouille de la police montée britannique en tenue anti-émeutes à Londres, avant un match de Premier League entre Tottenham Hotspur et Arsenal 5 / 10 05/03/2016 - Le magnat des médias australien Rupert Murdoch (g), 84 ans, et sa nouvelle épouse, l'ancien mannequin américain Jerry Hall, 59 ans, posent sur le parvis de l'église Saint-Bride, à Londres, après la cérémonie religieuse 6 / 10 05/03/2016 - Des participants à une parade de carnaval gay et lesbien dansent dans une rue de Sydney 7 / 10 05/03/2016 - Duel entre la Chinoise Li Xiaoxia (d) et la Taïwanaise Cheng I-Ching en demi-finale des Championnats du monde de tennis de table au stade Malawati de Shah Alam, en Malaisie 8 / 10 05/03/2016 - Une route enneigée près de Beaufort en France \|\|\|\|\| Media mogul Sumner Redstone is planning to name National Amusements Inc general counsel Tad Jankowski to the seven-person trust that will determine the fate of both Viacom and CBS in the event of Redstone's incapacitation or death, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Sunday. \|\|\|\|\| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. \| Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. \|	The final round of voting has ended in the first free elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in over forty years. The runoff is between incumbent President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who led a field of 33 candidates in the first round of polling held on July 30, but failed to achieve the required majority vote. The voting has been largely peaceful, though isolated incidents of violence and voting fraud have been reported. Contestants Bemba (left) and Kabila, August 2006.Credit: MONUC/Myiram Asmani/IRIN '''Jean-Pierre Bemba''' '''Joseph Kabila''' 44 years old 35 years old One of four Vice Presidents President leads Movement for the Liberation of Congo leads People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy polled 20% of vote in first round polled 44.8% in first round Main support base in western Congo Main support base in eastern Swahili-speaking Congo son of a prominent businessman, who was close to Mobutu Sese Seko. backed by Ugandan army during the war. retains considerable business interests. son of former President Laurent Kabila, grew up abroad, received wartime backing from Rwanda.
The company has spent years working on its latest online project, APB, and not long after its release has announced job losses and that it will have to move others to provide support for the game following a 30 day consultation period. The company was continuing to work on its next title, My World – an online social networking game when it was closed earlier today. Blame for the closure has been laid at the lackluster performance of APB upon its recent release which the company had high hopes for and promoted heavily during development. Writing in the comments section of video games website Rock, Paper Shotgun last week, the former employee criticised the business strategy of the company, indicating that it centred too much of its plans around the development of APB. “The problem was that management looked at the revenue they wanted to generate and priced accordingly, failing to realise (or care) that there are literally a dozen top quality, subscription free team based shooters. Many of which, now, have progression and persistence of some sort – for free,” explained the employee. “They also failed spectacularly to manage expectations. When Dave J spoke out saying there would ‘not be a standard subscription model’, he unwittingly set expectations at ‘free to play’. When it’s announced that we’re essentially pay-per-hour, we get absolutely killed in the press, somewhat understandably,” they added, before commenting that they believed that the announcement of the game was made ‘too early.’ “The sheer time spent and money it took to make APB is really a product of fairly directionless creative leadership. Certainly Dave J has great, strong, ambitious ideas for his games. But he’s a big believer in letting the details emerge along the way, rather than being planned out beyond even a rudimentary form. For most of the lifetime of APB, he was also CEO of the whole company, as well as Creative Director,” they continued. They added that My World was ‘genuinely groundbreaking’ and said that the senior management team must take responsibility for the problems that the company now faces. Ken Pattullo and Paul Dounis of Begbies Traynor have been appointed joint administrators. \|\|\|\|\| Realtime Worlds announces 60 redundancies One of Scotland's leading video games companies has been plunged into crisis after 60 staff at Realtime Worlds were made redundant. It is understood the entire team working on the company's next title, Project: My World, which was scheduled for release next year, have lost their jobs. The Marketgait company only released its ambitious online game APB at the start of last month after a five-year development process. Just days after APB's release it was announced Realtime Worlds would have to make several staff redundant and move others to provide support for the game but it now appears those job losses run deeper than was imagined. Despite this restructuring, the company announced it was already working on its next title, an online social networking game called Project: My World. It has now been claimed the entire team working on that title have been put on "gardening leave" and are expected to lose their jobs. A statement released by the firm said, "Further to the press release issued on July 7 announcing the post-launch restructure for APB and expected redundancies, the 30-day consultation period with the affected staff has ended. "The supporting infrastructure for a game inevitably changes once released, and those staff that couldn't be redeployed to new projects in the art, audio, coding, design, production, and QA (quality assurance) departments have regrettably been made redundant. "APB continues to be our primary development focus, and we remain fully committed to the game and its players." Studio manager Colin MacDonald said, "The only other thing I can add is, from a personal point of view, how hard all this has been. "We're a pretty tight team and it is highly regrettable to let anyone go but as is always the case, if you can't redeploy someone, redundancies are unavoidable." One source at the company said, "We're laying off 60 staff and cancelling projects that have taken years to develop." Another claimed, "The My World team has been completely laid off. As many as 60 may have gone, but there's a rumour they may be trying to sell the team as a smaller entity." Another member of staff said, "I think it's pretty clear that they put all their eggs into one basket with APB. There's no contingency if it doesn't make it. "We knew they were planning redundancies, but there was no expectation it would be on this scale. "We expected things to be bad but didn't expect so many people to be made redundant so quickly." One member of staff posted on a forum to reassure APB players the game would not be affected. "As we've announced we had to restructure the company to make it so that we can focus totally on APB," he wrote. "APB is still going strong and we fully intend to support 100%." He later posted that he hoped staff working on My World would soon be "picked up" by other companies. Less than a year ago Realtime Worlds announced it was expanding its office space and looking to increase the total number of staff to more than 300. The company was founded in 2002 and headed by Dave Jones, who was responsible for creating two of the world's most successful gaming franchises, Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Realtime's first game, Crackdown, was a huge success, selling over 1.5 million copies and earning the company a video game BAFTA, but the sequel to the game was developed by Dundee studio Ruffian Games, which was set up by former Realtime Worlds employees. Dundee Lord Provost John Letford described the job losses as "disastrous." He said, "There was a real feeling of optimism about Realtime Worlds and this is really bad news. "Dundee has lost its industry and companies like this are our future but, if anybody can recover from this, it will be Realtime because of the drive and ethos they have there." Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern laid part of the blame for the announcement at the feet of the UK Government for withdrawing tax breaks for the industry that were set up by Labour administration. He said, "I have met Colin MacDonald of Realtime Worlds on a number of occasions, indeed as recently as last week and I know he will be devastated at having to make this announcement. "Despite being the party who claimed to support business in their manifesto, the Conservatives, aided and abetted by the Liberal Democrats, in their first budget withdrew these tax incentives. "The Scottish Select Committee, of which I am a member, are conducting an inquiry into the computer games industry's importance to Dundee and indeed throughout Scotland."	Scottish based game-developer Realtime Worlds entered today following low sales of their online shooter game, . Between 60 and 170 jobs will be lost, and a total closure of their US office has been announced. APB will stay online to gamers who have already purchased the game. The company's administrators are A former employee heavily criticised the company's business plans, saying "the problem was that management looked at the revenue they wanted to generate and priced accordingly, failing to realise (or care) that there are literally a dozen top quality, subscription free team based shooters. Many of which, now, have progression and persistence of some sort – for free... The sheer time spent and money it took to make APB is really a product of fairly directionless creative leadership." The game's early announcement, over-reliance on one product and "letting the details emerge along the way, rather than being planned out beyond even a rudimentary form," were also blamed. The company now seeks to restructure, with an aim to provide support for the new game and to work on their next release, Project: My World. This game is still intended to be released, although ''The Courier'' reports that every member of the development team is now jobless.
An "extremely loud" explosion has been reported in Madrid's city centre - with rescue teams, firefighters and police sent to the scene. Spanish media reports said the explosion took place in a building near a nursing home - and videos and images shared on social media showed rubble scattered in the street. "We didn't know where the sound came from. We all thought it was from the school. We went up the stairs to the top of our building and we could see the structure of the building and lots of grey smoke," a witness told the AP news agency. According to TVE, several people have been injured, while Telemadrid is reporting that at least one person is trapped. \|\|\|\|\| “It was like an earthquake, I thought a bomb had gone off.” That was one witness’s account of the explosion that ripped through a building in central Madrid at 2.56pm on Wednesday, at number 98 Toledo street – just a kilometer from the landmark square Plaza Mayor and 15 minutes on foot from the central Puerta del Sol. The seven-story building was destroyed in the blast, leaving at least four people dead and 10 injured. According to source from the emergency services, all the evidence points to a gas boiler that exploded. The building in question was the Church of the Virgen de la Paloma parish center. It contains office space, a shelter run by the charity group Cáritas, a meeting room, a living room and three housing units for priests. A strong smell of gas was detected in the building at around 2pm, spreading throughout the seven floors. One of the priests who was present, according to sources from the archbishopric, called a well-known electrician from the parish, David Santos Muñoz. On arrival, the 35-year-old started to inspect the “several” boilers that were located in the building. Minutes later the explosion took place, blowing out one of its facades. The emergency services confirmed at 7pm on Wednesday that Santos Muñoz had died in the incident. He was married and had four children. Two other men died in the blast but their ages have not been confirmed. Another priest, aged 36, was confirmed on Thursday morning to have died after being injured in the explosion. Another 10 people were left with injuries by the huge blast. The most serious of these was a 26-year-old male who was taken to La Paz hospital in a moderate to serious condition; another male, aged 53, suffered minor head injuries, and was taken to the Ramón y Cajal hospital; and a third man, aged 29, suffered a fractured fibula and was moved to the Clínico hospital. A 27-year-old who suffered injuries to his ankle was taken to the Fundación Jiménez Díaz for tests. Two National Police officers were also taken to hospital with light injuries. The Church priest, Gabriel Benedicto, 39, was locked down in the building due to coronavirus at the time of the blast. “He is okay and in a state of shock,” sources close to him reported. The first minutes after the explosion caused chaos in the central La Latina neighborhood. Hundreds of residents came out to their balconies, as a plume of white smoke – visible from kilometers around – pointed to the origin of the blast. Police and ambulance sirens began to wail all around. Images of the aftermath began to reach WhatsApp groups of thousands of people. Pablo Nogales, 43, came upon the scene as he left the Puerta de Toledo Metro station. There, he explained, he saw a woman crying, as well as parked cars on the street completely destroyed by the rubble. He saw smoke and the faces of passers-by in complete shock. He took out his cellphone, almost as a reflex, and began to record the scene. “It was all full of rubble, it was really shocking,” he said. All of the patrons of a nearby bar, called Eduardo, came out onto the street to see what had happened. “It was as if a bomb had dropped, the noise was tremendous,” said the bar’s eponymous owner. In around 30 minutes, ambulances, fire crews and dozens of police officers had cordoned off the area, and had begun to evacuate residents and passers-by. A neighboring senior residence, Los Nogales, was immediately evacuated, with its 57 residents taken to safety. Also next to the affected building is a school, La Salle-La Paloma. The 200 students had only just returned to class on Wednesday, after a delay of a week and a half due to the effects of the recent Storm Filomena, which left a near-unprecedented amount of snow on the city. The children had a lucky escape from injury, given that they were not in the school yard at the time of the blast as they normally would be due to the snow that was still present in the area. Despite the huge amounts of rubble that fell onto the school yard, just one child was left with a light injury, a minor head wound according to the regional education department. The school has already been inspected by the local council’s technicians, but its students will be studying from home while the full structural damage is evaluated. English version by Simon Hunter.	On Wednesday, at least four people killed by an explosion at a residential building located in Central Madrid, Spain. Eyewitnesses reported a strong smell of gas shortly before the blast. The building was owned by a Roman Catholic Church and was destroyed by the blast. Among the dead was an electrician who was present to inspect the building's boilers. At least ten others were injured as a result of the incident. According to the reports, strong gas smell had first been detected at around 2pm local time, so an electrician David Santos Muñoz had been called out to inspect the boilers. Minutes after this, at 2:56 pm, the building exploded, killing him and at least three others. An owner of a nearby bar told '''' "It was as if a bomb had dropped, the noise was tremendous". An eyewitness also told the newspaper "it was like an earthquake; I thought a bomb had gone off." A school and nursing home were nearby to the blast, the latter of which had suffered minor damage according to the city's mayor . Nobody was injured in either of these and TVE said that the school has been said to have been empty at the time due to closures after significant snowfall in the capital. Police said the nursing home was safely evacuated following the blast.
Bird flu diagnosed at Egyptian chicken farm Printer Friendly Top News U.S. ties with India, Pakistan on divergent paths Kumble leaves England reeling ANALYSIS - Indian Hindus, Muslims seek to rise above conflict Australia ban on uranium sales to India stays--Downer Restive Nepal braces for rebel blockade CAIRO (Reuters) - Bird flu hit an Egyptian chicken farm near Cairo on Saturday and the authorities decided to cull all 10,000 birds there, the state news agency MENA said. Egypt reported its first cases of bird flu on Friday but all of the seven chickens infected were domestic fowl, not on large farms. No humans have contracted the virus in Egypt. The infected chicken farm is at Shibin el-Kanatir, in the Nile Delta 60 km (35 miles) north of Cairo. The authorities have imposed a veterinary cordon three km around the farm and are testing the 12 workers, MENA said. The arrival of bird flu has created panic among many Egyptian and hotlines set up by the government were jammed with calls throughout Saturday. People reported many cases of dead birds found in the street but none of those proved positive. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif advised people who breed poultry at home to get rid of them to prevent the spread of bird flu. "The time has come to get rid of the idea of breeding chickens on the roofs of houses, especially under current circumstances," he said. "The world is moving towards big farms because they can be controlled under veterinary supervision, so if any problems arise, intervening to deal with them is much easier," he added. Many Egyptians in cities and towns keep chickens or pigeons on the roof for their own consumption or as a source of supplementary income. Nazif said the government would compensate the owners of any sick or dead birds. But it is safe to slaughter and eat domestic fowl which do not have the disease, he added. The Egyptian Health Ministry said on Friday it had carried out tests on people living near the seven diseased chickens but no human cases were found. Egypt has tested 37,000 samples from birds since the virus started spreading around the world but Thursday's were the first positive results, it said. To meet an expected increase in demand and hold prices down, the government plans to buy more red meat from abroad, Agriculture Minister Amin Abaza told a news conference. Egypt's main suppliers of livestock have been Sudan and Ethiopia. Egypt has banned the import of live birds and has tightened quarantine controls to keep out bird flu. It also cancelled the annual bird hunting season to minimise contacts between people and migrant birds. H5N1 influenza remains mainly a disease of poultry, and has killed or forced the culling of more than 200 million birds across Asia, parts of the Middle East, Europe and Africa. But it has also infected 169 people, killing 91, and is steadily mutating. If it acquires the ability to pass easily from person to person, it could cause a pandemic that might kill millions. © Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. \|\|\|\|\| اكتشاف 25 أصابه جديدة بأنفلونزا الطيور بمحافظة المنيا 25 اصابة جديدة بفيروس انفلونزا الطيور مصراوى-خاص - أكد مصدر مسئول بوزارة الصحة ظهور 25 حالة جديدة مصابة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور بين الدواجن في محافظة المنيا ليصبح عدد الحالات المصابة بالمرض 32 حالة تم الاعلان عنها رسميا . وقد أكد مصدر مسئول بوزارة البيئة بأن غرفة العمليات الرئيسية بالوزارة قد تلقت بلاغا بنفوق 1000 ديك رومي بمحافظة المنيا تبين من الفحص أنها حاملة للفيروس كما تم رفع حالات الطوارئ القصوي في المحميات الطبيعية وحول البحيرات لتحليل عينات من الطيور المهاجرة ومعرفة إذا كانت سلبية أم إيجابية. وقد أصيب الشارع المصري بحالة من القلق بعد الإعلان عن اكتشاف حالات انفلونزا الطيور في محافظات القاهرة والجيزة والمنيا حيث امتنع المواطنون عن التعامل بالشراء أو بيع الدواجن . وشكلت جميع المحافظات غرف عمليات لاستقبال أي بلاغات وسرعة مواجهتها وقد تأثرت القوة الشرائية لاطباق البيض والدواجن فوصل سعر طبق البيض فور علم المواطنين بظهور بعض حالات في مصر لأربعة جنيهات وكيلو الدواجن بـ 350 قرشا ولم تتعد مبيعات المحلات من الدواجن نسبة الـ3% طوال اليوم. وقامت اجهزة الامن باخلاء محلات بيع الدواجن ومصادرة محتوياتها وخاصة في الاماكن الشعبية وبالرغم من اعتراضات البعض الا ان المخاوف من تفشي المرض جعلت الجميع يتقبل الامر رغم الخسائر الفادحة التي يتعرض لها وقامت قوات الامن المركزي بمحاصرة بعض الاماكن خشية حدوث احتجاجات بينما قامت الاهالي بتسليم الالاف من الدواجن المشتبه في اصابتها الي لجان وزارة الصحة من اجل اعدامها والتخلص منها . وفي محافظة القاهرة تم الانتهاء من وضع كافة الاستعدادات لمواجهة مرض انفلونزا الطيور حيث تقرر تشكيل لجنة تضم اللواء محمود ياسين النائب الأول لمحافظة القاهرة للمنطقة الغربية واللواء حسن مختار للمنطقة الشمالية واللواء عبدالهادي جاد المولي للمنطقة الشرقية واللواء زكي عبدالغني للمنطقة الجنوبية بالاضافة إلي وكيل أول وزارة الصحة بالقاهرة والسكرتير العام والسكرتير العام المساعد مهمة هذه اللجنة متابعة أي حالات واتخاذ الإجراءات الوقائية اللازمة. صرح اللواء محمود ياسين بأنه تم إعداد أرقام تليفونات لتلقي أي بلاغات عن حالات إصابة بالمرض للانتقال فوراً اليها والارقام هي: 3907147. 3912136 بالاضافة إلي الخط الساخن الموجود بالمحافظة برقم 152. وأضاف انه تم إعداد برنامج زمني يبدأ فوراً لإزالة العشش الموجودة وسط المباني لاسكنية أو المقامة وقال إنه تم اعداد مستشفي حميات العباسية ومستشفي منشية الصدر لتلقي أي حالات قد يشتبه الإصابة بها. وقد حظرت أجهزة الأمن بالقاهرة دخول عربات النقل التي تحمل الطيور أو البيض من الدخول إلي العاصمة وتتولي كمائن الشرطة علي كافة منافذ القاهرة فحص السيارات قبل دخولها العاصمة. كما قامت حملات موسعة علي محلات الطيور بكافة أحياء العاصمة وضواحيها للفحص والتأكد من عدم وجود حالات مصابة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور وعند اكتشاف أو الاشتباه في أحد الطيور يتم علي الفور اخطار الطب الوقائي الذي أقام غرفة عمليات خاصة لتلقي البلاغات والاخطارات. وقد أصيب أهالي الجيزة بالهلع بعد تسرب خبر وصول فيروس انفلونزا الطيور إلي المحافظة ونفوق دجاج مزرعة باكملها باوسيم رغم أن التقارير أثبتت ان رفع حرارة الدفايات أدي لاختناق الطيور بها. وقد قام د.فتحي سعد محافظ الجيزة بتشكيل لجنة برئاسته لفحص البلاغ والتأكد من سلامة الطيور وقد قامت اللجنة المشكلة من خبراء الطب البيطري والوقائي بحصر كافة البلاغات التي وصلت الي ما يقرب من 70 بلاغا تهميدا لفحصها بعد اخذ العينات اللازمة. انتقلت اللجنة الي شارع القومية العربية بامبابة وثبت لدي اللجنة نفوق عدد من الدجاج علي الاسطح وتم دفنها دفناً صحياً وأخذت اللجنة عينات من حوالي 50 منزلا مجاوراً بعمق 2 كيلو وإرسالها إلي مركز بحوث الحيوان لفحصها. من ناحية اخري قام الطب الوقائي باخذ عينات من دماء أهالي هذه المنازل التي تم فيها نفوق الطيور وثبت من العينات بعد فحصها انها سلبية وطمأن د.حسين جلال مدير إدارة الطب البيطري بالمحافظة الأهالي مؤكداً أنه لم يثبت بالدليل القاطع وصول المرض بشكل نهائي للمحافظة وان أهم علاماته هو انتفاخ وجه الدجاجة ثم تتحول للون الأزرق للوجه والأنف والقدمين وإسهال شديد. وقال حسين: إن المديرية انشأت غرفة عمليات طوال 24 ساعة بكافة إداراتها لتلقي البلاغ والانتقال الفوري لمكانه. واشتكي أهالي امبابة والوراق من انتشار عشش الدجاج فوق أسطح المنازل مشيرين الي ان اصحاب العمارات وأقاربهم حولوا تلك العشش إلي مزارع تنبعث منها الروائح الكريهة وحشرات الطيور. وكانت مديرية الصحية بالجيزة قد تلقت بلاغين في منطقتي امبابة والوراق من شخصين يقومان بتربية الطيور حيث أكدا عثورهما علي 31 دجاجة نافقة وطلبوا تحليل هذه الدواجن وجاءت نتيجة التحليل تؤكد أنها مصابة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور. وزيادة في الحرص تم أخذ عينات من السكان المقيمين في المنزل الموجودة به الدواجن لتحليلها ومعرفة إذا كانوا مصابين من عدمه. وأكد الدكتور فتحي شبانه مدير مستشفي حميات امبابة ان المستشفي لم يستقبل أي حالات آدمية مصابة بانفلونزا الطيور مضيفا انه فور ظهور الحالات في الدواجن بمنطقتي امبابة والوراق تم رفع درجة الاستعداد بالمستشفي واستدعاء الأطباء تحسباً لوصول اي حالات مصابة ليتم التعامل معها. كما نفقت 10 دجاجات في منزل فلاح باوسيم وبفحص طبيب بيطري لعينة منها تبين ان النفوق كان بسبب مرض انفلونزا الطيور. وتلقت مديرية الطب البيطري بالجيزة بلاغين بنفوق دجاجتين وإعياء 20 أخري في منطقة حدائق الأهرام. كما وصل عدد البلاغات في منطقة الوراق الي 4 بلاغات وبذلك وصل عدد الدواجن النافقة في الوراق إلي 60 دجاجة. اقرأ ايضا: \|\|\|\|\| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. \| Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. \|	Yesterday February 17, 2006, the World Health Organisation officially declared presence of the H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus in Egypt. "There is avian flu now in Egypt," Hassan el Bushra, regional adviser for emerging diseases at the eastern Mediterranean regional office of the WHO said. His response was to the reported presence of H5N1 virus in dead birds in three areas in Egypt - namely Cairo, Giza, and Al-Minya. Today February 18, 2006, a responsible source from Egyptian ministry of health announced reporting of another 25 cases of infected birds in Al-Minya with aftermath of 35 confirmed cases between birds, yet there are no human cases reported. === Control measures === Egypt has banned the import of live birds and has tightened quarantine controls at airports to keep out bird flu. It has also canceled the annual bird hunting season to minimize contacts between people and migrant birds. In Cairo phone numbers 3912136, 3907147, and the hotline 152 have been assigned for reporting any suspected cases. A newly formed unit formed of veterinarians and preventive medicine specialists in Giza actively studying more than 70 reports of dead birds for exclusion of H5N1. Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Naxif has advised people who breed poultry at their homes to dispose of their birds to prevent the virus from spreading. "The time has come to get rid of the idea of breeding chickens on the roofs of houses, especially under current circumstances," he said. Many Egyptian citizens breed chickens and pigeons on the roof of their residences for their own consumption and as a source of extra income. Despite avian flu mainly being a disease of poultry, it has also infected 171 people, killing 93 of them, and is steadily mutating. If it acquires the ability to pass easily from person to person it could cause a pandemic that might kill millions.
Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream seized for safety tests Each serving of the breast milk ice cream costs £14 Continue reading the main story Related Stories Ice cream made from breast milk has been removed from a central London restaurant on health grounds following complaints by members of the public. The dessert, called Baby Gaga, went on sale at ice cream parlour Icecreamists in Covent Garden in February. But Westminster Council officers removed the product to make sure it was "fit for human consumption". Icecreamist founder Matt O'Connor said the donor was medically screened and the milk mixture was pasteurised. 'Amazing response' The ice cream was churned with donations from London mother Victoria Hiley, and served with a rusk and an optional shot of Calpol or Bonjela. Each serving costs £14. Westminster council said it had received two complaints from members of the public and concerns were raised by the Health Protection Agency and Food Standards Agency. Tory Westminster Councillor Brian Connell said: "Selling foodstuffs made from another person's bodily fluids can lead to viruses being passed on and, in this case, potentially hepatitis. "As the local authority we will support small businesses and applaud innovative ideas wherever possible, but must protect the health of consumers." Mr O'Connor, said: "We have had an amazing response - many women have come forward and offer to give us milk. "You can buy alcohol and tobacco but not breast milk in Westminster. "If Westminster bans this then I am going to begin a protest with mums who have already shown support." \|\|\|\|\| LONDON -- Local government officials said Monday they have confiscated ice cream made with human breast milk from a London shop amid concerns the dessert is unsafe. A spokeswoman from Westminster City Council said it was responding to two complaints from the public over whether a shop should be selling edibles made from other people's bodily fluids and awaiting guidance from Britain's Food Standards Agency. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with council policy. The official said the ice cream, marketed as "Baby Gaga" and launched last week, is being tested with the full cooperation of The Icecreamists, the parlor marketing the dessert. Viruses, including hepatitis, can be passed on through breast milk. The company has said that the milk was screened in line with blood donor requirements before being pasteurized and churned together with vanilla pods and lemon zest. The dish comes in a martini glass and sells for 14 pounds ($22.50) each. "As far as we are aware there is no law prohibiting a business from selling breast milk ice cream," Matt O'Connor, founder of The Icecreamists, said in a statement. The company paid women who responded to an online ad to donate their breast milk and said all of its products meet the "highest and safest" of food standards. The company said it has had a "huge response" to its "fresh take" on the world of ice cream. The Icecreamists said at the time that its "Baby Gaga" ice cream sold out as soon as it launched on Friday, but that women had signed up to donate more milk.	Local British councillors have reported that they have seized ice cream made from the that had been placed on sale in a shop located in London, England, United Kingdom. Officials cited concerns relating to health and safety. A spokeswoman explained that two complaints made by members of the public were being replied to by the council. The Icecreamists, the marketing company involved with the dessert known as 'Baby Gaga', are fully co-operating with officials who are carrying out tests that are currently ongoing. According to Brian Connell, an individual from the council, "selling foodstuffs made from another person's bodily fluids can lead to viruses being passed on and, in this case, potentially ." A serving of the ice cream is valued at 14 (US$22.76, €16.49) and is provided in a . The item became available to purchase during the last week and quickly increased in popularity; within days, the first shipment was sold out. The breast milk was donated by fifteen women who responded to an online advertisement located on a forum aimed at mothers. According to the company, all milk is screened for the "highest and safest" standards before it is and prepared for human consumption. It is then mixed with the of lemons and vanilla seed cases. Matt O'Connor, who founded the Icecreamists, stated: "As far as we are aware there is no law prohibiting a business from selling breast milk ice cream". He claimed that "if it's good enough for our children, it's good enough for the rest of us" and "some people will hear about it and go yuck - but actually it's pure organic, free-range and totally natural." Brian Connell, a member of the the Conservative Party in the UK, believes that "as the local authority we will support small businesses and applaud innovative ideas wherever possible, but must protect the health of consumers."
PayPal becomes a bank to fight off Google By Tom Stevenson Last Updated: 1:45am BST 16/05/2007 Online payments company PayPal is to become a bank as part of a push to beef up its European operation and fend off fierce new competition. The eBay-owned electronic payment system is fighting off a challenge from Google, which launched a rival system last month. PayPal said it was moving its headquarters to Luxembourg, where it has been awarded a banking licence. This means it will no longer be authorised by the Financial Services Authority, which has overseen PayPal since it became an Electronic Money Issuer in 2004. PayPal has 35m customers in Europe, including 15m in Britain, which is the region's biggest online shopper. More than half of Britain's population is now online and more than half of British internet users have a PayPal account. PayPal allows users to pay for goods and services online, without having to key in their card details for each purchase. The service also hides account details from retailers, for extra security. advertisement Brent Bellm, head of PayPal's European operation, said the changes would allow the company to increase the number of online retailers offering the service. According to Forrester Research, 23pc of European internet shoppers prefer to pay with PayPal. More than 100,000 retailers offer PayPal but most are small. Only a handful of big retailers such as Boots and Harrods are signed up to PayPal. Although Google is a threat to PayPal, the eBay subsidiary has continued to grow since the search engine launched its Checkout service last year in America. PayPal has more than 130m users worldwide. Last month, eBay said a 27pc rise in first-quarter revenues to $1.77bn was boosted by a 51pc jump in payments through PayPal. The online auction house accounted for around 60pc of PayPal revenues but the other 40pc was growing faster, Mr Bellm said. Post this story to: del.icio.us \| Digg \| Newsvine \| NowPublic \| Reddit \|\|\|\|\| PayPal heeft het statuut verworven van een Luxemburgse bank. De online betalingsdienst telt in Europa zo'n 36 miljoen rekeninghouders en wordt door meer dan 100.000 internetwinkels aanvaard. De grootste klant blijft eBay, sinds vijf jaar ook het moederbedrijf van PayPal. Totnogtoe opereerde PayPal in Europa met een vergunning van de Britse financiële toezichthouder FSA, als een 'instelling voor elektronisch geld'. Die vergunning werd ingeruild voor een volwaardige banklicentie in Luxemburg. 'Dat laat ons toe om actief handelaars te gaan prospecteren in de verschillende Europese landen', zegt Benelux-directeur Christopher Coonen. 'Met onze Britse vergunning kon dat alleen in het VK zelf, en konden we in andere landen alleen reageren op vragen die van de handelaars zelf uitgingen.' Voor de bestaande gebruikers verandert er niks, zegt Coonen. 'We gaan hen wel informeren over het nieuwe statuut, en ze zullen onze algemene voorwaarden opnieuw moeten aanvaarden.' Het is voorlopig niet de bedoeling om met het bankstatuut ook bancaire diensten te gaan aanbieden, maar de mogelijkheid wordt wel bestudeerd. 'Als we dat doen, zal het wel altijd in samenwerking zijn met lokale partijen', zegt Coonen. (wdp)	San José, California, together with several other eBay divisions. The online payment service PayPal has received a banking licence in Luxembourg, promoting it to the status of a bank. As a consequence PayPal will move their headquarters to Luxembourg. Since 2004 PayPal had the status of an Electronic Money Issuer supervised by the U.K. Financial Services Authority. Having an official bank status opens new prospects for the company: "This will allow us to actively scout retailers in different European countries. With our British licence, we could only do that in the U.K. itself, and in other countries we could only react to requests of the retailers themselves," Christopher Coonen, General Manager of PayPal Southern Europe and Benelux, explained. The change will not affect existing customers dramatically, says Coonen: "We are going to inform them of the new status, and they will have to accept our terms of service again." He also said that for now, there were no plans to use the new licence to offer traditional banking services, but the possibility was being evaluated by PayPal. Working with local partners would be an option to accomplish this, according to Coonen. The British newspaper ''The Daily Telegraph'' speculates that the move is part of a strategy to compete with Google's payment service Google Checkout, which launched in the U.K. last month. PayPal has 130 million users worldwide, and 35 million customers in Europe. Payments via its mother company eBay continue to make up 60% of PayPal's revenues. More than half of Britain's internet users have a PayPal account.
The £5bn Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is intended to smash protons - one of the building blocks of matter - into each other Repairing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva will cost almost £14m ($21m) and "realistically" take until at least next summer to start back up. An electrical failure shut the £3.6bn ($6.6bn) machine down in September. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern) thought it would only be out of action until November but the damage was worse than expected. It is hoped repairs will be completed by May or early June with the machine restarted at the end of June or later. Cern spokesman James Gillies said: "If we can do it sooner, all well and good. But I think we can do it realistically (in) early summer." Fundamental questions The LHC was built to smash protons together at huge speeds, recreating conditions moments after the Big Bang, and scientists hope it will shed light on fundamental questions in physics. The fault occurred just nine days after it was turned on with Cern blaming the shutdown on the failure of a single, badly soldered electrical connection in one of its super-cooled magnet sections. The collider operates at temperatures colder than outer space for maximum efficiency and experts needed to gradually warm the damaged section to assess it. "Now the sector is warm so they are able to go in and physically look at each of the interconnections," Mr Gillies told Associated Press. The cost of the work will fall within the Cern's existing budget. Dr Lyn Evans, the Welsh-born project director has called the collider "a discovery machine, the most sophisticated scientific instrument of our time." \|\|\|\|\| Physics / Physics 6 hours ago \| not rated yet \| no comments yet (PhysOrg.com) -- A water drop placed on a soap film that vibrates up and down may bounce as if on a trampoline -- but it's much more than that, according to MIT mathematicians who say the "fluid trampoline" ... Physics / Physics 10 hours ago \| 4.8 / 5 after 8 votes \| no comments yet A Princeton-led team of researchers has discovered an entirely new mechanism for making common electronic materials emit laser beams. The finding could lead to lasers that operate more efficiently and at higher ... Physics / Materials 11 hours ago \| 4.5 / 5 after 2 votes \| 1 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at MIT and the National University of Singapore have made significant progress in understanding a class of materials that has resisted analysis for decades. Their findings could lead to the rapid ... Physics / Physics 4 hours ago \| 4.8 / 5 after 4 votes \| no comments yet (PhysOrg.com) -- About 10 years ago, scientists reached the astonishing conclusion that our universe is accelerating apart at ever-increasing speeds, stretching space and time itself like melted cheese. The ... Physics / Physics 4 hours ago \| 5 / 5 after 1 vote \| no comments yet (PhysOrg.com) -- Using only the computing power of 16 Sony Playstation 3 gaming consoles, scientists at The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, have solved a ...	A view of the LHC tunnel. Map of the LHC (the large circle) and the area underneath which it lies. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) said on Monday that repairing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will cost up to €16.6 million or US$21 million. The LHC, which is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator, is located near the border of France and Switzerland and crosses the border four times. It has a diameter of 27 km (17 miles). It is designed to simulate the conditions shortly after the Big Bang, but it broke down on September 19 due to an electrical failure. Most of the repair time is covered by previously scheduled maintenance time, and CERN originally hoped to have the machine up and running again by early May. However, CERN officials now believe that it may take until the end of July or longer. CERN spokesman James Gillies said: "If we can do it sooner, all well and good. But I think we can do it realistically by early summer." The machine operates at temperatures colder than outer space and must be gradually warmed up for experts to assess the damage, causing much of the delay. CERN expects the repair cost to fall within the annual budget for the project.
Raila Odinga has the largest party but not an overall majority Its candidate won by just four votes after three tense rounds and following heated exchanges over ballot procedure. The opposition, which says the presidential vote was rigged, feared the ballot for Speaker would be too. Meanwhile, ex-UN head Kofi Annan has postponed his mediation trip for "a few days" because of flu, the UN said. The parliament meeting was the first time opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki had been in the same room since the 27 December election. More than 600 people were killed in unrest that followed. Celebrations The vote for Speaker - the nation's third most powerful figure - began amid bitter clashes, with the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) calling for an open rather than secret ballot. We hope and we expect that eventually everybody will come to their senses, realise that we've got to learn to live with each other Martha Karua Justice minister Clash of generations In pictures: Angry parliament Senior ODM official William Ruto said: "We went through [national] elections with a secret ballot, and you stole the vote." But government MP Mutula Kilonzo retorted: "You are now violating the very principle this country has been seeking." After one false start, MPs were called forward to cast secret ballots into a transparent box in the centre of the chamber. The first round ended with 104 votes for ODM-backed Kenneth Marende and 99 for the government-backed Francis ole Kaparo. In the second round Mr Marende took 104 and Mr Kaparo 102. The third round, where a simple majority was sufficient, was tense, with MPs crowding around the count to dispute possible spoilt ballots. The ODM erupted in celebration as it was announced Mr Marende had won by 105 votes to 101. He was immediately sworn in and said he was "humbled and deeply touched by the confidence you have actively demonstrated in me". Analysts say the vote highlights the difficulties Mr Kibaki will have in trying to govern after his disputed win. Security was tight for the meeting, with troops deployed around the parliament building in Nairobi. HAVE YOUR SAY The only option for Kenya is to have a transitional government Mohammad, Hargeisa, Somalia Send us your comments Opposition MPs had originally planned to sit on government benches. But in the event, Mr Odinga took the seat reserved for the leader of the opposition. His followers declined to stand up as Mr Kibaki entered the chamber - an indication that they do not regard his election as valid. The ODM is the largest party in parliament, though it does not have an absolute majority. 'Cooler heads' About 250,000 people fled or were driven from their homes after the election in a country once seen as a beacon of relative stability in East Africa. The BBC's Adam Mynott in Nairobi says the level of violence in Kenya has fallen significantly, but tension remains very high. Speaking ahead of parliament resuming, ODM MP Najib Balala said the party was still pressing for a new election. Mr Annan has said he expects all sides to work hard for a solution But he told the BBC's Network Africa programme: "We want to prove to the world we are not going to act in an uncivilised way, we are going to parliament, we are going to show that we are controlling parliament." Justice Minister Martha Karua told the BBC she believed cooler heads would prevail. "We are ready to navigate through a hung parliament through persuasion, through negotiations. "We expect that eventually everybody will come to their senses, realise that we've got to learn to live with each other." Mr Annan, the former UN secretary general, was due to arrive on Tuesday at the head of an African mediation team in an effort to bring about negotiations between Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga. But a UN statement said: "On his way to the airport in Geneva this morning... Kofi Annan was taken ill with a severe flu." It said the mission to Nairobi would be postponed for "a few days". \|\|\|\|\| Kenya's new Parliament convened for the first time since the country's disputed December 27 election, but lawmakers on opposing sides carried their fight over the balloting into the chambers. Nick Wadhams has the story from VOA's Nairobi bureau. Najib Balala, member of the Kenyan parliament belonging to Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM), walks into parliament past group of police Wearing orange kerchiefs in their breast pockets, lawmakers with Raila Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement insisted the election for speaker be held by open ballot; Mr. Kibaki's supporters demanded the vote be secret. Tempers flared for over an hour as prominent politicians from both sides traded accusations from their respective sides of the aisles, before the two parties agreed to go ahead with a secret ballot. "The standing orders are very clear that members will be given a ballot. Can you show us where it says secret ballot? We went into election with secret ballot, you stole the vote, we cannot trust you anymore," said William Ruto, a senior Odinga adviser. After a first round of voting, the Odinga candidate had a narrow lead, necessitating another ballot. If no-one gets two-thirds majority after two rounds the speaker will be elected by a simple majority in the third round. It was bickering like that seen in Parliament that has led many Kenyans to say they have felt abandoned by their leaders in the weeks of chaos that followed the December 27 vote. A supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga chants slogans next to car burnt in post election violence, in Kisumu, 15 Jan 2008 Some say they are furious over the presidential vote, which international observers have said was flawed. Others appear to be taking advantage of lawlessness that followed the vote. While the parliamentary debate went on, violence continued across the country. In Nairobi's giant Mathare slum, gangs torched a school and an orphanage. And to the northwest, in an area hit hard by violence, groups of young men allegedly from the Kalenjin tribe killed at least two people and set their homes ablaze. "Gangs of Kalenjin warriors invaded the village and they burned down a couple of houses. When people went in to salvage some things, they met them and they killed two of them," said Karanja Njoroge, a retired professor in the village where the attacks occurred. "Several others were wounded with arrows in their bodies. And they removed the ones who were wounded and they ran away on the main highway toward the police station." Kenya is bracing itself for Wednesday, when Mr. Odinga plans the first of three consecutive days of protest in cities around the country. The government has said it will not allow the demonstrations to go ahead. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan is to go to Nairobi to try to find a solution to the standoff. Mr. Kibaki's government has said it sees no reason to negotiate, because it believes the vote was fair. \|\|\|\|\| Kenya's new Parliament convened for the first time since the country's disputed December 27 election, but lawmakers on opposing sides carried their fight over the balloting into the chambers. Nick Wadhams has the story from VOA's Nairobi bureau. Najib Balala, member of the Kenyan parliament belonging to Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM), walks into parliament past group of police Wearing orange kerchiefs in their breast pockets, lawmakers with Raila Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement insisted the election for speaker be held by open ballot; Mr. Kibaki's supporters demanded the vote be secret. Tempers flared for over an hour as prominent politicians from both sides traded accusations from their respective sides of the aisles, before the two parties agreed to go ahead with a secret ballot. "The standing orders are very clear that members will be given a ballot. Can you show us where it says secret ballot? We went into election with secret ballot, you stole the vote, we cannot trust you anymore," said William Ruto, a senior Odinga adviser. After a first round of voting, the Odinga candidate had a narrow lead, necessitating another ballot. If no-one gets two-thirds majority after two rounds the speaker will be elected by a simple majority in the third round. It was bickering like that seen in Parliament that has led many Kenyans to say they have felt abandoned by their leaders in the weeks of chaos that followed the December 27 vote. A supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga chants slogans next to car burnt in post election violence, in Kisumu, 15 Jan 2008 Some say they are furious over the presidential vote, which international observers have said was flawed. Others appear to be taking advantage of lawlessness that followed the vote. While the parliamentary debate went on, violence continued across the country. In Nairobi's giant Mathare slum, gangs torched a school and an orphanage. And to the northwest, in an area hit hard by violence, groups of young men allegedly from the Kalenjin tribe killed at least two people and set their homes ablaze. "Gangs of Kalenjin warriors invaded the village and they burned down a couple of houses. When people went in to salvage some things, they met them and they killed two of them," said Karanja Njoroge, a retired professor in the village where the attacks occurred. "Several others were wounded with arrows in their bodies. And they removed the ones who were wounded and they ran away on the main highway toward the police station." Kenya is bracing itself for Wednesday, when Mr. Odinga plans the first of three consecutive days of protest in cities around the country. The government has said it will not allow the demonstrations to go ahead. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan is to go to Nairobi to try to find a solution to the standoff. Mr. Kibaki's government has said it sees no reason to negotiate, because it believes the vote was fair.	Kenya's new Parliament convened for the first time since the country's disputed December 27 election, but politician's on opposing sides took part in a heated discussion over who would be the new speaker of the party. Kenyan opposition politicians argued with followers of re-elected President Mwai Kibaki over how to pick a new parliamentary speaker. When a discussion into how the speaker should be decided started, lawmakers with 's opposition insisted the election for speaker be held by open ballot; Mr. Kibaki's supporters demanded the vote be secret. The discussion took place for over an hour politicians from both sides took part in a discussion where anger was clearly shown, before the two parties decided a secret ballot was acceptable. "The standing orders are very clear that members will be given a ballot. Can you show us where it says secret ballot? We went into election with secret ballot, you stole the vote, we cannot trust you anymore," said William Ruto, a senior adviser for Odigna. After a first round of voting, the Orange Democratic Movement candidate had a narrow lead, necessitating another ballot. If no-one gets two-thirds majority after two rounds the speaker will be elected by a simple majority in the third round. It was an argument like that seen in Parliament that has led many Kenyans to say they have felt abandoned by their leaders in the weeks of chaos that followed the December 27 vote. ===Demonstrations=== Kenya is preparing for Wednesday, when Mr. Odinga plans the first of three consecutive days of protest in cities around the country. The government has said it will not allow the demonstrations to go ahead. Former secretary-general is to go to Nairobi in a few days to try to find a solution to the issue. Mr. Kibaki's government has said it sees no reason to negotiate, because it says the vote was fair. Annan was due to arrive today but delayed it as he is suffering from flu. ===Background=== At least 500 people have been killed and more than 250,000 displaced in clashes between protesters and police, as well as ethnic-related violence that has seen rioters torch homes and businesses across the nation. Some say they are furious over the presidential vote, which international observers have said was flawed. Others appear to be taking advantage of lawlessness that followed the vote. While the parliamentary debate went on, violence continued across the country. In Nairobi's giant Mathare slum, gangs torched a school and an orphanage. And to the northwest, in an area hit hard by violence, groups of young men allegedly from the Kalenjin tribe killed at least two people and set their homes ablaze. "Gangs of Kalenjin warriors invaded the village and they burned down a couple of houses. When people went in to salvage some things, they met them and they killed two of them," said Karanja Njoroge, a retired professor in the village where the attacks occurred. He added that "several others were wounded with arrows in their bodies. And they removed the ones who were wounded and they ran away on the main highway toward the police station."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Frank Gardner has been given access to the facility that was damaged in Saudi Arabia on 14 September The UN has welcomed a proposal from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a peace initiative. A statement said the proposal could send "a powerful message of the will to end the war". The offer comes a week after drone and missile strikes hit Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Houthi rebels have claimed to have carried out the attack, but the US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran. Tehran denies any involvement in the strikes. Yemen's civil war has killed 10,000 and pushed millions to the edge of starvation in what has become the world's worst man-made humanitarian disaster. Saudi Arabia and its regional allies drastically escalated the conflict in 2015 when they launched an air campaign against the Houthis, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa. The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom. What have the Houthis offered? In a televised announcement, Houthi Supreme Political Council chair Mahdi al-Mashat said the group would end all strikes on Saudi Arabia, provided the kingdom and its allies did the same. "We reserve the right to return and respond in the case there is no reaction to our initiative," he said, and called on all parties in Yemen to work towards "comprehensive national reconciliation". Image copyright Reuters Image caption The announcement came as Houthi followers marked the fifth anniversary of the rebels' capture of Yemen's capital, Sanaa On Saturday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths welcomed the halt on strikes and the calls for a political solution. "The special envoy stresses the importance of taking advantage of this opportunity and moving forward with all necessary steps to reduce violence, military escalation and unhelpful rhetoric," a statement issued from his office read. What about the attacks on Saudi oil facilities? The Houthis have repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field on 14 September which affected markets around the world. But both the Saudis and the US have laid the blame squarely on Iran. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir on Saturday said the weapons used were Iranian and vowed to release their full findings. Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Mr Jubeir said his government was in consultation with allies and would take "necessary measures" after its investigation was complete, without giving details of possible actions. "The kingdom calls upon the international community to assume its responsibility in condemning those that stand behind this act, and to take a firm and clear position against this reckless behaviour that threatens the global economy," he said. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Saudi Arabia says the direction of the strikes showed the missiles could not have come from Yemen The Trump administration backs the Saudi accusations. Unnamed senior officials have told US media that the evidence suggests the strikes originated in the south of Iran. Officials on Friday announced a moderate deployment of US troops to Saudi Arabia, to help boost its missile and air defences. But the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in Iran, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, warned on Saturday that the country's "readiness to respond to any aggression is definitive". "Be careful, a limited aggression won't remain limited. We'll pursue any aggressor," he said at the opening of an exhibition of captured drones in the capital, Tehran. "We'll continue until the full destruction of any aggressor." Speaking at the same event, the head of the Guards' aerospace branch, Brig Gen Amirali Hajizadeh, said the US ought to learn from its past failures and that any attack on Iran would receive "a crushing response". The country's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are an elite branch of Tehran's military and have been designated a terrorist organisation by the US. Iran, the regional rival of Saudi Arabia, is an opponent of the US, and tensions between the two have risen markedly this year. The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May - accusations rejected by Tehran. \|\|\|\|\| Foreign Policy Rouhani: Foreign Military in Region Threatening Energy Security, Peace TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that foreign military presence in the Middle East has put energy security and peace in serious danger, adding that trans-regional forces should leave the region if they are honestly concerned about security. “The presence of foreign forces can be dangerous for the region, international waters, as well as the security of shipping lines and energy, but our path is to create unity and coordination with regional countries," President Rouhani said this morning, addressing the massive military parade in Tehran which along with parades across the nation mark the start of the Sacred Defense Week. Calling upon those who claim to be worried about security in the Middle East, Rouhani said, “If they are telling the truth, they’d better not turn the region into a stage of arms race … if they are after [establishing] security, they’d better get out of the region.” He went on to say that the attempts by those who try to pin the blame for regional incidents on the Islamic Republic are “just like all of their exposed lies.” Washington and Riyadh rushed to blame Tehran for an attack led by Yemeni Armed Forces against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on last Saturday. The attack effectively halved the kingdom's oil production. Rouhani went on criticizing Washington for its destructive role in the region, saying, wherever Americans have set foot, they increased insecurity, as it was proved in cases of Afghanistan and Iraq. The Iranian president noted that he is going to present an initiative in the UN General Assembly this week which will guarantee the security of the Persian Gulf and Hormuz Strait with the cooperation of regional states. Early on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to Riyadh’s attacks against al Hudaydah port in retaliation for last week operation of the Yemenis against the kingdom’s oil installations as a clear sign that even Saudi Arabia itself does not believe in its self-concocted fiction of Tehran’s involvement in the attacks. “Since the Saudi regime has blamed Iran—baseless as that is—for the attacks on its oil facilities, curious that they retaliated against Hodaideh in Yemen today—breaking a UN ceasefire,” Zarif tweeted early on Saturday. “It is clear that even the Saudis themselves don't believe the fiction of Iranian involvement,” the Iranian diplomatic chief underlined.	Yesterday, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said if the goal is peace and security, then foreign powers should "get out of the region" as their presence could cause an arms race. He also announced a new security initiative for the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to be unveiled at the United Nations General Assembly later this week. Rouhani delivering the speech Rouhani was speaking at the opening of , an annual commemoration of the eight-year , which features military parades. "The presence of foreign forces can be dangerous for the region, international waters, as well as the security of shipping lines and energy, but our path is to create unity and coordination with regional countries," he said. "Those who want to link the region’s incidents to the Islamic Republic of Iran are lying like their past lies that have been revealed ... If they are truthful and really seek security in the region, they must not send weapons, fighter jets, bombs and dangerous arms to the region." "Your presence has always been a calamity for this region and the farther you go from our region and our nations, the more security would come for our region", he continued in the speech which was delivered in Tehran, the capital. Rouhani's new security plan would be led by Iran and feature support from regional countries in securing the waterways in the region. According to the Associated Press, Iran has increased cooperation in the last few years with the navies of China, India, Oman, Pakistan, and Russia. The speech came approximately one week after an attack on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia which halved Saudi oil output. The attack was claimed by the in Yemen, but both Saudi Arabia and the United States have alleged Iranian involvement. The initial reports were of drone attacks, but the Saudi government said the attack included which could not have originated in Yemen. The United States was more forceful in blaming Iran for the attack, committing to send more troops to Saudi Arabia. Recently, the United States announced a naval coalition to patrol the Persian Gulf which was joined by Australia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly is set to open tomorrow.
Tropical Storm BLANCA ZCZC MIATCDEP3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM TROPICAL STORM BLANCA DISCUSSION NUMBER 3 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP032009 200 PM PDT MON JUL 06 2009 BLANCA HAS CHANGED LITTLE IN INTENSITY SINCE THIS MORNING. MICROWAVE FIXES DURING THE DAY HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY NORTH OF DVORAK POSITION ESTIMATES...INDICATING THAT THE VORTEX MAY NOT BE VERTICALLY ALIGNED. ADDITIONALLY...CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURES HAVE RECENTLY WARMED AND THE CONVECTIVE DISTRIBUTION HAS SHRUNK... POSSIBLY IN RESPONSE TO THE DIURNAL CONVECTIVE MINIMUM. IN SPITE OF THE MORE RAGGED APPEARANCE...THE CYCLONE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY WELL-DEFINED BANDING FEATURES IN VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY...WITH THE CENTER EMBEDDED WITHIN A CENTRAL CONVECTIVE MASS. DVORAK T-NUMBERS FROM TAFB AND SAB ARE 2.5 AND 3.0...RESPECTIVELY...AND THE INITIAL INTENSITY REMAINS 40 KT FOR THIS ADVISORY. THERE IS NOW LESS DOUBT WITH REGARD TO THE INITIAL MOTION...WITH RECENT FIXES INDICATING 305/09. MODEL GUIDANCE SHOWS BLANCA ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF A MID-LEVEL RIDGE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE SUBTROPICAL EAST PACIFIC EASTWARD TO THE NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA . THIS FEATURE SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND STEER BLANCA ON A GENERALLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD COURSE OVER THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS...FOLLOWED BY A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A FURTHER BENDING OF THE TRACK TO THE WEST ONCE BLANCA BEGINS TO WEAKEN. EVEN THOUGH THE ORGANIZATION OF BLANCA HAS NOT IMPROVED FURTHER...THE STORM IS STILL MOVING OVER 27-28C WATER IN A RELATIVELY LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER...THE CYCLONE SHOULD REACH SUB-26C WATER JUST AFTER 12 HOURS...WITH A CONTINUED DECREASE IN SSTS ALONG THE FORECAST TRACK OF THE STORM. THIS...ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT EASTERLY SHEAR IS FORECAST TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...SHOULD PRECLUDE ANY SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING. THEREAFTER...WITH THE RAPID DROP-OFF IN SSTS...BLANCA SHOULD BEGIN WEAKENING AND BECOME A REMNANT FLOW BETWEEN 72-96 HR. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 06/2100Z 18.0N 112.9W 40 KT 12HR VT 07/0600Z 18.7N 114.1W 50 KT 24HR VT 07/1800Z 19.4N 115.9W 50 KT 36HR VT 08/0600Z 19.9N 117.5W 45 KT 48HR VT 08/1800Z 20.2N 118.9W 35 KT 72HR VT 09/1800Z 20.5N 121.0W 25 KT 96HR VT 10/1800Z 20.5N 123.0W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 120HR VT 11/1800Z...DISSIPATED $$ FORECASTER KIMBERLAIN/BROWN NNNN \|\|\|\|\| MEXICO CITY (AP) Tropical Storm Blanca off Mexico's Pacific coast was losing steam as it moved toward colder waters Tuesday, which should sap its energy. Blanca was located about 465 miles southwest of the tip of the Baja California Peninsula, and was heading west-northwest at 10 mph, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. The center said Blanca is expected to move over colder waters in the next few days and die out at sea. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more	The United States National Hurricane Center has upgraded a tropical disturbance off the coast of Mexico to Tropical Storm Blanca. The storm is the second named storm of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season. NOAA five-day forecast map. The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. Blanca is located about 390 miles south-southwest of Baja California, Mexico, and is currently tracking towards the west-northwest at 10 miles per hour. The storm is expected to continue moving away from land over the next few days. Current projections show that it could intensify slightly before entering unfavorable conditions and weakening. Blanca is not expected to directly impact land, but interests in the area are encouraged to track its progress.
Ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq surrounded by security Torch grabbed Thirty-five arrests have been made after clashes between pro-Tibet protesters and police as the Olympic torch made its way through London. Protests over China's human rights record began soon after the relay began at Wembley, and prompted an increasing police presence through the city. One protester tried to snatch the torch from former Blue Peter host Konnie Huq. After an unpublicised change to the route, the Chinese ambassador carried the torch through Chinatown. It later made an unscheduled move onto a bus. See a map of the torch relay route A protective ring of 10 Chinese flame attendants and fluorescent-jacketed police officers surrounded the torchbearers at all times, with additional uniformed officers joining at potential flashpoints along the route. Police decided the torch should travel along Fleet Street to St Paul's Cathedral by bus, rather than held by a runner, after it was surrounded by a large group of protesters. Chaotic scenes A contingent of pro-China supporters also tried to make their voices heard along the route, waving Chinese and Olympic flags and calling for "one China". I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way Konnie Huq In pictures: Olympic Torch relay Brown criticised over parade Outside Downing Street there were chaotic scenes as former Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis took the flame to No 10. Gordon Brown greeted the torch outside Number 10 despite coming under pressure to boycott the parade and the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. However he did not hold it. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said the prime minister's involvement was "wholly inappropriate" until China opened talks with the Dalai Lama. People cannot just come in and cause havoc with what's being done...and officers have stopped them Jo Kaye Metropolitan Police Commander Huq tells of 'shock' Flashpoints on torch route Police said about there were about 500 people in Whitehall and about 2,000 gathered near the British Museum. Several small scuffles broke out as police tackled some of the protesters. Beijing Olympic torch relay spokesman Qu Yingpu told the BBC: "This is not the right time, the right platform, for any people to voice their political views. Human rights "So we are very grateful and very thankful to the people in London, the police and the organisers, for their efforts trying to keep order." Pictures of the London relay were broadcast on China's state-controlled TV, but not of the protests and disruption. Metropolitan Police Commander Jo Kaye denied officers had been heavy-handed with some protesters. "Our duty is to see that that torch is taken safely and securely to the end of its route. We're doing that. We're on schedule. The convoy has kept going according to schedule all the way," he said. "People cannot just come in and cause havoc with what's being done there and the officers have stopped them. They know quite well that they shouldn't be trying to get in at the torch and they've been stopped." At the start of the relay, three protesters were taken away by police after trying to board the open-top bus taking the torch from Wembley. Police also stepped in when a protester later tried to snatch the torch from Ms Huq. Olympic values She told BBC News 24 she was "a bit bashed about" but not seriously hurt. "I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way," she added. "I believe in the Olympic values, the Olympic ideals... it's just unfortunate that China has such a terrible track record when it comes to human rights and they are the host nation." Those taking part in the relay include 10 Olympic champions, 18 schoolchildren and public figures such as news reader Sir Trevor McDonald and musician Vanessa Mae. Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes ran the last stage of the route to complete the relay and lit the Olympic cauldron in front of 5,000 spectators. The flame will complete the London leg of its journey with a finale event at the O2 Arena. It will then leave for Paris. Girl band The Sugababes withdrew from the finale at the last minute, saying singer Amelle Berrabah had been diagnosed with laryngitis. They had earlier carried the torch on an open top bus down Oxford Street. The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, last week and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the Beijing Games opening ceremony on 8 August. LONDON TORCH RELAY 6 APRIL 1: Wembley 1030BST 2: Ladbroke Grove 1100 3: British Museum 1220 4: China Town 1230 5: Trafalgar Square 1250 6: Southbank Centre 1330 7: Somerset House 1415 8: St Paul's Cathedral 1430 9: Potter's Fields 1500 10: Whitechapel Road 1530 11: Stratford 1600 12: Canary Wharf 1700 13: North Greenwich 1800 Source: Mayor of London Return E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| The Olympic torch parade descended into chaotic scenes today as more than 25 protesters were arrested within the two hours of its tour of London. Your View: Were protesters justified in disrupting the Olympic torch procession? In pictures: Protests disrupt torch relay Send in your pictures of the relay Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq was caught in the middle of an ugly scuffle as a man attempted to wrestle the torch from her hands. The parade was brought to a temporary halt five times in its first few miles as anti-China protesters made repeated attempts to breach security, including one man who tried to extinguish the flame with a fire extinguisher. However Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the torch at Downing Street, where at 1pm he posed for photographed alongside the torch - by which time 25 protesters had been taken into custody. Vast crowds of peaceful pro-Tibet protesters – calling for independence from China – also lined the streets, chanting "Free Tibet" and booing the torch bearers. Britain's greatest Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, started the route at Wembley stadium in north London. The Olympic torch route through London Buildup to Beijing 2008: Coverage in full But within five minutes – after he had passed it to the second torch carrier - a protestor tried to steal the flame as it was carried on to a bus. The woman was bundled to the ground and arrested along with two others. advertisement She screamed at television cameras: "I urge you Gordon Brown listen. Free Tibet". After a brief, quiet period, there were three incidents in 10 minutes in west London. Miss Huq, who had expressed her doubts about taking part in the event, ran with it for several minutes but as she stopped to pass the flame over, a man in a brown jacket grabbed it from her hands and six police officers and attendants were forced to wrestle it from him. One onlooker said: "It was a very nasty scuffle and Konnie looked shocked by it all". Five minutes later another man ran out of the crowd and was stopped by police just before he reached the inner cordon. At 11.30am, a man disguised in a yellow day-glo jacket ran out from the side of a crowd and let off a fire extinguisher. He was forced to the ground as the air filed with white smoke. Police then beefed up security, bringing in van loads of officers to flank the convoy running alongside it along with motorcycles and a dozen officers on bicycles closely guarding the torch. Around 15 Chinese attendants, dressed in blue and white, also huddled around it. Four minutes later the torch was passed to British tennis champion Tim Henman. He wore an uneasy smile as he watched the crowd closely, jogging down the road. In Bloomsbury Square the ceremony came to a complete halt in a stand-off between large crowds of pro-China and pro-Tibet supporters. Sir Clive Woodward, the World Cup winning rugby coach, was confronted by three protesters immediately as he was handed the flame. They were all arrested. In Trafalgar Square, as Sir Trevor Macdonald held the torch aloft, large groups of protesters clashed with police in the most violent scenes and six people were detained. Police say they have made around 35 arrests along the 31 mile route. \|\|\|\|\| Scuffles broke out every time members of the relay team handed over the flame London police battle Tibet protesters on Olympic torch relay LONDON (AFP) — British police battled to keep pro-Tibet protesters away from the Beijing Olympics flame, making 30 arrests as the torch went on a high security tour of London on Sunday. Police jogged or cycled alongside the torch as it was carried by each member of the relay. There were continual scuffles along the route as members of a team of renowned British athletes, pop stars and television personalities handed the flame to the next runner. Two demonstrators against China's crackdown in Tibet were arrested as they attempted to extinguish the torch, while a third was pushed to the ground as he tried to seize the flame from a television presenter. Police said they had made 30 arrests for public order offences and estimated that more than 1,000 demonstrators were out in force. Shouts of "Free Tibet, free Tibet," echoed around the streets while demonstrators held up banners and had their faces painted in the colours of the Tibetan flag. Pro-China supporters were also out in force. Former Olympic champion rower Steve Redgrave started the relay that began at Wembley Stadium amid an unseasonal fall of snow. There were even arrests here as Redgrave handed over the flame to a 16-year-old girl. A Chinese embassy spokesman told AFP that its ambassador to Britain, Fu Ying, had not been troubled as she ran through London's Chinatown. He would not confirm reports that her route had been changed to avoid trouble. Beijing has faced international criticism over its crackdown on protests in Tibet that began on March 10 and which have spread to other areas of China with Tibetan populations. Exiled Tibetan leaders say more than 150 people have been killed in the unrest. China has given a figure of 20. But China's top official in Tibet, rejecting demands by activists around the world, insisted on Sunday that the Beijing Olympics torch relay would pass through Tibet as planned. Some 2,000 British police officers were out in force to protect the London torch procession. Ahead of the relay, police said they were expecting around 500 demonstrators from six organisations, including the Free Tibet movement, Falungong and the Burma Campaign. But they were outnumbered by the thousands who lined the streets to enjoy the relay in a carnival atmosphere. A number of China supporters also braved the cold temperatures to voice their political opinions. The torch was met by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at his Downing Street residence. Brown has brushed aside criticism of his plans to attend Beijing Olympic ceremonies, insisting it is the right thing as London will host the 2012 Games. David Cameron, leader of Britain's opposition Conservatives, acknowledged many people were "very unhappy" about China's crackdown in Tibet but sided with the government in rejecting calls for a boycott of the Olympics. "I don't think we are at the stage yet where we should be considering a boycott," he told Sky Television. "I think having a policy of robust engagement with China is right." An array of British sports and entertainment stars, flanked by police and security officers, carried the torch on a 31-mile (48 kilometre) route taking in the site of the London 2012 Olympic Games and finishing at the O2 arena. Among the torch-bearers were round-the-world sailor Ellen MacArthur, runner Kelly Holmes, tennis player Tim Henman, Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott, rugby player Kenny Logan, rower Ed Coode, cricketer Kevin Pietersen, violinist Vanessa Mae, singers the Sugababes, rugby coach Clive Woodward and heptathlete Denise Lewis. Stand-up comedian Francesca Martinez withdrew Thursday in protest over the China. The torch heads for Paris on Monday where the French authorities have also prepared massive security for the relay which has sparked protests since the torch was lit in Greece a week ago at the start of its 85,000-mile journey to Beijing via 21 countries.	Stratford, London. Around 25 arrests have been made by Metropolitan Police officers, during the 31 mile Olympic Torch relay in London, England. The torch relay began at Wembley Stadium where protesters waved flags and chanted as the torch started on its route. Protests then became more dramatic, as demonstrators attempted to extinguish the flame using a fire extinguisher, and grab the torch from the hands of TV presenter Konnie Huq in Ladbroke Grove. Both of the attempts were unsuccessful, and were prevented by police officers and members of the torch's security team. The torch continued its route, surrounded by more than twenty security officers, to be seen by hundreds of spectators, and also continued verbal protests by groups highlighting the human rights issues in China. There were also pro-China protesters present chanting slogans. It is believed that around 20 - 25 arrests have been made throughout the course of the day. The route ends at the O2 Arena after being carried by around 80 athletes, dignitaries and entertainers, including five time Olympic gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave.
The Bayern players completed their final training session on Saturday ahead of the Bundesliga's... FC Bayern appeals to reason and sense of responsibility of fans: Please stay away from the stadium... FC Bayern appeals to reason and sense of responsibility of fans Please stay away from the stadium Matches behind closed doors, personnel and more - Hansi Flick’s key statements ahead of the match...... Live ticker, web radio & more How to follow the Union game live on fcbayern.com and on the App You can keep in touch with all the action in Berlin on Sunday. \|\|\|\|\| Bayern looked set for a first defeat of the season with just five minutes to go in Thursday’s meeting with Red Star Belgrade, but Miroslav Klose and super sub Toni Kroos had other ideas. “We’d have been happy enough with a draw, but now we’re obviously delighted. We’ve put ourselves in a great position,” general manager Uli Hoeneß summarised. Reaction to Red Star Belgrade v Bayern: Uli Hoeneß: “It was a real fight out there tonight, especially on the unbelievably difficult pitch. Even the referee said he had trouble staying on his feet, so it was very tough and definitely a lottery. It was good to see the team coming from behind twice, but obviously it was a little bit lucky at the end. We’d have been happy enough with a draw, but now we’re obviously delighted. We’ve put ourselves in a great position. We need to win our home games, and then we’re home and dry.“ Ottmar Hitzfeld: “You could see we were having huge problems with the turf. We did consider lodging an appeal after we trained on the pitch yesterday. I’m just pleased we’ve basically come out of it in good shape. Today was all about desire. It wasn’t a day for the pretty stuff, all that mattered was battling away. By the end, I’d have been happy enough with a point.“ Miroslav Klose: “I want to praise the team for the way we kept coming back at them. We had to go to the limit, especially when you consider the conditions here. The turf wasn’t exactly perfect, and you feel it in your legs. We need to keep believing in ourselves.“ Toni Kroos: “It was vital to start the group with a win. It was hard work, the pitch was a catastrophe, but I think we made the best of the situation and coped well. We fought hard and put up stiff resistance, and I think we deserved to win at the end.“	Bayern Munich beat 3-2 on the last kick of the game on 17-year-old Toni Kroos' 1st professional goal. Toni Kroos played a key role as he also assisted on 's 2nd equalizer only minutes earlier. Red Star Belgrade opened the scoring in the 16th minute while Miroslav Klose 1st equalizer 4 minutes later. Red Star Belgrade took the lead again when couldn't handle a long distance shot.
Mon, July 16, 2007 Icing on the case Frigid 18-minute swim at the North Pole highlights threat of climate change By SUN WIRE SERVICES A British swimmer who has made it his mission to draw the world's attention to climate change, has successfully completed a kilometre-long swim in the freezing water of the North Pole. The story you are searching for is available in its entirety via email, fax or mail for $12.00 (plus GST), payable with credit card (include expiry date). Just call the Sun Media News Research Centre at 416-947-2258 or toll free at 1-877-624-1463 with information about the story and supply the following: Name of credit card, number and expiry date on card Your name, mailing address and phone number (we will mail or fax you a receipt). E-mail address or fax number. Cheques or money orders can be mailed with your request to: Sun Media Research Centre 333 King Street East Toronto, Ontario M5A 3X5 Canada Other research services available are: $75.00 (plus GST) for up to ten articles on any one topic. This is a research, information service offered to professionals, students, businesses, internet users. Photo Reprints @ $46.00 (plus taxes) (8 by 10 colour glossy) Full Page Reprints from Sun newspapers @ $100.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing. Personalized Mock-Up Frontpages @ $130.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing. Tearsheets or Back Editions of Sun Newspapers @ $15 each (plus taxes) Orders from outside Canada must be paid in US funds. \|\|\|\|\| Quote "This swim is a triumph and a tragedy a triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole." Lewis Gordon Pugh WHAT DO YOU THINK? Go To Comments (AP) A British explorer has braved sub-zero temperatures to become the first person to swim at the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh took to the freezing waters on Sunday to highlight the devastating impact of climate change on the natural world. It took him 18 minutes and 50 seconds to swim 0.6 miles in waters created by melted sea ice at temperatures of 29°F the coldest a human has swum in. "I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy," the 37-year-old British lawyer said after coming out of the water. "A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole." Pugh said he hoped that his swim will make world leaders take climate change seriously. "The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world," he said. "I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic these creatures are on the front line up here." Swimming has given him a unique perspective on climate change, Pugh says on his Web site. "I have witnessed retreating glaciers, decreasing sea ice, coral bleaching, severe droughts and the migration of animals to colder climates. "It's as a result of these experiences that I am determined to do my bit to raise awareness about the fragility of our environment and to encourage everyone to take action." Calling it the hardest swim of his life, Pugh said Sunday that the water was black when he jumped in. "It was like jumping into a dark black hole. It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire," said Pugh, who's an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund UK. "I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions." Colin Butfield of WWF UK called the challenge "a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change." Pugh is known for his epic swims in waters from the Antarctic to the Indian Ocean. His ability to raise his body temperature in anticipation of a swim in cold waters has intrigued top sports scientists and has earned him his "Polar Bear" nickname. © MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, a man from the United Kingdom has become the first person to swim at the North pole. The water, 29 degrees F (-1.8 C), is believed to be the coldest waters any human has ever swam in on the planet. "I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy. A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole," said Pugh who swam 0.6 miles in just under 19 minutes through cracks in icebergs. Pugh says he swam at the North Pole to demonstrate the effects that global warming is playing on the Earth and is hoping that his act will gain the attention of leaders from around the world. "The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world. I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic — these creatures are on the front line up here," added Pugh. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which sponsored the swim, states that the only reason Pugh was able to swim in the freezing waters was due to global warming. "The swim was a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change," said WWF U.K. spokesman, Colin Butfield. The waters were completely frozen ten years ago and the swim would have been impossible to complete. Pugh has also swum in the waters of Antarctica where he was credited to being the only person to swim so far south earning him the nickname "The Polar Bear." Pugh also swam the Indian Ocean. "It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire. I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions. It was without doubt the hardest swim of my life," added Pugh.
By Michele Kambas NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos was eliminated in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, sending two candidates who want talks on reuniting the island to a run-off. The surprise result signaled that Greek Cypriots are ready to return to peace talks key to Turkey's hopes of joining the EU, analysts said. The February 24 run-off will pit right-winger Ioannis Kassoulides against communist Demetris Christofias. Both pledge a more conciliatory approach towards estranged Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway north. Cyprus was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. Peace talks stalled in 2004 when Papadopoulos, elected the year before, led Greek Cypriot rejection of a United Nations blueprint for reunification. Sunday's vote showed a shift in opinion since then. "If you want to extract a political message out of it, 65 percent of Greek Cypriots voted for clear pro-solution candidates," said political analyst Hubert Faustmann. "The Greek Cypriots are back at the negotiation table." Kassoulides, 59, had supported the UN plan while Christofias, 62, had opposed it. Both acknowledge the blueprint cannot be revived but they also favor talks on reuniting the island. Now, they will need to secure support from Papadopoulos ahead of the second round. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| Mr Papadopoulos was narrowly defeated in the knife-edge poll The MEP Ioannis Kasoulides won the knife-edge poll by just 980 votes, after a turnout of around 90%. The former foreign minister will face Demetris Christofias, who came second, in a run-off vote next Sunday. The election is being seen as a crucial step towards reunification with the break-away Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus after decades of division. Mr Kasoulides won 33.51% of votes compared to 33.29% for Mr Christofias and 31.79% for Mr Papadopoulos. Open-minded A member of the right-wing DISY party, Mr Kasoulides is the candidate most favoured by the international community to push ahead with reunification talks, says the BBC's Tabitha Morgan in Nicosia. She says the result shows that most Cypriots have clearly rejected Mr Papadopoulos's uncompromising approach to solving the Cyprus problem in favour of a more open-minded candidate. Last month the International Crisis Group, a think tank, warned that if talks after the election failed, the likely outcome would be partition. Cypriots living in Greece and Britain have been flown back to Cyprus on planes chartered by the main parties, so that they can vote. Cyprus was partitioned after a Turkish invasion in 1974, which came shortly after a Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military junta ruling Greece at the time. Shortly before joining the European Union in 2004 the Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations plan to reunify the island. Turkey recognises only the Turkish Cypriot authorities and keeps about 30,000 troops in the north of the island.	According to exit-polls Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos has been defeated in the Cypriot presidential elections. In the closest election in Cyprus ever, Papadopoulos finished third, after right-winger Ioannis Kassoulides and communist Demetris Christofias. Kasoulides won 33.51% of votes, compared to 33.29% for Christofias and 31.79% for Papadopoulos. The two remaining candidates will compete again in a run-off vote next Sunday. The current election is regarded as extremely important in reuniting the Turkish-controlled northern part of the island with Greece-oriented southern part, after having been divided for decades. Papadopoulos, member of the Cypriot Democratic Party, has been in office since 2003.
The Moving Finger Writes Parochialism has no place in a nation state By M.V. Kamath When are we going to bring this childish behaviour to an end? When is India going to be for Indians? The Chandigarh Tribune recently (January 23) carried a story that makes one cry. It would seem that Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi commenting on the demand for a separate Telangana said that it is a sin to cut up the country or states into pieces (because) it is not good for the country or for the people. The comment obviously was made in all good faith. Sai Baba had donated Rs 200 crore from a trust under his name to complete a project to bring the waters of the Krishna River from Andhra to Chennai which was a major contribution. A function had been organised in Chennai to felicitate him and his remarks were not intended to hurt anybody. But obviously those who want a separate Telangana state could not stomach Sai Babas comments and are reported to have made some extremely insulting remarks. A Congress MP and active protagonist of Telangana Madhu Yashki Goud reportedly wanted to know whether Sai Baba knew anything about the problems of the Telangana people and of the flouride issue in the Nalgonda area. May be he does, may be he doesnt. The issue is much simpler. Is there a genuine need for further division of existing states? Uttar Pradesh was considered too large and it presented a genuine problem. It was resolved amicably. Bihar presented a similar problem. That too, hopefully has been resolved to everyones satisfaction. The first thing that we must realise and accept is that India is a composite nation. The British, following their conquest, set up their Presidencies without giving any thought to linguistic or ethnic issues. After Independence, and after much discussion and argument the concept of linguistic states came to be accepted. In Kerala, Malayalam speaking Muslims wanted a district with their own majority. It was a wrong demand but a communist-run government conceded it. At the rate in which dalits are being beaten-up, a time may come when they may demand dalit-majority districts of their own. When will all this stop? We all know what happened at Khairlanjis where a dalit woman was stripped and assaulted. According to a survey made some time ago by the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), in India, on an average two dalits are assaulted every hour, three dalit women are raped every day, two dalits are murdered and two dalit houses burnt down everyday. And this is happening to a community that forms 19.8 per cent Indias population. One out of every five Indians is a dalit. If we accept the Telanganist logic, we will soon have to set-up separate districts for dalits. Where will all this end? This is a country with over 22 major languages and a hundred times more dialects but which has survived for over ten thousand years and no doubt will survive till eternity come. But we cant leave it at that. This is where we need the right kind of leadership that goes beyond party lines. There is more anxiety among our leaders for power than for working for social integrity. Politics in India is no longer ideology-based. Stated in simple terms, it is caste-based and we should be ashamed of ourselves. This is a fact known to everybody and one has only to study the situation in states like Uttar Pradesh or even Karnataka to realise how we have divided and sub-divided ourselves without the slightest hesitation. Actually we are revelling in our caste distinctions. During the old Congress regime in Gujarat, the party was openly spelling out its political strategy of appealing to KHAMKshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims. When will this kind of political criminality ever stop? Time was when in Mumbai the Shiv Sena was opposed to the presence of so-called madrassis. In Assam, ULFA wants no Hindi-speaking labour. If ULFA has gone into organisational murder, one has to hark back to 1979-80 when Parliamentary elections were held on the basis of 1979 electoral rolls which had been highly inflated by the inclusion of Bangladeshi infiltrators. Such was the resentment amongst Assamese that a mass movement erupted. If Assam has to have peace all the Bangladeshi migrants who are detected and declared illegal foreigners must be deported. Now we hear that Kashmir is for Kashmiris. When are we going to bring this childish behaviour to an end? When is India going to be for Indians? But to go back to Telangana for a while. The charges are that it is a neglected area. Surprisingly enough, when linguistic states were in the offing, the central leadershipthen it was Congresswas not in favour of Vishal Andhra. In October 1953 no less than Nehru himself criticised the concept as bearing the tint of expansionist imperialismwhatever that meant. But subsequently he was to change his views due to pressures from the leaders of the Andhra region. It may be remembered that in the early fifties, seven out of ten Congress committees and 73 out of 105 Congress delegates were in favour of the formation of a Telangana state. The State Executive of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and ten members of Parliament also lent their support to the demand for the formation of Telangana. In the end the voice of the leaders from coastal Andhra Pradesh prevailed. It was stated that they wanted easier access to the coal available at Singerni in the Telangana area. The proponents of Telangana felt that their homeland was being exploited, even as many in Assam think that the rest of India is exploiting Assamese oil reserves without adequately compensating the Assamese people. This is a matter for deep study and sympathetic understanding. What we need is a committee to study the availability of various resources in different states, the manner in which they are utilised and the ways in which the reservoir states are made to feel that they are properly compensated and not just robbed. As for Telangana the feeling is that it has been converted into an internal colony as a result of the economic development process pursued by successive governments. As has been noted in Economic and Political Weekly the movement for separate statehood seeks to articulate the demand for a fair share of the resources. Fair enough. And that applies not just to Telangana but to Assam and other areas as well. We dont need a Sachar Committee but a committee of scholars who can look at all issues fairly, keeping in mind the essential unity of India. All problems have solutions; What is needed is objectivity, not running down people or sending armed forces to put down dissension. Down the centuries we have been one nation. And so we will continue to be. \|\|\|\|\| News: Advts: Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad Agnivesh flays Baba's remarks Special Correspondent Silence on Nithari killings decried `Comments on Telangana unnecessary' Arya Samaj leader to write a letter to Sai Baba Swami Agnivesh HYDERABAD: Noted social activist and president of All-India Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh has criticised spiritual leader Saibaba for his remarks favouring an integrated State. "He talked something that was unnecessary while ignoring an urgent issue -- the killing of innocent children at Nithari," Agnivesh said at the dharna that he led against the killings at Indira Park here on Wednesday. Swami Agnivesh lamented that all dharmacharyas, irrespective of their spiritual practices, should have condemned the carnage, but Sai Baba was silent. Instead, he raised his voice against a separate Telangana. Though he was a guru practising dharma, his silence led to doubts over his credentials. Not a political leader "As he is not a political leader he should not make such comments," he said, adding that he would address a letter conveying his protest to Saibaba. He was also critical of leaders belonging to other religions for not reacting to the killings. Even the five crore people who took the holy dip in Ganges as part of Kumbhmela did not express sympathy for the victims. Neither did the Hajis who returned from Makkah. Resignation sought The Arya Samaj leader was particularly critical about the President and Prime Minister not visiting Nithari, a place so close to Delhi. He demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. As president of World Council of Arya Samaj, Swami Agnivesh said, he would take the initiative to involve leaders of all religions in an agitation against Nithari. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail Andhra Pradesh \|\|\|\|\| Adding that spiritual leaders like Sai Baba should confine themselves to practising spiritualism, Rao asked why was Baba insensitive to the plight of Telangana weavers and people of Nalgonda district who were suffering from chronic flourosis. "Has he ever thought of solving the problems of the people of Telangana?" PCC president K Keshava Rao, however, said Sai Baba's comments were misinterpreted. "Every one, more so a great person like Sai Baba, has a right to his wisdom. There is no need to read politics into it. His statement is not political," he said. In Puttaparthy, a bandh call was given by Sai Baba's followers who later organised a procession in the town and burnt effigies of the TRS president and balladeer Gaddar. On Monday, some members of the Telangana Vidyarthi Sangham (TVS), a student outfit, gathered in front of Shivam, the Sai Baba temple, in Hyderabad and burnt his cutout. The protesters also gained entry into the temple and shouted slogans against Sai Baba. \|\|\|\|\| NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday sought to ignore the remarks of Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi opposing creation of a separate Telangana state carved out of Andhra Pradesh. "With due respect to Sai Baba we can say that the work for setting up the second state reorganisation commission will go on,"said party general secretary Digvijay Singh. He said his party favoured creation of a separate Telangana state. Singh, who looks after Andhra affairs in the party, disagreed with a suggestion that chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy could have instigated the Sai Baba to make the statement. \|\|\|\|\| Advanced Search Qatar Gulf/Arab World Iraq Americas Britain/Ireland Europe/World India Pakistan/Afghanistan SriLanka/Bangladesh Philippines/East Asia Opinion Islam Finance & Business Sport Features Classifieds Back Issues Feedback Contact Us Site Map About Us Home: India Spiritual guru criticised for opposing statehood for Telangana region HYDERABAD: People went on a rampage here yesterday in protest against spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba who said he was against a separate Telangana state. His followers meanwhile called a shutdown in Puttaparthi town of Anantapur district to condemn remarks on the guru. Shouting slogans against him, dozens of students belonging to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) barged into a Sai Baba temple near Osmania University here, pulled down huge cut-outs of the guru and burnt them. An effigy of Sai Baba, who termed moves to bifurcate the state ‘mahapapam’ (great sin), was also burnt. Addressing a function in Chennai on Sunday, Sai Baba said there was no demand for a separate Telangana state from the people of the region. “Dividing the people or the country is not good. Bifurcating the state is mahapapam,” he said. Sai Baba, who preaches love, understanding and universal brotherhood, has thousands of followers in India and abroad including several heads of state, politicians, military officials, judges, film stars and sportsmen. During the last few decades, he has built a vast empire worth billions of rupees transforming the small village of Puttaparthi, his birthplace, into a modern town with a state-of-the-art airport, education and health facilities. The reaction to his comments was sharp from the protagonists of separate Telangana. TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao asked Sai Baba to confine himself to religion. “Is Sai Baba blind to the suicides by farmers in Telangana region? Is he blind to the fact that the region was subjected to exploitation?” asked Rao, who is leading the movement for a separate state comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad. Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Yaskhi Goud wondered what Sai Baba knew of the problems of Telangana. “He is from Rayalseema region and what does he know about the problem of fluorosis (an abnormal condition caused by excessive intake of fluorine), in Nalgonda? He is funding the water projects for Rayalseema and Chennai,” said Goud. Revolutionary balladeer and Maoist sympathiser Gaddar, who is also actively participating in the movement for separate Telangana, criticised Sai Baba for opposing the demand. Meanwhile, a shutdown was being observed in Puttaparthi town in Anantapur district to condemn the remarks of Telangana leaders against Sai Baba. Shops and business establishment were shut and Sai Baba’s disciples set afire effigies of Chandrasekhara Rao, Madhu Yashki Goud and Gaddar. The streets around Prashanti Nilayam, the abode of Baba, wore a deserted look.- IANS Gulf Times Newspaper, 2007 © \|\|\|\|\| Advertisement Controversy is nothing new to Godman Satya Sai Baba of Putaparthi. This time around, the frizzy-haired, saffron-robed savant has firmly and publicly opposed the division of Andhra Pradesh, thus raising the hackles of those who support the movement for a separate Telangana state. “There is no demand from the people for a separate Telangana. Dividing the people or the country is not good. Bifurcating the state in such a manner is mahapapam (great sin),” Sai said on Sunday while speaking at a function in Chennai. The statement has not gone down well with the supporters of a separate Telangana state, including the outlawed Maoists. Angered by what he said, a group of youths on Monday attacked the Sivam temple, the local outfit of Sai Baba situated near Osmania University. The youths, shouting anti-Sai Baba slogans, entered the premises and pulled down a hoarding sporting the holy man’s face. They then dragged it to the main road and set it on fire. “Not a single devotee but only some of us were present at the temple when the attack took place. The miscreants retreated soon after burning the hoarding,” a temple staff told Hindustan Times. Following the incident, the temple authorities lodged a complaint at the Amberpet police station. Officers started an investigation and have arrested 20 people thus far. The pilgrim town of Putaparthi observed a bandh to protest the attack on Sai Baba. But opposition to Sai Baba’s views does not end with the youths. Political leaders supporting Telengana also came out strongly against him. Leader of Telangana Rasthra Samithi and former Union Minister K Chandra Sekhar Rao asked Baba to limit his business to giving religious discourses and tending to devotees. “Otherwise, he should quit religion and join politics,” Rao said. Congress MP Madhu Yakshi Goud echoed similar sentiments too. She asked what Sai Baba was doing when people were dying of flurosis in Telangana for ages? Revolutionary poet and Maoist sympathiser Gaddar also asked Sai Baba to “shut up”.	Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, 81, found himself embroiled in a political row after his recent remarks characterising the partition of the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) as a "great sin". On a recent visit to Chennai he publicly spoke out against the proposed partition of India's fourth largest state, calling such a move a "mahapapam" (great sin) and claimed that there was no demand from the people to bifurcate AP into Telangana and Andhra states. The comments caused an outcry among pro-Telangana activists who angrily voiced their protests in street marches and attacks on the Sivam building, the Baba's temple in Hyderabad, which was staffed by a few devotees. Shouting anti-Sai Baba slogans, the protestors pulled down a large picture of the holy man and trampled on it before taking it outside and setting it on fire. An effigy of the Baba was also reported to have been burnt, and twenty protestors were arrested following several police complaints.
With Vladimir Putin and the United States staring at each other like the gunfighters in the final scene in the “Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” War College takes a fresh look at the 70-year-old alliance called NATO. \|\|\|\|\| The newly appointed archbishop of Warsaw resigned on Sunday, less than an hour before his scheduled installation, after admitting he had co-operated with Poland's communist-era secret police. Stanislaw Wielgus announced his decision at Warsaw's St. John's Cathedral, packed with worshippers gathered for a mass that was to have marked his formal installation. The congregation included President Lech Kaczynski. Though some in the congregation, including Kaczynski, applauded the announcement, others shouted that Wielgus was welcome to stay. Stanislaw Wielgus admitted he had informed against fellow clerics. (Czarek Sokolowski/Associated Press) In his resignation letter to Pope Benedict XVI, he said his past actions had "gravely compromised his authority" in the Roman Catholic homeland of the late Pope John Paul II. The admission that he collaborated with the former communist regime, which ended in 1989, is a major embarrassment for the Vatican and the powerful Polish Catholic Church. His resignation reportedly came at the request of Pope Benedict, who appointed him just a month ago. Wielgus, 67, is believed to have informed on fellow clerics for around 20 years, from the late 1960s, according to allegations raised in a Dec. 20 article by the weekly Gazeta Polska newspaper. He initially denied any collaboration, but the scandal widened when church officials on Friday said that documents at a historical institute showed Wielgus had willingly co-operated with the secret services, and the Polish media intensified calls for his resignation. Wielgus has since issued statements acknowledging that he signed an agreement in 1978 promising to co-operate with the security force in exchange for permission to leave Poland to study in West Germany. However, he stressed that he did not inform on anyone or try to hurt anyone, and he expressed remorse for both his contacts with the secret police and his failure to be forthcoming from the beginning. With files from the Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| Wielgus (L) was moved to tears during the service It said revelations about Stanislaw Wielgus's co-operation with the Polish secret police under communist rule had compromised his authority. He confirmed his decision in a tearful announcement to the congregation gathered to witness his installation. The BBC's David Willey in Rome says the resignation is a setback for the Pope. The sudden announcement of the Pope's acceptance of Monsignor Wielgus's resignation came only two days after an official statement had reiterated that the prelate enjoyed the pontiff's full confidence. The Vatican has suggested the disclosures - published first in the media and later confirmed by the archbishop himself - may have been leaked by communists in revenge for the Catholic Church's role in their fall from power. Applause and shouting The decision by the 67-year-old Polish prelate was made public less than an hour before the beginning of a Mass which was to inaugurate his appointment at St John's Cathedral in the city. His confirmation of the news prompted some in the congregation to applaud, including the anti-communist President, Lech Kaczynski, while others shouted for him to stay. The Mass went ahead, but focused on giving thanks for the outgoing archbishop, Jozef Glemp, who will now administer the diocese on a temporary basis. He said Monsignor Wielgus should not be judged too harshly. Correspondents say the episode is an unprecedented embarrassment for the Catholic Church in Poland. Monsignor Wielgus had been under severe pressure since he admitted that not only had he collaborated, but that he had lied about it, even after the allegations surfaced last month. The Church plays a very prominent role in Polish society, and was highly esteemed because of its leading role in the fight against communism in Poland and worldwide, particularly during the time of Polish Pope John Paul II. But historians estimate that up to 15% of Polish clergy agreed to inform on their colleagues in the communist era. The Polish Church has launched a series of investigations in recent years to identify collaborators. HAVE YOUR SAY The Vatican probably saw him as a safe pair of hands but now don't want their own fingers burnt. David Scheinmann, Cardiff, UK Send us your comments Series of problems Pope Benedict XVI made no mention of the crisis in the Polish church in his regular Sunday speech to pilgrims in St Peter's Square, despite the presence in Rome of a large group of Polish pilgrims. Our Rome correspondent says the Vatican clearly realised that Monsignor Wielgus's position had become untenable after he admitted spying for the communists from the 1970s onwards, and accepted the inevitable. He adds that the crisis in Warsaw does mark yet another setback for the Pope, who last year had to deal with a series of international problems. These included the Church's difficult relations with the Muslim world after the Pope's lecture at his former university in Germany linking Islam with violence, and continuing aftershocks in priestly paedophile scandals in various countries, in particular the United States.	St. John's Cathedral, where the former Archbishop announced his resingation Stanislaw Wielgus, the Archbishop of Warsaw, resigned yesterday after admitting to have worked for the secret police of Poland during the operation of the Communist government. At a mass in Warsaw Cathedral, the Archbishop was to have marked his formal installation. Instead, he tendered his resignation. The resignation came at the request of Pope Benedict XVI, who had appointed Wielgus one month previously. The reaction to the resignation is mixed. Polish President Lech Kaczyński, who attended the service, applauded the resignation. Wielgus' supporters gathered outside the cathedral, yelling "Stay with us". Those opposed to the Archbishop also gathered outside, carrying banners that said "non possumus" ("we cannot allow that"). Since the late 1960s, the former Archbishop spied on members of the Church for about 20 years. After the ''Gazeta Polska'' newspaper published allegations of his actions on December 20, Wielgus denied them. However, when church officials announced they had obtained documents showing that Wielgus had willingly co-operated with the secret services, he acknowledged that the accusations were true. There is some suspicion that the documents were leaked by communists, in retribution for the Catholic Church's role in the fall of European communism. A poll, conducted by the TNS OBOP Institute and published January 5 in the Polish daily ''Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat'', revealed that 26% supported the Archbishop's immediate resignation, 41% thought that he would have to resign "after some explanations", 20% believed that he should keep his position, and 13% had "no opinion". Cardinal Józef Glemp will retain the position of apostolic administrator until a replacement is chosen.
Nobel Winner Gore Urges US, China to Do More on Global Warming Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore speaks during an interview in Oslo, Norway, 10 Dec 2007 Global warming campaigner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says it is time for humanity to stop "waging war" on planet Earth. Gore spoke Monday in Oslo after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He urged the two largest carbon-emitting countries - the United States and China - to make what he called the "boldest moves" to fight global warming. The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international pact that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China was not required to reduce emissions under the deal. Gore said he would go to the U.N. climate meeting in Bali later this week to urge world leaders to meet as often as every three months to enact a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, represented at today's ceremony by Rajendra Pachauri. Pachauri stressed the link between the fight against climate change and peace. He warned that severe climate change will trigger what he called "dramatic population migration," as well as war over water and other resources. He also warned that up to 250 million people in Africa could face what he called "increased water stress because of climate change. \|\|\|\|\| Gore urges US, China to join efforts to save feverish planet OSLO (AFP) — Former US vice president Al Gore said humanity was "waging war" on the Earth and urged the United States and China to join the fight against global warming, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize here Monday. "Both countries should stop using the other's behaviour as an excuse for stalemate and instead develop an agenda for mutual survival in a shared global environment," Gore said at a lavish ceremony in the Oslo city hall. Gore, 59, was jointly awarded the prestigious peace prize with the UN's top climate panel. "It should be absolutely clear that it is the two largest CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitters, and most of all my own country, that will need to make the boldest moves," he said. The United States is the only rich nation not party to the Kyoto Protocol, while China has said it will not back binding emissions curbs that could affect its booming economy. "The Earth has a fever. And the fever is rising," lamented the creator of the Oscar-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" on the disastrous effects of climate change. "We have begun waging war on the Earth itself," he said, standing underneath brightly-coloured frescoes in a city hall decked in orange flowers. "It is time to make peace with the planet," he said, pointing out that a yet-to-be-released study by US Navy researchers indicates the North Polar ice cap could melt away completely during summer in as little as seven years. Previous estimates have indicated it would take 22 years for it to disappear in the summer months. Gore, wearing a dark blue suit and pale blue tie, voiced optimism on the prospects of the ongoing Bali summit. Delegates from nearly 190 nations are hammering out the groundwork for a new global warming treaty beyond 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol's first phase expires. "It's unfortunate that my country, which I believe should be the leader of the world, is now blocking action in Bali," Gore said in a CNN interview following the awards ceremony. By coincidence, Monday's ceremony, which was broadcast live at the Bali conference, took place on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark pact for curbing greenhouse gases. Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- a United Nations body of about 3,000 experts -- each received a Nobel diploma, a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (1.5 million dollars, 1.1 million euros) to be split between them for their work to raise awareness about the effects of global warming. Most of Norway's royal family was present and a long line of Norwegian and foreign dignitaries, politicians and entertainment stars, including US actress Uma Thurman, could be seen in the packed city hall. Later Monday, the winners of the 2007 Nobel prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry and economics received their awards from Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm. The Norwegian Nobel committee's decision to award the peace prize to climate campaigners continued the trend of broadening its scope beyond the traditional fields of conflict prevention and resolution and disarmament. IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri, who accepted the prize on behalf of his organisation, stressed the link between fighting climate change and peace. Global warming could prompt "dramatic population migration, conflict and war over water and other resources as well as a realignment of power among nations," he cautioned. But halting the process was still possible, he added. "The impacts of climate change can be limited by suitable adaptation measures and stringent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions." Gore meanwhile insisted on the need for collective, global efforts to fight global warming. "This is not a 'me' problem, it's a 'we' problem," he told CNN, responding to accusations that he himself has a large carbon footprint. In that spirit, Gore said at the Nobel ceremony he planned to present a number of proposals when he travels to Bali later this week to join the ongoing climate change conference there. They included imposing taxes on CO2 and urging world leaders to meet as often as every three months to work out a global emissions cap treaty by 2010. Scientists' warnings more than 20 years ago had helped raise awareness about the possibilities of a "nuclear winter", he said. Today, we "are in danger of creating a permanent 'carbon summer'," he added. But Gore ended his speech on a positive note. "We have everything we need to get started, save perhaps political will, but political will is a renewable resource." \|\|\|\|\| Nobel Winner Gore Urges US, China to Do More on Global Warming Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore speaks during an interview in Oslo, Norway, 10 Dec 2007 Global warming campaigner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says it is time for humanity to stop "waging war" on planet Earth. Gore spoke Monday in Oslo after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He urged the two largest carbon-emitting countries - the United States and China - to make what he called the "boldest moves" to fight global warming. The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international pact that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China was not required to reduce emissions under the deal. Gore said he would go to the U.N. climate meeting in Bali later this week to urge world leaders to meet as often as every three months to enact a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, represented at today's ceremony by Rajendra Pachauri. Pachauri stressed the link between the fight against climate change and peace. He warned that severe climate change will trigger what he called "dramatic population migration," as well as war over water and other resources. He also warned that up to 250 million people in Africa could face what he called "increased water stress because of climate change.	Al Gore accepting the Nobel Peace Prize today. Global warming campaigner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says it is time for humanity to stop "waging war" on planet Earth. Gore spoke today in Oslo after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He urged the two largest carbon-emitting countries - the United States and China - to make what he called the "boldest moves" to fight global warming. The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international pact that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China was not required to reduce emissions under the deal. They also refused today to approve a new treaty designed to cut emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020. Gore said he would go to the U.N. climate meeting in Bali later this week to urge world leaders to meet as often as every three months to enact a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, represented at today's ceremony by Rajendra Pachauri. Pachauri stressed the link between the fight against climate change and peace. He warned that severe climate change will trigger what he called "dramatic population migration," as well as war over water and other resources. He also warned that up to 250 million people in Africa could face what he called "increased water stress because of climate change.
A terror attack is no longer imminent, say experts MI5 and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) said an attack was no longer expected imminently. The move comes after eight migrants with NHS links were arrested over the London and Glasgow failed bomb attacks. Earlier, more background checks on migrant workers were announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The threat level was reduced after the first phase of the investigation - rounding up suspects - drew to a close. It indicates that the manhunt is over, says BBC correspondent Daniel Sandford. The reduced level is likely to mean a slight reduction in security procedures and controls. THREAT LEVELS Critical - an attack is expected imminently Severe - an attack is highly likely Substantial - an attack is a strong possibility Moderate - an attack is possible but not likely Low - an attack is unlikely Source: Home Office Timeline: Failed bomb attacks Who are the suspects? Ms Smith said although there was no intelligence to suggest another attack was imminent, it did not mean the overall threat had disappeared, and she urged the public to remain vigilant. In his first question time as prime minister, Mr Brown ordered an urgent review of NHS recruitment. The suspects have links to the health service, with some working in hospitals as doctors. Mr Brown said it was "vitally important that the message is sent out to the rest of the world that we will stand strong, steadfast and united in the face of terror". The new terrorism minister Sir Alan West will carry out the review of NHS recruitment. 'Recruiters' concern' The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents the UK recruitment industry, said Mr Brown's call for more checks on highly-skilled migrants was a "step in the right direction". Anne Fairweather, external relations manager for the trade body, said: "Recruiters have been concerned for some time that CRB checks do not necessarily cover offences committed outside of the UK. "One way to tackle this complex issue is to be more stringent when issuing foreigners with permits to work in the UK." She added: "Ultimately it is for the Border and Immigration Agency to decide whether it is appropriate for someone to work in the UK. "Agencies and employers responsibility lies with checking that a candidate is suitable for the job." Mr Brown also told the Commons that sponsors of skilled workers would be asked to provide background checks on them. Among other measures, he also said a watch list of potential suspects would be expanded to warn authorities across the world, and the admissibility of intercept evidence in court would be reviewed. New agreements will be signed with countries around the world to ensure a co-ordinated response to the terror threat. On Saturday afternoon, a burning green Jeep Cherokee loaded with gas cylinders crashed into the doors of Glasgow airport. The previous day two Mercedes containing petrol, gas cylinders and nails were found in central London. ARRESTS TIMELINE 30 June Dr Kafeel Ahmed and Dr Bilal Abdulla arrested at Glasgow airport after burning car driven into doors of main terminal 30 June Dr Mohammed Asha, 26, and his wife Dana Asha, 27, arrested on the M6 near Sandbach, Cheshire 30 June/1 July Dr Sabeel Ahmed (brother of Kafeel), 26, arrested near Liverpool's Lime Street station 1 July A 28-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, thought to be medical students or doctors from Saudi Arabia, arrested in Paisley 2 July Dr Mohammed Haneef, 27, detained in Australia, and a second doctor is questioned 3 July Second doctor questioned in Australia is released without charge Send us your comments Brown and Cameron clash Extremists 'hounded out' Seven of those arrested are believed to be doctors or medical students and one used to work as a laboratory technician. Six are being questioned at London's Paddington Green police station. The seventh remains in hospital after the Glasgow attack, and the eighth is still being questioned in Australia after his arrest at Brisbane Airport. Meanwhile, Calor is writing to its 10,000 local retailers to remind them of its policy on the way it sells its gas, after reports that its canisters were used in the attacks. New customers must fill in a form which asks for their name, address and other personal details when they get their first Calor gas canister. 'Kicking and punching' A man who grappled with one of the suspects after he saw the attack at Glasgow airport has described how his leg was broken in two places in the tussle. "One of the guys got out of the car and went for the police officer. I just ran over to help the police officer," said 40-year-old heating engineer Michael Kerr. "I tried my best to get the guy. I tried punching and kicking him but punching him I fell back and broke my leg." Mr Kerr, who also lost several teeth, told the BBC that he was no hero but just doing his duty. \|\|\|\|\| Terror Threat Level Reduced To Severe Britain's terror threat level has been reduced from "critical" to "severe". That means a terrorist attack is no longer imminent - but is still likely at any time. "It still means the authorities believe it is highly likely that there will be an attack at any moment," said Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt. The threat level was raised to critical by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on Saturday evening following the failed terror attacks on London and Glasgow. Advertisement Ms Smith said the decision to lower the threat level to severe had been made by the Joint Terrorism & Analysis Centre. She said: "There is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is expected imminently. However, the reduction of the threat level to severe does not mean the overall threat has gone away. "There remains a serious and real threat against the United Kingdom, and I would again ask that the public remain vigilant." \|\|\|\|\| INTELLIGENCE SERVICES COMMISSIONER The Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Gibson is the current Intelligence Services Commissioner. The Commissioner's role is defined by statute under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). Section 59 of the Act provides for the Prime Minister to appoint the Commissioner, who must hold or have held high judicial office within the meaning of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876. He or she is appointed for a period of three years with the possibility of re-appointment. His job is to keep under review the issue of warrants by the Secretary of State authorising intrusive surveillance (e.g. eavesdropping) and interference with property in order to make sure that the Secretary of State was right to issue them. Like the Interception of Communications Commissioner, the Intelligence Services Commissioner reviews warrant applications and visits the Security Service and other agencies to discuss any case he wishes to examine in more detail. He must, by law, be given access to whatever documents and information he needs and at the end of each reporting year he submits a report to the Prime Minister which is subsequently laid before Parliament and published. The Intelligence Services Commissioner is also responsible for reviewing our internally authorised use of directed surveillance (the covert monitoring of targets' movements, conversations and other activities) and of covert human intelligence sources (i.e. agents) to check that we are acting in accordance with the requirements of the law. Reports of the Intelligence Services Commissioner	Thames House, headquarters of MI5. The United Kingdom's (JTAC), a division of the security agency MI5, has now reduced the United Kingdom threat level from 'critical' to 'severe'. Since the terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow the threat level in the United Kingdom was at 'critical' meaning an "attack was imminent", however the , , today announced the level was to be reduced. She said, "There is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is expected imminently. However, the reduction of the threat level to severe does not mean the overall threat has gone away." The MI5 website stated, "This means that future terrorist attacks are still highly likely, but no longer thought to be imminent. The decision has been made by JTAC based on a review of the latest intelligence." This reduction comes after eight arrests were made in connection to the terror attacks.
Some Copiague parents want their students back in classrooms They complained about having to choose between all virtual classes or following a hybrid model under district restrictions to reduce risk of coronavirus exposure. 7:34 PM Trustee defeats incumbent Hempstead Village mayor Waylyn Hobbs beats Mayor Don Ryan in a four-way mayoral election Tuesday. 8:16 PM Cops: Teen suffers multiple head injuries in street attack Dominick Palumbo, a freshman at SUNY Maritime College, remained hospitalized Wednesday after an altercation between two groups early Saturday in a Sayville parking lot, Suffolk police said. 8:02 PM She had no family, so strangers came to honor her at funeral None of them had known Celia Teresa de Jesus Alferez. Still about 50 parishioners attended her funeral Mass last week at St. Joseph Church in Ronkonkoma. LI golfers continue to flock to courses amid pandemic Golf was one of the few activities that people could do during the pandemic, leading to a banner year for rounds played in 2020. 1:49 WATCH NOW Amid a year of pandemic hardship, NY parks thrived Experts say state parks on Long Island and across New York helped ward off negative emotions that swept in with COVID-19's arrival one year ago, as isolation helped breed fear, anxiety, depression — and sorrow kept ratcheting up. 2:03 Breaking News LI officials, NYPD on alert in Asian communities after Georgia killings The NYPD is beefing up patrols and Long Island official are urging Asian residents to report hate incidents after eight people, many of them Asian women, were shot to death at Atlanta-area massage parlors. \|\|\|\|\| By MATTHEW VERRINDER, Associated Press Writer Wed May 23, 6:39 PM ET TRENTON, N.J. - A 60-year-old woman became a mother, twice over, when she delivered a pair of boys Tuesday. Frieda Birnbaum gave birth to "Baby A" at 12:44 p.m. and "Baby B" a minute later by Caesarean section at Hackensack University Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Nancy Radwin said. The twins each weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, she said. "The mom is in recovery, and she and the babies are doing really well," Radwin said, declining a request to speak with the mother. Hospital officials believe Birnbaum may be the oldest woman to give birth to twins in the United States, Radwin said. Birnbaum, a psychologist from Saddle River, underwent in-vitro fertilization last year in Cape Town, South Africa, at a center that specializes in older women. She and her husband, Ken, a New York attorney, have been married for 38 years and have three other children sons ages 6 and 33 and a daughter, 29. Birnbaum told Fox News she wanted her younger son to have siblings closer to his age and wanted to remove some of the stigma attached to older women giving birth. Coincidentally, Tuesday was the birthday of twins born one year ago to a 59-year-old woman also to a New Jersey woman. Lauren Cohen gave birth to Gregory and Giselle on May 22, 2006, at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. Cohen said Birnbaum contacted her after seeing her name in a magazine and that the two quickly became friends. "We talked about babies; I suggested things that would be helpful when you try to feed two babies simultaneously," Cohen said.	Infant twins. Frieda Birnbaum, aged 60, gave birth to two sons on May 22, at 12:44 pm at Hackensack University Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Both babies were delivered by Caesarean section, and each weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces and are doing well. "The mom is in recovery, and she and the babies are doing really well," said Nancy Radwin a spokeswoman for the medical center. Doctors believe Birnbaum may be the oldest woman in the United States to give birth to twins. Birnbaum has been married to her husband Ken for 38 years, and underwent in-vitro fertilization last year in Cape Town, South Africa. The couple already had three children, a daughter, 29 and two sons, 6 and 33. "This is so wonderful, I feel so relaxed. It has been a great experience. I don't feel like I'm 60. I don't know what 60 is meant to be," said Birnbaum as quoted by ''Newsday'', who quotes ''FOX News.'' Women giving birth this late in age, says Radwin, face high risks when they become pregnant. "There were no guidelines of what to do and what to look for in a pregnancy at the age to 60. Can the heart or the kidneys withstand the pregnancy? It becomes a little risky to take care of this pregnancy," added Radwin. One year ago, a now 60 year-old woman also from New Jersey named Lauren Cohen gave birth to twins. Birnbaum and Cohen became friends after Birnbaum contacted Cohen about her giving birth. Currently, Maria del Carmen Bousada Lara, who lives in Spain, is the oldest woman in the world to give birth to twins. On December 29, 2006, she gave birth to two boys. She was 67 at the time.
Russia seals deal for Turkey's first nuclear power plant ANKARA — Russia on Wednesday signed a 20-billion-dollar (15.8-billion-euro) deal to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant as President Dmitry Medvedev hailed expanding ties with the NATO member. "This agreement opens a new page in our cooperation... Our talks today showed that Turkey and Russia are strategic partners not only in words but in deeds," Medvedev told a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The deal to build and operate the plant at Akkuyu, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, was one of some 20 agreements signed by the two countries which Medvedev said would generate about 25 billion dollars of investment. "It really looks rather impressive," he said. Erdogan said construction of the plant would begin after both parliaments ratify the accord, and take seven years to complete. Russia has long looked to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant, but a Turkish court last year scrapped a tender won by a Russian-led consortium to build four reactors with a total capacity of 4,800-megawatts at Akkuyu. Wednesday's deal "is a very big contract," Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, told reporters. "An approximate price of such a project is around 18-20 billion dollars." Kiriyenko said Russia would own the plant -- the first Russian-owned plant outside the country -- holding "no less than a controlling stake". Erdogan said he and Medvedev discussed projects to carry Russian gas and oil to world markets via Turkey, which has emerged as a major transit hub between East and West. He cited Moscow's South Stream pipeline project to supply gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine, as well as Ankara's proposal for an oil pipeline from Turkey's Black Sea port of Samsun to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, which already serves as a terminal for conduits from Azerbaijan and Iraq. "We are determined to take this step," he said of the Samsun-Ceyhan conduit, which, he added, would be completed with a joint refinery at Ceyhan. The construction of the pipeline, which aims to ease tanker traffic in the congested Bosphorus Strait, would cost three billion dollars, Russian Deputy Prime Mininster Igor Sechin told reporters. Last year, Turkey secured a Russian pledge to supply oil to the conduit in return for backing South Stream. Ankara, which also backs the European Union's rival Nabucco pipeline, agreed to allow Russian exploration work for the project in its Black Sea waters. As the two countries expressed a desire to triple trade volume to 100 billion dollars over the next five years, Medvedev said their national currencies -- the rouble and the lira -- should be used in bilateral trade. "We need to think how to dramatically expand the use of national currencies," he told a business forum, reiterating that both economies were too dependent on global reserve currencies, primarily the US dollar. The idea was floated in a confidential new foreign policy strategy prepared for Medvedev and published by Newsweek Russia this week. The two countries also signed a deal mutually lifting visas for stays of up to 30 days, a major boost to investors and millions of Russians holidaying at Turkey's Mediterranean coast each year. Despite sometimes shaky political ties, economic exchanges between the two countries have boomed since the fall of communism. In 2009, their trade volume stood at 22.9 billion dollars, making Russia one of Turkey's top commercial partners. Russia's military intervention in Georgia in 2008 briefly strained relations with Turkey, which has close ties with the former Soviet republic, its northeastern neighbour. Russia is Turkey's main gas supplier, providing about 60 percent of the country's gas imports. Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More » \|\|\|\|\| The two countries want to double bilateral trade in five years President Dmitry Medvedev has agreed a deal under which Russia will build Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Russia will have a controlling stake in the plant, which is likely to cost $20bn (£13.5bn) and is to be built on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. It was one of several agreements struck by Mr Medvedev during a visit to Ankara, the Turkish capital. Both countries said they wished to improve trade links, lift visa conditions and boost energy projects. "We share a determination to increase the trade volume from a current $38bn to $100bn in five years," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said after hosting talks with Mr Medvedev. Turkey is aiming to reduce its dependence on foreign energy supplies, but at the same time be a hub through which oil and gas producers can ship their supplies to Europe. \|\|\|\|\| By Anatoly Medetsky Murad Sezer / Reuters President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands during a May 12 signing ceremony in Ankara. Turkey on Wednesday agreed to let Russia build and own a $20 billion nuclear power plant in a deal that opens a new page in Russia's global expansion in the industry. Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Rosatom, the state nuclear corporation, signed the agreement to build four reactors on Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast during a visit by President Dmitry Medvedev to the country. In a first, Rosatom will control the facilities and sell the electricity that it generates, Kiriyenko said. “It's an extremely important contract for us. We have been craving this for a long time,” he told reporters after the signing. “It's much more interesting for us to be co-investors in such projects.” Rosatom's other deals outside the country — most notably in places like China, India and Iran — exclude the company from any ownership or management role. Financially, the Turkish agreement is smaller than Rosatom's plan to build 16 reactors in India. In executing the contract, which crowns years of negotiations and a contentious tender, Rosatom will initially establish a fully owned subsidiary to start the work at the Akkuyu site, Kiriyenko said. Later on, it will offer up to 49 percent of the venture to investors in and outside Turkey, he said, estimating construction costs at $20 billion. “Turkish investors are interested. We’re also holding talks with European investors,” he said, declining to identify potential partners. Rosatom won the bidding for the project in September 2008. Spurring the current deal, a Turkish court delayed awarding the contract because the company was the sole bidder. “This is a smart move for Turkey … because they don’t have to pay anything upfront, just provide the site,” Kiriyenko said, referring to Wednesday's agreement. Turkey's state electricity generating company EUAS will hand over land for the project free of charge, the Cabinet said in guidelines for the deal published Wednesday. Rosatom expects to recoup costs 15 years after completing each reactor by selling half the electricity to Turkey's state energy company Tetas at a fixed price and offering the rest on the unregulated market, according to the contract guidelines. Afterward, Rosatom and its partners, if any, will transfer 20 percent of the profit to the Turkish government. Rosatom has until mid-August to start creating the subsidiary to build the plant, according to the contract. Rosatom plans to open the first reactor within seven years after securing all construction permits. It will then complete one reactor every year for the next three years. Rosatom may also set up a facility to make nuclear fuel in Turkey. In other energy issues, Russia and Turkey will continue considering gas trade projects such as Blue Stream-2 and South Stream, Medvedev said after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. In a goodwill gesture, Gazprom allowed Turkey to buy as little as 75 percent of the 16 billion cubic meters of gas that the country had originally agreed to buy this year through the Blue Stream pipeline. Normally, the Russian gas export monopoly charges penalties if its customers buy less than 80 percent or 85 percent of contracted volumes, a condition that irritated many European energy companies after the economic downturn reduced demand. The countries also are looking at Russia's possible involvement in the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which is now a joint project between Turkey's Calik and Italy's Eni. If built, the pipeline will carry Russian and Kazakh oil across Turkey on a potentially safer and faster transit route than the congested straits connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Erdogan said an energy security agreement signed Wednesday made a priority of the oil link, whose cost was put at $3 billion by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin on Tuesday. Medvedev said Russia and Turkey signed deals with a combined value of $25 billion on Wednesday. Bilateral agreements included dropping visas for tourists as soon as the countries agree on the terms of readmission for illegal migrants. Medvedev's visit to Turkey ended a Middle East trip that also took him to Syria, where he said Tuesday that Russia might build nuclear power reactors for the Arab country. \|\|\|\|\| Russia, Turkey sign $20bn nuclear power plant deal Thursday, 13 May, 2010 Russia's President Medvedev and Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan signed documents in Ankara. Medvedev hailed “strategic” ties with Turkey as the two sides prepared to seal a plan to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant. –Photo by AFP Several agreements, including removing visa restrictions and shipping oil products from the Black Sea, were struck during a landmark visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Turkey, aiming to turn itself into an energy hub for European supplies. Russia has built nuclear power plants in nations from China to Iran and might build a power plant in Syria. Nuclear agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko said state-controlled building group Atomstroiexport will lead construction of the plant on Nato member Turkey’s southern coast. “It’s an extremely important contract for us,” Kiriyenko told journalists. Turkey is keen to reduce its dependence on imported energy and cover a looming power shortfall. Russia provides 60 per cent of Turkey’s gas needs, which has raised concerns that Turkey is becoming too dependent on Russia, a major trading partner. Such deals would have been inconceivable two decades ago, when Turkey guarded Nato’s eastern borders during the Cold War. However, seeking to balance its West-facing foreign policy, Turkey has strengthened relations with Russia and other Central Asian countries in the past years. \|\|\|\|\| ISTANBUL—Russia and Turkey signed several energy and trade agreements Wednesday, tying the knot in a relationship between historic rivals that has quietly grown into what Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev described as "a full-scale strategic partnership." Met by a 21-gun salute and honor guard on his first visit to Turkey, Mr. Medvedev oversaw the signing of deals to ensure visa-free travel, build Turkey's first nuclear-power plant and boost construction of an oil pipeline from Turkey's Black Sea coast to the Mediterranean. ... \|\|\|\|\| Dmitri Medvedev on Wednesday sealed a $20bn deal for Russia to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, furthering Moscow’s ambition of carving out a bigger role in the renascent international market for nuclear energy. Energy cooperation is the core of a rapidly developing partnership between Moscow and Ankara, former cold war rivals who say bilateral trade could reach $100bn in the next five years – half the value of Russia’s trade now with the entire European Union. “Turkey and Russia are strategic partners, not just in words but in reality,” the Russian president told reporters on Wednesday during a trip to Ankara, where he also discussed Moscow’s involvement in an oil pipeline that will cut tanker traffic through the Bosphorus straits and struck a deal to scrap visa requirements for short visits. Russia, which already sells Turkey 70 per cent of its imported energy, has overcome Turkish criticism of cost and over-dependence on its neighbour to win the nuclear deal, after making the only bid in a 2008 tender that was later cancelled. Sergei Kirienko, head of the country’s nuclear agency, said the deal was a breakthrough because Russia would keep a controlling stake in the project. It will own 100 per cent at first and may later sell 49 per cent to another investor. “We have been striving for this for a long time … it is much more interesting for us to be co-investors in such projects,” he said. This arrangement might also allow Turkey’s government to take a stake in the project at a later stage. It had considered doing so upfront in order to give the plant’s operator greater guarantees and so bring down the cost of the project. Mr Kirienko said state-owned Rosatom would finance construction of the plant on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, with four reactors and a generating capacity of 4,800MW. Tetas, Turkey’s state electricity company, has pledged to buy up to 70 per cent of power when the plant begins generating in 7 years time, with some sold on the open market. The deal illustrates Russia’s appetite to cement its position in Turkey’s domestic energy market, one of the fastest growing in the region, as Ankara proceeds with privatisations of power distribution grids and generating assets. Mr Medvedev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, both noted that they had also discussed future co-operation on Russia’s planned South Stream gas pipeline, and plans to build a refinery at the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. \|\|\|\|\| AP contributed to this report. While Jerusalem lashed out against Moscow on Wednesday for wanting to include Hamas in the diplomatic process, it took a much more low-key approach to news that Russia would build a nuclear reactor in Turkey, and was considering doing the same in Syria.“This is obviously not something people here are overjoyed about,” one official said of the developments, but there is a feeling – at least regarding Turkey – that if the plant is under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, there is much less to worry about.The problem is Syria, the official added, because although it is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and under IAEA supervision, it still managed to set up a clandestine plutonium-producing facility that was reportedly taken out by the IAF in September 2007.“The Syrians have never apologized and have not been cooperative with the IAEA,” the official said.Turkey and Russia signed 17 cooperation agreements on Wednesday, including one for the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant near the Mediterranean coastal town of Akkuyu. The construction was expected to take seven years, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.Russia plans to build four reactors at the plant at a cost of about $20 billion.On Tuesday, Russia’s energy minister, who visited Damascus along with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, said Moscow was studying the possibility of building a nuclear plant in Syria as well.Syrian President Bashar Assad said during Medvedev’s visit that he and the Russian president “talked about oil and gas cooperation, as well as constructing conventional or nuclear-powered electricity stations.”Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, when asked whether his country would build an atomic power plant in Syria, told Reuters, “We are studying this question.”Israeli diplomatic officials said Russia was following France and the US in trying to ink lucrative deals in Mideast countries for nuclear plants. The US signed civil nuclear power deals with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2009, and France pledged in 2007 to help Morocco develop its nuclear program for civilian use.Over the past three years, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait,the UAE, Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Egypt have all indicated aninterest in developing some kind of nuclear facilities.Israel, one official acknowledged, has little leverage to try to stopRussia from building a nuclear reactor in either Turkey or – if itdesired – in Syria, just as it had little power to keep Moscow frombuilding the Iranian reactor in Bushehr. \|\|\|\|\| ISTANBUL — Turkey and Russia signed 17 agreements on Wednesday to enhance cooperation in energy and other fields, including pacts to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and furthering plans for an oil pipeline from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The pipeline would allow Russia to expand its oil exports from the Black Sea, bypassing the Bosporus, whose shipping lines are already at capacity. The deal follows several rounds of agreements between Russia and Turkey in recent years that have helped Russia maintain its dominance of Eurasian energy routes. On his first official visit to Turkey, the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, met with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan; and other top officials. Mr. Erdogan saluted the progress on the pipeline, which is to run from the Black Sea port of Samsun to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, and said it would ease pressures on the Bosporus and reduce the threat of devastating spills. “Our shores are under severe danger during the passage of the oil tankers through the straits,” he said. “Once we realize the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, we would have the opportunity to reach out to the world from Ceyhan.” For his part, Mr. Medvedev highlighted the expected increases in the $30 billion in trade between Turkey and Russia. “Our trading capacity will not only improve but will exceed past records,” Mr. Medvedev said. “We are aiming for more than $100 billion of trade in future, which is very inspiring.” His comments, in Russian, were translated by Turkish television. But most of that number comes from Turkish imports of Russian oil and gas, and some Turkish energy experts cautioned that the increase would do more good for Russia than for Turkey. The deal for the nuclear plant, scheduled to be built over seven years in the Mediterranean city of Mersin, raised further concerns among some Turks of relying too much on Russia. “If we add dependency on nuclear energy on top of the current energy trading from Russia, it’s inevitable that we get concerned,” Necdet Pamir, an energy expert, told the news channel NTV. He said Turkey had energy options it could explore without Russian aid. “Half of Turkey’s immense hydroelectric potential is on hold, so it’s misleading to present Turkey as a helpless country,” he said. Moreover, Mr. Pamir added, the reactor suggested for the project in Turkey, known as Model 1400, has not been given safety approvals by European institutions. A project by a Russian consortium to build a nuclear reactor in Akkuyu, another Mediterranean town, was canceled by a Turkish court last year after intense public complaints. Other agreements signed after the first session of high-level meetings led by Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Erdogan called for cooperation in combating drug trafficking and in transportation and education, as well as a lifting of visa requirements for visits shorter than a month. Russian tourism to Turkey grows every year, with nearly five and a half million tourists from the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2009, according to Tourism Ministry figures, while Russia is a popular destination for Turkish businessmen. In addition to the agreements, the leaders pledged greater diplomatic efforts toward a resolution of the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and called for stability in the Caucasus, acknowledging the delicate nature of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which both Turkey and Russia are closely monitoring. Turkey has been a supporter of Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy but strongly opposes nuclear weapons in the region and has been critical of Israel on the matter. \|\|\|\|\| Turkey moved closer to becoming a nuclear energy nation after inking a deal with visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to build a nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast. Istanbul, Turkey Turkey has taken a big step toward being a nuclear energy nation by signing a deal with Russia on Wednesday to build its first nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast. The project – along with a pipeline plan to bring Russian oil overland from the Black Sea to a refinery on Turkey’s southern coast for export to Europe, and a host of other measures – was signed during a visit here from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. “By taking these steps, Turkey is taking its position as an energy hub to a much different level,” said Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “The solidarity with Russia on this issue is of utmost importance.” Mr. Medvedev was also effusive: “This agreement opens a new page in our cooperation…. Our talks today showed that Turkey and Russia are strategic partners not only in words but in deeds,” he said. Turkey expands influence The energy deals are part of NATO-ally Turkey's broader strategy to expand its influence in the region and become an energy corridor between East and West, while also serving as an increasingly important diplomatic player seeking to help resolve Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For Russia, the Turkey visit is part of a regional swing that saw the Russian leader in Syria earlier this week in a bid to raise Moscow’s profile in the Middle East. In Damascus, Medvedev sought to rejuvenate some of Syria’s historic ties with the former Soviet Union – even while the United States has signaled a partial thaw with Syria by appointing the first US ambassador since 2005, though the US Senate has held up his nomination and on May 3 President Obama extended economic sanctions for one year. Medvedev followed up in Turkey, where the 20 or so agreements made on Wednesday will generate some $25 billion in investment, a figure that he said “really looks rather impressive.” Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said the two nations aimed to triple annual bilateral trade to $100 billion in the next half decade. Sergei Kiriyenko, the chief of the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, said nuclear deal alone was “a very big contract” that could be worth $18 billion to $20 billion, according to Agence France-Presse. Russia would hold a controlling stake in the plant and operate it. “Russia has never owned a nuclear power station outside its territory,” Mr. Kiriyenko said. The nuclear power plant is to start in 2014 and take seven years to build in the coastal town of Akkuyu. It is not unlike the one Russia is building for Iran at Bushehr, which has taken more than a decade and faced repeated delays – some of them, Iran suspects, for political reasons. Pipeline plans The pipeline proposal, reported to be worth $3 billion, would bring Russian oil from Turkey’s Black Sea port of Samsun to a joint refinery on the Mediterranean at Ceyhan, which already links oil flows from Azerbaijan and Iraq. The deal would bypass the narrow Bosphorus at Istanbul, which is congested with tanker traffic, and would provide for both Turkey’s domestic and European markets. Erdogan also spoke of Russia’s South Stream gas pipeline project, which aims to provide Russian natural gas to Europe while bypassing Ukraine, though it is a rival to the European Union Nabucco pipeline, which Turkey also supports. In the past year, Russia has become one of Turkey’s primary trading partners, at a volume worth $40 billion in 2008 and dipping – because of the global recession – to $22.9 billion in 2009. Russia already provides some 60 percent of Turkey’s natural gas. One of the first orders of business during the Russian leader’s visit was an agreement to lift tourist visa restrictions between the two nations. More than 2 million Russians flock to Turkish resorts and beaches each year, often on package tours flying direct from Moscow and other Russian cities to Turkey’s sunny southern coast. “It’s a historical agreement that will before anything else ease the life of millions of people,” Medvedev said. Related: \|\|\|\|\| Russia Urges Nations to Take Active Role in Middle East Photo: AP Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Wednesday urged the all nations to actively work on helping bring peace to the Middle East. The Russian president made the appeal during a two-day visit to Turkey, where the leaders of both countries agreed to expand cooperation. President Medvedev called for greater involvement in the Middle East peace process during a press conference in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul. Mr. Medvedev said the urgency of the peace process is heightened by the deteriorating situation in Gaza. "Gaza has worsened, it's close to a humanitarian catastrophe," he said. He added that the international community "must do everything to try, if it's not possible to solve the existing problems, then at least make it possible for each state that feels its responsibility for the development of events in the region, to work on these problems more effectively." Washington recently launched U.S.-mediated peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but signs of trouble already have emerged. On Monday, Israel said it does not intend to end construction of Jewish housing in east Jerusalem. The Palestinians accused Israel of undermining trust and urged President Barack Obama to intervene. After meeting with the Russian leader, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said their two countries have similar foreign policy goals in the region - a hint that Moscow is becoming a more active mediator in the region, much like Turkey has in recent years. "We were pleased to note common vision on regional and international issues," Mr. Gul said. "We have agreed to work together to solve regional problems through dialogue." The Turkish president said he gives "high importance to cooperation with Russia at the United Nations Security Council," and cited the example of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Mr. Medvedev said Iran must adopt a constructive approach as the United States and its allies push for new U.N. sanctions against Tehran, in response to its nuclear program. Iran maintains that its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. Turkey and Russia agreed Wednesday on a $20 billion project in which Moscow will build and own a controlling stake in Turkey's first nuclear power plant, as the two Cold War-era rivals try to build a strategic partnership.	The Russian and Turkish governments today signed an agreement that would lead to Russia building a US$20 billion nuclear power plant in Turkey, the country's first. The plant will be built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and construction will commence as soon as the deal is approved by both countries; the building process is expected to take around seven years. The reactor will also be owned by Russia, which will hold "no less than a controlling stake," according to , who is the head of , a Russian nuclear energy corporation. The reactor to be built is the second proposed power plant in the same location; a separate proposal for a four-reactor complex built by a Russian-led consortium was rejected by a Turkish court last year. Russia has attempted to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey, and the contract signed Wednesday "really looks rather impressive," according to Dmitry Medvedev. The contract for the reactor was one of 20 signed by the two countries today, expected to result in around US$25 billion of Russian investment in Turkey. Other major contracts signed include projects to transport Russian oil and natural gas through Turkey to ports on the Mediterranean Sea. One such project is a major pipeline between the Turkish ports of on the Black Sea and on the Mediterranean Sea, built in conjunction with an oil refinery in Ceyhan. In a press conference, Russian President Medvedev said that the agreements signal "a new page in our cooperation...Our talks today showed that Turkey and Russia are strategic partners not only in words but in deeds." Abdullah Gul said that the two countries "share a determination to increase the trade volume from a current US$38 billion to US$100 billion in five years."
America's most famous television surgeon, Sanjay Gupta, is poised to take his black bag and microphone to the White House as President-elect Barack Obama's choice for U.S. surgeon general. A neurosurgeon who is also a correspondent for CNN and CBS, Gupta was chosen as much for his broadcasting skills as for his medical résumé, suggesting that the incoming administration values visible advisers who can drive a public message. He has also been offered a top post in the new White House Office of Health Reform, twin duties that could make him the most influential surgeon general in history. A practicing physician and one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive," Gupta met for more than two hours with Obama in Chicago on Nov. 25, according to two sources with knowledge of the talks. Gupta, 39, later spoke with several Obama advisers, including Thomas A. Daschle, who will run the new White House policy office and the Department of Health and Human Services. The globetrotting doctor has told Obama aides he wants the job, which involves overseeing the 6,000-member Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. When reached yesterday, Gupta did not deny that he plans to accept the offer but declined to comment. Transition officials refused to speak on the record about his selection, but several Obama allies praised Gupta as the sort of highly visible, articulate physician who might restore the luster that the position of "the nation's doctor" had in the person of Reagan appointee C. Everett Koop and some of his predecessors. A representative of the Commissioned Corps, however, said Gupta will face a "credibility gap" because he has never served in the uniformed Public Health Service. "I am unaware of any public health experience or qualifications he has to be the leader of the nation's public health service," said Gerard M. Farrell, executive director of the service's Commissioned Officers Association. "This would be akin to appointing the Army chief of staff from the city council of Hoboken," N.J. The selection of Gupta represents a "return to a communicator model," said Susan Blumenthal, who retired as an assistant surgeon general two years ago after 20 years in the Public Health Service. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Gupta would provide the administration with a skilled television personality to help market what is planned to be a massive reorganization of the U.S. health system. The Obama team already has initiated a public relations campaign aimed at mobilizing grass-roots support for eventual health reform legislation. Last week, Daschle appeared at town-hall-style meetings in Indiana and Washington to solicit public input. The sessions, captured on video and posted on the transition Web site, were among more than 8,500 local gatherings held over the holidays. Gupta is "a great voice to get the public engaged in the discussion over health care reform," said Kenneth Thorpe, a former Clinton administration official who has become friendly with Gupta as a colleague at Emory University in Atlanta. Gupta, the son of Indian parents, has long been drawn to policymaking. He was a White House fellow in the late 1990s, writing speeches and crafting policy for then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. He is currently associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta's busy downtown hospital. \|\|\|\|\| In this Monday, Oct. 8, 2007 file photo, Dr. Sanjay Gupta attends a screening of the environmental documentary "Planet in Peril," in New York. President-elect Barack Obama has approached CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to be the country's next surgeon general, the cable news network said Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) CNN: Gupta approached about surgeon general post WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama's reported choice for surgeon general, CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, could bring a dose of star power to a job that hasn't had that much clout in decades. Gupta doesn't just play a doctor on TV, he's a neurosurgeon who still scrubs in part-time in one of the nation's toughest hospitals when he's not on CNN assignments that have taken him from Hurricane Katrina to Iraq. He also has co-hosted a health "network" that beams feel-good advice on TVs in clinic waiting rooms around the country — one that has drawn some criticism for drug-company promotion. The surgeon general doesn't set health policy — but the office can be an effective bully pulpit, and a major report aimed at Congress just last month called for "a more prominent and powerful role for the surgeon general who ... should be a strong advocate for the American people." Past surgeons general pushed the nation to fight tobacco and AIDS. Having such a well-known TV personality could give the post a reach not seen since the renowned C. Everett Koop, who served under President Ronald Reagan and helped make AIDS a public health issue rather than a moral one — in an era before the 24/7 news cycle. With the celebrity behind Gupta's medical credentials, "it's like a name-brand immediately," said Dr. Michael Johns, chancellor at Emory University in Atlanta, where Gupta, 39, is an assistant professor of neurosurgery. "If chosen, Dr. Gupta's communication skills and medical knowledge could be a boon to the new administration's health system reform efforts," noted Dr. Joseph Heyman, chairman of the American Medical Association's board. And in contrast to the grandfatherly Koop, People magazine named the then-single Gupta one of the sexiest men of 2003. However, a surgeon general would "need to demonstrate skills that are too often missing in medical news on TV: skepticism about the science and a careful analysis of both the benefits and harms of medical care," said Drs. Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. The pair raised questions about drug-company sponsorship of some programs Gupta hosted in a broader critique of medical media coverage last fall, and on Tuesday they urged careful examination of any potential conflicts of interest. CNN said Obama had approached Gupta about the job but said he would not comment on the discussions. "Since first learning that Dr. Gupta was under consideration for the surgeon general position, CNN has made sure that his on-air reporting has been on health and wellness matters and not on health care policy or any matters involving the new administration," the cable network said Tuesday. Two Democrats with knowledge of the discussions over the surgeon general spot said Gupta was under consideration but cautioned a choice has not been made. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter. Obama's transition office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Gupta has made a handful of political donations in recent years, but appears to have stayed out of the 2008 presidential race. To take the job, he'd have to give up a lucrative media-and-medical empire. Gupta hosts "House Call" on CNN, contributes reports to CBS News, and writes a column for Time magazine, as well as operating and overseeing residents part-time at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, known for its trauma cases. During the Clinton administration, Gupta was a White House fellow and special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Gupta grew up in the Detroit area, the son of parents who moved from India in the 1960s to work at a Ford plant. He earned undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan. CBS News is a unit of CBS Corp.; CNN is owned by Time Warner Inc. \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical reporter, is the leading contender to become the next surgeon general, a pick that will give the moribund office a higher profile but one that has received a mixed reaction among public health advocates. CNN confirmed Tuesday that Dr. Gupta had been approached by the Obama transition team and discussed the job with President-elect Barack Obama late last year in Chicago. Dr. Gupta did not respond to an e-mail message seeking comment. According to people at CNN and in the Obama transition team, Dr. Gupta is likely to make a decision about taking the job within a few days. News of his selection was first reported Tuesday by The Washington Post. Dr. Gupta presides over a small media empire that, in addition to his regular work on CNN, includes appearances on the “CBS Evening News” and columns in Time magazine. His first book, about the search for immortality, was published in 2007. He is paid for speaking engagements, a controversial practice for a journalist. The All American Talent and Celebrity Network lists his speaking fees as $30,001 to $50,000.	United States president-elect Barack Obama has chosen Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a medical correspondent from the American television station CNN, to be the next United States Surgeon General. Gupta, also a neurosurgeon, was reported to be chosen because of his background in broadcasting and skills in communication. He is currently the host of ''House Call'', a program on CNN, a columnist for ''Time Magazine'', a contributor to CBS News, and also a part time worker at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He will likely leave all of these positions to serve as US Surgeon General. Dr. Joseph Heyman of the American Medical Association supported Gupta, stating "If chosen, Dr. Gupta's communication skills and medical knowledge could be a boon to the new administration's health system reform efforts." Conversely, Doctors Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice stated that the next Surgeon General would need to "...demonstrate skills that are too often missing in medical news on TV: skepticism about the science and a careful analysis of both the benefits and harms of medical care." According to reports by sources close to the discussions, Gupta met with Barack Obama on November 25 in Chicago to discuss the position. He later met with several advisors to the president-elect, including Thomas A. Daschle of the US Department of Health and Human Services. He was reported to tell Obama that he wanted the Surgeon General position. Gupta declined to comment about the situation yesterday, but did state that he plans to accept Obama's choice.
Police officers stand outside of the Roller World Forum were five people were murdered in Grand Prairie, Texas July 23, 2011. DALLAS \| DALLAS (Reuters) - A man who opened fire on his estranged wife and her relatives at a family birthday party, killing five people and himself and wounding four others, had been having ongoing marital problems, police said on Sunday. Tan Do, 35, began shooting at a North Texas roller rink late on Saturday at a party for his 11-year-old son, police said. He killed five family members, including his wife, and wounded four other people before turning the gun on himself and fatally shooting himself in the head. Do, and his wife, 29-year-old Trini Do, were hosting the party when an argument erupted and Do drew a gun and started shooting, police said. The couple's domestic disagreement had been going on for "some time," Grand Prairie Police Department spokesman John Brimmer said. "They were estranged. They'd been having some marital problems," he said. "This was a domestic situation that went south in a hurry," he added. "The shooting lasted only seconds." About 30 people were attending the party at the Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie, about 20 miles west of Dallas, where the shooting occurred at about 7 p.m.. Along with Do, the dead were identified as his wife, her two sisters, 16-year-old Lynn Ta and 28-year-old Michelle Ta, her brother, 21-year-old Hien Ta, and sister-in-law, 25-year-old Thuy Nguyen. The couple's two children were unharmed. (Reporting by Eric Johnson; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst) \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- A man opened fire at a Texas roller skating rink during a birthday party for one of his children, killing his estranged wife and four of her family members before turning the gun on himself, police said Sunday. Tan Do, 35, and Trini Do, 29, were hosting the party at the Roller World Skating Rink in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, Texas, on Saturday for one of their two children, Grand Prairie police said in a statement. "The couple had been involved in ongoing marital problems and it is believed that this led to the shooting," police said. "Trini Do was among the deceased." Police responded to a call of a shooting at 7:10 p.m. Saturday (8:10 p.m. ET). Officers found the bodies of five people; a sixth person -- the suspect -- with a gunshot wound to the head; and four other people who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Others who were killed included Trini Do's sisters, Lynn Ta, 16, and Michelle Ta, 28; her brother, Hien Ta, 21; and her sister-in-law, Thuy Nguyen, 25. "It appears the suspect targeted his estranged wife and her family members," police said. The couple's two children were not harmed, and were in the care of other family members Sunday, authorities said. Tan Do was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. About 30 people were attending the party at the time of the shooting, but the roller rink was not open to the public, police said. Employees of the rink were not injured. Witnesses were interviewed by police, and the police department's crisis counselors and chaplain were working with the survivors, authorities said. CNN's Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.	Grand Prairie is a suburb of Dallas Six people have died after a shooting at a in , Texas. The shooting happened at a children's birthday party on Saturday at around 7:10pm after a domestic dispute. The gunman is among the dead after a self inflicted gunshot. Four other people were injured in the shooting. John Brimmer, a spokesman for the Grand Prairie Police Department said "This was a domestic situation that went south in a hurry. The shooting lasted only seconds." The entire rink had been rented out by a family for a private party. All of the dead were either teenagers or adults attending the celebration. Brimmer added at the end of his statement, "Thankfully we don't have things like this happen with any kind of regularity. We are a community of give or take 160,000 people and it's a great city and for something like this to happen is just horrible." == Sources == * * *
Full scorecard - Commentary - Wickets - 3D animation - Partnerships - Wagon wheels - Player v player - Over comparison - Over graphs - Career averages - Match home - Bulletin - Article index (19) - Photo index (42) Twenty20 Int. no. 46 - Final India v Pakistan 2007/08 season Played at (neutral venue), on 24 September 2007 (20-over match) Result India won by 5 runs India innings (20 overs maximum) R M B 4s 6s SR c Mohammad Asif b Umar Gul 75 76 54 8 2 138.88 c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Asif 15 12 8 1 1 187.50 c Shahid Afridi b Sohail Tanvir 8 13 11 1 0 72.72 c & b Umar Gul 14 28 19 1 0 73.68 b Umar Gul 6 9 10 0 0 60.00 not out 30 22 16 2 1 187.50 not out 3 9 3 0 0 100.00 Extras (lb 1, w 4, nb 1) 6 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs; 90 mins) 157 (7.85 runs per over) Did not bat , , , Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 3 0 25 1 8.33 (1w) 4 0 29 1 7.25 (2w) 4 0 30 0 7.50 3 0 25 0 8.33 4 0 28 3 7.00 (1nb, 1w) 2 0 19 0 9.50 Pakistan innings (target: 158 runs from 20 overs) R M B 4s 6s SR c Uthappa b Singh 1 3 3 0 0 33.33 run out (Uthappa) 33 28 14 4 2 235.71 b Singh 0 8 3 0 0 0.00 c YK Pathan b Joginder Sharma 24 27 24 4 0 100.00 c Sharma b IK Pathan 8 25 17 0 0 47.05 c Sreesanth b Joginder Sharma 43 51 38 0 4 113.15 c Sreesanth b IK Pathan 0 2 1 0 0 0.00 b IK Pathan 15 16 11 2 0 136.36 b Sreesanth 12 9 4 0 2 300.00 b Singh 0 4 2 0 0 0.00 not out 4 6 1 1 0 400.00 Extras (b 1, lb 4, w 6, nb 1) 12 Total (all out; 19.3 overs; 90 mins) 152 (7.79 runs per over) Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 4 0 26 3 6.50 (1nb) 4 1 44 1 11.00 (2w) 3.3 0 20 2 5.71 (2w) 1 0 5 0 5.00 4 0 16 3 4.00 (1w) 3 0 36 0 12.00 (1w) Toss India, who chose to bat first Series India won the 2007/08 ICC World Twenty20 Twenty20 Int. debut YK Pathan (India) Player of the match IK Pathan (India) Player of the series Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) Umpires (England) and (Australia) TV umpire (Australia) Match referee (Sri Lanka) Reserve umpire (West Indies) Match notes India innings Restricted Overs (0-6) : India 40/2 (G Gambhir 14, Yuvraj Singh 0) India: 50 runs in 7.4 overs (49 balls), Extras 3 G Gambhir: 50 off 38 balls (6 x 4, 1 x 6) 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 40 balls (G Gambhir 37, Yuvraj Singh 11, Ex 2) India: 100 runs in 13.1 overs (83 balls), Extras 5 India: 150 runs in 19.2 overs (121 balls), Extras 6 Innings Break: India - 157/5 in 20.0 overs (RG Sharma 30, IK Pathan 3) Pakistan innings Pakistan: 50 runs in 5.3 overs (35 balls), Extras 4 Restricted Overs (0-6) : Pakistan 53/3 (Younis Khan 15, Shoaib Malik 0) Pakistan: 100 runs in 15.3 overs (97 balls), Extras 6 Pakistan: 150 runs in 19.2 overs (123 balls), Extras 12 Twenty20 International Scorers: S Raju and Binoy George Search for an international scorecard from the match/series archive: \|\|\|\|\| By Paresh Soni India fought back superbly to become the first World Twenty20 champions They were up against it when Umar Gul (3-28) helped restrict them to 157-5, despite Gautam Gambhir's 75. But RP Singh struck twice early on and Irfan Pathan took 3-16 as a succession of Pakistanis gave away their wickets. Misbah-ul-Haq (43) rallied them with three sixes off Harbhajan Singh and another in the final over, but fell to Joginder Sharma to end an amazing game. It brought a hugely entertaining tournament to a fitting climax, which was always likely - after all, the teams tied their group game. There was a similar frenzied atmosphere when the latest instalment in their rich rivalry commenced at a packed Wanderers. 606: DEBATE Tough luck Pakistan but in the end India held their nerve and are deserving champions Shekhawat Gambhir was a figure of calm assurance, however, after debutant Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa perished with mis-timed heaves during a frenetic opening. He placed and timed the ball elegantly, particularly through the covers, in bringing up his fifty in 38 balls. The left-hander put India on course for a formidable total, but Yuvraj Singh - the hero against England and Australia - never got going as Gul exerted control with his clever variations in pace and length. Gul took a return catch after Yuvraj top-edged a pull and sent skipper Mahendra Dhoni's leg-stump flying as the scoring slowed dramatically between the 14th and 18th overs. Umar Gul pegged India back during an impressive spell Gambhir quite literally hurt Gul's figures by smashing the ball into the scoreboard over the mid-wicket fence but Gul had the last word by having him snapped up at short fine-leg to become the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13. Rohit Sharma collected successive fours off Yasir Arafat, while Mohammad Hafeez helped a swipe off Sohail Tanvir over the wide long-on boundary to take the score past 150. But India still had a lot of work to do to clinch their first major silverware since the 1985 B&H; Championship and 1983 World Cup final to deny their neighbours the chance to emulate their 1992 50-over triumph. Their prospects looked brighter when Hafeez guided RP Singh's fifth ball to Robin Uthappa at slip and Kamran Akmal lost his off-stump to an inswinger from the left-arm paceman. As long as Imran Nazir stayed at the crease the run rate was never likely to be an issue. He battered two fours and two sixes off an atrocious first over from the erratic Sree Santh which cost 21 runs. Younus Khan was nowhere near as convincing, although he managed to get bat on ball to collect successive leg-side fours off Santh to take the team past 50 in the sixth over. The innings then capitulated from 52-2 to 77-6 as Dhoni's bowling changes took the pace off the ball. Nazir, who went into the game with a groin problem and was refused a runner, was short of the crease when Uthappa's throw from mid-off hit the stumps. RP Singh took three wickets as India fought back Younus holed out to mid-on, while skipper Shoaib Malik and dangerman Shahid Afridi, who went first ball, tossed their wickets away with ambitious heaves off Irfan Pathan. The seamer cleaned up Yasir Arafat to end a brief revival but Misbah swung off-spinner Harbhajan between cow corner and long-on for three thumping sixes, and Tanvir flicked the returning Santh for two more maximums to provide a massive twist in the tale. Crucially, Santh knocked out the tail-ender's off-stump and RP Singh cleaned up Gul with his penultimate delivery. The inexperienced Joginder Sharma was entrusted with the final over and began with a horrible wide and when Misbah battered another six down the ground the game looked up. But Misbah's gamble of trying to loft the ball over short fine-leg backfired horribly and handed a stunning victory to India.	India defeated Pakistan by five runs in the final of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa. Gautam Gambhir scored 75 runs as India were limited to 157-5 after twenty overs. The other Indian batsmen fell cheaply, with Rohit Sharma the second highest scorer, reaching 30 not out. Yusuf Pathan was the first to fall, dismissed by Mohammad Asif for 15 runs. Robin Uthappa fell for just eight runs while Yuvraj Singh made 14 before being caught and bowled by Umar Gul, who was Pakistan's best performing bowler, taking 3-28. Gul also bowled Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made six runs. Pakistan suffered an early blow when Mohammad Hafeez was dismissed in the first over, and Kamran Akmal fell for a duck soon afterwards. Misbah-ul-Haq top scored with 43 runs as Pakistan neared the Indian total, but wickets fell too quickly as R P Singh took 3-26 and Irfan Pathan took 3-16 to set up a tense finish. Pakistan were bowled out in the final over, five runs short of India. '''Toss:''' India won and chose to bat first. '''Fall of wickets:''' 1-25 (Y K Pathan, 2.4 ov), 2-40 (Uthappa, 5.4 ov), 3-103 (Yuvraj Singh, 13.3 ov), 4-111 (Dhoni, 15.2 ov), 5-130 (Gambhir, 17.6 ov) '''Did not bat:''' Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, S Sreesanth, R P Singh '''Fall of wickets:''' 1-2 (Mohammad Hafeez, 0.5 ov), 2-26 (Kamran Akmal, 2.3 ov), 3-53 (Imran Nazir, 5.4 ov), 4-65 (Younis Khan, 8.3 ov), 5-76 (Shoaib Malik, 11.3 ov), 6-77 (Shahid Afridi, 11.4 ov), 7-104 (Yasir Arafat, 15.6 ov), 8-138 (Sohail Tanvir, 17.6 ov), 9-141 (Umar Gul, 18.5 ov), 10-152 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 19.3 ov) '''India:''' G Gambhir, Y K Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, R V Uthappa, R P Sharma, M S Dhoni (capt, wkt), I K Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, S Sreesanth, R P Singh '''Pakistan:''' Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik (capt), Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat '''Player of the Match:''' I K Pathan (India) '''Player of the Tournament:''' Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) '''Umpires:''' M R Benson (England) and S J A Taufel (Australia) '''TV Umpire:''' D J Harper (Australia) '''Match Referee:''' R S Madugalle (Sri Lanka) '''Reserve Umpire:''' B R Doctrove (West Indies)
CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented a united front on Iraq and promoting Middle East peace on Monday, trying to quell suggestions of a cooling in trans-Atlantic ties. After a spate of reports that the new British leader would seek to distance himself from Bush and withdraw from Iraq, both men were keen to show at their first meeting at the secluded presidential retreat that they could strike up a strong bond. “Everybody’s wondering whether or not the prime minister and I were able to find common ground, to get along, to have a meaningful discussion. And the answer is absolutely,” Bush told a news conference on the grounds of Camp David. Bush forged a close bond with Brown’s predecessor, Tony Blair, the U.S. president’s closest ally during the Iraq war. By contrast, Brown, the son of a Scottish preacher, is a serious intellectual keen to avoid the tag of “Bush’s poodle” that undermined Blair in Britain. The two leaders’ personal chemistry was noticeably cooler than that enjoyed by Bush and Blair, who stepped down last month. During the more than three hours of one-on-one meetings, Bush searched for common ground with the new British leader, noting that he had been to Scotland. Aides also described them as both big rugby fans. Bush heaped praise on Brown, saying he was “not the dour Scotsman” portrayed in the media, rather “he’s actually the humorous Scotsman.” When Brown bragged that six members of his cabinet were younger than 40, Bush shot back: “You must be feeling damn old, then.” SHARED VALUES Yet, Brown said little about Bush, though he stressed the two countries’ shared values. “I’ve told President Bush that it’s in Britain’s national interest that with all our energies we work together to address all the great challenges that we face, also together,” Brown said, listing these as nuclear proliferation, climate change, global poverty, the Middle East peace process and security. On Iran, the two agreed on the need to pursue tougher sanctions against the country over its nuclear program. “We’re in agreement that sanctions are working and the next stage we are ready to move towards is to toughen the sanctions with a further U.N. resolution,” Brown said. Slideshow ( 6 images ) Brown gave no promises on how long Britain would keep its 5,000 troops in Iraq. “The prime minister was very careful not to say much about the war in Iraq. I thought he really pulled away from that,” said William Keylor, professor of international relations at Boston University. Britain has already handed over security control to Iraqi forces in three of the provinces it was responsible for and Brown said it intends to do the same in the fourth province, Basra, but the decision would be based on military advice. Slideshow ( 6 images ) The head of the British military said last week Britain should be in a position to hand over control of Basra to Iraqi forces by year-end, and a British government source said Brown’s comment did not mark an acceleration of the schedule. Britain’s decision would also take account of a report due in mid-September by the head of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, on attempts to quell unrelenting sectarian violence, the source said. Bush appeared unconcerned at the prospect of British forces withdrawing. “There is no doubt in my mind that Gordon Brown understands that failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the security of our own countries,” he said. Bush also said they were optimistic World Trade Organization members can reach a long-sought deal in the Doha round of talks that collapsed in June. “Gordon Brown brought some interesting suggestions on the way forward,” Bush said. Brown later stopped by the U.S. Capitol and told Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress that U.S.-British relations were “not only strong, but strengthening.” \|\|\|\|\| Mr Bush praised Mr Brown for the UK's battle against terrorism Mr Brown said both nations had duties and responsibilities in Iraq, and that he would seek military advice before announcing any changes in policy. The pair met at Camp David, near Washington, amid widespread interest about whether they could work together. The talks also focused on Afghanistan, Darfur, world trade and climate change. Ahead of the summit there was speculation about whether the Texan president and the Scottish prime minister would find some common ground. In the event, Mr Bush spoke warmly of the "special relationship" with the UK, describing it as "our most important bilateral relationship" - the same term used by Mr Brown ahead of his trip to the US. Britain and America's policies on Iraq are in step - for now, at least BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full The president said he found Mr Brown a warm, humorous man, far removed from the "dour Scotsman" image sometimes portrayed by the media. He also paid tribute to Mr Brown's personal strength in overcoming the death of his first child in 2002. And he joked when he learned that six of Mr Brown's newly-appointed cabinet were under 40 years old, telling the prime minister: "You must be feeling old." But the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson, at Camp David, says Mr Brown did nothing to return those personal compliments - even referring to their meetings as full and frank, which is normal diplomatic code for an argument. Iraq debate On Iraq, Mr Brown said any recommendation on the future role of the UK's 5,500 troops in Iraq could be put to parliament after British MPs return to work in October after a summer break. That would leave any decision on UK troop levels until after a final report on the US "surge" in Iraq by Mr Bush's commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. The consequences of failure would be disaster for Great Britain and the US, something this Prime Minister understands George W Bush US President "Our aim, like the United States is, step-by-step, to move control to the Iraqi authorities," Mr Brown said. Mr Bush then linked the fortunes of both nations to the outcome of events in Iraq. "The consequences of failure would be disaster for Great Britain and the US, something this prime minister understands," the president said. 'Common struggle' Mr Brown, who faced a series of attempted bombings in the UK in the days after he assumed office in June, denounced terrorism as a crime, not a cause. Correspondents say Mr Bush used familiar language, including soaring rhetoric on the subject of good and evil, while Gordon Brown was much more specific, detailing a long list of what the two men had talked about. However, Mr Brown denied suggestions that his view of terrorism differed greatly from that of Mr Bush. "We know we are in a common struggle, we know we have to work together, and we know we have to deal with it," he said. "Today in 2007 we see the challenges are radically different to 10 years ago," Mr Brown added, citing climate change, Africa, and the search for a Middle East peace process as key issues. He said both men had agreed on the need for tougher sanctions against Iran, and the importance of restarting the Doha round of world trade talks. \|\|\|\|\| Welcome to the Provincial Iraqi Control web page. The process of returning the responsibility for security in Iraq to the Iraqi security forces in each province is at the heart of the country’s journey to full nationhood. At this point two provinces have acquired full responsibility for their own security. Al-Muthanna province was first, followed by Dhi Qar province on Sept. 21, 2006. For information about each of the provinces, click on the links below. Should you wish to seek further information about Provincial Iraqi Control please contact the Combined Press Information Center . Provinces	__NOTOC__President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, walk past an honor guard Sunday, July 29, 2007 United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown met United States President George W. Bush at Camp David in Maryland for their first formal talks since Brown took office in June. Gordon Brown arrived at Camp David on Sunday, July 30. Monday, they addressed the press in a joint press conference. According to reports, the talks focused on Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, world trade and climate change, amid speculation whether the two leaders could work together. Correspondents say they appeared relaxed as they faced reporters after their talks. Both reiterated a commitment to fighting terrorism, which Prime Minister Brown called "a crime against humanity", and discussed ways of making sure that the two countries' security systems are "properly aligned" and share information. President Bush spoke of waging an ideological struggle between those who "believe in freedom and justice and human rights and human dignity, and cold-blooded killers who will kill innocent people to achieve their objectives" and said that defending the "young democracies" of Afghanistan and Iraq was a way to defeat "an ideology of darkness" with a "more hopeful ideology". "It's very important for us to make it clear to those who are in harm's way that these missions will be driven not by local politics but by conditions on the ground," the President added.
Los Alamos confirms data breach The lab acknowledges three computer drives were found in a drug bust and says it's taken steps to address risks. Police reports released Wednesday identified the owner of the trailer, where officers found a sizable amount of drug paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use, as Jessica Quintana. Law enforcement officials said Quintana was a former contract employee at the lab. ADVERTISEMENT Quintana was employed as an archivist and apparently had a key security clearance, including approvals to participate in special access programs, according to sources familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. Law enforcement and lab officials have declined to say what information was found on the computer drives. The New Mexico lab has a history of security problems dating to March 1999, when the FBI accused scientist Wen Ho Lee of leaking nuclear secrets to China. Lee later pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling nuclear data; prosecutors dismissed the other charges. In July 2004, Los Alamos was shut down after two incidents — the reported loss of two classified computer disks and a laser accident that injured an undergraduate intern — and remained closed for the rest of that year. Investigators later concluded that the reportedly missing disks had never existed. The lab's closure was estimated to have cost the government up to $370 million. Security and safety problems were among the key reasons the Energy Department elected not to renew the laboratory's management contract held by the University of California. In December, it awarded a new contract to a consortium that included UC and Bechtel National, as well as several other private firms. The consortium was under tremendous pressure to clean up what is widely regarded in Washington as a "cowboy culture" at the lab that openly disdains federal oversight and takes a lax attitude toward security. Two previous directors of the lab resigned after their tenures were marked by scandal. The security breach also comes at a potentially critical time for the laboratory as the Energy and Defense departments weigh proposals to design the nation's newest nuclear device, the so-called reliable replacement warhead. The lab is in competition with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Northern California to design and oversee the nuclear device. In a statement Wednesday, Los Alamos Director Michael Anastasio said the lab was cooperating with the FBI and had taken steps to address potential security risks. The statement indicated the incident was not minor. "Let me reiterate how seriously I regard this matter as one of the upmost concern to us all," Anastasio said. Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, which has prodded the Energy Department to beef up security at nuclear weapons sites, said the case showed that very little had improved at Los Alamos under the new contract. "Despite the changes in the contract, we are still seeing the same old sloppiness," Brian said. "The government needs to be more serious about oversight at the lab." The case involves three so-called jump or thumb drives, small devices that plug into the USB port on a personal computer and that can hold a sizable amount of data. Los Alamos police found the drives Oct. 17 when they responded to a report of a fight at Quintana's home at the Royal Crest Trailer Park. When they arrived, they found Justin Stone, 20, who was wanted for probation violations. Stone was arrested and remains in custody on the probation violation, police said. Stone told police that Quintana had allowed him to stay at the trailer a couple of days a week. During the arrest, the police found several glass pipes and other drug items covered with residues, which tests confirmed as methamphetamine. Quintana admitted to police at the time that at least one of the glass pipes was hers, according to the police report. The report also lists the three thumb drives as confiscated in the search. The drives apparently had markings that indicated they were property of the nuclear lab, and police notified the FBI. The police did not charge Quintana, but referred the case to the local district attorney for a review of possible charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession, delivery or manufacture of drug paraphernalia. KRQE, a local news station in Los Alamos, reported Wednesday that Quintana's employment contract with the lab expired several weeks ago. The station quoted a local YMCA official as saying Quintana more recently worked at the YMCA as a director of an after-school program, but was fired when news of the drug investigation broke. * ralph.vartabedian @latimes.com Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the nation's key nuclear weapons research centers, confirmed Wednesday that it experienced a potentially major security breach — discovered last week when police found three laboratory computer drives during a drug arrest at a New Mexico trailer park.Police reports released Wednesday identified the owner of the trailer, where officers found a sizable amount of drug paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use, as Jessica Quintana. Law enforcement officials said Quintana was a former contract employee at the lab.The FBI executed a second search of the trailer in Los Alamos on Friday but sealed the warrant and said little about what agents found.Quintana was employed as an archivist and apparently had a key security clearance, including approvals to participate in special access programs, according to sources familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.Law enforcement and lab officials have declined to say what information was found on the computer drives.The New Mexico lab has a history of security problems dating to March 1999, when the FBI accused scientist Wen Ho Lee of leaking nuclear secrets to China. Lee later pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling nuclear data; prosecutors dismissed the other charges.In July 2004, Los Alamos was shut down after two incidents — the reported loss of two classified computer disks and a laser accident that injured an undergraduate intern — and remained closed for the rest of that year.Investigators later concluded that the reportedly missing disks had never existed. The lab's closure was estimated to have cost the government up to $370 million.Security and safety problems were among the key reasons the Energy Department elected not to renew the laboratory's management contract held by the University of California. In December, it awarded a new contract to a consortium that included UC and Bechtel National, as well as several other private firms.The consortium was under tremendous pressure to clean up what is widely regarded in Washington as a "cowboy culture" at the lab that openly disdains federal oversight and takes a lax attitude toward security. Two previous directors of the lab resigned after their tenures were marked by scandal.The security breach also comes at a potentially critical time for the laboratory as the Energy and Defense departments weigh proposals to design the nation's newest nuclear device, the so-called reliable replacement warhead. The lab is in competition with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Northern California to design and oversee the nuclear device.In a statement Wednesday, Los Alamos Director Michael Anastasio said the lab was cooperating with the FBI and had taken steps to address potential security risks. The statement indicated the incident was not minor."Let me reiterate how seriously I regard this matter as one of the upmost concern to us all," Anastasio said.Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, which has prodded the Energy Department to beef up security at nuclear weapons sites, said the case showed that very little had improved at Los Alamos under the new contract."Despite the changes in the contract, we are still seeing the same old sloppiness," Brian said. "The government needs to be more serious about oversight at the lab."The case involves three so-called jump or thumb drives, small devices that plug into the USB port on a personal computer and that can hold a sizable amount of data.Los Alamos police found the drives Oct. 17 when they responded to a report of a fight at Quintana's home at the Royal Crest Trailer Park. When they arrived, they found Justin Stone, 20, who was wanted for probation violations. Stone was arrested and remains in custody on the probation violation, police said.Stone told police that Quintana had allowed him to stay at the trailer a couple of days a week. During the arrest, the police found several glass pipes and other drug items covered with residues, which tests confirmed as methamphetamine.Quintana admitted to police at the time that at least one of the glass pipes was hers, according to the police report.The report also lists the three thumb drives as confiscated in the search. The drives apparently had markings that indicated they were property of the nuclear lab, and police notified the FBI.The police did not charge Quintana, but referred the case to the local district attorney for a review of possible charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession, delivery or manufacture of drug paraphernalia.KRQE, a local news station in Los Alamos, reported Wednesday that Quintana's employment contract with the lab expired several weeks ago. The station quoted a local YMCA official as saying Quintana more recently worked at the YMCA as a director of an after-school program, but was fired when news of the drug investigation broke. More Nation News - Kerry's fighting words give way to apology - In Montana, things are looking blue - Epidemic of foot-in-mouth afflicts candidates this year \|\|\|\|\| With Vladimir Putin and the United States staring at each other like the gunfighters in the final scene in the “Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” War College takes a fresh look at the 70-year-old alliance called NATO. \|\|\|\|\| A search of a suspected meth lab turned up classified documents from Los Alamos National Laboratory, where, among other things, nuclear weapons research is conducted. According to the Associated Press, a researcher at the lab was under investigation for methamphetamine related offences, and the documents were discovered when police executed an arrest warrant against her. Police contacted the FBI, which has said only that the documents in question "appear to contain classified material," the AP reports. Los Alamos has developed a reputation for shoddy security, with a series of high-profile blunders over the past few years. These range from the bizarre case of Wen Ho Lee, who was either perfectly innocent and slightly careless, or a Red Chinese spy. After years of investigation, no one can say. Then there was the case of the missing hard disk drives with sensitive data that the lab reported missing, then claimed had never existed in the first place. The University of California, which guided the institution through these and other snafus, has since lost its contract to manage the labs, which are now in the hands of a private consortium called Los Alamos National Security (LANS) LLC. It had been hoped that private sector management might prove more effective than its academic predecessor, but today's news suggests that more will be needed to bring the labs up to snuff in terms of security. ®	Documents missing from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have been found on a USB Flash Drive during a drug bust located inside the Los Alamos trailer park, Royal Crest on October 17 and contain what police say are "classified material." The drives were marked with symbols that indicated they belonged to the Los Alamos Laboratory. Los Alamos has since confirmed that a breach has occurred and that at least three computer drives from the laboratory were confiscated during the raid. "During the course of the search, officers realized that some of the items seized appeared to belong to the Los Alamos National Laboratory," said a statement by the Los Alamos County Police Department. A subcontractor, Justin Stone, 20 was involved in the breach of security at the lab and according to Michael Anastasio, the lab's director, there is an "ongoing investigation." Stone was working in Technical Area 55, an area of the lab where plutonium is kept or the X Division, where data for the designs of nuclear bombs are kept. Stone says that he was not aware of what the drives contained saying, "I have no idea what's on it because I didn't get a chance to look." Stone also says that he acquired one of the drives a year ago when he traded drugs for the drive and that drive also contained information from Los Alamos Laboratory. Stone had only been living with a female friend, Jessica Quintana for no more than three weeks and was with his girlfriend Jessica Collins when police raided the home. "I vaguely remember it contained information about nuclear waste sites around Los Alamos. I erased it and used the drive for myself," added Stone. Quintana, who also worked in the laboratory as an archivist, was being investigated by the FBI for charges relating to methamphetamine type offenses and was arrested when authorities executed an arrest warrant for the female. Police say a "large amount" of methamphetamine paraphernalia was discovered in her trailer during a raid by the FBI. Pipes with the remains of methamphetamine were also found at the scene and Quintana also admitted that the items belonged to her. "This is a serious matter, and we are taking immediate steps to address it. We intend to do everything possible to guard against any criminal activity, particularly where a breach of security may be involved. We have already taken a number of steps to address potential security risks," said Anastasio in a statement. Drug paraphernalia along with methamphetamine drugs were also seized during the bust. Police were initially responding to a call of a domestic disturbance between Stone and his girlfriend which Stone denies was taking place.
Quote Sonny Olsen, an attorney speaking for the families, says they want drilling to continue even if the sixth hole fails to show signs of life. If rescue is not possible, the families want the men's bodies to be retrieved. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Go To Comments (AP) Even as crews began a last effort Thursday to find six trapped miners, lawmakers in Washington launched separate reviews of whether the mining that preceded the thunderous cave-in was too aggressive. As a drill bored a sixth hole into the side of a mountain, Sen. Edward Kennedy, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, demanded a litany of documents from the Labor Department about the Crandall Canyon Mine and its operators. "The loss of life at the mine, and the devastating emotional toll on families of the victims, underscore the urgent need for a thorough examination of our federal system of mine safety," Kennedy, D-Mass., wrote to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. The six miners have been trapped since Aug. 6, and searchers have found no sign they survived. Three other miners were killed and six more injured last week when the shifting mountain crumbled around them as they tunneled toward the missing men. Tunneling has not resumed. Kennedy wants to review several petitions the mine's co-owner, Bob Murray, made to the Mine Safety and Health Administration for changes in his mining plans at Crandall Canyon, among other documents. Experts have said the proposed changes were risky and could have led to the initial collapse. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees labor issues announced plans for a hearing on the mine collapse when Congress returns from its summer break Sept. 5. The subcommittee wants to question Murray and MSHA chief Richard Stickler. Officials with Murray's company did not return repeated requests for comment Thursday. At the mine, crews began working on the sixth test hole to try to locate the men. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said in a news release Thursday that no air samples or video images could be obtained from the fifth hole because it became plugged with mud. Other holes provided only grainy video images of rubble and poor air sample readings, and efforts to signal the miners have met with silence. The sixth hole will head toward an area where the miners were last believed to have been working, some 1,500 feet below the surface. It was expected to be completed over the weekend. "This is the last hole," Murray said Wednesday night. Drilling it, he said, will "bring closure to me that I could never get them out alive." Sonny Olsen, an attorney acting as spokesman for the families, said Thursday night that the families want drilling to continue even if the sixth hole fails to show signs of life. If rescue is not possible, the families want the men's bodies to be retrieved. "Sealing up the mine with our loved ones inside without knowing if they've perished is outrageous to us," said Olsen, reading from a statement. "There's been no indication that these men are not alive. The families acknowledge that there's an issue with the air. These men are trained on how to survive in these kinds of environments." Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Thursday that the families of the missing men need peace of mind. "I do think the way the families have been treated is unconscionable," he said. Murray has made a series of conflicting statements about whether mining will ever again take place at the mine, or elsewhere on the mountain. On Wednesday night, he said the mine would be sealed and digging would cease at Crandall Canyon. "I can tell you right now, we are not going back into that mountain," he said. He said MSHA would decide after the investigation how soon he could seal the mine. "I want out of it. I want to recover the equipment and get out of it as quickly as possible," Murray said. © MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \|\|\|\|\| Lacee Taylor, center, a girlfriend of Brandon Phillips, one of six coal miners trapped inside the Crandall Canyon Mine, talks to reporters as Taylor's mother Jackie watches on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007, in Huntington, Utah. At right is Brandon's sister Cassie Phillips. Officials said a sixth exploratory hole 1,700 feet below ground would be drilled beginning Thursday, officials said, and Kuzar said it will be in the area where the miners were last believed to have been working. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Relatives of six miners trapped deep inside a Utah coal mine are holding out hope the sixth and last borehole will provide the miracle they've craved for more than two weeks. Other holes drilled into the Crandall Canyon mine have failed to reveal signs of life. The sixth hole is to be drilled Thursday into an area where the miners were last believed to have been working. "This is the last hole," mine co-owner Bob Murray said at a news conference Wednesday night. Drilling it, he said, will "bring closure to me that I could never get them out alive." But Jackie Taylor, whose daughter Lacee dates one of the six men missing since an Aug. 6 cave-in, said relatives and friends are insisting that more be done. She issued a plea Thursday for the rescue effort to continue, even though three men died trying to tunnel toward the miners. "We are so appreciative to all of the rescue members and their families. Don't get us wrong, we are so appreciative," Taylor told NBC's "Today." "Our love and our prayers go out to all of their family members. But our family members are still under there. They're underground. We need that closure in our lives also." Punching through the fifth borehole Wednesday, rescuers found only a 6-inch void in the mine 1,500 feet down, federal officials said. No noise was heard from the hole after a microphone was lowered and workers banged on the drill steel, said Jack Kuzar, a district manager for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. A video camera had not yet been put down the hole, nor had oxygen readings been measured, Kuzar said. Attempts to tunnel through the broken mine shaft toward the miners were halted after a second cave-in killed two miners and a federal safety officer. Six others were injured. Sonny J. Olsen, a lawyer and spokesman for relatives of the miners, said the families don't want the search to end until the men are found. "Regardless if it takes three months to wait for the seismic activity to stop, they want some method to go down and get their families," Olsen said.	Locator map of Salt Lake City, Emery County and Huntington. Today rescue workers will drill a sixth hole into the collapsed Utah mine in a final effort to resuce the trapped miners who have been missing since August 6. The previous holes, which have been dug as deep as 1,500 feet (460 m) underground at the Crandall Canyon Mine, have not produced any signs of the trapped miners. Bob Murray, the mine's co-owner, said this sixth attempt to reach the miners will be the last. Murray also said that this last attempt will bring him closure. However, he realizes the families may never find the closure they are calling for. A spokesman for the families said they do not want the rescue efforts to stop until they find the men. One family member said, "He doesn't realize that what we have now is hope, and maybe our family members are not alive, but we want our bodies out...We want proper burials." Mining will not be resumed in the area, Murray said.
Howard: 'I had previously said I did not contemplate a major increase'. (Lateline) Prime Minister John Howard has conceded the Federal Government has reversed an earlier decision to not send additional troops to Iraq. He has denied he misled Australians over the Government's decision to send more troops to Iraq. An additional 450 troops will be sent to southern Iraq to begin work in early May, training security forces and protecting Japanese soldiers involved in the reconstruction effort. The commitment came after the Dutch Government decided to pull out its 1,400 troops, in the face of strong domestic pressure. Mr Howard has told ABC radio's AM program, circumstances in Iraq have altered and he does not apologise for changing the Government's policy. "I'm not running away from the fact that I had previously said I did not contemplate a major increase and that was a fair statement of the Government's state of the mind at the time I made that," he said. "But in these situations a government have a capacity, if circumstances alter, and it is judged to be not only in our own interests, but also in the broader interests of democracy in the Middle East, that we make those changes." Aiding allies Mr Howard says the Government received a letter from the British Foreign Secretary in late January, asking for Australia to increase its military presence. Shortly after that, Mr Howard told a national magazine that the Government had no intention of significantly increasing the number of troops in Iraq. The Prime Minister says at the time the Government had not decided to change its policy and that it was not a misleading answer. "We had previously had a position and until you change your position in relation to that, and it was by no means certain even at that time that we were going to change it," he said. "I, in [being] asked a question, gave the response that I've given previously and I think that's perfectly reasonable." Mr Howard says the Federal Government is responding to requests from the leaders of two close allies, Britain and Japan. "This involves a partnership with a country that is very important to us in our own region," he said. "It also involves responding to a request from one of the other Coalition partners - the British, but the Japanese element of this is very important because Japan is a strong regional ally and partner of Australia." Japan renounced the right to use force in its US-imposed 1947 constitution and its 600 troops in Iraq have not fired their weapons since the start of the deployment in December 2003. Australia, an original member of US President George W Bush's "coalition of the willing" committed 2,000 troops to the 2003 invasion, but has since reduced its deployment to around 950. Coalition talks Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has also discussed Australia's decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq with his British counterpart, John Prescott, in London overnight. Mr Anderson labelled the Government's decision to more than double the number of Australian troops in Iraq as difficult, but the right thing to do. "We're very committed to ensuring that at this quite important time for Iraq that it does not go wrong for us - we have to see this through," he said. When asked whether seeing it through means the Government is open to sending more troops, Mr Anderson says he did not "anticipate, and the Government does not anticipate, any further requests or need". But he acknowledged the Government was just as adamant before the election that it would not need to provide further reinforcements. Mr Anderson was also asked whether the Government had discussed boosting troops before the federal election in October. "There have been certain discussions at non-political levels ... since that Dutch decision was made, but the Government started its consideration more recently and took a decision on Tuesday," he said. Opposition concern The Opposition says the Federal Government promised it would not increase troop numbers in Iraq and has misled the nation. Labor's defence spokesman Robert McClelland says Australia risks being caught up in a civil war in Iraq. "We seem to be getting swept along with the tide - we have never stated what our objective is, when that objective is going to be satisfied, and when we can get out," he said. He says the troops should instead be defending Australia from the threat of regional terrorism. Praise Meanwhile, Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, has praised Australia for promising to send the extra troops to Iraq. Mr Allawi says the Australian decision supports the Iraqi Government in spreading security and keeping order to confront terrorism. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has also welcomed Australia's decision to dispatch more soldiers to Iraq. The Australian troops will be based mainly in the provincial capital Samawah where nearly 600 Japanese troops are stationed for humanitarian and reconstruction work. Mr Koizumi says he asked Mr Howard to send the troops in a telephone conversation last Friday, following a similar request from Britain. Pentagon official Larry DiRita says the United States is also grateful for the extra troops, describing Australia as an important and wonderful ally. "I don't know that a formal approach has gone to any individual country as much as there's regular dialogue with the coalition, and the coalition countries know what requirements there are," he said. \|\|\|\|\| AUSTRALIA'S military strength in Iraq will more than double after appeals from the British and Japanese governments for more troops. Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday 450 Australian troops would be sent to guard humanitarian projects in the relatively peaceful south of the country. But the deployment has reignited argument over the war, with Labor accusing Mr Howard of breaking his election pledge of no "dramatic increase" in troop numbers. The projects in the Al Muthanna province are being run by the Japanese military in an area under the responsibility of British troops. Mr Howard said there was "a real possibility" the projects would be abandoned if Australia did not provide assistance. The Australians will replace 1400 Dutch soldiers to be withdrawn by their Government in March in response to domestic political pressure. Mr Howard said he knew the troop commitment would be unpopular but it was needed to preserve gains made by Iraqis at the January 30 elections and to help progress. "The Government believes that Iraq is very much at a tilting point, and it's very important that the opportunity of democracy ... be seized and consolidated," he said. Labor Leader Kim Beazley condemned the decision, saying our allies in Iraq were told they had seen "the upper levels of Australia's engagement". He accused Mr Howard of misleading voters at the last election when he said: "We're maintaining the general level of forces that we've had there, we don't have any plans for a dramatic increase." "That was consistent with what the Government had been saying for the previous two years in statement after statement," Mr Beazley said. "They told the Australian people that they thought the Australian commitment to Iraq was sufficient and all that there would be, give or take the odd soldier. "Now, suddenly, there is dramatic change." Australia currently has about 880 military personnel in the Iraq area. Some 580 are on ships in the Gulf, in air crews stationed nearby, or in army operations outside Iraq. There are about 300 soldiers on Iraqi soil guarding diplomats and other Australian interests, and helping train Iraqi forces. The new Australian taskforce will increase this number to 750. The extra commitment would have what Mr Howard called "a major role in training" Iraqi security forces as well as Japanese soldiers in non-combat jobs building roads, schools, water projects and health care. Since the end of World War II, the Japanese military has been confined to defensive roles. The Dutch contingent has lost two lives in the two years it has been in Al Muthanna but it is a relatively safe area when compared to the violent Sunni triangle to the north. The RSL warned that many veterans would disapprove of Australian troops being sent to protect Japanese engineers. National President Bill Crews welcomed the "spirit of co-operation" but not all members would be willing to forget. Howard's war in words "We're not planning to commit a whole lot more troops. I've said all along that we don't have any capacity to have a significant number of troops on the ground." - May 18, 2004, downplaying any increase "We're maintaining the general level of forces that we've had there, we don't have any plans for a dramatic increase." - October 4, 2004, during the election campaign "We had said there may be tiny adjustments at the margin, that there would not be any substantial increase. What the UN was seeking was a substantial increase ..." - October 22, 2004, after the UN sought troops "The Government believes that Iraq is very much at a tilting point and it's very important that the opportunity of democracy, not only in Iraq but also in other parts of the Middle East, be seized and consolidated." - Announcing the new deployment yesterday Where our men and women are serving overseas * About 400 personnel inside Iraq providing headquarters staff, security and training of the Iraqi military * About 500 elsewhere in the Middle East, including 220 on HMAS Darwin in the Persian Gulf, plus RAAF elements operating C-130 transport aircraft and P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft * 11 personnel attached to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation in Israel, Syria and Lebanon * 25 with the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai * 120 soldiers in the Solomons * 100 soldiers assisting in East Timor * About 950 personnel assisting in tsunami relief in Sumatra, including 150 engineers in Banda Aceh	Australian prime minister John Howard has admitted this week's decision to commit an additional 450 troops to Iraq is a policy backflip. During the 2004 election campaign Mr Howard indicated that there would be no major increase in the number of Australian troops in Iraq. However yesteday's announcement is set to more than double the number of Australian troops on the ground in Iraq. Mr Howard justified the reversal of policy as being in the "broader interests of democracy in the Middle East". He also explained that the decision came in response to requests from British and Japanese leaders. The commitment of extra troops comes as a result of the Dutch government's decision to withdraw 1400 soldiers from Iraq, in response to political pressure in Holland. The Australians will be deployed to the Iraqi province of Al Muthanna to provide military support for Japanese engineers working on reconstruction projects.
Economy Taipei is the 43rd wealthiest city in the world, New York most wealthy: study TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei is the 43rd wealthiest city in the worl... \|\|\|\|\| Print Mail wiki links COA confirms Luchu bird flu outbreak RESOLVED: While there are no known cases of the H5N2 strain infecting humans, health authorities continued to monitor farms within a 3km radius of the outbreak By Meggie Lu STAFF REPORTER Sunday, Dec 21, 2008, Page 1 The Council of Agriculture confirmed yesterday an outbreak of a lesser strain of the bird flu virus H5N2 at a chicken farm in Kaohsiung County’s Luchu Township (路竹). “The problem has been resolved. Starting in October, the farm was disinfected and we monitored the situation as if it were a highly pathogenic virus. The affected chickens were culled on Nov. 14,” Agriculture Minister Chen Wu-hsiung (陳?Z雄) told a press conference yesterday. Chen said the results of a second round of samples from the affected chicken farm were confirmed by a panel of experts to be a low-pathogenic strain of H5N2. Avian influenza has many different subtypes, including H5N1 and H5N2. The H5N1 subtype is highly pathogenic and can cause fever, coughing, sore throat, muscle ache, pneumonia or death when transmitted from birds to humans. There are no reports of H5N2 transmission to humans. News of the outbreak were first made public by the council at a press conference on Wednesday, during which Deputy Minister Hu Sing-hwa (?J興華) said the council suspected an outbreak had occurred at a Kaohsiung chicken farm, adding that an investigation had been launched on Oct. 21. Asked why it had taken so long for the test results to be made public, Animal Health Research Institute deputy director Lee Shu-hui (???Q?z) said “the examination requires careful work and is a complex process.” “Our first results on Nov. 12 showed what looked like a high-pathogenic strain of H5N2, but as less than 3 percent of chickens in the population died, the result did not agree with the lab test,” Lee said. To ensure they did not miss a potential threat, Lee said her team decided to do a second examination while seeking to avoid causing a panic. She said that as soon as the lab had the slightest evidence that there may have been a bird flu outbreak in October, she informed the council’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine to initiate epidemic prevention mechanisms. While the affected farm was thoroughly disinfected, farms within a radius of 3km have also been monitored since October, she said. “After viral separation and cultivation, second results showed that the chickens had a H5N2 Intravenous Pathogenicity Index [IVPI] of 0.89, which makes it low-pathogenic,” she said. An IVPI over 1.2 would be high-pathogenic. Responding to comments by former minister of health Twu Shiing-jer (�?�) that testing for avian flu would only take one to two days, Lee said that what Twu was referred to was identifying H5N1 contamination in humans. “I can also have results within two days, but my results may show a negative while a longer cultivation time may show a positive result,” she said. Regarding the risk to humans, Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Director-General Watson Sung (宋華?o) said there were no known cases of H5N2 mutating into the H5N1 strain, which can affect humans. This was the only instance of bird flu in Taiwan, Soong said, adding that “high” or “low” pathogenic referred to chickens, not humans. “On Nov. 14, the farm owner voluntarily culled all the chickens as a precautionary measure,” Chen said. “Now that we have confirmed the results, we will report the case to the World Organization for Animal Health. We will also continue to monitor the 76 chicken farms around the affected farm for three months before applying for poultry exportation to Japan.” Chen said losses in sales of chicken to Japan would be in the several millions of NT dollars. This story has been viewed 1297 times. Advertising \|\|\|\|\| World Goodbye, Geoffrey: Toys R Us closing its last stores NEW YORK (AP) — Toys R Us is closing its last U.S. stores by Friday, the e... \|\|\|\|\| 2 March 2004 During last week’s emergency meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, officials from FAO, OIE, and WHO drew attention to several unique features of the current outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry in Asia, in particular its geographical distribution, rate of spread and severity of which are unprecedented. Prospects for rapid control are inconsistent with worldwide experience, over more than four decades, with previous outbreaks, which have all been much smaller in scope and inherently less challenging. Even in countries with good surveillance, adequate resources, and geographically limited outbreaks, control has often taken up to two years. For these reasons and others, WHO has cautioned against assumptions that the outbreaks can be controlled in the immediate future. WHO has described the serious public health implications of these outbreaks in a previous update . Up to the end of 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was considered a rare disease. Since 1959, only 21 Outbreaks had been reported worldwide. The majority occurred in Europe and the Americas. Of the total, only five resulted in significant spread to numerous farms, and only one was associated with spread to other countries. Since mid-December 2003, eight Asian countries have confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by the H5N1 strain. Most of these countries are experiencing outbreaks of this disease for the first time in their histories. In several, outbreaks have been detected in virtually every part of the country Over the past two months, more than 100 million birds have either died of the disease or been culled in Asia. This figure is greater than the total number of poultry affected, over years, in the world’s previous five largest outbreaks combined. Worldwide experience since 1959 supports official statements about the unprecedented nature of the present situation and the challenges for control. Unique features in the present situation include: - Concentration of poultry in backyard farms. In several countries experiencing outbreaks, up to 80% of poultry are produced on small farms and backyard holdings in rural areas, where poultry range freely. In China, 60% of the country’s esitmated 13.2 billion chickens are raised on small farms in close proximity to humans and domestic animals, including pigs. This situation makes implementation of strict control measures, essential to the control of previous outbreaks, extremely difficult. These control measures – including bird-proof, ecologically controlled housing, treatment of water supplies, disinfection of all incoming persons, equipment, and vehicles, prevention of contact with insects, rodents, and other mechanical vectors – cannot be applied on small rural farms and backyard holdings. – Economic significance of poultry production. Poultry production contributes greatly to the economies and food supplies of affected countries. The agricultural sector faces the challenge of minimizing losses to industry and subsistence farmers in ways that also reduce health risks for humans. Because many people in the region are so dependent on poultry, appropriate culling may be difficult to implement. – Lack of control experience. Since the disease is new to most countries in the region, very little experience exists at national and international levels to guide the best country-specific control measures. In some countries, announcements of successful culling in certain areas are being followed by subsequent eruptions of disease in the same areas, suggesting reintroduction of the virus, continuing presence in the environment, or inadequate verification of outbreak control. – Lack of resources. Several countries with very widespread outbreaks lack adequate infrastructure and resources, including resources to compensate farmers and thus encourage compliance with government recommendations. In some countries that have announced outbreaks, neither surveillance to detect the extent of spread nor culling of animals known to be infected is taking place. – The scale of international spread. With so many adjacent countries affected, a region-wide strategy will be needed to ensure that gains in one country are not compromised by inadequate control in another. These unique features will make rapid control and long-term prevention of recurrence extremely difficult to achieve. Culling remains the first line of action, as recommended by FAO, OIE, and WHO, for bringing the current outbreaks under control. Unlike other economically important domestic animals, poultry raising takes place in a very short production system. Provided sufficient resources are available to replace culled poultry stock, countries should not postpone aggressive culling because of fears of long-term consequences on poultry production. Wild birds can play a role in introducing a virus of low pathogenicity into domestic flocks where, if allowed to circulate for several months, it can mutate into a highly pathogenic form. No evidence to date indicates that wild birds are the source of the present outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. Wild birds should not be culled. Previous outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza worldwide Year Country/area Domestic birds affected Strain 1959 Scotland chicken H5N1 1963 England turkey H7N3 1966 Ontario (Canada) turkey H5N9 1976 Victoria (Australia) chicken H7N7 1979 Germany chicken H7N7 1979 England turkey H7N7 19831985 Pennsylvania (USA)* chicken, turkey H5N2 1983 Ireland turkey H5N8 1985 Victoria (Australia) chicken H7N7 1991 England turkey H5N1 1992 Victoria (Australia) chicken H7N3 1994 Queensland (Australia) chicken H7N3 19941995 Mexico* chicken H5N2 1994 Pakistan* chicken H7N3 1997 New South Wales (Australia) chicken H7N4 1997 Hong Kong (China)* chicken H5N1 1997 Italy chicken H5N2 19992000 Italy* turkey H7N1 2002 Hong Kong (China) chicken H5N1 2002 Chile chicken H7N3 2003 Netherlands* chicken H7N7 *Outbreaks with significant spread to numerous farms, resulting in great economic losses. Most other outbreaks involved little or no spread from the initially infected farms. Observations from previous outbreaks (1959–2003) Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza can be extremely difficult to control, even under favourable conditions (concentration of infected birds in well-maintained commercial production facilities, limited geographical occurrence). – The 1983 Pennsylvania (USA) outbreak took two years to control. Some 17 million birds were destroyed at a direct cost of US$62 million. Indirect costs have been estimated at more than US$250 million. – The 2003 outbreak in the Netherlands spread to Belgium and Germany. In the Netherlands, more than 30 million birds - a quarter of the country’s poultry stock – were destroyed. Some 2.7 million were destroyed in Belgium, and around 400,000 in Germany. In the Netherlands, 89 humans were infected, of whom one (a veterinarian) died. In that outbreak, measures needed to protect the health of poultry workers, farmers, and persons visiting farms included wearing of protective clothing, masks to cover the mouth and nose, eye protection, vaccination against normal seasonal human influenza, and administration of prophylactic antiviral drugs. Control is even more difficult in countries with dense poultry populations. – The Italian outbreak of 1999–2000 caused infection in 413 flocks, including 25 backyard flocks, and resulted in the destruction of around 14 million birds. Control was complicated by the occurrence of cases in areas with extremely dense poultry populations. Compensation to farmers amounted to US$63 million. Costs for the poultry and associated industry have been estimated at US$620 million. Four months after the last outbreak ended, the virus returned in a low-pathogenic form, rapidly causing a further 52 outbreaks. – Although the last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Mexico occurred in 1995, the causative agent – the H5N2 strain – has never been entirely eliminated from the country, in its present low-pathogenicity form, despite years of intense efforts, including the administration of more than 2 billion doses of vaccines of varying efficacy. Similarly, the vaccination policy pursued in Pakistan does not appear to have resulted in eradication of the causative agent. Avoidance of contact between poultry and wild birds, especially ducks and other waterfowl, can help prevent the introduction of a low-pathogenicity virus into domestic flocks. Although no evidence to date has conclusively linked the current outbreaks with wild migratory birds in Asia: – Several of these outbreaks have been linked to contact between free-ranging flocks and wild birds, including the shared use of water sources. Faecal contamination of water supplies is considered a very efficient way for waterfowl to transmit the virus. Virus (low-pathogenicity) has been readily recovered from lakes and ponds where migratory birds congregate. – An especially risky practice is the raising of small numbers of domestic ducks on a pond in proximity to domestic chicken and turkey flocks. Domestic ducks attract wild ducks, and provide a significant link in the chain of transmission from wild birds to domestic flocks. Aggressive control measures, including culling of infected and exposed poultry, are recommended for avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 even when the virus initially shows low pathogenicity. (H5 and H7 are the only subtypes implicated in outbreaks of highly pathogenic disease.) – Several of the largest outbreaks (Pennsylvania, Mexico, Italy) initially began with mild illness in poultry. When the virus was allowed to continue circulating in poultry, it eventually mutated (within 6 to 9 months) into a highly pathogenic form with a mortality ratio approaching 100%. Moreover, the initial presence of low-pathogenicity virus in these outbreaks complicated diagnosis of the highly pathogenic form.	3D Modell Influenzavirus. New outbreaks of H5N2 have been confirmed in Taiwan. Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Wu-hsiung has confirmed on Saturday that "the recent chicken deaths at a poultry farm in Kaohsiung County’s Luchu Township (on October 21) were caused by the low-pathogenic H5N2 bird flu virus, that is not communicable to humans." They had slaughtered 18,000 chickens on November 14. "The problem has been resolved," he said. COA has been monitoring wild and migratory birds and said "it is still investigating the source of the infection." Lujhu Township (蘆竹鄉) is a rural township in northwestern Taoyuan County in Taiwan. It is located at kilometer 49 of the Highway no.1, close to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (IATA: TPE). Kaohsiung County (高雄縣, Gāoxióng Xiàn, Gaosyóng Siàn, Kao-hsiung Hsien; Ko-hiông-kōan) is a county in southern Taiwan administered as a County of Taiwan. It encloses but does not include Kaohsiung City. Mr Huang Kwo-ching, deputy director of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, however, said, "we took the most stringent measures in dealing with the episode as according to the rules of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), there was no need to slaughter those chickens." A transmission electron micrograph of influenza A virus, late passage. H5N2 is a subtype of the species Influenzavirus A (avian influenza virus or bird flu virus). A highly pathogenic strain of H5N2 caused bird flu outbreaks with significant spread to numerous farms, resulting in great economic losses in 1983 in Pennsylvania, USA in chickens and turkeys, in 1994 in Mexico in chickens and a minor outbreak in 1997 in Italy in chickens. Deputy Minister Hu Sing-hwa (胡興華) explained that “after viral separation and cultivation, second results showed that the chickens had a H5N2 Intravenous Pathogenicity Index IVPI of 0.89, which makes it low-pathogenic,” adding that "We will also continue to monitor the 76 chicken farms around the affected farm for three months.” Taiwan has thus stopped its poultry exports for at least three months. Meanwhile, Taiwan News has reported that "Japan has banned the imports of Taiwan’s poultry. Being the biggest duck provider to Japan, Taiwan exports 5,000 tons of duck annually worth US$23 million (approximately NT$750 million). For the time being, US$4 million (NT$130 million) worth of duck in the process of shipping, customs clearance is expected to be affected." For this reason, COA has promised to subsidize poultry farmers affected by the virus which broke out on October 21. H5N2 avian flu strain first broke out in Taiwan in January 2004.
Natural Selection At Work In Dramatic Comeback Of Male Butterflies Science Daily An international team of researchers has documented a remarkable example of natural selection in a tropical butterfly species that fought back - genetically speaking - against a highly invasive, male-killing bacteria. Shown is a male Hypolimnas bolina, also called the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly. A male-killing bacteria has led to skewed sex ratios in populations of H. bolina in the South Pacific, but researchers have found that male butterflies on some islands have bounced back thanks to the rise of a suppressor gene. (Credit: Sylvain Charlat) Shown is a male Hypolimnas bolina, also called the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly. A male-killing bacteria has led to skewed sex ratios in populations of H. bolina in the South Pacific, but researchers have found that male butterflies on some islands have bounced back thanks to the rise of a suppressor gene. (Credit: Sylvain Charlat) Within 10 generations that spanned less than a year, the proportion of males of the Hypolimnas bolina butterfly on the South Pacific island of Savaii jumped from a meager 1 percent of the population to about 39 percent. The researchers considered this a stunning comeback and credited it to the rise of a suppressor gene that holds in check the Wolbachia bacteria, which is passed down from the mother and selectively kills males before they have a chance to hatch. "To my knowledge, this is the fastest evolutionary change that has ever been observed," said Sylvain Charlat, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral researcher with joint appointments at the University of California, Berkeley, and University College London. "This study shows that when a population experiences very intense selective pressures, such as an extremely skewed sex ratio, evolution can happen very fast." Charlat pointed out that, unlike mutations that govern such traits as wing color or antennae length, a genetic change that affects the sex ratio of a population has a very wide impact on the biology of the species. It is not yet clear whether the suppressor gene emerged from a chance mutation from within the local population, or if it was introduced by migratory Southeast Asian butterflies in which the mutation had already been established. "We'll likely know more in three years' time when the exact location of the suppressor gene is identified," said Charlat. "But regardless of which of the two sources of the suppressor gene is correct, natural selection is the next step. The suppressor gene allows infected females to produce males, these males will mate with many, many females, and the suppressor gene will therefore be in more and more individuals over generations." Charlat worked with Gregory Hurst, a reader in evolutionary genetics at University College London and senior author of the paper. Descriptions of all-female broods of H. bolina date back to the 1920s, but it wasn't until 2002 that Hurst and colleagues first identified Wolbachia bacteria as the culprit behind the distorted sex ratio. "We usually think of natural selection as acting slowly, over hundreds or thousands of years," said Hurst. "But the example in this study happened in a blink of the eye, in terms of evolutionary time, and is a remarkable thing to get to observe." The researchers noted that bacteria that selectively kill male offspring are found among a range of arthropods, so what was seen in this study may not be unusual, despite the fact that it has never before been described in the scientific literature. Previous research has revealed some of the extraordinary ways in which insects adapt to the pressures inherent when nearly all its members are of one gender. Notably, Charlat and Hurst reported in an earlier study that, thanks to Wolbachia, when males of H. bolina, commonly known as the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly, become a rare commodity, the number of mating sessions for both males and females jumps, possibly as an attempt to sustain the population despite the odds. Charlat added that the relationship between Wolbachia and the Blue Moon butterfly illustrates the so-called Red Queen Principle, an evolutionary term named after a scene in Lewis Carroll's famous book, "Through the Looking-Glass," in which the characters Alice and the Red Queen run faster and faster at the top of a hill, only to find that they remain in the same place. "In essence, organisms must evolve or change to stay in the same place, whether it's a predator-prey relationship, or a parasite-host interaction," said Charlat. "In the case of H. bolina, we're witnessing an evolutionary arms race between the parasite and the host. This strengthens the view that parasites can be major drivers in evolution." The researchers focused on the Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii, where in 2001, males of the Blue Moon butterfly made up only 1 percent of the population. In 2006, the researchers embarked on a new survey of the butterfly after an increase in reports of male-sightings at Upolu. They found that males that year made up about 41 percent of the Blue Moon butterfly population in Upolu. They hatched eggs from 14 females in the lab and confirmed that the male offspring from this group were surviving with sex ratios near parity. For Savaii, the population was initially 99 percent female at the beginning of 2006. By the end of the year, researchers found that males made up 39 percent of the 54 butterflies collected. The researchers tested for the continued presence of Wolbachia in the butterflies. By mating infected females with males from a different island that did not have the suppressor gene, they also confirmed that the bacteria were still effective at killing male embryos. The male-killing ability of the bacteria emerged again after three generations. Thus, they could rule out a change in the bacteria as an explanation for the resurgence of the males in the butterfly populations studied. The researchers' findings are described in the July 13 issue of the journal Science. The field work for this study was based out of the UC Berkeley Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia. The Gump station is part of the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research Site, one of 26 sites funded by the National Science Foundation to study long-term ecological phenomena. The Gump Research Station is managed through UC Berkeley's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. George Roderick, UC Berkeley professor of environmental science, policy and management and curator of the Essig Museum of Entomology, is a former director of the station, and Neil Davies is the station's executive director and research scientist. Both Roderick and Davies are co-authors of this study. Other study co-authors are Emily Hornett of University College London, James Fullard of the University of Toronto at Mississauga, and Nina Wedell of the University of Exeter in Cornwall, England. The U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada helped support this research. Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of California - Berkeley. New! Search Science Daily or the entire web with Google: \|\|\|\|\| « Colorado kook identified \| Main \| Flogging mythical dead horses » Category: Evolution • Organisms • Reproduction • Science Posted on: July 13, 2007 1:14 PM, by PZ Myers If you've been reading that fascinating graphic novel, Y: The Last Man(amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), you know the premise: a mysterious disease has swept over the planet and bloodily killed every male mammal except two, a human named Yorick and a monkey named Ampersand. Substantial parts of it are biologically nearly impossible: the wide cross-species susceptibility, the near instantaneous lethality, and the simultaneity of its effect everywhere (there are also all kinds of weird correlations with other sort of magical putative causes, which may be red herrings). On the other hand, the sociological part of the story seems very plausible. There is no feminist utopia, the world goes on in a traumatized and rather complicated way, and the reactions everywhere vary from crazed euphoria to a more common despair. One thing that isn't at all implausible, and actually has been observed, is a plague that selectively exterminates males. It's called Wolbachia. It's not quite as dramatic as the plague that turns males into hemorrhaging corpses in the graphic novel — it kills developing males as embryos, or more sneakily, disrupts sex determination so that all the embryos develop as females. This is advantageous to the bacterium, because it is transmitted in the cytoplasm of the egg, so males won't pass it on to their progeny and are useless from the point of view of Wolbachia. It is, like the plague in Y, something that infects a huge range of species, but each species varies in the severity of its response to the bacterium. My readers with simple camera eyes will be relieved to know that the disease only affects arthropods. Those of you with compound eyes ought to worry: Wolbachia is also being being considered for use as a biological pesticide. Now here's a disease that can have dramatic effects on a population—in some cases, the sex ratio can shift from 50:50 females:males to 99:1. That can be devastating to a population, although of course it's nowhere near as severe as if that ratio were reversed. Here's where evolution comes into play. What if a mutation for resistance to the sex-distorter effects of Wolbachia arose? What if, say, one of the rare males carried an allele that made his male progeny able to fight off the deleterious effects of infection with Wolbachia? I think you can guess. That would be a greatly beneficial mutation that would spread with extraordinary rapidity. Since the rare male carriers would face little competition and would be fertilizing many females, they ought to produce lots of progeny and lots more males, who would spread the resistance further. Now such an example of evolution in action has been directly observed. Butterflies of the species Hypolimnas bolina, the Blue Moon butterfly, in the Polynesian islands have been known for several years to be suffering from an extreme case of the sex-ratio distorter infection, with populations consisting of greater than 99% females. In 2005-2006, males were found to be making a comeback, and a complete shift from a highly skewed sex ratio to the more normal 50:50 proportions was observed to occur in only 10 generations — about a year. It's a beautiful example of how rapidly natural selection can transform a population when selection pressures are high. The cause of the change is not eradication of Wolbachia — the animals are still carrying the bacterium. It is also not a result of the bacterium reducing its virulence autonomously, since introgression of Wolbachia from resistant populations into susceptible ones showed a full return of the male-killing ability of the bacterium. Something in the nuclear genome of the butterfly had changed to confer resistance. Now here's one thing that bugs me about Y: The Last Man. For this rapid dispersal of resistance to spread, resistant males should be procreating profligately. In the book, Yorick seems to be obstinately abstinent! (Some of the women, at least, understand the principle, and there are plots with attempts to capture the last man for breeding stock for their group.) I can understand how the author might want to resist turning the story into a boring male fantasy of having the only penis among teeming millions of fertile females, but come on, biological reality has to intrude at some point. The future of the human race demands it! Charlat S, Hornett EA, Fullard JH, Davies N, Roderick GK, Wedell N, Hurst GDD (2007) Extraordinary flux in sex ratio. Science 317:214. \|\|\|\|\| By Jeanna Bryner Staff writer A population of butterflies has evolved in a flash on a South Pacific island to fend off a deadly parasite. The proportion of male Blue Moon butterflies dropped to a precarious 1 percent as the parasite targeted males. Then, within the span of a mere 10 generations, the males evolved an immunity that allowed their population share to soar to nearly 40 percent — all in less than a year. “We usually think of natural selection as acting slowly, over hundreds or thousands of years," said study team member Gregory Hurst, an evolutionary geneticist at the University College London. "But the example in this study happened in a blink of the eye, in terms of evolutionary time." Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement The scientists think the males developed genes that hold a male-killing microbial parasite, called Wolbachia, at bay. The results, detailed in the July 13 issue of the journal Science, illustrate the power of positive natural selection on “suppressor” genes that thwart the lethal bacteria, allowing the male butterflies to bounce back. Male killers Sylvain Charlat of the University of California, Berkeley, and the University College London, along with colleagues, studied the sex ratios of Hypolimnas bolina butterflies on the Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii, where males had dwindled to 1 percent of the populations in 2001. The likely culprit was a male-killing parasite, Wolbachia, which lives inside the butterfly’s reproductive cells, preferably female sex cells. With a female host, Wolbachia can hitch a ride to the next generation aboard the mother’s eggs. Since males are “useless” for the bacteria's survival, the parasite kills male embryos. But the male butterflies found a way to stealthily overcome the parasites. At the beginning of 2006, the scientists found the males made up about 40 percent of Upolu’s butterfly population. On Savaii, females still dominated the Blue Moon butterfly population (99 percent) at the start of 2006, but by the year’s end, males made up nearly 40 percent. Secret weapon The team ran genetic analyses to see if the parasite had somehow vanished. It hadn’t. Wolbachia was still present in butterflies from both islands. Other lab experiments indicated the males had evolved suppressor genes to shield against the parasite. Unlike genetic tweaks that alter wing color or antennae length, mutations that affect a population’s sex ratio can have a significant impact on the biology of a species, the scientists say. “The suppressor gene allows infected females to produce males,” Charlat said. “These males will mate with many, many females, and the suppressor gene will therefore be in more and more individuals over generations." The study was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. © 2007 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.	''H. bolina'' is known colloquially as the Blue Moon Butterfly or Great or Common Eggfly and is found mainly in the South Pacific. Scientists reported that they had documented very fast evolution in the butterfly species ''Hypolimnas bolina''. After infection by ''Wolbachia'', the fraction of the population that was male dropped drastically to about one percent of the total population. However, after approximately ten generations (about a year) the male population had rebounded to about 39 percent of the overall population. In the case of ''H. bolina'', infected females were unable to have male offspring since the male embryos died early on. However, a gene arose which suppressed ''Wolbachia'''s ability to kill the male offspring, and this gene spread rapidly through the natural ''H. bolina'' population. At this time, it is unknown if the novel gene was a mutation or a pre-existing gene. However, researchers said that regardless, the findings constituted strong evidence that parasites can drive and substantially alter evolution. The research was performed by scientists at the University of Berkeley lead by Sylvain Charlat, a post-doc at Berkeley. Public Library of Science / Scott O'Neill ''Wolbachia'' is a bacterium that is very effective at jumping from species to species, generally infecting arthropods such as insects. Since the bacterium resides in the cytoplasm of cells, males cannot pass ''Wolbachia'' onto their offspring because sperms only pass on their nucleus with the DNA, but females can. ''Wolbachia'' has thus adapted a number of strategies, such as killing male embryos of infected females or preventing infected males from reproducing with uninfected females. ''Wolbachia'' is dangerous to hosts because it is able to easily jump species barriers and so has little reason to restrain itself -if an infectious organism kills its host, it generally dies along with it. The bacterium is believed to be responsible for some extinction events as well as some speciation events.
Creationism should be included in science lessons to reduce the confusion among the rising numbers of schoolchildren who have been brought up to reject the principles of evolution, one of the country's leading scientists said yesterday. Citing evidence that more than one in 10 children in British state schools now believes in creationism, Professor Michael Reiss, the director of education at the Royal Society, called for such beliefs to be discussed and debated in class by science teachers, but not taught as a subject. The professor, who is also an ordained Church of England clergyman, said the move would help pupils understand that such literal beliefs in religious scripture are not supported by scientific evidence. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the body responsible for the national curriculum, has ruled that discussion of creationism should be omitted from the science curriculum because creationism is "not a scientific theory". But at the British Association's science festival at Liverpool University, Professor Reiss said it was necessary for this to change. "I'm trying to make it less likely that students will ignore science, that they will detach from it, because it makes them feel that they cannot continue with science because it conflicts with their beliefs... But I feel if a science teacher feels comfortable with it then it could reduce confusion." Surveys show that more than 10 per cent of children believe that the Earth is only a few thousand years old rather than the four billion years or so accepted by science. An even greater proportion of schoolchildren does not believe that humans and all other species of life on earth evolved from common ancestors as a result of Darwinian natural selection, he said. Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice While not as high as in America, more children are brought up in evangelical Christian and in Muslim households than in the past. "We have an increasing number of children in schools from Muslim backgrounds and a very high proportion of Muslim families have creationist beliefs," Professor Reiss said. "Secondly, while Christianity as a religion is becoming less important in British society, within Christianity there is quite a high proportion of families that do hold fundamentalist beliefs, and that often means they are creationists." Professor Reiss, who works for the University of London's Institute of Education, said he favoured a gradual approach to tackling the problem. "A better way forward is to say, look, I simply want to present you with the scientific understanding of the history of the universe and how animals and plants and other organisms have evolved." His comments were criticised by other academics and teachers' unions. Martin Johnson, the deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "Our feeling is that our members would need some convincing that creationism should be taught in science lessons – unless it is just as a theory whose validity can be debated." Professor Lewis Wolpert, of University College London, said: "Creationism is based on faith and has nothing to do with science, and it should not be taught in science classes. \|\|\|\|\| Why are we asking this now? The theory of evolution has held sway in British science curricula for decades. But yesterday, Professor Michael Reiss, Director of Education at the Royal Society, made the case for bringing creationism back into the classroom. And a recent documentary found that there are a number of schools where creationist ideas are taught as an alternative to the mainstream evolutionary point of view. How do these theories differ? Proponents of evolution believe species change by a process of random genetic mutations. They believe the world is 13-14 billion years old. Creationists, in contrast, believe that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old, and that its existence is the result of one of the processes described in religious texts like the Bible. They reject the idea that one species could evolve into another. A related theory, intelligent design – sometimes described as "creationism in a cheap tuxedo" – attempts to strip the religious element out of the formal theory, instead referring to an unknown intelligent force at the beginning of the universe. Why is teaching creationism controversial? Many who oppose creationism in the science classroom are quite happy for it to be discussed in Religious Education. But it is very hard to make the case for creationism as a legitimate scientific theory. Teaching creationism in the classroom, says Richard Dawkins, "would hand creationism the only victory it realistically aspires to. Without needing to make a single good point in any argument, it would have won the right for a form of supernaturalism to be recognised as an authentic part of science." What does Professor Reiss argue? Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Reiss is a priest as well as a scientist, but he is far from an advocate of the intelligent design theory. But, he says, treating intelligent design as too obviously simple-minded to merit discussion is a mistake. Creationist beliefs, he argues, are much more likely to be part of a complex set of related cultural ideas than a simple misconception; a 50-minute science lesson that ignores them is more likely to alienate a student than suddenly endow him with a new worldview. Instead, according to Reiss, the best a science teacher can hope for is to lay out the evidence for evolution, and at least make sure that they see that the word "theory" does not simply mean a hypothesis about the way things might work, but a rigorously supported system of ideas that fit with the available evidence. "While it is unlikely that this will help students who have a conflict between science and their religious beliefs to resolve the conflict," he concludes, "good science teaching can help students to manage it – and to learn more science." Is creationism taught now? According to a More 4 report earlier this year, there are at least 40 schools in Britain that teach creationism in science lessons. Of those schools, five were part of the state system, but defied government guidelines. The report was the result of enquiries to just 50 faith schools, of almost 7,000 in the country (over 99 per cent of which are Christian) – so there may be many more schools doing the same thing. This is not the first suggestion that creationism is on the rise. In 2006, a group called Truth in Science sent out intelligent design teaching materials to every secondary school in the country, at least 59 of which began using them. And there has been a longstanding controversy over the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, an evangelical organisation that already runs three schools under the Government's academies scheme and hopes to take on four more, and which has been widely criticised for teaching evolution and creationism as competing scientific theories – although Ofsted found no problem with its science provision. What's the official position? In 2002, Tony Blair said that he was relaxed about the Emmanuel Schools position, saying that "it would be unfortunate" if the issue stood in the way of "getting as diverse a school system as we properly can". The Government's Guidance on Creationism and Intelligent Design, to which Professor Reiss contributed, is the most recent official word on the subject. It says that creationism and intelligent design should not be taught as part of the national curriculum; but, crucially, it adds that "there is a real difference between teaching 'x' and teaching about 'x'", and argues that questions about creationism "could provide the opportunity to explain why they are not scientific theories". What do the public think? Professor Reiss estimated yesterday that perhaps 10 per cent of the public believe in creationism, but this may be a severe underestimate: according to a 2006 Mori poll, 39 per cent of people believe in either creationism or intelligent design – and more than 40 per cent believe they should be taught in schools. How does this compare internationally? Our 39 per cent of people being adherents to creationism may sound high, but it is considerably lower than the United States, where surveys say that 66 per cent of people believed that the world was less than 10,000 years old – and even 16 per cent of biology teachers are creationists. America's culture war makes it particularly fertile ground for evangelical Christians, whose catchphrase – infuriating to a unanimous scientific community – is "Teach the Controversy". Elsewhere, the Council of Europe recently declared that member governments should "firmly oppose" the teaching of creationism in science classes, denouncing it as a potential threat to human rights. Most countries in the developed world take the same stance. Islam has historically been much more well-disposed towards the theory of evolution than Christianity, in part because the Qu'ran does not go into detail about the creation process – but Islamic creationism is on the rise, in particular in Turkey, where creationism is included in school syllabuses. Why is it an issue again? It's hard to give an empirical answer. It is partly to do with an increasingly organised evangelical Christian movement and a growing number of Muslims in the UK who subscribe to creationism; according to Professor Reiss it may be a reaction against the exclusion of dissenting views from the science classroom. What's certain is that it's a phenomenon on the rise. "There is an insidious and growing problem," says the geneticist Professor Steve Jones. "It's a step back from rationality. They (the creationists) don't have a problem with science, they have a problem with argument. And irrationality is a very infectious disease." Should creationism be taught in science lessons? Yes... * If science education ignores creationism, those who believe in it will ignore science * It may strengthen the case for evolution to explain why creationism is not scientific * A belief held by large numbers of people should not be dismissed out of hand No... * Presenting creationism alongside evolution gives it a false scientific credibility * No one says evolution should feature in RE classes: why should this be any different? \|\|\|\|\| matt dickinson new Four men are on a Zoom call, each with stories so harrowing that it took decades before they could find the words. For Colin Harris, it still pains him to recall hearing his mum ask, ‘What’s happened to our little boy?’ almost 50 years ago. He never could tell her what had transformed him from a promising Chelsea apprentice into a man who...Four men are on a Zoom call, each with stories so harrowing that it took decades before they could find the words. For Colin Harris, it still pains him to recall hearing his mum ask, ‘What’s happened to our little boy?’ almost 50 years ago. He never could tell her what had transformed him from a promising Chelsea apprentice into a man who...Four men are on a Zoom call, each with stories so harrowing that it took decades before they could find the words. For Colin... \|\|\|\|\| Creationism should be discussed in science lessons, according to the professor in charge of education at the Royal Society. Professor Michael Reiss, of the Royal Society, and Dr Simon Underdown, of Oxford Brookes University, discuss whether creationism has a place in the science classroom. \|\|\|\|\| Two Nobel prize winners - Sir Harry Kroto and Sir Richard Roberts - have demanded that the Royal Society sack its education director, Professor Michael Reiss. The call, backed by other senior Royal Society fellows, follows Reiss's controversial claim last week that creationism be taught in schools' science classes. Reiss, an ordained Church of England minister, has since alleged he was misquoted. Nevertheless, several Royal Society fellows say his religious views make him an inappropriate choice for the post. 'I warned the president of the Royal Society that his [Reiss] was a dangerous appointment a year ago. I did not realise just how dangerous it would turn out to be,' said Kroto, a Royal Society fellow, and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Roberts, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work on gene-splicing, was equally angry. 'I think it is outrageous that this man is suggesting that creationism should be discussed in a science classroom. It is an incredible idea and I am drafting a letter to other Nobel laureates - which would be sent to the Royal Society - to ask that Reiss be made to stand down.' Zoologist Richard Dawkins, a Royal Society fellow, said: 'A clergyman in charge of education for the country's leading scientific organisation - it's a Monty Python sketch.' A spokesman for the Royal Society rejected the principle that it was inappropriate for a clergyman to hold a senior post at the organisation. 'Michael Reiss's views are completely in keeping with those of the Royal Society,' he said. The row over Reiss's remarks is the second recent controversy over the society's stance on religion. Fellows, including cancer expert and Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, complained about the financial links that had been established between the society and the Templeton Foundation, a conservative US organisation that seeks to establish links between science and religion. The latter funded a lecture course at the society. Many fellows fear the society, the world's oldest scientific organisation, is failing to take a sufficiently robust stance against the spread of fundamental religions which oppose scientific teachings about the origins of the Earth and humanity. 'The thing the Royal Society does not appreciate is the true nature of the forces arrayed against it and the Enlightenment for which the Royal Society should be the last champion,' Kroto said.	Following misleading reports that Rev Professor Michael Reiss had advocated that creation should be taught in science class, he left his post as director of education at the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science. Last week at the British Association's science festival Rev Professor Michael Reiss said that creation should not be ignored if it come up in class. Professor Reiss, who was director of education at the Royal Society, said that since a substantial number of pupils have concerns about the issue, they are likely to "detach from" science if their concerns and world view are not addressed. Creation should not be taught, he said, but if it comes up, teachers should be encouraged to explain the science of evolution. He also said that students should be taught the nature of a scientific theory - that it does not simply mean a hypothesis about the way things might work, but a rigorously supported system of ideas that fit with the available evidence. The Times of London reported him as saying that Creationism should be taught in science classes as a legitimate point of view. This provoked a storm of protest from a group that included two Nobel Laureates and other scientists who strongly oppose the teaching, or even the discussion of creation in science class. Yesterday the Royal Society said in a statement that some of Professor Reiss' comments had been "open to misinterpretation", and that this had damaged the Society's reputation. "As a result, Professor Reiss and the Royal Society have agreed that, in the best interests of the society, he will step down immediately as director of education." The Royal Society went on to say: "However, if a young person raises creationism in a science class, teachers should be in a position to explain why evolution is a sound scientific theory and why creationism is not, in any way, scientific." The chief executive of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Roland Jackson, said that the Royal Society should have supported Professor Reiss and used this opportunity to further a reasoned debate. "I was at the actual discussion, and what I heard him say, however it has been reported, was essentially the position advocated by the Royal Society," Jackson said.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Insurgents have attacked Nato forces in eastern Afghanistan. Several attackers were killed in the Taliban attack on a base at an airfield outside Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan. Gunmen set off a car bomb and fired rocket-propelled grenades, wounding two soldiers, Nato said. The US Senate has confirmed US Gen David Petraeus as the new commander of the campaign in Afghanistan. The general earlier warned of an "industrial-strength insurgency" in the country, saying that fighting might "get more intense in the next few months". His appointment follows the dramatic departure of Gen Stanley McChrystal last week. In another development, UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox warned of further coalition casualties to come while stressing the dangers of withdrawing troops prematurely. Commando-style raid The attack began at 0730 local time (0300 GMT), with insurgents attacking the airport from different directions. Analysis Continue reading the main story The attack on the military base near Jalalabad airport was planned and co-ordinated, a sign that after nine years of fighting in Afghanistan, the Taliban still have plenty of fight in them, and are growing more sophisticated as the war goes on. But the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) takes a different view. This attack was successfully repelled, and only the insurgents died. Civilian and Isaf injuries were minor. The base is shared by Afghan and international troops, and Afghans, say Isaf, are increasingly taking lead in protecting the area, and attacking insurgents. A Nato spokesman said the perimeter of the base had not been breached. An Afghan soldier and one international service member were wounded. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said six suicide attackers had taken part in the assault. Eight insurgents died in the ensuing gun battles, the Associated Press news agency reports. The attack is yet another example of the increasingly sophisticated assaults favoured by the Taliban, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul. These commando-style operations are increasing in numbers, and often result in higher civilian and military casualties. A total of 100 Nato troops serving in Afghanistan were killed in June, making it the deadliest month for the alliance since the US-led invasion of 2001. An Afghan army-led operation is taking place in nearby Kunar, where 600 troops are attempting to rout about 250 insurgents thought to have links to al-Qaeda. 'Trans-national terror' threat Jalalabad is one of Nato's largest bases in Afghanistan, after Kandahar in the south and Bagram near Kabul. Continue reading the main story [Premature withdrawal] would be a shot in the arm to jihadists everywhere Liam Fox UK defence secretary Both of those bases have been attacked by insurgents in recent months. Speaking in London, Mr Fox said the coalition must be prepared for increased insurgent violence. "We are bound to meet resistance and increased violence until the Afghans believe that we are gaining the upper hand and we are willing to see this through," he said. "That is why we are likely to see an increase in the number of coalition casualties over this summer." "We must hold our nerve, maintain our resolve, and have the resilience to see the job through," he added. Mr Fox argued that were coalition forces to leave now, the world would see "the return of the destructive forces of trans-national terror". He identified the risk of civil war in Afghanistan creating a security vacuum and the "destabilisation of Pakistan with potentially unthinkable regional, and possibly nuclear, consequences". To withdraw prematurely would mean giving "a shot in the arm to jihadists everywhere, re-energising violent radical and extreme Islamism", Mr Fox said. Are you in the area? If you have any information you wish to share with the BBC, you can do so using the form below: \|\|\|\|\| US and Afghan soldiers approach the site of a car bomb, part of the assault on a Nato base near Jalalabad. Photograph: Str/AFP/Getty Images Eight insurgents were killed today in a failed attempt to storm a Nato air base in eastern Afghanistan using a suicide car bomb and rocket-propelled grenades. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the third ground assault against a major coalition base in the past five weeks. The attacks failed to overrun the bases but showed that the Taliban have not been cowed by US efforts to ramp up the war. Using light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, the militants fought US and Afghan forces for 30 minutes around the airport outside Jalalabad city, the media office at the airport said. The assault came just a day after the new US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, warned that fighting "may get more intense in the next few months". An Afghan soldier and one international service member were wounded in the fighting, Nato said. "They were not able to breach the perimeter. They were fought off by a combination of Afghan and coalition security forces," said German army Brigadier General Josef Blotz. The airport, which includes a major military base shared by Afghans and the international force, is located on a main road that leads to the Pakistani border. In a text message to the Associated Press in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that six suicide attackers killed 32 foreign and Afghan security forces at the airport, about 80 miles (125 kilometres) east of the Afghan capital. The insurgents often claim higher numbers of casualties than the official toll. The Jalalabad attack follows a ground assault on 19 May against the giant Bagram air base north of Kabul and a similar attack three days later against Kandahar air base in the south. In a separate incident in eastern Afghanistan, Nato said a US soldier died of wounds sustained in a gunfight with insurgents. Nato did not provide other details. The death brought to 59 the number of American troops who have died in June. Elsewhere in the east, US and Afghan forces battled hundreds of militants from an al-Qaida-linked group for a third day yesterday in Kunar province, the US military said. Two American soldiers were killed on Sunday in the first day of the operation. The attack in Kunar was directed against insurgents thought to be responsible for a roadside bombing that killed five American personnel in the area on 7 June, a US statement said. The militants were believed to be members of the Haqqani group, a faction of the Taliban based in Pakistan that has close ties to al-Qaida. About 600 US and Afghan troops are taking part in the operation. In western Afghanistan, two patients waiting for a doctor were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his vest of explosives behind a clinic in the Dularam district of Farah province, said General Abdul Jabar Pardeli, chief of police in neighbouring Nimroz province. He said the intended target was not known.	Taliban launched an attack on a NATO base in Afghanistan, which was repelled soon afterwards. Taliban forces launched an attack on a NATO base in Afghanistan on June 30. The attack was subsequently repelled, with eight Taliban fighters killed. The raid, the third such attack in five weeks, was carried out with a car bomb and rocket-propelled grenades. A Taliban spokesperson said that there were six initial suicide attackers, and a total of eight were killed in the initial attack and the gun battle that followed. A German Army official, Brigadier General Josef Blotz, said that the Taliban "were not able to breach the perimeter. They were fought off by a combination of Afghan and coalition security forces." The attack occurred at an air base in the eastern part of Afghanistan, near the city of . The base is home to both Afghan and international troops. According to commentators, attacks such as this have become increasingly utilized by the Taliban; all three of the largest bases in Afghanistan have been attacked in recent months. They generally result in higher levels of casualties when compared with other forms of attacks.

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This page contains information The Rick A. Ross Institute has gathered about Tony Alamo. Visit Alamo Christian Ministries official website (Link takes you outside the Rick A. Ross Institute web site) The Rick A. Ross Institute email: info@culteducation.com URL: http://www.culteducation.com Copyright © 2003-2008 Rick Ross. \|\|\|\|\| There are stunning new developments in the case of cult leader Tony Alamo. The controversial evangelist who has a ministry in Fouke, Arkansas was arrested at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday. He's accused of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. News of Alamo's arrest is spreading fast in Fouke. Last weekend, authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministry, searching for evidence of child sex abuse. Six girls were taken in temporary state custody. Fouke Mayor Terry Purvis says news of Alamo's arrest is a relief, but he's still mainly concerned about the children. Probable case hearings start Friday for two of the girls taken into state custody. The other four hearings will be on Monday. Alamo has a court appearance set for Friday. \|\|\|\|\| News of Christian evangelist Tony Alamo's arrest Thursday was especially poignant for some of his ex-followers. A couple of them, including Jared Balsley, excitedly called or e-mailed ABCNews.com on Thursday evening and Friday morning to relay their feelings about Alamo's arrest at a motel in Flagstaff, Ariz., on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. Tony Alamo denounces raid and defends his church, stating "We're holy." "It's great news, and maybe he can finally be brought to justice," said Balsley, who claims he was regularly beaten by Alamo's aides and once, when he was only 8 years old, by Alamo himself after arguing with another boy over a Big Wheel. Alamo, who waived his right to fight extradition to Arkansas at a court appearance today, has been accused by ex-followers of beating children who misbehave and separating husbands from their wives and children to punish them for various infractions. Coverage of the arrest and last weekend's raid on the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Arkansas by more than 100 federal agents as part of a two-year investigation into allegations of child pornography, physical and sexual abuse of children, polygamy and underage marriage brought back terrible memories for Balsley and other ex-followers. The 32-year-old Modesto, Calif.-based radio DJ claimed he was regularly beaten by Alamo's aides, and once, when he was only 8 years old, by Alamo, himself, "We were not spanked at Tony Alamo's house on Georgia Ridge. ... We were beaten," Balsley told ABCNews.com. "Beaten for infractions of his rules. Tony would order four of his biggest guys to hold me up spread-eagled, and then they would hit you with a board that was nicknamed the 'Board of Education.'" Balsley continued, "There was a girl who had epilepsy, and I remember her having a seizure one time, and Tony brought in dozens of families, saying, 'Well, the devil is in this girl,' and he had her hit, strung her up in the air, and said they would beat the devil out of her ... He's a horrible, horrible person. He makes Warren Jeffs look like an angel, in my opinion." Anna Pugh, who says she was a member of the church for 11 years, believes that four of her children who she's hasn't seen in four years are at one of Alamo's compounds. "People out there who don't understand how someone out there can get pulled in to this and be controlled and brainwashed -- just answer the question, "How did Hitler take over an entire nation?'" Pugh told KATV. "It can be done when you're not allowed to listen to anything but some man dictate to you what is right and what is wrong 24 hours a day and they scare you and pump you up and fill you with fear." Pugh, who claims she was 20 when she was introduced to the Tony Alamo Ministries and soon married a man 17 years her senior, says she felt an overwhelming sense of hope when she heard about the federal and state raid of Alamo's compound. "There's another part of me that is relieved and hopeful they are going to put a stop to the abuse that is happening in that town, that has been going on for years, to children, to women especially." Alamo Laughed About Allegations But Alamo (pronounced ah-LAM-o) seemed relaxed when discussing the accusations and the raid with ABCNews.com on Tuesday, relishing the fact that the raid took place on his 74th birthday last weekend. And he remained defiant in his denial of the allegations, and unrepentant about his promotion of marriage between older men and girls as young as 10. "The government -- those devils -- they gave me this as a birthday present," said Alamo. "These attacks on me and the ministry have been going on for 44 years. It's nothing new. Nothing shaking but the leaves on the tree. "They think they're hurting me, but I'm feeling pretty good. The Bible says that when they persecute you, to leap for joy, because the prophets were dealt with in the same manner." Alamo, who told ABCNews.com at the time that he had not been contacted by federal officials, denied some of the allegations and sidesteped straight answers on some other claims. Asked if minors were abused, sexually or physically at the compound, Alamo sarcastically snapped, "Oh, yeah. We're just open to have minors abused. We're a church and we're not phonies, and that's why they're so obsessed with us." Alamo denied that there was any child pornography at the compound. "They ransacked our church, my bedroom, and they haven't even found one porn picture. Why would I be into that? I'm legally blind, and I wouldn't have been able to look at it." Alamo defended his treatment of his followers but admitted, "Some of them got spankings and I tossed some of them out because they were doing things that were against Scripture. They're miffed and disgruntled, and some of them bring accusations of child abuse." Asked about claims that children were kept out of school to work on his line of designer jeans, Alamo made light of the charge. "I had adults working on that, and kids would come in and count beads -- like that's real hard labor." As for his controversial positions on underage marriage, which he has long promoted on his radio shows, Alamo defended his views. "The Bible says the age of puberty is the age of consent," he said, emphasizing that he supports the idea of marriage to post-pubescent girls, but that members of his church don't act on that view and follow the law. "We don't have anyone married to children under the 18-year-old limit, but the Bible says that's OK if they're age 10 or 12, if they reached puberty." Dark Side to All-American Story It's the all-American story with a dark and dangerous twist. A Jewish newspaper delivery boy from Montana moves to Hollywood in the heyday of the swinging '60s and changes his name to Tony Alamo to pursue a career in music. Later, he converts to evangelical Christianity and becomes a preacher who ministers to the homeless and drug addicts, raising money for his church by selling a popular brand of sequined denim jackets worn by celebrities, such as Brooke Shields, Mr. T and Hulk Hogan during the 1980s. But Alamo's shadow side ended up dominating headlines. The man once described by former President Bill Clinton, the ex-governor of Arkansas, as "Roy Orbison on speed," was accused of leading a cult, landed in prison for tax evasion and weapons violations, spouted anti-Catholic propaganda on the air and in pamphlets, and attacked the pope and President Reagan by calling them "Anti-Christ Devils" in a tract titled "Genocide." After his wife, Susan, died in 1982, he placed her body in a crystal crypt on his dining room table while his followers prayed for her resurrection; later, he was accused of spiriting the body away before his religious compound was raided by federal marshals in 1991, and her body remained missing until church members turned it over to law enforcement in 1998. In the latest incident, the headquarters of his Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Church in the tiny town of Fouke, Ark., was raided over the weekend by more than 100 federal and state officials, and six children were removed from the compound while investigators searched for their parents, according to Arkansas State Police. The two-year investigation was "aimed at allegations that children living at the Alamo facilities may have been sexually and physically abused," according to Bill Sadler, spokesman for the Arkansas State Police. "We did make the decision to remove the children that we felt were in harm's way or in imminent danger," said Julie Munsell, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Department of Human Services. Defending Polygamy Alamo, who strongly defended the polygamy practiced by the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Mormon sect after its Texas compound was raided in April, has long advocated that such unions between older men and teenage girls are God's will. "What I'm doing is fighting for these people that they, the ungodly beast, is throwing into prison for marrying someone 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, if they've reached puberty," he told his radio listeners in an April broadcast. In other radio sermons, Alamo contended that the Virgin Mary was only 6 when she conceived Jesus, asking his listeners whether that made God a pedophile. Before the arrest, spokesmen for the FBI and the Arkansas State Police would not discuss whether an arrest warrant is pending for Alamo or whether he has been interviewed as part of their investigation. "He has been around for a long time, and he is really creepy," said Heidi Beirich, deputy director of the Southern Poverty Law Center's (SPLC) Intelligence Project. "We interviewed some of the ministry's child brides, documented some of the virulent hatred directed at Catholics and have documented many complaints about the ministry, and forwarded the info to the FBI." From Hollywood to High Fashion to Holy Days It's been a long journey for Bernie LaZar Hoffman, the son of Jewish-Romanian parents, who worked delivering newspapers in Montana as a boy. Soon after heading out to Los Angeles, he changed his name several times while chasing a career in pop music, singing and producing albums, and claiming that the Beatles and Rolling Stones sought his services as a promoter. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Evangelist Tony Alamo was arrested Thursday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges related to a child porn investigation, an FBI spokesman said. Tony Alamo is shown with his wife, Susan, in this undated photo from Tony Alamo Christian Ministries. The 74-year-old founder and leader of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries was arrested without incident at 2:45 p.m. (4:45 p.m. ET) as he was departing the Little America Hotel with his wife, said Manuel Johnson, spokesman for the FBI in Phoenix, Arizona. The FBI, the Flagstaff Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety were involved in the arrest, he said. Alamo was charged under a federal statute with having knowingly transported a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in sexual activity, Johnson said. Alamo, whose real name is Bernie Hoffman, was taken to Coconino County Jail in Flagstaff, where he is to have an initial appearance Friday in federal magistrate court, Johnson said. Over the weekend, about 100 federal and state agents authorities raided Alamo's 15-acre compound near Texarkana, Arkansas, and took six children into temporary custody. The children were interviewed as part of a two-year investigation into Tony Alamo Christian Ministries to determine whether they were physically or sexually abused, said Bill Sadler of the Arkansas State Police. Alamo, reached by phone Saturday in Los Angeles, California, denied any wrongdoing. "It's a hoax," Alamo said. "They're just trying to make our church look evil ... by saying I'm a pornographer. Saying that I rape little children. ... I love children. I don't abuse them. Never have. Never will." Asked why authorities were searching the property, Alamo compared himself to Christ. "Why were they after Jesus?" he asked. "It's the same reason. Jesus is living within me." All About Criminal Investigations • Religion • Tony Alamo \|\|\|\|\| This undated photo made available by Tony Alamo Christian Ministries shows Tony Alamo and his wife Susan. (AP Photo/Tony Alamo Christian Ministries) FBI: Evangelist Alamo arrested in child sex probe LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — FBI agents and Arizona police on Thursday arrested evangelist Tony Alamo at a resort near Flagstaff, alleging he transported minors across state lines for sexual purposes. Federal agents and state police had raided Alamo's Arkansas compound on Saturday and removed six girls from the home. After police and social workers interviewed the girls this week, prosecutors sought Alamo's arrest. FBI spokesman Steve Frazier in Little Rock would not disclose what the children said. Frazier said Alamo was staying at the Little America Hotel in Flagstaff, Ariz., when arrested. The evangelist — who began his career as a California street preacher in 1966 — was scheduled for a federal court appearance Friday in Flagstaff. "He has to have an initial apperance before I can say a whole lot," Frazier said. He said he did not believe children were with Alamo at the time of the arrest. Agents arrested Alamo on charges that he violated the Mann Act, which prohibits transporting children across state lines for illegal purposes. Frazier described the illegal purposes as "sexual activity." The Southern Poverty Law Center, which tracks hate groups, describes the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries as a cult, as do many of the church's former members. As a group, Alamo's church despises homosexuals, Roman Catholics and the government; Alamo has preached that girls are fit for marriage once they are sexually mature. "Consent is puberty," he said in an interview with The Associated Press last week while agents raided his compound at Fouke. The Little America Hotel, in Arizona's northern mountains near the Grand Canyon, bills itself as a luxury resort. Fred Reese, a spokesman for the hotel, declined to comment and referred all questions to the FBI. The Arkansas raid had been scheduled for October but was moved up because a Justice Department employee inadvertantly notified Arkansas media about the investigation. While the FBI checked Alamo's property for evidence of child pornography, state officials went in to investigate other claims of child abuse. Arkansas State Police spokesman Bill Sadler said that, as of Thursday night, no further arrests were planned that would involve his agency. An Arkansas judge has hearings set for Friday and Monday on whether the state Department of Human Services can maintain custody of the six girls taken from the compound during the state and federal raid. The girls will attend the hearings. "We will transport them to and from hearings. We will take part in any future hearings," DHS spokeswoman Julie Munsell said. "Our job right now is to basically take care of them." Circuit Judge Jim Hudson said two hearings would be conducted Friday and the other four are set for Monday in Texarkana. The girls, ranging in age from 10 to 17, all have been identified through police investigation and birth certificates, state officials said. Neither Hudson nor Munsell would disclose what the girls told investigators or state aid workers. State and federal agents raided Alamo's Fouke compound Saturday night, searching for evidence that children there had been molested or filmed having sex. The six hearings will be split among three circuit judges serving Miller County. Judges will decide whether the state had enough evidence to warrant temporarily removing the children from their homes. If a judge rules against the state, the girls would be returned to her parents. Hudson said all hearings, testimony and documents will be sealed because the cases involve juveniles — though he said he would announce a summary of his actions without naming the children. According to Frazier, FBI agents and local and state police in Arizona arrested Alamo as he was leaving the hotel, which is located along cross-country Interstate 40. When the AP interviewed him Saturday and Monday, Alamo called from telephone numbers registered in the Los Angeles area. Frazier said it wasn't known where Alamo was headed when he was picked up. Alamo and his late wife Susan were street preachers along Hollywood's Sunset Strip before forming a commune near Saugus, Calif. Susan Alamo died of cancer in 1982; Alamo claimed she would be resurrected and kept her body on display for six months while their followers prayed. Alamo was convicted of tax-related charges in 1994 after the IRS said he owed the government $7.9 million. He served four years in prison. Prosecutors in the tax case argued before sentencing that Alamo was a flight risk and a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation. Since establishing his ministries in Arkansas, Alamo has been both a controversial and flamboyant figure in the state. Snapshots often show Alamo wearing large dark sunglasses, as he recently said he's become legally blind as he's aged. In his autobiography, "My Life," former President Clinton described Alamo as "Roy Orbison on speed." Clinton recalled traveling to Alma in 1975 to see Dolly Parton sing at Alamo's compound, when Alamo's wife Susan was still alive. Remembering the fiasco after Susan Alamo's death, Clinton wrote: "A couple of years later, he (Alamo) got involved with a younger woman. Lo and behold, God spoke to him again and told him Susan wasn't coming back after all, so he took her out of the glass box and buried her." FBI documents identified Alamo by his birth name, Bernie Lazar Hoffman, who turned 74 the day of the raid. Alamo has said he was born a Jew but converted to Christianity. \|\|\|\|\| Click the play button on the video window to the right to view the story The FBI says evangelist Tony Alamo has been arrested in Flagstaff on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes. FBI spokesman Steve Frazier said Alamo was staying at the Little America Hotel located at I-40 and Butler Road. He was arrested as he was leaving the hotel at about 2:45 p.m. Authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Arkansas last week and removed six girls. Frazier says he did not believe children were with Alamo when he was arrested. He is scheduled for a federal court appearance Friday in Arizona. Some critics, including the FBI, call Alamo's ministry a cult. Alamo will be scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in Flagstaff Friday to determine when he'll be returned to Arkansas to face charges, according the FBI. The FBI says evangelist Tony Alamo has been arrested in Flagstaff on suspicion of transporting minors across state lines for sexual purposes.FBI spokesman Steve Frazier said Alamo was staying at the Little America Hotel located at I-40 and Butler Road.He was arrested as he was leaving the hotel at about 2:45 p.m.Authorities raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries compound in Arkansas last week and removed six girls.Frazier says he did not believe children were with Alamo when he was arrested. He is scheduled for a federal court appearance Friday in Arizona.Some critics, including the FBI, call Alamo's ministry a cult.Alamo will be scheduled for an initial appearance in federal court in Flagstaff Friday to determine when he'll be returned to Arkansas to face charges, according the FBI. \|\|\|\|\| Authorities looking for vehicle believed to be used by wanted charismatic ex-con. A federal arrest warrant has been issued for Bernie LaZar Hoffman, better known as Tony Alamo, the ex-con leader of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries with a compound on Sierra Highway near Agua Dulce. It was reported that FBI agents, with support from local sheriff deputies and county child welfare workers, visited the compound early Sunday morning, but no one was taken into custody. It is not known how many adults or children are living at the Saugus location. Lt. Mark Hershey of the Santa Clarita sheriff's station confirmed that the station was advised that a federal warrant had been issued for Hoffman/Alamo. Sgt. Darren Harris told KHTS that deputies have been given a description of the vehicle Hoffman/Alamo is believed to be using. Alamo served four years of a six year sentence for tax evasion, leaving prison in 1998. His cult-like ministries embrace a philosophy that supports polygamy and sex with underage girls and have established compounds in California , New Jersey , Georgia and Arkansas . Because of its anti-Catholic, anti-homosexual and anti-government stance, the Alamo organization is considered a hate group. The Fouke, Arkansas compound, near Texarkana , was raided Saturday by state and federal law enforcement officials in response to allegations of child abuse and pornography. During Saturday’s raid, six young girls were taken into protective custody. Hearings for the girls, who are between 10 and 17 years of age, will begin on Friday and continue on Monday. To read the first story in this chapter of the Alamo saga, click here . \|\|\|\|\| By Jonathan McCall - bio \| email SHREVEPORT, LA (KSLA) - "He is definitely a man who arranges marriages of little girls, and orders beatings of little children." These are only a couple events Anthony Lane says he witnessed during his two month stay at the Tony Alamo Ministries in 1996 before being kicked out of the church and out of the lives of his three children. "I felt like I had lost any reason to live I didn't have a reason to live in fact I was suicidal."Lane was kicked out of the church after he says he questioned Alamo's teachings, and after a while he found help and support through a group know as PACA or Partnered against Cult Activities. "PACA has been giving me counseling about what steps I should take and giving me number of people I should call." Such as lawyers, who Lane says has been working with him to get custody of his kids from his wife who is still with the church, but he says it's not easy, when Alamo cuts off contact to his family. "It's hard to get somebody served and take them to court when they keep moving around on you deliberately."Lane says he's not sure if he will ever see his 2 daughters 13 year old Ashley and 11 year old Sarah ever again, but he says he won't stop trying to prevent them from becoming another victim of Tony Alamo. "It is heartbreaking because I don't know any of my kids." \|\|\|\|\| FBI agents raided the compound of a controversial ministry with ties to Southern California. The FBI suspects child sexual abuse. Ministry founder Tony Alamo, described as a "cult leader," denies the charges. The raid follows a two-year investigation into suspicions of child abuse and child pornography at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in Arkansas. Monday, Alamo said he has never promoted sexual abuse but believes there's a mandate in the bible for young girls to marry. Eyewitness News went to Alamo's church in Canyon Country and was met by armed security. In a phone interview with a Alamo Monday morning about the raid on his compound in Arkansas, Alamo began quoting bible scripture. He characterized the U.S. government as "Satan out to bring down God's church." More than 100 federal and state agents raided the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries Complex in Fouke, Arkansas, Saturday. Agents say the raid was a culmination of a two-year investigation into child-abuse and pornography allegations. Authorities say they have reason to believe there has been the possible sexual abuse of children at the 15-acre evangelical compound. "It's the transportation of minors with the intent to engage in criminal activity," said Tom Browne, Little Rock FBI. "The state concerns are children living at the facility may have been sexually and physically abused." Eyewitness News spoke with Tony Alamo by phone about the raid and the allegations. "They went into my house and took everything, all sorts of different things," said Alamo. "They found no pornography, they found nothing. [They] said I was taking young girls across the border like a pimp, and that I was manufacturing pornography. I guarantee you they never found one piece of pornography." During the raid, authorities say six children were placed in temporary state custody and were being interviewed. No one was arrested. Residents who live near the compound talked about the raid. "The community has been very upset by what they know has been going on in this cult," said one nearby resident. "I am so thankful. I praise God this has happened," said another resident. In the mid-1990s, Alamo was convicted and sentenced to six years in prison on tax-related charges. Prosecutors in that case argued that Alamo was a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation. "We're the strongest Christian group in the entire world, and they're trying to tarnish my reputation," said Alamo by phone. Eyewitness News attempted to interview members of Tony Alamo Christian Church in Canyon Country, and was told to leave the premises. "I've been 44 years on the boulevard and around Los Angeles there, so you people are very familiar with me for sure," said Alamo by phone. During Monday morning's interview with Alamo, he was asked if he was concerned whether or not his church in Canyon Country would fall under the investigation, he said in essence: "There's no telling." - Get more L.A. breaking news, weather, traffic and sports - Have a news tip? Send your tips, video, or pictures (Copyright ©2011 KABC-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.) Get more National News » \|\|\|\|\| A gate blocks a driveway of the property of Tony Alamo, Sunday, Sept. 21, 2008 in Fouke, Ark., after FBI agents and state police raided the evangelist's headquarters Saturday as part of a child pornography investigation. (AP Photo/Mike Wintroath) 6 children in Ark. custody after raid on compound FOUKE, Ark. (AP) — Six minors have been temporarily placed in state custody as part of a child porn investigation after a raid on a ministry run by a man who says "consent is puberty" when it comes to sex, officials said Sunday. The children will be in the custody of the Arkansas Department of Human Services as investigators interview them, state police spokesman Bill Sadler said in a statement. Sadler didn't say how long the interviews would last, but did say that courts would decide the children's status in the event of any "long-term separation" from the property of the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries in rural Fouke. He did not say how old the children were, but an e-mail that authorities inadvertently sent to media members last week referred to 12-, 13- and 14-year-old girls. The move comes after a raid Saturday by more than 100 federal and state authorities. Investigators said their two-year probe into allegations of child pornography and abuse focused on convicted tax evader Tony Alamo and his ministry, described by its critics as a cult. Alamo claimed in a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Saturday that the investigation was part of a federal push to legalize same-sex marriage while outlawing polygamy. He also said for girls having sex, "consent is puberty." News of the raid brought Anthony Justin Lane, 34, into Fouke from his job roofing in nearby Texarkana, hoping for some word about his family. Lane said he has been trying for 10 years to reunite with his children, who belong to Alamo's ministry. Lane said he saw a 13-year-old girl marry a man of about 40 just before he was kicked out of the church for asking too many questions. Lane hired a lawyer and said that he is trying to subpoena his girlfriend, but that it remains difficult as she moves among Alamo's churches in Arkansas and California. Lane said he last saw his oldest daughter, who would now be 13, in 2005. She offered him a pamphlet as he sat in his car reading a newspaper outside Alamo's church in Fort Smith in 2005. When Lane told her he was her father, he said, she ran off. He has received only a few photos since then of the 13-year-old, an 11-year-old daughter and a 9-year-old son from a relative. His longtime girlfriend was pregnant with the boy when Lane said he was expelled from the church for questioning its practices. "I see pictures of those kids and I feel robbed — robbed of being a father," Lane told reporters. "I keep laying it in the Lord's hands and hoping he'll have mercy on my children and protect them," he said. Authorities' search of the Fouke complex ended after midnight Saturday, and Sadler said officials had no plans to search the buildings again. Authorities have not indicated any plans to search other ministry locations. Sunday afternoon, a van ferried members back and forth from a nearby 15-acre compound to the church on U.S. 71. Two women, one pushing a stroller, entered the building along with several children. A man at the door told reporters that "no visitors" would be allowed in for the services. U.S. Attorney Bob Balfe declined to comment when asked whether an arrest warrant had been issued for Alamo or other members of his church. Balfe said before the raid that he expected a warrant to be issued for the 74-year-old leader. As fog lifted Sunday morning from Fouke, no police cruisers blocked the dead-end drive up to Alamo's compound, as they had Saturday evening. Alamo's house, an L-shaped ranch home, sat empty with decorative bars over its windows. A black Cadillac Escalade was parked in the carport. The red-and-blue canopy of a carnival carousel could be seen from behind the home. Peacocks walked past the house, where the public road ends. Two gravel roads led off to either side, one winding its way back into the compound, the other off to a basketball court where an RV sat parked. Black cattle gates blocked entry to the roads. Other homes with brick fronts sat throughout the compound. Some didn't have exterior siding, while others appeared to be mobile homes parked on cinderblocks. Uniformed security guards patrolled the grounds and sat near the gates. None carried a pistol. A worker mowed the lawn in front of the compound and church Sunday afternoon as television news trucks passed by. A guard stationed there declined to comment and said no one was available to talk to reporters. Alamo and his late wife Susan were street preachers along Hollywood's Sunset Strip in 1966 before forming a commune near Saugus, Calif. Susan Alamo died of cancer in 1982; Alamo claimed she would be resurrected and kept her body on display for six months while their followers prayed. Alamo was convicted of tax-related charges in 1994 after the IRS said he owed the government $7.9 million. He served four years in prison. Prosecutors in the tax case argued before sentencing that Alamo was a flight risk and a polygamist who preyed on married women and girls in his congregation. The Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors the activities of extremist groups in the U.S., describes Alamo's ministry as a cult that opposes homosexuality, Catholicism and the government.	Controversial evangelist leader Tony Alamo was arrested in Flagstaff, Arizona Thursday and faces charges related to child sex abuse allegations at the Tony Alamo Christian Ministry organization. Alamo has previously been convicted on charges of tax evasion. United States federal agents raided Alamo's compound in Arkansas on Saturday and six girls were taken into state custody. Tony Alamo in 1986 Law enforcement officials raided Alamo's compound in Fouke, Arkansas on Saturday and removed six girls aged 10 to 17. Over 100 federal and state agents participated in the raid on the compound, which followed a two-year investigation into Alamo and his organization. Law enforcement officials were searching for evidence that minors had been videotaped performing sexual activities or had been molested. The Federal Bureau of Investigation searched Alamo's property for child pornography. Alamo, who claims he is legally blind and wouldn't be able to see child pornography, preaches that girls should marry young and sex with post-puberty girls is 'okay' because "in the Bible it happened". "It's the transportation of minors with the intent to engage in criminal activity. The state concerns are children living at the facility may have been sexually and physically abused," said Little Rock, Arkansas FBI representative Tom Browne in a statement to KABC-TV. The Associated Press (AP) has reported that Alamo will likely appear in federal court Friday in Flagstaff, Arizona, on charges that he violated the Mann Act by facilitating transport of minors across state lines for inappropriate sexual conduct. Documents produced by the FBI referred to Alamo by his birth name, Bernie Lazar Hoffman. Alamo has stated that he was born into Judaism but later converted to Christianity. According to the FBI, Alamo's court appearance Friday is intended to determine when he will be transported from Arizona back to Arkansas to face charges there. Hearings have been scheduled for Friday and Monday by a state judge, to decide if the Department of Human Services of Arkansas can retain custody of the six girls. "We will transport them to and from hearings. We will take part in any future hearings. Our job right now is to basically take care of them," said agency representative Julie Munsell in a statement reported to the AP. The six girls will be present at the hearings in Arkansas: hearings for two of the girls will take place Friday and hearings for the other four on Monday. The Southern Poverty Law Center, an organization which maintains data on hate groups, has described Alamo's organization as a "cult". ''The Ross Institute Internet Archives for the Study of Destructive Cults, Controversial Groups and Movements'' maintains a web page on Tony Alamo and his organization. AP reported that many former members of Alamo's organization also characterize the Tony Alamo Christian Ministries as a "cult". Anna Pugh, a former member of the organization for 11 years, recounted some of her experiences in what she referred to as "Tony's Cult" to KOCO-TV. She stated that while she was living at Alamo's compound she felt she was brainwashed. Pugh says that while she was a member of the group a seven-year-old girl took her aside and told her Alamo had sexual conduct with minors while watching pornography. "I think that congregation in there needs to see what that man is. He is a monster. He is a very unmerciful, malicious, vindictive, judgemental, condemning person," said Pugh. Former member Anthony Lane told KSLA-TV he was kicked out of Tony Alamo Christian Ministries when he questioned some of Alamo's teachings. "He is definitely a man who arranges marriages of little girls, and orders beatings of little children," said Lane. He has been getting help from a support group called Partnered against Cult Activities (PACA). Lane is trying to gain custody of his three children who are still in the group with his wife. Alamo was convicted of tax evasion in 1994, and was released from prison in 1998 after serving four years out of a six year sentence. The Internal Revenue Service said Alamo owed the U.S. government US$7.9 million. Prosecutors in the tax evasion case argued prior to Alamo's sentencing that he was a flight risk, and a polygamist who conducted inappropriate activities with women and girls in his organization. The Tony Alamo Christian Ministry organization promotes a philosophy and belief system which asserts sex with underage girls and polygamy is acceptable. The organization is critical of Catholicism, homosexuality, and the government. Tony Alamo Christian Ministry has compounds in Arkansas, California, Georgia and New Jersey, and Alamo himself lives near Los Angeles.
Photo: AP The embattled Japanese manufacturer's new Lexus GX460 will be suspended from sale in the US while Toyota conducts tests. The 4x4 was branded a "safety risk" by Consumer Reports, which cautioned readers not to buy the vehicle – the first time in nine years it has issued such a warning. Consumer Reports warned readers that in tests the rear end of the 2010 model of the GX460 "slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability-control system was able to regain control". "In real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death," the article continued. Consumer Reports is one of America's most trusted publications and is in many ways similar to Which? in the UK. Around 5,000 GX460s have been sold in the US since it was launched three months ago. The suspension adds to Toyota's problems, coming hard on the heels of the recall of more than 8.5m cars as a result of safety concerns surrounding over-acceleration and braking. "At this time we have asked our dealers to temporarily suspend sales of the 2010 GX460," Toyota said in a statement. "Lexus' extensive vehicle testing provides a good indication of how our vehicles perform and we are confident that the GX meets our high safety standards." Toyota was last week fined $16.4m (£10.7m) by the US Department of Transportation over delays in issuing recalls to customers. Ray LaHood, the Transportation Secretary, called the auto company "safety deaf". \|\|\|\|\| The GX 460 has been on sale for about three months in the US Japanese carmaker Toyota has announced that it will suspend sales in the US of one of its luxury vehicles. The move came after a US consumer organisation warned customers not to buy the Lexus GX 460 four-wheel drive because of fears it could roll over. The last time it judged a vehicle's performance unacceptable was in 2001. Toyota said it remained confident that the vehicle was safe, but would suspend its sale to identify and correct the safety issues identified. The carmaker has recalled over eight million cars globally due to safety fears over faulty accelerators, floor pedals that stuck in mats and braking issues. 'Injury risk' Consumer Reports said it had judged the Lexus GX 460 a "Don't Buy: Safety Risk" because of a problem experienced during its standard emergency-handling tests. "When pushed to its limits on our track's handling course, the rear of the GX we bought slid out until the vehicle was almost sideways before the electronic stability control system was able to regain control," it said. We will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports' test to determine if appropriate steps need to be taken Toyota statement "We believe that in real-world driving, that situation could lead to a rollover accident, which could cause serious injury or death." However, it also said that it was not aware of any such reported incidents. The GX 460 has been on sale for about three months in the US and, according to the consumer group, about 5,000 vehicles have been sold. Toyota said in a statement: "Our engineers conduct similar tests and we feel these procedures provide a good indication of how our vehicles will perform in the real-world. "However, we will try to duplicate the Consumer Reports' test to determine if appropriate steps need to be taken." Toyota is currently facing a record $16.4m (£10.7m) fine from the US Transport Department for failing to notify it about defective accelerator pedals. The company must decide by the end of this week whether to challenge the fine. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	2010 Lexus GX 460. Japanese auto maker Toyota is to temporarily suspend sales of its luxury Lexus GX 460 SUV following an unfavorable verdict from ''Consumer Reports'', which concluded ''"Don't Buy: Safety Risk,"'' the first such warning in almost a decade. After conducting its standard emergency handling tests on the 2010 version of the Lexus GX 460, ''Consumer Reports'' became concerned that the rear of the vehicle had a tendency to slide out, which in real life situations could lead to rollovers. However, the consumer organisation is also unaware of any such incidents with the 5000 GX 460s sold since its launch three months ago. Already embattled with ongoing safety issues with its vehicles, Toyota has been quick to act, though it did claim that the car was safe to drive and that it had passed internal safety standards. According to Toyota, "Lexus' extensive vehicle testing provides a good indication of how our vehicles perform and we are confident that the GX meets our high safety standards."
Sport The Hague: The Kookaburras are world champions once again, defending their World Cup title with a 6-1 demolition of the Netherlands. Powerful defender, and penalty corner specialist, Chris Ciriello was the hat-trick hero as Australia dismantled the Dutch to silence the raucous home crowd in the Hague on Sunday. The win confirms the Kookaburras place atop the world, and is their third World Cup triumph – defending their 2010 title. The Kookaburras lift the hockey World Cup in the Hague on Sunday. Photo: Patrick Post Australia's goals came from familiar faces, with their two leading scorers Ciriello and Kieran Govers both on the scoresheet. Advertisement The pair had entered the final with four goals apiece, but Ciriello finished as Australia's leading sharpshooter with his hat-trick carrying him to seven for the tournament – behind only Argentina's Gonzalo Peillat (10). Ciriello, who finished the match with ice on his shoulder, and Govers delivered first half strikes to hand coach Ric Charlesworth a 2-1 lead at the break, which was extended by a further two goals quickly after halftime as Australia assumed complete control. Australia's Jamie Dwyer celebrates scoring for the Kookaburras. Photo: Peter Dejong Throughout the tournament Australia have earned plaudits for their blistering starts – they went five consecutive games scoring a goal in the opening seven minutes. But it was the Dutch who drew first blood, with Jeroen Hertzberger scoring an exceptional solo goal in which he evaded Robert Hammond's tackle before firing a tomahawk past Andrew Charter, who had a terrific tournament. But Australia's response was as swift as it was severe, with Ciriello converting from the first penalty corner with an expert drag flick. Australia's Kieran Govers celebrates a goal against the Netherlands during the World Cup final in the Hague on Sunday. Photo: Toussaint Kluiters Four minutes later, Govers outdid everyone with an exquisite reverse stick shot from the top of the circle that sailed into the top right corner of the goal. That goal proved pivotal, as did Glenn Turner's persistent effort two minutes after the break to make it a two-goal buffer. Turner's first effort was cleared from the line by the Dutch goalie, but his second effort couldn't be stopped as it bobbled over an outstretched leg. Ciriello then killed off any hope of a Dutch comeback with two goals in six minutes. Australia's sterling defence, which finished the tournament with just three goals conceded, was always going to protect the buffer. Australia's commitment to defence was typified by an outstanding cover defensive effort from midfield Simon Orchard, who raced back to single-handedly defuse a promising Dutch counter-attack. Five-time player-of-the-year Jamie Dwyer, who equalled Jay Stacey's record of 321 Kookaburra appearances on Sunday, put the icing on the cake with a terrific solo effort six minutes from time. As Australia's lead grew, Dutch players started to express their frustrations at the physical nature of the contest. Orchard was given a yellow card, and a five-minute sin bin, as was Dutch star Robbert Kemperman for an off-the-ball incident, while Australian pair Glenn Turner and Robert Hammond were handed green cards, and two-minute sin bins, for separate incidents. AAP \|\|\|\|\| Sport Nearing the summit: Georgie Parker and Emily Hurtz of the Hockeyroos after losing the final. Photo: Reuters THE HAGUE: The Hockeyroos believe the world No.1 ranking is within their reach they have bridged the gap with the Netherlands, despite going down 2-0 in the World Cup final on Saturday. The Australian women were valiant, but ultimately outclassed by a relentless Dutch outfit spurred on by a 15,000-strong partisan crowd in The Hague. It followed a defeat by the same margin in the group stages and confirmed the Dutch team's place as the world's best - but Australia coach Adam Commens believes the gap is narrowing quickly and he is optimistic his side could be on top by the time the 2016 Olympic Games roll around. Australia's goalkeeper Rachael Lynch, left, slides to block a shot on goal. The Dutch were awarded a penalty stroke. Photo: AP Commens, who earned 143 caps for the Kookaburras, compared the Hockeyroos current situation to that which Australia's men faced in the early 2000s. Advertisement The Kookaburras finished second in the 2002 World Cup behind Germany, but bounced back to claim gold in Athens two years later. "The progression that the Kookaburras made at that time, I think we're able to emulate that with the Hockeyroos," Commens said. World champions: The Dutch celebrate their victory. Photo: Reuters "I think it will be a tough ask. "They obviously have a large pool of talent coming through and a good group of coaching staff. "It will be difficult. But I think it's not unsurmountable." Arriving in Holland ranked fourth in the world, Australia cemented their place among the top teams once again by claiming silver and rising to second in the rankings. It is their best result in a major tournament since earning silver in the 2009 Champions Trophy. And Commens says the age of his group, with just a handful of players over 25, and their potential for improvement is what fuels his belief in the two years ahead. "The gap has been closed," he said. His thoughts were reflected by midfield star Casey Eastham, who said the past 18 months had been spent closing in on the Dutch. "We knew the Dutch were going to be the ones to beat come World Cup, so that was our goal, to do everything we could to close the gap on that," she told AAP. "We've done that quite well. We know the Rio Olympics is the long-term goal for us. "We've got another couple of years to go with that and we'll keep working with the squad we've got." For the moment, however, the Dutch are still a class above every other opponent on the planet and they showed that on Saturday. Australia did well to restrict the winning margin to just two goals - an achievement for which goalkeeper Rachael Lynch deserves enormous credit. The 27-year-old, who was named goalie of the tournament, made eight saves in the final and was a colossus before the net. She stood little chance with the opening goal of the match, a penalty stroke taken by Dutch captain Maartje Paumen, and could scarcely have done more to prevent their second either after spectacularly deflecting one attempt by Kim Lammers, only to have the ball rebound back into the path of the Dutch forward for a second attempt. Those first half goals were enough to secure a seventh World Cup for the Dutch. Australia will now begin preparations for next month's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where they are the two-time defending gold medal winners. Australia's men play for World Cup gold, also against the Dutch, on Sunday. AAP \|\|\|\|\| Hockeyroos lose to the Netherlands 2-0 in hockey World Cup final Updated Australia's women had to settle for silver at the hockey World Cup after going down 2-0 to the Netherlands in the final on Sunday morning. The Hockeyroos were valiant but outclassed by a relentless Dutch outfit who were spurred on by a 15,000-strong partisan crowd in The Hague. Watch live Tune in as the Kookaburras take on the Netherlands in the men's hockey World Cup final on ABC2 from 10:55pm Sunday night. It is the seventh World Cup for the Dutch, who prevailed through goals by captain Maartje Paumen and Kim Lammers. "I thought it was an excellent performance by our team under the circumstances," Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens told Grandstand. ...against that quality of opponent, you have to take those chances in the big games and put a bit of scoreboard pressure on them. Hockeyroos coach Adam Commens "We played against the Olympic champions and world number one team on their home pitch. "We created opportunities, we had three penalty corners, we had a number of goal shots in the first half, and against that quality of opponent, you have to take those chances in the big games and put a bit of scoreboard pressure on them. "Unfortunately we weren't able to do that, [the Netherlands] were able to take their chances and did really well." Despite the loss, the result highlights the improvement shown in the Hockeyroos, who entered the tournament ranked fourth in the world and have moved up to second. It is their best result in a major tournament since earning silver in the 2009 Champions Trophy. The Dutch broke the deadlock on 12 minutes when awarded a penalty stroke, after forward Roos Drost had been brought down by Australian goalkeeper Rachael Lynch. Unflappable veteran Paumen stepped up to take the penalty and calmly flicked into the top corner, sending the mostly orange-clad crowd into hysterics. Six minutes before the break, Australia's hopes plummeted when Kim Lammers doubled the Dutch advantage. Finishing off a sublime series of passes, Lammers had her first shot on goal saved by Lynch - whose deflection fall straight at the feet of the Dutch forward, who did not miss a second time. Lynch, a standout all tournament for Australia, was again a colossus in goal, repelling wave after wave of orange offence. By game's end she had tallied eight saves - some of them spectacular. Australia earned its first penalty corner on the stroke of half-time, but was unable to convert and carried a two-goal deficit into the break. Precious few opportunities fell for the Hockeyroos who managed just three shots on goal, though forward Emily Hurtz was typically busy up front and forced a good save from goalkeeper Joyce Sombroek early on. Australia's defence held firm after the break, matching its 2-0 loss to the Dutch in the round games. Defender Kate Jenner was shown a green card for a physical challenge with three minutes remaining. The loss continues the Netherlands' stranglehold over Australia in major competitions. The Hockeyroos have not beaten the Dutch in major competition outside of Australia since their 3-2 victory to secure gold at the 1998 World Cup in Utrech 16 years ago. Australia's men play for gold, also against the Dutch, on Sunday. AAP Topics: field-hockey, sport, netherlands, australia First posted \|\|\|\|\| Dutch women win hockey World Cup for the seventh time Celebrating victory. Photo: FIH The Dutch women’s hockey team on Saturday won their seventh World Cup, beating Australia 2-0 in the final in The Hague. The Netherlands were hot favourites to take the title when the competition started, and reached the final having scored 21 and conceded only one goal. Playing in front of 15,000 people at a packed Kyocera stadium in The Hague, the Dutch women - who are current Olympic champions and ranked one in the world - dominated much of the match. Maartje Paumen, twice voted best player in the world, is tournament top scorer with seven goals including four penalty corners. Paumen told Nos television after the match it is hard to be the favourite all the time. 'But I am so happy, so happy,' she said. Earlier on Sunday, defending champions Argentina won bronze, beating Team USA 2-1 in the play-off for third and fourth place. On Sunday, the Dutch men’s team take on Australia in their World Cup final. Match report and video highlights Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus \|\|\|\|\| Dutch men make it to hockey World Cup final Mink van der Weerden in action. Photo: FIH The Dutch men's hockey team has sealed a place in the hockey World Cup final after beating England 1-0 on Friday afternoon. It is the first time Oranje has qualified for the final in 16 years. They will play Australia, who beat Argentina 5-1 in the second semi-final. The men's semi-finals were brought forward to avoid the first Dutch football World Cup match against Spain which starts at 21.00. The Dutch women will play Australia for the women's world title on Saturday. It is the first time in hockey World Cup history that both finals are being contested by the same countries. Match report Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus. Disqus \|\|\|\|\| Hockeyroos edge USA on penalties to reach World Cup hockey final Updated Australia's women are into the hockey World Cup final against the Netherlands after a controversial semi-final win over the USA. For the first time in nearly a decade the Hockeyroos will compete for a major title, after a nail-biting shootout victory over the United States on Thursday set up a World Cup final with the Netherlands. In a physical, and at times controversial, clash Australia's women were forced to dig deep for the win, with American star Kelsey Kolojejchick twice levelling the scores in the 2-2 (3-1) game. Kookaburras v Argentina live Follow the World Cup finals live on ABC2 TV. The men's semi-finals are on from 11pm (AEST) on Friday. First up England plays Netherlands followed by the Kookaburras taking on Netherlands. Australia appeared to have secured victory following goals to Kellie White and the tournament's leading sharp-shooter Anna Flanagan, only for Kolojejchick to send the match to a shootout by equalising with just two minutes left in regular time in the Hague. But Australia could not be denied, with goalkeeper Rachael Lynch standing tall to make three stunning saves and send the Hockeyroos into Saturday's final - their first World Cup or Olympic Games final since 2006. "To do it now is off the back of some hard work over a number of years," said coach Adam Commens, who took over in 2011. With Lynch's defensive brilliance, Australia cruised through the shootout care of goals to White, Georgie Parker and Jodie Kenny. "That's why we pick (Lynch)," Hockeyroos captain Madonna Blyth beamed afterwards. "For Rachael today to save as many as she did and come so close on that other one, I think it just shows that she's a really good, class player back there. And we rely heavily on it." The match was not without controversy, with the Americans complaining to officials about Australia's physical approach and aggressive tackling - while there were question marks surrounding the legitimacy of Kolojejchick's second goal. Her shot was deflected in by Blyth, who immediately complained to officials that it was high and had been sailing wide before ricocheting in off her shoulder - which would be cause for a penalty. Despite replays appearing to indicate the ball was indeed going wide, the goal stood. The Australians understand they will face an ever sterner test against world numner one Holland, who thumped Argentina 4-0 in the later semi-final in front of a raucous home crowd. The Dutch downed Australia 2-0 in the group stages, but Commens saw enough in that contest to suggest an upset is on the cards. "They've gone from a team that probably fought hard and was a tough side and was reasonably physically, to a side that is now capable of taking the game to the top nations in the world," he said. "I think we saw that against the Netherlands in the round match. "There's not many teams in the world that have been able to do that against the Netherlands in the last two years. "I thought we were better than them for that (first half). I think that shows how far we've come." Commens was not entirely satisfied with the performance against the US, but would've been pleased to see White notch her first goal of the tournament, a speculative swipe into the goal mouth which deflected in off the goalkeeper. Likewise, the continuation of Anna Flanagan's set piece dominance should have raised a smile - she netted a sixth goal of the tournament with another trademark drag-flick to restore Australia's one-goal advantage. AAP Topics: field-hockey, sport, netherlands, united-states, australia First posted	In at , , defeated the Netherlands to win the yesterday, and was defeated by the Netherlands in the on Saturday. Never before have the same two countries played in both Hockey World Cup finals in a single year. In the men's final, the , known as the Kookaburras and coached by , successfully defended the World Cup they won back in 2010 with a 6–1 win over the , which was playing in its first final since 1998. The Netherlands put the Kookaburras on the back foot when scored the first goal. In five consecutive games in the series the Australians had scored their first goal in the first seven minutes. Australia's equalised with a goal from a . Another goal by gave the Kookaburras a 2–1 lead at the half time break. Four more goals in the second half, including one by 321-game veteran , put the result beyond doubt. The story was very different in the women's competition, where the , known as the Hockeyroos, were the underdogs, having not made a final in the World Cup or the since 2006. They made this final only after defeating the in a semi-final after a 2–2 draw in which the teams alternated goals, each Australian goal followed by a US goal by . Whereas, the Netherlands team had scored 21 goals in the tournament up to this point, while only conceding one, and had not been beaten by Australia since 1998. Netherlands captain scored the first goal of the match from a , giving the Netherlands team their seventh Hockey World Cup win. then made it 2–0. Neither side was able to score in the second half, but it was not for want of trying, and Australian goal keeper ended up with a total of eight saves. defeated the United States 2–1 in the women's bronze medal game.
Most voters say they want peace and prosperity Polls have opened in Sri Lanka in the country's the presidential election, which comes after a bitter campaign. Early voters have been seen queuing up near the capital, Colombo. A few hours ago, people in the northern Tamil city of Jaffna reported hearing four blasts. The election is the first since the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated last year after 25 years of war. President Mahinda Rajapaksa is facing a tough test against his former army chief-turned-rival Gen Sarath Fonseka. More than 14m voters are eligible to vote in 11,000 centres from 0700 local time (0130GMT). Polls will close at 1600 local time. Counting will begin three hours later and the final results are expected to be announced on Wednesday morning, the election commission has said. There are 22 candidates standing for the presidency. If no candidate has 50% plus one vote after the first count, second preferences will be tallied and the candidate with the greatest number of votes wins. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement 'Remarkable victory' About 250,000 Sri Lankan election officials have moved into position throughout the country after collecting polling cards and ballot boxes from central election offices. President Rajapaksa and Gen Fonseka had a falling out last year Security is tight amid fears of violence and more than 68,000 police are being deployed to protect the polling stations. Among the early voters was President Rajapaksa. "Today's victory will be remarkable. It's been evident with voters across the nation participating towards our victory," news agency Reuters quoted Mr Rajapaksa as saying after voting in Medamulana, his rural district on the southern coast. "We expect a peaceful election and are getting ready to enjoy a better tomorrow." Most voters say they are voting for peace and an improved economy. "What I expect in the future is that in the same way peace was established, the cost of living will be brought down and the unemployment problem will be solved," Reuters quoted security guard Jayantha Perera as saying. Hours before the polling booths opened at dawn, people in Jaffna reported hearing up to four blasts. Acrimonious campaign A monitoring group said two bombs were thrown at a ruling party organiser while another account said an opposition MP's home and two polling booths were targeted, the BBC's Charles Haviland reports from Colombo. Police in Jaffna told the BBC they had no information of any trouble. The two-month-long campaign, often marked by acrimony, officially closed on Saturday. Election clashes have so far left four dead and hundreds wounded. "We had in this election I think a scale of abuse of state resources which had not been registered before," news agency Reuters quoted Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, co-convenor of the Centre for Monitoring Election Violence, as saying. But he added: "If enough Sri Lankan citizens go in large numbers as we have always done in the past and for over six decades... resisting the violence and the intimidation... then we may well get a result that at the end of the day reflects overall the wishes of the people of this country." On Sunday, President Rajapaksa suffered a blow when ex-President Chandrika Kumaratunga vowed to back his rival. Mrs Kumaratunga, a senior member of Mr Rajapaksa's Sri Lanka Freedom Party, said she was deeply concerned about violence, intimidation and corruption in the fiercely-contested poll. President Rajapaksa and Gen Fonseka were closely associated with the government's defeat of the Tamil Tigers last May but the pair fell out bitterly soon after. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| People lined up in areas of Colombo half an hour before polls opened on Tuesday [AFP] Sri Lankans have voted in the country's first presidential election since the civil war with Tamil separatists in the north was ended. Polls closed at 4pm (10:30GMT) on Tuesday amid claims of voter intimidation and sporadic acts of violence following a bitter campaign. Officials results were expected on Wednesday, with both Mahinda Rajapakse, the incumbent, and Sarath Fonseka, his former army chief, saying that expected to emerge victorous. "We will have a great victory," Rajapakse told reporters after casting his ballot in his southern home constituency of Mulkirigala. "We must be ready to face the challenges of reaching new heights after this vote," the 64-year-old, who called the election only four years into his six-year term to seize on the government's victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) last year, said. Vote prohibited Fonseka, however, suffered the embarrassment of not being able to vote, a problem he blamed on his name being omitted from the 2008 electoral register which was used for the poll. "My name is not on the 2008 register and therefore I cannot vote at this election," Fonseka said. "The government is trying to use this to mislead the public at the last minute." The opposition figurehead insisted he had sent in his voter registration papers. Ruling party politicians appeared on television saying he might be disqualified. "We are seeking a court order on the suitability of this candidate because he is not eligible to be declared as a candidate," Rohitha Bogollagama, the foreign minister, said. However, Fonseka received the full backing from the independent elections commissioner who said he was still eligible for the presidency. Dayananda Dissanayake, the independent Elections Commissioner, said: "Not having one's name on the electoral list is not a disqualification." Polling was reported to be busy in many areas, with people in the suburbs of the capital Colombo lining up half an hour before polls opened at 7am (01:30 GMT), according to witnesses. Team leadership Last May, Rajapakse and Fonseka defeated the Tamil Tiger separatists, who had fought for a Tamil homeland since 1972, in a military campaign which has since been dogged by allegations of war crimes. Fonseka blamed the use of the country's 2008 register for not being able to vote [AFP] But from close allies on the battlefield they have turned into irreconcilable enemies after Fonseka, a 59-year-old political newcomer, decided to challenge his former boss on an anti-corruption platform. There are no reliable opinion polls in the country and political observers said the election was too close to call between the men, who were the only realistic contenders in a field of 22 people. The Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV), an independent monitoring body, confirmed nearly 100 violent incidents during the day, mostly in northern and eastern areas, and said the figure could rise to 150. Pre-dawn bomb blasts in the northern Tamil heartland of Jaffna gave a violent start to the contest which threatens to bring new instability to the Indian Ocean island nation. Dissanayake, a CMEV national co-ordinator, said: "We can't say it was a free and fair election because there were a number of incidents all over the country. Coup plot Before the election, Fonseka had alleged the government would intimidate voters and was preparing a coup if it lost. He was accused in turn of working with a militia of army deserters to disrupt the ballot. In the Tamil-dominated town of Vavuniya, where CMEV said grenades were let off near a polling station, streams of people caught up in the war made their way to makeshift voting booths in schools. Kandaswamy Wellarayanam, a Fonseka supporter, 73, walked six kilometres from one of the nearby internment camps where thousands of displaced Tamils were locked up after the fighting ended in May. Now able to move freely after repeated condemnation of the camps by the United Nations, he said he and his family were eager to take part, even though buses that were meant to transport them never turned up. "We walked to vote because we felt it was important after the war," he told the AFP news agency. "I was keen to have a say in who should be our next president." The opposition has said it would not accept the result if the 68,000 police and 12,000 soldiers on duty failed to prevent violence or if there was evidence of vote-rigging. The alliance behind Fonseka, which includes Marxists, Muslims, Tamils and right-wingers has threatened to stage street protests if it feels the result has been stolen. \|\|\|\|\| Photo: AP Now able to move freely, he said he and his wife, daughter and two grandchildren were eager to take part, even though buses that were meant to transport them never turned up. "We walked to vote because we felt it was important after the war," he said. "I was keen to have a say in who should be our next president... We've not had free food and rations for two months and depend on odd jobs to survive." He, like many other Tamils in the highly militarised Tamil-dominated town of Vavuniya, 160 miles north of the capital Colombo, said he would vote for former army chief Sarath Fonseka. Fonseka and President Mahinda Rajapakse, who is seeking re-election, were the architects of a final assault on Tamil Tiger separatists last year that the UN says killed 7,000 civilians in Tamil areas. After the end of the conflict, which has been mired in allegations of war crimes, an estimated 300,000 displaced Tamils were locked up until December in camps that were closed to the media and humanitarian groups . An estimated 80,000 remain, the rest having been freed at the end of last year under pressure from the United Nations. Voting started slowly in Vavuniya but picked up during the day as locals filed into the makeshift polling booths in schools. Among the majority Sinhalese population, there was support for Rajapakse, the scion of a political family known for his energetic oratory and popular touch. "I voted for Mahinda (Rajapakse) to thank him for ending the war and allowing my children to grow up without fear of bombs," said Sinhalese tradesman Japgath Karuntilake, 42. Ratnasingham Sittambaraja, 75, was in two minds as he entered the town's Tamil National School to vote. "I heard a lot of allegations about the president's corruption. I'm still not sure who to vote for," he said. Tamil politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan said there was enthusiastic polling in Tamil areas although many had failed to register as voters because they had been driven from place to place by years of fighting. "We saw a slow start, but voting is very peaceful," Sithadthan said. In the majority Sinhalese capital, Colombo, there was enthusiasm and turnout appeared to be high, according to voters and officials. "I have been voting at this booth for over 20 years but never saw a crowd like this," said Mohamed Sallel, a businessman casting his ballot in the city's Borella commercial area. Doctor Nimalka Perera turned up to vote on her way to the Colombo National Hospital, but ended up standing in line for an hour to vote at a polling booth inside a school building. "When I first came here, the queue was too long so I went back and came two hours later on my way to the hospital and found the line even longer," Perera said. Election officials checked her polling card and the national identity card before giving her a 46cm long ballot paper with 22 names of candidates. Officials apply indelible ink on the index finger of a voter as a means to prevent them from impersonating others and voting more than once at the election in which 14.08 million people are eligible to cast their ballots. Elsewhere, police briefly detained a key opposition lawmaker and 40 of his supporters who were driving through Vavuniya heading to the northern peninsula of Jaffna where a bomb attack was reported early Tuesday. "This is intimidation and a clear attempt to block us from trying to prevent irregularities in Tamil areas," Vijitha Herath told reporters. A private election monitoring group, the People's Action for Free and Fair Elections, confirmed that voting began peacefully despite pre-dawn bomb blasts in the northern peninsula of Jaffna. There were no casualties.	Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2006 Ballots are being counted in Sri Lanka, after a presidential election was held there, the first after the Tamil Tiger rebels were defeated during a 25-year-long civil war. The incumbent president, Mahinda Rajapaksa, is expected to be in a close race against former army chief, General Sarath Fonseka; both candidates say they expect to win. There are twenty other candidates on the ballot, but none of them are expected to win. Polls closed at 16.00 local time, or 10.30 GMT on Tuesday. There were claims of voter intimidation and sporadic acts of violence, and the BBC reports that there were some small bomb blasts. The independent operating organisation Centre for Monitoring Election Violence said it had confirmed close to a hundred violent incidents during the day, adding that it believes the number could rise to 150. Tamil politician Dharmalingam Sithadthan, however, described the voting as "very peaceful". Polls were reportedly busy, with stations in the capital of Colombo being filled with lines of people half an hour before polls officially opened at 07.00 (01.30 UTC). "I have been voting at this booth for over 20 years but never saw a crowd like this," said businessman Mohamed Sallel, who had voted in the Borella district of the capital, as quoted by The Telegraph. Another voter, Doctor Nimalka Perera, gave an account of the crowds: "When I first came here, the queue was too long so I went back and came two hours later on my way to the hospital and found the line even longer." President Rajapakse, after voting in his home constituency, addressed reporters. "We will have a great victory. We must be ready to face the challenges of reaching new heights after this vote," he said. Fonseka, however, wasn't able to cast a ballot, apparently because his name didn't appear on the 2008 electroral register used for the elections. "My name is not on the 2008 register and therefore I cannot vote at this election. The government is trying to use this to mislead the public at the last minute," Fonseka stated, saying that he had filled out his voter registration forms. Foreign minister Rohitha Bogollagama, as well as other politicians from the ruling party, suggested that Fonseka might be disqualified from the elections. "We are seeking a court order on the suitability of this candidate because he is not eligible to be declared as a candidate," Bogollagama said, adding that the government wanted a ruling from the courts. Independent elections commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake, however, remarked: "Not having one's name on the electoral list is not a disqualification." The country's electoral rules state that if neither candidate is able to obtain half of the ballots cast in the first count, then voters' second preferences are to be used to determine the winner. Political observers commented that election was too close to call between the two.
For the third time in a decade, New York City has agreed to pay millions of dollars to settle a lawsuit stemming from the illegal strip searches of thousands of nonviolent prisoners. The settlement, which was announced on Monday, provides $33 million to the roughly 100,000 people who were strip-searched after being charged with misdemeanors and taken to Rikers Island and other city correction facilities. Under the Giuliani administration, in 2001, the city settled a similar case filed on behalf of more than 50,000 people who were strip-searched as they waited to be arraigned, spending about $40 million. In 2005, the city once again agreed to pay several million dollars, this time to settle the claims of thousands of people who were illegally strip-searched in at least six New York detention centers, including Rikers Island, between 1999 and 2002. The most recent settlement stemmed from a lawsuit filed in 2005 by the law firm of Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady, and covered 100,000 people from 1999 to 2007. Two years after the suit was filed, the city acknowledged wrongdoing and agreed to install outside monitors to ensure that the practice had stopped. Yet the settlement covers 19 additional claimants who said they had been illegally strip-searched after 2007. Richard Emery, the lead lawyer for the plaintiffs, said it had been settled law since 1986 that it was unconstitutional to require people accused of minor crimes to strip naked. “The city knew this was illegal in 1986, they said it was illegal and they stopped in 2002, and they continued to pursue this illegal practice without justification,” Mr. Emery said. “We hope the settlement constitutes some semblance of justice.” A lawyer for the New York City Law Department said in a written statement that the Department of Correction and the city “have worked diligently to ensure that both safety and privacy are given high consideration during intake search procedures.” The lawyer, Genevieve Nelson, said, “The settlement reached today is the final step in a process during which D.O.C.’s intake search procedures were modified in 2007.” An outside administrator was appointed on Monday by the judge in the case, John G. Koeltl of Federal District Court, to oversee the payments. The lawyers for the prisoners and the city expect about 15 percent of those who were illegally strip-searched to file claims. If that projection is correct, prisoners who receive money can expect to get roughly $2,000. About $3 million of the settlement will go to the plaintiffs’ lawyers. As part of the agreement, the city said it would pay two women, who said they were forced to undergo gynecological exams without their consent, $20,000 each. Mr. Emery said many of those who were strip-searched had been accused of misdemeanors like trespassing, shoplifting, jumping turnstiles or failing to pay child support. “There was no reason to believe they were concealing drugs or anything else,” he said. David Sanchez, 39, of the Bronx, said he was arrested by police officers in November 2006 for having a small amount of marijuana in his pocket after they stopped him on the street outside of his friend’s apartment. He said the officers searched him twice after he was arrested but did not make him take off his clothes. But after he was arraigned and taken to Rikers Island, he said correction officers demanded that he take off his clothes and submit to another search. “I was put into a cage and told to take off my clothes,” he said Monday in a conference room at the law firm, describing how he had to squat and spread his buttocks. “It was horrifying, being a grown man. I was humiliated.” Mr. Emery said prisoners often had to undress fully in front of other prisoners and guards. Those being searched had to lift their genitals or breasts, spread their buttocks and allow guards to inspect their body cavities. Woman who were menstruating were not excluded from this practice, Mr. Emery said. “I don’t know why it was done,” he said, “but it seems like it was a punishment, a way of showing the inmates who is in charge.” Daniel C. Richman, a professor at Columbia Law School and former federal prosecutor, said that “given the financial constraints the city is facing, there must have been very bad facts for them to settle for this amount.” In January, a federal judge ordered the city to remedy years of discriminatory hiring practices by the Fire Department by giving black and Latino applicants jobs in the department, as well as offering retroactive pay and other damages. The city plans to appeal that decision. \|\|\|\|\| The city has agreed to pay $33 million in a class-action settlement to 100,000 individuals who were illegally strip-searched at city jails between 1999 and 2007. One plaintiff, 39-year-old David Sanchez from the Bronx, was told to strip after arriving at Rikers Island in 2006 for possessing pot. "I squatted. I grabbed my butt cheeks. Wow, it's like a blur now, but I had to run my fingers through my hair, through my mouth. I had to grab my genital area and lift it for them," he says. All the plaintiffs were arrested for low-level offenses, like jumping turnstiles, shoplifting, and trespassing. Mass searches as described by plaintiffs are illegal if there's no suspicion that they're carrying contraband. The original lawsuit was filed in 2002.	New York City settled a US$33 million (€24.3m, £21.8m) class-action lawsuit involving nearly 100,000 former and current prison inmates who were illegally strip-searched. This is the third strip-search court case in the past decade. The plaintiffs included convicts who were charged with misdemeanors including trespassing, shoplifting, and failing to pay child support. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the inmates by the Manhattan law firm ''Emery, Celli, Brinckerhoff & Abady''. The lead lawyer, Richard Emery, said that "The city knew strip-searching was illegal in 1986. They said it was illegal and they stopped in 2002, and they continued to pursue this illegal practice without justification. We hope this settlement constitutes some semblance of justice." The plaintiffs claimed that both men and women were strip searched, and forced to show their genitals to corrections officers. Woman who were menstruating were not excluded from this practice, Emery said. One of the plaintiffs, David Sanchez from the Bronx, said that after he was arrested for a drug-possession misdemeanor, an officer forced him to "squat...grab my butt cheeks...run my fingers through my hair and through my mouth. I had to grab my genital area, and lift it for them."
A US navy ship has detected signals believed to be coming from the flight recorder of an Indonesian plane that went missing with 102 people aboard on New Year's day, the US embassy in Jakarta said on Friday. Wreckage from the missing Adam Air Boeing 737-400 started turning up in waters on the west coast of Sulawesi over recent weeks, but crash investigators want to find the black box and main body of the plane to determine the fate of the doomed plane. The USNS Mary Sears, an oceanographic survey ship with specialised equipment, had been helping search the waters in the area. "During the search of the projected crash site of Adam Air Flight 574, the Mary Sears, using a Towed Pinger Locator, detected pingers on the same frequency of the black box associated with the missing airplane," the US embassy said in a statement. After sweeping the ocean floor around the area, the ship found heavy debris scattered over a wide area and was analysing the data, it said. The embassy said the information had been passed onto Indonesian authorities and the ship would leave the area on Saturday. However, the chief of Indonesia's transport safety board told Reuters he has not yet received such a report. The Indonesian head of the search mission said earlier this month that the search for the plane's main body and black box was being hampered by the depth of the sea in areas where metal objects had been detected in the Makassar Strait. A flight recorder can give off signals for 30 days to aid detection, but this one may be lying in waters as deep as 1,700 metres in the area. The 17-year-old plane was heading from Surabaya in East Java to Manado in northern Sulawesi when it vanished in bad weather. The plane made no distress call, although the pilot had reported concerns over crosswinds. \|\|\|\|\| Adjust font size: JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- A U.S. Navy ship has picked up signals from the flight data recorder and the cockpit voice recorder of an Indonesian plane that crashed on New Year's Day, killing all 102 people on board, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said. The USNS Mary Sears, an oceanographic survey ship, detected signals coming from the area of the ocean where the Adam Air flight is believed to have crashed, the embassy statement said Thursday. Those signals, or "pingers," are "on the same frequency of the black boxes associated with the missing airplane," the embassy said. The Adam Air Boeing 737 went missing more than three weeks ago after reporting heavy winds off the western coast of Sulawesi while flying from Indonesia's main island of Java. The embassy did not say when the black box signals were picked up or where on the ocean floor off Sulawesi they were coming from. The hull of the aircraft has not yet been recovered, but the statement said that close to where the signals were coming from "the Mary Sears detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area" that was being analyzed to verify if it was from the missing aircraft. After informing the Indonesian government of its findings, the Mary Sears is scheduled to depart Indonesian waters on Friday. For more than a week after the Adam Air flight disappeared off the radar screens, Indonesian authorities scoured the mountainous terrain of western Sulawesi province and the Java Sea for any sign of the missing aircraft. The U.S. Navy was called in to help with the search, providing satellite imaging to help Indonesian authorities locate the crash site. Nearly 10 days after the crash, an Indonesian fisherman found a piece of the aircraft in the Java Sea, allowing investigators to determine that the plane went down in the ocean. The Adam Air Flight 574 went down on January 1 in bad weather -- the pilot reported 80mph winds before the plane disappeared. The flight originated in Jakarta, made a stopover in Surabaya, and was supposed to land in Manado, on the northeastern tip of Sulawesi Island. A day after the crash, family members were disheartened by reports, which later turned out to be false, that the crash site had been found on land and that there were 12 survivors. Those 12 survivors, it turned out later, were from an Indonesian ferry which sank four days earlier. Eddy Suyanto, the Indonesian air force commander in charge of the search and rescue mission, said he had not been formally informed of the ship's findings. "One thing is for sure, up until this second, I have not received any report from the (Indonesian) liaison officers who were onboard the ship," he told The Associated Press. Copyright 2007 CNN. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Parts of the plane have been found The USNS Mary Sears, which has been helping hunt for the missing Boeing 737, detected a distinctive signal from the boxes on the ocean floor. The Adam Air flight, which went missing halfway through its flight from Java to Sulawesi, had 102 people on board. Parts of the plane have been washed up off the west coast of Sulawesi. The Mary Sears located signals "on the same frequency" as the flight recorders of the missing plane, the US embassy in Jakarta said in a statement. The ship also "detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area", which is being analysed to verify whether it is the missing aircraft, the statement added. HUNT FOR MISSING JET 1 Jan: Plane goes missing 2 Jan: Reports that wreckage has been found prove false 3 Jan: Search resumes 5 Jan: Search area is expanded 8 Jan: Metal spotted in sea 10 Jan: US ship joins search 11 Jan: Fishermen find debris 25 Jan: Flight recorders found Indonesia's transport perils Information from the flight recorders could help investigators determine the cause of the crash. Officials said the government would now have to decide whether to try and retrieve the boxes from the ocean bed. "We do not have the technology to retrieve the black boxes," Setio Rahardjo, chairman of the National Commission on Transport Safety told AFP news agency. "Assuming we have the funds, then we have to ask for a country who has sophisticated technology, such as the US," he added. Meanwhile, the search has entered the fourth week in the Java Sea for a ferry which sank at the end of December - about 300 passengers are still missing. \|\|\|\|\| Article from: Agence France-Presse A US Navy ocean survey ship has located the "black box" flight recorders from an Indonesian airliner which crashed on New Year's Day. The USNS Mary Sears detected ultrasonic pinger signals from the ocean floor on the same frequency as the black boxes from the missing plane, the US embassy said. "In subsequent sweeping of the ocean floor around the pinger location, the Mary Sears detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area and is currently analysing that debris to verify if it is from the missing aircraft," it said. The Adam Air Boeing 737-400 was carrying 102 passengers and crew when it disappeared halfway through its flight from Surabaya on the central island of Java to Manado on Sulawesi on January 1. Indonesia has mounted a massive air, land and sea search for the plane which has been concentrated off the western coast of Sulawesi. The Mary Sears and Indonesian navy ships had earlier detected large objects at a depth of over 1000 metres. A part of the tailfin, found by a fisherman, is the largest piece of debris from the airliner recovered so far. Dozens of small fragments of the plane and pieces of seats or folding tray tables have been washed up on the beaches and plucked from the sea, but no bodies have been found. Preliminary assumptions were that the plane did not explode in mid-air, but may have broken into pieces as it crashed into the sea, a member of the National Committee for Transport Safety has said. The search for the airliner was marred by an embarrassing mix-up when officials wrongly reported wreckage and survivors had been found on a mountainside a day after it went missing.	A flight data recorder. The United States military may have found the Black Boxes from a missing Indonesian jetliner that went missing on January 1, 2007. Using ultrasonic pinger signals, the USNS Mary Sears located debris on the bottom of the ocean that match the signal that they are using to find the boxes. "We have detected heavy debris scattered over a wide area," said the U.S. embassy in Indonesia in a statement. Other debris may also have been located at least 1,000 meters below the oceans surface. "During the search of the projected crash site of Adam Air Flight 574, the Mary Sears, using a Towed Pinger Locator, detected pingers on the same frequency of the black box associated with the missing airplane," added the statement. Despite the announcement, Indonesia's transport safety board denies receiving any reports that the boxes have been found. "One thing is for sure, up until this second, I have not received any report from the (Indonesian) liaison officers who were onboard the ship," said Indonesian air force commander who is in charge of the ongoing search to find the plane, Eddy Suyanto. The largest piece of the plane to be recovered so far, is the tail of the plane, which was discovered by a fisherman. Trays and seats have also been recovered, but so far none of the bodies of the passengers or crew have been found. The plane, a Adam Air Boeing 737-400 went missing, in flight from Surabaya, on the island of Java, to Manado on the island Sulawesi. All 102 people on board the plane are believed to have been killed. Just 1 day after the plane crashed, false reports that the wreckage was found on land and 12 survivors were found had began to circulate. The 12 people that were reported to have been survivors, turned out to be the remaining survivors of a ferry crash in the same area 4 days before the plane was reported missing. The cause of the crash is still not known, and investigations are ongoing.
A Franco-Canadian initiative, which has won broad backing as a swipe at US "cultural imperialism", could mean that countries will be able to subsidise domestic film industries and restrict foreign music and content on their radio and television stations in the name of preserving and promoting cultural diversity. The US, supported only by Israel, filed 27 amendments in an unsuccessful bid to water down the resolution, criticising it as "flawed", "ambiguous" and "protectionist". France, which has long defended its right to a "cultural exception", could barely conceal its delight. "We are no longer the black sheep on this issue," said the culture minister, Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, adding that the text was "a clear recognition" that cultural goods such as film, TV programmes and music are not "merchandise like any other" and should be treated separately in world trade talks. Even Britain has abandoned its traditional allies in Washington by backing the majority line on the 40-page convention. This states that cultural goods and services have a "distinctive nature" and that states have a right "to maintain, adopt, and implement policies and measures they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory". The text, likely to be approved by a majority of Unesco's 191 member states, must be formally ratified by at least 30. It can then be applied in World Trade Organisation talks on cultural goods. The British ambassador to Unesco, Timothy Craddock, speaking for the EU, said the draft was "clear, carefully balanced, and consistent with principles of international law and fundamental human rights". \|\|\|\|\| President George W. Bush’s monumental decision to rejoin the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2003 caught both conservatives and liberals by surprise. After all, the U.S. had pulled out of that organization in 1984 because it had become bloated and grossly over-politicized. At every turn, it espoused policies that ran contrary to UNESCO’s founding mission to advance freedom, such as advocating a “new world information order” that in the end would curtail freedom of expression and of the press. Nevertheless, UNESCO had reformed considerably under Director-General Matsuura, President Bush argued upon rejoining, and it could be a vital forum for helping the U.S. combat the global tide of intolerance and oppression embodied by the Taliban. Many Americans swallowed their residual distaste for the organization to give it the benefit of doubt. Indeed, the Heritage Foundation and more than 50 other organizations accepted spots on the reconstituted U.S.-UNESCO National Commission to become more engaged in UNESCO’s efforts to spread freedom, understanding, education for all, and tolerance. This week, however, all that hope and all that multilateral goodwill—not to mention all the millions that the U.S. pays each year as UNESCO’s biggest benefactor—could be rebuffed. Despite the Bush Administration’s best efforts, other member states are expected to adopt a “cultural diversity” convention that regrettably is more about trade protectionism and cultural prejudice than cultural diversity and understanding. Instead of promoting the right of people to learn about other cultures—the “free exchange of ideas and knowledge” called for in UNESCO’s constitution—the draft convention actually will make it possible for countries to limit their citizens’ access to foreign goods, foods, services, art, and traditions that express different cultures so well. Article 8 of the current draft, for example, would allow parties to the convention to take “all appropriate measures to protect and preserve cultural expressions,” which is defined in Article 3 as “expressions that result from the creativity of individuals, groups and societies, and that have cultural content.” The State Department rightly argues that such definitions are so vague that theycould be misinterpreted to enable “impermissible new barriers to trade in goods, services, or agricultural products.” Such vagueness, combined with an authority to “protect,” invites abuse, particularly when it comes to trade. It is easy to imagine certain countries citing the convention to justify trade restrictions againstcertain books written in foreign languages, or even foreign wines, because they pose a threat to local “culture.” Imagine how much bolder such a convention will make countries like Burma, China, Iran, or Cuba, all of which are notorious for restricting freedoms, especially freedom of speech and of the press. China already forces Internet providers like Microsoft’s MSN to restrict access to the words “freedom” and “democracy” if they want to do business there. Oppressive Islamic regimes that reject Western values, arts, and humanities could use the convention to restrict all sorts of goods that they consider perverse. In Iran, teens have been arrested for dancing, and recently, the regime announced that women wearing their veils “improperly” would be “treated” like those who have no veil at all in public. Iran already goes to great lengths to “protect and preserve”its oppressive definition of Iranian cultural expressions. Those who work diligentlyto bring attention to human rights abuses and trade protectionism should be concerned. There already are concerns in Washington that some countries are trying to rush this convention through to use it against the United States at the upcoming World Trade Organization summit in Doha. That could explain why the U.S. is finding it difficult to modify Article 21, which obligates countries to “promote the principles and objectives of the Convention in other international forums.” And it could explain why the convention also mandates that countries not subordinate it to other treaties. The draft also calls for establishing an “International Fund for Cultural Diversity.” Never mind that that is what UNESCO was supposed to be in the first place. The fund would be financed in part by contributions taken from the general UNESCO budget—of which the United States pays 22 percent. If all these countries are so enamored with this convention, don’t they expect there to be enough voluntary contributions to cover whatever this fund is supposed to do? No nation should be required to support a treaty that it has not ratified. If the draft convention is not reworded to remove all objectionable language, the U.S. should withhold the portion of its UNESCO dues that would go to support this fund. Sadly, even our democratic allies support this deceptive convention that is likely to result in the suppression of free trade and political rights. France, UNESCO’s host country, sees the convention as a way to protect its wine and film industries from Californian competition. No surprises there. What is surprising is that Britain—which had pulled out of UNESCO back in 1984 over such misguided policies—appears ready to sign on, most likely because it now holds the rotating presidency of the European Union and wants to go along to get along. It also views the convention as merely a political statement. The Administration is right to fight this, and it will be right to walk away from the convention next week if others adopt it. Once such language is a part of the body of international law, it will be abused by those opposed to free markets, free speech, and freedom. The United States should not be willing to take that risk. Janice A. Smith is Special Assistant to the Vice President in, and Helle Dale is Deputy Director of, the Kathryn and Shelby Collum Davis Institute for International Studies at The Heritage Foundation. \|\|\|\|\| Fact Sheet Office of the Spokesman Washington, DC October 11, 2005 The Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions The United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is holding its General Conference in Paris, October 3-21. At the Conference, Member States will consider a draft convention entitled the "Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions". The United States believes that the draft text of the Convention that has been submitted to the General Conference was hastily drafted and its final consideration has been unnecessarily rushed. The United States is a multicultural society that values diversity. We are urging UNESCO Member States to take more time to address serious concerns raised by the draft Convention. Respect for Free Trade The United States is concerned that Member States could misinterpret the Convention as a basis for impermissible new barriers to trade in goods, services, or agricultural products that might be viewed as being related to "cultural expressions." The possibility that the current draft of the Convention could be misinterpreted in this way is due to: • vague definitions as to the scope of the Convention; • potentially sweeping provisions as to measures that parties may take to defend ill-defined cultural objectives; and, • an ambiguous provision on the relationship between the Convention and other international agreements, including those related to trade. The Convention should be redrafted so that it cannot be misinterpreted to authorize governments to impose protectionist trade measures in the guise of protecting culture. Respect for Human Rights and the Free Flow of Information The draft is ambiguous and contradictory in its treatment of the flow of cultural information and goods. Some paragraphs emphasize freedom of expression, information, and communication, while other paragraphs imply that there are acceptable governmental controls on such freedoms. For example, Article 8 of the draft authorizes states party to the Convention to take "all appropriate measures" to protect and preserve cultural expressions under serious threat. The U.S. believes that such an action-oriented provision needs to be carefully circumscribed to ensure that it could not be misinterpreted to justify measures that would interfere with human rights and fundamental freedoms. At a minimum, the Convention should be redrafted so that it cannot be misinterpreted to authorize measures limiting freedom of expression or restricting the flow of information. The United States is a culturally diverse country and a vigorous proponent of cultural diversity, which is based on individuals’ freedom to choose how to express themselves and how to interact with others. Governments deciding what citizens can read, hear, or see denies individuals the opportunity to make independent choices about what they value. 2005/938 Released on October 11, 2005	The United States has become increasingly isolated this week in its stance against a new treaty designed to protect and promote cultural diversity in the age of transnational media industries. The treaty, called the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of Cultural Contents and Artistic Expressions, was sponsored by Canada and France and has been negotiated by government delegates from over 180 countries in a 2-year consensus process. It is expected to be approved later this week by the plenary session of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization UNESCO. The treaty grants individual countries a right "to maintain, adopt, and implement policies and measures they deem appropriate for the protection and promotion of the diversity of cultural expressions on their territory". This is designed to protect national cultural policy from 'free trade' agreements like the WTO/GATS, the Free Trade Area of the Americas, or bilateral trade negotiations. For example, the screenquota system in South Korea that requires Korean cinemas to show Korean films about 50% of the time, which supporters argue has nurtured the growth of the Korean movie industry, would likely be eliminated if audiovisual services were brought into the WTO - as the United States Trade Representative has proposed. Other countries, like France and Canada have similar policies in place to support their local artists and film industry. Promoters of the treaty argued that it will allow countries to promote and maintain cultural diversity. The British ambassador to UNESCO characterized the draft as "clear, carefully balanced, and consistent with principles of international law and fundamental human rights". The United States government criticized the treaty on the grounds it would encourage trade protectionism and could serve as a justification for repressive governments to control their media systems. Condoleezza Rice wrote letters encouraging governments to oppose the treaty. The United States stood largely alone in that position. Last Monday night, the United States was only joined by Israel to vote for some last minute amendments brought in by the U.S., whereas 151 nations voted for the original wording of the treaty. Australia and Kiribati abstained.
Microsoft Founder Bill Gates to Step Down From Day to Day Role June 15 (Bloomberg) -- Bill Gates will step down from his day to day role running Microsoft Corp. starting in July 2008, three decades after founding the company that grew to become the world's largest software maker. Gates, 50, will remain chairman after that. Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will become chief research and strategy officer, the Redmond, Washington-based company said in a statement distributed by PR Newswire. \|\|\|\|\| >TELL A FRIEND >PRINTER FRIENDLY >SUBSCRIBE TO PORTFOLIO E-MAIL Attention Business And Technology Editors: Microsoft Announces Plans for July 2008 Transition for Bill Gates Working full time at Microsoft through June 2008, Gates then will continue as chairman and advisor while increasing Foundation efforts; Ray Ozzie and Craig Mundie to assume expanded roles. REDMOND, Wash., June 15 /CNW/ -- Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT) today announced that effective July 2008 Bill Gates, chairman, will transition out of a day-to-day role in the company to spend more time on his global health and education work at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The company announced a two-year transition process to ensure that there is a smooth and orderly transfer of Gates' daily responsibilities, and said that after July 2008 Gates would continue to serve as the company's chairman and an advisor on key development projects. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20000822/MSFTLOGO ) The company announced that Chief Technical Officer Ray Ozzie will immediately assume the title of chief software architect and begin working side by side with Gates on all technical architecture and product oversight responsibilities, to ensure a smooth transition. Similarly, Chief Technical Officer Craig Mundie will immediately take the new title of chief research and strategy officer and will work closely with Gates to assume his responsibility for the company's research and incubation efforts; Mundie also will partner with general counsel Brad Smith to guide Microsoft's intellectual property and technology policy efforts. "Our business and technical leadership has never been stronger, and Microsoft is well-positioned for success in the years ahead. I feel very fortunate to have such great technical leaders like Ray and Craig at the company," Gates said. "I remain fully committed and full time at Microsoft through June 2008 and will be working side by side with Ray and Craig to ensure that a smooth transition occurs." "This was a hard decision for me," Gates added. "I'm very lucky to have two passions that I feel are so important and so challenging. As I prepare for this change, I firmly believe the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever." In September 2005 Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer organized the company into three divisions under presidents Jim Allchin, Kevin Johnson, Robbie Bach and Jeff Raikes, who were given much greater responsibility for product development and strategy decisions within their respective businesses. In August 2005 the company appointed Kevin Turner as chief operating officer. "Bill and I are confident we've got a great team that can step up to fill his shoes and drive Microsoft innovation forward without missing a beat," Ballmer said. "We will continue to hire the world's best technical talent and give them the tools to do their best work, and we will continue to tackle the biggest challenges and opportunities for our customers by investing for the long term." Ballmer and Gates noted that Microsoft has been steadily expanding its senior leadership in recent years, and that today's announcement continues a transition process that has been underway for several years. In January 2000, Gates assumed the role of chief software architect and Ballmer assumed the role of CEO, responsible for all day-to-day operations and company business strategy. "This is a very sensible and thorough approach. A two-year transition will ensure that the company has a smooth transfer of strategy and knowledge from Bill to the next generation of leaders," said James I. Cash, Ph.D., member of the Microsoft board of directors and former James E. Robison Professor, Harvard Business School. "Steve and his management team are very impressive, and I'm confident the company will not miss a step." Ozzie, 50, worked on the first electronic spreadsheet, VisiCalc, in the early 1980s, then joined Lotus Development Corp. in 1983 to develop Lotus Symphony, an MS-DOS(R)-based integrated software management product that combined word processing, spreadsheet, business graphics, data management and communications capabilities. In 1984, Ozzie formed Iris Associates Inc. to develop Lotus Notes. In 1997 Ozzie founded Groove Networks, where he developed Groove Virtual Office. Microsoft acquired Groove Networks in April 2005 and named Ozzie chief technical officer. Mundie, 56, joined Microsoft in 1992 to create and run the Consumer Platforms Division, which was responsible for developing non-PC platform and service offerings including the Microsoft(R) Windows(R) CE operating system; software for handheld PCs, Pocket PCs and Auto PCs; and early telephony products. Mundie also started Microsoft's digital TV efforts and acquired and managed the WebTV Networks Inc. subsidiary. Mundie is also the original champion of the Trustworthy Computing Initiative at Microsoft, which has influenced Microsoft's software development strategy. His current responsibilities also include global technology policy and a variety of technical and business incubation activities. Ozzie and Mundie will continue to report to Gates. At an appropriate time during the two-year transition period, they will shift to reporting to Ballmer. Gates, 50, started Microsoft in 1975 with childhood friend Paul Allen. He took Microsoft public in 1986 and was the company's chairman and CEO until 2000, when Ballmer took over as CEO. For the past six years Gates has focused on Microsoft's software development as the company's chairman and chief software architect. In 2000, with his wife, he formed the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, whose assets now are $29.1 billion. Founded in 1975, Microsoft has pioneered many of the software innovations that paved the way for the digital information revolution and launched the PC industry. Beginning with MS-DOS, Microsoft's first operating system, and continuing with products such as Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows and Xbox(R), the company has developed a broad range of software, services and solutions that have transformed the way people work, communicate and play. Microsoft has 63,000 employees in more than 100 countries and generates annual sales of more than $40 billion (U.S.). With products for desktop PCs, servers and mobile devices, Microsoft continues to be the worldwide leader in helping people and businesses realize their full potential. Founded in 1975, Microsoft is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential. NOTE: Microsoft, Windows, MS-DOS and Xbox are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners. NOTE TO EDITOR: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Microsoft, please visit the Microsoft Web page at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass on Microsoft's corporate information pages. Web links, telephone numbers and titles were correct at time of publication, but may since have changed. For additional assistance, journalists and analysts may contact Microsoft's Rapid Response Team or other appropriate contacts listed at http://www.microsoft.com/presspas /For further information: pr.mspx./ /CONTACT: Rapid Response Team of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-503-443-7070, or rrt@waggeneredstrom.com, for Microsoft /Web Site: http://www.microsoft.com/ MICROSOFT CORP. - More on this organization Quotes & Charts News Releases (12) Photo Archive MSFT(AMEX) >TELL A FRIEND >PRINTER FRIENDLY >SUBSCRIBE TO PORTFOLIO E-MAIL	200px Bill Gates will step down from his daily roles at Microsoft by July 2008. Gates, who founded the company, has been running it for three decades now. Gates plans to spend more time working on health and education at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Taking place immediately, Ray Ozzie, Chief Technical Officer, will assume the title of chief software architect. Also happening immediately, Craig Mundie, Chief Technical Officer, will become chief research and strategy officer. Gates said "Our business and technical leadership has never been stronger, and Microsoft is well-positioned for success in the years ahead. I feel very fortunate to have such great technical leaders like Ray and Craig at the company. I remain fully committed and full time at Microsoft through June 2008 and will be working side by side with Ray and Craig to ensure that a smooth transition occurs." Gates, who will remain chairman of the corporation, also said he believes "the road ahead for Microsoft is as bright as ever."
The Pirate Bay Back Online June 3, 2006 Thomas Mennecke On May 31, 2006, BitTorrent as many people know it came to a grinding halt. The Swedish National Criminal Police raided Rex\|Port80, the home of The Pirate Bay and at least 200 other domains. The raid disrupted The Pirate Bay, throwing much of the BitTorrent community into chaos. News of The Pirate Bay's resurrection comes as little surprise. The Pirate Bay spokesperson "brokep" promised Slyck.com the site would resolve under a different country's flag if an immediate resolution could not be reached in Sweden. “We are not sure when it will return, but we are moving it to another country if necessary,” brokep told Slyck.com. It appears The Pirate Bay has made good on its promise, as it has reestablished itself in the Netherlands. Currently, its indexing capabilities are somewhat reduced from its former self, however should improve once news spreads of its resurrection. However, this bewilderment would prove temporary as The Pirate Bay is once again online. True to its defiant nature, The Pirate Bay is again indexing many of the same .torrent files that made it wildly popular.News of The Pirate Bay's resurrection comes as little surprise. The Pirate Bay spokesperson "brokep" promised Slyck.com the site would resolve under a different country's flag if an immediate resolution could not be reached in Sweden.“We are not sure when it will return, but we are moving it to another country if necessary,” brokep told Slyck.com.It appears The Pirate Bay has made good on its promise, as it has reestablished itself in the Netherlands. Currently, its indexing capabilities are somewhat reduced from its former self, however should improve once news spreads of its resurrection. Digg this article. You can discuss this article here - 265 replies \|\|\|\|\| Swedish 'The Pirate Bay' demo p2p news / p2pnet: Piratpartiet, Piratbyrån, Grön ungdom, Liberala Ungdomsförbundet and Ung vänster organized a one-hour demonstration in Stockholm, Sweden, in response to the raid on The Pirate Bay when more than 100 servers were seized. "The demands of the demonstration were that the Swedish goverment, instead of criminalizing more than one million of their citizens should seek a compromise in the issue," says a Pirate Watch post. The lamescream media are reporting that the Swedish police were behind the bust, which temporarily closed TPB down. The instigator, however, was Hollywood's MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), which now routinely uses tax-payer funded international law enforcement agencies to do its corporate dirty work. The actions do, "nothing to stop the pirates [counterfeiters], and everything to stop normal people enjoying things the[y] have legitimately (not to mention the fact the industry isn't loosing anthying [sic] by it)," posts Spike on the Pirate Watch site. " If the pirate party had any balls whatsoever, they'd just call for a boycott," says an anonymous post, going on, "Course, that would mean sacrifice, and most persons involved in this fiasco don't seem willing to do so. Perhaps they're all a lot of whiny childish hypocrites." But, " Wait... a boycott of what?" asks another comment. "Their own government? The police?" Outrage was aimed at Swedish minister of justice Thomas Bodström, "who gave in to American orders," states the poster, adding, "do you propose that they boycott the law in general and just start murdering people to accomplish their goals?... Personally I'm just slightly disapointed [sic] international protests weren't organized." Digg this story. Also See: Pirate Watch - Pictures from the piracy demonstration, June 03, 2006 Swedish police - Return of the Pirate Bay, June 1, 2006 p2pnet newsfeeds for your site. rss feed: http://p2pnet.net/p2p.rss Mobile - http://p2pnet.net/index-wml.php NOTE: p2pnet is being sued by Sharman Networks and Nikki Hemming, ceo of p2p application Kazaa. "The suit is a little odd, since P2PNet.net is a champion of peer-to-peer file-sharing, which is the same business that Kazaa is in," says The Globe & Mail. If you'd like to help p2pnet, or find out more, please go here. Other stories on p2pnet.net:	200px Swedish site The Pirate Bay is back online following the Swedish police raid of their office on May 31. Pirate Bay has previously announced on their website that they "will be up and fully functional within a day or two". A Pirate Bay spokesperson identified as brokep told Slyck News that if necessary, they'd reopen in another country. The reopened website is currently hosted in the Netherlands. The web page titles have been changed to ''The Police Bay'' and the indexing capability is reduced, with the search function disabled, though this is expected to change. All searches are now returned with the error message: :No hits due to politics :The search function will be back later today Searches can still be done with Google and other search engines by adding site:thepiratebay.org to the search. Most attempts at downloading .torrent files resulted in error messages during the first hours after the site went back online, however torrent downloads seem to be working fairly well now. Currently 11:00 a.m. June 6 , The Pirate Bay seems to be back and operational, but downloads still aren't working too well; you may be able to, you may not. There's probably a lot of traffic right now.
3.16pm ET 15:16 Hello and welcome. For Chile and Argentina, tonight’s the night: can a golden generation do what golden generations repeatedly don’t, and march off with a trophy? It’s been 22 years since Argentina last won a major international trophy, which, for a side of their calibre, is patently absurd. All that quality, and nothing to show! Since Gabriel Batistuta et al beat Mexico 2-1 in 1993, they’ve lunged, flailed, and mispunched in tournament play, but this evening they can end two decades of disappointment and actually win a cup. They’ve been slowly moving through the gears here in Chile, and they looked ominous in a 6-1 semi-final tonking of Paraguay on Wednesday. Chile beware. Hosts Chile – and this is truly ridiculous – have never won anything. One hundred and five years, more than 750 games, and their trophy cabinet is empty, barren and sad. But this is a team that bristles with spunk and skill, and tonight, led by their hugely impressive coach Jorge Sampaoli, they have the chance to make history. Win, and Santiago is going to be a party. Lose, and those cases of Chilean Merlot may very well stay corked. It’s the final of the 2015 Copa América, and it’s live from the national stadium in Santiago. Kick off is 4pm ET, 9pm BST, it should be a cracker – and I’d love you to join me. \|\|\|\|\| Chile secured the first major trophy in their history on home soil courtesy of a penalty shootout win over Argentina in the Copa America final. Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez slotted in the winning spot-kick after Argentina's Gonzalo Higuain fired over and Ever Banega was denied by Claudio Bravo. Higuain had earlier missed from close range after 90 minutes of few chances. Sanchez came closest in extra time for Chile, who scored all four of their penalties in the shootout. Where Chile held their nerve, Argentina wilted in the shootout at the end of a performance that fell well short of the heights they reached in their 6-1 semi-final win over Paraguay. Le Albiceleste are without a major trophy in the last 22 years since winning the 1993 Copa America in Ecuador. BBC World Service's Richard Padula in Santiago "It was a game in which the destroyers kicked, grappled and smothered the playmakers. Messi wasn't given a yard of space as Chile stifled Argentina's attack. In that regard Jorge Sampaoli's game-plan worked perfectly. Apparently he'd studied hours of tapes of Barcelona in action to discover the key to stopping Messi. "But throughout the tournament the Chileans have shown a strong will-to-win, which at times could even be described as dirty. Jara's finger the perfect case in point. They out-fought Uruguay and stamped out Argentina's goal menace." Chile make history Chile's victory brought an end to almost a century of competing in the Copa America without claiming a title. They were one of four teams who played in the very first tournament in 1916 in Argentina but the best they had done until this year was runner-up, which they have achieved on four occasions (1955, 1956, 1979 and 1987). Chile end a century of hurt Chile won their first Copa America after 173 games played in this competition, dating back to the first tournament in 1916. The Estadio Nacional Julio Martinez Pradanos was a cauldron of noise on Saturday, full of flag-waving red-clad home supporters, some of whom had reportedly paid up to $25,000 for tickets. They were not treated to a dazzling attacking display from their side but rather one of drive, discipline and, ultimately, composure, epitomised by the industrious and energetic Sanchez and Charles Aranguiz. How the shoot-out unfolded Both sides scored their opening penalty, with Matias Fernandez emphatically finding the top corner for Chile before Lionel Messi sent his kick low into the bottom corner. However, after Arturo Vidal had powerfully dispatched Chile's second, Higuain blazed his effort way over the bar. Charles Aranguiz made it 3-1 to the hosts and it remained that way as Ever Banega's tame effort was palmed away by the diving Claudio Bravo. Sanchez showed supreme composure to chip his effort down the middle and in to win the game and the competition for his side. Missing Messi Following Argentina's World Cup final defeat to Germany last summer, four-time Ballon d'Or winner Messi once again missed out on his first major international medal. He put in a supreme showing in the Copa America semi-final demolition of Paraguay, playing a part in all six of his nation's goals, but on Saturday he was largely on the periphery throughout, with his most significant contribution being a trademark run towards the Chile box to set up a wasted chance for Higuain in the final minute. The 28-year-old is not entirely to blame for his failure in Santiago. His team-mates did little to create the space the forward needs to be effective, not did they find him with the regularity he is used to when playing for his club. Credit must also go to Chile, who were quick to close him down whenever he did receive the ball in a threatening position. More horror for Higuain Napoli forward Higuain was criticised for missing a superb chance in the World Cup final defeat to Germany in Brazil last summer and he was once again in the spotlight for the wrong reasons on Saturday. He was guilty of spurning an opportunity to win the game for his side in the last minute of normal time when he failed to turn in Ezequiel Lavezzi's low cross at the back post. And his penalty miss - Argentina's first in the shoot-out - was that of a player whose confidence and composure has deserted him. It handed Chile an advantage they would not relinquish. 'We left our life on the field' Chile midfielder Arturo Vidal: "This is a dream come true, this team deserves something like this. "We left our life on the field. Chilean people needed this joy and we managed to give it to them. "We'll fight a lot in the next World Cup. This generation of players deserved this." Lineup, Bookings (7) & Substitutions (5) Chile 01 Bravo 04 Isla 05 Silva Booked 17 Medel Booked 15 Beausejour 08 Vidal 21 Díaz Booked 10 Valdívia (Fernández - 75' ) (Fernández - 75' ) 20 Aránguiz Booked 07 Sánchez 11 Vargas (Henriquez Iturra - 95' ) Substitutes 02 Mena 03 Albornoz 06 Fuenzalida 09 Pinilla 12 Garcés 13 Rojas 14 Fernández 16 Pizarro 19 Gutiérrez 22 Henriquez Iturra 23 Herrera Argentina 01 Romero 04 Zabaleta 15 Demichelis 17 Otamendi 16 Rojo Booked 06 Biglia 14 Mascherano Booked 21 Pastore (Banega - 81' Booked ) (Banega - 81' ) 10 Messi 11 Agüero (Higuaín - 74' ) (Higuaín - 74' ) 07 Di María (Lavezzi - 29' ) Substitutes 02 Garay 03 Roncaglia 05 Gago 08 Pereyra 09 Higuaín 12 Guzmán 13 Casco 18 Tévez 19 Banega 20 Lamela 22 Lavezzi 23 Marchesín Ref: Wilmar Roldán \|\|\|\|\| USA Albania - Kategoria Superiore 2015/2016 Algeria - Championnat Mobilis de Ligue 1 2015/2016 American Samoa - FFAS Senior League 2014 Andorra - Lliga Nacional 2014/2015 Angola - Girabola 2015 Anguilla - AFA Senior Male Football Tournament 2014/2015 Antigua and Barbuda - ABFA Premier League 2014/2015 Argentina - Primera A 2015 Armenia - STAR Premier League 2014/2015 Aruba - Subway Cup 2014/2015 Australia - Hyundai A-League 2015/2016 Austria - Tipico-Bundesliga 2015/2016 Azerbaijan - Topaz Premyer Liqasi 2014/2015 Bahamas - BFA Senior League 2014/2015 Bahrain - Bahrain League 2014/2015 Bangladesh - Bangladesh Premier League 2015 Barbados - Digicel Premiere League 2015 Belarus - Vysshaya Liga 2015 Belgium - Jupiler Pro League 2015/2016 Belize - Premier League of Belize 2015 Clos Benin - Division 1 2014/2015 Bermuda - Premier Division 2014/2015 Bhutan - Coca Cola National League 2013/2014 Bolivia - Liga de Fútbol Profesional Boliviano 2015 Clau Bosnia and Herzegovina - Premijer liga 2014/2015 Botswana - BeMobile Premier League 2014/2015 Brazil - Série A 2015 British Virgin Islands - BVIFA National League 2013/2014 Brunei Darussalam - DST Super League 2015 Bulgaria - A PFG 2015/2016 Burkina Faso - Première Division 2014/2015 Burundi - Primus League 2014/2015 Cambodia - Metfone Cambodian League 2015 Cameroon - League 1 2015 Canada - Amway Canadian Championship 2015 Cape Verde Islands - Campeonato Nacional Grupo Tecnicil 2014/2015 Cayman Islands - CIFA Premier League 2014/2015 Chad - Championnat National 2013 Chile - Primera División 2015 Torn China PR - Chinese Super League 2015 Chinese Taipei - National Urban League 2014 Colombia - Liga Águila 2015 Liga Comoros - Championnat des Comores 2014 Congo - Championnat National MTN 2014 Congo DR - Division 1 2014/2015 Cook Islands - CIFA Premiership 2014 Costa Rica - Primera Division Verano 20 Côte d'Ivoire - Ligue 1 2014/2015 Croatia - MAXtv Prva Liga 2015/2016 Cuba - Campeonato Nacional de Fútbol 2015 Curacao - Liga MCB 2015 Curacao - Sekshon Pagá Cyprus - Glafkos Klerides Championship 2014/2015 Czech Republic - Synot liga 2015/2016 Denmark - ALKA Superliga 2015/2016 Djibouti - Championnat national de la 1ère division 2014/2015 Dominican Republic - Liga Dominicana de Fútbol 2015 Ecuador - Copa Pilsener Serie A 2015 Egypt - Egyptian League 2014/2015 El Salvador - Liga Pepsi 2015 Clau England - Barclays Premier League 2015/2016 Estonia - A. 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MLS 2015 Uzbekistan - Uzbekistan Professional Football League 2015 Vanuatu - National Super League 2014 Venezuela - Liga Movistar 2014/2015 Vietnam - Eximbank V.League 1 2015 Wales - Dafabet Welsh Premier League 2015/2016 Yemen - Yemen League 2013/2014 Zambia - MTN/FAZ Super Division 2015 Zimbabwe - Premier Soccer League 2015	On Saturday, host nation Chile defeated Argentina 4–1 over penalties in the , which was held in located in the Chilean city of Santiago, to clinch the title for the very first time. File photo of Alexis Sanchez, who scored the winning penalty of the tournament. The first half saw 3 . In total, both halves, 49 fouls were committed. Nobody scored in the first half of the match. Chile had 57% possession of the ball. The second half saw 4 yellow cards, but neither team could find the net. Since the second half ended in 0–0, the match proceeded to . Gonzalo Higuaín missed some chances to score a goal for Argentina. Argentina has not won any major trophy in the past 22 years. Chile began the penalty-shootout. Chilean players converted each penalty kick into goal, whereas except for FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi, no other Argentine could score a penalty. Misses by Higuaín and turned out to be costly for Argentina and the final strike by Arsenal forward Alexis Sanchez sealed the victory by the host nation. Chilean captain won the golden glove trophy and won top scorer award. ==Match details== GK '''1''' () '''5''' '''21''' Marcelo Díaz '''17''' '''4''' '''20''' '''8''' Arturo Vidal '''15''' '''10''' '''11''' '''7''' '''Substitutions:''' '''14''' '''22''' '''Manager:''' GK '''1''' '''4''' '''15''' '''17''' '''16''' '''6''' '''14''' '''21''' '''10''' Lionel Messi () '''11''' Sergio Agüero '''7''' '''Substitutions:''' '''22''' '''9''' Gonzalo Higuaín '''19''' '''Manager:''' '''Man of the Match:''' Arturo Vidal (Chile) ''':''' Alexander Guzmán () Cristian De La Cruz (Colombia) ''':''' () ''':''' Christian Lescano ()
GLAAD -- Bravo to Bono TMZ just got this statement from Neil G. Giuliano, President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD): "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people," said Neil G. Giuliano, president of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). "Coming out as transgender is an extremely personal decision and one that is never made lightly. We look forward to hearing Chaz's story in his own words in the future." "GLAAD encourages media outlets to cover this story accurately, and to avoid speculation about the details of Chaz's story before he is ready to tell it in his own words." "The GLAAD Media Reference Guide and the Associated Press Stylebook call on media to use the name and pronoun preferred by the transgender person - in this case, referring to him as Chaz and using male pronouns." Filed under: Chastity Bono \|\|\|\|\| Chastity Bono, daughter of Cher and the late Sonny Bono, is undergoing gender reassignment surgery, his publicist confirmed to ABCNews.com. The daughter of TV celebrities Sonny and Cher is going to become a man. More Photos "Yes, it's true -- Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity," Howard Bragman said. "He is proud of his decision and grateful for the support and respect that has already been shown by his loved ones. It is Chaz's hope that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago. "We ask that the media respect Chaz's privacy during this long process as he will not be doing any interviews at this time," Bragman added. Bono, an LGBT civil rights advocate, journalist, author and musician, began the process of changing his gender earlier this year, following his 40th birthday. The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has already voiced its support of him. "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people," GLAAD president Neil G. Giuliano said in a statement to reporters. "Coming out as transgender is an extremely personal decision and one that is never made lightly." Bono revealed to his parents that he was a lesbian at age 18 and wrote about the experience in his 1998 memoir, "Family Outing." In 2002, Bono wrote "The End of Innocence," a second memoir about coming out, his music career, and his partner's death from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.	The child of singer Cher and the late Sonny Bono, Chaz Bono (born Chastity), will undergo a sex change operation, according to a spokesperson. "Chaz, after many years of consideration, has made the courageous decision to honor his true identity. He hopes that his choice to transition will open the hearts and minds of the public regarding this issue, just as his 'coming out' did nearly 20 years ago," said Howard Bragman, Bono's publicist. Bono, a journalist, gay rights activist, singer, actor and author, was 18 when she came out to his parents as a lesbian, and was outed publicly two years later by a tabloid magazine. She wrote a memoir titled ''Family Outing'' that her mother Cher was not happy about. She says Cher banned her from their apartment for some time after coming out. Eventually Cher reconciled the issue within herself and the two repaired their relationship. Bono, 40, was most recently seen on television in 2006 on the reality show ''Celebrity Fit Club'' to lose weight and to give up smoking. According to Bragman, Chaz began the transition from female to male in early 2009. LGBT groups were quick to support Bono's transition, with GLAAD announcing in a press release, "Chaz Bono's decision to live his life authentically represents an important step forward, both for him personally and for all who are committed to advancing discussions about fairness and equality for transgender people".
1. During June and July 2008 six young Arab men, two of them Israeli citizens and four residents of East Jerusalem , were detained by the Israeli security forces. The six, some of them students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem , were members of a closed religious network in Jerusalem which planned to set up an Al-Qaeda network and carry out terrorist attacks against Israel . On July 18 they were indicted in the Jerusalem district magistrate's court. 2. The six are: i) Ibrahim Nashef , 22, from Taibeh , studying physics and computers at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem . ii) Muhammad Nijm , 24, from Nazareth , studying chemistry at the Hebrew University . iii) Yussuf Sumarin , 21, from Beit Hanina in East Jerusalem . iv) Anis Shweiki , 21, from Jabel Mukaber in East Jerusalem . v) Kamal Abu Qweidar , 22, from Jerusalem 's Old City . vi) Ahmad Shweiki , 22, from the Shuafat refugee camp in East Jerusalem . 3. Interrogation of the six revealed that they belonged to a radical Muslim group which customarily met in Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem . They planned to establish an Al-Qaeda network in Israel to implement the organization's ideology. In February 2008 the group joined Al-Qaeda. Its leader was Yussuf Soumarin , a resident of Jerusalem and a former political prisoner who had recently been released from an Israeli jail. 4. The network's activities consisted of enlisting operatives and planning terrorist attacks in Israel (which were not carried out). Muhammad Nijm , a Hebrew University student, lived in a student dormitory and surveilled a helicopter landing pad near the university's stadium. He used his cellular phone to photograph helicopters landing and taking off. He also asked an Al-Qaeda-affiliated Internet site about the possibility of downing President Bush's helicopter . In January 2008, after having collected the information, he decided to try to down the helicopter of an important public figure landing on the pad (at that time, President Bush was visiting Israel ). 5. The six absorbed their radical Islamic ideology from various Internet sites, some of them affiliated with Al-Qaeda . Instructions for manufacturing explosives and explosive devices downloaded from the Internet were found in some of their computers. It is yet another example of the intensive use Al-Qaeda and other jihad groups make of the Internet for indoctrination and operations, including the enlisting and activating of terrorist operatives around the world. 2 6. The group's exposure is another in a series of recent discoveries of Israeli Arab groups which support radical Islamic ideology and plan to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel . In that context, it should be noted that two residents of the Bedouin town of Rahat , members of the Islamic Movement, were recently detained. They had used the Internet to contact global jihad and Al-Qaeda networks, and even collected information for them about possible Israeli targets. 3 \|\|\|\|\| The indictments filed on Friday at The Jerusalem District and Magistrates' Courts against six Israeli Arabs on charges of planning to build an al-Qaeda infrastructure in Israel came as a shock to residents of the northern Arab Israeli town of Tayibe. The news that 22-year old local resident Ibrahim Nashef was part of the terror cell caught his neighbors by surprise. Indicted 6 Israeli Arabs charged with operating al-Qaeda cell / Efrat Weiss Hebrew University students indicted of trying to build terror infrastructure in Jerusalem. One of suspects allegedly collected information in attempt to shoot down helicopter carrying senior official during US President Bush's visit to Israel Full story Hamas we would somehow fathom and understand that this was a small local terror organization, but being part of al-Qaeda - that’s a big thing, very big. “Now it all makes sense, although we are surprised by his arrest,” said the resident. “He’s not someone known as a troublemaker…on the contrary, he is a quiet introverted guy who couldn’t be suspected of anything of this kind. “ \|\|\|\|\| VIDEO - Cleared for publication: The Shin Bet and the police have arrested six Israeli Arabs, four of them residents of east Jerusalem, on suspicion of planning to operate an al-Qaeda cell in Israel Among the suspects are students at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Enemy Within 2 Israeli al-Qaeda suspects detained / Efrat Weiss Two members of Islamic Movement indicted on charges of affiliation with terror organization following joint Shin Bet, police operation; suspects supplied handlers with sensitive information about strategic facilities Full story The six suspects were identified as: Ibrahim Nashef, 22, of Tayibe, a physics and computer sciences student at the Hebrew University; Muhammas Najem, 24, of Nazareth, a chemistry student at the Hebrew University; Yusef Sumarin, 21, of the Jerusalem village of Beit Hanina; Anas Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Jabel Mukaber; Kamal Abu Kwaider, 22, of Jerusalem's Old City; and Ahmed Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Shuafat. All the suspects were charged with membership in a terror organization. Some of them will be tried for aiding the enemy at a time of war, possessing propaganda material in favor of a terror organization, soliciting and attempting to solicit others to join a terror organization. Video courtesy of infolive.tv According to the indictments filed against them Friday, the six used to meet at the al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. They surfed al-Qaeda websites containing radical Islam content, where they also found instructions for the production of explosive devices. Taking an interest in Bush's chopper One of the detainees lived in the Hebrew University dorms which overlook the university's landing ground. According to the suspicions, he watched the landing ground in January 2008, during US President George W. Bush's visit to Israel. He also allegedly looked for instructions for shooting down a landing helicopter on the internet, and took pictures of the landing choppers using his cellular phone. The six were arrested in a joint police and Shin Bet operation between the months of June and July. About two weeks ago, two residents of the southern Israeli town of Rahat were indicted Wednesday for allegedly being al-Qaeda operatives. Taher and Omar Abu-Sakut, who are registered members of the Islamic Movement, were arrested following a joint Shin Bet, police and Border Guard operation that took place in June. Raanan Ben-Zur contributed to this report	(''Illustration'') Muhammad Nijm , a Hebrew University student living in a student dormitory, surveilled a helicopter landing pad near the university's stadium, taking pictures with his cell phone. The Israel security forces have recently arrested six Israeli Arabs, four of them residents of east Jerusalem, on suspicion of planning to operate an al-Qaeda cell in Israel. The six, which include Hebrew University students, were indicted of trying to build terror infrastructure in Jerusalem and planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Israel, including an attack on a helicopter carrying a senior official during US President Bush's visit to Israel. Some of the suspects will be tried for aiding the enemy at a time of war and for soliciting and attempting to solicit others to join a terror organization. They were all charged with membership in a terror organization. One of the detainees, who lived in the Hebrew University dorms which overlook the university's landing ground, has recorded helicopter landings in the area using his cell phone and also, allegedly, looked for instructions for shooting down a landing helicopter on the internet. The six suspects were identified as: * Ibrahim Nashef, 22, of Tayibe, a physics and computer sciences student at the Hebrew University; * Muhammas Najem, 24, of Nazareth, a chemistry student at the Hebrew University; * Yusef Sumarin, 21, of the Jerusalem village of Beit Hanina; * Anas Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Jabel Mukaber; * Kamal Abu Kwaider, 22, of Jerusalem's Old City; and * Ahmed Shawiki, 21, of the Jerusalem town of Shuafat.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Thursday it was ready to lend to countries hit by the raging global credit crunch and had activated an emergency financing mechanism first used in the 1990s Asian crisis. The Fund already sent a mission to Iceland, where the government has seized control of its largest bank, and has warned that the worst financial crisis since the 1930s Great Depression could inflict lasting economic harm on the world. “Yesterday I activated emergency procedures of the IMF to respond quickly ... based on streamlined conditionality,” IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn told a news conference. “We are ready to answer any demand by countries facing problems,” he added. After several years of no major crises in emerging economies, the move puts the IMF’s board of member countries and staff on alert that the Fund will have to respond quickly if a country needs financial help. It also puts the global financial firefighter more at the forefront of the current financial crisis following months of being on the sidelines. Panic over toxic, illiquid U.S. mortgage loans has sapped confidence in financial institutions, forced governments to pledge hundreds of billions of dollars of taxpayer money and pushed Western and other central banks to deliver their first coordinated interest rate cut. Slideshow ( 3 images ) Speaking ahead of IMF and World Bank meetings of world finance leaders in Washington this weekend, Strauss-Kahn said the main task for policy-makers was to restore confidence and calm global markets. Group of Seven finance ministers and central bank chiefs also meet in Washington on Friday to consider their options. The IMF’s emergency facility was created in 1995 as a way of speeding up the approval of loans to countries in peril. It was first used in 1997 to help the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea end crushing runs on their currencies during the Asian financial crisis. The IMF, which played a central role in the bailouts of countries in Asia and Latin America in the 1990s, relied on lending to fund its operations. But with fewer crises over the years, it had faced a growing income deficit, prompting an agreement in April to sell some of its gold stocks and invest profits in government and corporate bonds. The IMF has about $200 billion immediately available to lend to countries in need but can tap other sources. This is small compared to the trillions of dollars central banks and governments have poured into the financial system over the past few weeks. Slideshow ( 3 images ) UNDER PRESSURE Emerging markets are under pressure again after strains in the United States and Europe spread. Investors are fleeing their securities for safer assets, foreign banks are cutting lending and the countries’ exporters are braced for weaker demand from Western consumers. Strauss-Kahn renewed calls for more coordinated steps to calm panicky markets beyond the unprecedented simultaneous action of central banks on Wednesday to cut interest rates. He said the global economy was on the cusp of recession but with quick and forceful action, the spreading crisis could be contained. “All kinds of cooperation has to be recommended. All lonely acts have to be avoided, if not condemned,” he said. His calls for more coordination were backed by World Bank President Robert Zoellick who said he hoped a meeting of Group of Seven industrial nations on Friday will indicate they “are getting ahead of the curve.” He said while countries will take different actions, tailored for their own circumstances, they should coordinate beyond just the G7 members to target the same basic problems. “The actions need to be coherent and reinforcing,” he said, referring to Wednesday’s simultaneous rate cut by central banks. \|\|\|\|\| IMF Survey Magazine: In the News Subscribe INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL ARCHITECTURE Quick, Forceful, Cooperative Action Needed on Crisis—IMF IMF Survey online October 9, 2008 Crisis marked by regulatory, supervisory failures in advanced economies National plans should include recapitalization of financial institutions Cooperation across countries key to effective resolution of crisis Problems in the financial markets and in the global economy can be solved "if we act quickly, forcefully, and cooperatively,"IMF Managing Director Dominique Strauss-Kahn said. He told a press briefing ahead of the IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings that the international financial architecture had failed to adapt to globalized financial markets. World economic and financial authorities are gathering in Washington for the October 13 Annual Meetings after weeks of turmoil in global equity and financial markets. They will discuss possible further steps to solve the crisis. Strauss-Kahn said the global financial crisis had been marked by important regulatory and supervisory failures in advanced economies, in the risk management frameworks of major private financial institutions, and in market discipline mechanisms. The world is on "the cusp of a global recession," but if countries act together, the world economy would recover, he stated. On October 8 the IMF unveiled a gloomy forecast for world growth, saying that the world economy is entering a major downturn in the face of the most dangerous financial shock in mature financial markets since the 1930s. Strauss-Kahn at news conference ahead of IMF-World Bank Annual Meetings: "There is no domestic solution to a crisis like this one" (IMF photo) Strauss-Kahn noted that emerging market economies had been affected by the crisis as trade was hit by slowing growth in advanced economies and as credit lines were cut. The IMF had activated emergency procedures to respond quickly to requests for support with high-access financing, based on streamlined conditionality that focused on crisis response priorities. Coordinated action Four principles drawn from the IMF's experience in handling past crises had been discussed by the IMF Executive Board, Strauss-Kahn said. • State action needs to have a clear objective so that effective oversight of how public money is used is possible. • National plans need to be comprehensive: they should provide liquidity from central banks, contain guarantees to depositors and assurances to creditors and, most important, include recapitalization of financial institutions. • Action should be coordinated, at the global level and at regional level, as with the recent coordinated central bank action on interest rates. • Taxpayers should be able to share upside risks once the crisis passes. The need for recapitalization was well understood on both sides of the Atlantic, Strauss-Kahn said, but he added that cooperation was less evident. He urged European countries to work together: "There is no domestic solution to a crisis like this one." Seven IMF messages Strauss-Kahn said the IMF had seven messages to convey on action to counter the global financial crisis: • All kinds of policy cooperation are to be commended. Unilateral actions should be avoided. • The crisis is serious and protracted, but a slow recovery should begin in the second half of 2009. • Following the activation of its emergency lending procedures, the IMF is ready to answer any request for support from countries facing problems. • While the IMF welcomed fiscal and monetary action to calm the turmoil, macroeconomic policies had to be combined with action on the financial front. • Policymakers should not forget "the other crisis"—the effects of the surge in food and fuel prices. Advanced countries should not respond to the financial crisis by cutting aid to the poorest and most vulnerable countries. • Authorities need to draw lessons from the crisis for financial regulation and supervision, including issues such as fair value accounting, changing rating agency behavior, closing loopholes in regulations, and filling gaps in information. "We need to come up with practical advice on how governments and central banks can use macroeconomic policies to puncture asset bubbles in good times." • The global financial architecture needs to be revamped to meet the need of 21st century globalized markets. Failure to adapt Strauss-Kahn said policymakers should not wait until the end of the current crisis before acting. The global financial architecture had clearly failed to adapt to globalized financial markets. The architecture's legitimacy and effectiveness had been called into question. "Legitimacy means that all countries have to be involved in the solution, because they are all involved in the problems. Effectiveness means we have to use the experience that has been accumulated in the international financial institutions, and that they follow up," Strauss-Kahn said. Strauss-Kahn illustrated his key messages with a slideshow. Click on the slides below to see the show or download (pdf) the presentation now. Comments on this article should be sent to imfsurvey@imf.org	made his comments at a press briefing. The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) says the world is on the brink of a global recession but predicts the economy will begin to recover by late 2009. , Managing Director of the IMF, stressed nations must work together to avert a global recession and warns there is "no domestic solution" to the crisis. He also said this week's coordinated interest rate cuts around the world are a good example of the international cooperation needed to restore faltering economies. Furthermore, he announced the IMF has activated an emergency program Wednesday that allows the fund to provide loans more easily and quickly to emerging countries in economic trouble. This program was first used during the . The program might be used in Iceland, which has seen major problems hitting the financial sector. Iceland has been forced to nationalize the three largest banks and, most recently, . The IMF chief made these remarks in on Thursday, as top officials from IMF nations and the G-7 industrialized countries are gathering for meetings on economic issues. U.S. President is set to meet with G-7 finance ministers at the White House on Saturday.
Sunshine Coast Grammar School. FORMER students of one of the Coast's most prestigious private schools have launched a scathing attack on a staff restructuring which they claim will make 21 teachers redundant. Members of the Sunshine Coast Grammar alumni have not ruled out staging a placard-waving protest at the gates of the school in a bid to force a backdown. The angry reaction follows an announcement of changes to the school's teaching staff. The school wants its teaching staff to be “less top-heavy”. It wants more teachers back in front of classes. Grammar principal Nigel Fairbairn, who announced the changes to staff on Friday, said it meant a reduction in the overall number of “added responsibility” positions such as heads-of-school. New positions would be created and the responsibilities redistributed, he said. As former students launched a string of attacks yesterday, Mr Fairbairn denied any redundancy notices had been issued. However, he could not say how many of the 21 teachers who held positions being restructured were guaranteed a job next year. “That will depend on how many people on that list apply for new positions of responsibility and are successful,” he said. “I can say that there are a number of those staff we desperately want on our team next year.” At least four of the teachers affected have been at the school since it first opened in 1997. A former prefect, speaking on behalf of the Grammar alumni, said those teachers had stood by the school during a period of turmoil in the late 1990s when it was revealed founding principal John Burgess had been guilty of two counts of carnal knowledge dating back to 1979. “They were the backbone of the school when that happened,” the former prefect said. “They got it through that crisis and this is the thanks they get.” Despite Mr Fairbairn's claims that most staff and parents were relieved the “tough decisions” had been made, the alumni spokeswoman said outrage was growing. The Daily received a number of angry letters from former students while several voiced their feelings on the Daily's wesbite and an almuni Facebook page. “People are angry and shocked,” the former prefect said. “I am aware of at least 10 families who have said they will pull their children out of the school – it's that bad.” A former Grammar school captain who also contacted the Daily, said she was “appalled” “Those teachers did so much for us when we were at school and really don't deserve what has happened. They deserve more respect than that,” she said. Both said they could not rule out protests at the school gates. “It's getting to that stage,” the former prefect said. “People are trying to look at it in an intelligent way but there is so much anger out there.” Mr Fairbairn said he had not heard of any threats of protests or student withdrawals and had received less than 10 emails and a handful of phone calls. The Independent Education Union of Australia said it was asking the school to delay advertising the restructured positions until urgent talks could take place on the validity of the changes. Read more... Grammar to adopt a new structure \|\|\|\|\| SUNSHINE Coast Grammar School will trim its management structure in a bid to get more teachers back into the classroom. The changes follow a year-long strategic review of the school’s delivery of teaching and learning, including consultation with staff and an independent survey of parents. Grammar principal Nigel Fairbairn said while the overall number of “added responsibility” positions would be cut, new positions would be created and responsibilities redistributed without cutting student resources, subjects or extracurricular activities. He said he had personally met with staff members to explain the restructure. Letters outlining the changes had been sent home to parents. “Most staff are relieved we made the hard decisions but obviously there have been some mixed emotions from staff who are directly impacted on,” Mr Fairbairn said. “There has been the full range of grief one expects when there is major change but nothing we hadn’t anticipated. All of the positions of added responsibility being abolished will remain in place until the end of the 2010 school year and we have offered support services to affected staff to assist them to apply for new roles.” Mr Fairbairn said the school’s highest priority had always been providing high quality teaching and learning for its students and the restructure was designed to best meet students’ needs and align with the 2011 adoption of the new Australian Curriculum. “We really want to make sure teaching and learning are our priority. People want to see teachers in front of classes. “The responsibilities of each of the roles being abolished will be redistributed to new and existing roles and students and programs will not be disadvantaged. “We are not cutting subject choices and extracurricular activities, but retaining a student-driven curriculum that integrates with the new Australian Curriculum, in keeping with our commitment to teaching and learning opportunities.” \|\|\|\|\| Queensland education unions sign historic friendship agreement with Shanghai Education Union The Independent Voice November 2002 Volume 2 Number 8 page 4 QIEU and the Queensland Teachers Union (QTU) recently signed a friendship and co-operation agreement with the Shanghai Education Union which will not only strengthen the respective unions but also promote greater understanding between union members in the two countries. The Shanghai Education Union (SEU) represents over 240,000 members from kindergartens, elementary, middle and senior schools and universities and has a well founded reputation as a strong advocate for the interests of its members. The Friendship Agreement signed in Shanghai on 28 October 2002 commits the three unions to exchange information on industrial and professional issues and to support and further the work of the signatory unions. QIEU President Miriam Dunn said the co-operative agreement with the Shanghai Education Union was not only an opportunity to build a relationship with a union well placed to take a role in the economic development of China but also enables our union to support the co-operative activities of many Queensland schools in China. As part of the visit to sign the agreement the QTU/QIEU delegation visited a number of schools with exchange agreements with Australian schools. QIEU General Secretary Terry Burke said it was a pleasure to meet up with two teachers from St Mary's Ipswich (Poppy Masselos and Fiona Vail) at Weiju Middle School which has established a co-operative relationship with St Edmunds and St Mary's Ipswich. "The schools in China clearly appreciate the benefits of these relationships and Australian schools and teachers are having a very positive impact on the pedagogy and curriculum development in these schools," he said. \|\|\|\|\| Employment Information The Sunshine Coast Grammar School is proud of its dedicated and hard-working staff and we wish to attract more of the best staff to our school. All applications should include a completed Application Form, current CV and the names of two professional related referees ADMINISTRATION APPLICATIONS TO: BUSINESS MANAGER Sunshine Coast Grammar School, 372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556 email: Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 4401 BUSINESS MANAGERSunshine Coast Grammar School,372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556email: dwilliams@scgs.qld.edu.au Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 4401 ACADEMIC APPLICATIONS TO: HEAD OF STAFFING (ACADEMIC) Sunshine Coast Grammar School, 372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556 email: Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 449 HEAD OF STAFFING (ACADEMIC)Sunshine Coast Grammar School,372 Mons Road, Forest Glen, 4556email: mlloyd@scgs.qld.edu.au Tel: 5445 4444 Fax: 5477 449 SCGS Current Vacancies We currently have the following positions available: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER We seek the services of a highly motivated and technically qualified person to fulfill the following full time position at Sunshine Coast grammar School: INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGER Get More Info... YEAR 7 TEACHER Due to growth in our Middle & Senior Schools, the following positions have become available for the commencement of the 2008 school year: YEAR 7 TEACHER Get More Info... SNR MATHS / IPT TEACHER Due to growth in our Middle & Senior Schools, the following positions have become available for the commencement of the 2008 school year: SNR MATHS / IPT TEACHER Get More Info... PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR(Yr7-12) Due to growth in our Middle & Senior Schools, the following positions have become available for the commencement of the 2008 school year: PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR (Yr7-12) (must also be able to teach Christian Studies) Get More Info...	This article's primary contributor, Patrick Gillett, is an of Sunshine Coast Grammar School. The Sunshine Coast is a region approximately 95 km (60 miles) north of the state capital, Brisbane. ''Wikinews'' has obtained a list of middle management teaching staff allegedly made redundant, or laid off due to restructuring, by (SCGS), in Queensland, Australia. Sources say that those staff have been told that they can apply for new positions that have opened up. The list, published on the SCGS alumni Facebook page, contains the names of twenty-two staff members, eight of which taught this article's primary contributor. Seventeen positions are reportedly being opened up by the private Christian school, eight of which seem to significantly overlap the old ones. The changes are, apparently, designed to get teachers back into the classroom. "We are not cutting subject choices and extracurricular activities, but retaining a student-driven curriculum that integrates with the new Australian Curriculum, in keeping with our commitment to teaching and learning opportunities," said headmaster Nigel Fairbairn. Fairbairn could not guarantee that any of the staff would be given a position in 2011. “That will depend on how many people on that list apply for new positions of responsibility and are successful,” he said. "The Head of the School cannot guarantee the 21 staff a job at the School in the future, with many of the positions being advertised to external applicants," said Terry Burke, secretary for the Independent Education Union of Australia Queensland branch (Queensland Independent Education Union, QIEU). "There has been little or no consultation with affected staff, who should not have to reapply for their jobs," he said. "Most of the proposed restructuring is highly questionable and places at risk the high quality education at the School." Some former students responded angrily to the news. Four of the affected teachers "were the backbone of the school when controversy surrounded founding headmaster John Burgess happened," a former prefect (student leader) said. "They got it through that crisis and this is the thanks they get." "People are angry and shocked," they continued. "I am aware of at least 10 families who have said they will pull their children out of the school – it's that bad." The student body has not ruled out protesting the schools plans. "It's getting to that stage," the former prefect said. "People are trying to look at it in an intelligent way but there is so much anger out there." ''Wikinews'' understands that Fairbairn attracted criticism when he was a head teacher in Christchurch, New Zealand, where a former student claimed that Fairbairn "replaced the open and welcoming culture ... with the tyrannical and oppressive one."
Fri 26 May 2006 The substance is used by predators to drug victims because it has no taste and no colour. Picture: Colin Hattersley UK's biggest date rape drug haul UK's biggest haul of date rape drug GHB made in West Lothian Two arrested in Livingston and charged with exporting the class C drug GHB odourless and colourless, and is used for date rape and robbery Key quote "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people. This is not an urban myth, we get 800 to 900 new victims calling us every year." - SPOKESMAN, SUPPORT GROUP Story in full DRUG campaigners and women's groups have expressed alarm after the UK's biggest haul of the date rape drug GHB was made by Scottish police. It is understood a metric tonne of gamma-butyro lactone, which becomes GHB when ingested, was discovered after raids on a house and business premises in West Lothian. The drug is commonly used for recreational purposes by people involved in the club scene, but is also known to be used by sexual predators as a rape drug. It has been described as the sexual predator's drug of choice because it has no taste and no colour. The discovery of such a large quantity of the substance, which is produced and consumed in liquid or powder form, has prompted significant concern from women's groups and campaigners. Jane Cumming, the director of trauma support group Crisis, said they were now receiving about four calls a week from women who believed they had been victims of date rape. "It used to be we would get maybe one case a week. It's becoming more and more of a problem. The drug may be produced for recreational purposes but there are also other, more sinister purposes. "The potential for that amount of the drugs out on the streets simply doesn't bear thinking about." Tom Wood, the chairman of the Scottish Association of Alcohol and Drug Action, warned: "It is very concerning to find such a haul because it shows the quantity of drugs in circulation." Police said they believed the drug had been produced for distribution in Scotland and for export. Graeme Pearson, director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency (SCDEA), said: "It is the most significant discovery of the drug in the UK." He said GHB, also known as liquid ecstasy, was a "dangerous substance in its own right". "However, it has a history of being reported to be used for the purposes of rape, which is clearly a more sinister element to its use. The agency is pleased it has been able to intervene at a very early stage and report the circumstances to the procurator-fiscal." The Roofie Foundation, which runs a helpline for victims of drug rape, said it was "gobsmacked" by the amount of GHB that had been seized. Graham Rhodes, a spokesman, said: "It must have been a vat of the stuff. This stuff sells in bottles at around £10 a time. "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people. This is not an urban myth, we get 800 to 900 new victims calling us every year." Two people were arrested on Wednesday following an operation led by investigators from the SCDEA in Livingston. Denise Caron Macpherson, 45, and Hanan Rabin, 53, yesterday appeared in court charged with exporting the GHB derivative to the United States between 19 April and 24 May this year. They were also accused of supplying the substance from Macpherson's home in the Craigshill area of Livingston between the same dates. A Hebrew interpreter will have to be found to continue the case against Rabin, from Edinburgh, today, a Crown Office spokesman said. Macpherson, who was also charged with possession of cannabis, made no plea or declaration and was bailed. The Home Office made GHB illegal in 2003, reclassifying the drug to class C status. Odourless substance can be disabling when taken with alcohol GHB is a colourless, odourless, salty-tasting liquid usually sold in small bottles or in powder form as capsules. Developed in the early 1960s as an anaesthetic, it became popular in dance and rave culture, raising concerns over its use as a "date rape" drug applied to both women and men. Usually used recreationally as a depressant with effects similar to alcohol, a small dose accentuates the user's mood, making them happy, relaxed and uninhibited or more depressed. It takes about ten minutes to an hour to take effect and lasts up to a day. GHB (its full name is gamma-hydroxybutyrate) is also known as liquid ecstasy, liquid X and GBL. It can be used by body builders as an alternative to anabolic steroids, and is used as a slimming or sleeping aid. Taken in strong doses or with alcohol, it can be physically disabling. Large doses can cause numbness, disorientation, seizures and collapse. After use there is a lack of energy for hours, or even days. It is similar to gamma amino butyric acid, which occurs naturally in the brain. GHB is a Class C drug. It is illegal to possess, supply or produce it and the maximum penalty for offenders is two years' imprisonment. Related topics \|\|\|\|\| '); //--> E-mail \| Print \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters \| My Yahoo! \| RSS Drug Use a Factor in Two-Thirds of Sexual Assaults THURSDAY, June 1 (HealthDay News) -- Drug use was a factor in nearly 62 percent of sexual assaults, and nearly 5 percent of victims were given "date-rape" drugs, a new U.S study finds. "In some cases, the substances are taken voluntarily by the victims, impairing their ability to make decisions. In other cases, the substances are given to the victims without their knowledge, which may decrease their ability to identify a dangerous situation or to resist the perpetrator," study author Adam Negrusz, an associate professor of forensic sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago College of Pharmacy, said in a prepared statement. His team's study included 144 sexual assault victims who sought help at clinics in Texas, California, Minnesota and Washington state. The victims in this study ranged in age from 18 to 56, with a mean age of about 27 years. They provided two urine samples and a hair specimen, and also provided information about the sexual assault and any drugs they were using. "The urine and hair specimens were analyzed for about 45 drugs that have either been detected in sexual assault victims or whose pharmacology could be exploited for drug-facilitated sexual assaults," Negrusz said. The study found that nearly 62 percent of the victims had at least one of the 45 analyzed drugs in their system, about 5 percent tested positive for "classic" date-rape drugs, and just over 4 percent had been drugged without their knowledge. About 35 percent of the victims were impaired due to voluntary drug use at the time of the sexual assault. "This study demonstrated the need for toxicological analysis in sexual assault cases. It also demonstrated that sexual assault complainants severely underreport their illegal drug usage. This could be corrected if the administering nursing staff was better educated on taking a truthful drug history," Negrusz said. The study was funded by the U.S. National Institute of Justice, and can be accessed via the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. More information The U.S. National Women's Health Information Center has more about sexual assault. More On This Topic Article Controls E-mail \| Print \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters \| My Yahoo! \| RSS '); //-->	Scottish police have arrested a man and a woman after finding Britain's largest ever stash of Gamma-butyrolactone. The man in charge of the operation, Graeme Pearson, director of the Scottish Crime and Drug Enforcement Agency, called the find "the most significant discovery of the drug in the UK." The drug GHB in powder form Denise Caron MacPherson, 45, and Hanan Rabin, 53, have been charged with exporting the drug, also known as GHB, to the United States between 19 April and 24 May. The news of the Scottish factory comes as a US study found drug use was involved in two-thirds of sex attacks, while 5 per cent were given an actual "date rape" drug. Graham Rhodes for The Roofie Foundation, a helpline for victims of drug rape, said: "I am very relieved this has been recovered as in the wrong hands it is very dangerous. Not only is it used to spike the drinks of people to rape them but it's also used to assault and rob people." Used by ravers, robbers and bodybuilders, the base chemical (gamma-hydroxybutyrate) was taken during a raid on a house and business in West Lothian. The haul would have been put on the United States illicit drug market and sold for fun and more sinister purposes. In its non-powder form GHB is barely detectable: clear and having no smell it can be particularly potent with a few drops mixed into an alcoholic drink. Once a sufficient amount of the salty liquid has been ingested the victim can be knocked out within an hour. While GHB is known both as "liquid ecstasy" and the date rapist's "Plan A", the versatile compound is also used by body builders instead of anabolic steroids, by dieters and as a sleeping aid. In Britain, GHB is a "Class C" drug which means making it, holding it and selling it is punishable with up to two years in prison. The effects of rape, for which the drug is reportedly used, can last a lifetime. Jane Cumming, from support group Crisis, said she received an average of 4 calls a week from people claiming to be victims of date rape. The pair, who were caught in Livingston, were accused of distributing the drug in Scotland from MacPherson's house around the same time as they were exporting to the United States, while MacPherson was also charged with Cannabis possession.
INDEPTH: SPONSORSHIP SCANDAL Gomery report: Major Findings CBC News Online \| November 1, 2005 The following list of findings is taken from the summary document of "Who is Responsible?" released Nov. 1, 2005 by the Commission of Inquiry into the Sponsorship Program and Advertising Activities. The Commission of Inquiry found: Clear evidence of political involvement in the administration of the Sponsorship Program. Insufficient oversight at the very senior levels of the public service, which allowed program managers to circumvent proper contracting procedures and reporting lines. A veil of secrecy surrounding the administration of the Sponsorship Program and an absence of transparency in the contracting process. Reluctance, for fear of reprisal, by virtually all public servants to go against the will of a manager who was circumventing established policies and who had access to senior political officials. Gross overcharging by communication agencies for hours worked and goods and services provided. Inflated commissions, production costs and other expenses charged by communication agencies and their subcontractors, many of which were related businesses. The use of the Sponsorship Program for the purposes other than national unity or federal visibility because of a lack of objectives, criteria and guidelines for the Program. Deliberate actions to avoid compliance with federal legislation and policies, including the Canada Elections Act, Lobbyists Registration Act, the Access to Information Act and Financial Administration Act, as well as federal contracting policy. A complex web of financial transactions among Public Works and Government Services Canada, Crown Corporations and communication agencies, involving kickbacks and illegal contributions to a political party in the context of the Sponsorship Program. Five agencies that received large sponsorship contracts regularly channelling money, via legitimate donations or unrecorded cash gifts, to political fundraising activities in Quebec, with the expectation of receiving lucrative government contracts. Certain agencies carrying on their payrolls individuals who were, in effect, working on Liberal Party matters. The existence of a "culture of entitlement" among political officials and bureaucrats involved with the Sponsorship Program, including the receipt of monetary and non-monetary benefits. A pattern of activity whereby a public servant in retirement did extensive business with former recipients of Sponsorship Program contracts. The refusal of Ministers, senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and public servants to acknowledge their responsibility for the problems of mismanagement that occurred. ^TOP Jobs \| Contact Us \| Help \| RSS Terms of Use \| Privacy \| Copyright \| Other Policies Copyright © CBC 2005 \|\|\|\|\| Liberals operated kickback scheme: report Printer Friendly (Page 1 of 2) Top News Canadian gov't could topple as NDP yanks support US charges Canadian Guantanamo detainee France plans curfews as youths riot again Australia foils terrorist attack Canada's Air India bomb report expected this month By Randall Palmer and David Ljunggren OTTAWA (Reuters) - Members of Canada's ruling Liberal party ran an elaborate kickback scheme to illegally fund election campaigns, but Prime Minister Paul Martin knew nothing about the wrongdoing, a report into a damaging government corruption scandal said on Tuesday. Inquiry head Judge John Gomery highlighted greed, incompetence, carelessness and venality as the main problems in a deeply flawed government advertising program to promote Canadian unity in French-speaking Quebec from 1996 to 2003. He pinned some of the blame on former Prime Minister Jean Chretien. A defiant Chretien said he would ask the Federal Court to review Gomery's conclusions, saying the judge was biased against him. The scandal has dominated Canadian politics and headlines for the past 18 months, and public anger cost the Liberals their parliamentary majority in the June 2004 election. Opposition politicians reacted with outrage on Tuesday to Gomery's report, released after a year of hearings on how the advertising program channeled some C$100 million to pro-Liberal advertising firms. Martin, who ordered the inquiry, asked police to investigate and told the Liberal Party to repay more than C$1 million. He said he found the conclusions troubling. "Canadians must be able to have faith in the integrity of government and in the people who administer it. In this case, that means finding out what went wrong and repairing the system to prevent it from happening again," he said. Martin appeared to have dodged the prospect of a confidence vote in Parliament this month after opposition parties expressed reluctance about the idea. But he still faces an election early next year, and he will find it hard to win enough Liberal seats in Quebec to give him a majority government. The party's fortunes in the province plummeted last year after the scandal broke. Gomery said a handful of Quebec advertising firms had received lucrative federal contracts and then kicked some of the money back to the Liberal Party's Quebec wing, enabling it to sidestep electoral financing laws. Stephen Harper, leader of the opposition Conservatives, said Martin -- finance minister at the time of the sponsorship program -- had no option but to resign. Continued ... © Reuters 2005. All Rights Reserved. 1 \| 2 Next	Justice John Gomery has released a preliminary report into Canada's Sponsorship Program, which was run from 1996 to 2003 by the federal Public Works Department to win support for federalism in Quebec. The program has recently come under fire for allegedly scandalous practices and has been accused of being a front to reward Liberal Party supporters. The issue came to a head in the spring of 2002, when the Globe and Mail, using Canada's Access to Information Act, discovered that $550,000 had been paid to Groupaction Marketing for a report that could not be located. Former Prime Minister Jean Chrétien then ordered Auditor General Sheila Fraser to look into the matter, who promptly launched a full investigation with assistance from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. In 2004, Fraser's audit was released and found that over $100 million was incorrectly paid to communications agencies rather than for social and cultural events which was the original intention of the program. According to Fraser, officials "broke just about every rule in the book." Under intense criticism from both the public and opposition parties Prime Minister Paul Martin launched a public inquiry into the scandal which was to be headed by Justice Gomery. The report found evidence of political involvement in the handling of the program, and found an "implicit link between the contributions and the expectation that the government contracts would be awarded." The report also claims that Chrétien holds some personal responsibility for the mismanagement. "Since Mr. Chretien chose to run the program from his own office," the report reasoned "he is accountable for the defective manner in which the sponsorship program and initiatives were implemented." Among those accused of wrongdoing are Jean Pelletier (Chrétien's former chief of staff), Chuck Guité (the bureaucrat in charge the program), Jacques Corriveau (president of PluriDesign Canada), and Jean Brault (president of Groupaction).
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Heavy snow and high winds have caused traffic chaos across Germany with at least three deaths reported nationwide. Conditions closed some motorways and caused long traffic jams on many others. North Rhine-Westphalia, which includes the cities of Cologne and Dusseldorf, recorded 300 accidents on Friday night and Saturday morning. Public transport in some areas has been shut down and police have advised people not to travel if possible. The traffic chaos in North Rhine-Westphalia led to one death and 40 more people injured, while in Bavaria another two people were killed on frozen roads. Flights at some airports were cancelled or delayed. With many roads almost impassable, some Germans used alternative transport Sport hit Bus services in the northern city of Rostock were suspended and sports fixtures cancelled after 30cm (12in) of snow fell in one night. Police warned motorists that if they got stranded they might have to wait hours for help. "People should just stay at home," a spokesman said. But despite the weather, some intrepid Germans were determined to enjoy the weekend. In Hamburg hundreds of families skated across the frozen Alster Lake, which forecasters said was a once in a decade phenomenon. \|\|\|\|\| Sudden and heavy snowfalls have hit Germany, bringing traffic chaos to the nation's roads and leaving at least three people dead. Police are advising drivers to stay at home. Heavy and rapid snowfall left roads in parts of Germany impassable, with three lives lost as a result of the blizzards. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia alone, police said that there had been at least 300 accidents that could be put down to snow and ice. One man in the region was killed, apparently after getting out of his car following an accident and being hit by another vehicle. Two people in Bavaria died in separate traffic accidents attributed to the weather, both colliding with oncoming vehicles. The northeastern state of Mecklenburg Pomerania, where ground snow has remained since mid-December, was hit hardest. Major highways were closed after trucks jack-knifed and railway lines were shut until they could be cleared. Cars were left buried in roads and even snow clearance vehicles became stranded. "People should just stay at home" In the city of Rostock, bus services were suspended and the second division city football team Hansa Rostock was forced to cancel its game with FC Union Berlin. "The ground is unplayable: we've had 30 centimeters of new snow and the blizzard hasn't finished," said soccer club spokesman Karsten Lehmann. There were traffic delays on many highways across the country while at airports some flights were late or even cancelled. Police warned motorists to keep off roads unless travel was absolutely necessary and that stranded drivers might wait hours for help. "People should just stay at home," a spokesman said. rc/dpa/AP/Reuters Editor: Andreas Illmer \|\|\|\|\| Published: 30 Jan 10 16:07 CET More than 25 centimetres of new snow disabled traffic throughout northern Germany on Saturday, particularly in the state of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, where Baltic islands have been cut off. ADVERTISING The low pressure front known as "Keziban" has brought more brutal winter weather to Germany. Storms, new snow and several-metre-high snowdrifts have disrupted rail and road traffic throughout northern Germany. One Interior Ministry spokesman said that conditions were "even more drastic" that the storm front "Daisy" from a few weeks ago in some areas.Hundreds of road accidents have been reported throughout Germany, with around 70 cars apparently stuck on the roads of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania. The entire public transport system in the town Rostock has been shut down, as have several rail services in the area.Ferry services to and from Germany's Baltic Sea islands have also been partially shut down, with the island of Hiddensee completely cut off.The police and rescue services have been severely hindered by the weather, and the police have appealed to the population to avoid unnecessary journeys. The German Weather Service extended its storm warnings to huge parts of Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the morning, and warned against entering wooded areas, where the weight of the snow threatens to bring down many trees.All football matches in the state have been cancelled, including Hansa Rostock's second division match against Union Berlin.The extreme weather has extended to other states. A total of 42 people were injured in around 300 accidents reported in North Rhine-Westphalia, and a man was killed on the A16 motorway near Bedburg. The A33 motorway has been closed between Paderborn-Sennelager and Schloss Holte-Stukenbrock.A driver was also killed in Bavaria after his car skidded off an icy road, while a truck crashed on the A21 in Schleswig-Holstein, blocking the motorway for several hours.	Heavy snow combined with high winds has caused at least three deaths, with major travel disruption throughout much of Germany. Several motorways were closed, with long traffic jams on many others. As flights were delayed and rail travel cancelled, the police of North Rhine-Westphalia recorded over three hundred accidents, with a total of 42 injured people, during Friday night and into Saturday, with one death as a result of a man stepping out of his car and into the path of another after a motorway accident. Cars were abandoned, and even the gritters were stranded. In the north of Germany, as much as 25cm of snow immobilised the transport network whilst police and other emergency services struggled to cope. Football matches have been cancelled across the entire nation, and ferry services to the Baltic Sea islands cancelled, with at least one completely cut off. The Alster Lake in Hamburg froze over, prompting hundreds of citizens to skate across it, in what meteorologists say happens just once a decade.
Crashed helicopter found on sea floor, recovery planned RCMP name 12 of 17 killed in crash off Newfoundland's east coast Mike Cunningham said a TSB team hopes to raise the sunken Cougar Helicopters aircraft early next week. (CBC) Mike Cunningham said a TSB team hopes to raise the sunken Cougar Helicopters aircraft early next week. (CBC) The Transportation Safety Board has confirmed the location of an oil industry helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic southeast of Newfoundland on Thursday, killing 17 of 18 people on board, while authorities identified many of the dead. "It looks like the fuselage is relatively intact," lead investigator Mike Cunningham told CBC News on Saturday afternoon after an underwater remote-operated vehicle confirmed the location of a Cougar Helicopters aircraft that went down in the frigid Atlantic waters. "It is laying on the bottom, on its side. The tail boom of the helicopter is broken off, but it is laying right beside the rest of the fuselage." The bodies were not, as yet, located, said Cunningham, but families had been notified. The search for the missing turned to a recovery effort as the sun set Friday evening, about 34 hours after the shuttle, carrying oil industry workers, went into the water about 55 kilometres southeast of St. John's. RCMP, meanwhile, gave the names of 12 of the deceased in Thursday's crash. The other families were "not prepared at this point of time to release the names of their loved ones, and we respect that," said Supt. Reg Reeves. One of the two crew members of the helicopter was identified as Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, B.C. The 11 passengers, all but two from Newfoundland and Labrador, were identified as: Peter Breen, 55, St. John's. Gary Corbett, 46, Conception Bay South. Wade Drake, 42, Fortune. Wade Duggan, 32, Witless Bay. Colin Henley, 38, St. John's. Ken MacRae, 47, Greenwood, N.S. Derrick Mullowney, 51, Bay Bulls. Burch Nash, 44, Fortune. Paul Pike, 49, Spaniard's Bay Allison Maher, 26, Mount Pearl, formerly of Aquaforte. Thomas Anwyll, 46, of Langley, B.C. Maher's body was pulled from the Atlantic Ocean on Thursday, shortly after a frantic search began for survivors. Her funeral will be held Monday. Only one person, Robert Decker, who works at the White Rose oilfield, survived the crash. He remains in critical but stable condition in hospital in St. John's and is being treated for multiple injuries. Reeves said most family members are not willing to give interviews at this time. "They would like to have some privacy and respect," Reeves told reporters. 'Fairly large anomaly' led to chopper find Earlier in the day, Cunningham told a media briefing that a TSB sonar scan had found "a fairly large anomaly," which investigators believed was the Cougar Helicopters aircraft that crashed. At that time, authorities were hoping for a positive identification of the aircraft. Cunningham said the initial sweep showed the ground floor was largely flat and featureless. Underwater remote-operated vehicles were in the water Saturday afternoon to glean more information about the helicopter, which may still contain the bodies of the missing. The TSB has assembled a team of 20 people, including five experts from the U.S. who specialize in helicopters, to work on the investigation. Cunningham said Canadian military officials have volunteered their assistance. He said the Atlantic Osprey supply ship was also carrying RCMP investigators, as well as officials from Cougar Helicopters and Sikorsky, the chopper's manufacturer. "If everything goes well, if Mother Nature co-operates with us, if nothing goes against us, we're hoping that we may lift that aircraft out of the water on Monday or Tuesday," Cunningham said. He added that once the fuselage is recovered, the team will "very respectfully" remove the bodies from the fuselage. \|\|\|\|\| A Canadian Forces CH-149 Cormorant helicopter operates above the vessel Maersk Nascopi earlier today during the search for survivors after a Cougar Sikorsky S 92 ditched into the Atlantic Ocean some 47 nautical miles southeast of St. John's, Newfoundland.The Cougar helicopter was moving passengers from the mainland to an Hibernia oil rig approximately 170 nautical miles from St John's; 18 persons were reported on board. Military and civilian aircraft have been searching the scene as well as two Coast Guard vessels and two commercial vessels operating on the surface One survivor and one deceased have been confirmed. The search is expected to continue through the night. Canada has one the best search and rescue systems in the world and everything possible is being done in the search for survivors of the ditched helicopter. Photograph by: Sergeant Steve Rutt, 413 Squadron, Canadian Forces Edmonton - A 47-year-old employee of Edmonton company FGG Inspections was aboard a helicopter that crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Newfoundland last week. Ken MacRae was a senior analyst technician heading out to Husky Energy’s Sea Rose offshore oil drilling facility Thursday to do an inspection, FGG general manager Ron Gulliver said from Newfoundland on Saturday. MacRae once lived in Fort Saskatchewan, Global News Edmonton learned. Most recently, he worked out of the company’s Edmonton head office but kept his home in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. He had a wife and four children. “His family’s having a real rough time,” said Gulliver, speaking on their behalf. “I’ve known Kenny for a long, long time,” he said, adding they were good friends before MacRae joined the tight-knit company about five years ago. “It’s a great loss to all of us,” Gulliver said. “We were all best friends. We’re all just trying to cope with this.” At work, MacRae was a “highly capable” leader. In his downtime, he was a laid-back outdoorsman who especially loved to hunt and fish, Gulliver said. Before joining FGG, he served with the Canadian Air Force as a mechanical inspector. Eighteen people were in the helicopter when it went down. One man survived, and the body of Allison Maher, a 26-year-old woman from Newfoundland, was recovered Thursday. On Saturday, RCMP in Newfoundland identified MacRae and 10 others as victims of the crash. Those who have been identified are: First Officer Tim Lanouette, 48, of Comox, B.C.; Thomas Anyll, 46, of Langley, B.C.; Peter Breen, 55, of St. John’s; Gary Corbett, 46, of Conception Bay South, N.L.; Wade Drake, 42, of Fortune, N.L., Wade Duggan, 32, of Witless Bay, N.L.; Colin Henley, 38, of St. John’s; Derrick Mullowney, 51, of Bay Bulls, N.L.; Burch Nash, 44, of Fortune, N.L.; and Paul Pike, 49, of Spaniard’s Bay, N.L. RCMP spokesman Reg Reeves it was a partial list, but some families still haven’t agreed to publicly release the names of missing loved ones. “A lot of those people . . . I’ve seen their faces every morning,” said Cougar Helicopters base operations manager Hank Williams. Cougar is contracted to transport workers to and from Newfoundland’s offshore oilfields. “There’s some there that I think have been at the facility as long as I have been involved in the offshore work here,” Williams said. In a funeral notice in the St. John’s Telegram Saturday, Allison Maher’s family said the young woman “died tragically . . . Leaving to mourn parents Richard and Marjorie Maher, brother Brian (Melissa), grandmother Madeline Maher, boyfriend Greg Matthews and many aunts and uncles and her co-workers on The Sea Rose and many friends and relatives.” “She was a beautiful girl,” said 62-year-old Anita Armstrong, who lives in Witless Bay with some members of Maher’s family. Armstrong said there was a pall over the villages along the coast. “Now the thing is they’ve got to find the bodies, before there’s any release,” Armstrong said. “It’s like a cloud over the place. There’s nobody talking very much about it.” Only Maher’s body has been found so far, but a spokesman for the Transportation Safety Board, which is now spearheading the investigation, said recovering those bodies is a priority. “It’s very important for us to bring that kind of closure to retrieve the bodies and give them to their loved ones,” said Charles Laurence, TSB’s lead investigator of operations. He said investigators Saturday were examining sonar images of the wreckage to determine how best to raise the helicopter from where it lies 120 metres underwater. “The structure of the aircraft, the body of the aircraft seems to be in relatively solid state. The tail section has broken off and it is lying by the side of the aircraft which is not a problem,” Laurence said. “We are still evaluating how it’s going to be brought to the surface but we believe it should be done relatively easily, possibly in a couple of days.” Laurence said lifting the helicopter may take place as early as Monday, but the retrieval has to proceed with extreme caution. “You don’t want to lose parts, and you want to make sure you keep the integrity of the cabin and its contents,” he said. “We’re also very eager to find out what went wrong.... The recorders, both the data and the voice recorders, are really an important step in investigating an aircraft accident like this.” The goal will be to lift the whole of the fuselage as one piece, before bodies can be removed. Transportation Safety Board investigator Mike Cunningham said he expects the missing 16 passengers are still strapped inside the Sikorsky S-9. “They’re very securely fastened inside the fuselage..” he said. “They actually have five-point harnesses on. So unless they were able to release those harnesses . . . the bodies may still be within the fuselage. “This is certainly what we’re hoping for. Because we want to be able to recover those bodies for the families.” The lone survivor of the crash, Robert Decker of St. John’s, was pulled from the water where the helicopter went down about 45 minutes after the crash. He remains in hospital in St. John’s in critical but stable condition, with salt in his lungs, a broken bone and hypothermia. “He was revived for a period of time on Friday and showed awareness of his surroundings and the family members who were with him,” his family said in a statement released Saturday. “However, the ventilator prevented him from speaking. He continues to be heavily sedated and in stable, but critical, condition.” bgelinas@thejournal.canwest.com © Copyright (c) The Edmonton Journal \|\|\|\|\| No signals from locator beacons in crashed helicopter: officials A Sikorsky S92 helicopter flown by Cougar Helicopters crashed Thursday morning while en route to the White Rose and Hibernia oilfields. (Cougar Helicopters) A Sikorsky S92 helicopter flown by Cougar Helicopters crashed Thursday morning while en route to the White Rose and Hibernia oilfields. (Cougar Helicopters) Hours after a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers crashed into the Atlantic Ocean southeast of St. John's, officials have still not received any locator signals from the beacons attached to survival suits the people aboard were wearing. A search and rescue operation will continue throughout the night for the 16 people still missing, out of a total 18 who were on board when the Cougar Helicopters chopper went down Thursday off Newfoundland, officials said during a news conference. (CBC) (CBC) "At this time, all we’ve got is the debris field. No indications of any survivors, but the search will continue, and obviously, we’ll hope for the best," said Maj. Denis McGuire, a spokesman for the Rescue Co-ordination Centre in Halifax. One man, Robert Decker, was recovered alive from the area where the Sikorsky S92 chopper, known as Cougar 911, crashed. Searchers also brought back the body of one person killed in the crash to St. John's. No further details were released. Two empty life-rafts were also found near the crash site. The helicopter was heading to two offshore oilfields. At about 9:18 a.m. NT, or 7:48 a.m. ET, its crew issued a mayday and an alert about technical problems, saying there was a main gearbox oil-pressure problem and requesting clearance to return to St. John's. The Transportation Safety Board said the helicopter, which had turned back to St. John's after issuing the mayday, crashed into the water within 10 minutes of the mayday signal. The crash is believed to have occurred about 30 nautical miles, or about 55 kilometres, east-southeast of Newfoundland. McGuire also said that so far, there were "no signals, whatsoever from any of the [beacons]." "I cannot speculate on why they wouldn’t have worked or what the issues may have been, but we did not receive any signals," he said. The low-power beacons are designed to work when people are on the surface of the water, officials said. All passengers and crew must wear a survival suit before they board a helicopter. Authorities said a healthy adult wearing a survival suit could be expected to live for about 24 hours in the frigid Atlantic waters. From left to right, Maj. Denis McGuire of the Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters and Trevor Pritchard of Husky Energy speak at a press conference regarding the helicopter crash in the North Atlantic. (Paul Daly/Canadian Press) From left to right, Maj. Denis McGuire of the Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters and Trevor Pritchard of Husky Energy speak at a press conference regarding the helicopter crash in the North Atlantic. (Paul Daly/Canadian Press) Decker was listed in critical condition in hospital in St. John's. A source told CBC News he had aspirated sea water and was being treated in intensive care for hypothermia and a broken bone. Earlier Thursday afternoon, officials in St. John's were unable to say how many people survived after the helicopter, which was heading to two offshore oilfields, ditched into the ocean. "We only have one person at this point," Rick Burt, general manager of Cougar Helicopters, told reporters in St. John's. "This is a very difficult time for Cougar, our colleagues, our customers and their families," said Burt, who was visibly shaken during two afternoon briefings with journalists. The crash is the first time a helicopter carrying offshore oil workers has gone down since oil was first pumped on the Grand Banks in 1997. The choppers are essentially shuttles for workers coming on and off shift, and are familiar sights in the skies of St. John's. Julie Leroux, an official with the Transportation Safety Board, said the helicopter's crew reported mechanical problems, but they did not know the nature of those problems. In 1982, the then-developing industry was rocked when 84 men died when the Ocean Ranger, a drilling rig that was exploring for oil in the Grand Banks, sank during a winter storm. Worried relatives gather at family centre Crew aboard Cougar 911 were largely working at the White Rose offshore oilfield, southeast of St. John's. Two were stationed at the nearby Hibernia platform. Two of the people aboard the helicopter worked directly for Cougar Helicopters. Calgary-based Husky, the operator of the White Rose project, and Hibernia Management both said they are assisting with the search and rescue effort. Another chopper, also operated by Cougar Helicopters, arrived at the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's at noon with Decker, who was rushed into the hospital on a stretcher. Hopes had been high earlier in the day for a larger, immediate rescue. Eastern Health told CBC News that it had cleared its emergency rooms to prepare for what it described as patients who are critically ill and hypothermic. However, officials later told ambulances that had been waiting near a helipad that they were not needed for the time being. A family centre has been set up at the Comfort Inn next to the headquarters of Cougar Helicopters at St. John's airport. Worried relatives could be seen walking back and forth between the two buildings, while other people sat in their vehicles in the parking lot, listening to news reports on the radio and talking on cell phones. Joe Delaney said he's concerned for his nephew, who went out on a flight this morning. "He was here yesterday, got bumped off his flight, ended up coming back again this morning," he said. "So we're uncertain now as to where it stands." High winds reported High winds were reported as aircraft — including a military plane and two Cormorant helicopters — were dispatched to the scene. The coast guard also sent one of its ships, and companies active in the offshore oil industry have joined the effort. A supply ship was also en route to the scene. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams described the crash as a "terrible tragedy off of our shores." "We are a seafaring people who have for centuries lived from the sea, people risking their lives every day to provide for their families and contribute to this province. And yet, we will never, ever be able to accept the loss of precious lives to the sea," Williams said in a statement. Prime Minister Stephen Harper, speaking during question period on Thursday, said he had called Williams earlier in the day. "I know all of us in this chamber want to share our thoughts and prayers with the families who are anxiously awaiting word on their loved ones." Flights to Hibernia platform suspended Meanwhile, crews that arrived at Cougar's base, near the main terminal at the St. John's airport, were told they could not be ferried offshore on Thursday morning. "All of a sudden, we saw the cameras and police," said Rick Strickland, a steward aboard the Hibernia platform, describing the scene as he learned his transport to the Hibernia platform had been suspended. Having made regular shuttles to the Hibernia platform since 1997, Strickland said safety is a priority. He has such confidence in the helicopters and their crew that he usually sleeps during the flights, which take between 75 and 90 minutes. "It doesn't scare me as such, no. [But] it always crosses your mind at some point," he said. Cougar 911 usually flies crews to and from the Hibernia platform, about 315 kilometres southeast of St. John's, and St. John's International Airport. On Thursday, however, it was working with a crew stationed at the floating Sea Rose platform, at the White Rose field.	Sikorsky S-92: detail of rotor The fuselage of the Sikorsky S92 helicopter that crashed in the on Friday has been found at a depth 120 to 150 meters and is being retrieved. 17 of the 18 people who were on board the helicopter died after it crashed. Personal belongings, upper and lower segments of the main entrance door, the aft cargo door, and one emergency exit door have been recovered. “We totally dissect everything we can and certainly that is going to be an area that will be examined," said Mike Cunningham, lead investigator with the Transportation Safety Board (TSB). "It looks like the fuselage is relatively intact." An underwater (ROV) is aiding in the investigation. “The structure of the aircraft, the body of the aircraft seems to be in relatively solid state. The tail section has broken off and it is lying by the side of the aircraft which is not a problem. We are still evaluating how it’s going to be brought to the surface but we believe it should be done relatively easily, possibly in a couple of days,” said Charles Laurence, TSB’s lead investigator of operations. The remaining victims may still be strapped within their five-point harnesses. The mayday to Transport Canada aviation database reported oil pressure in the main gearbox which caused the problem. The gearbox links the engines and transmission and is located on the top of the fuselage and under the main rotor head. Robert Decker remains in critical at the St. John's Health Sciences Centre but has stabilised. It is reported that he suffered a broken bone, hypothermia and had aspirated sea water. The recovered body is that of Allison Maher from Aquaforte, , aged 26. Throughout the search and rescue there were no locator signals received from survival suits of any of those missing. The (RCMP) have released the names of twelve of those who are are still missing. It is a partial list, as some relatives were "not prepared at this point of time to release the names of their loved ones, and we respect that," said Supt. Reg Reeves. They are: Peter Breen, from age 55; Gary Corbett, from age 46; Wade Drake, from age 42; Wade Duggan, from age 32; Colin Henley, from St. John's, N.L. age 38; Ken MacRae, from age 47; Derrick Mullowney, from age 51; Burch Nash, from Fortune, N.L. age 44; Paul Pike, from age 49; Allison Maher,from , age 26 Tim Lanouette, from , helicopter first officer age 48; and Thomas Anwyll, from Crew member age 46.
It is not the first time he has parted company with Ian Paisley He said he was leaving the party with immense sadness but that he felt Sinn Fein was "not fit for government". It comes after a ground-breaking meeting between Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams at Stormont when they agreed to share power on 8 May. Mr Allister said he would not be giving up his seat as an MEP. He said the DUP had not delivered on its election manifesto and accused Sinn Fein of "weasel words". Mr Allister, who previously left the party after a disagreement in the 1980s, was opposed to the DUP executive resolution committing to power-sharing. He announced his decision at a news conference in east Belfast. It seems to me that, sadly, the lure of office has clouded the party's judgment Jim Allister He said: "To continue as the DUP's MEP, it would be my obligation to accept the party executive policy decision to usher Sinn Fein into government in a few short weeks. "This, in conscience, I cannot do. Thus, I must resign from the DUP. "Sinn Fein, in my view, is not fit for government. Nor can it be in a few weeks." He added: "I have fought a protracted battle within the party over recent months against a premature DUP/Sinn Fein government. "I now have to accept that this battle is lost." The MEP said if Sinn Fein believed the IRA was truly and irreversibly committed to exclusively peaceful means, there was no need for an IRA army council. "I just cannot comprehend how the DUP can contemplate government, particularly where it will be joined at the hip in the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister, with an organisation which clings to an illegal army council of an illegal army," he said. "It seems to me that, sadly, the lure of office has clouded the party's judgment." Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson said Mr Allister's resignation was "not a huge surprise". "I would like to assure him that regardless of his political affiliation, I have every intention of maintaining the good working relationship we have had since he was elected to the European Parliament," he said. 'Unrepentant terrorists' Meanwhile, Ballymena DUP councillor Sam Gaston has stepped down from the party as a result of Monday's developments. Mr Gaston said six weeks was not enough for republicans to prove themselves. "I think they have gone into government too quickly," Mr Gaston said. "I think those people who have suffered deserve that we don't have unrepentant terrorists in government." Mr Allister was elected to the European Parliament in 2004, ending a 17-year absence from frontline politics. BBC Northern Ireland political editor Mark Devenport said: "On Saturday, he was one of the members of the 120-strong DUP executive who voted against the resolution committing the party to sharing power in May. "He drove away from Castlereagh council before Ian Paisley emerged, flanked by the majority of his colleagues." The MEP was known to oppose power-sharing It is not be the first time he has parted company with Ian Paisley. In the 1980s, he left active politics after disagreeing with his leader's tactics after the Anglo-Irish Agreement. His return to the DUP fold to stand as an MEP surprised those who believed he had already given up politics to concentrate on his legal career. Last October, Mr Allister said the St Andrews Agreement had definite gains but also fundamental negatives. He said disadvantages included the length of the testing period for Sinn Fein and enforced mandatory coalition. He also said there was no mechanism to exclude Sinn Fein if it "defaulted", other than to punish all parties. Mr Allister said it would be "intolerable for any unionist" if the IRA army council was still in existence when the parties are due to share power. He said this would be a deal-breaker for him. \|\|\|\|\| MEP Jim Allister quits DUP over power-sharing deal Tuesday, March 27, 2007 The Democratic Unionist Party's sole MEP quit the party today over its power-sharing deal with Gerry Adams, claiming Sinn Fein was still not fit for government. It is the second time Jim Allister has resigned from the DUP. In 1987 he resigned after he was prevented from standing for a Westminster seat because of an electoral pact with the Ulster Unionists. But in 2004, he was persuaded back into frontline DUP politics when the Reverend Ian Paisley stood down from the European Parliament and topped the Northern Ireland-wide European election poll. In his east Belfast office, the QC admitted that he had lost a battle within the DUP against the party striking a power-sharing deal with Sinn Fein. ``It is with immense sadness that I must resign from the DUP,'' he declared. ``To continue as the DUP's MEP, it would be my obligation to accept the party executive policy decision to usher Sinn Fein into government in a few short weeks. ``This, in conscience, I cannot do. Thus, I must resign from the DUP. ``Sinn Fein, in my view, is not fit for government. Nor can it be in a few weeks.'' It is believed the image of Mr Paisley and Mr Adams sitting side by side in Stormont's Parliament Buildings, sealing a deal which would see their parties form a power-sharing government on May 8, finally pushed the MEP over the edge. Mr Allister expressed grave reservations about the prospect of devolved government featuring Sinn Fein, in the wake of last October's St Andrews talks. He said today: ``I have fought a protracted battle within the party over recent months against a premature DUP/Sinn Fein government. ``I now have to accept that this battle is lost. ``The import of the executive resolution and yesterday's spectacle is clear. Sadly, no more delivery is required from Sinn Fein - it is enough if they do not resile from the commitments already made. ``Since the present commitments are, at best, equivocal and permit outrageous utterances such as those of Ms (Michelle) Gildernew (the Sinn Fein MP) after the lawful arrest and charging of persons with attempted murder, and since Sinn Fein is now to be admitted to government while its IRA Army Council still exists, I believe the much vaunted `delivery to our satisfaction' has been so diluted as to have become meaningless, just as the ill-gotten gains, so robustly mentioned in that New Year's message, have become the forgotten gains.'' Mr Allister said he had believed the abolition of the IRA Army Council was always the litmus test of the Republican Movement's transition to exclusively peaceful and democratic means. He said if Sinn Fein believed the IRA was truly and irreversibly committed to exclusively peaceful means, there was no need for an Army Council.	, the (DUP) (MEP) for Northern Ireland, resigned because of his party's decision to enter into a power-sharing Government with . Mr Allister said that party colleagues had been "lured by office" and that he had not returned to politics in 2004 to "help ease Sinn Féin into Government". He acknowledged that although he had fought within the DUP against Sinn Féin being permitted to be members of the , he had failed to persuade the vast majority of the party's ruling executive on the issue. Yesterday, Ian Paisley, DUP leader, and Gerry Adams, Sinn Féin President, agreed to enter into a power sharing executive in May. This is the second time that Jim Allister has resigned from the DUP over disagreements with Ian Paisley entering pacts with other political parties.
U.S. Embassy officials in Ankara say two U.S. warplanes accidentally violated Turkish airspace last week near the Iraq border. U.S. and Turkish officials said they are investigating the incident. The Turkish military said on its Web site that two F-16s briefly crossed into Turkish airspace on May 24. Officials said the incursion lasted about four minutes. The incursion happened in an area of southeast Turkey near where thousands of Turkish troops are reported to be gathering. The airspace violation comes as speculation grows over whether Turkish troops will launch a cross-border operation against Kurdish militants in Iraq. Last week, Turkish Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul said no plans were underway for such a raid. Some information for this report was provided by AP and Reuters. \|\|\|\|\| The decline of the U.S. has been a hot topic in policy debates and popular culture in the U.S. for the last few... More \|\|\|\|\| HAKKARİ’DE İHLAL Genelkurmay açıklamasında, ABD’ye ait iki F-16 uçağının 24 Mayıs Perşembe günü Hakkari’nin Üzümlü bölgesinde Türk Hava Sahası’nı dört dakika süreyle ihlal ettiği bildirildi. Gerekli girişimlerde bulunulması maksadıyla olayın Dışişleri Bakanlığı’na bildirildiği de kaydedildi. Hürriyet’e konuşan askeri yetkililer de, "Barış Zamanı" içinde ABD’den bir hava ihlalini hatırlamadıklarını belirterek, bunun ilk olmasına dikkat çektiler. Genelkurmay’ın olaydan üç gün sonra yaptığı açıklamanın, Irak Özel Temsilcisi Oğuz Çelikkol ve beraberindeki heyetin Bağdat’a gittiği güne denk gelmesi de bir diğer önemli ayrıntı oldu. Bakan Gül, dün Sivas’ta konu kendisine sorulduğunda ayrıntıların henüz kendisine ulaşmadığını belirterek, "Daha önce bu tür olaylar olduğunda Kuzey Irak’tan olmamıştı. Başka yerlerde bazı ihlaller olmuştu, gereken işlemler hemen yapılıp, nota verilmişti" diye konuştu. Türkiye ile ABD arasında "barış zamanında" ilk kez havada böylesine sıcak saatlerin yaşandığını ortaya koyan bu gelişmeyle ilgili, Dışişleri Bakanlığı, Genelkurmay’ın bildiriminin resmen eline ulaşmasını bekliyor. Üst düzey bir diplomat, araya hafta sonu tatili girdiği için Genelkurmay’ın başvurusuyla ilgili ABD nezdinde girişimin bugün yapılabileceğini belirtti. F-16 uçaklarında bulunan bir sistem uçakların konumunu elektronik olarak pilota ve merkeze bildirdiği için uçakların sınırı yanlışlıkla geçmesi mümkün değil. ABD:İHLAL 1 DAKİKA ABD Büyükelçisi Ross Wilson, ihlalin 1 dakikalık olduğunu söyleyerek, henüz yeterince bilgi almadığını kaydetti. Wilson, TSK ile ABD’nin sürekli yakın ilişki ve işbirliği içinde olduğunu da sözlerine ekledi. ABD Büyükelçiliği Basın Sözcüsü Cathryn Schalaw, Hürriyet muhabirine konu hakkında Türk Hükümeti tarafından birkaç gün önce bilgilendirildiklerini belirterek, "Söz konusu olayın tamamiyle önceden planlanmamış ve bir kaza sonucu gerçekleştiğini düşünüyoruz. Olay ve pilotlar hakkında soruşturma başlatıldı. Şu anda daha fazla açıklama yapmak mümkün değil" diye konuştu. BÜYÜKANIT İZMİR'DE ÖĞRENDİ ABD F-16 savaş uçaklarının 24 Mayıs 2007 günü hava sahamızı 4 dakika süreyle ihlal ettiği öğrenildi. Genelkurmay Başkanı Orgeneral Yaşar Büyükanıt ihlali Efes 2007 tatbikatı için gittiği İzmir’de öğrendi. Alınan bilgiye göre uçaklar Türk hava sahasını Güneydoğu Anadolu Bölgesinde Üzümlü Hakkari’de ihlal etti ve 4 dakika süreyle Türk sahasında uçtu ve Türk uçakları herhangi bir önlemede bulunmadan tekrar Irak’a döndü. 4 DAKİKA’DA NELER OLUR Sesten iki kat daha hıza ulaşabilen F-16 savaş uçakları bu hıza acil şartlar dışında çıkmaz ve genellikle saatte 900 kilometre hızla uçar bu nedenle 4 dakika sürede yaklaşık 80 kilometre boyunca Türk sınırında uçabilir. NEDEN 4 DAKİKA Hava sahası ihlallerinin genelde 1 ile 2 dakika sürdüğüne dikkat çeken uzmanlar Türk uçaklarının önleme uçuşu yapmak için duruma göre en az 2 en çok 5 dakika içinde havalandığına ve sesten 2 kat hızla uçarak kısa sürede olay yerine ulaşma imkanına sahip olduğuna dikkat çektiler. Türk hava kuvvetlerinin önleme uçuşu yapacak uçakları Diyarbakır’da konuşlu bulunuyor ve Hava sahası ihlali yapan bir uçak için bu nedenle 4 dakikalık ihlal uçuşu riske etmeyecek en uzun süre olarak geçiyor. UÇAKTA NE VARDI Bu tür ihlallerin havadan bilgi toplamak amacıyla yapıldığına dikkat çeken uzmanlar F-16 uçaklarının hava ve uçuş koşullarına göre uçtuğu hat boyunca 100 kilometre genişliğinde bir alanın fotoğraflarını çekebildiğini belirtiler. Uydulardan çekilen fotoğraflar iki boyutlu olduğu için yeterince bilgi vermiyor ve uçaktan çekilen fotoğraflar uydu görüntülerinin anlamlandırılmasına yardımcı oluyor. TSK, yaklaşık 2 aydır Kuzey Irak’a girmek için operasyon hazırlıkları yaptığı için Amerikan uçaklarının Türk Silahlı Kuvvetlerinin hazırlıklarını gözlemlemesi en yakın ihtimal olarak görülüyor. SINIRIN YANLIŞLIKLA GEÇİLMESİ MÜMKÜN DEĞİL F-16 uçaklarında bulunan bir sistem uçakların konumunu elektronik olarak pilota ve merkeze bildirdiği içi uçakların sınırı yanlışlıkla geçmesi mümkün değil. Amerikan hava kuvvetlerine ait uçaklar daha önce hava sahasını ihlal etmemişti ancak geçmişte helikopterlerin sınır ihlalinde bulunduğu biliniyor. HİK OLSAYDI TÜRKİYE ÖNLEMİNİ DAHA ERKEN ALIRDI Türkiye bu tür olaylara karşı önlem olarak talep ettiği Havadan İhbar Uçağı (Batış Kartalı Projesine) şu anda sahip olsaydı Türkiye Güneydoğu sınırına yaklaşan uçaklardan daha erken haberdar olabilirdi. Türkiye’nin 2003 yılında başlattığı proje gecikmesiz yürüyor olsaydı ilk HİK uçağı Türkiye’ye teslim edilmiş olacaktı. HİK projesinin yürütücüsü Amerikan Boeing firması iki hafta önce yaptığı açıklamada projenin 3 yıl gecikeceğini belirtti ve gecikmenin Türkiye’ye getireceği güvenlik zafiyeti hakkında konuşmak istemedi. \|\|\|\|\| ABD Ankara Büyükelçisi Ross Wilson, Ankara'daki resepsiyonda 2 ABD F-16'sının Türk sınırını taciziyle ilgili şöyle dedi: "Kesinlikle ve kesinlikle ABD'nin Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devleti'ne herhangi bir şekilde mesaj verdiği yorumları doğru değildir. Bu olay tamamen 2 ABD pilotunun sınırı şaşırmasıyla ilgilidir. Konuyla ilgili soruşturmayı ABD Hava Kuvvetleri sürdürmektedir. Sonucuna göre gereken yapılacaktır." ABD Büyükelçisinin bu açıklamasından sonra Ankara kulislerinde şu soru soruldu: Eğer böyle anlık bir pilot hatası varsa Türk Genelkurmayı bunu neden uzun süre sonra bir sınır ihlali olarak açıkladı. RESEPSİYONDA SORULARI YANITLADI Büyükelçi Ross Wilson, Türkiye-ABD Parlamentolararası Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Egemen Bağış'ın, Türkiye'de temaslarda bulunan ABD kongre heyetine TBMM'de verdiği akşam yemeği öncesi gazetecilerin sorularını yanıtladı. Olayın geçen hafta perşembe ya da cuma günü meydana geldiğini belirten Wilson, şöyle konuştu: “Biz bu olayı Türk Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'ndan epeyi sonra öğrendik. Bu konuyu inceledik ve pilot hatası olduğunu belirledik. Pilot, uçuş sırasında Irak'ın kuzey kısmında, sınırın yerini yanlış anlamış. Konuyu araştırdık. Biz konuyu kapanmış sayıyoruz.” “KONUYU ORGENERAL SAYGUN İLE DE KONUŞTUK” Wilson, bugün ABD kongre heyetiyle Genelkurmay İkinci Başkanı Orgeneral Ergin Saygun'a yaptıkları ziyarette konununun gündeme geldiğini ifade ederek, “Konuyu Orgeneral Saygun ile de konuştuk. Bu bir kazaydı. Konu araştırılıyor. Sonuçlarının ne olacağına ABD Hava Kuvvetleri karar verecektir” dedi. Edinilen bilgiye göre, ABD kongre heyetinin Orgeneral Saygun'a ihlalin Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'nın internet sitesinde yayımlanmasından duyduğu rahatsızlığı dile getirdiği, Orgeneral Saygun'un ise “tüm ihlallerin internet sitesinde yayımlandığını, bunun olağan bir uygulama” olduğunu ifade ettiği öğrenildi. \|\|\|\|\| ABD Ankara Büyükelçisi Ross Wilson, Ankara'daki resepsiyonda 2 ABD F-16'sının Türk sınırını taciziyle ilgili şöyle dedi: "Kesinlikle ve kesinlikle ABD'nin Türkiye Cumhuriyeti Devleti'ne herhangi bir şekilde mesaj verdiği yorumları doğru değildir. Bu olay tamamen 2 ABD pilotunun sınırı şaşırmasıyla ilgilidir. Konuyla ilgili soruşturmayı ABD Hava Kuvvetleri sürdürmektedir. Sonucuna göre gereken yapılacaktır." ABD Büyükelçisinin bu açıklamasından sonra Ankara kulislerinde şu soru soruldu: Eğer böyle anlık bir pilot hatası varsa Türk Genelkurmayı bunu neden uzun süre sonra bir sınır ihlali olarak açıkladı. RESEPSİYONDA SORULARI YANITLADI Büyükelçi Ross Wilson, Türkiye-ABD Parlamentolararası Dostluk Grubu Başkanı Egemen Bağış'ın, Türkiye'de temaslarda bulunan ABD kongre heyetine TBMM'de verdiği akşam yemeği öncesi gazetecilerin sorularını yanıtladı. Olayın geçen hafta perşembe ya da cuma günü meydana geldiğini belirten Wilson, şöyle konuştu: “Biz bu olayı Türk Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'ndan epeyi sonra öğrendik. Bu konuyu inceledik ve pilot hatası olduğunu belirledik. Pilot, uçuş sırasında Irak'ın kuzey kısmında, sınırın yerini yanlış anlamış. Konuyu araştırdık. Biz konuyu kapanmış sayıyoruz.” “KONUYU ORGENERAL SAYGUN İLE DE KONUŞTUK” Wilson, bugün ABD kongre heyetiyle Genelkurmay İkinci Başkanı Orgeneral Ergin Saygun'a yaptıkları ziyarette konununun gündeme geldiğini ifade ederek, “Konuyu Orgeneral Saygun ile de konuştuk. Bu bir kazaydı. Konu araştırılıyor. Sonuçlarının ne olacağına ABD Hava Kuvvetleri karar verecektir” dedi. Edinilen bilgiye göre, ABD kongre heyetinin Orgeneral Saygun'a ihlalin Genelkurmay Başkanlığı'nın internet sitesinde yayımlanmasından duyduğu rahatsızlığı dile getirdiği, Orgeneral Saygun'un ise “tüm ihlallerin internet sitesinde yayımlandığını, bunun olağan bir uygulama” olduğunu ifade ettiği öğrenildi.	Turkey Hakkari province F-16 Fighting Falcon Two US Air Force F-16's have violated Turkish airspace for four minutes over Hakkari province on 14 May 2007. The F-16's had reportedly taken off from Afghanistan. The air violation comes at the same time Turkish Armed Forces conducting a search and destroy operation against the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) making preparations for a possible military operation in north of Iraq. Turkey, NATO, and European Union considers PKK to be a terrorist organization. Turkey had stepped up the pressure on Iraq and the United States to eliminate PKK presence in northern Iraq since the suicide attack at Ankara on May 22, 2007 which killed 6 people wounded 79. The US Embassy in Ankara stated that: "The interpretation that this was a message to the Republic of Turkey was most certainly not true. This incident is strictly two US pilots confusing the border. The investigation is being conducted by the US Air Force." Prime minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on a program on the Turkish channel NTV stated that "if there is another airspace violation what needs to be done is clear". In military literature this translates to "unidentified military craft will be shot down" according to the Hürriyet.
CHP Election Candidates - Québec Affiliations: Roman Catholic General: Stefan is a US citizen born in 1964 in Camp Hill, Pennsylvania. He obtained his Canadian citizenship when he was 16 years old. Your donation will be gratefully accepted. Please make your cheque payable to: "Louis Casgrain, Official Agent for Stefan Jetchick" 5995, rue Banville, app. 4 Québec (Québec) G1P 1H7 (418) 877-0773 To view a map of this electoral district, please click here. top \|\|\|\|\| Pascal-Pierre Paillé Party: Bloc Québécois Age: 30 Education: Earned a bachelor's degree in teaching physical education and health from Laval University. He was also trained in behavioural disorders in psychopathology. Profession: Teacher, entrepreneur Career Background: He taught special education, physical education and health at various schools in Quebec. He also operated his own company for seven years. Community Activities: He coaches martial arts. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Quebec City Chamber of Commerce. In 2006 and 2007, he coordinated break dance competitions in collaboration with the Centre for Suicide Prevention of Quebec. Mailing address: 4562, rue Saint-Felix Cap-Rouge, Quebec G1Y 3B2 Contact information: Telephone: 418-204-0923 contact@pppaille.org www.pppaille.org Stefan Jetchick Party: Christian Heritage Party Age: 41 Birthplace: Camp Hill, PA, USA Education: Has a bachelor's degree in philosophy. Profession: Currently a conference interpreter (English-French). Previously a software engineer (object-oriented C++ programming). Marital Status: Single Electoral History Federal: Ran unsuccessfully in Louis-Hébert in the 2006 general election. Mailing address: 1450 Av. Des Pins Sillery, Que. G1S 4J6 Contact information: Telephone/Fax: 418-683-8554 www.chp-louishebert.ca Luc Harvey Party: Conservative Party of Canada Age: 43 Birthplace: Chicoutimi, Que. Education: BA, Laval University; studied English literature at the University of Guelph Marital Status: Married Children: Four Career Background: Completed the development of an electronic system for aircraft engines. Director in charge of business strategies for Centre financier ASSEP. Community Activities: Coaches youth soccer teams and is involved in the indoor soccer stadium project in Quebec City. Electoral History Federal: Elected in Louis-Hébert in the 2006 general election. Political History Committee:Member: Environment and Sustainable Development and Official Languages committees. Caucus: Member of the Conservative caucus. Michelle Fontaine Party: Green Party of Canada Birthdate: Feb. 20, 1957 Age: 51 Birthplace: Saint Foy, Que. Education: Visual arts diploma from Laval University; National Ballet of Canada, dance and tai- chi. Profession: Teacher Marital Status: Single Children: Two adult children Career Background: Teacher of classical and modern dance, visual arts and music. Customer service receptionist and small business owner. Jean Beaupré Party: Liberal Party of Canada Education: Graduated from Laval University Profession: Lawyer Marital Status: Married Name of Spouse: Marie-Louise Pineault Children: One daughter and two grandchildren Career Background: He is a partner at the Joli-Cœur Lacasse law firm in Quebec City. Community Activities: He has chaired several boards of directors including the Quebec City Winter Carnival, the Quebec City United Way and the Metropolitan Quebec City Chamber of Commerce and Industry. He sat on several other boards, including the United Way of Canada, the Canadian Cancer Society, the foundation of the Musée de la civilisation, a historic museum in Quebec City, and three hospital foundations - Saint-François-d’Assise, Enfant-Jésus and Saint-Sacrement. Denis Blanchette Party: New Democratic Party of Canada Education: College studies in Human Sciences and Information Technology; university courses in sociology and journalism; masters candidate in public administration, National School of Public Administration Profession: Analyst Career Background: Information analyst for the provincial government since 1983. Community Activities: Former officer of the Syndicat de la Fonction publique du Québec (SFPQ) and was co-chair of a joint committee on workplace health and safety. Electoral History Federal: Ran unsuccessfully in this riding in the 2006 general election. CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window. 2008 Results	In an attempt to speak with as many candidates as possible during the 2008 Canadian federal election, Wikinews has talked via email with Stefan Jetchick, who is a candidate in Quebec's Louis-Hébert riding, running under the Christian Heritage Party of Canada (CHP) banner. The CHP is a minor, registered political party running a significant number of candidates across the country, looking to earn its first ever seat in the House of Commons. Jetchick is their only candidate running in the province. The Quebec riding of Louis-Hébert, in the Capitale-Nationale region, has existed in the House of Commons since 2004. It includes the west section of Quebec City, primarily Sainte-Foy—Sillery and Laurentien's south end. The Conservative incumbent in the riding is Luc Harvey; also running are Pascal-Pierre Paillé (Bloc Québécois), Denis Blanchette (New Democratic Party), Jean Beaupré (Liberal Party of Canada), and Michelle Fontaine (Green Party of Canada). The following is an interview with Mr. Jetchick, conducted via email. The interview is published unedited, as sent to Wikinews; this includes Mr. Jetchick's separation of multipart questions into fragments, and his formatting relating to his applicable experience.
Busy Atlantic season could bring up to 10 hurricanes (CNN) -- The 2006 Atlantic hurricane season is expected to be an active one, with up to 10 of the big storms, the National Hurricane Center announced Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that four to six of those hurricanes could reach Category 3 strength or higher -- with maximum sustained winds topping 111 mph. NOAA predicts 13 to 16 named storms this season, which runs from June 1 to November 30. Eight to 10 of those storms are expected to reach hurricane strength. (Watch how close that came to an earlier prediction -- 3:12) A storm gets a name when it reaches tropical storm strength, with maximum sustained winds of 39 mph. It becomes a hurricane when its winds reach 74 mph. NOAA administrator, retired Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, said that warmer sea surface temperatures, low wind shear and other wind conditions are favorable to hurricane development. Wind shear, which is a change in air movement at different heights, can block the formation of hurricanes or make them weaker. Lautenbacher said that it was too early to predict how many storms would make landfall, but said that "it is statistically within reason to assume that two to four hurricanes could affect the United States." (Watch how you can prep for hurricane season -- 7:35 ) The Atlantic Basin has been in an active hurricane cycle that began in 1995, and nine of the 11 hurricane seasons since then have been above normal, according to NOAA. There were so many storms in 2005 that the National Weather Service had to use Greek letters when it used up its list of 21 names. This season is not expected to be as busy as last year, the busiest and deadliest on record with 28 named storms, including 15 hurricanes. But forecasters and emergency officials urged people to make preparations now. (Full story) "It's not all about the numbers, it just takes one hurricane over your house to make for a bad year," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center. Four Category 3 storms -- Dennis, Katrina, Rita and Wilma -- hit the U.S. in 2005. Hurricane Katrina's strong winds and heavy waves devastated the Gulf Coast in late August. The storm and resulting flooding caused more than 1,300 deaths and an estimated $100 billion in damage, making it the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history, according to the National Climatic Data Center. (Full story) The World Meteorological Organization retired five storm names from the 2005 season: Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Stan and Wilma. Stan dumped torrential rains on Central America and Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, killing as many as 2,000 people. Names are retired out of sensitivity to the victims, and for historical, scientific and legal purposes. \|\|\|\|\| NOAA forecasts 10 hurricanes in Atlantic Federal forecasters yesterday predicted that up to 10 hurricanes will form during the six-month Atlantic season that begins June 1, but they do not expect a repeat of the record-breaking onslaught of last year. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, chief of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), said, "It is statistically within reason that two to four hurricanes ... could hit the Gulf Coast. It's a troubling yet real possibility." NOAA predicted a total of 16 named storms, as many as 10 of which could reach hurricane strength, and that four to six of those would be major. Last year, 28 tropical storms strengthened into 15 hurricanes, six more than NOAA forecast. Seven of those were considered major hurricanes, two more than NOAA predicted. A hurricane is considered major when it reaches Category 3 strength on the five-level Saffir-Simpson scale, or when winds are recorded at least 111 mph. "It's not just all about the numbers," said Max Mayfield, director of the National Hurricane Center in Miami, where the NOAA released its predictions. "It just takes that one hurricane over your house to make for a bad year. "But the research is telling us we are in an active period that may last 20 years, and that's not good news. So the message is clear: We need to be prepared." Nine of the past 11 hurricane seasons have shown above-normal activity, but researchers say it is part of a pattern recorded since the 1850s. Scientists are debating whether global warming has increased the intensity, but not necessarily the number, of storms. In New Orleans, Army Corps of Engineers officials and contractors are working around the clock to repair 170 miles of the 350-mile levee system that was devastated by Hurricane Katrina last year. Corps spokesman Jim Taylor said yesterday that the work to restore the levee system to its condition before Katrina is about 90 percent complete and should be finished by mid-June. He said new floodgates are being installed and that the system "will be more stronger and more resilient than the levee was before it failed." Portable pumps will be used to remove water from canals in case of a storm surge before the levee work is completed, Mr. Taylor said. advertisement advertisement Copyright © 1999 - 2006 News World Communications, Inc. http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20060522-114706-7296r.htm	Forecasters with the U.S. in predict that up to ten hurricanes will form in the North this hurricane season, and that up to six of them will be considered "major." The hurricane center also predicts that from 13 to 16 "named" storms this season (i.e. of strength or greater, with winds in excess of 39 mph or 62 km/h.) A major hurricane, as defined by the National Hurricane Center, is one that rates Category 3 or above on the , with sustained winds of 111 mph (179 km/h) or more. Conrad Lautenbacher, administrator of the , says that warmer ocean temperatures and low make conditions favorable for hurricane development. Although it is too soon to predict how many storms will make landfall, Lautenbacher says that it is possible that two to four hurricanes could affect the United States. According to NOAA, the Atlantic basin has been in an active period since 1995, with nine of the past eleven seasons with above average storm activity. Max Mayfield, directory of the National Hurricane Center, said, "the research is telling us we are in an active period that may last 20 years, and that's not good news. So the message is clear: We need to be prepared." "It takes just one hurricane over your house to make for a bad year," said Mayfield. Last year, 28 named storms developed into 15 hurricanes, of which seven were major. The hurricane center had predicted five major hurricanes out of nine total hurricanes that year. Five hurricanes (, , , , and ) were so destructive that the World Meteorological Organization retired their names. The North Atlantic hurricane season runs from June 1 to November 30.
By Louis Charbonneau BERLIN (Reuters) - German federal and state interior ministers declared the Church of Scientology unconstitutional on Friday, opening the door for a possible ban on the organization. Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble and 16 state interior chiefs agreed "that we do not consider Scientology an organization that is compatible with the constitution", Ehrhart Koerting, Berlin's interior minister and chairman of a ministers' conference in Berlin, told reporters. Germany does not recognize Scientology as a religion. seeing it as a cult masquerading as a church to make money. Scientologists reject this view. The government permits the Church of Scientology to operate in Germany as an organization, and in January it opened a six-storey headquarters in the heart of west Berlin. Earlier this week, a Berlin district set up an office to deal with complaints about Scientology. Koerting said Germany's domestic intelligence agencies should continue gathering information on the legality of Scientology's activities in Germany so that a decision could be made on what to do about it next year. Earlier this year, the German Defense Ministry said it would not allow the makers of a movie about an unsuccessful attempt to assassinate Hitler to film at German military sites because U.S. actor Tom Cruise, a Scientologist, was appearing in it. The government later insisted that Cruise's personal beliefs had nothing to do with its initial decision to prevent him from shooting scenes at a site in the Defense Ministry complex and permitted the actor to film there. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| German officials want Church of Scientology banned in the country BERLIN Top German officials announced Friday that they will seek to outlaw the U.S.-based Church of Scientology. The announcement came after a two-day conference of interior ministers of Germany's 16 states well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. Berlin Interior Minister Erhart Koerting, who presided over the two-day conference, told reporters that Scientology is an organization that is not compatible with the German constitution. The German government considers Scientology not a religion but a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people, he added. The ministers said the planned to ask Germany's domestic intelligence agency to begin preparing the necessary information to ban Scientology. The agency has had Scientology under observation for a decade on allegations that it “threatens the peaceful democratic order” of the country. Sabine Weber, president of the Church of Scientology in Berlin, said she views the renewed attempt to ban her group as a reaction to increasing acceptance of Scientologists in several European countries. “It is very, very clear that the true picture of what Scientology is about is pushing its way through,” Ms. Weber said. “The interior ministers are clearly reacting to that.” Scientologists have long battled to end the surveillance, saying it is an abuse of their right to freedom of religion. The U.S. State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for the monitoring practice. The interior ministers gave no specific examples of abuse for their decision, but the most recent annual report on extremism compiled by their agencies criticized the organization for disregarding human rights. “From a number of sources, some of them not available to the public, it has been determined that (the organization) seeks to limit or rescind basic and human rights, such as the right to develop one's personality and the right to be treated equally,” the report said. Earlier this year, the German government initially refused to allow the producers of a movie starring Scientology member Tom Cruise to film at a site where Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter was executed, although it did not expressly state Scientology as its reason. It later allowed the production to go ahead. The Los Angeles-based Church of Scientology was founded in 1954 by the late science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. It first set up in Germany in 1970 and officials estimate it has some 6,000 members there. \|\|\|\|\| Germany Seeks to Ban Scientology BERLIN (AP) — Germany's top security officials said Friday they consider the goals of the U.S.-based Church of Scientology to be in conflict with the principles of the nation's constitution and will seek to ban the group. The interior ministers of the nation's 16 states as well as federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble "consider Scientology to be an organization that is not compatible with the constitution," Berlin Interior Minister Erhart Koerting, who presided over the officials' two-day conference, told reporters. The German government considers Scientology a commercial enterprise that takes advantage of vulnerable people. During the summer, it initially refused to allow the producers of a movie starring Scientology member Tom Cruise as Germany's most famous anti-Hitler plotter to film at the site where the hero was executed, although it did not expressly state Scientology as its reason. The ministers plan to task the nation's domestic intelligence agency to begin preparing the necessary information to ban Scientology in Germany. The agency has had Scientology under observation for a decade on allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order" of the country. Scientologists have long battled to end the surveillance, saying it is an abuse of their right to freedom of religion. The State Department regularly criticizes Germany in its annual Human Rights Report for the monitoring practice. \|\|\|\|\| Vittorio Hernandez - AHN News Writer Hamburg, Germany (AHN) - Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel wants a national ban in Germany on Scientology, which claims many high-profile adherents, including Hollywood actor Tom Cruise. Nagel's opposition to Scientology is premised on his view of the religion as a commercial enterprise and an anti-constitutional body with aggressive tactics. Nagel shared his thoughts with fellow state interior ministers in a gathering at Hamburg. He apparently has the state on his side. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has been monitoring the group's recruitment practices. The state fears that Scientology, a foreign organization, may win over so many followers and become a swing vote in German elections. Since a single state like Hamburg cannot impose a national ban, Nagel is building support among other state interior ministers to have a sufficient number to impose a nationwide prohibition. As proof that Germany views Scientology more of an enterprise than a faith repository, it taxes the group, which complained of religious discrimination. Despite Germany's misgivings, there is a Scientology center in Berlin. When Cruise was in Berlin to film a movie, he managing to shoot even in some restricted Nazi edifices. Scientology was founded over 30 years ago by science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard. Although a religion, it does not have a deity. Instead it teaches spiritual release and freedom from life's problems can be achieved by one-on-one guidance sessions, wherein the members' replies are recorded on an e-meter similar to a lie detector machine. \|\|\|\|\| German suspicion of Scientology resurfaced in Hamburg this week after a security official said he would seek a nationwide ban against the organization. He's arguing that Scientology is an "unconstitutional" big business. DDP A German police officer stands in front of the Berlin Scientology Center after its grand opening in January 2007. Germany and Scientology have never been the best of friends. German officials consider Scientology a business, not a religion, and tax the outfit accordingly. Scientology has responded by complaining about "religious discrimination." Yet Berlin has a Scientology center, and the famous Scientologist Tom Cruise came to Berlin this year to film a big-budget Hollywood film -- even, after some debate, in restricted Nazi-era buildings. Now an official in Hamburg named Udo Nagel is pursuing a national ban against the US-based organization. As the city-state's interior minister, Nagel is Hamburg's top security official. At a meeting this week of other interior ministers from other states around Germany he plans to argue that Scientology is not only a commercial enterprise but also an "anti-constitutional" group with "aggressively fierce" tactics. The argument is nothing new; in fact the German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has watched the group for years because of its recruitment practices. The federal government worries that Scientology, as a foreign organization, wants to win over adherents and influence German politics. "There is substantial evidence that the Scientology organization is involved in activities directed against the free democratic order," the agency has written in official reports. Nagel hinted at his new campaign last summer, when he said the group founded by and devoted to the American science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard aimed at nothing less than the "complete repression of the individual." But Nagel's office said a single German state can't push through a ban. (The city of Hamburg is governed as an independent state.) So Nagel is taking his case to colleagues in other states with the idea of forging a nationwide prohibition. Whether it will work or not is far from clear. A spokesman for Scientology in Germany, Sabine Weber, said the new ambition to ban the group was "more than incomprehensible." She pointed out that the European Court of Human Rights had ruled in favor of Scientology after Russia denied its application to register as a religion. msm/ap	Official warning leaflets from the Bavarian Ministry of the Interior on (from left to right) Islamic extremism, Scientology, and organized crime. After an investigation into the Church of Scientology (CoS), top security officials in Germany said that they consider its goals to be in conflict with the German constitution. Hamburg's Interior Minister Udo Nagel first brought complaints to state interior ministers in Hamburg. The German Office for the Protection of the Constitution has also been monitoring the group, fearing they may gain control in German elections. In official reports, the government agency has said "There is substantial evidence that the Scientology organization is involved in activities directed against the free democratic order." Nagel has been building support among other interior ministers. Berlin's Interior Minister, Senator Erhart Koerting, presided over a two-day conference on the issue with the interior ministers of all of Germany's 16 states. Federal Interior Minister, Wolfgang Schäuble, also attended. The German government does not believe Scientology is a religion, but instead treats it as a commercial enterprise, and states that it takes advantage of its members. The government taxes the CoS and its sister organizations as businesses in the country. The interior ministers will ask Germany's domestic intelligence agency to determine what will be necessary in order to ban the CoS in Germany. The organization has been under investigation by the German government for over a decade, under allegations that it "threatens the peaceful democratic order." Scientologists have said that the investigation is a violation of their freedom of religion, and the United States Department of State has criticized Germany in its Human Rights Reports in previous years. Sabine Weber, a representative of Scientology in Germany, called the actions to ban Scientology "more than incomprehensible." This past summer, Germany had initially refused producers of a film starring Scientologist Tom Cruise to film at key sites. Cruise was later able to shoot his film in certain restricted areas.
Riot police have entered the town of San Salvador Atenco near Mexico City, and at least one 14 year old boy has been killed. Both the police and the rioters have taken hostages, and large scale demonstrations are being planned for tomorrow, Friday. This is not being reported in any of the major mainstream media in the US yet, so I thought I would share what I know. (photos from the Okupazion Auditorio Che Guevara web site) San Salvador Atenco is considered a 'rebel' town. Five years ago the government tried to build a new airport there but the town blocked the efforts, kicked out the mayor, and established a form of self rule. Apparently, recent plans to build a WalMart in Atenco were also not received with much enthusiasm (WalMart is the biggest private employer in Mexico, and I think the logic is that Mexicans should be grateful for the opportunity to be exploited). In recent days, the EZLN (Zapatista Army of National Liberation), visited the town as part of its 'Other' (as in Alternative) Campaign. Mexicans will elect a new president in July, and the candidates from the major parties (the right-wing PAN, the left-wing (at least in name) PRD, and the oligarchic-but-disintegrating PRI) represent the usual mixture of incompetence, corruption, and alignment to interests other than those of the average Mexican. [Parenthetically, it is interesting to see from a distance how the middle class --to which I suppose my family and friends belong-- and the media that caters to them are in a quasi-hysterical state over the possibility that the PRD will win.] The goal of the Other Campaign, according to the EZLN and its spokesperson, Subcomandante Marcos, (pictured below entering Atenco), is to represent the people in a process outside the farce of the electoral system. While the Zapatistas have not managed to put forth a practical political agenda, they do have the support of the working class, and situations such as the one unfolding in Atenco is probably going to help their cause. According to Indymedia Mexico and a Mexico Solidarity Network email alert, violence erupted when police tried to evict 'illegal' flower sellers from a market near the proposed WalMart site. Reuters describes the aftermath of the riots in Atenco today as follows: Squads of police went house to house on Thursday, scaling concrete walls in search of missing officers and militant leaders, and hustling out bloodied prisoners to waiting pickup trucks. The acrid smell of tear gas hung in the air. There are calls to block principal avenues in Mexico City, and a major demonstration led by Marcos is being planned for tomorrow in Tlatelolco, the site where in 1968 the government massacred protesting students. It could get ugly. Then again maybe one cannot expect a nation where half of the population lives below the poverty line to be stable. \|\|\|\|\| Clashes continued for two days before police regained control In pictures Six police officers taken hostage by the rioters had been released, state of Mexico officials said on Thursday. A teenage boy was killed and dozens of people were injured in the riots which lasted throughout Wednesday. The violence erupted when three street vendors were arrested on suspicion of trading without permits. Local residents are then reported to have attacked police with machetes and petrol bombs, and blocked the main road. Police fired tear gas into the crowds and used batons. Dozens of protesters were arrested - among them a prominent peasant movement leader, Ignacio del Valle. Boy's death 'unclear' Local reports say up to 50 police officers were injured in the clashes - a number of them seriously. Up to 50 police are reported to have been wounded Six of them were taken hostage by the armed protesters, who later handed them over to the Red Cross. Officials in the state, which borders Mexico City, said the circumstances surrounding the death of a 14-year-old boy were unclear. Police said they had managed to make it into the centre of town at about 0700 (1200 GMT) on Thursday and had re-opened the road. An estimated 4,000 federal and state police are reported to be in Atenco area. The town was the scene of violent protests in 2002, when local farmers opposed the construction of a new international airport for Mexico City. Plans for the airport were cancelled after days of pitched battles with police. \|\|\|\|\| May 5, 2006 - 3:14PM Thousands of riot police firing tear gas forced their way into a rebellious town near Mexico City and freed fellow officers taken hostage in a riot that left one person dead. Scores of police in body armour swept into the fractious farming town of San Salvador Atenco, 25km north of Mexico City, and hauled off bleeding protesters amid peasants armed with sticks, machetes and petrol bombs. Violence exploded in the area when police tried to evict unlicensed flower traders from a market. A 14-year-old boy was killed in the riots, whose televised images raised concerns of stability in a presidential election year. Squads of police then went house to house, scaling concrete walls in search of missing officers and militant leaders, and hustling out bloodied prisoners to waiting utility trucks. The acrid smell of tear gas hung in the air. Eleven police officers held hostage by protesters were all released, Televisa television station said, and police took control of the town. "The only objective was to restore the rule of law," senior security official Wilfrido Robles said at a news conference in the town hall, which had been occupied by the rioters. It was the first time state and federal police had entered the town since machete-toting protesters blocked President Vicente Fox's plan to build a new airport there five years ago with a standoff that lasted several days. San Salvador Atenco ousted its mayor and has been under a form of self-rule since then, with local leaders trying to spread the system to neighbouring villages. The airport defeat and the subsequent failure to bring the area totally under government control have been held up by rival politicians as an example of Fox's supposed weakness in dealing with conflicts. \|\|\|\|\| The steeple bell rang at 1 o’clock Friday to welcome mourners who trailed a small white coffin into the sanctuary of the church of San Francisco. “Let Javier’s death be a benefit to the community,” Father Alfonso Tapia Duarte told the overflow crowd. “There is no evil that good cannot spring from.” It’s a lot to ask of anyone, much less a 14-year-old boy. But many townspeople are praying that the death of Javier Cortes Santiago during riots Wednesday marks the defeat of separatists who overthrew democratic rule in a town 14 miles from Mexico City. Advertisement “The only law was the law of the machete,” Teodoro Martinez, a 40-year-old machinist, said outside the church. The separatists now are aligned with Subcommander Marcos, the leader of Zapatista rebels in southern Mexico. “The riot was a tragedy,” iron worker Agustin Santillan said, “but we needed something to end it. They thought they were untouchable.” He was talking about the rule of Ignacio del Valle. He and several family members are in custody, accused by prosecutors and townspeople of inciting riots that injured dozens of people before being quashed Thursday by 3,000 state and federal police officers. Advertisement Del Valle created the People’s Front for the Defense of the Land. It gained broad support in 2002 during a fight to defeat a proposal by Mexican President Vicente Fox to build an international airport nearby. “The fight was a good one, to defend the land,” said Martinez, adding that he has known Del Valle since they were children. Even though much of the soil here is barren, and prices for corn and beans have plummeted, Martinez said, land passed from father to son has tremendous emotional value. The government offered a fraction of what people thought it was worth. Advertisement In July 2002, militants held 15 state and local officials for five days, until Fox agreed to amnesty in a deal to free the hostages. Two months later, Fox killed the airport plan, and Del Valle became known for his victory over the president. Many people supported him and his group politically and financially when they ran the police and elected officials out of town. For years city officials had done little to improve town life and people thought maybe this group would do better, one shopkeeper said. Del Valle and his followers occupied City Hall and other government offices for more than a year. But roads were still unpaved and electricity was spotty. Advertisement The difference, people said, was that those who had seized control didn’t like to hear complaints. “They thought they were the only ones who spoke the truth,” Father Tapia Duarte said. “They held rallies in the plaza. The town started to feel discontent, but most people were afraid to express it.” Then the marches began. Crime was increasing and people wanted police, Santillan said. They wanted public services. Del Valle, a former city employee responsible for potable water, wanted to be in charge, people said, but didn’t want the work. “He has land but in the years I’ve known him, he’s never once plowed his field,” Santillan said. “He and the Front are made up of people who don’t work.” Advertisement Del Valle and his followers cleared out of government offices in August 2003, but continued a practice of kidnapping officials, waving machetes and blocking nearby federal highway 142 when they were angry. “The joke around here is that the emcee at weddings always asks, ‘Shall we cut the cake? Or block the highway?’ ” Santillan said. Although there is now an elected mayor and five police officers who patrol San Salvador Atenco, most people say the office is largely symbolic. Signs in front of City Hall say in Spanish, “Welcome EZLN” -- referring tp Marcos’ Zapatistas. “We’re still very insecure here,” said Fernando Martinez Razo, the city’s director of public safety. “There are still a lot of people here who took part in the violence. We hear they are regrouping.” Advertisement But many at the funeral mass Friday said the movement was spent. When thousands of riot police arrived early Thursday, rebels sounded an alarm with the church bell but few of their compatriots responded. A day later, the bell rang in mourning. Family members said Javier was a serious student who juggled school and two jobs. He was supposed to go to pick up tamales at his grandfather’s house, along a path that took him near the riot triggered Wednesday by the removal of flower vendors from their usual spot in a nearby city. Advertisement Officials have not disclosed the cause of death. “He was saving up for a suit to wear to a friend’s 15th birthday party in July,” said Beatriz Davila, an aunt. To earn money, she said, Javier worked at a clothing factory after school and helped his family sell candies on weekends. Mourners walked several blocks from the church to the cemetery to bury the boy. Advertisement Men lowered the casket by rope into the brown and rocky soil, and then placed on top a blue sweater, a red cap and a soccer ball. “We need a new Atenco,” said Martinez, who carried a wreath of palm leaves and flowers to the grave. “There are lots of young people here and they need to be the new blood and have the new ideas.”	There has been a riot in Santiago, a small town 25 kilometers from Mexico City. Violence exploded when three flower sellers were arrested on suspicion of trading without permits. Rioters attacked the police with sticks, machetes and petrol bombs. Thousands of police quelled the crowd with tear gas and batons. Dozens were arrested. The arrested include peasant leader, Ignacio del Valle. All 11 police officers held hostage by rioters were released. Javier Cortes Santiago, a fourteen year old boy, was killed in the riots. In 2002 rioters managed to cancel plans to build an airport in the town.
Analysis The mayor is dependent on the central government for most of their funds, so how much power do they really have? \|\|\|\|\| Renault have been formally accused of interfering with the outcome of last year's Singapore grand prix to the benefit of their driver and eventual winner, Fernando Alonso. An investigation by the FIA led the sport's governing body to call Renault before an extraordinary meeting of the World Motor Sport Council in Paris on 21 September, days before the teams return to Singapore for the 14th round of the 2009 championship. The former world champions will answer charges that the team conspired with its driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, to crash deliberately with the aim of causing the deployment of the safety car to the advantage of Alonso. When Piquet hit the wall and spread debris across the track on the 14th of 61 laps, the heavy crash caused the appearance of the safety car. Alonso was the only driver in the field to have refuelled unusually early, three laps before the incident, before rejoining at the back of the field. As the 18 cars running ahead of the former world champion took advantage of the safety car and made their stops, Alonso gradually moved to the front to score a win that went completely against form for the struggling team. There is no precedent for such an alleged offence. Renault could face anything from a fine to exclusion from either the next race or, at worst, the 2009 world championship. The fear in F1 circles is that this could cause Renault to pull out. This will be the second visit by Renault to the FIA in as many months, the Anglo-French team successfully appealing against a one-race ban for the unsafe release of Alonso's car before a front wheel was properly attached during a pit stop in Hungary. The wheel came off and bounced across the track a minute later. The Singapore incident was potentially just as serious since the debris could have affected other drivers or gone into the crowd. The argument this time will centre on Renault's alleged interference with the outcome of the race. The FIA will have examined telemetry measuring steering inputs and throttle applications on Piquet's car as well as listening to pit-to-car radio communications.	Alonso tops the podium after the race An investigation by the FIA has led to Formula One team Renault to be called to appear before the World Motor Sport Council to answer a race fixing allegation. The charge stems from last year's Singapore Grand Prix. Renault Fernando Alonso won the race after taking an early refuelling stop. Fellow Renault driver Nelson Piquet Jr. then crashed, causing a safety car to come out. One by one the cars ahead of Alonso pitted for fuel, allowing him to move up from nineteenth to take victory. Piquet's wrecked car is removed from the track Piquet has always maintained that the crash was an accident. If the charges are upheld, the punishments could include a fine, exclusion from races or complete disqualification from the current championship. Renault are due to appear before the council in Paris on September 21st, days before this year's race in Singapore. The team has refused to comment before the hearing. Renault have already been in trouble this season, being suspended for one race after releasing Alonso's car with an unsafe wheel, which came off on the track. The team succeeded in appealing this.
NEW YORK, Dec. 5 (UPI) -- Houston recorded its earliest snowfall, beating a previous record by nearly a week, meteorologists said Saturday. Houston's rare snowfall came Friday, besting previous records for earliest snowfalls set Dec. 10 in both 1944 and 2008. Advertisement The inch or so of snow throughout metro Houston delayed flights at the city's airport and led to icy roads and two fatal traffic accidents, the Houston Chronicle reported Saturday. Elsewhere in the nation, the season's first widespread snowstorm pushed into the Northeast Saturday, disrupting travel for many as far south as Tennessee, Accuweather reported. Snow was to continue spreading northward from New York City to Boston and into Pennsylvania through Saturday night. \|\|\|\|\| The winter storm warning continues for southern Alberta and police are asking people not to travel unless absolutely necessary. The storm that pelted the city and surrounding area over the last few days has dumped up to 20 cm of snow in some parts and more is on the way. City crews have cleared major routes but motorists are struggling to get through on side streets. The city started applying an anti-icing agent and salt chips on major roads in the early morning hours and will switch to a sand/salt mixture as the temperature drops to provide extra traction. The city says that drivers should anticipate delays, drive defensively, and slow down. Highways in southern and central Alberta are also in poor condition. Heavy winds, blowing snow, icy sections and reduced visibility is making highway travel between Lethbridge and Edmonton treacherous. The QEII Highway was shut down in both directions north of Calgary for several hours on Saturday but has since reopened. Environment Canada has issued a Winter Storm Warning and says the snow will taper off through the day on Saturday and temperatures may go as low as -25 with the wind chill. The system is heading south and an additional 5 to 10 cm of snow is expected for southern regions of the province. In Lethbridge, wind gusts of up to 60 km per hour caused heavy drifting in several areas, and made it extremely difficult for drivers. Lethbridge Regional Police are also advising residents to avoid driving if at all possible. Arrivals and departures at the Calgary International Airport have been disrupted and several flights are cancelled or delayed. For up to date flight arrivals and departures visit the Calgary Airport Authority Website.	A snowstorm, in many areas the first of the season, has impacted much of the Northeastern United States and Atlantic Canada today and is expected to continue until early on Sunday morning. Cities closer to the coast first received rain this morning and early afternoon, but precipitation has changed over to snow as the low pressure system moves northeastward and gains strength. Forecasters say the storm is related to the same system that brought record-breaking snowfall to the Houston, Texas region a few days ago. Most locations will pick up a few inches of snow when all is said and done, enough to cause widespread travel delays and traffic accidents throughout the area. Accordingly, the National Weather Service has issued several winter weather warnings stretching from the South through Maine. Environment Canada has issued a snowfall warning for Atlantic Canada and is expecting 15 to 30 centimeters of snow. By midday Sunday, the storm will have pulled out of the region, leaving behind clearing skies. Meanwhile, a winter storm hit southern Alberta, Canada on Friday causing blizzard like conditions and dumping over 20 centimeters of snow. === Picture gallery ===
To fully use the features on this site, please enable your javascript. About Us \| Election Laws \| Frequently Asked Questions \| Text-Only Site \| Web Policy \| Governor of Virginia \|\|\|\|\| R. Creigh Deeds, a longtime state legislator from rural Bath County, won a stunning come-from-behind victory in the Democratic primary for Virginia governor last night, overwhelming a pair of better-funded and better-positioned opponents. Deeds beat Brian Moran and Terry McAuliffe in every region of the state, including vote-rich Northern Virginia, despite a pro-gun stance and relatively conservative positions that are out of line with many of the area's voters. His victory was so dominant that he captured 10 of the state's 11 congressional districts, including the one held by Moran's brother, U.S. Rep. James P. Moran Jr. All three campaigns and state political experts had agreed that Deeds was coming on strong in the final days of the race, but no one expected him -- or the other candidates -- to come close to winning the 50 percent of the vote that he captured. In an e-mail sent to supporters less than two hours before polls closed, McAuliffe's campaign predicted that "this thing could come down to the wire." McAuliffe came in second, with 26 percent of the vote, followed by Brian Moran with 24 percent. Deeds, 51, will face Republican Robert F. McDonnell in a general election battle that amounts to a rematch of the race for attorney general four years ago, which McDonnell barely won after a late surge by Deeds. This year, Deeds surged when he needed to, airing statewide TV ads in the final weeks of the race and capitalizing on an endorsement from this newspaper that quickly became a theme of his campaign in the Washington suburbs. As soon as it came out, he agreed to make a joint appearance with the other candidates in front of hundreds of business leaders, which he had previously turned down. He then added numerous other events in Northern Virginia and launched a week-long television blitz in the region. Deeds, already known by Virginians in all corners of the state after his 2005 bid, began receiving the support of many undecided voters who were attracted to his pledge to bridge regional and partisan divides and invest in road and transit improvements. Early in the race, it was Moran and McAuliffe who seemed to attract the most support. Many local Democratic leaders backed Moran, while McAuliffe assembled an all-star cast of Virginia campaign veterans. Both virtually ignored Deeds for months as polls repeatedly showed him in a distant third place. But Deeds, a quiet, unpolished lawmaker who refused to attack or engage his rivals for much of the race, showed an authenticity that appeared to resonate with voters. "He's intelligent. He's got a sense of Virginia history. He knows how to be effective, and he's dedicated to what's best for Virginia," said Peppy G. Linden, 59, executive director of the Children's Museum in Charlottesville. "He's not egotistical. And he works so damn hard." At Deeds's victory party in Charlottesville, drinks were flowing, the sound system blared Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop Thinking About Tomorrow" -- the theme of Bill Clinton's first presidential campaign -- and the crowd chanted "Deeds, Not Words!" as Deeds and his wife, Pam, took the stage to deliver a victory speech whose opening was a bit understated. "Well," he began, drawing laughs. He told the crowd that the message that had carried him this far -- fixing the state's transportation woes, improving the quality of its schools and creating more jobs -- would carry him to victory in the fall against McDonnell. \|\|\|\|\| Creigh Deeds surrounded by everyone who voted in the Virginia primary. RICHMOND, Va. -- Terry McAuliffe had the star power. He had the cash. But even with all the sparkle and pizazz, he still couldn't beat an underdog state senator. Creigh Deeds pounded Clinton confidante McAuliffe Tuesday in Virginia's Democratic primary for governor. McAuliffe was a former Clinton White House insider and former Democratic National Committee chairman who hoped to benefit from campaigning by former President Bill Clinton and music star will.i.am. But Deeds, who picked up a crucial Washington Post endorsement in northern Virginia, was too much for McAuliffe and former state Democratic legislative leader Brian Moran to handle. On Wednesday morning, Deeds had to end a planned unity news conference to take a congratulatory call from President Barack Obama. Before the call Deeds, appeared with Gov. Tim Kaine and the two men he defeated. Deeds Gets It Done State Sen. Creigh Deeds defeated Clinton confidante Terry McAuliffe in Virginia's Democratic primary for governor. (Published Wednesday, June 10, 2009) Deeds' victory sets up a Deeds rematch with Republican Bob McDonnell, who beat him in the 2005 attorney general election by 323 votes. McDonnell is a conservative with strong ties to religious broadcaster Pat Robertson. He was unopposed for the GOP nomination. Deeds was the only Democrat in the race not from the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Primary rivals criticized him for legislative votes supporting Virginia's broad, pro-gun laws, actions popular in rural areas that don't play well in cities and affluent suburbs. Former state Finance Secretary Jody Wagner defeated Democratic campaign strategist A. Michael Signer to become the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor. Wagner will take on Republican Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, who is seeking a second term. Wagner served as state treasurer under former Gov. Mark Warner and as finance secretary for Gov. Tim Kaine. Signer was a deputy counselor to Warner and a senior strategist for U.S. Rep. Tom Perriello's upset of six-term congressman Virgil Goode Jr. last year. Voter turnout was relatively light Tuesday, as expected. The primary marked the first bid for elective office for McAuliffe, who also led Hillary Clinton's 2008 White House run. Local election officials, professionals in the three campaigns and political scientists said the turnout was likely to be 5 percent or less of the state's 5 million registered voters. Officials said turnout was heavier in some parts of the Washington, D.C., suburbs. In Arlington, for instance, about 10 percent of voters cast ballots, drawn by a House of Delegates race. State Board of Elections Secretary Nancy Rodrigues said other turnout ranged from 4 percent in Richmond to 2 percent in the rural southwest. McAuliffe's political connections from his days working for Bill Clinton helped him dominate press coverage and amass a hefty amount of cash. He seized on the down economy by promising to bring jobs to Virginia, touring the state with his confidante Bill Clinton. However, that left the venture capitalist open to attacks over his involvement in a telecommunications firm that made him millions before the company went bust, leaving 10,000 people jobless and costing investors $54 billion. Moran, from Alexandria, went further to the left than his rivals in appealing to liberal activists. He pledged to oppose new coal-fired power initiatives and reverse the state's same-sex marriage ban. Deeds hewed toward the middle. He drew fire late from primary rivals for legislative votes supporting Virginia's broad, pro-gun laws, actions popular in rural areas that don't play well in cities and affluent suburbs. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, the new Democratic National Committee chairman, is barred by the state Constitution from seeking re-election. Copyright Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| The Clickocracy, Virginia Edition If Creigh Deeds wins the Democratic primary tonight, it might be partly due to the fact that he blasted away the competition. Online -- that is. Starting at 3 p.m EST Monday, hours before polls opened across Virginia, Deeds's campaign bought what's called a "Google blast." Or, more appropriately, a Google attack. If you live in Northern Virginia (or, like many voters, work in D.C. but live in NoVa), Deeds has been almost inescapable on highly-trafficked sites such as washingtonpost.com, the blog Talking Points Memo and Oxygen.com, which is popular among women. Capitalizing on his Post endorsement, he peppered those sites with banner ads reading "The Washington Post endorsed one Democrat -- Creigh Deeds" until polls closed. And, the blast aside, searches for his first name surpassed Terry (McAuliffe) and Brian (Moran) on May 29. As of last Tuesday, searches for "Deeds" were up more than 25 percent compared to McAuliffe. Deeds, however, is not only the candidate who's leveraged the Web during his campaign. All of the Democratic contenders are on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, the social networking trifecta. McAuliffe edges Deeds and Moran on the three sites, drawing more fans on Facebook, followers on Twitter and channel views on YouTube. In such a contested primary, and with voter turn-out expected to be low, every number counts. -- Jose Antonio Vargas This is one in a series of online columns on our growing "clickocracy," in which we are one nation under Google, with e-mail and video for all. Please send suggestions, comments and tips to vargasj@washpost.com. \|\|\|\|\| Research 2000 for Daily Kos. 5/18-20. Likely voters. MoE 4% (4/6-8 results) Democratic Primary Brian Moran (D) 22 (24) Terry McAuliffe (D) 36 (19) Creigh Deeds (D) 13 (16) A pretty dramatic gain for McAuliffe in the last six weeks for an election that will be decided in about three weeks (June 9), while Deeds and Moran essentially tread water. Let's look at favorable/unfavorable ratings for the Democratic candidates among Democratic respondents: Moran (D) 56/16 (56/15) McAuliffe (D) 62/19 (55/17) Deeds (D) 56/17 (55/12) That could explain the movement in the head-to-head matchup -- while Moran has remained steady and while Deeds has edged back, McAuliffe has managed to move his favorability numbers forward despite an increasingly negative primary. General election matchups Bob McDonnell (R) 42 (37) Brian Moran (D) 35 (36) Bob McDonnell (R) 44 (40) Terry McAuliffe (D) 34 (33) Bob McDonnell (R) 45 (38) Creigh Deeds (D) 32 (31) Moran still performs best against McDonnell, but he's lost ground. That's to be expected as the Democratic candidates take shots at each other. What generally happens is that once a winner is crowned in a contested primary, there's a bandwagon effect that boosts the winner in the head-to-heads. So the general-election numbers will inevitably tighten up post-primary, but let's not kid ourselves. McDonnell will be a tough opponent. Here are the favorability ratings for all candidates, from all respondents: Moran (D) 35/36 (36/33) McAuliffe (D) 37/40 (35/36) Deeds (D) 35/36 (34/30) McDonnell (R) 53/33 (48/31) While the Dems have all lost ground in their favorability ratings, McDonnell has been able to stay above the fray, edging his slight higher (a net +3). And at +20, he has a nice advantage over the the -1 net favorability ratings of Moran and Deeds, and -3 of McAuliffe. And with 36 percent favorability from Democrats and 52 percent from Independents, McDonnell is showing some strong cross-over support. So whichever Democrat emerges victorious in three weeks (and this thing is still anyone's game with 29 percent remaining undecided in the primary) will still face an uphill climb to November.	File:Creigh Deeds.jpg\|Creigh Deeds File:McAuliffe Herndon.jpg\|Terry McAuliffe File:Brian Moran Rally.jpg\|Brian Moran Creigh Deeds has defeated Terry McAuliffe and Brian Moran to win the 2009 Democratic Party gubernatorial primary election in Virginia, United States, according to unofficial results from the state's board of elections. Deeds won by a nearly two-to-one margin against his opponents, 50% for Deeds versus 26% for McAuliffe and 24% for Moran, on a low turnout with just six and a half per cent of registered voters taking part. Jody Wagner easily won the Democratic primary to be candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Virginia. Flag of the Commonwealth of VirginiaCreigh Deeds was the first to enter the governors' race, in early January 2008. A sitting senator in the Virginia legislature, Deeds' campaign was hampered by restrictions on his ability to fundraise and the amount of time he spent on the Senate floor. A veteran of state politics who ran as a centrist in Virginia, whose northern counties are increasingly dominated by Democratic voters but whose western and southern areas still tend to support Republicans, Deeds benefited from several high-profile endorsements including that of the Washington Post. What may have clinched Deeds' victory, though, was a strategy of saturating online media sources with campaign advertisements, finished with a "google blast" of particularly intense advertising on Election Day itself. Terry McAuliffe, an early favorite to win the race, was formerly the chair of the Democratic National committee and later chair of Hillary Clinton's 2008 presidential bid, and entered the Virginia race just days after Election Day 2008. A New Yorker by birth with much experience in the Democratic party, McAuliffe's best skill was seen as his ability to raise funds in what analysts say will be an early test of whether Democrats, who won control of the White House and solidified control of both houses of Congress in 2008, can consolidate their gains in light of a contracting economy and an ongoing financial crisis. Brian Moran, a former public prosecutor and former member of the Virginia State House, entered the race shortly after Deeds. His brother, Jim Moran, currently represents the part of Virginia closest to Washington, DC in the United States House of Representatives. Polling before the vote showed Deeds pulling ahead from a statistical tie in May, but the likelihood of low turnout made the race hard to predict. Virginia Attorney General Bob McDonnell ran unopposed for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. McDonnell, who defeated Deeds by a fraction of a percent in the 2005 Virginia Attorney General race, currently holds a strong advantage over him in the fall general election, according to a recent poll conducted by the political blog ''DailyKos''. Voters will elect a new governor to replace outgoing governor and rising Democratic star Tim Kaine on November 3.
NEW HAVEN — Yale University was locked down and a massive response by heavily armed police caused traffic problems throughout the city Monday after an anonymous call from a phone booth warned of an armed man stalking the campus. A report a short time later of a man on campus carrying a rifle added credence to the initial call, although police and Yale officials said later that the man with a rifle spotted by a Yale employee was probably one of the first responding police officers. Police said Monday evening they now suspect the call may have been a prank and are trying to track down the man who made the call. On Tuesday, police announced they had several persons of interest and are conducting interviews. Yale, New Haven and state police scoured the Yale campus most of Monday before the lockdown was lifted about 4:40 p.m. No armed man was found. "It feels good now to be finally let out," said Samantha Brown, a Yale freshman who was locked in her Old Campus dorm room with a roommate. She praised Yale and New Haven police for their response, and the university for keeping people informed through its alert system. "It just feels safe right now and I'm glad it's over," she said. New Haven police received the anonymous call at 9:48 a.m. from a man who said his roommate was headed to campus with a gun to shoot people, police said. The caller did not identify himself and hung up before police could get more details, Officer David Hartman said. Police said the call came from a phone booth in the 300 block of Columbus Avenue, between Howard Avenue and Hallock Street. Esserman said the caller sounded distracted, and that police began to have doubts about the story as the day wore on. That person "sounded like a confused gentleman," Esserman said. "I wouldn't describe his words as clear and concise." Police and the FBI are investigating whether video surveillance could have captured an image of the caller or anyone else of interest. At 10:17 a.m., Yale sent a text alert to the community about the report. Within about an hour of the anonymous call, two witnesses told police they had seen a person with a "long gun," Hartman said. "It now appears that the man [the Yale employee] saw may have been one of the early responding police officers carrying a rifle," Yale Vice President Linda Koch Lorimer said in a statement posted on Yale's website. Police focused their search efforts in the Old Campus area bordered by College, Chapel, Elm and High streets, Hartman said. Yale police conducted room-to-room searches of residential college areas. Multiple SWAT teams joined the search, Hartman said. Police shut down roads around the Old Campus to traffic and pedestrians. Several public schools in the area were put on lockdown as a precaution. Many students had already left campus for the Thanksgiving break. \|\|\|\|\| This was a developing story. Updates were posted here until 3pm today. The complete story can now be found here. Reports of a gunman on campus were “confirmed” near Old Campus, where freshmen dorms are housed, by a text update from the University around 11 a.m. Announcements have been broadcast in dorm rooms and sightings of police and the SWAT team have been reported outside Old Campus. New Haven Police Department Lieutenant Jeff Hoffman confirms no shootings, no injuries. Rob O’Gara ’16, said that police are concentrated on Elm Street between Saybrook, Berkeley and Old Campus. O’Gara said that, for the past 20 minutes, police have been yelling at each other to “get cover” and at someone else — likely the gunman — to pull back. The standoff has continued since, and officers seen near Saybrook are reported to be carrying rifles. Many students have left campus for Thanksgiving break, but those interviewed from campus said that they have not noticed anything unusual other than the alert messages. Maria Bouffard, director of emergency management, confirmed that NHPD and YPD officers have been brought to the scene. Bouffard said that updates will continue to be posted on the University’s official emergency services website as they are received. At 10:20 a.m., the Yale emergency alert system sent out phone calls and text messages to students notifying them of reports of a man with a gun on campus. The messages indicated that an anonymous tip to the NHPD had been made from a phone booth on Columbus Avenue. The messages told students to remain in place. The University’s PA system, which is used to announce other emergency situations like fires, has not been used. Cops were not seen around Pierson or Calhoun colleges as of 10:37 a.m. A 10:50 a.m. text update to students stated the shelter was still in place. At 11:55 a.m. a text update confirmed that the shelter in place and lock-down remain in effect. 12:16 p.m. Traffic was being diverted by New Haven police, and ambulances were are on the scene as a precaution. It is not clear whether anyone is inside. According to NBC Connecticut, the following streets are closed: High Street between Elm and Chapel streets Chapel Street between High and College streets College Street between Chapel and Elm streets Elm Street between College and High streets 12:31 p.m. According toJeff Hoffman one person has been detained, and is being interviewed the by the YPD and the NHPD. He was arrested on Elm Street, near College Street, but did not have a gun on him. Hoffman said there still has not been a sighting of anyone in possession of a gun. Hoffman added he could not confirm rumors of a gunman inside of Battell Chapel. The search appears to be continuing for the suspect. Reports have been that the suspect is a white male, some saying with a backpack and rifle. The New Haven Independent reported that a Yale student called the police to report that his roommate “wanted to shoot up the school” on Monday. Hoffman said that a call from the Hill neighborhood was the reason for the initial lockdown. However, the caller did not remain on the scene and did not talk the police, calling his credibility into doubt. 1:25 p.m. New Haven Police Department spokesman David Hartman said the call lasted only a few seconds, and was from a payphone at 9:30 a.m. this morning. Hartman described the call as “a statement,” that the caller’s roommate was headed to campus with a gun. The caller was male and did not identify himself as a Yale student. Hartman said that no suspect has been detained, and that reports from witnesses interviewed have been contradictory. According to NBC, SWAT teams are conducting searches to clear buildings on Old Campus. Gateway Community College is on a precautionary lockdown, as are several New Haven Public Schools. 1:45 p.m. Yale Alert sends a text message to the Yale Community that police are conducting room to room searches beginning with the residential colleges, and that the shelter in place continues. A following call said that the police would identify themselves by slipping a Yale ID under the door, and requested that students cooperate. It added that in some areas Yale Police may simply use keys. 1:55 p.m. In an update from Hartman, he said, “Things are pretty status quo as far as our investigation is concerned.” Hartman confirmed that the NHPD and YPD are being supplemented by the FBI and Connecticut state police. He added that earlier reports of sightings of someone with a long gun may in fact have referred to law enforcement officers responding to the situation. Hartman confirmed that no one is in custody at the moment and said that an all clear will likely not be given for at least several hours. 2:25 p.m. NBC reports that border patrol and Department of Homeland Security are also on the scene. There have still been no reports of a gun fired or injuries on campus. Tasnim Elboute and Isaac Stanley-Becker contributed reporting. \|\|\|\|\| A day-long lockdown of the Yale University campus was lifted this evening after authorities determined that a call warning of a gunman intent on shooting people was likely a hoax. Yale's New Haven, Conn., campus was put on lockdown after an anonymous male called 911 this morning to say his roommate was on his way to the campus with the intention of shooting people, according to officials. New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman said there was "malicious intent" behind the call. However, after a search of the campus did not reveal any threats, he said authorities are "leaning toward this being a hoax." Esserman said once police identify the caller, that person "will face every charge possibly imaginable." The anonymous call was placed from a phone booth and the university sent out an alert at 10:17 a.m. ET. At a news conference earlier today, New Haven Police Officer David Hartman said authorities interviewed several witnesses who said they saw someone with a "long gun." After speaking with some of the witnesses, Hartman said, "Some of those witnesses in all probability saw police officers with long guns instead of a suspect." Yale Police Chief Ronell Higgins said this incident showed that the school's emergency preparedness plan worked well. "You have to exchange business cards with local law enforcement and schools before incidents like this one," he said. "We are always in constant communication." An email was also sent by Yale's dean to notify parents of undergraduate students of the threat. The school is on its November break, meaning there are fewer people on campus than usual. An alert send by the university this morning instructed people to shelter in place. "Confirmed report of person with a gun on/near Old Campus. SHELTER IN PLACE. This is NOT a test," the alert said. A search of the campus dorms was hampered because some students refused to open their doors to police, fearing that the person knocking was not really a police officer. The university has over 11,000 students. \|\|\|\|\| Police say a call that sparked fears of a gunman on the Yale University campus appears to have been a hoax. Students had been urged to "shelter in place" following the security scare, but the lockdown has now been lifted. New Haven Police Chief Dean Esserman told a news conference the campus was safe. SWAT teams had been scrambled to the university, while students received a text message saying: "Confirmed report of person with gun on/near Old Campus. Shelter in place. This is not a test." Yale University is in Connecticut Police got an anonymous phone call from a phone booth at around 10am local time reporting a person on campus with a gun. Streets close to the campus have been blockaded, and the FBI is looking at footage of the area around the phone booth to identify the caller. Police spokesman David Harman had said: "We don't have a suspect. There's nothing tangible." New Haven Police Department Lieutenant Jeff Hoffman said there had been no shootings and no injuries. Room-to-room searches conducted by Yale's police department found nothing untoward. Several New Haven schools had also been placed on lockdown, as had a nearby community college. Yale has been on November recess since Saturday, meaning many students have left to celebrate Thanksgiving.	Yale University in , Connecticut, alerted students today that a gunman was loose on campus. The university asked students to "shelter in place" and warned students who are off-campus to stay away from the university. The university lifted the lockdown some hours later. At 10:17 AM (), a message was sent to Yale's students from the university saying that the New Haven Police had received an anonymous phone call from a public pay phone on Columbus Avenue saying that a person with a gun was loose on the Yale campus. A further update at 11:57 am EST noted that campus police and New Haven police were both on campus. Yale's student newspaper, , reported that SWAT teams were spotted on campus. At 1:45 PM (EST), Yale's emergency alert system indicated the lockdown was still in place, and that police officers were planning to do a door-to-door search of Yale University starting with student residences. Sources indicated that as of 1:55 PM (EST) no suspect was in custody, but the lockdown was anticipated to remain in place for "several hours." The university lifted the lockdown at about 5 PM (EST). Police stated the information leading to the alert was likely a prank, and if so they intended to find and prosecute the responsible party. University vice-president Linda Koch Lorimer stated on the university's emergency alert system after the lockdown was lifted, "The safety of our community is our paramount priority. I want to underscore our collective thanks to the superb mobilization of the Yale, New Haven, and State Police, and the FBI, as well as Yale’s own Emergency Response team." == Sources == * * * * *
Widow Rita Schwerner Bender said the verdict was a "first step" The 80-year-old former Ku Klux Klan man was convicted of manslaughter and recruiting the killers by a jury of nine whites and three blacks. Killen now faces up to 20 years in jail for the role he played. Rita Schwerner Bender, widow of victim Michael Schwerner, said the conviction was a "very important first step". But she asked why the jury "could not bring themselves to acknowledge that these were murders, that they were committed with malice". Michael Schwerner's widow added that the state of Mississippi was "complicit in these crimes and all the crimes that occurred" and called for a further inquiry. I believe we proved murder Mark Duncan prosecutor Bennie Thompson, the state's only black congressman, said justice had "finally arrived in Philadelphia". Ben Chaney, brother of James Chaney, the only black man among the three victims, thanked prosecutors and said he sensed "hope". District Attorney Mark Duncan said he still believed the prosecution had "proved murder". Clearly referring to the Alan Parker 1988 film Mississippi Burning about the struggle to bring the killers to justice, he added: "We won't be painted or described or known throughout the world by a Hollywood movie any more." No emotion The jury in Mississippi rejected the murder charges against Killen but did find him guilty of recruiting a mob to kill the three. His wife, Betty Jo, went to her husband with tears in her eyes and hugged him. Ray Killen sat in a wheelchair and wore a breathing tube while in court As he was wheeled away, he struck out at two television microphones and a TV camera. The defendant had denied taking any part in the killings of Mr Schwerner, 24, Mr Chaney, 21, and Andy Goodman, 20. A Baptist preacher, he showed no emotion as the verdict was read in the courtroom. He used a wheelchair in court and was connected to breathing apparatus during the trial. Killed and buried The activists were two white men from New York and a local black colleague, who were killed while campaigning for the registration of black voters. They were arrested for a dubious traffic violation, and attacked by a gang of Klansmen and police after being released in the middle of the night. They were abducted as they drove out of the Mississippi town and shot dead. Their bodies, riddled with bullets and badly beaten, were buried at a dam and only found 44 days later after an extensive search. Killen, who was a suspect in the original investigation but never convicted, was re-arrested after new evidence emerged. \|\|\|\|\| 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.	Ku Klux Klan members in disguise Edward Killen, an 80-year old former Ku Klux Klan member, was convicted of three counts of manslaughter today for the murder of three civil rights workers exactly 41 years ago this very day. Michael Schwerner, 24, Mr Chaney, 21, and Andy Goodman, 20, were killed in 1964. Killen was originally a suspect and was rearrested when new evidence emerged. Killen now faces twenty years in jail. He was cleared of carrying out the murder, but convicted of recruiting a gang of Klansmen and police, who abducted the three men, shot them and beat them to death before burying them in a dam.
We use some essential cookies to make this website work. We’d like to set additional cookies to understand how you use GOV.UK, remember your settings and improve government services. We also use cookies set by other sites to help us deliver content from their services. \|\|\|\|\| Overcrowding is still a problem for many passengers on the network Ruth Kelly said £10bn would be invested by 2014 to increase services and lengthen trains. Among pledges were an extra 1,300 train carriages and upgrades at 150 stations. Consumers raised concerns about fare rises, while Lib Dems said the plan was a "missed opportunity", and Tories said it was "reheated announcements". Other key proposals from the White Paper included: The aim is to carry at least 180m more passengers within seven years More than 150 stations are to be upgraded and refurbished at a cost of £150m - London Bridge and Blackfriars stations to be upgraded by 2015 and 2011 respectively £5.5bn Thameslink modernisation programme approved, trebling the number of stations on that cross-London network £425m for improvements at Reading Station £128m for improvements at Birmingham New Street station Punctuality target of 92.6% of trains by 2014, up from the current 88% No closures for rural rail lines Protection remains on regulated fare rises - which must be no more than 1% above the annual rate of inflation The government believes its plans will allow trains to carry twice the number of passengers and freight by 2030, but acknowledges that estimate might be outstripped by demand. If that is the case, "more radical options" may have to be considered, particularly on the London-Birmingham-Manchester corridor and on London's busiest commuter routes. HAVE YOUR SAY Proper investment in high speed rail links would minimise the need for internal flights Kay, Liverpool Send us your comments New look for 'ugly' station It favours extra long trains of up to 16 carriages over double-decker trains, but says a high-speed magnetic rail link and dedicated freight lines were too expensive. Ms Kelly told MPs that the government had drawn up "the most ambitious strategy for growth on the railways in over 50 years". She said the challenge was "to provide a railway that carries more passengers, on more and better trains and on more frequent, reliable, safe and affordable service." She added: "We can't know precisely what our railway will look like in 30 years' time but now we can be confident of making it bigger, stronger and more flexible." But fares will have to cover some of the cost as Ms Kelly said government subsidies had nearly doubled during the "difficult years" of Railtrack. "It is right that we now seek to return it closer to historic levels," she said. She said most people used "regulated fares" which were capped so prices could not rise more than 1% above inflation. But the transport union TSSA said passengers faced a 34% rise in fares. 'False dawn' Also in the White Paper, Ms Kelly said the government was committed to Crossrail, a proposed high-speed rail link from Berkshire to Essex via central London - and was currently trying to "pin down" private sector funding, to match government funding. But Conservative Theresa Villiers said it was another "false dawn" for the £15bn scheme, saying it was "getting more distant by the day". She added that overcrowded trains were packed so tight "it would be a criminal offence to transport animals in the same conditions". And Lib Dem transport spokeswoman Susan Kramer said the White Paper was a "missed opportunity" to get people out of cars and planes and onto the railways and suggested most of the money outlined had been announced before. She said it "seems extraordinary" that the government had not made more mention of Crossrail in the paper. George Muir, director-general of the Association of Train Operating Companies, described the proposals as the "first plausible plan for expanding the railway" in recent years. But passenger groups have been angered that some train companies have raised off-peak prices by up to 20%. Those carriages aren't going to be put into place until 2014 so that's a long wait and passenger numbers keep going up Julia Thomas Transport 2000 Julia Thomas, of campaign group Transport 2000, told BBC Radio Five Live that the White Paper was a "major step in the right direction" but she had two main concerns. "Firstly, those carriages aren't going to be put into place until 2014 so that's a long wait and passenger numbers keep going up," she said. "Secondly, although they are concentrating on bottle necks like Reading and Birmingham New Street where there are major delays, there are quick gains to be made through signal improvements, looking at time tabling that would help passengers now." TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: "Passengers will be forced to pay twice for improvements which are meant to benefit them, first as taxpayers and then as rail users. "Ministers claim they want to encourage rail travel and then kick passengers in the teeth with huge regular hikes in fares. They are pricing people off rail and onto the roads."	The "Delivering a Sustainable Railway" white paper Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly The government of the United Kingdom has outlined its plans for the development of the Britain's railway network in a white paper presented to Parliament by the Secretary of State for Transport, Ruth Kelly. Ruth Kelly described the report as "the most ambitious strategy for growth on the railways in over 50 years" and announced that capacity will be increased to cope with an expected 20% growth in passenger numbers over the next seven years through a £10 billion investment. The government is to continue to limit the rate of increase of regulated tickets, which include standard season and saver tickets, to a maximum of 1% above inflation, and plan to introduce a simplified ticketing structure of four basic ticket types. Today's announcement also extended the government's commitment made in March of this year to fund extra carriages. An additional 300 brings the total to 1,300 carriages to be acquired to relieve overcrowding. The impact of the investment the government has outlined will be concentrated in tackling areas of high overcrowding on the rail network. In particular, Ms Kelly has highlighted a number of key projects. These include the improvement of Reading and Birmingham New Street stations and the approval of the Thameslink modernisation programme. 150 stations across the network will be upgraded and refurbished at a cost of £150 million. The largest opposition party, the Conservative Party, greeted the release with much scepticism, saying that the paper contains "reheated announcements that are years later than promised". A spokeswoman for the Liberal Democrats described it as a "missed opportunity" to encourage more people to use trains in favour of cars or planes and suggested that much of the investment outlined in the document had been announced before. George Muir, of the Association of Train Operating Companies which represents the companies providing passenger train services on the British rail network, said that the white paper is the "first plausible plan for expanding the railway" in recent years.
By Jonathan Amos Science reporter, BBC News Skylon would be totally reusable An innovative UK launcher concept is to get 1m euros (£900,000) of investment from the European Space Agency (Esa). The Skylon spaceplane would take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over 12 tonnes to orbit and then return to land on the same runway. The money will help prove the vehicle's core technologies, including its Sabre air-breathing rocket engine. Reaction Engines, the company behind the project, believes its reusable launcher could fly within 10 years. Alan Bond, the Oxfordshire firm's managing director, said: "Traditional throw-away rockets costing more than a $100m per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. "The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly reusable space-plane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth." The Skylon concept's key enabling technology is its Sabre propulsion system. It is part jet engine, part rocket engine. It burns hydrogen and oxygen to provide thrust - but in the lower atmosphere this oxygen is taken from the atmosphere. At high speeds, this requires Sabre be able to cope with 1,000-degree gasses entering its intake. These need to be cooled prior to being compressed and burnt with the hydrogen. Reaction Engines' breakthrough is a remarkable heat exchanger pre-cooler. Arrays of extremely fine piping plunge the hot intake gases to minus 130C in just 1/100th of a second. Skylon would operate like more traditional transportation systems The Esa money comes from the agency's technology development programmes and contributes to a total programme of investment in Skylon worth almost £6m. It will enable Reaction Engines to build a full test pre-cooler at its facility at Culham. Other aspects of the Skylon design will be investigated by EADS Astrium, the German space agency (DLR) and the University of Bristol. Europe already has a very capable expendable rocket system in the Ariane 5, but Esa constantly has one eye on the future and the technologies that will provide the next generation of launch systems. Guaranteed access to space for its member states is one of Esa's primary objectives, but lowering the cost of that access is also important. The "brochure price" for an Ariane 5 is about 160m euros (£140m). 'Good position' "People are looking for the technologies which are going to enable us to really transform the economics of putting stuff up into space," said UK science minister Lord Drayson. "Britain is well placed here. The Skylon project is a good example; but I'd also point to Surrey Satellite Technology Limited with their microsatellites that are a fraction of the price of conventional satellites. "We're in a promising position as a country to be working on those areas of technology that are applicable to the future of space research," he told BBC News. Lord Drayson said the coming year was an exciting one for the UK as it finessed its policies in the light of an important review being undertaken into space activity and exploration. The minister said it was possible a new structure - meaning a dedicated UK space agency - was needed to oversee this future. "We need to ask ourselves, 'are we as well organised as we can be to make the best from this good position we've got?' We haven't made any decisions about this yet because I'm waiting for this review to come to me." Jonathan.Amos-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| The rocket that thinks it's a jet A reusable space plane that can take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over 12 tonnes into orbit and return to land on the same runway, could be less than a decade away thanks to engineers at Bristol University and a €1 million award by the European Space Agency (ESA). The project, led by space propulsion experts, Reaction Engines Limited (REL), is part of a joint public and private multi-million pound research programme. The technology, developed by a European team of experts including academics from the University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, is for the SABRE air-breathing rocket engine, which will power the ‘SKYLON’ space plane. The SABRE is a unique hybrid engine that can ‘breathe in’ air when in the atmosphere, like a jet engine, and become a rocket engine when in space. In air-breathing mode, air is first cooled by a revolutionary heat exchanger pre-cooler before being compressed and fed to the rocket engine to be burnt with hydrogen fuel. When in rocket mode the hydrogen is burnt with liquid oxygen. Alan Bond, Managing Director of REL, said: “Traditional throw-away rockets costing more than a $100 million per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly re-usable space plane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth.“ Years of planning and research by REL on the ‘SKYLON’ vehicle and its unique SABRE air-breathing engine mean that we have an inside track on realising this goal. SKYLON could reduce the cost of getting into space by a factor of ten.” The demonstration programme will look at three key areas in the engine. The first area, conducted by REL, concerns the revolutionary pre-cooler that cools the incoming air as it enters the engine. During the programme a test pre-cooler will be constructed using the actual module design for the flight engines. This will be tested on the company’s B9 jet engine powered experimental facility at Culham in Oxfordshire. The second area is the cooling of the combustion chamber, where the propellants are mixed and burnt producing water vapour at around 3,000oC. The SABRE engine uses the air or liquid oxygen as the cooling fluid – a key and unusual design feature as most rocket engines use the hydrogen fuel for cooling instead. EADS Astrium and DLR in Germany will be conducting this work using demonstration chambers fired at the DLR Lampoldhausen facility. The third area, led by Dr Neil Taylor in the University’s Department of Aerospace Engineering, will explore advanced exhaust nozzles that can adapt to the ambient atmospheric pressure. This follows on from the successful STERN (Static Test of ED Rocket Nozzle) test rocket programme that was conducted last year. As part of the ESA contract a new water-cooled chamber will be constructed and test fired. Dr Taylor said: “It’s excellent news, and allows us here to build on the extensive successes we had with the STERN project. If successful, the impact the overall project will have is enormous, and it's really exciting to be in at the beginning of a potential revolution in the space world.” The demonstration programme has the objective of removing all the outstanding technical concerns on the SABRE engine. This will pave the way to a full engine development programme as part of the overall development of SKYLON. Cheap, easy and reliable access to space is critical to the development of the global space market, now worth more than $150 billion a year worldwide. Lord Drayson , Minister for Science and Innovation, said: “This is an example of a British company developing world-beating technology with exciting consequences for the future of space. It is fantastic that Reaction Engines, the British National Space Centre and ESA have successfully secured this public-private partnership arrangement and I look forward to seeing how the project progresses.” \|\|\|\|\| A REVOLUTIONARY space craft which can take off from a runway could be less than 10 years away, it was claimed today. Engineers at the University of Bristol are part of the European team working on the Skylon space plane. The reusable craft will be able to deliver a payload of more than 12 tonnes into orbit, returning to land on the same runway it took off from. Its success depends on the Sabre air-breathing rocket engine partly being developed in Bristol. Sabre is a unique hybrid engine that can “breathe” air when in the atmosphere like a conventional jet and switch to rocket power in space. In air-breathing mode, air is cooled and compressed before being fed into the rocket engine along with hydrogen fuel. When in rocket mode, the hydrogen is burned with liquid oxygen. Alan Bond, managing director of Oxford-based Reaction Engines Ltd (REL) which is leading the multi-million pound hybrid engine project, said: “Traditional throwaway rockets costing more than a 100million euros (£70million) per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. “The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly reusable space plane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth. Advertisement A Skylon launch could be less than a decade away, said the engineers. The programme is being supported by a new million euro (£90,000) grant from the European Space Agency. \|\|\|\|\| THE ROCKET THAT THINKS IT’S A JET The SKYLON spaceplane is one step closer to realization thanks to European Space Agency and UK Government support for revolutionary British propulsion technology. A reusable spaceplane that can take off from a conventional aircraft runway, carry over twelve tonnes to orbit and then return to land on the same runway could be less than a decade away thanks to a one million euro award by the European Space Agency (ESA). The contract awarded to Reaction Engines Limited (REL), is part of a joint public and private multi-million pound development programme, that will demonstrate the core technologies for the SABRE air-breathing rocket engine, which will power the SKYLON spaceplane. Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, said: “This is an example of a British company developing world beating technology with exciting consequences for the future of space. It is fantastic that Reaction Engines, the British National Space Centre and ESA have successfully secured this public-private partnership arrangement and I look forward to seeing how the project progresses.” The SABRE is a unique hybrid engine that can “breathe” air when in the atmosphere, like a jet engine, and become a rocket engine when in space. In air-breathing mode air is first cooled by a revolutionary heat exchanger pre-cooler before being compressed and fed to the rocket engine to be burned with hydrogen fuel. When in rocket mode the hydrogen is burnt with liquid oxygen. Alan Bond, Managing Director of REL, said: “Traditional throw-away rockets costing more than a $100 million per launch are a drag on the growth of this market. The Holy Grail to transform the economics of getting into space is to use a truly reusable spaceplane capable of taking off from an airport and climbing directly into space, delivering its satellite payload and automatically returning safely to Earth. “Years of planning and research by REL on the SKYLON vehicle and its unique SABRE engine mean that we have an inside track on realising this goal. SKYLON could reduce the cost of getting into space by a factor of ten and improve the reliability by a thousand.” The demonstration programme has the objective of removing all the outstanding technical concerns on the SABRE engine. This will pave the way to a full engine development programme as part of the overall development of SKYLON. Cheap, easy and reliable access to space is critical to the development of the global space market, now worth more than $150 billion a year worldwide. The demonstration programme will look at three key areas in the engine. The first area, conducted by REL, concerns the revolutionary precooler that cools the incoming air as it enters the engine. During the programme a test precooler will be constructed using the actual module design for the flight engines. This will be tested on the company’s B9 jet engine experimental facility at Culham in Oxfordshire. The second area is the cooling of the combustion chamber, where the propellants are mixed and burnt producing water vapour at around 3,000oC. The SABRE engine uses the air or liquid oxygen as the cooling fluid a key and unusual design feature as most rocket engines use the hydrogen fuel for cooling instead. EADS Astrium and DLR in Germany will be conducting this work using demonstration chambers fired at the DLR Lampoldhausen facility. The third area, led by the University of Bristol, will explore advanced exhaust nozzles that can adapt to the ambient atmospheric pressure. This follows on from the successful STERN (Static Test of ED Rocket Nozzle) test rocket programme that was conducted last year. As part of the ESA contract a new water cooled chamber will be constructed and test fired. . . . ENDS Notes to editors: 1. Reaction Engines Limited (REL) has been awarded a major European Space Agency (ESA) contract worth one million euro called “Experimental Investigation of Key Technologies for a Turbine Based Combined Airbreather Rocket Engine”. 2. The ESA contract contributes towards a total programme of almost £6 million. 3. ESA’s funding for the project is provided via subscriptions by the British National Space Centre partnership to two technology programmes of ESA the Technology Research Programme (TRP) and the General Support Technology Programme (GSTP). 4. The British National Space Centre (BNSC) is at the heart of UK efforts to explore and exploit space. BNSC is a partnership of seven Government Departments, two Research Councils, the Met Office and the Technology Strategy Board. It co-ordinates UK civil space activities and represents the UK at the European Space Agency. For more information, visit www.bnsc.gov.uk 5. REL’s partners in this programme are EADS Astrium at Ottobrun, Germany; DLR (Deutsches Zentrum fűr Luft- und Raumfahrt) in Lampoldhausen, Germany; and the University of Bristol, England. 6. Public domain images and video can be found - For SKYLON and SABRE at - www.reactionengines.co.uk - For STERN at - www.projectstern.co.uk Contacts: Reaction Engines Limited Building D5, Culham Science Centre, Reaction Engines Ltd, tel +44 (0)1865 408314, email: enquiries@reactionengines.co.uk. Contact: Natalie.Allred, Public Communications Officer BNSC The British National Space Centre, Second Floor South, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon, Wiltshire, SN2 1SZ Contact: Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) press office - Science and Innovation Desk Tel: 0203 300 8881 University of Bristol Public Relations Office, Communications & Marketing Services, University of Bristol, tel + 44 (0) 117 331 7276, mobile 07747 768805, email: caroline.clancy@bristol.ac.uk Contact: Caroline Clancy, Press Officer. DLR Institut für Raumfahrtantriebe, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR), tel. +49 629828214, Fax. +49 629828119 email: oskar.haidn@dlr.de, contact: Oskar Haidn, Vice Director R&D Institut für Raumfahrtantriebe	Reaction Engines Limited, a firm in Oxford, United Kingdom, has recently been awarded €1 million by the European Space Agency. This money is to be used for development work for the firm's SABRE engines. The SABRE engines are for a reusable spaceplane that it is intended to be able to travel into space and return completely intact. Reaction Engines Limited says the Skylon plane could be in service within 10 years. When in service it would be intended to be regularly carrying up to 60 passengers into orbit much more cheaply than today. Diagram of the Reaction Engines Skylon The cash will be used to test a precooled jet engine that would cool the very hot air entering the engines and should permit the aircraft to fly more economically, like a jet plane. The plane will fly through the air to 26 km (85,000 feet) altitude and five times the speed of sound before using rockets to push the aircraft the rest of the way to orbit. The BBC says that other aspects of the Skylon design will be investigated by EADS Astrium, the German space agency (DLR) and the University of Bristol.
First BotPrize Winners Get $200,000 Photo Editor 2.0, Masks and Homemade GIFs Trending Stickers, Storage and More Keep Calm and Send Telegrams! Drafts, Picture-in-Picture, and More Edit Messages, New Mentions and More \|\|\|\|\| Telegram is branching beyond being a messaging app into something more well-rounded. The company on Tuesday launched Telegraph, a publishing platform with striking similarities to Medium and Quip. What’s interesting about the service is that no account is needed — simply visit the website and begin typing away. When you’re done, hit publish and it’s immediately on the web. Described as “a publishing tool that lets you create rich posts with markdown, photos, and all sorts of embedded stuff,” Telegraph is an interesting play, especially since it’s as if Facebook Messenger launched a Notes tool, or if Twitter natively integrated with Medium. Creating a post can be done in no time and with little restrictions — you create a title for your screed, enter in someone’s name as the author, and begin typing. Your post will let you insert videos from YouTube or Vimeo, as well as tweets, just by dropping in the link. Images from your computer can also be embedded. Because it doesn’t require you to log in, Telegraph is different from Medium in that you won’t be able to catalog your past work or assign them into collections. Each post has a dedicated web address following the format of “telegra.ph/[title]-[date of publishing]”. It appears that currently the only way for you to edit published work is if your computer has stored cookies. If you clear your cache, view it in an incognito browser, or access it from another device, you won’t be able to edit the post. This freeform process may seem appealing to some, but it’s not without its risks. In an age of fake news and proliferation of anonymity, there’s little to stop me from penning a post to read like it came from President Obama, Donald Trump, Mark Zuckerberg, my colleague Jordan Novet, or anyone else — so you’ll have to be extra vigilant when reading these missives. Introducing Instant View for articles, Jump to Date, Groups in Common, and Telegraph – a publishing tool. https://t.co/Vzp3onQrZn — Telegram Messenger (@telegram) November 22, 2016 Why did Telegram create this publishing tool? The exact motivation isn’t clear, but it’s probably because the company feels its more than 100 million monthly active users want something else to do beyond instant-messaging one another or conversing with bots. This will be particularly impactful for those on Telegram running channels that have amassed a following, because the service could become a place for publications to run stories, pushing content away from mainstream platforms especially when it’s dealing with more sensitive topics that readers want additional assurances before reading. In its launch announcement today, the company couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cast some shade on the media, saying “with Telegraph, your Telegram channel can run stories just like the mainstream media (although you may find it tricky to become as biased).” More than 12 billion messages are delivered on the popular messaging app each day, so diving into longer-form content could be of interest to the users, simplifying the process without hindering communication. In other news, Telegram also debuted Instant View, a new mobile offering similar to Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) and Facebook’s Instant Articles, designed to improve article load times in a native setting. “Only a handful of websites are supported at the moment,” the company acknowledged, but promised that more would be onboarded in the future. It also added a way to search inside any chat by date, enabling you to quickly view previous moments you’ve had in the app. Users will now be able to view all the recently sent stickers just by having a long-tap on a sticker and selecting “view pack.” Lastly, the app will show you all the groups you and a contact have in common within their profile. And if that’s not enough to get you excited, Telegram teased that it has “something big” brewing in its “secret dungeons” that will be unveiled soon.	Telegram introduced an instant view button, seen here, to load articles from site including ''Medium'' and ''TechCrunch'' quickly to save time and data On Tuesday instant messaging application Telegram announced publishing service ''Telegraph''. They also introduced "instant view" and "jump to date" features. Telegraph offers a simple publishing service without an account. It supports embedding photos, tweets from Twitter, and videos from YouTube and by dropping in a link. It allows users to create with by filling the title, author name and the story. Telegraph is similar to other publishing websites like '''' and ''''. Unlike Medium and Quip Telegraph does not require a login and thus anyone can use a false name to publish a story. The stories can only be edited from the same browser on the same device if the user accepts the policy and does not clear the . According to Telegram, instant view offers "an elegant way to view articles with zero pageload time". Links to articles on sites including ''Medium'' and '''' shows an instant view option which can be viewed directly within the application which was built to save time and data. Telegram also introduced a jump to date option to search chats by dates. A calendar icon enables user to choose a date to search old messages. Other features in the new update, version 3.14, include improved camera speed, better video compression and photo viewer, and improved security for passcodes. A new interface for notifications and creating groups for the operating system is also included, with Telegram saying "Make Android Great Again!". Telegram also introduced a feature to view an entire sticker pack by pressing a long hold on the recently sent sticker. Users can also view the list of groups the user shares with a particular contact.
The page you are attempting to reach is accessible to Transport Briefing subscribers only. To continue, please enter your account details in the spaces below: Email address: Password: To find out more about subscribing to Transport Briefing, which includes full access to our online news service, archive, agenda and weekly newsletter detailing the latest developments in the transport sector click here. Alternatively, you can discuss your requirements by telephoning the Transport Briefing office on +44 (0)20 8405 2456. \|\|\|\|\| TfL obtains its first ASBO against graffiti menace This ASBO demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community Jeroen Weimar, Director of the Transport Policing and Enforcement Directive Transport for London (TfL) has won its first Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against a persistent graffiti vandal. He is now banned from the top deck of any public transport bus in England and Wales. Billy Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead in South East London, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport. These include vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and convictions for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens. The ASBO against Mr Murrell prevents him from travelling on the top deck of any public transport bus within England and Wales. It also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider's property. Resolving crime Jeroen Weimar, Director of the Transport Policing and Enforcement Directive (TPED), said: "Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. "This ASBO demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community. "TfL will only use its powers in relation to ASBOs when it is necessary to do so, but this shows that we are prepared to take action to protect public transport for our passengers." The ASBO is valid for three years and any breach of its terms could be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years once Mr Murrell turns 18. Borough police, including Bexleys new Safer Transport Team, which patrols the borough's buses and is funded by TfL, are being made aware of this ASBO, and have distributed a picture of Mr Murrell. Safer transport Bexley Police's Partnership Manager, Chief Inspector Chris Hafford, said: "The Bexley Safer Transport Team have had a massive impact since they were introduced. "They have targeted a number of bus routes where anti-social behaviour has been identified, detecting and preventing offences and reassuring passengers." TfL with the Metropolitan Police Service's Transport Operational Command Unit, set up Operation BusTag almost three years ago. It has targeted criminal damage to London buses using CCTV evidence, which has seen the arrest rate for this type of offence triple and now has conviction rates of over 90per cent. Editors notes: \|\|\|\|\| Transport for London (TfL) has won its first Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) against a persistent graffiti vandal. He is now banned from the top deck of any public transport bus in England and Wales.Billy Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead in South East London, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport. These include vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and convictions for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens.The ASBO against Mr Murrell prevents him from travelling on the top deck of any public transport bus within England and Wales. It also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider’s property.Jeroen Weimar, Director of the Transport Policing and Enforcement Directive (TPED), said “Murrell’s vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. This ASBO demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community.“TfL will only use its powers in relation to ASBOs when it is necessary to do so, but this shows that we are prepared to take action to protect public transport for our passengers.”The ASBO is valid for three years and any breach of its terms could be punishable by imprisonment of up to five years once Mr Murrell turns 18.Borough police, including Bexley’s new Safer Transport Team, which patrols the borough’s buses and is funded by TfL, are being made aware of this ASBO, and have distributed a picture of Mr Murrell.Bexley Police’s Partnership Manager, Chief Inspector Chris Hafford, said “The Bexley Safer Transport Team have had a massive impact since they were introduced.“They have targeted a number of bus routes where anti-social behaviour has been identified, detecting and preventing offences and reassuring passengers.”Transport for London, with the Metropolitan Police Service’s Transport Operational Command Unit, set up Operation BusTag almost three years ago. It has targeted criminal damage to London buses using CCTV evidence, which has seen the arrest rate for this type of offence triple and now has conviction rates of over 90%.· A picture of Billy Murrell, issued by Bexley Police, is available upon request from Leslee Williams at the Metropolitan Police. She can be contacted on 020 8284 9154 or 07884 043 776 or leslee.williams@met.police.uk · The Anti Social Behaviour Order was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on September 12 2007.· Under the ASBO, the Defendant is prohibited from:. Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any transport providers property which is not expressly open to the public whether on payment or otherwise throughout England and Wales.. Carrying the following articles, in any area specified in (1) or in any public place, namely any form of unset paint in any form of container, any form of permanent marker pen, any form of shoe dye or permanent ink in any form of container, any form of paint stripper in any form of container, any form of grinding stone, glass cutting equipment, glass etching solution or paste, throughout England and Wales.. Aiding, abetting, counselling or encourage any person who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales.. Travelling on the top deck of the any public transport bus within England and Wales.· If without reasonable excuse the defendant does anything which he is prohibited from doing by this Order, he shall be liable to a detention and training order, which has a maximum term of 24 months – 12 months of which is custodial and 12 months in the community.· Upon turning 18 he will be liable to imprisonment up to 5years.· TfL was granted the power to apply for ASBOs in its own right by the Home Secretary in September 2006.· The ASBO was obtained by TfL’s Transport Policing and Enforcement Directorate. TPED is responsible for Transport Policing, Bus Enforcement and Traffic Enforcement.· TPED manages TfL`s relationship with the Metropolitan Police Service`s Transport Operational Command Unit (TOCU) which was set up in 2002 to fight crime on buses, tackle illegal taxi touts and assist with the control of traffic congestion, there are now more than 1,200 uniformed officers in the unit. It is funded by Transport for London at a cost of £70 million a year.· This year TfL has also funded the deployment of Safer Transport Teams made up of 18 Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs), two Sergeants and a PC to 21 outer London boroughs. These teams will tackle local priorities and provide visibility and reassurance to passengers. Bexley Safer Transport Team was launched on March 20th 2007.· All 8,000 London buses are now fitted with CCTV and there are now up to 60,000 cameras on the fleet of 8,000 vehicles.· Operation BusTag is a Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) Investigation Unit set up in November 2004 by the Transport Operational Command Unit to:- Tackle criminal damage being committed on London's buses.- Identify and bring to justice those who have committed criminal damage on London's buses.- Liaise with bus companies and other authorities to tackle criminal damage and anti-social behaviour.- Since it started in November 2004 Operation BusTag has achieved over 1,900 arrests for criminal damage throughout London during the past two years.Lucy EmeleEmail: lucyemele@tfl.gov.uk Direct line: 0207 126 4727 \|\|\|\|\| Murrell risks detention if he breaches the order Billy Murrell, 17, from Plumstead, south-east London, has several criminal damage convictions on trains and buses using marker pens, police said. It is the first time Transport for London (TfL) has obtained an anti-social order against a "tagger". The order also bans Murrell from carrying marker pens or sharp instruments on public transport. The anti-social behaviour order (Asbo) which is valid for three years, was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 12 September. Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users Jeroen Weimar, TfL If Murrell, whose tag is "Raider", is in breach of the order, he risks detention of up to 24 months or up to five years in jail once he is over 18. Jeroen Weimar, of TfL, said "Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. "This Asbo demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community." TfL was granted the power to apply for Asbos through the courts in its own right in September 2006. Operation BusTag, a joint TfL and police initiative targeting criminal damage, has seen 1,900 people arrested in the past two years. \|\|\|\|\| Graffiti vandal banned from bus top decks 5:23pm Friday 21st September 2007 Comments (17) Have your say » A PERSISTENT vandal has been slapped with an Asbo banning him from the top deck of public transport buses. The order, made by Greenwich magistrates on 17-year-old Billy Murrell, is the first one by Transport for London (TfL) for graffiti. Murrell, from Plumstead, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport. These include damaging buses and other public property using marker pens and vandalising a Tube carriage. Jeroen Weimar, who heads TfL's transport policing and enforcement directive, said: "Murrell's vandalism has affected many other bus and train users. "This Asbo demonstrates the role that TfL can play in resolving crime and disorder problems in our community. "TfL will only use its powers in relation to Asbos when it is necessary to do so, but this shows that we are prepared to take action to protect public transport for our passengers." The Asbo is valid for three years. CONDITIONS OF THE ORDER The Asbo bars him from: Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any other transport company's property which is not open to the public throughout England and Wales. Carrying unset paint in any form of container, permanent marker pens, shoe dye or permanent ink, paint stripper, a grinding stone, glass cutting equipment or glass etching solution or paste anywhere mentioned above and any public place in England and Wales. Aiding, abetting, counselling or encouraging anyone who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or being under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales. Travelling on the top deck of any public transport bus within England and Wales. If he breaches the order he could be sentenced to a two-year detention and training order, with 12 months to be served in custody and 12 months to be served in the community. When he turns 18 any breach could carry a five-year jail sentence. Your Say YourShopper	Billy Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead in S.E. London Billy Murrell, a persistent graffiti vandal from South East London, has become the first recipient of an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (Asbo) granted to Transport for London (TfL) by Greenwich Magistrates. The civil order also bans him from the top deck of buses throughout England and Wales for three years. Murrell, a 17-year-old from Plumstead, has a history of convictions for criminal damage on public transport, including vandalising a Tube carriage in Brixton station and for damaging buses and other public property using marker pens. This is Transport for London's first Anti-Social Behaviour Order against a graffiti vandal — TfL was granted the power to apply for Asbos by the Home Secretary in September 2006. The Anti-Social Behaviour Order was issued at Greenwich Magistrates Court on 12 September and also bans him from carrying any permanent marker pens or any glass cutting equipment on London Underground, railway property or any other transport provider's property. Metropolitan and Transport police have been made aware of Murrell's Asbo, and have distributed his photo. '''In detail, Murrell is prohibited from:''' Entering any depot, siding or other part of London Underground property or railway property or any transport providers property which is not expressly open to the public whether on payment or otherwise throughout England and Wales Carrying the following articles, in any area specified (above) or in any public place, namely any form of unset paint in any form of container, any form of permanent marker pen, any form of shoe dye or permanent ink in any form of container, any form of paint stripper in any form of container, any form of grinding stone, glass cutting equipment, glass etching solution or paste, throughout England and Wales Aiding, abetting, counselling or encourage any person who was attempting or committing any form of unlawful damage towards any property not belonging to or under the direct authorised control of the defendant throughout England and Wales Travelling on the top deck of the any public transport bus within England and Wales If without reasonable excuse the defendant does anything which he is prohibited from doing by this order, he shall be liable to a detention and training order, which has a maximum term of 24 months - 12 months of which is custodial and 12 months in the community Upon turning 18 he will be liable to imprisonment up to five years.
Gary Coleman Dies Gary Coleman has died as the result of injuries he suffered earlier this week, the hospital tells TMZ. We've learned Gary's wife, Shannon, made the decision to pull life support early this AM. We're told Coleman died at 12:05 PM MST. He died of a intracranial hemorrhage. Family members and close friends were at Coleman's side when life support was pulled. He was 42. As TMZ first reported, Coleman was rushed to a hospital in Utah after he fell and hurt his head. He was on life support since Thursday. There will be a press conference at the hospital at 3:00 PM PT. A rep for Coleman released this statement: "Thanks to everyone for their well wishing and support during this tragic time. Now that Gary has passed, we know he will be missed because of all the love and support shown in the past couple of days. Gary is now at peace and his memory will be kept in the hearts of those who were entertained by him throughout the years." \|\|\|\|\| Enlarge Gary Coleman died Friday after suffering a serious head injury. Enlarge AP file Gary Coleman and earlier TV comedy icon Lucille Ball in 1979. See more photos here Diff'rent Strokes, died Friday after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42. Gary Coleman , the child star of the TV sitcomdied Friday after suffering an intercranial hemorrhage. He was 42. Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank says life support was terminated and Coleman died at 12:05 p.m. Coleman was hospitalized Wednesday after falling and suffering a head injury at his home south of Salt Lake City, according to family members. For a while, it seemed that Gary Coleman's cherubic face was everywhere, from TV to T-shirts to lunchboxes. PHOTOS: A look back at Coleman's life On Diff'rent Strokes, he played precocious Arnold Jackson, who, with his brother Willis (Todd Bridges), was adopted by a wealthy, white Manhattan man (Conrad Bain) and his daughter (Dana Plato). Coleman's pudgy cheeks and flawless comic timing made him the break-out star of the popular series, which ran from 1978-86. His signature line, "Whatchoo talkin' 'bout, Willis?" became a national catchphrase. But Coleman's bright beginnings were overshadowed by domestic disputes, legal troubles and health issues. Coleman was born with a congenital kidney disease that resulted in his small stature. He had two kidney transplants and required frequent dialysis. At the height of Diff'rent Strokes' popularity, Coleman reportedly received up to $100,000 an episode. Beginning in 1980, he won four consecutive People's Choice Awards as Favorite Young TV Performer He parlayed his prime-time success into steady work in TV guest spots, made-for-TV movies and feature films, including On the Right Track and The Kid with the Broken Halo. The latter inspired the animated TV series The Gary Coleman Show. But in the years after Diff'rent Strokes, Coleman was in the headlines more often for his off-screen troubles than for his acting. In 1989, he successfully sued his parents and former advisers for misappropriation of his trust fund, which had dwindled. He was awarded $1.3 million. In 1999, Coleman filed for bankruptcy, blaming his troubles on financial mismanagement. In 1998, while working as a security guard, he was charged with assault for hitting a woman who had been seeking an autograph. He pleaded no contest and received a suspended sentence. In 2007 he was cited for disorderly conduct after arguing with his wife, Shannon Price, whom he married that August. They had met on the set of the 2006 comedy Church Ball. In 2008, he and Price appeared on the syndicated TV show Divorce Court in an attempt to save their marriage. But last year, the two were involved in a domestic dispute which resulted in Price being arrested and both receiving disorderly conduct citations. And he recently settled a lawsuit with a man he allegedly hit with his car outside a Utah bowling alley in 2008. In January, Coleman was arrested for failure to appear in court for an unspecified earlier charge. Coleman's troubles led him to be the butt of jokes for comedians and he even inspired a character by the same name in the Tony-winning musical Avenue Q. Through it all, Coleman maintained his perspective and sense of humor. "I parody myself every chance I get," he said. "I try to make fun of myself and let people know that I'm a human being, and these things that have happened to me are real. I'm not just some cartoon who exists and suddenly doesn't exist." Despite his real-life travails, Coleman will remain an '80s TV icon, a quick-witted boy whose onscreen charm lives on in television syndication. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more \|\|\|\|\| FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2008 file photo, actor Gary Coleman appears on the the NBC "Today" program... FILE - In this Feb. 26, 2008 file photo, actor Gary Coleman appears on the the NBC "Today" program in New York. A Utah hospital says said Thursday May 27, 2010 that former child television star Gary Coleman has been admitted in critical condition.(AP Photo/Richard Drew) (AP) Gary Coleman, the adorable, pint-sized child star of the smash 1970s TV sitcom "Diff'rent Strokes" who spent the rest of his life struggling on Hollywood's D-list, died Friday after suffering a brain hemorrhage. He was 42. Coleman was taken off life support and died with family and friends at his side, Utah Valley Regional Medical Center spokeswoman Janet Frank said. He suffered the brain hemorrhage Wednesday at his Santaquin home, 55 miles south of Salt Lake City. Frank said Coleman was hospitalized because of an accident at the home, but she had no further details. Coleman's family, in a statement read by his brother-in-law Shawn Price, said information would be released shortly about his death. Best remembered for "Diff'rent Strokes" character Arnold Jackson and his "Whatchu talkin' 'bout?" catchphrase, Coleman chafed at his permanent association with the show but also tried to capitalize on it through reality shows and other TV appearances. His adult life was marked with legal, financial and health troubles, suicide attempts and even a 2003 run for California governor. "I want to escape that legacy of Arnold Jackson," he told The New York Times during his gubernatorial run. "I'm someone more. It would be nice if the world thought of me as something more." A statement from the family said he was conscious and lucid until midday Thursday, when his condition worsened and he slipped into unconsciousness. Coleman was then placed on life support. "It's unfortunate. It's a sad day," said Todd Bridges, who played Coleman's older brother, Willis, on "Diff'rent Strokes." "Diff'rent Strokes" debuted on NBC in 1978 and drew most of its laughs from Coleman, then a tiny 10-year-old with sparkling eyes and perfect comic timing. He played the younger of two African-American brothers adopted by a wealthy white man. Race and class relations became topics on the show as much as the typical trials of growing up. \|\|\|\|\| Richard Drew/Associated Press Gary Coleman, the actor who as a child star of the television comedy “Diff’rent Strokes” made “What’choo talkin ’bout, Willis?” a catchphrase of the 1980s, has died. He was 42. The death was reported by CBS News, citing the Utah Valley Regional Medical Center in Provo, where Mr. Coleman had been hospitalized after an injury. A diminutive actor who stood at 4 feet eight inches, Mr. Coleman became a star at age 10 for his role on “Diff’rent Strokes.” The show, which had its debut in 1978, cast him as Arnold Jackson, the younger of two children adopted by the millionaire Philip Drummond (played by Conrad Bain). The show ran for eight years on NBC and ABC. In 1989, Mr. Coleman sued his adopted parents for mismanaging the money he made on the show and won a settlement, but later filed for bankruptcy. He continued to appear in brief film and television roles, often as himself, and often poking fun at his grownup struggles. A full obituary article can be found here.	Gary Coleman in a promotional poster of . US actor died Friday at the in , Utah, after complications from a . Coleman was admitted to the hospital on May 26 after falling and injuring his head. He went into a coma on May 27 and required life support. He was taken off life support and died shortly after noon on Friday. He was 42 years old. Coleman had been suffering multiple medical problems throughout his life, however, it is unknown if these problems affected his death. He suffered from a congenital kidney disease which required two transplants and daily dialysis. On February 27, 2010 Coleman suffered a seizure on the set of the television show ''''. Coleman's career began with appearances in US 's such as '''' and ''''. He was best known for his recurring role as Arnold Jackson on '''' and his recurring line, "What'choo talkin' 'bout, Willis?".
The Malaysian Grand Prix has been suspended due to heavy rain after 33 laps at Sepang. The race could yet restart if conditions improve sufficiently. When the race was suspended, Brawn's Jenson Button was leading from Toyota's Timo Glock and and BMW Sauber's Nick Heidfeld. Half points will be awarded if the race cannot be restarted. Results will follow when available. \|\|\|\|\| Jenson Button wins after heavy downpour halts Malaysian GP JENSON BUTTON recorded his second consecutive victory for Brawn GP at the rain-soaked Malaysian Grand Prix. The British driver, who had qualified in pole, was leading on the 33rd of 56 scheduled laps when the race was stopped after a thunderstorm broke at the Sepang International Circuit. With the torrential rain refusing to relent and darkness descending on the track due to the late starting time, organisers eventually decided not to restart the race, awarding half-points to the top eight finishers. Nick Heidfeld benefited from a decision to run a heavy fuel load as he finished second for BMW Sauber while Timo Glock was third after a strong run in intermediates during a period before the heavens fully opened. Jarno Trulli was fourth in the second Toyota, with Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello fifth and Mark Webber sixth for Red Bull. World champion Lewis Hamilton was seventh for McLaren with Nico Rosberg eighth for Williams. It was the first race to be red-flagged for rain since the 1991 Australian Grand Prix in Adelaide. Rosberg got a great jump at the start, accelerating past Glock and Trulli and passing Button on the inside of the first corner. Button, who had changed the front wing of his car shortly before the start, looked out of sorts early and dropped to fourth after also being passed by Trulli and Fernando Alonso in the first complex of corners. He regained third place from Alonso at turn 13 but it was Rosberg that held a 1.2-second lead over Trulli at the end of the opening lap. Heikki Kovalainen was an early casualty, spinning his McLaren out on turn five of the first lap when something appeared to break on the back of his car, while Robert Kubica, who had started slowly in his badly-misfiring BMW Sauber retired on the second when his engine gave out. Barrichello and Alonso were involved in an early scrap with the Brazilian putting the two-time champion under intense pressure before finally overtaking him on the run to the first corner on the fourth lap. The Spaniard was running a heavily-fuelled Renault and dropped to sixth when he let Kimi Raikkonen past on turn four of the 11th lap after his tyres lost traction on the 11th lap. Rosberg had opened a 3.3-second lead when he came in for his first pit stop on the 15th lap, handing the lead to Trulli, with Button in hot pursuit in second. Trulli went into the pits at the end of the 17th lap handing the lead over to Button, who ran a fastest lap of 1:36.041 to maintain first place when the first sequence of pit stops ended. Raikkonen made a switch to wet tyres on lap 19 but the gamble failed to pay off as the threatening dark clouds failed to open immediately, dropping his Ferrari down to near the back of the field. The rain finally arrived on lap 22, bringing most of the field in for a change to wet tyres and Hamilton was the biggest beneficiary as his first fuel stop helped to elevate his McLaren up to sixth place. The Brawn had enjoyed little testing in wet conditions but Button showed his mastery of the conditions by opening up a 24.6-second lead over second-placed teammate Barrichello by lap 25. But Glock was flying in his Toyota, moving up through the field rapidly on intermediate tyres. Having swallowed up many of the other runners, the German took the lead when Button came in to the pits to change from wets to intermediates on lap 29. It proved an untimely decision for the Brawn GP driver as the heavens opened up immediately after forcing Button into the pits for a fourth time to change back to wets but with Glock also stopping for wets, he managed to emerge from the pits in first place. The rain intensified and Giancarlo Fisichella, Sebastian Vettel and Sebastien Buemi spun out in the treacherous conditions. The safety car was deployed soon afterwards before the cars were red-flagged on lap 33 with Button leading from Glock in second and Heidfeld in third. Trulli was fourth at the stoppage with Barrichello fifth, Hamilton sixth, Rosberg seventh and Webber eighth. Some drivers opted to wait out the stoppage in their cars but Raikkonen decided not to restart and was seen on television dressed in civilian clothes and enjoying an ice cream. But with the rain refusing to relent and darkness approaching, the decision was made, 50 minutes after the stoppage, not to restart with half-points awarded to the top eight finishers. The results were counted back to the end of the 31st lap with Heidfeld taking second and Glock third behind Button. \|\|\|\|\| News Jenson Button wins Malaysian Grand Prix 05 Apr, 2009 04:20 pm IST,TIMESOFINDIA.COM Print Save EMail Write to Editor NEW DELHI: Briton Jenson Button of Brawn GP won the Malaysian Grand Prix ahead of Timo Glock of Toyota and Nick Heidfeld of BMW Sauber. The race was suspended as the red flag is out due to heavy rain after lap 32. The teams and drivers will only get half points because less than 75% of the race was completed. S Vettel of Red Bull, S Buemi of Toro Rosso and G Fisichella of Force India retired after rain halted the race. McLaren's H Kovalainen made a terrible mistake at the turn during the second lap and got retired while Robert Kubica of BMW Sauber also got retired due to some engine problem in his car. Drivers' Standings Constructor Standings Position after Lap 32 Lap 56 Position Drivers Teams Pit stops 1 J Button Brawn 4 2 T Glock Toyota 3 3 N Heidfeld BMW Sauber 1 4 M Webber Red Bull 4 5 R Barrichello Brawn 4 6 L Hamilton McLaren 3 18 G Fisichella Force India 1 (Ret) 15 A Sutil Force India 3 Print Save EMail Write to Editor Comments to the Editor \|\|\|\|\| What do you think? Help us improve The Times. We welcome your feedback, suggestions and ideas. Click here to send us your feedback. Need help from our Customer Services team? You can contact the team via the following channels: Live Chat Twitter Email Telephone: +0044 20 7711 1523	Jenson Button (2008) Photo credit: Mark McArdle at Flickr Sepang International Circuit Brawn-Mercedes driver Jenson Button wins FIA Formula One 2009 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit, Sepang, Selangor, Malaysia. The race was suspended by red flag due to heavy rain after 33 laps and later stopped after more than half an hour of waiting the track to dry up. All drivers earned only half possible points counted after 31 laps. Nick Heidfeld on his KERS-equipped BMW Sauber car placed second from 11th place on the starting grid. Both Toyota drivers Timo Glock and Jarno Trulli ended up behind Heidfeld. Button's teammate Rubens Barrichello finished 5th. Mark Webber's Red Bull gained one place from the start, finishing 6th. McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton finished 7th after burst from 13th place on the start. Nico Rosberg had a fantastic start overtaking all drivers in front of his 6th place to the first corner. Still he lose this advantage throughout the race and closed the top eight with only half a point for his Williams team.
Some office workers leave their PC on all night Computer magazine PC Pro measured the electricity consumed by PCs, printers and TVs. It found many devices were extremely hungry when it comes to eating power. But a few minor adjustments could save people hundreds of pounds. Turn it off A CRT (cathode ray tube) monitor left on during the day and in standby mode during the night costs an equivalent in electricity over five years as a brand new flat screen monitor, it found. Even if you can't be bothered to save the planet, at least save yourself a few bob Nick Ross, PC Pro Magazine Bad practice in UK offices means many employees do not bother turning their computer off at all when they leave in the evening. "If the screensaver is running then the monitor isn't in standby mode and it can be drawing over 100W," said PC Pro's deputy lab editor Nick Ross. This could add up to a substantial sum when multiplied by the number of monitors in an office building. "It would be worth many companies actually paying an employee extra to go round turning things off at the end of the day," he said. Computers even consume electricity when they have been turned off, although a change to the settings or investing in a special power strip can cut off the entire electricity supply to the computer and its peripherals. Saving cash "Most people could easily save £100 a year and a small-to-medium sized company should easily cut £5,000 off its bills just by following our advice," said Mr Ross. The picture is slightly better when it comes to TVs. While older models can suck up 13W in standby mode, newer ones were far more environmentally friendly. The Sony Wega widescreen and Philips flat screen TV used less than 1W when in standby, the results showed. To highlight the issue of wasted electricity, PC Pro has launched a Switch IT Off campaign, designed to make users and manufacturers more aware of the true cost of owning electronics. "Even if you can't be bothered to save the planet, at least save yourself a few bob," said Mr Ross. \|\|\|\|\| News [Desktop computers] PC Pro launches Switch IT Off campaign 1:46PM The new issue of PC Pro launches a campaign to cut its readers' power bills - both in their homes and their businesses. 'Our tests show that individuals can save £250 per year while a medium-sized company could cut £5,000 from its annual bill,' said PC Pro editor, Tim Danton. 'And, unlike so many other green measures, you don't have to invest lots of money to reap the rewards.' The campaign stems from PC Pro's investigations into the true cost of running a PC. Using state-of-the-art equipment, it discovered that a desktop PC alone could cost its owner up to £175 a year. But it also discovered that some minor changes could reap instant rewards. 'What many people don't realise is that computers can still consume lots of power when in standby mode,' said Tim Danton. 'We found that one minor adjustment to settings could cut bills in half with no loss of performance whatsoever.' PC Pro also put monitors, printers and consumer electronics to the test. 'Our most striking discovery ADVERTISEMENT was that, if you replace a CRT with an LCD, then it could pay for itself within five years.' PC Pro's Switch IT off campaign intends to raise the awareness of IT power consumption in the home and in the office, and also to make it easier for people to change their computing habits. 'We've teamed up with OneClickPower, so that more people take advantage of its six-socket power strip,' said Tim Danton. 'Just plug your PC into the master socket, then when you put your PC into standby or switch it off, the strip automatically cuts power to the peripherals plugged into any other socket. PC Pro subscribers can buy it for a reduced price too: £25 rather than £30.' To encourage its readers to follow the power-cutting advice, PC Pro has also formed a partnership with two environmentally aware companies: Eizo and Fujitsu Siemens. Over the next few months, the two will be providing thousands of pounds in prizes, with any PC Pro readers who have taken power-saving measures entered into a monthly draw. The new May issue (#127) of PC Pro goes on sale today. FACTS & FIGURES * The cost of powering an old CRT monitor for five years, £150, is now more than a 17in LCD monitor * Using a screensaver is costing some PC owners £100 per year * Switching off a single laser printer overnight and at weekends will save a business £70 during the printer's lifetime * One settings tweak could save PC owners £75 per year	British computer magazine ''PC Pro'' has investigated the electricity costs of running today's computers. Their investigations showed that an individual could save £250 a year while a medium-sized business could potentially save £5,000 a year by making changes to the way computers and their peripherals are operated. A CRT monitor uses £150 of electricity over five years; enough to pay for a new low-power LCD monitor. Using a screen saver, rather than turning the monitor off or using many computers' built-in feature to turn monitors off after a period of inactivity, could cost £100 alone in a year. It was also discovered that turning a single laser printer off overnight and on weekends would save £70 over the life of the printer. Many others computer users however run 'distributed computing' projects while their computers are idle, such as the '@home' series of projects (including the well-known 'SETI@home').
Former lobbyist Jack Abramoff was sentenced Thursday to four years in prison and ordered to pay $23 million in restitution to victims based on his pleading guilty to conspiracy, honest services fraud and tax evasion charges. Abramoff is already serving nearly six years for fraud in connection with a Florida casino deal. He faced an additional 11 years when he entered the sentencing hearing, but prosecutors asked for a much more lenient sentence of less than four years. Defense attorneys said he deserves even less time because of his help in nabbing others convicted in lobbyist and corruption cases. The recent sentencing was handed down by U.S. District Court Judge Ellen Segal Huvelle of the District of Columbia. Abramoff, 49, was also sentenced to three years of supervision following his release from prison. Abramoff on Jan. 3, 2006, pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit “honest services” fraud involving public officials and fraud involving Abramoff’s clients, one count of honest services fraud involving public officials, and one count of tax evasion. According to the plea agreement signed by Abramoff, from 1994 through early 2004, he lobbied public officials in the federal government while working in the Washington, D.C., offices of two law firms – first at Seattle-based Preston Gates & Ellis and in 2001 for Miami-based Greenberg Traurig. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Justice, Abramoff admitted he conspired to defraud four Native American Indian tribes that either operated, or were interested in operating, gaming casinos. Each of the clients, which were tribes located in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas and Michigan, hired Abramoff, through his employers, to give advice regarding how best to limit competition from competing casinos or, in one instance, to reopen a previously closed casino. \|\|\|\|\| Search For: appearing anywhere in the headline in the section in the lead in the byline Help While there is no fee to search the Union Leader archives, a fee will be charged to retrieve the full text of any article in the archives. To retrieve the full-length story you must establish an archive account. The Union Leader archive has a variety of pricing options for purchasing articles. To allow for flexibility, we offer packages with a variety of expiration times along with single article purchasing. You will be asked for your credit card information as part of the registration process. Single article purchase = $2.50 You can choose to purchase one article at a time for $2.50 each. The Union Leader also offers a variety of other options for purchasing articles: Article Package Price Duration 3 pack $6.95 one week 10 pack $21.95 one month 25 pack $49.95 one month 40 pack $79.95 one month 500 pack $995.00 one year 1,000 pack $1,995.00 one year \|\|\|\|\| Search results Searched for: Returned: 1 displays of 1 matches Returning the tainted money just a first step Author: MONITOR STAFF Date: January 6, 2006 Publication: Concord Monitor (NH) Page: B04 Word Count: 561 Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's long-running campaign to win influence and bribe politicians is not the true measure of the degree to which money has tainted Washington politics. The true measure can be seen in the belated rush by politicians to return or donate "gifts" from the corrupt wheeler-dealer. MONITOR STAFFJanuary 6, 2006Concord Monitor (NH)B04561 Lobbyist Jack Abramoff's long-running campaign to win influence and bribe politicians is not the true measure of the degree to which money has tainted Washington politics. The true measure can be seen in the belated rush by politicians to return or donate "gifts" from the corrupt wheeler-dealer. New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu are among those who are turning the cash they got from Abramoff over to charity. Gregg accepted $12,000 from the lobbyist between 2002 and... Click here for complete article New Hampshire Sens. Judd Gregg and John Sununu are among those who are turning the cash they got from Abramoff over to charity. Gregg accepted $12,000 from the lobbyist between 2002 and... You may search and display articles from the last 7 days free of charge. For archived articles that are older than 7 days, we offer a variety of pricing options for purchasing articles. To allow for flexibility, we offer single article purchasing and multiple article packages. You will be asked for your credit card information as part of the set up process. When you are ready to purchase, you can choose from the following options: Single article purchase = $2.50 You can choose to purchase one article at a time for $2.50 per article. Each purchase is reflected as a single purchase on your credit card. There is also a variety of other options for purchasing articles: One month pass 10 articles ($19.95) One month pass 25 articles ($39.95) Three month pass 50 articles ($59.95) Three month pass 100 articles ($99.95) One year pass 250 articles ($199.95) One year pass 500 articles ($349.95) One year pass 1000 articles ($599.95) Having trouble? If you have any technical difficulties, either with your user name and password or with the payment options, please contact us by e-mail at: concordmonitor@newsbank.com We will respond within one business day; longer on weekends and holidays.	John E Sununu in 2006 On October 24, 2001, convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff and four Alexander Strategies Group associates donated $1,000 each to the Rely on Your Beliefs Fund. This political action committee in turn donated $3,000 to Republican Representative John Sununu's primary campaign in New Hampshire on the same day, through the political action committee Team Sununu. The Greenberg Traurig lobbying company, which also employed Abramoff, gave $1000 to Team Sununu on December 16, 2002 for purposes of 'debt retirement.' According to a report by the U.S. Senate Indian Affairs Committee, Jack Abramoff commonly told Native American tribal clients to divert their funds through the Alexander Strategies Group. Earlier that October, Jack Abramoff had met with the legislative director of the Saginaw Chippewa tribe in Michigan. Representative John Sununu, now a sitting senator from New Hampshire, had served on the Appropriations Committee that helped draft the Department of Interior funding bill. In the section on Native American water claims, land claims, and miscellaneous payments, over $6,000,000 in funding was given to Michigan fishing in the Great Lakes. The event occurred a day before the presentation of a Department of Interior funding bill to President George W. Bush for signing, and a week after the conference report settling differences between the House and the Senate. Abramoff wrote to fellow lobbyist Michael Scanlon on October 4, 2001 via e-mail, "I had dinner tonight with Chris Petras of Sag Chip. He was salivating at the $4-5 million program I described to him (is that enough? Probably not)." Jack Abramoff was sentenced to four years in federal prison earlier this month. He had admitted to conspiring to defraud four Native American tribes that either operated or were interested in operating casinos. The other three donors to the fund linked to Sununu were all members of the Alexander Strategy Group, including its founder, former Tom DeLay chief of staff Ed Buckham. Donor Jim Ellis had led the group Preston Gates & Ellis, which also employed Jack Abramoff. A fourth contributor was J. Thomas Smith, Jr., who had served as the Alexander Strategy Group's lawyer. The Alexander Strategy Group was shut down in January due to ties with Jack Abramoff and former House majority leader Tom DeLay. The Rely On Your Beliefs Fund, owned by former Rep. Roy Blunt, has already donated to charity $8,500 equivalent to the amount personally contributed by Jack Abramoff in 2006. In November 2004, Gannett News Service had reported that Abromoff directed the Tigua tribe to contribute to the Rely On Your Beliefs Fund. In January 2006, John Sununu donated to charity $3000 he had received from the Saginaw Chipewa from the Daniel Webster PAC.
Two Indian doctoral students killed on US university campus BATON ROUGE, Louisiana: Two Indian doctoral students were found shot dead in an apparent home invasion in a Louisiana university campus apartment, and police Friday were searching for three suspects in the killings. The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex on the campus of Louisiana State University late Thursday night after authorities received a call from Allam's pregnant wife requesting urgent medical aid. Both men had been shot once in the head, said Charles Zewe, an LSU spokesman. The three men seen leaving the area were being sought, he said. "From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door." Allam's wife called authorities after returning home and finding the men dead, said Srinivasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Komma's. Komma, a biochemstry student was visiting the apartment. Allam was in the chemistry program. Pothakamuri said Komma's wife contacted his wife Thursday night, worried that her husband had not returned after what he had said would be a 10 minute trip to see Allam. "He never came home," Pothakamuri said. They went to the apartment, and saw police. The killings were the first homicides on LSU's campus since the early 1990s, said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman. No other violence was reported and students were free to move around the campus. "Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," Calongne said. An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the mass shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year where a South Korean student killed 32 people before killing himself. Calongne said only 8,000 students — less than one-third of the student body — had signed up for cell-phone notification. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU Web site. The apartment building where the shootings took place is designated for married and graduate students. The complex is located on the edge of the 2,000 acre (809.39 hectare) campus, close to one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas. ___ Associated Press Writer Mary Foster contributed to this story. \|\|\|\|\| 2 Indian students murdered in US A Correspondent in New York \| December 14, 2007 22:13 IST Last Updated: December 15, 2007 01:25 IST Related Articles New York police sued for harassing Indian student Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, two PhD students from India at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge , were found murdered at the latter's apartment on December 13. Allam lived at the Edward Gay Apartments, located near the intersection of West Roosevelt Street and Governor Claiborne Drive , adjacent to the LSU Band practice field in Baton Rouge . The apartment building was inside the university campus. The initial call to LSU police department came in at 10:37 pm on Thursday as a medical emergency. Officials did not reveal who made that call. "Nobody knows what happened or the motive behind the murders. But it was not like the Virginia Tech shooting," Praveen Mudunuri, treasurer of the Indian Students Association, said. "We are in a state of shock. We still cannot believe this kind of a thing can happen on campus. I hope the security on campus will be strengthened. I don't know what else to say, it is a complete massacre," said Dheeraj Reddy, incoming student coordinator for the association. Both Komma and Allam hailed from Andhra Pradesh. While Allam was doing his PhD in chemistry, Komma was pursuing a doctorate in biology. They had been students of the Louisiana State University for the last 3-4 years, Mudunuri said. Over 300 Indian students study at the LSU. Ravi Tej Kavalipati, president of the association, spoke with the victims' families in India and offered to help with the arrangements to take the bodies back to India . Komma and Allam might have been killed during a home invasion, said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman. Both had been shot in the head, but there was no sign of forced entry. Komma was bound with a computer cable and Allam's body was found near the door. A 911 call was also made by Allam's pregnant wife, who returned home and found the bodies, Komma's friend Srinivasa Pothakamuri told the media. Both Komma and Allam were married. The LSUPD is currently investigating the case, with assistance from the Baton Rouge Police Department, but no suspects have been identified, a university press release said. The murders may not be a random event, according to LSU Chancellor Sean O'Keefe. At a press conference on December 14, O'Keefe said that Komma and Allam "appeared to be targeted for reasons unknown. This does not appear to be a random event." O'Keefe also offered his condolences to the victims' families. LSU Police Major Lawrence Rabalais said that investigators are looking into a 2006 incident in which a chemistry student threatened one of the victims. However, Rabalais said he wasn't sure which of the victims was involved, according to the Morning Advocate. Soon after the incident, the university officials asked the LSU community to use caution when moving around in the campus. Officers and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. The university officials, who rushed to the campus, gathered the latest information and sent out an emergency text message to members of the LSU community who had previously registered their cell phone numbers with the university's emergency text-message system. University officials also sent out a broadcast e-mail to members of the LSU community, sent a broadcast voice message to all campus phones and posted a message to the LSU. However, not everyone who had registered their cell phones with the system received an emergency message about the incident. The university is now investigating the problem with clearTXT, which is the text-message service provider, and is trying to fix the problem. Read More: www.lsu.edu Doctoral Pair Shot Dead on LSU Campus \|\|\|\|\| LOUISIANA: Two students of Indian-origin were shot dead inside an apartment at a university in the US state of Louisiana. Authorities said on Friday that the men were likely slain during a home invasion. The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph.D students at Louisiana State University, were found dead inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex, police said. The bodies were discovered after a call to campus police on Thursday night seeking medical attention. No suspects had been identified. An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said in a news release. The problem was being investigated. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU website. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the mass shooting of 32 people at Virginia Tech earlier this year by a gunman who killed himself. \|\|\|\|\| Advertisement Search CBS News The Web • » 2 Louisiana State Students Found Dead International Ph.D. Scholars Slain In Campus Apartment; 3 Men Sought In Home Invasion The body of one of the two men that were killed on the Louisiana State University campus is taken to a waiting coroner's van in Baton Rouge, La., on Friday, Dec. 14, 2007. Two students were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion at a Louisiana State University apartment, and officials decided to keep the campus open Friday while police searched for three suspects. (AP Photo) Related Interactive Campus Insecurity Find out the crime data on your campus and check the national statistics. Interactive Crime Beat Statistics and specifics on crime in America. Stories Online Shooting Threat Alarms L.A. Campus Miss. Student's Body Found; Ex Charged (CBS/AP) Two students were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion at a Louisiana State University apartment, and officials decided to keep the campus open Friday while police searched for three suspects. The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph.D. students, were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex late Thursday night after authorities received a call seeking medical attention. Both men had been shot once in the head, said Charles Zewe, an LSU system spokesman. Three men were seen leaving the area, and police were searching for them. "From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door." No other violence was reported and the campus was not locked down, though officials were cautioning students about traveling to the university Friday morning and police patrols were increased on campus. Students were taking final exams, and many on the 30,000-student campus had already gone home for the semester break. "Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman. An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated. Calongne said only 8,000 students - less than one-third of the student body - had signed up for cell-phone notification. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU Web site. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year. The call that alerted police to the crime was made by Allam's pregnant wife, who returned home and found the men dead, said Srinivasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Komma. Komma, a biochemstry student, was visiting the apartment at the time. Allam was in the chemistry program. Both men were from India, Zewe said. Pothakamuri said Komma's wife contacted his wife Thursday night, worried that her husband hadn't returned after what he had said would be a 10 minute trip to see Allam. "He never came home," Pothakamuri said. They went to the apartment, and saw police. The apartment building where the shootings took place is designated for married and graduate students, and is near a field on the 2,000-acre campus where the university's band practices. It is on the edge of the campus, close to one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas and near an elementary school. The apartment complex, a cluster of pale yellow cinderblock, three-story buildings, is within sight of the transition offices of Louisiana Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal. LSU's police department and Baton Rouge Police are both working the case - they are urging students to use caution when moving about the campus, reports CBS News affiliate WWL-TV. They also said at no time was any part of the campus under lockdown. The killings were the first homicides on LSU's campus since the early 1990s, Calogne said. Two students were found shot to death in an apparent home invasion at a Louisiana State University apartment, and officials decided to keep the campus open Friday while police searched for three suspects.The victims, Chandrasekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both international Ph.D. students, were found inside an apartment at the Edward Gay complex late Thursday night after authorities received a call seeking medical attention.Both men had been shot once in the head, said Charles Zewe, an LSU system spokesman. Three men were seen leaving the area, and police were searching for them."From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door."No other violence was reported and the campus was not locked down, though officials were cautioning students about traveling to the university Friday morning and police patrols were increased on campus. Students were taking final exams, and many on the 30,000-student campus had already gone home for the semester break."Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," said Kristine Calongne, a university spokeswoman.An emergency text message was sent to students registered for an emergency alert system, but not all students received it, the university said. The problem was being investigated.Calongne said only 8,000 students - less than one-third of the student body - had signed up for cell-phone notification. Officials also sent out an e-mail, voice mail message and posted a message to the LSU Web site. Many campuses implemented such emergency alert measures following the shootings at Virginia Tech earlier this year.The call that alerted police to the crime was made by Allam's pregnant wife, who returned home and found the men dead, said Srinivasa Pothakamuri, a friend of Komma. Komma, a biochemstry student, was visiting the apartment at the time. Allam was in the chemistry program. Both men were from India, Zewe said.Pothakamuri said Komma's wife contacted his wife Thursday night, worried that her husband hadn't returned after what he had said would be a 10 minute trip to see Allam. "He never came home," Pothakamuri said. They went to the apartment, and saw police.The apartment building where the shootings took place is designated for married and graduate students, and is near a field on the 2,000-acre campus where the university's band practices. It is on the edge of the campus, close to one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas and near an elementary school. The apartment complex, a cluster of pale yellow cinderblock, three-story buildings, is within sight of the transition offices of Louisiana Gov.-elect Bobby Jindal.LSU's police department and Baton Rouge Police are both working the case - they are urging students to use caution when moving about the campus, reportsThey also said at no time was any part of the campus under lockdown.The killings were the first homicides on LSU's campus since the early 1990s, Calogne said. © MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| New Delhi: Two Indian students, studying in Louisiana State University, were shot dead by unidentified assailants on the campus on Friday. The two students were identified as Chandrashekhar Reddy and Kiran Kumar, who hailed from Kurnool and Karim Nagar in Andhra Pradesh respectively. They were doctoral students at the university. CBS News quoted Charles Zewe, a spokesman for the LSU System, as saying that the two had been shot once in the head. Zewe said Chandrasekhar "was bound with a computer cable and shot, while Kiran was found near the door." The first call of a 'medical emergency' came into the LSU police department at 10:37 PM (EST). The call was made by Kiran's wife, who first found the two dead. Kiran's wife is a software engineer and is said to be pregnant. The shootout took place in Kiran's friend's room. Family sources in Karim Nagar said Kiran's parents are leaving for US early on Saturday. Chandrasekhar was working toward a doctorate degree in biochemistry and Kiran was in the chemistry doctoral programme. Louisiana police said the two were likely to have been shot dead during a home invasion. No suspects were identified immediately, but reports said the police are looking for three men. The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Michael Ruffner, also claimed that it was a home invasion. "It was not a shootout. It was a home invasion. There were two PhD students who were shot and killed sometime last evening after 10:30 PM, Central time," he told CNN-IBN. This is the first killing on the campus since the early 1990s. The incident took place inside an apartment complex at the Edward Gay Complex. The apartment building is designated for married and graduate students and it is on the north edge of the campus, near one of Baton Rouge's highest-crime areas and near an elementary school. The apartment complex, a cluster of pale yellow cinderblock, three-story buildings, is within sight of the transition offices of Louisiana Governor-elect Bobby Jindal. Narain, an uncle of Kiran Kumar, however, told CNN-IBN that Kiran and his wife Sapna used to live on Roosevelt Street. "Their residence is different from the university campus," he said. Srinivas, a friend of Komma Chandrashekhar Reddy in US, told CNN-IBN that they were alarmed on Friday night when Chandrashekhar didn't return home in time.	Memorial Tower which is located at the heart of the LSU campus. Two students were found dead in an apartment in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States. They had been shot in the head by unidentified assailants in what investigators are calling an apparent . The deceased students have been identified as Chandrashekhar Reddy Komma and Kiran Kumar Allam, both of who hailed from Andhra Pradesh, India. They were doctorate students at the Louisiana State University (LSU). The homicides occurred at the Edwards Gay Apartments on the school's campus, and police have been searching for three suspects. These appear to be the first killings on the campus since the early 1990s. The bodies were discovered after Allam's pregnant wife called emergency to request urgent medical aid. Both men had been shot once through the head, according to Charles Zewe, a spokesperson for the EWU system. Officers and medical personnel were immediately dispatched to the scene. The University officials gathered the latest information and sent out an emergency text message to the members of the LSU community who had previously registered their phone numbers with the university's emergency text-messaging system. "From what we're being told, Komma was bound with a computer cable and shot," Zewe said. "The other man was found near the door." There were no indications of a forced entry. "Police actually think it was a straight home invasion and not a concern to the rest of the campus," said Kristine Calongne, a university spokesperson. The university was not in a state of at any time.
Button leads 1-2 finish for McLaren at Chinese GP SHANGHAI — Jenson Button won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and took over the Formula One championship lead by beating teammate Lewis Hamilton in a 1-2 finish for McLaren. In a chaotic race with rapidly changing weather conditions, forcing most drivers to pit at least four times, 2009 world champion Button benefited from shrewd tire strategy, needing only two stops while Hamilton had to make four. "It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right," Button said. "It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions." Mercedes' Nico Rosberg finished third. The German driver took over the lead when he and Button elected to stay out on a dry-weather tires while most others went to wet-weather ones and soon realized they had to switch back. Rosberg held the lead until the 19th lap when he ran wide on worn tires. Ferrari's Fernando Alonso took the lead at the start, but was quickly penalized for jumping the lights and given a drive-through penalty. He finished fourth after five trips to pit lane. Renault's Robert Kubica finished fifth and teammate Vitaly Petrov earned his first-ever F1 points by taking seventh. Separating the Renault pair was pole sitter Sebastian Vettel. The Red Bull driver was shuffled back by his hasty change to wet tires and then back to dry ones, and was never in contention. His Red Bull teammate Mark Webber enlisted the same strategy and finished eighth, ahead of Ferrari's Felipe Massa and Mercedes' Michael Schumacher. Schumacher, back after a three-year retirement, won this race in 2006 for the last of his record 91 victories. After four races this season, Button leads the drivers' standings with 60 points, ahead of Rosberg's 50. Hamilton and Alonso are tied for third with 49 points. McLaren also took over the lead in the constructors' standings, with 109, ahead of Ferrari with 90. Mercedes jumped to third with 78, ahead of Red Bull with 73. The next race will be the Spanish Grand Prix in Barcelona on May 9. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| By Marc Vesty Jenson Button stormed to his second win of the season, beatimg team-mate Lewis Hamilton as McLaren took a one-two at the Chinese Grand Prix. Rain played havoc in China as Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg held off Ferrari's Fernando Alonso to finish third with Renault's Robert Kubica in fifth. Button's win means he leads the drivers' championship by 10 points. Despite starting at the front of the grid, Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber finished sixth and eighth. Kubica's team-mate Vitaly Petrov completed an impressive day for Renault when he overtook Webber late on to take seventh position and earn his first points in Formula 1. Button had won the Australian Grand Prix after an early swap to slick tyres proved crucial and it was again superior strategic decisions by the 2009 world champion which led to him dominating for much of the race. "It was a tricky race and we called it right. It's not just about being quick - it's about reading the conditions," said Button. Meanwhile, Hamilton once again proved his class when climbing the field. The 2008 world champion made four pit stops throughout the grand prix in comparison to Button's two but still managed to fight back and pick up a vital 18 points. "Jenson made the better choice on the tyres. It wasn't easy making the call when to change the tyres. I chose very late halfway around the last corner. Clearly it wasn't the right choice," said Hamilton. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself Michael Schumacher Rosberg, challenged hard by Alonso in the closing stages, again out-performed team-mate Michael Schumacher who finished tenth, while Webber and Vettel will be hugely disappointed with their race performance. A disappointed Schumacher said: "It is one of those races that you call frustrating. There were some good emotions but there were too many bad. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself." Elsewhere, Felipe Massa fell from leading the driver's championship to sixth place overall after finishing ninth in China. With rain starting as the drivers lined up on the grid, the race got off to a manic start. Third-placed Alonso immediately sprung to the front, overtaking the Red Bulls who had started at the front of the grid - but it was a jump-start by the Spaniard, who subsequently had to serve a drive through penalty. On the first corner Force India's Vitantonio Liuzzi careered across the track to wipe out Virgin's Timo Glock, Sauber's Kamui Kobayashi and Sebastien Buemi in the Toro Rosso, which led to the safety car being deployed. That yellow flag bunched the cars and within minutes a complete re-jig of the grid order followed, as rain forced the vast majority of drivers to go in for intermediate tyres before, two laps later, the same cars headed back in to swap to slicks. Those double pit stops allowed Rosberg, Button and Kubica, who did not pit and instead stuck on soft tyres, to charge into the podium positions and establish a 50-second lead. Behind the leaders a thrilling battle ensued between Hamilton and Vettel as they fought to climb back into the top spots. First the duo tussled on entrance into the pit before, as they were released out of the pits at the same time, the pair went wheel-to-wheel in a tense exchange which left Vettel narrowly ahead. The face-off continued and at the hairpin on Turn 14 Hamilton cut inside Force India's Adrian Sutil and Vettel with an impeccably timed pass which put the McLaren up to sixth position. That early yellow flag also handed Alonso the opportunity to recover from his drive-through penalty and power his way through the field with a stunning drive, which included a canny overtake of team-mate Massa at the entry to the pit lane. ANDREW BENSON BLOG How stupid do those who questioned Button's move to McLaren look now? And still the rain came and went unpredictably, throwing up a season's worth of drama in one grand prix. At the end of lap 22 debris from a disturbance to Jaime Alguersuari's Toro Rosso front wing forced the safety car out for a second time, bunching the pack once more. That ruined the lead Button had been working hard to establish after overtaking Rosberg - and the Englishman subsequently slowed the field as racing restarted, bringing everyone incredibly close around the final hairpin. "When the safety car was clearing debris off the circuit I had my heart in my mouth," said Button. "We had built up such a good gap and then everyone caught up, it was very tricky." With large clouds of rain rising behind the cars, the second half of the race saw the ever-daring Hamilton dash for the lead. The McLaren man charged past the Renaults before launching his challenge on Rosberg, until a fourth pit stop again relegated the Briton's position. However, Rosberg's second pit stop handed Hamilton the opportunity to pull through in front of the German, whose general pace was slower, and set his sights on his team-mate. But with degenerating tyres both McLarens were forced to nurse their way through the closing stages, albeit with a couple of violent swerves, to finish one second apart and seal a convincing victory for their team. "Towards the end of the race, when we put the intermediates on, the car felt really good," said Button. "I wasn't pushing the tyres too much but then it started raining again. "I made a mistake on the hairpin and ran wide and from then on I couldn't get any heat into the tyres. Any water I touched I aquaplaned so I had to back off." For Button a second win in only his fourth Grand Prix for McLaren means he will lead the championship going into the Spanish Grand Prix. And Button can take extra confidence in the knowledge that in the last 20 seasons the driver leading after four rounds has won the championship on 15 occasions. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Jenson Button driving for McLaren during a practice session in Bahrain. McLaren driver Jenson Button won the Chinese Grand Prix on Sunday and took a ten point lead in the driver's championship in the 2010 Formula One. Teammate Lewis Hamilton finished second in the race, followed by Nico Rosberg for Mercedes. "It was a tricky race out there and again we called it right," Button commented. "It was not just about being quick, it's about reading the conditions." Ferrari's Fernando Alonso initially took the lead. He was penalized for starting before the race commenced and given a drive through penalty. He finished fourth as he entered the pit lane four times. Alonso initially took a lead in his Ferrari, but was later penalized for beginning before the race commenced. Rosberg's teammate, Michael Schumacher finished tenth in the race. Admitting that his performance was disappointing, Schumacher said that the race was one of the "frustrating" ones. "There were some good emotions but there were too many bad. Quite honestly the whole weekend did not work out for myself," he added. Felipe Massa of Ferrari slipped to sixth from the top position in the driver's championship after a ninth-placed finish. Renault's Robert Kubica was fifth while his teammate Vitaly Petrov finished seventh. Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull who had taken the pole in qualifying to the main race changed to wet tires and then reversed his decision and finished sixth as a result of this. Mark Webber of Red Bull adopted a similar strategy and finished eighth. After four races this season, Button is at the top of the driver's championship with 60 points, followed by Rosberg who has 50 points. Hamilton and Alonso are third with 49 points each. McLaren now leads constructors' standings, with 109 points. They are followed by Ferrari with 90, Mercedes with 78, and Red Bull with 73.
McDonald's served 60 million customers a day in 2009 A McDonald's outlet in the Netherlands was wrong to sack an employee for giving a colleague a piece of cheese on a hamburger, a court has ruled. The waitress was fired last March after she sold a hamburger to a co-worker who then asked for cheese, which she added. The fast-food chain argued this turned the hamburger into a cheeseburger, and so she should have charged more. But Leeuwarden district court ruled a written warning would have been more appropriate. It is just a slice of cheese Leeuwarden district court McDonald's profits jump by 23% McDonald's was ordered to pay the former employee more than 4,200 euros ($5,900; £3,660) for the last five months of her contract. The fast-food chain had argued that the waitress - who was employed at a branch in the northern town of Lemmer - had broken staff rules prohibiting free gifts to family, friends or colleagues. But the court said in its written judgement: "The dismissal was too severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," reports AFP news agency. The ruling comes days after McDonald's reported an increase in net profits by almost a quarter in the last three months of 2009. \|\|\|\|\| McDonalds wrong to sack worker over cheese A branch of the McDonalds hamburger chain in the Friesian town of Lemmer was wrong to sack a worker for giving a colleague on a break an extra piece of cheese on her hamburger, a court ruled on Tuesday. McDonalds' rules state staff cannot give away products to staff, family and friends. And by giving the extra slice of cheese, the hamburger turned into a more expensive cheeseburger, Nos tv reported. The judge said McDonalds had acted too severely in sacking the woman. 'The cost of a slice of cheese is not comparable to a severe step such as redundancy,' Nos quoted the judge as saying. In addition, the branch manager had not asked the woman to explain her actions, nor had it taken any steps against the colleague who asked for the burger. It is unclear from the reports if the hamburger was actually paid for. The sacked worker will not be reinstated but was awarded €4,500 in compensation - equivalent to five month's wages plus holiday pay and interest, Nos said. Get the DutchNews.nl newsletter in your mailbox: Click here to subscribe Readers' comments Place your comments:	A file photograph of a cheeseburger A court in the Netherlands ruled yesterday that the fast-food company McDonald's over-reacted in dismissing an employee who added a piece of cheese to a colleague's hamburger without charging for it. McDonalds has been ordered to pay compensation since, the court ruled, "The cost of a slice of cheese is not comparable to a severe step such as redundancy". In March 2009, a waitress in Lemmer sold a hamburger to a colleague, and then added some cheese when her colleague asked for some. McDonald's said that this made the meal a cheeseburger, not a hamburger, and so she was sacked for not charging extra for the cheese. Rules for staff, the company argued, prevented them from giving food away for free. Now a court in Leeuwarden has ordered McDonald's to pay her more than €4,200 (about US$5,900 or £3,700), since it decided that a written warning would have been a more appropriate reaction. The compensation is for five months of lost earnings, with holiday pay and interest. The court noted that the manager of the branch had not asked the employee for an explanation before firing her, nor had McDonald's considered taking action against the colleague who asked for the cheese. "The dismissal was too severe a measure. It is just a slice of cheese," said the court.
Business Secretary Lord Mandelson today announced a package of loans and guarantees for the "reinvention" of the British motor industry as a producer of greener vehicles. Acknowledging the manufacturers and their suppliers were on the "front line" of the recession, he told the Lords the Government will offer guarantees to unlock £1.3 billion of loans from the European Investment Bank. It will also offer a further £1 billion in guarantees or loans to cover investments which bring "special value" to Britain. advertisement A further £35 million could be made available to increase funding for workers in the automotive sector and there will be a "step change" in research for greener vehicles. New trade and investment minister Mervyn Davies will also draw up a plan to improve the car companies' financing arms' access to funding. Lord Mandelson said: "Today's measures will provide a specific boost to the industry, providing real help and laying the foundations of its reinvention for a low carbon future." mf Lord Mandelson said: "The automotive industry - with its near one million employees from manufacturing to retailing and £10 billion worth of added value to the economy - is in the front line of the downturn, with output falling faster and further than any other sector since the summer." The health of the sector was "vital to the strength of manufacturing in Britain" and action was needed to "prevent an irreversible loss of capacity, skills and technology". But, he added: "This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail-out. "The industry has been transformed over the past decade. "Productivity has risen, catching up and overtaking that in both France and Sweden. "In Britain today, we have some of the world's most productive car plants. "For the future, Britain needs an economy with less financial engineering and more real engineering. "The car industry can and should be a vibrant part of that future." He said there would be "no blank cheque" and "no operating subsidies" for the industry. Any applications for Government support would need to offer value for money for taxpayers, help "green Britain's economic recovery", deliver "significant innovation" and support British jobs and skills. Lord Mandelson said funding to support training could rise from £65 million to £100 million if there was demand from auto manufacturers. The Regional Development Agencies will work with the Technology Strategy Board to help develop "cleaner engines, lighter cars, plug-in hybrids and components for electric vehicles". The Government has already announced £250 million to support consumers switching to cleaner vehicles and Lord Mandelson said: "We want the car industry in Britain to meet that demand for low carbon cars." The measures announced today would provide the industry with a "significant boost" while helping to make Britain "a world leader in the development and manufacture of low carbon vehicles". \|\|\|\|\| Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Business Secretary Lord Mandelson has outlined a package of government support for the UK car industry potentially worth up to £2.3bn. The package includes a scheme to unlock £1.3bn of loans from Europe for car manufacturers and major suppliers. He said the government would also guarantee up to £1bn of further loans. But shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said the European loans were announced last year and called the whole package "pretty small beer". Outlining the measures in the House of Lords, Lord Mandelson said the automotive industry was vital to British manufacturing and at the heart of many regional economies but was "in the frontline of the downturn". 'Low carbon future' He said the measures would boost the industry and lay "the foundations of its reinvention for a low carbon future". They include guarantees to unlock loans of up to £1.3bn from the European Investment Bank and another £1bn in loans to fund investment in green-friendly vehicles. This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail out Lord Mandelson Q&A;: Car support plan But he said there would be "no blank cheque" and any schemes supported had to provide jobs, develop new technology and processes for the long term and provide value for money. Regional development agencies and the Technology Strategy Board are to be invited to bring forward new research and development programmes into cleaner engines, lighter cars and "plug-in hybrids". He also said spending on skills training for employees would be boosted to £100m from its current £65m, if there was demand from the industry. And trade and investment minister Mervyn Davies had been asked to draw up plans to improve access to additional funding for car companies' financing arms. The car industry had to change to succeed in the "new world" and had to be cleaner and greener, Lord Mandelson said. "This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail out," he added. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Responding in the Commons, shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said the package seemed to be "pretty small beer" compared with stories that had appeared over the weekend. "I'm slightly disappointed. I thought the secretary of state who I am shadowing would produce some new ideas, some dynamite," he said. "Is it the case that the secretary of state has not produced a bail-out because the Treasury has finally won an argument inside the government and explained to him that they can't afford the kind of support for the industry that was being trailed." 'Dithering' The government was "behind the curve" on helping the car industry which he said, as far back as October, ministers had said they stood "ready to help" while the Tories had suggested loan guarantees for the finance arms of car companies in November. "Here we are months later and during that time sales of cars in this country have dropped by half whilst the government dithers," he told MPs. And he said on the "key subject" of getting people who could afford it credit to buy cars - the government had only said it was "looking at steps" to address it. The specific nature of the challenge we face is that credit has dried up at the same time as demand evaporated David Smith Jaguar Land Rover "For the rest of the statement I think the car industry will have listened in vain," he said. John Thurso, for the Liberal Democrats, said he had "grave concerns" about whether the package would work and said much had been announced already. "There are a number of worthy crumbs of comfort for the automotive industry but as it has been announced today, it is neither strategic nor comprehensive nor the panacea it was trailed to be," he said. Unite general secretary Derek Simpson told the BBC he was pleased the government had made a start in helping the car industry but questioned whether the loans would be enough. "In the case of the car industry I suspect much more needs to be done," he said. Jaguar Land Rover and the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders welcomed the announcement which they said recognised the strategic importance of the car industry to the British economy but said they would go through the detail with Lord Mandelson on Wednesday. And Stephen Sklaroff, of the Finance and Leasing Association - which represents the motor finance sector, said he looked forward "to early discussions with Mervyn Davies on how best to support all types of lenders to free up credit for new and used cars". Friends of the Earth welcomed the announcement but said more needed to be done to make sure the car industry was building cars that used less fuel - and providing incentives for people to buy them. Have you been affected by issues covered in this story? Do you work in the motor industry? 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 Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Britain's car industry is to get help in the shape of a £2bn loan guarantee scheme from the Government. Bentley is one of many marques that has cut production The Business Secretary Lord Mandelson said £1.3bn worth of loans from the European Investment Bank would be guaranteed, as well as £1bn of loans for "worthwhile investments". He told the House of Lords the Government was committed to making sure anything backed by the scheme offered value for taxpayers. "This industry is not a lame duck and this is no bail-out," he said. The industry was in "the front line" of the economic downturn and its output was "falling faster and further than any other sector," he said. "The automotive industry is vital to the strength of manufacturing in Britain and is at the heart of many of our regional industries. "For the future Britain needs an economy with less financial engineering and more real engineering." Mandelson Speaks To Sky Lord Mandelson said the measures would make the industry greener and more productive. And he added that the guarantees would back up investments in research and development. But the package did not amount to a blank cheque, he insisted, and applications would be assessed on a case-by-case basis. Derek Simpson of the union Unite, told Sky News' Jeff Randall Live show he is happy the Government has made a start "because it was important that something was done". He added: "Even if it's only guaranteeing loans it will make a contribution but the amount is not really not going to be sufficient, we believe, to stave off the loss of jobs, skilled jobs once lost will not ever return." The Conservatives were unimpressed with the measures. In his response, the new shadow business secretary Ken Clarke said the package had come to late. Debating with business minister Ian Pearson in the Commons, Mr Clarke asked: "Can the new trade minister (Lord Mandelson) be asked through the minister (Mr Pearson), to do something to improve the Government's competence, its ability to keep up with events, and its ability to produce programmes which work?" In the Upper House, Lord Hunt of Wirral said the package was too little, too late and told peers "after years of persecuting the motorist, ministers now offer a range of placebos to an industry facing the worst crisis it has ever faced".	The British government has announced a £2.3 billion package of aid to attempt to support the country's car manufacturing industry. Peter Mandelson Lord Peter Mandelson, the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform announced to the House of Lords that the government planned to obtain £1.3 billion from the European Investment Bank for the industry. A further £1 billion loan is available if the industry agrees to invest it in environmentally friendly vehicles. Mandleson told the Lords that the industry is vital to the British economy, which with "near one million employees from manufacturing to retailing" provides "£10 billion worth of added value to the economy." However, he stressed that the government was not providing a "blank cheque" and would not provide operating subsidies. His newly-appointed shadow Kenneth Clarke told the House of Commons that the plans were "pretty small beer" and repeated the Conservative charge that the government was "dithering" in the face of the downturn. Liberal Democrat John Thurso also expressed disappointment in the plans.
Some analysts believe the FTSE will rise further this week The FTSE 100 has closed at its highest level for more than a year, boosted by stronger commodity prices and optimism about the US corporate earnings season. London's leading share index rose 48.3 points to 5,210.17 - its highest close since September 2008. Insurer Old Mutual was the top gainer on the index, rising 4.6%, as traders re-evaluated its stock. Rising metal prices pushed up miners, while the price of oil rose almost 2%, boosting energy companies. Oil giants BP rose 1.8% and Royal Dutch Shell gained 1.6%. Some analysts believe the FTSE will continue to rise throughout the week. "The next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5,350 high hit in September last year and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week," said David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index. Dutch electronics giant Philips also gave markets a boost, when it reported better-than-expected quarterly profits. Markets elsewhere in Europe rose, with France's Cac 40 index gaining 46.19 points to close at 3,845.8, and Germany's Dax climbing 71.35 points to 5,783.23. On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 20.86 points at 9,885.8. Trading had been light as much of the US observes the Columbus Day holiday. \|\|\|\|\| Stronger commodity prices, optimism around the next round of US corporate results and talk that FTSE 100 could be embarking on yet another rally, lifted the index through a key level to a fresh one-year high on Monday. Following a broad-based rally and a buoyant open on Wall Street, the FTSE 100 ended up 48.2 points, or 0.9%, at 5210.2, the highest since late September 2008. The fact the rally was, for once, not driven by miners and banks alone was coupled with a decisive move through the psychologically important 5200 mark. That sparked speculation over this being the start of the next move higher for shares, after some directionless trading over recent weeks, said David Jones, chief market strategist at IG Index. "It is only natural after a run like this that we start to wonder how far away a correction is, but for now stock markets are continuing to shrug off any weakness and slides are proving to be short-lived. The next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5350 high hit in September last year - and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week," he added. Insurer Old Mutual was the top performer of the day, rallying to a 16-month high as investors made the most of a weak run against its peers to buy into the stock. A weaker pound also helped given the proportion on Old Mutual's earnings outside the UK and the shares ended up 4.8p, or 4.6%, at 110.1p. The pound's role in UK stock performance is something Morgan Stanley focusses on today in its note on the UK equities outlook - covered in an earlier Market Forces blog. AMEC, the consultancy and engineering group, was also among the strongest performers after Collins Stewart made it a "top pick" in the oilfield services sector. Analyst Gordon Gray rates it a "buy" and has a target price of 950p. "We think AMEC offers one of the best combinations of healthy growth and low risk in the sector, with its exposure to oil sands and nuclear being key long term positives," he said. Rising metal prices boosted miners, with Vedanta was one of the top risers, up 61p at £22.23. A solid rally for oil prices simlarly helped energy companies and Royal Dutch Shell ended up 28p, or 1.6%, at £17.83 while BP added 9.7p, or 1.8%, to 552.2p. Among the midcaps, ITV was up 0.95p, or 2.1% at 47.33p despite the latest upset in the broadcaster's quest to fill its leadership vacuum. Goldman Sachs boosted the shares on an otherwise gloomy day for the troubled company, by raising its recommendation on the shares to "buy" from "neutral". Analysts at the investment bank noted "evidence of modestly stronger-than-expected recovery in third-quarter and fourth-quarter TV ad markets." They have a 58p price target on ITV, arguing it offers an "attractive valuation case" and that underperformance by the shares provides buying opportunity. They echoed other analysts' comments on ITV's potential to become an acquisition target again. "In the medium term we continue to see plausible acquisition interest from RTL/Bertelsmann which previously indicated interest in ITV to replace its Five channel which continues to lose audience share in the UK market," they said. Ladbrokes was headed the other way, one of the FTSE 250's biggest losers as the fall out from last week's downbeat trading update continues. The shares closed at a eight-month low of 141.1p, a fall of 2.3% from Friday when Britain's biggest bookmaker confirmed a rights issue and conceded too few draws had hurt takings. Pubs group Punch Taverns was the biggest midcap loser of the day after a downgrade from KBC Peel Hunt to "hold" from "buy" ahead of Wednesday's results. The shares ended down 4.9% at 115.1p in a FTSE 250 up 82.8 points, or 0.9%, at 9460.1.	The British stock index FTSE 100 closed at its highest levels in over a year on Monday, following news of stronger commodity prices. The share index increased by 48.3 points, or 0.9% to finish the day at a level of 5,210.17, a figure not seen since last September. The best performer was the Old Mutual insurance company, reaching a sixteen-month high after gaining 4.6%. Some economic analysts think that the FTSE index could continue to gain for the remainder of the week. David Jones, the chief market strategist at IG Index, said that "the next FTSE target traders are eyeing in the short term is the 5,350 high hit in September last year and the way sentiment is going it would not be a surprise to see that hit this week." Other European markets also posted gains on Monday. The German DAX index gained 71.35 points to a level of 5,783.23, while the French CAC 40 increased 46.19 points to 3,845.8.
Crowds flocked to see the Pope Enlarge Image The government has introduced a number of reforms including gay marriage, but the Pope insisted there were some things the Church had to reject. "The family is a unique institution in God's plan, and the church cannot fail to proclaim and promote its fundamental importance," he said. He also prayed at the scene of a subway crash which killed 42 people on Monday. The Pope met relatives of some of the underground crash victims "We ask God's comfort for those who remain and those who left us," he said. The crash, the worst on the underground in Spanish history, happened when the train entered a station at double its normal speed. Later in the Pope's visit, around one million people are expected to attend an open-air mass being celebrated in a park on Sunday. As he arrived for his 24-hour visit, the Pope was met at the airport by King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofia and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. It comes a year after the Spanish government legalised marriage between homosexuals, sparking a bitter dispute with Spain's Catholic bishops. The Pope and Mr Zapatero will hold talks, but Spanish officials say Mr Zapatero will not attend Sunday's mass. \|\|\|\|\| homepage \| greengrass live TV fifa worldcup 2006 news latest bulletin business europa interview europeans pass agora europinion parlamento le mag comment no comment space hi tech futuris terra viva agenda weather feedback company jobs contact mobile EU coverage advertising links help Business location guide terms and conditions \|\|\|\|\| From the Magazine The Pope's planned visit to Spain is a volley in his battle against secularism Time With reporting by Jane Walker/Madrid From the Jul. 10, 2006 issue of TIME Europe magazine The signature sound bite of Benedict XVI's papacy may have been delivered the day before he became Pope. Just hours before entering the Sistine Chapel to help choose John Paul II's successor, then Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger gave an impassioned sermon in which he decried the "dictatorship of relativism." The conservative German theologian used the phrase to warn against modernity's creation of aideology "that does not recognize anything as definitive, and whose ultimate goal consists solely of one's ego and desires." The "dictatorship of relativism" quote has become a rallying cry for some Roman Catholic conservatives, especially those dismayed by the growing spread of secularism in Europe, once the bastion of Christianity.His message has not softened. In a June 5 speech in Rome, Benedict again warned about "our current secularized society" that, he said,"corrodes the mostbonds and most worthy affections of the human being, with the result that people are debilitated and our reciprocal relations rendered precarious and unstable."Such workaday pronouncements in Rome may not draw much attention. But this week Benedict visits Spain, the European democracy that arguably best represents the relativist tyranny he so dreads. Having accepted an invitation to attend the church's World Meeting of Families in Valencia on July 8-9, Benedict will arrive in a once devoutly Catholic nation that both admirers andaround the globe now refer to as "Zapatero's Spain." Since his March 2004 electoral victory, Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero has pushed through a series of social policies from gay marriage and adoption to easier divorce proceedings and increased stem-cell research that have made him a lightning rod in the ongoing Western debate over family values.And for many participants in that debate, Benedict has become the anti-Zapatero. With a fierce intellect and clear ideas about fixing Catholicism's troubles on its home Continent, Benedict sees Spain as a prime. When he welcomed the newly appointed Spanish ambassador to the Holy See on May 20, Benedict went beyond the typical diplomatic niceties, alluding to gay marriage, abortion and the right to a Catholic education. No doubt, the encounter with Zapatero on Saturday evening is the photo-op the worldwide media are most anticipating.The real tone of that encounter, however, will be established after the event, when the Pope addresses the Valencia conference and sets out his views on family. Angelo Cardinal Scola, the Patriarch of Venice, a Ratzinger disciple who has written extensively on this issue, will be in Spain. "Rather than a 'better opinion,' we speak of a 'prevalent,'" he tells. "The word family has a meaning. The word marriage means a union between a man and woman open to life. I hold that a homosexual couple does not constitute a family."It seems likely that Benedict has chosen his destination strategically, in order to hammer home a point. (He is free to select his foreign jaunts from endless.) "It's a gift for the Pope," says Austen Ivereigh, a top aide to Cormac Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor, Archbishop of Westminster. "He can say, 'Look at Zapatero, this is what really underlies European secularism.' In Spain, he will look like he's articulating what is close to the heart of the mass of Europeans." Of course, that heart is also susceptible to relativism.Polls consistently show that 80% of Spaniards identify themselves as Catholic, even if only about one-fourth actually practice their faith. Although gay marriage, and certainly gay adoption, is unacceptable to many, only a tiny proportion of Catholics follow the church's stricton birth control and premarital sex doctrines that Benedict himself has recently reiterated. Rates of divorce in Spain, where just a quarter-century ago the practice was still outlawed, are about 50%, and abortion rights are guaranteed in virtually every corner of the Continent.Still, Ivereigh, whose boss at Westminster is considered less conservative than his former fellow Cardinal Ratzinger, thinks the new Pope may be particularly well suited for swaying the European discourse. "Benedict is a real intellectual. He has an almost touching faith in the power of reason," says Ivereigh. "He's convinced that the intellectualare on his side. The challenge for him is to make the case without looking like he's old-fashioned. How do you make the case about traditional marriage something interesting and exciting? But if any Pope can do it, he can."For his part, Zapatero seems bound to look for new ways to make his case for radical social change. Though some have called for a new liberal euthanasia law, which would again raise the church's ire, the government has found that some of the changes it seeks surprisingly overlap with the church's interests like a proposal made two weeks ago that would extend maternity leave for working mothers. But Anglo-Spanish writer Tom Burns Marañon, a liberal Catholic, anticipates an intellectualin Valencia. "What are Popes for if not to lay down the law over anything they don't like? Of course the government won't like it, but it does no harm to a government to hear the Pope criticizing them. If the Pope came here and didn't lay down the law, then Catholics would be very unhappy and the left would be in disarray. This way both sides will be happy." Spoken like a true relativist.	Pope Benedict XVI, with Spain's King Juan Carlos, waves to a cheering crowd upon his arrival at Manises airport, near Valencia, Spain, Saturday, July 8, 2006. Pope Benedict XVI visited the city of Valencia in Spain. During his visit, he encouraged his followers in the country to defend traditional family values. The government in Spain has introduced a number of reforms including gay marriage. "It is a man and a woman who are made for each other and made to give humanity a future" said the Pope. "The family is a unique institution in God's plan, and the church cannot fail to proclaim and promote its fundamental importance," he said. He arrived for a 24-hour visit and was met at an airport by King Juan Carlos, Queen Sofía, and Prime Minister José Luís Rodríguez Zapatero. "The presence of your holiness brings great relief to everyone, especially to families who have lost loved ones," the king said in a welcoming speech. The pope also met relatives of some of the underground crash victims. He prayed at the scene of a subway crash that killed 42 people on Monday. "We ask God's comfort for those who remain and those who left us," he said. The pope will have a Mass tomorrow, which will close the visit. Zapatero said that he would not attend the mass on Sunday.
Related THE CANADIAN PRESSORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- It was billed the Winter Classic and pretty much lived up to its name.The biggest crowd in NHL history, the first regular-season outdoor game on U.S. soil, and the game's brightest star wins it. Safe to say the NHL went home happy Tuesday after Sidney Crosby 's shootout winner lifted his Pittsburgh Penguins over the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 before 71,217 fans at Ralph Wilson Stadium."When you see 70,000 people jammed into a stadium to watch hockey it's a good sign," Crosby said. "The atmosphere and environment, I don't think you can beat that. I think it's something to look back and say we had a lot of great memories being part of it."And like the great ones before him, Sid The Kid made sure to make the moment memorable. Crosby, the third Pittsburgh shooter, ended the NHL's second-ever outdoor game when he found the five-hole on Sabres goalie Ryan Miller . The 20-year-old Crosby, who couldn't stop smiling in pre-game warm-up, jumped up in the air and raised his arms in jubilation as his teammates mobbed him on the makeshift ice surface. This wasn't just another shootout winner."It's a great feeling and a great experience all in all," said Crosby, who assisted on his team's opening goal. "And obviously when you win, it's a lot nicer." Colby Armstrong of the Penguins and Brian Campbell of the Sabres scored in regulation as both teams battled through intermittent snowfalls in less-than-perfect conditions. But nearly every fan stood on their feet and stayed for the entirety of the game. It was the place to be."You know, it may not be the best hockey game because of the situation, because of the weather, because of the snow, but the atmosphere was incredible -- it was incredible," said Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff.And unlike four years ago in Edmonton when minus-19 C temperatures nullified any physical play at the Heritage Classic between the Canadiens and Oilers, this outdoor game was not a no-hitter. Campbell had a pair of big hits in a game that featured plenty, temperatures that hovered around 0 C allowing the Penguins and Sabres to play something resembling closer to a normal game.The record NHL crowd arrived hours before the game to tailgate NFL-like outside Ralph Wilson Stadium, a party atmosphere reigning throughout on New Year's Day.NHL facilities operations manager Dan Craig, because of an NFL game here Dec. 23, was allotted only half the time he had in Edmonton four years ago to put in the ice, but it held up for the most part. One area inside the blue-line near the Sabres bench gave Craig's crew problems all game long and produced a few delays as they tried to continually fix it.The snow on the ice affected the passing game, the puck bouncing over stick blades. It was by no coincidence that both goals in regulation were scored early in periods when the ice had just been flooded.In a sharp move, Zambonis also scraped the ice midway through all three periods to clean away some of the snow. It produced more delays, but the players' safety mattered most."I thought they did a pretty good job of trying to maintain the ice," said Crosby.Penguins goalie Ty Conklin this time came out on the winning end after dropping a 4-3 decision in the Edmonton goal four years ago at the Heritage Classic. He stopped 36 shots for the win Tuesday to improve to 5-0-0 on the season since his call-up from the AHL. He somehow resurfaced in the NHL just in time to start again in an outdoor game.The fans were on their feet before the pre-game warm-up to welcome the players from both teams as they made the long trek from the football dressing rooms, through the tunnel and out to the rink. The ovation sent chills, just another reminder that the biggest crowd in NHL history made this such a special day. The players could feel the moment as well, unable to wipe the smile off their faces as they battled the snow-covered ice surface in warm-up. They were kids again."I think the warm-up when you come on the ice and the pre-game ceremony, the initial feel out there is probably something you remember the most," said Crosby."Once you're in the game, we're all competitive. We all want to win this. So you get back to thinking of the things that you have to do and you probably don't take things in as much because you're trying to win the game."The players hit the ice for real in time for a 1:25 p.m. ET puck drop, a heavy snowfall giving the stadium a winter wonderland postcard moment. While the images were TV-friendly, they weren't hockey ideal. The snowfall at game time reduced players' visibility, a league concern, but not enough to delay the start.Crosby gave the game the fast start it needed, blowing in from the left side and trying a shot that was stopped by Miller, only to see Armstrong pound home the rebound just 21 seconds in to give Pittsburgh the 1-0 lead. The Penguins, in their powder-blue retro jerseys, celebrated like it was the opening goal of the Stanley Cup final.Crosby produced another highlight in the first period, batting a bouncing puck over Sabres defenceman Jaroslav Spacek and nearly skating around him for a chance that would have been one of the plays of the year.The Sabres, some of them wearing eye black like football players, were slow to come around, but dominated the visitors in the middle period, outshooting Pittsburgh 14-2. They tied the game 1-1 when Campbell found the top corner over Conklin's glove side 1:25 into the period, the Sabres' blue-liner taking a nifty cross-ice pass from Tim Connolly The Penguins, despite having the wind at their back, didn't get their first shot on goal until the 18:08 mark.The buzzer sounded at the 10-minute mark of the third period, signalling for the teams to switch ends after another Zamboni scrape. The switch was to ensure both teams got 30 minutes apiece at each end, a rule put in place in case the wind was a major factor. It turned out the wind wasn't nearly as strong as it is for many Buffalo Bills games. The winds varied from 10 to 20 kilometres an hour throughout the afternoon.Sixty minutes wasn't enough. Neither was 65. With most of the 71,217 fans still in their seats, Crosby's shootout winner decided a game that has to be considered a success for the NHL."This is the type of event we certainly will be looking at doing in the future," said NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.Will the outdoor game become an annual occurrence? That's a question the NHL hopes to answer from within after a careful de-briefing of the Winter Classic over the next month or so. Clubs are already lined up hoping to stage the next one, with Montreal, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston, Colorado and the New York Rangers among the apparent suitors.A source said Tuesday that maybe even two outdoor games could be held next season. Or maybe none at all. It depends greatly on the league's analysis of the Winter Classic.The event gave the league the kind of U.S. national media attention it does not get aside from the Stanley Cup final and to a lesser degree the all-star game. League sponsors loved it, saying it gave their products a national platform it doesn't otherwise get during regular games. That in itself should be enough to convince NHL owners the outdoor game should be a mainstay.But there are risks. The weather must co-operate, which it did in Edmonton four years ago and again this week in Buffalo. Not just the weather on game day either, but also in the days leading up in the building of the rink.TV ratings in the U.S. will also have an influence. Going up head-to-head against the Capital One Bowl between Florida and Michigan won't help. The league will weigh the pros and cons going forward.Notes : There were also 11,500 fans at HSBC Arena in downtown Buffalo watching the game on the big screen ... The biggest crowd for a hockey game remains the 74,544 that turned out at Spartan Stadium for the 2001 Cold War between Michigan State University and the University of Michigan, a game in which the Sabres' Miller and Pittsburgh's Adam Hall played ... Penguins part-owner Mario Lemieux was on hand ...: Before the game, the league announced several contingency plans in case weather affected the game. Period and game format would be reconfigured on the fly. If 40 minutes was played when weather forced a stop, the game would have been deemed official -- much like seven innings in a rain-delayed baseball game. If fewer than 40 minutes were played when the game was stopped, the game would have been replayed in its entirety Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Ralph Wilson Stadium. If that game also couldn't played, the game would have been re-played at another date at HSBC Arena. Should the game have been tied after 40 minutes and stopped by weather, each team would have got a point in the standings with a penalty shootout deciding the other point. If weather didn't permit for the shootout either, the shootout would have been held Sunday, Feb. 17, prior to a Pens-Sabres game at HSBC Arena. ... If the rink looks similar than the one at Commonwealth Stadium in Edmonton four years ago, it's because the same boards and glass were used again. \|\|\|\|\| Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby celebrates teammate Colby Armstrong's goal against the Buffalo Sabres during the first period of the Winter Classic hockey game in Orchard Park, N.Y. on Tuesday, Jan. 1, 2008. (AP Photo/Don Heupel) Crosby Lifts Penguins in Winter Classic ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Sidney Crosby's shootout goal will always be frozen in time. The Penguins captain somehow saw space between Ryan Miller's pads as he shifted through driving snow and gave Pittsburgh a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres at the outdoor Winter Classic in front of an NHL-record 71,217 fans on Tuesday. In elements way more suited for football than hockey, Crosby won the NHL's second outdoor game — and first in the United States — in the most dramatic of fashion at Ralph Wilson Stadium, home to the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Crosby skated down the middle, eluded a pokecheck by Miller and put a shot between the goalie's pads on the final round of the shootout. Ty Conklin allowed Ales Kotalik's goal to open the tiebreaker before stopping Tim Connolly and Maxim Afinogenov. Kris Letang also scored for the Penguins, pushing his shootout record to 4-for-4. Colby Armstrong gave Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead just 21 seconds after the opening faceoff, and Brian Campbell tied it 1:25 into the second. Despite both teams dressed in retro-style jerseys, this games was decided by the most modern of methods — the shootout. Surprisingly, Zambonis didn't clean the ice as they would for a regular NHL game. Given the choice of which goal to defend, both Miller and Conklin picked the West end to avoid the heavy snow that swirled and poured in toward the right. Blowing winds and dropping temperatures worked against everyone inside the vast stadium that easily housed the hockey rink between the 16-yard lines. By the time the shootout became necessary, no one seemed to mind the typical January weather in western New York. With the success of this event, it seems likely the NHL would seek to host more, perhaps even on an annual basis. "When you see 70,000 people packed into a stadium to watch hockey, that's usually a good sign," Crosby said. The record crowd that topped the one in Edmonton four years earlier, cheered and took pictures as the conclusion approached. The camera flashes dotted the entire stadium as each of the six shooters came in on goal through lake-effect snow. When Crosby saw the puck cross the goal line, he spun toward the jubilant Penguins bench and jumped up and down with his hands raised. Fans in the lower bowl stood throughout to get a better view of the puck as they looked out over the height of the rink's boards and the NBC and CBC television broadcast platforms behind the penalty boxes. The biggest cheers came from hits and the few good scoring chances. Boos broke out when Penguins fans were pictured on the big video board behind where Crosby scored the winner. The snow and cold was embraced. One enthusiastic patron held a poster that read, "Look Mom, no roof." That was most clear in the final 5 minutes of regulation when snow fell at its heaviest clip and continued at that pace through the finish. Miller and Conklin both had one game of experience playing a major game in the great outdoors, but neither owned a victory. Miller earned a 3-3 tie for Michigan State against Michigan in the 2001 "Cold War" game in front of 74,554 fans. Conklin took the loss in host Edmonton's 4-3 defeat to Montreal on Nov. 22, 2003, during the NHL's first outdoor game that was attended by 57,167. Miller donned a cap, fashioned out of a hockey sock, on top of his mask. Conklin went with just a standard head covering that featured snowflakes and a Winter Classic theme. Sabres forward Thomas Vanek was the last to wear the full head sleeve that stretched over his mouth in warmups but was pulled down to his chin by the third period. Penguins defenseman Darryl Sydor shed his visor that fogged and absorbed pelting snow and sleet. Another lengthy delay occurred when an ice flaw required attention in the Buffalo zone. When the buzzer sounded to break up the third period, it didn't stop a rush or any kind of scoring chance. The Penguins peeled back in their zone and essentially took a knee where Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly did many times in the glory days of the Bills, letting the final seconds tick off before the clubs changed sides at the 10-minute mark. The final mid-period Zamboni run took longer than the others as the second cleaning machine was blocked in the tunnel by a chunk of ice. The wind picked up, the temperature dropped and the chilly players skated and stretched in a seemingly futile attempt to keep their muscles warm. Vanek had two prime chances to win it in the final minute for Buffalo when he tried a wraparound and then forced Conklin to make a juggling catch. Momentum changed with the weather that featured snow through the first 10 minutes, benign cloud cover through the opening intermission and then a wintery mix during the second. The stadium lights took effect as the sky darkened and provided a unique brightness to the rink. The NHL supplied flames and smoke as the players left the tunnel en route to the ice and fireworks after the anthems. As though they were trudging from home to the frozen pond, each team plodded down mats from the tunnel to the ice — stopping first to peel off their skate guards. Moms weren't there to call these grown kids back inside, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman didn't do it, either. The only thing that got in their way was a buildup of snow that held up the movement of pucks and skates and the occasional Zamboni break to give the rink a clean and shine during a slow-paced first period. Armstrong provided the lightning with his quick goal, with help from the snow. The puck came to a stop in the neutral zone near center ice, and Crosby carried it into the Sabres zone. He got off a shot that Miller stopped, before the snow put another hold on the puck in front. It sat there for Armstrong to punch in his sixth goal and Pittsburgh's quickest of the season. The snow slowed and tapered off about midway through the first, and the ice got a mid-period shine from the Zambonis with 9:54 left. Three trouble spots cropped up along the wall in front of the players' benches, two in the zone Buffalo defended in the first period. Before the Penguins' third power play of the frame, with 7:43 remaining, the ice crew did patch work that caused a delay for several minutes. \|\|\|\|\| Crosby's shootout goal lifts Penguins over Sabres in Winter Classic Orchard Park, NY (Sports Network) - Sidney Crosby scored on the final chance of the shootout to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in the first NHL game played outdoors in the United States. Buffalo's Ales Kotalik scored in the first round of the shootout and the Penguins tied it in the second round when Kristopher Letang lifted a backhander home. After Pittsburgh goaltender Ty Conklin stopped Maxim Afinogenov's backhander, it came down to Crosby and the NHL's brightest star delivered. He skated in on Ryan Miller, who went for a poke-check and missed. Crosby quickly slipped the puck through the five-hole to win it. "I lost the puck, I felt like he just kind of throw it back in," said Miller. "I was going for a tip check on him and he was trying to get around me. I thought he was going to stop, just the break in where that snow was." The game, dubbed the "Winter Classic," was played before an NHL-record crowd of 71,217 at Ralph Wilson Stadium -- home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. Snow fell throughout much of the contest and the temperature at game time was about 30 degrees, dropping to the high 20s late in the third period and in overtime. "Some offensive chances got kabashed with all the snow," said Conklin. "It had the potential to be a higher scoring game, certainly." The league last held an outdoor game on November 22, 2003 when Montreal played in Edmonton before a then-NHL-record crowd of 57,167. Conklin was a member of the Oilers for the game in 2003, while Miller had previous outdoor experience on a grand scale when he played for Michigan State in a matchup with arch-rival Michigan before 74,544 fans at Spartan Stadium. The teams also sported throwback jerseys. The Penguins wore light blue sweaters from their first few years of the late 1960s, while the Sabres trotted out their classic white with the logo featuring a charging buffalo over a pair of swords. Crosby notched an assist on Colby Armstrong's first-period goal for the Penguins, who have won four in a row and also beat the Sabres at home on Saturday night. Conklin finished with 36 saves. "The whole big picture, sit back and look at it," said Armstrong. "Packed stadium, snow falling, Crosby putting it in to win with his little celebration. I thought it was great for the game and we got two points, too, so thats a big thing." Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for Buffalo, which has lost four straight on the heels of a six-game winning streak. Miller stopped 24 shots in defeat. "We're in a little bit of a funk here with scoring goals," said Buffalo coach Lindy Ruff. "We've been playing some decent hockey. We have a tough January with a tough road schedule so it's important that we get back on track and start winning some games. "I thought it was good for the game. I think it brings it back to the roots. For most players this is where it all started. It might not be the best hockey game because of the conditions but the atmosphere was incredible." Snow fell throughout much of the first period and the elements helped the Penguins open the scoring just 21 seconds into the contest. The Sabres turned the puck over at center ice and Crosby raced into the Buffalo zone along the left wing. He cut toward the net through the circle and had the puck poked off his stick, but it went directly to Armstrong and he fired it into the back of the net for his sixth goal of the season. Each team had a great scoring chance in the closing minutes of the first. Ryan Malone blasted a shot off the iron on a 3-on-2 break, and the Sabres went the other way and nearly scored, but Derek Roy's point-blank chance from the slot rang off the crossbar. The snow stopped late in the first, but sleet began to fall when the teams came out for the second period and Buffalo tied it just 1:25 into the middle stanza. Tim Connolly skated down the left boards and fired a cross-ice pass to the right circle for Campbell, who snapped a shot past Conklin for his fourth goal. The Penguins failed to mount much of an attack in the second period, tallying a mere two shots. Conklin, though, kept it even by turning aside 13 shots in the frame. Because of the elements, the third period was stopped midway through to give each team an equal amount of time attacking each end. The Sabres had a couple of good chances in the late stages of regulation, as Conklin stopped a wraparound attempt by Thomas Vanek, who moments later was unable to get his stick on a rebound after a shot by Roy. Armstrong took a hooking penalty at the conclusion of regulation and the Sabres were unable to capitalize on the power play in the extra period, despite throwing five shots at Conklin. Buffalo had all seven shots in the five-minute stanza. Game Notes The teams also switched ends midway through the overtime period...The Pens improved to 6-1 in shootouts this year, while the Sabres fell to 1-2. \|\|\|\|\| Due to wind, Winter Classic will have different format than other games ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. - The Winter Classic will include a third period that will be played differently than any other NHL game. Because wind might be a factor, the league wants the teams to have equal time with the wind at players' backs. So, play will be stopped Tuesday at the 10-minute mark of the third period and the goalies will switch ends. If Sidney Crosby happens to be on a breakaway as the timer reaches 10:00, too bad. Play stops. CREW READY: Dan Craig, facilities operations manager for the NHL, will be on skates during the Winter Classic in case he's needed to help clear snow from the ice in the temporary rink in Ralph Wilson Stadium. Weather forecasts call for 10 to 15 centimetres of snow overnight and Tuesday morning, but Craig has his Zambonis fuelled and isn't overly concerned about the white stuff. "Overnight, it's just going out there with the Zams and going back out there," he says. "With the wind, (snow) goes right along the wall". "So, it's really easy to take one pass with the machine alone the outside wall and we pick up ninety per cent of it." Winds in excess of 25 kilometres an hour could hinder skating, but it won't blow down the boards. "There is cable up on the tall glass so everything is going to be held in place very securely," says Craig. TOO HOT: The tuque Sabres forward Jason Pominville wore during practice Monday will come off for the big game. He doesn't need it, he says, and he'd like it if somebody turned down the heaters at the players' benches. "I thought it was too warm at the benches," he said. DID IT BEFORE: Four players on the Buffalo and Pittsburgh active rosters - the Sabres' Ryan Miller and the Penguins' Ty Conklin, Adam Hall and Georges Laraque - have previously played in large-scale outdoor games. Miller and Hall were Michigan State teammates for the 2001 "Cold War" against the University of Michigan in East Lansing, Mich., and will be opponents this time. Laraque played for the Edmonton Oilers in the first NHL regular-season outdoor game, the 2003 Heritage Classic against the Montreal Canadiens at Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium. Penguins goalie Ty Conklin was the starting goalie for the Oilers in the Heritage Classic. He allowed four goals on 23 shots in a 4-3 loss to Montreal. "Normally, I just wear long underwear underneath, but I had a full-body neoprene suit," Conklin recalls. "It was about an eighth-inch, maybe three-sixteenths, thick, like a diving suit. It did the trick. I wasn't nearly as cold as I thought I was going to be." Adam Mair of the Sabres also played in an outdoor game during the 2004-2005 lockout season in his home city of Hamilton. It poured rain in Ivor Wynne Stadium. MUSICAL PERFORMANCES: Irish tenor Ronan Tynan will sing "God Bless America" and Sabres anthem singer Doug Allen will perform "O Canada" prior to the start of the game Tuesday (1 p.m. ET). Sam Roberts, the three-time Juno Award-winning singer-songwriter, will perform songs from his band's latest album "Chemical City" during the second intermission. Below 73,000 empty seats, Roberts rehearsed on a stage a stone's throw from the rink as a Zamboni resurfaced the ice late Monday afternoon. \|\|\|\|\| Sabres.NHL.com is the official Web site of the Buffalo Sabres. The Buffalo Sabres and Sabres.NHL.com are trademarks of the National Hockey League. NHL and the word mark and image of the Stanley Cup are registered trademarks and the NHL Shield and NHL Conference logos are trademarks of the National Hockey League. All NHL logos and marks and NHL team logos and marks as well as all other proprietary materials depicted herein are the property of the NHL and the respective NHL teams and may not be reproduced without the prior written consent of NHL Enterprises, L.P. Copyright © 2007 Hockey Western LLC and the National Hockey League. All Rights Reserved.	The game was held in Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL's Buffalo Bills. On New Year's Day, the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League played in the AMP Energy NHL Winter Classic, an outdoor game held at Orchard Park, New York's Ralph Wilson Stadium. This was the second outdoor game in league history and the first outdoor game held in the United States. The Penguins won the game 2 to 1 after a shootout in which Sidney Crosby made a goal between the legs of goalie Ryan Miller to win it. Colby Armstrong of the Penguins scored 21 seconds into the game, and Brian Campbell scored the lone goal for the Sabres in the 2nd period. A temporary ice rink was built on the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium, which normally hosts games played by the National Football League's Buffalo Bills. Sidney Crosby, who made the winning goal for the Pittsburgh Penguins. Snow and heavy winds were prevalent throughout the game, and Zambonis were brought out to clear the ice in the middle of each period. The temperature was around the freezing point when the game began at 1:20 p.m. ET. Several rule changes were in effect in order to lessen the impact of the weather on gameplay. These changes included stopping play in the middle of the 3rd period to allow teams to switch sides and dividing the overtime period into two 2:30 segments. In the shootout, the goalies were allowed to choose which side to defend, with both choosing the same side. The attendance for the game was 71,217, beating the record of 57,167 at the Heritage Classic, another outdoor game which was held in 2003 between the Montreal Canadiens and Edmonton Oilers. Two of the Edmonton players in the Heritage Classic, Georges Laraque and Ty Conklin, played for Pittsburgh in the Winter Classic. Tickets to the game were made available to the general public on September 18, 2007; all 41,000 were sold out within 30 minutes.
By Robert Verkaik, Home affairs editor Ministers face an embarrassing showdown in court after the European Commission accused Britain of failing to protect its citizens from secret surveillance on the internet. The move adds to claims that Britain is creeping towards a Big Brother state and could end with the Government being forced to defend its policy on internet privacy in front of judges at the European Court of Justice. The legal action is being brought over the use of controversial behavioural advertising services which were tested on BT's internet customers without their consent to gather commercial information about their web-shopping habits. Under the programme, the UK-listed company Phorm has developed technology that allows internet service providers (ISPs) to track what their users are doing online. ISPs can then sell that information to media companies and advertisers, who can use it to place more relevant advertisements on websites the user subsequently visits. The EU has accused Britain of turning a blind eye to the growth in this kind of internet marketing. Ministers were warned by the EU in April that if the Government failed to combat internet data snooping it would face charges before the European Court of Justice. The European Commission made it clear this week that it is unhappy with the Government's response and began further legal action to force ministers to address the problem. Commissioners are disappointed that there is still no independent national authority to supervise interception of communications. Europe's information commissioner Viviane Reding said that the aim of the Commission was to bring about a change in UK law. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data in the digital world is not only an important matter: it is a fundamental right, protected by European law," she said. "I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications." The Commission said the UK had failed to comply with both the European e-Privacy Directive and the Data Protection Directive. The Commission also criticised the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (Ripa) as it does not require that people give informed, specific consent to their communications being intercepted for purposes such as behavioural advertising, while sanctions under Ripa only apply when unlawful interception is intentional rather than simply unlawful. A Home Office spokesman confirmed it had received the Commission's letter. Ministers will respond to the letter when they have had time to consider it fully. The Commission received its first complaints over the issue in April last year following BT's trial. Users complained to the UK data protection authority, and the police. The Commission wrote to the UK authorities in July and, upon receiving its answers, "has concerns that there are structural problems in the way the UK has implemented EU rules". The City of London Police dropped an investigation of Phorm last year in relation to BT's secret 2006/2007 trials because it would have cost too much money, been too complex and those taking part in the trials were curiously deemed to have given their "implied consent". \|\|\|\|\| Given the amount of CCTV there is everywhere, we know the UK tolerates spying on its citizens more than other EU countries. But now Britain might be taken to court by the EU for failing to provide the UK citizens with enough privacy and personal data protection. The EU just launched the second step of legal action to force Britain to bring its data protection framework into line with its rules, which guarantee the confidentiality of electronic communication such as emails and internet surfing. Before being internationally embarrassed, the UK has two month to comply with the detailed opinion, which was sent to the UK by the European Commission yesterday and marks the second stage of infringement procedure. The EU Commission has basically identified three failings. First, there is no independent authority supervising the interception of communications and hearing related complaints. Second, there is an excessively wide interpretation of the principle of consent given in Britain's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act. Third, its sanctions against the interception of personal data are too limited. The case came up last year when the technology company Phorm planned a targeted web advertising system. This included the tracking of their customers' internet traffic without telling them. British MEPs protested and campaigners complained to the information commissioner, the interception commissioner, government departments, Ofcom and the police. All refused to act. Government investigation concluded that Phorm didn't breach European laws on data protection and The City of London police announced as well, that they had found no evidence of illegal activity. So in 2008 the campaigners wrote to Viviane Reding, the EU telecoms commissioner. And she responded. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data ... is a fundamental right, protected by European law. That is why the Commission is vigilant in ensuring that EU rules and rights are put in place," she said in a statement yesterday. "I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications." A consolation might be that the EU Commission has also sent letters of formal notice, the first stage of the infringement procedure, to Romania, Poland and Germany. \|\|\|\|\| BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The European Commission on Thursday moved a step closer to taking Britain to court for failing to provide its citizens with adequate privacy and personal data protection when using electronic communications. The European Union's executive said it had begun a second phase of legal action to force the government to bring its data protection framework into line with EU rules. The Commission said Britain had failed to comply with EU rules protecting the confidentiality of communications such as emails and internet surfing, citing shortcomings in Britain's Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) of 2000. The Commission began legal action after an inquiry into how the country had responded to people's complaints about the use of targeted advertising by internet service providers. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data ... is a fundamental right, protected by European law. That is why the Commission is vigilant in ensuring that EU rules and rights are put in place," EU Telecoms Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement. She said the government should change its laws to ensure citizens benefited from the safeguards set out in the EU's confidentiality of electronic communications laws. The Commission said one of the problems was the absence of an independent national authority to supervise interception of communications. Such an authority is required under EU laws. It also said the act did not comply with EU rules defining consent. The Commission said it would send the government a "reasoned opinion" letter, to which it has two months to reply. If the Commission is not satisfied by the response, it can take the matter to the EU court, which could force a change in the law. (Reporting by Bate Felix; editing by Erik Kirschbaum)	The European Union has warned the UK government that it does not do enough to protect its citizens' online privacy and personal data. Now the EU has moved to the next stage of legal action, which could see Britain taken to court. The warning follows complaints over the Phorm company's targeted advertising system. The controversial technology is designed to track the activities of internet users, and was tested on some BT customers without their consent. Campaigners complained to various bodies including the UK's data protection agency, and the communications regulator Ofcom. No action was taken. The City of London police began an investigation, but this was soon dropped. The EU Commission formally warned Britain that it was not meeting EU rules in April. Other countries that have been warned include Germany, Poland and Romania. However, last week the Commission moved onto the second stage of the infringement procedure against the UK, with a letter to the government. The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) has been particularly criticised by the Commission for its weak definition of "consent" and its limited sanctions. The Commission also found that there was no independent body to oversee and hear complaints about communications interception. Overall, the letter says that the UK fails to comply with the EU's Data Protection Directive and e-Privacy Directive. "People's privacy and the integrity of their personal data in the digital world is not only an important matter: it is a fundamental right, protected by European law," the EU's Information Commissioner Viviane Reding said in a statement on Thursday. "I therefore call on the UK authorities to change their national laws to ensure that British citizens fully benefit from the safeguards set out in EU law concerning confidentiality of electronic communications." The Home Office confirmed that it had received the letter, but has so far not responded. Ministers said that they would reply to the letter after they have taken some time to consider it. The Home Office has two months to reply, and if the Commission is not satisfied with the response, then Britain could face charges in the European Court of Justice.
The peak of passion There’s something about Mount Rainier that inspires a deep dedication. Take Elizabeth Putnam. The 74-year-old is one of an army of 2,000 healing the mountain’s wounds from last year’s storms. She’s been a presence at Mount Rainier National Park for 52 years. Read more on the clean-up effort from staff reporter Colin McDonald. For more on the park’s progress, check out the Washington Trails Association. And don’t forget to browse through our WTA reader blog, Trail Talk. The newest post: s’mores at the Trail Fest. Facebook founder sued If a group of Harvard students are telling it right, red-hot social networking site Facebook could be in a lot of trouble. Three founders of rival site ConnectU (which boasts 70,000 members — a small huddle next to Facebook’s 31 million) allege that Facebook creator and classmate Mark Zuckerberg agreed to help them with the site, then jumped ship and created Facebook. Facebook is asking a judge to dismiss the suit. The AP has the story. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Should Facebook users be worried? I don’t know, but I couldn’t get to my profile this morning. Site’s “upgrading.” Gulp. Candidates, you’re killing me I know, I know, enough with the 2008 presidential campaign talk, but USA Today has got a great story on how the ever-more-mediated campaign trail and the shift toward more MySpace and YouTube friendly stumping has gotten the candidates doing stand-up. But as the article explains, humor is a hard thing to pull off — and a lot harder than kissing babies. Want to see what’s so funny? See if you get the punchlines in this video from ABC News. You think politicians are bad … Check out those sports stars. The P-I’s Ted Miller rants about the recent upswing in scandals from the NBA to the NFL and everywhere in between. Seriously — can we have one year when someone from the Tour de France isn’t busted for cheating? Just one? Paul Allen picks Seattle author for next film project A Seattle author is getting her shot at the big screen, thanks to Seattle gagillionaire Paul Allen — whose renaissance-man interests go beyond technology, philanthropy and music to that most eye-popping art, film. P-I film critic William Arnold tells how author Deb Caletti’s book series, “Honey, Baby, Sweetheart” could find itself before the cameras next spring. The six-book coming-of-age series takes place in a Washington town that’s a lot like Issaquah, Caletti’s hometown. And, for some utterly pointless fun, an old video of “Frasier’s” own Kelsey Grammer falling off a stage: Kelsey Grammer Falls Off StagePosted May 02, 2005 The actor fell off a stage while giving a speech at Disneyland. Don’t worry, he’s okay. \|\|\|\|\| : Ok so it would seem that Facebook were fixing a technical issue regarding proxies, and nothing to do with security, according to the Scobleizer blog (which has some sort of access to Facebook’s PR team). Facebook is now alive again, and sporting some new hash values in the URLs - presumably unique to prevent proxy issues again… I’ve seen a lot of links mention my employer in association with this post. I’d just like to reiterate that although I am employed by IBM, this is a personal, non-work related blog. The postings on this site are my own and don’t necessarily represent IBM’s positions, strategies or opinions. For more details about this and the IBM blogging guidelines, please read the About page. Earlier on today I was getting some trouble connecting to Facebook’s login page - after trying to log in the connection just kept timing out instead of taking me to my home page like it usually does. Its pretty unusual for Facebook as its usually pretty reliable. But, these things do happen from time to time so I thought nothing of it. A couple of hours later I came back to my computer after finishing up some work elsewhere and tried logging in again (I’m not addicted - I can stop any time I want…!). To my surprise my login details - usually stored and prefilled by Firefox - had gone and were replaced by an unfamiliar email address. I was certain that I had locked my computer before I left it (good habit to get into…), but it wasn’t beyond the realms of reality that I had forgotten and someone took the chance to log into Facebook. Unlikely - but certainly not impossible. So I cleared the cookie and went back to Facebook again to log in. But now the Facebook page was showing me a completely different email address. A quick look in the source code and sure enough the email address was hard-coded into the tag’s value attribute! If I refreshed the page immediately I got my email again, but if I closed the browser and left it for a few minutes then went back - bingo! Another person’s email address had appeared! I wonder how many “live” email address got harvested today? I know I saw at least 5 or 6 and I was only looking for a few minutes… So fast forward another couple of hours and I visit facebook again - now more out of curiosity than clinical addiction - and there is a notice up (click for larger version): Pardon my paranoia, but is this not pretty odd? No prior warning, no adverts, no schedule, the source code has what looks like some frantically hand-coded HTML using and despite the XHTML doctype . Makes you wonder. What happened today Facebook? \|\|\|\|\| Shaun Trennery Johannesburg, South Africa I'm a 29 year old developer from Johannesburg South Africa. I'm passionate about all things Web2.0, Ajax, Podcasting, Cycling, Fatherhood etc. ClaimID is a simple way to manage your online identity. This is the claimID page of Shaun Trennery. : Shaun Trennery add shauntrennery as contact \| register \| login Main \| Contacts Verified Viewing 5 links \| Blogs Favorites ClaimID has verified an ownership claim on the following links. Verified OpenID Identities http://claimid.com/shauntrennery http://claimid.com/shauntrennery http://openid.claimid.com/shauntrennery These were verified using OpenID. Verified Claimed Links (1/5) del.icio.us/shaun.trennery - Verified 1 out of 5 possible links verified using MicroID. I'm a 29 year old developer from Johannesburg South Africa. I'm passionate about all things Web2.0, Ajax, Podcasting, Cycling, Fatherhood etc. Shaun Trennery + \|\|\|\|\| I’m a Facebook fan and strongly believe that it is destined to break all records when it is either bought or is listed. Today however, Facebook took its first real knock with users reporting that they were getting data that was not their own. The team at my office first thought it was a proxy issue but we later discovered that the problems were widespread. Facebook is currently down with an “We’re upgrading” message on their sparse home page. I wish I was a fly on their wall. The tension must be excruciating. Will the rumored offer of something like $5 billion be something that the owners later look at with broken hearts. Can you imagine the disappointment if similar offers fail to materialize. Update: Here is a link to a pdf document detailing an xss attack on Facebook. The document, written by Adrienne Felt, has been censored by the author until the vulnerability has been fixed by Facebook. It appears that the outage today was to correct security holes as identified in the document. Update: Facebook is online. I’ve noticed that now after the update if you click on a profile of a member that is not one of your friends, you are redirected to the basic search screen. All profiles, even those marked as public behave in a similar manner. Update: Facebook PR has a group that they’ve invited some of the press and bloggers into. Here’s an official statement that was just posted to that group: This morning, we temporarily took down the Facebook site to fix a bug we identified earlier today. This was not the result of a security breach. Specifically, the bug caused some third party proxy servers to cache otherwise inaccessible content. The result was that an isolated group of users could see some pages that were not intended for them. The site has now been restored and we apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused.” Update: Is Facebook still insecure?	Facebook is a social networking website Popular social networking website Facebook went down for unknown upgrades, possibly to circumvent multiple holes that were published in a white paper earlier. From roughly 1:00 to 4:15 pm ET, users reported the site was down. Blogs have speculated it may be simply a server upgrade, or it may be new features. One web development blogger has even raised the theory that the site was hacked, with the login box showing multiple random email addresses, through "" coding. Another user replied to this posting, saying that they were even able to read the other, random user's inbox. Both a blogger who works at a computing company's office in Johannesburg, South Africa and a Norwegian news outlet reported similar troubles. Many blogs received comments from people with similar circumstances, worldwide. A white paper by Adrienne Felt, posted on July 27, 2007, explained step-by-step how to use an exploit to hijack a user's account. The white paper was then partially censored by the author, until the vulnerability has been fixed by Facebook. Regardless of whether the change was prompted by this paper, both the XSS hole and problem with forms described by the author were fixed during the upgrade. The site read "We're upgrading. We'll be back soon." with no further explanation. This is the first known global outage for the site. This comes as a rival site, ConnectU, has filed a lawsuit against Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg for allegedly stealing the idea and the code. The hearing is scheduled for tomorrow. Also on Wednesday, the Black Hat Briefings computer security conference begins. The conference unites people from "government agencies and global corporations with the underground's most respected hackers."
Some Copiague parents want their students back in classrooms They complained about having to choose between all virtual classes or following a hybrid model under district restrictions to reduce risk of coronavirus exposure. 7:34 PM Trustee defeats incumbent Hempstead Village mayor Waylyn Hobbs beats Mayor Don Ryan in a four-way mayoral election Tuesday. 8:16 PM Cops: Teen suffers multiple head injuries in street attack Dominick Palumbo, a freshman at SUNY Maritime College, remained hospitalized Wednesday after an altercation between two groups early Saturday in a Sayville parking lot, Suffolk police said. 8:02 PM She had no family, so strangers came to honor her at funeral None of them had known Celia Teresa de Jesus Alferez. Still about 50 parishioners attended her funeral Mass last week at St. Joseph Church in Ronkonkoma. LI golfers continue to flock to courses amid pandemic Golf was one of the few activities that people could do during the pandemic, leading to a banner year for rounds played in 2020. 1:49 WATCH NOW Amid a year of pandemic hardship, NY parks thrived Experts say state parks on Long Island and across New York helped ward off negative emotions that swept in with COVID-19's arrival one year ago, as isolation helped breed fear, anxiety, depression — and sorrow kept ratcheting up. 2:03 Breaking News LI officials, NYPD on alert in Asian communities after Georgia killings The NYPD is beefing up patrols and Long Island official are urging Asian residents to report hate incidents after eight people, many of them Asian women, were shot to death at Atlanta-area massage parlors. \|\|\|\|\| Classes to Resume at St.Edwards Authorities say 'No threat found' 4/17/2007 The Newsroom Officials at St. Edwards University evacuated their campus Tuesday after finding a threatening note in a bathroom on campus. The University's Michelle Amador says all classes have been cancelled for the day, including evening classes. Classes will resume tomorrow morning. Amador says the University police, assisted by APD, have serched the camus and report no threat has been found. Fore more information please check St. Edwards University Website. last modified: 4/18/2007 12:59:26 AM	St. Edwards University in Austin has been evacuated after a non-specific bomb threat note was found by a staff member. Students are asked not to come on campus, and classes have been cancelled until 5 PM. This is according to a public relations officer for the school and the St. Edwards web site. The message on the website reads, Around noon police had completed an evacuation, secured the campus and begun searching buildings. As police completed the search of dormitory buildings, students were being allowed to return. University spokesperson, Mischelle Amador, indicated that the precautions taken were in no way related to or influenced by yesterday's Virginia Tech shootings.
The American military has been working since 1996 on a tricked-out 747 that could blast ballistic missiles out of the sky with a ultra-powerful laser. After 14 years of promising “the American people their first light saber,” the Missile Defense Agency finally pulled it off Thursday night at 8:44 p.m It’s one of a number of steps forward for real-life ray guns in the past year or so. “Solid state” electric lasers finally hit what’s commonly considered battlefield strength. A laser-equipped Air Force gunship disabled a truck with its energy beam. A ground-mounted ray gun blasted drones out of the sky. But all of those energy weapons were weak — and the engineering challenges limited — compared to last night’s shoot-down. A short-range, Scud-like ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform near the Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center, off of the central California coast. “Within seconds, the Airborne Laser Test Bed [ALTB] used on-board sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting,” according to a statement from the Missile Defense Agency. [Update: That's the video of Thursday night's test, above.] This is a test the MDA was hoping to conduct in 2002, after spending about a billion dollars. But the Airborne Laser ran into all kinds of problems along the way. The chemicals the jet depended on to generate its high-strength laser weighed down the 747. Getting the laser to accurately zap through the atmosphere proved tougher than anticipated. The Airborne Laser eventually ballooned into a $7.3 billion project. Finally, Defense Secretary Robert Gates got so fed up, he told the MDA to end the Airborne Laser program after a single jet. “I don’t know anybody at the Department of Defense who thinks that this program should, or would, ever be operationally deployed,” Gates told Congress last year. “The reality is that you would need a laser something like 20 to 30 times more powerful than the chemical laser in the plane right now to be able to get any distance from the launch site to fire.” So, right now the [jet] would have to orbit inside the borders of Iran in order to be able to try and use its laser to shoot down that missile in the boost phase. And if you were to operationalize this you would be looking at 10 to 20 747s, at a billion-and-a-half dollars apiece, and $100 million a year to operate. And there’s nobody in uniform that I know who believes that this is a workable concept. But Gates did add that the concept of using laser and other speed-of-light “directed energy” weapons to knock down missiles still had promise. It might be the only way to stop missiles in “boost phase” — when they were just getting off of the ground. That’s why many in the military will be excited about Thursday night’s test. As the MDA notes, it’s the first time a laser in the sky has successfully downed a missile. And even if this particular weapon doesn’t work out, the technology developed can be used for later systems. “The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies,” the agency notes. “Less than one hour later,” there was a second test, with another missile. The Airborne Laser lit it up. But didn’t destroy the thing. That test was for another day. See Also: \|\|\|\|\| By KING5.com KING5 EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - A U.S. military aircraft, equipped with an airborne laser device, successfully shot down a test missile in the sky off the central California coast Thursday night. The high-energy laser, mounted on the nose of a modified Boeing 747-400F, was focused on the missile target during its boosting phase. The laser beam burned a hole in the side of the missile. It was the first time that a laser weapon has engaged and destroyed an in-flight ballistic missile, and is the first time that any system has accomplished destroyed a missile as it was in its boosting phase. "This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform," the U.S. Missile Defense Agency said in a press release. "The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers (miles), and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies." Boeing is the prime contractor for the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) program. Boeing produces the aircraft, while Northrop Grumman supplies the higher-energy laser and Lockheed Martin is developing the beam and fire control systems. "The (Boeing) Airborne Laser Testbed team has made history with this experiment," said Greg Hyslop, vice president and general manager of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. "Through its hard work and technical ingenuity, the government-industry team has produced a breakthrough with incredible potential." \|\|\|\|\| MDANews Release www.mda.mil mda.info@mda.mil 7100 Defense Pentagon Washington, DC 20301-7100 Airborne Laser Testbed Successful in Lethal Intercept Experiment The Missile Defense Agency demonstrated the potential use of directed energy to defend against ballistic missiles when the Airborne Laser Testbed (ALTB) successfully destroyed a boosting ballistic missile. The experiment, conducted at Point Mugu Naval Air Warfare Center-Weapons Division Sea Range off the central California coast, serves as a proof-of-concept demonstration for directed energy technology. The ALTB is a pathfinder for the nationâ€™s directed energy program and its potential application for missile defense technology. At 8:44 p.m. (PST), February 11, 2010, a short-range threat-representative ballistic missile was launched from an at-sea mobile launch platform. Within seconds, the ALTB used onboard sensors to detect the boosting missile and used a low-energy laser to track the target. The ALTB then fired a second low-energy laser to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance. Finally, the ALTB fired its megawatt-class High Energy Laser, heating the boosting ballistic missile to critical structural failure. The entire engagement occurred within two minutes of the target missile launch, while its rocket motors were still thrusting. This was the first directed energy lethal intercept demonstration against a liquid-fuel boosting ballistic missile target from an airborne platform. The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies. Less than one hour later, a second solid fuel short-range missile was launched from a ground location on San Nicolas Island, Calif. and the ALTB successfully engaged the boosting target with its High Energy Laser, met all its test criteria, and terminated lasing prior to destroying the second target. The ALTB destroyed a solid fuel missile, identical to the second target, in flight on February 3, 2010. [top of page] \|\|\|\|\| Airborne Laser fires tracking laser, hits target by Tech. Sgt. Eric M. Grill 95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs 3/21/2007 --- The YAL-1A Airborne Laser, a modified Boeing 747-400F, successfully test fired its target illuminator laser March 15 during a five-hour test flight.The mission and test firing represented the Airborne Laser's first in-flight external laser firing, and used the NC-135E "Big Crow" test aircraft to verify the ABL's ability to track an airborne target and measure atmospheric turbulence.The Airborne Laser aircraft is undergoing a long-term test phase at the Air Force Flight Test Center here."This mission is a big milestone for our program," said Lt. Col. Michel Zumwalt, the 417th Flight Test Squadron Airborne Laser Combined Test Force operations officer. "It's the first time we've actually had photons leaving the airplane in flight. In other words, we shot a kilowatt-class laser out of our aircraft and we were able to track a target, which is a big step towards meeting one of the mid-milestones (or knowledge points) for this program."The test firing was performed multiple times off the California coast, said Colonel Zumwalt, who is one of only three Air Force ABL pilots.Current testing of the ABL is in preparation for the integration later this year of the chemical oxygen iodine laser, or COIL, a missile-killing, high-energy chemical laser.The COIL is composed of six interconnected modules, each as large as a sport-utility vehicle turned on end. Each module weighs about 6,500 pounds and has 3,600 separate parts. When fired through a window in the aircraft's nose turret, it produces enough energy in a 5-second burst to power a typical household for more than one hour.The COIL is a megawatt-class laser, as opposed to the less-powerful kilowatt-class targeting laser test fired on the March 15 mission, said Dr. Roc White, a contract test director and test conductor for the Airborne Laser Combined Test Force, who was aboard the aircraft during the test flight."We spent an intense four or five months of ground tests back at Wichita (Kansas), first installing and then thoroughly testing out the beam control system which involved two high-power illuminator lasers," Dr. White said, talking about the different classes of lasers the Airborne Laser weapon system will have. " We call it low-power system integration, but that is a relative term, relative to the ultimate weapon system, which is the COIL."These high-power illuminators are significant laser systems, hence all of the concentration on doing this safely (which was) initially proven out on the ground," he said. "The ground testing enabled us to basically walk through the steps, but there is nothing like a live test. Since we got back here to Edwards in December, we've been working to make it to this point to do this first open-air laze. The mission couldn't have gone much better."Mitchell Ray, the Boeing air vehicle integration and test operations lead, also the test director for the March 15 mission, said, "I think it's probably pretty clear by now that this is a rather complex choreography, if you will, of assets. All kinds of things need to come together to enable us to do this. What we want to do is get all the external factors just right so we test the actual weapons system."On the 15th, everything came together and allowed us to do that," Mr. Ray said. "(This was) our first attempt at doing it, and on our very first try, we got it right (on) the mark."The next major step for the test program is to combine what was started with the tracking of another aircraft with the Target Illuminator Laser, Dr. White said, thus being able to then project out the surrogate high-energy laser, called the SHEL."The surrogate high-energy laser will be representative of what the COIL is (and perform) in a manner that will prepare us for actually installing the COIL," he said.The Missile Defense Agency is testing and developing the Airborne Laser as part of the boost phase defense segment of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The ABL, designed to identify, track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles shortly after missile launch, would operate at altitudes above the clouds to locate and track missiles in their boost flight phase, and then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser to intercept enemy missiles near their launch areas, MDA officials said. Comment on this story (comments may be published on Air Force Link)	The ALTB in flight. An infrared video of the Airborne Laser Testbed (right) disabling a threat-representative short-range ballistic missile (left) during the initial boost phase. The United States Missile Defense Agency have announced that their airborne laser system has successfully shot down a ballistic missile for the first time. In a test on Thursday the "Airborne Laser Testbed" (ALTB), a modified Boeing 747-400F, detected a boosting short-range missile and tracked it using a low-energy laser. A second low-energy laser was used to measure and compensate for atmospheric disturbance, before the aircraft's High Energy Laser was used to destroy the target. The missile was liquid-fuelled and said to be "threat-representative", possibly similar to a Scud. It was launched from sea, and shot down by the ALTB within two minutes. In a second test less than an hour later, a solid-fuel missile launched from a ground location was also successfully hit by the High Energy Laser, but deliberately not destroyed. A similar missile was destroyed on February 3. In a press release announcing the successful tests the Missile Defense Agency said: "The revolutionary use of directed energy is very attractive for missile defense, with the potential to attack multiple targets at the speed of light, at a range of hundreds of kilometers, and at a low cost per intercept attempt compared to current technologies." The ALTB is described as a "pathfinder" for the use of directed energy in missile defense. It is designed to operate at high altitudes above the clouds, and to detect and destroy ballistic missiles soon after launch whilst they are still in their boosting phase. The aircraft is provided by Boeing, the main laser by Northrop Grumman, and the control systems by Lockheed Martin. "Through its hard work and technical ingenuity, the government-industry team has produced a breakthrough with incredible potential," stated Greg Hyslop, vice president of Boeing Missile Defense Systems. He said that the experiment had "made history". The US has been working on the program since 1996, and has faced numerous problems in that time. The megawatt-class High Energy Laser is known as the chemical oxygen iodine laser (COIL), and consists of six modules, each as large as an SUV. The sheer weight of chemicals needed was almost too much for the 747 jet. The laser also had problems with accuracy due to atmospheric conditions. February's tests were originally scheduled to be carried out in 2002. The amount spent getting the project to this stage has also risen from a planned US$1 billion to $7.3 billion. Last year, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates cut the program back to a single jet for research, suggesting it would not see actual deployment. “The reality is that you would need a laser something like 20 to 30 times more powerful than the chemical laser in the plane right now to be able to get any distance from the launch site to fire,” Gates told Congress. "So, right now the jet would have to orbit inside the borders of Iran in order to be able to try and use its laser to shoot down that missile in the boost phase." Gates also raised concerns at the large number of planes that would be required, and the ensuing cost. However, he said that directed energy weapons still had potential for missile defense.
Mr Tsvangirai's MDC says at least 70 of its supporters have been killed Zimbabwe's opposition MDC will announce on Monday whether the party will withdraw from the 27 June presidential run-off, a party source told the BBC. MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai is said to be under pressure to pull out in view of escalating poll-related violence. The withdrawal threat may be aimed at pressuring other countries to demand a fair vote, a BBC correspondent says. Angola's leader, one of President Robert Mugabe's closest allies, has urged him to stop the violence. President Jose Eduardo Dos Santos advised Mr Mugabe to "observe the spirit of tolerance, respect for difference and cease all forms of intimidation and political violence". Unless there's a change in conditions on the ground, the election will be a charade Nelson Chamisa MDC spokesman Your questions answered 'Raped for opposing Mugabe' Send us your comments The message was delivered through an Angolan election observer, the Angolan president's office says. The two men were fighting colonial rule together in the 1970s and intervened together in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the 1990s. The MDC (Movement for Democratic Change) says dozens of its supporters have been killed but President Mugabe blames the opposition for the violence. But if the MDC does pull out, it will be handing victory to Robert Mugabe, making it a tricky decision to take, says the BBC's Caroline Hawley in Johannesburg, South Africa. The MDC suffered at least five violent deaths of activists or their family members this week and its secretary general, Tendai Biti, was charged with treason and subversion. In Brussels, the European Union has drafted a summit statement saying it is ready to take unspecified "additional measures against those responsible for violence". UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown told reporters he believed President Mugabe's government was behind the violence. "Mugabe's increasingly desperate and isolated regime has unleashed still more violence," he said. "This is a blatant attempt to intimidate and to steal the election." 'Subjected to terror' "Differences of opinion" have emerged among the party's senior officials over its next move, MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told the BBC after the leadership met in Harare. Tendai Biti was arrested after returning from South Africa The party, he said, needed to assess the situation in the country but if conditions did not change, the vote would be a "charade". "We are assessing the situation as some areas are inaccessible," he added. "People are being abducted at night. Our grass-roots activists are being subjected to terror. Some of them are staying in the bushes and mountains to avoid Zanu-PF militias. "Unless there's a change in conditions on the ground, the election will be a charade." The MDC says at least 70 of its supporters have been killed in recent weeks and 25,000 forced from their homes in a state-sponsored campaign of violence. MDC rallies have also been disrupted and Mr Tsvangirai has been detained by police on several occasions. A Harare court refused to dismiss the charges against Mr Biti, delaying his case until 7 July, more than a week after the election. However, he could still be granted bail. The charges carry a possible death sentence. One of the accusations against him is that he portrayed President Mugabe "as an evil man". International concern Zimbabwe's immediate neighbours have voiced increasing concern over the validity of next week's vote, given the violence and intimidation. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Tanzanian Foreign Minister Bernard Membe, head of an election monitoring team, told the BBC on Thursday that violence appeared to be "escalating throughout Zimbabwe". The EU already has an arms embargo against Zimbabwe and has placed travel bans on and frozen the assets of President Mugabe and other senior government and ruling Zanu-PF party officials. It urged African states to deploy as many election observers on the ground as soon as possible. Mr Mugabe blames the sanctions for causing Zimbabwe's economic freefall. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Mugabe says 'only God' can remove him as rivals consider pullout HARARE (AFP) — President Robert Mugabe said Friday that "only God" could remove him from office, as Zimbabwe's opposition considered pulling out of next week's run-off election amid escalating violence. "The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country -- never ever," Mugabe told local business people in Zimbabwe's second city Bulawayo, referring to the opposition Movement for Democratic Change. "Only God who appointed me will remove me -- not the MDC, not the British." Mugabe -- in power since independence from Britain in 1980 -- has frequently accused his presidential run-off opponent Morgan Tsvangirai of being a stooge of the former colonial power. Later Friday, at a rally in Bulawayo, Mugabe said: "We will never allow an event like an election reverse our independence, our sovereignty, our sweat and all that we fought for ... all that our comrades died fighting for." The MDC plans to meet Sunday to consider whether to contest the June 27 vote, with the party claiming that around 70 of its supporters have been killed since the first round of voting in March. "In the light of the violence and intimidation, we will make a position whether we still feel the people's will will be realised, whether it's conducive to go into an election," MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa told AFP. There were signs the party was deeply split on the issue, with other MDC officials contradicting Chamisa and vowing to press ahead. Pulling out would likely mean handing victory to Mugabe, who is defying harsh criticism from abroad. Western powers and human rights groups say the election has been tainted by violence and intimidation, while Tsvangirai alleges that Zimbabwe now is run by what is essentially a "military junta". "The people have been subjected to violence and intimidation which are so blatant and they are disappointed that we are not having access to the electorate," Innocent Gonese, the MDC's secretary for legal affairs, told AFP. "People are saying despite all that we should not withdraw and we also believe withdrawing will not solve anything." Asked about the possibility of pulling out of the election, MDC treasurer general Roy Bennett told AFP in Johannesburg: "That's nonsense. There is no such thing." Mugabe has vowed the opposition will never come to power in his lifetime and has pledged to fight to keep it from happening. Referring to Mugabe's remarks, Chamisa said in comments published Friday in the South African newspaper The Star: "What therefore is the point of this election?" "Why should we participate in it? Many of our members are now wondering and want us to pull out." Mugabe has threatened to arrest opposition leaders over the pre-election violence, though the United Nations has said the president's supporters were responsible for the bulk of it. Zimbabwe's police chief Augustine Chihuri said Friday the MDC was the "main culprit to the political violence that we are currently witnessing in the country". "As the country prepares for a presidential election run-off next week, all necessary force will be applied on malcontents and perpetrators of violence... This violence is aimed at intimidating people from voting and we know it is in preparation of influencing the outcome of the election." In a case the opposition describes as harassment, a court on Friday refused to dismiss subversion and vote-rigging charges against MDC number-two Tendai Biti, who if convicted faces a possible death sentence. The magistrate ordered Biti held in prison until at least July 7. Zimbabwe's attorney general refused to allow bail for Biti later in the day, though his lawyer has appealed to the high court and a hearing has been set for Tuesday. Biti, the MDC's secretary general, was arrested on June 12 minutes after arriving back in Zimbabwe following a long stay in South Africa. He has been held in prison since then and was officially charged on Thursday. A harsh critic of Mugabe, Biti faces a total of four charges including subverting the government, election rigging and "projecting the president as an evil man." Meanwhile, the human rights group Amnesty International urged regional leaders to meet urgently on Zimbabwe's crisis, in a letter written to the head of the Southern African Development Community. "People are being killed, tortured and subjected to other ill-treatment while the perpetrators are enjoying complete impunity," its secretary general Irene Khan wrote.	According to party officials, Zimbabwe's Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) will announce Monday, June 23, whether they will pull out of the 2008 presidential election, due to election violence, or stay in the race. This week alone, at least five MDC activists or their family members have been killed in election violence. The MDC's secretary general, Tendai Biti, was charged with subversion and treason. The case has been delayed until July 7, more than a week after the run-off election on June 27. The charges carry a possible death sentence, but he could still be granted bail. The MDC has said that during the run-off elections, at least 70 of its supporters were killed, and over 25,000 have been evicted from their homes in a campaign of violence endorsed by President Robert Mugabe. Mugabe, however, has blamed the MDC for the violence. Mugabe has repeatedly said that he would not allow the MDC to come into power. "The MDC will never be allowed to rule this country -- never ever," Mugabe said on Friday. "Only God who appointed me will remove me - not the MDC, not the British," he added, referring to the accusation that his election opponent Morgan Tsvangirai is a puppet of former colonial power Britain. "In the light of the violence and intimidation, we will make a position whether we still feel the people's will will be realised, whether it's conducive to go into an election," said MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa. Some party members are split over the issue. Innocent Gonese, the MDC's secretary for legal affairs, said, "People are saying despite all that we should not withdraw and we also believe withdrawing will not solve anything." Nelson Chamisa said the party needs to assess the situation before deciding their next move, as some areas are inaccessible. "Our grass-roots activists are being subjected to terror," Chamisa said. "Some of them are staying in the bushes and mountains to avoid Zanu-PF militias. Unless there's a change in conditions on the ground, the election will be a charade."
Office of the Premier / Education Condolences on deaths of seven students and teacher (08/01/12) NB 19 Jan. 12, 2008 FREDERICTON (CNB) -- Premier Shawn Graham and Education Minister Kelly Lamrock offered their condolences today following a fatal accident which claimed the lives of seven Bathurst High School students and one District 15 teacher. "Like all New Brunswickers, I was shocked and saddened when I received word of this tragic accident," Graham said. "This is a sad day for the families, for the people of Bathurst and for our province as a whole." "Our thoughts are also with the four others who were injured in this accident." The accident involving a van carrying the Bathurst High School boys' basketball team and a tractor trailer occurred early this morning shortly after midnight on Route 8 outside of Bathurst. "The Department of Education is working with the district and Bathurst High officials to ensure that they receive the support and resources they need to cope with this devastating loss," Lamrock said. Bathurst High is open today with counselling services available to students. "On behalf of all New Brunswickers, I extend our most heartfelt sympathies to the parents, families and friends and the entire community of Bathurst. Our thoughts and prayers are with you," the premier said. 08/01/12 \|\|\|\|\| Crash kills 7 Canada school basketball players Van driver's wife is also dead Associated Press BATHURST, New Brunswick — A van carrying a Canadian high school boys' basketball team collided with a truck on Saturday, killing seven students on their way home from a game and the driver's wife. Royal Canadian Mounted Police Sgt. Derek Strong said the seven players — aged between 15 and 18 — were pronounced dead at the crash site after their van crossed the center line and hit the tractor-trailer shortly after midnight. The accident occurred as the team was returning home to Bathurst from Moncton in Canada's far eastern New Brunswick province, Strong said. Road conditions were said to be slippery. Strong said most of the victims were ejected from the van. "This is a whole community in mourning," Bathurst High School superintendent John McLaughlin said. "It's unthinkable what happened and everyone's trying to make some sense of it." There were 12 people in the van. The four survivors are expected to recover. The truck driver was not hurt. The driver of the van was a teacher at Bathurst High School and his wife was a teacher at another school, Bathurst Mayor Stephen Brunet said. \|\|\|\|\| A close-knit city in northern New Brunswick is in mourning after seven high school basketball players and a teacher died early Saturday when the van carrying them slammed into a transport truck on an icy road. The Bathurst High School boys' basketball team, the Phantoms, was returning from a game in Moncton, about 220 kilometres to the south, when the van fish-tailed on a slippery highway and collided with a truck driving in the opposite lane, police said. The entire passenger side of the van was ripped off during a collision with a tractor-trailer. (CBC) The accident happened around midnight local time on Highway 8 just 500 metres from the Bathurst exit, about five minutes away from their hometown. Of the 12 in the vehicle, four survived, including the team's coach and his daughter. The seven boys killed in the crash ranged from 15 to 18 years old. The coach's wife, a teacher at another school, also died. Weather was a factor, police said Police said the entire passenger side of the van was ripped off during the collision and most of the passengers ejected. "There was nothing we could do," RCMP Sgt. Derek Strong told reporters. "The force of the impact was so great that the benches they were sitting on were also ejected from the vehicle, so this was a very, very major impact." At the time of the crash, the road was slippery from snow, freezing rain and ice pellets. "The road had snow and slush. We had a light snowstorm [Friday] that started in the afternoon," said RCMP Cpl. Daniel Melanson. Three people were still in hospital late Saturday, while the fourth had been treated for injuries and released, a hospital spokeswoman said. The driver of the transport truck was not injured, police said. Grief counselling offered at school The community of 13,000 was in shock after hearing news of the crash. Students mourn the deaths of seven basketball players from Bathurst High School. (CBC) As early as 4 a.m., students, parents and community members began trickling in to the school where a grief counselling centre was opened for much of the day. "There is such disbelief," said school district superintendent John McLaughlin. "A tragedy of this proportion — it's unspeakable." He described the seven teammates as "your typical all-Canadian boys" who were positive, athletic and popular at the school of some 800 students. Bathurst Mayor Stephen Brunet, who once taught at the school, noted that it is not only the small city that is trying to cope with the tragedy, but the whole region. "Bathurst is a feeder school that has students coming in from around the region … so this affects a lot of young people," he said. Families want a public funeral The parents of Nathan Cleland, one of the boys killed, said they spoke to their son minutes before the crash when he called to tell them he was on his way home. 'They played as a team, they rolled as a team and they went out as a team.'—Victim's father, John Cleland In the background, they could hear the boys "whooping and hollering … and having a good time." The parents said their 17-year-old son died alongside some of his closest friends. "They played as a team, they rolled as a team and they went out as a team. So what better way possible than to be with your friends under circumstances like this," his father said. Families of the victims have said they want a public funeral to be held at the city's sports arena so the entire community can gather to grieve. An 'unthinkable' accident, PM says Prime Minister Stephen Harper sent a letter of condolence to high school principal Coleen Ramsay. "The sudden loss of eight people in this unthinkable accident shocked the nation, and all Canadians join you in mourning their passing," he wrote. Harper said that as a father, he sympathizes with the parents of the teenage boys killed in the crash. New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham, speaking from Ottawa where he is attending a first ministers' meeting, also expressed his condolences to the victims' families. "I just want to extend sympathies to the affected families," he said. "This is a tragic situation for the community of Bathurst and our province." With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| Crash kills seven students, teacher in New Brunswick Richard Foot, Helen Morris and David Wylie , Canwest News Service Published: Saturday, January 12, 2008 BATHURST, N.B. - Tragedy struck the tightly-knit city of Bathurst, N.B., early Saturday when seven teenagers from the high school basketball team and a teacher were killed in a horrific highway crash. The minivan carrying the Bathurst High Phantoms senior boys basketball team home from a game in Moncton lost control on an icy highway shortly after midnight and hit a tractor-trailer with enough force to rip the van open and eject the passenger benches from the vehicle. The victims - one woman and seven boys aged 15 to 18 - died at the scene. RCMP say they will not identify the dead until all family have been contacted. However, obituaries have been posted on a local funeral home website for Cody Branch, 17; Javier Acevedo, 17; and Nickolas Quinn, 16. Online memorials have paid tribute to students Justin Cormier and Daniel Hains, as well as teacher, Beth Lord. And family members have identified the remaining two boys as Nick Kelly and Nathan Cleland. Emily Cleland, a student at St. Thomas University in Fredericton, said she got the word at 2 a.m. that her younger brother, Nathan - one of the players, was dead. "They told me that seven of the players had died on impact and the coach's wife and that my brother had been one of the seven to die," she said. "He was great. He was my best friend my whole life." She said he was among five of the students who were due to graduate this year. "One or two of them were considering going to university next year." Three of four injured students are still in hospital. One, a student, is in intensive care. All are in stable condition and their injuries are not considered life-threatening. The driver of the van, a teacher and coach, survived. His wife, also a coach and teacher, died at the scene. Their daughter was among the survivors. "When members arrived at the scene all eight victims were dead," said New Brunswick RCMP spokesman Sgt. Derek Strong, calling the crash scene "indescribable." "There was nothing we could do. "The roads were quite icy, and it was a matter of the driver . . . losing control at the wrong time. I want to make it clear to everyone that at this time we do not suspect any illegal activity on behalf of either driver. It's a collision because of the weather." Reports say that conditions on Route 11 were slippery around the time of the crash, with freezing rain and snow falling in the area. The driver of the tractor-trailer escaped injury. "It was extremely traumatic," Strong said. "Our members are trained to deal with a certain amount of calls of an unpleasant nature but last night was beyond description. "We can only dare to imagine what the families are going through today." Ed Kelly said his grandson Nick died in the crash. The 15-year-old athlete died alongside his best friend, Nickolas Quinn, who was going celebrate his 16th birthday Saturday, added Kelly. "He was athletic, smart . . . whatever he tried, he achieved it. He was everybody's dream," said Kelly, 64, of his grandson. "I've been (in Bathurst) for 32 years - that's the worst (tragedy) I've heard of here. We always think it's not going to happen to us," he said. "It's a shock and we still have to deal with it. It's part of life." The streets of Bathurst, normally lively on a Saturday night, were dark and virtually deserted - except in front of Bathurst High School. There, dozens of grieving students were still milling around the entrance to the school, hugging, weeping and placing bouquets against the entrance doors. "R.I.P Boys - We will hold you in our hearts forever," read the card on one bouquet. The dead students were known for their devotion to the game. One transferred in from another school just to join the team. Grade 11 student Katie Gormely cried as she recounted how she and the other members of the school's senior girls basketball team got the call about the crash around 4 a.m. at their hotel in Woodstock, N.B., where they were playing an away game. The team piled into their van and drove back to Bathurst immediately. "They were the nicest guys you could ever meet," she said. "They just lit up the halls. They all had this glow. They all had a real passion for basketball. They were just amazing guys." Grade 11 student Patrick Wafer said, "I don't even know how I feel yet. We're still trying to deal with this. Some of these guys were so good I wouldn't have been surprised to see them playing college ball." Prime Minister Stephen Harper has sent a letter of condolence to the school. Meanwhile, school district superintendent John McLaughlin called the crash "a tragedy of unthinkable proportions." He said a crisis centre has been set up at the school since 4 a.m. Saturday to provide "a safe, caring, nurturing place" for students, parents and community members to grieve. The crisis centre will remain open Saturday and Sunday. The high school will be open on Monday, McLaughlin said, and psychologists, social workers and guidance counsellors will be in place to help students deal with the tragedy. "We are a city in mourning," said Bathurst mayor Stephen Brunet. "We're still in a state of shock." Sophie Boudreau, a student at the school, said of the victims: "You couldn't have asked for better guys than those boys." "These guys were multiple athletes. They were amazing, they had the biggest hearts, they were so kind to everybody," Boudreau said. "They were all like big teddy bears." Boudreau said the community is "devastated," and the tragedy is pulling citizens and students together. "Today all the students were just together, nobody wanted to be alone," she said. "We were all just together, we were all just comforting each other, hugging each other and we had to be with each other." Emily Cleland said her brother was the sort of person who drew others to him. "He was so charismatic, people were really drawn to him and he was just such a great guy. He had this love for life anything to do with sports or exercise." Cleland broke down when she recalled her brother's plans for post-graduation: he wanted to train to be an emergency response paramedic. "If there is anyone else who goes through what we're going through, know that there are lots of people out there to support them who understand what it feels like to lose someone you love so much." Stephanie Brennan, a reporter with local radio station CKBC-FM, described a "sombre mood" in the city Saturday. "It's a tough time for everyone involved," Brennan said. "It's still hitting close to home in a city of 12,000 that's really community oriented." The station hires students from the high school for weekend work, and it was from one of those students that Brennan heard news of the crash. "I got a call from one of the girls this morning at about 5:30, she was crying hysterically saying there was an accident. She said the basketball team died." The town is pulling together to cope with the tragedy, Brennan said. "There's such great community spirit and when something happens to someone everyone really pulls together. "This morning at the high school the mayor was there, the councillors were there. The local police officers were at the hospital with the students." Premier Shawn Graham said he was "shocked and saddened" by the tragedy. "This is a sad day for the families, for the people of Bathurst and for our province as a whole," Graham said in a statement. With files from Michael Barber © Canwest News Service 2008	New Brunswick's road network. Bathurst is located in the province's north coast on the Baie des Chaleurs. A deadly road crash in New Brunswick, Canada has claimed the lives of eight people near the city of Bathurst on Saturday. A van carrying 12 people was returning from a school basketball game in Moncton when it slid on an icy highway and collided with a semi-trailer truck. Of the dead, seven were members of the Bathurst High School boys basketball team and the other was a teacher, the van driver's wife. The survivors are three teammates and a coach who was driving the van, all of whom were hospitalised at Chaleur Regional Hospital in Bathurst. The driver of the semi-trailer was uninjured. The crash occurred on New Brunswick Route 8 as it approached the junction with Route 11 into Bathurst. Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper expressed his shock and condolences, describing the tragedy as "unthinkable". New Brunswick Premier Shawn Graham also expressed his condolences.
Wikiseek is a new search engine which indexes only results from Wikipedia and sites which are linked to from Wikipedia. Wikiseek is the first product from SearchMe, a California based startup which has raised $5 million from Sequoia Capital, and plans a range of ‘long tail search engines’. The company claims that, because the results are limited to Wikipedia and sites linked to from it, their search engine is far less susceptible to spam and SEO schemes (in fact, there may well be some duplicate content issues, since it is pulling content from Wikipedia, so SEO ). On the plus side, the interface is clean and the tag cloud containing relevant Wikipedia categories is useful in refining your search. The big problem with this search engine is the relevance of the results. As Danny Sullivan at Search Engine Land points out, when compared with results from the big three search engines, Wikiseek’s results are far less relevant. As SearchMe CEO Randy Adams points out in reply to Danny’s criticisms, Wikiseek is in beta stage, and is still in the process of ironing out any problems. Further Reading: Wikia launches free wiki tools \|\|\|\|\| The Wikipedia reference site is getting a new and improved search engine from Searchme, which announced the development Wednesday. Called Wikiseek, the search engine was financed in large part by Sequoia Capital, the venture capital firm that financed Google, Searchme representatives said. The fledgling search engine will be available both as a beta destination Web site as well as a Firefox extension inside Wikipedia. To avoid the perils of too many false hits, Searchme said user feedback will be used to update Wikiseek on a continuous basis. The process will result in a relatively low incidence of search engine optimization spam. Searchme also noted that Wikipedia editors will approve "authoritative" pages. The announcement predicted that the service will grow in value over time as Wikipedia blossoms and as more links are added. Unlike most search engines whose business models rely on sponsored links, most of the Wikiseek site's advertising revenue will be donated to the Wikipedia Foundation, which operates the Wikipedia encyclopedia. "It just makes sense to donate the advertising revenue to the Wikimedia Foundation since our search results are enabled by the work done by Wikipedia volunteers," said Randy Adams, Searchme CEO. "Every time somebody edits a Wikipedia page, our search engine gets better." The Wikiseek site can be accessed from multiple browsers, which often feature keyword ads. However, the Firefox extension version, available under open source licensing, carries no ads. \|\|\|\|\| As expected, Jimmy Wales, founder of the Wikipedia , has launched his search engine, named Wikiseek.com. (This is not a search engine by Wikipedia, but it does use Wikipedia's content - sorry, still catching up). All I have seen are negative reviews about the search engines, you can read Danny's huge analysis at Search Engine Land, his conclusion: In the end, if you want to search Wikipedia, just go to Wikipedia and search there rather than Wikiseek. That seems the better experience. Or search at Google -- it tends to bring up Wikipedia pages all the time for relevant queries. I have searched through the various discussion forums and honestly did not find much conversation on it. There is a large thread at WebmasterWorld and a very short one at DigitalPoint Forums. The overall consensus is that it is currently a poor search experience because of the restrictions of only showing results within the wikiepdia community. I also did notice someone at WebmasterWorld noted that http://wikiseek.com/ returns a 404, they need to 301 that to the www version. Forum discussion at WebmasterWorld & DigitalPoint Forums. \|\|\|\|\| This is different than the Wikiasari search engine announced last month. WikiSeek is a search engine that returns results only from Wikipedia and sites linked to from Wikipedia. It has been in development since 2005 and launched 1 hour ago. \|\|\|\|\| This tool shows the articles from the English Wikipedia that are viewed most. Statistics have been running 31 days. This tool is still being tested. Some of the results may be false or misleading! Change the settings... I added another field: 'View this page in another language'. Please send me your translations.This page is brought to you by a new output script.-- Leon Information This page shows the most viewed articles of wikimedia projects. How it works WikiCharts makes the user's browser send http requests to the toolserver. This is done using javascript (source). A java program (source, written by DaB.) is called every 15 minutes, which reads the apache log file and inserts the requests into a MySQL database. Now, users want to access the stats, so the third part is an output script, which you're viewing. It's written in PHP, and of course you may also see the source. More detailed information can be found on meta. Contact	Wikiseek logo. A new search engine that was announced yesterday finds articles and links within the English Wikipedia. Wikiseek, run by a California based startup company called "searchme", is a website which aims to be "A better way to search Wikipedia." Although most keywords work without problems, Digg users have found search terms that the site does not recognize. If you enter "Chicago" for example, it shows no Wikipedia articles at all, and clicking "Chicago, Illinois" leads to an article on West Chicago, Illinois and other related articles to the subject. Similarly, entering "Christmas", "United States" or "PlayStation 3" only provides links to related articles on Wikipedia, although they are in the top 10 of most viewed articles in the English Wikipedia. Searching "porn" comes up with commercial websites linked from Wikipedia, but not the relevant articles in the free encyclopedia. For most articles however, the relevant Wikipedia article is the first result or among the results. The site says that "The contents of Wikiseek are restricted to Wikipedia pages and only those sites which are referenced within Wikipedia, making it an authoritative source of information less subject to spam and SEO schemes." The site also offers a Toolbar plugin and a Firefox extension to add a Wikiseek search button inside of Wikipedia pages. Danny Sullivan at the Search Engine Land blog found Wikiseek's results inferior compared to the results from established search engines. SearchMe CEO Randy Adams stressed that Wikiseek is still in a beta phase. He pointed out that they welcome feedback more than the average search engine, which can be posted on their company wiki. Searchme put a button on their main page, encouraging beta testers to instantly promote the site on Digg. In August 2006, Digg had half a million registered users. Some media outlets have reported that Wikiseek was created by either the Wikimedia Foundation which runs Wikipedia, or private corporation Wikia, which hosts a collection of wiki communities. Both rumors are untrue, says Angela Beesley, co-founder of Wikia and chair of the Advisory Board of the Wikimedia Foundation. "Wikiseek is an independent project with no affiliation with either Wikia or the Wikimedia Foundation." The Wikiseek site says they contribute the majority of its revenue from advertisement to the Wikimedia Foundation's fundraising effort.
WHO Says H1N1 World's Dominant Flu Virus The United Nations World Health Organization says the H1N1 virus - commonly known as swine flu - has become the dominant flu strain in the world. U.S. World Health Organization Assistant Director Keiji Fukuda attends a conference on swine flu in Cancun, Mexico (File) In a briefing with reporters Thursday, WHO Special Pandemic Influenza Adviser, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, said the H1N1 virus has been particularly active in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months. He said he expects that trend to continue through the winter months, with more severe cases and even deaths. Fukuda said the vaccine currently in use in some 20 countries around the world remains effective and safe. He said no rare or dangerous side effects have been reported. The H1N1 virus has differed from normal, seasonal flu in that it has persisted during the summer months and affected relatively healthy people under the age of 65. The WHO says most people recover without hospitalization. The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. As of October 25, 2009, the WHO says there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and more than 5,700 deaths reported to the U.N. agency. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. In a briefing with reporters Thursday, WHO Special Pandemic Influenza Adviser, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, said the H1N1 virus has been particularly active in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months.He said he expects that trend to continue through the winter months, with more severe cases and even deaths.Fukuda said the vaccine currently in use in some 20 countries around the world remains effective and safe. He said no rare or dangerous side effects have been reported.The H1N1 virus has differed from normal, seasonal flu in that it has persisted during the summer months and affected relatively healthy people under the age of 65. The WHO says most people recover without hospitalization.The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. As of October 25, 2009, the WHO says there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and more than 5,700 deaths reported to the U.N. agency. E-mail Print Digg Yahoo Buzz Facebook del.icio.us StumbleUpon \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- The H1N1 virus has now become the dominant influenza virus around the globe, with high levels and an increase of activity in many regions, the World Health Organization said Thursday. In a weekly update, the WHO's point person on the H1N1 virus, Dr. Keiji Fukuda, also warned the public not to treat the virus like just another flu. Like seasonal flu, H1N1 is more active in the winter than in the summer, and a majority of infected people get better on their own, Fukuda said. H1N1 also is as transmissible and infectious as seasonal flu, he said. But unusually for influenza, Fukuda said, H1N1 continues at high levels over the summer months, and many of the serious illnesses and deaths are concentrated in people younger than 65. Seven months into the pandemic, the virus commonly known as swine flu remains at high levels and continues to increase in North America, Fukuda said. Mexico, for example, has seen more cases from September to November than they saw in the preceding months from April, when the virus emerged, he said. The virus is also becoming more active in Europe and Central and Western Asia, Fukuda said. Health officials this week reported an outbreak of cases in Ukraine, which now has more than 250,000 cases of influenza-like illness, with 235 patients requiring intensive care, the WHO said. Activity is picking up in East Asia, Fukuda said. Mongolia reported "a number" of cases over the past week, he said. "East Asia is one of the parts of the world where seasonal influenza viruses have remained in reasonably high circulation," Fukuda said. "But even in that part of the world, the pandemic virus is becoming dominant." More cases are being reported from a number of Caribbean countries such as Cuba and Haiti, he said. In Central America and the Southern Hemisphere, however, activity levels have dropped as those regions enter the summer season, Fukuda said. "There are several regions in the world -- North America, Europe, Northern and Central Asia -- where we are clearly seeing pandemic influenza activity increase," he said, but "there is no one single place in the world where we are focused on." Disease activity has been difficult to predict, Fukuda said. "We really are not going to know what the future is going to bring, and so the main focus of our effort here is ... what steps are needed to make sure countries are as prepared as possible to deal with disease levels," he said. H1N1 poses different challenges in different countries, but it does seem to be affecting indigenous groups more heavily than nonindigenous groups, he said. In Australia, for example, "aboriginal groups are disproportionately represented in people who end up in hospitals from diseases related to the pandemic," Fukuda said. The WHO still doesn't know whether the effect on indigenous groups is because of the pandemic itself or because of underlying factors. Because most people infected with swine flu tend to recover on their own and don't suffer major problems afterwards, some people are tempted to dismiss the infection and think it's not serious. But Fukuda said that's a dangerous mind-set. "At WHO, we remain quite concerned about the patterns we are seeing, particularly because a sizable number of people develop complications [that lead to death]," he said. "We do see that the serious complications are concentrated in the younger age groups rather than the older age groups." While the complications are most often seen in people who have chronic, underlying health conditions and in pregnant women, they also can develop in people "who are currently healthy and young." But contrary to some reports, Fukuda said, the WHO has not seen big mutations in the virus since it first emerged. He said viruses being isolated now are "generally similar" to those isolated over the past several months, indicating they haven't changed much. The WHO also has no evidence of widespread resistance to antiviral medication, Fukuda said. There have been sporadic instances of resistance to oseltamivir -- the generic name for Tamiflu, one of the main drugs used against influenza -- but such cases are still "isolated and infrequent," he said. "Antivirals are quite useful against these infections," he said. Fukuda praised as "innovative" the decision by Norway to distribute antiviral medication over the counter for a limited period of time. The move can help take stress off the primary health system and allow patients to get the medicine more quickly, he said. Other useful protections against H1N1 are vaccines, which the WHO recommends against pandemic infections, Fukuda said. "These vaccines now have been used in a significant number of countries ... and based on this experience, in which millions of people have now received vaccine, we in fact see that these vaccines are very safe," he said. The only side effects are swelling and pain at the injection site, but "these are occurring at rates that are expected and usually seen with seasonal influenza vaccine," Fukuda said. "WHO, along with other public health authorities, believes that these vaccines are very useful against pandemic infections and [we] do support their use," he said. \|\|\|\|\| AFP - The World Health Organisation on Thursday urged people not to drop their guard over the swine flu pandemic and insisted on the value of vaccination despite the broadly mild symptoms of the virus. "At the WHO we remain quite concerned about the pattern we are seeing, particularly because a sizeable number of people do develop serious complications and death," said Keiji Fukuda, special adviser on pandemic. "Again, we are seeing most of this develop in people who are younger than 65 years, a picture which is different from seasonal influenza," he explained. Fukuda reiterated that the cases of serious complications were largely found among the chronically ill, pregnant women as well as some otherwise healthy younger people. He also countered signs of public scepticism about the vaccine revealed by surveys in several countries, despite the resurgence of swine flu in the northern hemisphere with the onset of the colder season. "WHO believes that these vaccines are very useful against the pandemic virus," Fukuda said in a telephone news conference. Vaccination against A(H1N1) influenza has now started in more than 20 countries and were demonstrably safe, according to the WHO. "What we are seeing is that these vaccines are highly safe and have been received by a significant number of people without any problems," Fukuda said. Swine flu has differed from seasonal flu in persisting in the northern hemisphere during the summer period and in a pattern of occasional serious illness affecting under 65-year-olds. However, Fukuda acknowledged that it was as transmissible as seasonal flu, showed the same pattern of spreading more widely in winter and was "self limiting" in that the large majority of people who caught it got better without the need for special treatment. More than 5,700 people have died worldwide since the pandemic virus was first discovered in April, with most deaths -- 4,175 -- reported in the Americas region, according to WHO data.	The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) stated that the H1N1 virus, more commonly known as swine flu, has become the dominant flu strain in the world. H1N1 virus. In a briefing with reporters Thursday, WHO Special Pandemic Influenza Advisor Keiji Fukuda said the virus has been particularly active in the Northern Hemisphere in recent months. He added that he expects the trend to continue through the winter months, with more severe cases and even deaths. Fukuda said the vaccine currently in use in some 20 countries around the world remains effective and safe, and that no rare or dangerous side effects have been reported. "East Asia is one of the parts of the world where seasonal influenza viruses have remained in reasonably high circulation. But even in that part of the world, the pandemic virus is becoming dominant," Fukuda commented. He noted that it was difficult to predict the activity of the virus. "We really are not going to know what the future is going to bring, and so the main focus of our effort here is ... what steps are needed to make sure countries are as prepared as possible to deal with disease levels," he said. The H1N1 virus differs from the normal seasonal flu in that it has persisted during the summer months and affected relatively healthy people under the age of 65. The WHO says most people recover without hospitalization, although Fuduka pointed out that people with severe health complications and pregnant women were most at risk. The World Health Organization has declared the swine flu outbreak a pandemic. As of October 25, 2009, the WHO says there have been more than 440,000 laboratory confirmed cases of H1N1 influenza and more than 5,700 deaths reported to the UN agency.
By Paul Rincon Science reporter, BBC News Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement The Large Hadron Collider experiment has re-started after a 14-month hiatus while the machine was being repaired. Engineers have made two stable proton beams circulate in opposite directions around the machine, which is in a tunnel beneath the French-Swiss border. The team may try to increase the £6bn ($10bn) collider's energy to record-breaking levels this weekend. The LHC is being used to smash together beams of protons in a bid to shed light on the nature of the Universe. It is the world's largest machine and is housed in a 27km-long circular tunnel. During the experiment, scientists will search for signs of the Higgs boson, a sub-atomic particle that is crucial to our current understanding of physics. Although it is predicted to exist, scientists have never found it. It happened faster than anyone could have dreamed of, everything went very smoothly James Gillies Cern In pictures: LHC restarts Large Hadron Collider: Guide Q&A: Fixing a particle smasher The LHC: worth the wait? Dozens of giant superconducting magnets that accelerate the particles at the speed of light have had to be replaced after faults developed just days after the collider was inaugurated last year. Operated by the European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern), the LHC will create similar conditions to those which were present moments after the Big Bang. The BBC's Pallab Ghosh in Geneva says the restart of the collider was the moment the scientists had been waiting for. It means they can once again go in search of the new discoveries they believe will roll back the frontiers of understanding our universe, says our correspondent. "It's great to see beams circulating in the LHC again," said Cern's director-general Rolf Heuer. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement "We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way." Record attempt The beams themselves are made up of "packets" - each about a metre long - containing billions of protons. But they would disperse if left to their own devices. Electrical forces had to be used to "capture" the protons. This keeps them tightly huddled in packets, for a stable, circulating beam. Engineers had not been expected to try for a circulating beam before 0600 GMT on Saturday. This giant machine part will try to detect the elusive Higgs boson James Gillies, Cern's director of communications, told BBC News: "It happened faster than anyone could have dreamed of." "Everything went very smoothly." The first beam was sent all the way round the LHC's circumference 100m underground after 1930 GMT on Friday. Engineers captured this clockwise-circulating beam at 2100 GMT. A second anti-clockwise beam made a full circle of the LHC at 2153 GMT and was captured at 2310 GMT. Dr Gillies said that if everything continued to go well, Cern might try to reach a record-breaking beam energy of 1.2 trillion electron volts this weekend. Only the Tevatron particle accelerator in Chicago, US, has approached this energy, operating at just under one trillion electron volts. But other team members want to keep the beam circulating at low energy and try for the machine's first proton beam collisions. "The LHC is a far better understood machine than it was a year ago," said Steve Myers, Cern's director for accelerators. "We've learned from our experience, and engineered the technology that allows us to move on. That's how progress is made." 1 - 14 quadrupole magnets replaced 2 - 39 dipole magnets replaced 3 - More than 200 electrical connections repaired 4 - Over 4km of beam pipe cleaned 5 - New restraining system installed for some magnets 6 - Hundreds of new helium ports being installed around machine 7 - Thousands of detectors added to early warning system There are some 1,200 superconducting magnets which form the LHC's main "ring". These magnets bend proton beams in opposite directions around the tunnel at close to the speed of light. At allotted points around the tunnel, the proton beams cross paths, smashing into one another with enormous energy. Large "detector" machines located at the crossing points will scour the wreckage of these collisions for discoveries that should extend our knowledge of physics. Engineers first circulated a beam all the way around the LHC on 10 September 2008. But just nine days later, an electrical fault in one of the connections between superconducting magnets caused a tonne of liquid helium to leak into the tunnel. Liquid helium is used to cool the LHC to its operating temperature of 1.9 kelvin (-271C; -456F). The machine has been shut down ever since the accident, to allow repairs to take place. Professor Norman McCubbin, from the UK's Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Didcot, added: "I'm sure every particle physicist has been feeling just a little bit impatient as the 're-start' of the LHC has drawn nearer. It's great to see beams circulating again." The damage caused to the collider meant 53 superconducting magnets had to be replaced and about 200 electrical connections repaired. Engineers have also been installing a new early warning system which could prevent incidents of the kind which shut down the experiment. Cern has spent some 40m Swiss Francs (£24m) on repairs to the collider. Paul.Rincon-INTERNET@bbc.co.uk Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| CERN atom-smasher restarts after 14-month hiatus: official GENEVA — The world's biggest atom-smasher, shut down after its inauguration in September 2008 amid technical faults, restarted on Friday, a spokesman for the European Organisation for Nuclear Research said. "The first tests of injecting sub-atomic particles began around 1600 (1500 GMT)," CERN spokesman James Gillies told AFP. He said the injections lasted a fraction of a second, enough for "a half or even a complete circuit" of the Large Hadron Collider built in a 27-kilometre (17-mile) long tunnel straddling the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. CERN's director general Rolf Heuer said later the scientists had been successful and that they had been able to go ahead earlier than expected. "If all goes well tonight we will try to circulate a beam of particles for several minutes around 0700 (0600 GMT)," on Saturday, added Gillies. The LHC promises to unlock scientific mysteries about the creation of the Universe and the fundamental nature of matter. But the machine was shut down just nine days after its inauguration last September following a series of technical faults. Since then, the LHC's components have been tested to an energy equivalent of five teraelectronvolts at full power. The maximum output of what is currently the largest functioning collider in the world, at the Fermilab near Chicago in the United States, is one teraelectronvolt. CERN had said in August that upon its relaunch, the LHC will run at 3.5 teraelectronvolts in order to allow its operators to gain experience of running the machine. The first data should be collected a few weeks after the first particle beam is fired. CERN said the partial power level will be kept until "a significant data sample has been gathered" and ramped up thereafter. Designed to shed light on the origins of the universe, the LHC at CERN took nearly 20 years to complete and cost six billion Swiss francs (3.9 billion euros, 4.9 billion dollars) to build. Copyright © 2009 AFP. All rights reserved. More » \|\|\|\|\| A giant scientific instrument that was designed to recreate the big bang but blew itself up in the process will be back in business on Friday. Scientists at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at Cern, the nuclear research organisation near Geneva, aim to have beams of subatomic particles whizzing around the machine on Friday evening, and will begin smashing them together soon after. The first collisions will mark the end of a long and frustrating period for the researchers, who waited eight years for the machine to be built only to see it explode shortly after being switched on in September last year. Repairs and a new safety system cost an estimated £24m. The machine, which occupies a 27km tunnel 100m beneath the French-Swiss border, will probe some of the deepest mysteries of the universe by crashing subatomic particles into one another at close to the speed of light. The collisions are expected to reveal tantalising signs of new physics that could include extra dimensions of space and "supersymmetry", a theory that calls for every particle in the universe to have an invisible partner. Scientists also hope the machine will finally discover the elusive Higgs boson, aka the God particle, which imbues other particles with mass. It may also expose the nature of dark matter, a mysterious, invisible material that stretches across the cosmos and collects around galaxies. The £6bn machine was shut down last year after a spark caused by faulty wiring tore a hole in the collider and released liquid helium, wrecking surrounding equipment and encasing it in a layer of ice. Engineers have spent the past year checking the wiring in the rest of the machine and installing safety measures to prevent another catastrophe. Work on the machine was interrupted earlier this month when a short circuit took out an electrical substation. The incident was blamed on a piece of baguette dropped by a passing bird. The first collisions will be at low energies but will give scientists working on the machine's four giant detectors their first real data to work on. Two beams of subatomic particles called protons, travelling in opposite directions around the tunnel, will be accelerated to almost the speed of light. At four points around the ring the beams will cross over, slamming the protons into each other head-on. The violent impacts will release fleeting bursts of energy that will recreate in microcosm the conditions that existed only a fraction of a second after the big bang. Lyn Evans, who has overseen the construction of the LHC for the past 15 years, said Cern hoped to get two beams of protons circulating in the machine on Friday evening. "Then we just have to steer them into one another," he said. Collisions are expected to reach an energy of 2.2 trillion electronvolts by Christmas, enough for the LHC to take the title of the most powerful particle collider in the world. By January, the machine should be running with at least three times as much energy as the current world-leading particle smasher, the Tevatron at Fermilab near Chicago. "It's been a frustrating time, but what we do know is that the machine works beautifully," Evans said. "By Christmas, I expect we will take the high-energy frontier, if only by a whisker." Cern engineers have already sent beams of particles half way around the machine. Their first goal later this week will be to circulate two beams of protons at low energy, the stage they reached this time last year before the machine exploded. The first low-energy collisions will give scientists a chance to check the machine is working properly and ensure its detectors are recording the beautiful streaks of subatomic debris created when the particles crash into one another. The machine will close for a couple of weeks over Christmas while engineers finish installing safety measures to prevent the machine exploding again when it is running at higher energies next year. Jim Virdee, a physicist at Imperial College, London, and spokesman for the machine's giant CMS (Compact Muon Solenoid) detector, has spent the past year calibrating the detector by watching high-energy particles in cosmic rays hurtle through it. "There's a mood of great anticipation here. We're cautiously optimistic and looking forward to finally getting going," he said. "We will soon be making great inroads into new territory. We'll be looking for new things, but what we find depends on how kind nature is to us." Some scientists are relying on the LHC to pull physics out of at least a decade in the doldrums. While theoretical physicists have pushed ahead with string theory and other models that describe the particles and forces of nature, experiments to prove any of them right or wrong have been lacking. Last year, an American court dismissed a legal challenge that claimed the LHC might destroy the planet by creating a black hole or a clump of matter known as a strangelet. This year, physicists at the Niels Bohr Institute proposed an even more extraordinary possibility. Their calculations suggested that the long-sought Higgs boson was so abhorrent to nature that any machine that tried to make it would be "sabotaged" from the future. Few scientists are losing sleep over the prospect. "We are absolutely and totally confident that the machine is perfectly safe, just as we were last year," said Evans. "And i'm not at all worried about the it being destroyed by its own future." \|\|\|\|\| To recognize and encourage outstanding achievement in particle theory. The prize consists of $10,000, an allowance for travel to the meeting of the Society at which the prize is to be awarded, and a certificate citing the contributions made by the recipient. It will be presented annually. Deadline: Sunday, June 1, 2008	The Large Hadron Collider, a vast scientific experiment to smash together sub-atomic particles, moved a step closer to its goal on Friday night. Physicists announced they had sent protons all the way round the 27 km ring beneath the France–Switzerland border, for the first time since a major failure 14 months ago. Part of the LHC's 27 km of tunnels The experiment, the largest of its kind in the world, was first switched on with great fanfare in September 2008, but suffered an electrical fault just nine days later. This caused a leak of ultra-cold liquid helium, resulting in severe damage. Repairs have cost approximately £24 million, on top of the £6 billion spent originally. Particles were injected into the ring at around 1500 GMT on Friday, and just after 1930 GMT the first completed circuit was confirmed. Further testing is planned for Saturday. "We've still got some way to go before physics can begin, but with this milestone we're well on the way," stated Rolf Heuer, director-general of CERN, the European research group running the collider. The Large Hadron Collider is designed to smash together particles at almost the speed of light, creating conditions similar to those only moments after the Big Bang. By studying these collisions, scientists hope to shed light on theories such as supersymmetry and the Higgs boson. The six physicists Guralnik, Hagen, Kibble, Higgs, Brout, and Englert who predicted this particle in 1964 were recently awarded the 2010 J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics for this work. Barring further problems, the first collisions are scheduled to take place in January next year.
R.I. students return home after Canadian bus crash injures 14 SAINT-PATRICE-DE-BEAURIVAGE, Que. -- Students at a private school in Providence are back home after a harrowing trip to Canada, where their bus toppled onto its side after veering off a road. The 7th and 8th graders from The Wheeler School returned late last night to Providence. Fourteen people were injured in the crash off a rain-slicked road south of Quebec City Sunday evening. Most had minor injuries, although a chaperone had a broken collarbone and is still in a hospital in Canada. Police in Canada say 39 students and five chaperones were on the bus when the driver apparently lost control in a heavy storm. The group was returning to Quebec City from a day trip to watch maple syrup being made. (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.) \|\|\|\|\| Twelve middle school students from Massachusetts and Rhode Island are recovering from injuries suffered in Canada when their bus overturned and flipped into a ditch Sunday night during a field trip. The injured students were released from a Canadian hospital yesterday and were due back at Wheeler School in Providence late last night, school officials said. Two faculty chaperones were also injured. None of the injuries was considered life-threatening, Quebec police and school officials said. The bus was returning to Quebec City from a maple sugar production facility about 45 minutes outside Quebec when the driver lost control in poor weather conditions, police said. "It was very, very rainy and the visibility was not too good," said Ann Mathieu , a spokeswoman for the Quebec Provincial Police. "The bus slid, and the driver tried to get it back on the road . . . then it fell down on its side." Thirty-nine students and six chaperones were on the bus when it crashed. The injuries ranged from cuts and bruises on students to a faculty member's broken clavicle, said Young Un , director of the middle school at Wheeler. "The students are doing very well. We've been lucky," Un said. Each year, some seventh- and eighth-graders take the trip to Quebec, Un said. The students were expected to return to the school at about 11 p.m. and counselors would be available for students and parents, Un said. "This was a scary incident and a long night for the students and families. We are fortunate that the injuries are relatively minor and grateful for the fine work of the faculty chaperones," said Dan Miller , head of Wheeler School, in a statement. Parents at the school last night recalled what they heard from their children who were on the bus when it crashed. "He woke up and he was thrown on the other side of the bus," Myles Pickar told WHDH-TV last night about his son. "The students who got really hurt were the ones that were where the glass broke. We just want to see him and talk to him and hug him." Mathieu said there were no mechanical problems with the bus and no charges were expected. © Copyright 2007 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| Sixteen people remain hospitalized today after a bus carrying U.S. students crashed near Quebec City yesterday evening. The bus, which was carrying 39 students, five chaperones and a bus driver, was travelling through St. Patrice de Beaurivage about 9:30 when the driver lost control, according to Surete du Quebec Constable Ann Mathieu. When the bus left the road and turned over, all of those on board received injuries varying in severity, Mathieu said. The students on the bus attend a school in Rhode Island and live in that state and Massachusetts. They were returning to their Quebec City hotel from a sugar shack in the Beauce region when the accident happened. Fourteen people remain at a hospital in Levis today with minor injuries, and two others with more serious injuries are receiving treatment at Quebec City's Enfant Jesus Hospital. Most of those who received less serious injuries are returning home to Rhode Island today, Mathieu said. SQ investigators are trying to determine if fatigue or a distraction caused the bus driver to lose control, Mathieu said. They are also testing the bus to see if a mechanical malfunction might be to blame, she said. Neither alcohol nor excessive speed were involved in the accident, Mathieu said, however, visibility was poor because of rain when the bus went off the road.	Province of Québec, Canada.14 people were injured after a bus carrying 39 students and five chaperones veered off the road and into a ditch South of Quebec City before overturning at about 9:30 p.m. local time yesterday evening. The bus was about 45 minutes from the city, close to the town of St. Patrice de Beaurivage The bus was returning to the city with students from a day trip to watch the manufacture of maple syrup. 12 students and two chaperones spent the night in hospital, with the most serious injury being a broken collarbone suffered by a chaperone, who remained in hospital. All people on board were injured to varying degrees, but most sustained only small cuts and bruises. Although most sources put the toll of injured at 14, some say 16. School officials and the Quebec police agreed that none of the injuries were life-threatening. The students were all middle school students from The Wheeler School, a private school in Providence, Rhode Island. The head of the middle school described the students as "resilient" and as having "high spirits", and said that "they bounce back really quickly.". Councillors were made available to parents and students. It is thought the accident occurred when the driver lost control in a heavy storm. Ann Mathieu, a provincial police spokeswoman, said the weather at the time of the crash "was very, very rainy and the visibility was not too good." She said the crash happened when the bus skidded and the driver swerved to try to keep it on the road, causing it instead to overturn. She also said that charges are unlikely as a result of the incident and that no mechanical problems could be found with the bus. She told reporters that neither alcohol nor excessive speed were factors in the accident. The bus is thought to originate from Massachusetts as it has a Massachusetts license plate.
NEW ZEALAND LEAD: Video: Auckland Protest Kicks Of Int. Opposion To Iraq Occupation - AUCKLAND, New Zealand - Global Peace and Justice Auckland organised a protest on Saturday as part of an International Day of Action calling for all foreign troops to be withdrawn from Iraq and Afghanistan. The international day of action marked the 4th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Scoop Video: International Day Of Action Begins In NZ Scoop Satire: Mr Field Goes To Wellington - Plot Outline: An idealistic man joins the New Zealand Parliament filled with a selfless desire to make the world a better place for his constituents, and for many people from places quite removed from his constituency. However, he rapidly discovers that the administration has been corrupted by the powerful and ruthless children's lobby. See... Lyndon Hood: Mr Field Goes To Wellington ALSO: Scoop Full Coverage - Scoop Full Coverage of Anti-Smacking Bill RECOMMENDED AUDIO: KiwiFM Audio: KiwiFM's Wammo discusses with Paul Buchanan the upcoming state visit to the White House by Prime Minister Helen Clark confirms the view that US-New Zealand relations are warming up. But should Helen Clark front-foot a NZ want-list? Justice: McCully Accuses Parole Board Of Neglect And Incompetence - National MP Murray Mcully writes - 'The review of the actions of the Parole Board, conducted by Chief District Court Judge RJ Johnson and Professor JRP Ogloff, is a thinly veiled white-wash. But if readers ignore the shameful attempt to minimise the incompetent and outrageous actions of the Board, the facts exposed in the report are truly chilling.' See... www.mccully.co.nz - 16 March 2007 Pacific Affairs: Pacific Leaders Prepare To Find Fiji Solution - Fiji will be the focus when Foreign Minister Winston Peters attends a meeting of Pacific Islands Forum foreign ministers in Port Vila, Vanuatu, on Friday. “This is a particularly important meeting for the future of Fiji and the region. Rarely has the Forum had to deal with such a complex and disturbing situation as has arisen in Fiji as a consequence of the December 5 coup," Mr Peters said. See... Peters to attend Forum meeting on Fiji ALSO: Leaked Eminent Persons Group Report on Fiji (pdf) NEWS HEADLINES: New Zealand ratifies protocol against torture IHC's reiterates position on repeal of the DPEPA Lower Hutt Police Continue Crackdown On Boy Racers Tax season underway NZ Comedian Scores Break On U.K. Radio Charity: Actors Give Up The Script For 40 Hour Famine - This weekend: A 24 hour non-stop spectacle of Improvised Comedy in aid of the 2007 World Vision 40 Hour Famine. For the first time in New Zealand, the finest improvisors in the country gather on one stage. This time the comedy has a cause. Every single dollar raised will help support World Vision projects in more than 12 countries around the world including Vanuatu, Honduras and Niger. See... 24 Hr Improv-a-thon. Comedy With a Cause ALSO: Scoop Link - 24 Hr Improv-a-thon homepage World Vision New Zealand - 40 Hour Famine events in Wellington Bats Theatre - Save me some daylight Art/Medical: Art For Art's Sake Gets Money For Patients Sake - Around $40,000 was raised last night (Thursday) to buy art for Bay of Plenty District Health Board hospitals in Tauranga and Whakatane. The money was raised during an auction of artwork donated by 18 Bay of Plenty artists. Guest of honour was prime minister Helen Clark. See... Art auction raises money for hospital art Foreign Affairs: What Is To Gain From A Cosy NZ/US Relationship?Paul G. Buchanan writes that the upcoming state visit to the White House by Prime Minister Helen Clark confirms the view that US-New Zealand relations are warming up. After a cooling of relations during the first term of George W. Bush, notable for the intemperate remarks by US envoys about the obstacles New Zealand’s anti-nuclear policy and refusal to send combat troops (at least publicly) to Iraq pose for the achievement of a bilateral Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between the two countries, recent statements by US diplomatic and congressional officials point towards a softening of the US stance. Scoop Image of Paul Buchanan by Jason Dorday. See... Paul G. Buchanan: When Beggars can be Choosy Human Rights: Unique Film Festival On The Way - The Human Rights Network of Aotearoa is proud to present the third annual New Zealand Human Rights Film Festival. This years Festival showcases stories of activists and survivors through the eyes of courageous filmmakers, putting a human face on threats to individual freedom and giving voice to those who might otherwise be silenced. See... Human Rights Film Festival Opens in May RECOMMENDED AUDIO: Scoop Audio: Scoop's Selwyn Manning & Radio Adelaide's Peter Godfrey discuss: How a rest home owner kept patients alive on paper so as to claim subsidies. Also, a bill before Parliament will see armed air marshals on Air New Zealand flights. KiwiFM Audio - Iraq! Scoop's Selwyn Manning and KiwiFM's Wallace Chapman discuss a top-level summit meeting that has taken place in Iraq between the Iraqi Prime Minister, Iran, Syria and the five permanent members of the UN security council, including the USA. What does this mean for the war-torn-region? SCOOP REPORTS: Scoop Satire: The Week InJustice - Lyndon Hood writes: A report into the parole of Graeme Burton, written for Graeme Burton by Graeme Burton and published in the Dominion Post, has found that Graeme Burton was not at fault in the tragic failure of Graeme Burton's parole. Last week reports on the Parole Board's and Corrections Department's actions found all procedures that would have made any difference were followed... See... Lyndon Hood: Law and Order Briefs MORE SCOOP REPORTS: Scoop Transcript - National's Statements On Iraq 2003 and 2007 Kevin List - Taser Trial Puts Green MP In A Tizz Karim Sahai - Te Matatini Kapa Kaha Festival Photos Karim Sahai - Images Of the Cuba Street Carnival Parade Lyndon Hood - Hood: Ode in Apology to Helen Clark Scoop Full Coverage - Fringe 07 \|\|\|\|\| NEW ZEALAND LEAD: Environment: Are Kiwi Benefitting From Tory Charity? - A new report detailing the status of New Zealand's national bird, the kiwi, was launched today by Conservation Minister Chris Carter. The report highlights a huge increase in private kiwi conservation efforts around New Zealand, and was launched at Auckland Zoo to mark the end of Bank of New Zealand managing director Peter Thodey's chairmanship of the Bank of New Zealand Save the Kiwi Trust. See... Carter Launches New Report on the Status of Kiwi Medical: Health Commissioner To Inquire Into Failed Tubal Ligations - Health and Disability Commissioner Ron Paterson has initiated an inquiry into the standard of care provided by Dr Roman Hasil at Wanganui Hospital. The inquiry has been prompted by a complaint to the Commissioner's Office, information provided by Whanganui District Health Board, and community concern about failed tubal ligation procedures undertaken by Dr Hasil. See... Commissioner launches Wanganui inquiry Sludge Report: RBNZ Raises Interest Rates – But Will It Make A Difference? - From today's Monetary Policy Statement itappears that our Reserve Bank Governor Dr Alan Bollard remains fixated on New Zealand house price inflation... However from this MPS it is also apparent that there is growing recognition inside the bank that there is not a lot it can do about its biggest bugbear. See... Sludge Report #174: RBNZ Remains Housing Fixated (includes full audio of Dr Bollard's Q&A;) MORE: Scoop Report - Bollard Gives Committee Fiscal Warning RBNZ Press Release - Reserve Bank raises OCR to 7.50 percent RBNZ Full Text - Monetary Policy Statement – 885k PDF Scoop Full Coverage - Reserve Bank Lifts Rates Entertainment: Help A Kiwi Lass Meet Donald Trump! - The search for Miss Universe New Zealand 2007 is on and this year the public can have their say in who should represent our country internationally.From this year's 24 contestants the winner will depart New Zealand on April 29 to go on to the Miss Universe 2007 pageant in Mexico City May 28th 2007. Your vote can help the judges make a decision. See... Decide who is the most beautiful woman in NZ Defence: Are The LAVs Going Down The Toilet? - A minor fault has been found in the Army's fleet of Light Armoured Vehicles (NZLAV) says Defence Minister Phil Goff. However he says that it had not caused any disruption to routine Army activities. "A weld crack on a bracket that connects the steering and suspension to the vehicle's hull, was discovered during maintenance", said Mr Goff. See... Repair to minor fault on LAVs ALSO: National - When precisely will the LAVs be deployed? NZ Govt - Mapp's NZLAV comments fatuous National - LAVs ready to go at 'short notice' - really? Employment: Dyson Helps launch CTU Pay Equity Push "With the gender pay gap hovering at 13%, at current progress we are still many years away from true pay and employment equity for women," CTU vice president Helen Kelly said. Marking International Working Women's Day today, the Council of Trade Unions launched a new DVD resource on Pay and Employment Equity at an event in Wellington last evening. See... Union Launches Pay Equity DVD With Fanfare Obesity: Slim Chance Of Waste Says Ministry – Eat That Says Govt To Nat MP - The Government's recent $76 million investment in a variety of initiatives to curb the obesity epidemic will be well monitored and evaluated to allow planners to better focus on future programmes. See... Obesity Epidemic Initiatives well monitored ALSO: National Would you write a cheque for $76m? NZ Govt - Coleman's disgrace Women's Affairs: 30th International Women's Day - On Thursday 8th March Amnesty International groups around New Zealand and the globe will be celebrating International Women's Day with infostalls, appeals and candle-lit vigils. Activist groups will be lighting 180 candles, signifying both 30 years of UN recognition of International Women's Day and the 150th Anniversary of the first known industrial protest organised by women on 8 March 1857. See... 30 years of International Women's Day ALSO: Scoop Full Coverage - Women's Day 2007 Internet: NZ-Designed Search Engine Mentioned In Dispatches - An Internet search engine designed by Wellington campus digital media specialist Mark Zeman has been voted one of the world’s top 100 alternative search engines – the only one from New Zealand to make the list. The list of alternatives to the world’s most popular search engine, Google, was assembled by Read/WriteWeb, a leading blog that analyses trends in web development. See... Search engines emerge from Google's shadow ALSO: Scoop Link - Read/WriteWeb: Top 100 Alternative Search Engines, February 2007 No Right Turn: Nats' $1.25 Billion Carbon Credit Giveaway - At a meeting in Christchurch yesterday, National Party leader John Key announced that a National government would deliver a carbon windfall to forest owners by hand out carbon credits for all forests planted since 1990... it's an idea that makes a lot of sense if you view climate change policy primarily as a way of delivering corporate welfare to business interests. See... No Right Turn: National's $1.25 billion giveaway ALSO: NZ Govt - Key stumbles with policy on the hoof NZ Govt - Key promises the earth again National - Anderton attempts to distract from carbon fiasco National - Climate change consultation needs to be longer National - Get your cheque book out for roaming rights KFA - Anderton’s Personal Attacks Can’t Disguise Crisis KFA - South Island Set To Lose $2.7 Billion KFA - National Party Signals on Kyoto Forests Welcomed NZ Forest Owners' Association - National, Green & ACT forest policies welcomed Global Warming: Opinion - Robert Anderson: Humanity’s Greatest Challenge Land Access: Walking Access Report Released - The independent report on walking access provides a blueprint for the way forward on an extremely complex and longstanding issue, Rural Affairs Minister Damien O'Connor says. The report, released publicly by Mr O'Connor today, was prepared by an independent panel of stakeholders representing farmers, recreational and other interest groups, and led by South Island farmer John Acland. See... Walking access report a blueprint for way forward ALSO: Scoop Link - Full Report and Info: www.walkingaccess.org.nz Bryce Johnson - Minority view: Walking Access Consultation Panel NZ Govt - Walking Access Report - Questions and Answers NZ Govt - Access over Maori land a decision for landowners United Future - Walking Access Report a source of encouragement United Future - Copeland: You cannot be serious David?! National - Labour backs down on public access National - Get your cheque book out for roaming rights Greens - Access report: questions unanswered - Greens Maori Party - Supports Govt backdown – but Contradiction Council of Outdoor Recreation Associations - Land Access Report Welcomed But Timid Fish and Game New Zealand - Land Access Report Welcomed as a Good Start Federation Of Maori Authorities - Outdoor Walking Access a welcome review Waiareka Valley Preservation Society - Marsden B an inconvenient truth for Holcim to face NEWS HEADLINES: Peters offers condolences after plane crash Inquiry Update - Taito Phillip Field Police: Ex-Tall Fern Graduates Top Of Class Electronic Monitoring Welcomed Lloyd Jones awarded Berlin Writers’ Residency Electricity: Mighty River Opts Out On Marsden B - Mighty River Power has decided not to proceed with seeking the consents necessary to enable recommissioning of the Marsden B power station, following a review of the company's potential generation developments and future market conditions. Chief Executive Doug Heffernan said the company was now confident New Zealand could meet its energy supply requirements over the next decade without the Marsden B station. See... Marsden B consent plans discontinued ALSO: NZ Govt - Minister welcomes Marsden B decision Greens - Mighty River Power sees the light - at last National - Marsden B scrapped over policy uncertainty Greenpeace New Zealand - Climate the winner as Marsden B scrapped Internet: Broadband Connections Keep On Growing - Internet broadband (non-analog) subscriber numbers continue to increase, and are up nearly 30 percent in the six months to 30 September 2006, Statistics New Zealand said today. The total number of Internet subscribers in New Zealand is now almost 1.4 million. See... Kiwis Continue to Embrace Broadband RECOMMENDED AUDIO: KiwiFM Audio: NZ Prime Minister Helen Clark is scheduled to meet with US President George Bush on March 20. Is New Zealand about to increase its involvement in Afghanistan, in the Persian Gulf, in containment operations in Central-Asia, and in this US-led War On Terror? KiwiFM Audio: Former Police Minister John Banks talks to KiwiFM's Wallace about why Clint Rickards, recently acquitted of rape charges, must not be reinstated as Assistant Police Commissioner and in charge of the Auckland Police District. Fringe Update: 'Best Production Design' Show For Return Season - Fresh from a successful season during the Fringe Festival, the award-winning play Brain Power returns to the BATS stage for one last brief return season in March. Written and directed by Dean Hewison, the show is a strikingly inventive and hilarious film-noir styled comedy set in the darkest regions of the human brain and featuring a massive cast of 17 actors. See... Brain Power Returns ALSO: Brain Power press release Fringe Festival - Best of the Fringe Festival 2007 announced Scoop Full Coverage - Fringe 07 MORE SCOOP REPORTS: Kevin List - Taser Trial Puts Green MP In A Tizz Karim Sahai - Te Matatini Kapa Kaha Festival Photos Karim Sahai - Images Of the Cuba Street Carnival Parade Lyndon Hood - Hood: Ode in Apology to Helen Clark Scoop Full Coverage - Fringe 07 Lyndon Hood - Hood: Howard Fails to Call Blair a Terrorist Patsy Kevin List - Hon Robson Becomes Contemptuous Robson Kevin List - Green And Labour Politicians Launch Timor Book \|\|\|\|\| Mar 7, 2007 Broadband users are continuing to rise with the number of New Zealand broadband subscribers reaching 1.4 million. Statistics New Zealand says the number increased 30% in the six months to September last year. That has seen New Zealand jump from 22nd to 19th in OECD rankings. Almost 98% of broadband users have a data allowance cap on their subscription. Ihug Chief Executive Mark Rushworth says New Zealanders have always embraced technology and it is no surprise we continue to sign up for broadband. He says Kiwis use broadband to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Rushworth says despite the uptake of broadband there will always be a place for dial-up internet. The Internet Society of New Zealand has welcomed the improvements but advises there is still plenty of work to be done before we can experience the full benefits of broadband. InternetNZ Executive Director Keith Davidson says he is pleased at the increase in uptake and anticipates that broadband will overtake dial-up in the next six months. "Clearly improvements in pricing and plans for broadband are assisting in the increase in uptake. "However, it is disappointing that 97.6% of broadband subscribers have data caps and 68.6% have a cap of less than 5Gb per month... we have a long way to go before New Zealanders are able to experience the full potential of broadband," says Davidson. The statistics also show Internet Service Providers are happier with the government's changes to the regulatory environment. In March 2005, 73% felt the regulatory environment was a barrier to growth. This is now down to 48%.	The amount of subscribers to broadband in New Zealand have increased 30%, which also results in New Zealand jumping from 22 place to 19 in the OECD rankings, and having a total of 1.4 million Internet subscribers. In a six-monthly survey by Statistics New Zealand, Internet Service Provider Survey, covering the six months prior to September 30, 2006, the amount of non-analog broadband subscribers reached 28.6%, more than the previous survey conducted the previous year, reaching a total of 611,600. There are currently 14.7 broadband subscribers per 100 people in New Zealand, previously nine. Because of the increase in broadband subscribers, dial-up subscribers have dropped 5.1% since the start of April, 2006. Chief executive of ihug, an Internet service provider, Mark Rushworth said that dial-up will always have its place. Out of all the broadband subscribers, 97.6% have a data cap, which limits the amount of monthly downloading that can occur, usually measured in multiples of gigabytes. 66.6% of all those who do have a data cap, have a limit of up to 5 gigabytes. Which the Internet Society of New Zealand's (InternetNZ) executive director, Keith Davidson, said was disappointing. The increase in broadband subscribers rose the position of New Zealand from 22 to 19 on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) rankings for broadband uptake, dated June, 2006. InternetNZ, has said that they welcome the survey saying that it is a good improvement, but "...with 60 percent of DSL subscribers having download speeds of less than 256Kbps and 90 percent having upload speeds of less than 256Kbps, we have a long way to go before New Zealanders are able to experience the full potential of broadband." InternetNZ also says that it will be hard for New Zealand to reach the targets set out by the Government's "Digital Strategy". Mr Davidson said that the main reason for the uptake in broadband is the better plans and pricing for the plans. In the 18-months leading up to the end of September, 2006, 34% of ISP's had reported that the regulatory environment had been restricting their growth.
Fianna Fáil Senator Kieran Phelan has died suddenly in Dublin. Senator Phelan, who was 60, fell ill at his hotel this morning, shortly before the Seanad met. He is survived by his wife, Mary, and five children. A farmer and auctioneer from Raheen Upper, Donaghmore, Portlaoise, Co Laois, he was first elected to the Seanad in 2002. He was re-elected in 2007 and sat on the Industrial and Commercial Panel. He was a former member of Laois County Council and was elected chairman of the Council in 1998. Taoiseach Brian Cowen has paid tribute to Senator Phelan. Mr Cowen said Senator Phelan had been a well-known and respected member of the Seanad, as well as being his constituency colleague and life-long friend. The Taoiseach extended his sympathy to the late Senator's immediate and extended family. The Seanad also paid tribute to Senator Phelan. Leader of the House Senator Donie Cassidy has proposed that the House be adjourned until 1 June because of the death. Fine Gael Seanad leader Frances Fitzgerald said: 'It was with a real sense of shock and sadness that I heard of the sudden passing of our colleague, Senator Kieran Phelan, this morning. 'My heartfelt sympathy goes out to [his family] on this extremely sad day at this most unexpected time.' \|\|\|\|\| Death of Senator Kieran Phelan The Seanad was suspended today following the death of Fianna Fáil Senator Kieran Phelan at the age of 60. The father of five suffered a suspected heart attack in a Dublin city centre hotel as he prepared to go to the Seanad today.	Irish Senator has died suddenly at the age of 60. Phelan died after falling ill in his hotel in Dublin this morning, shortly before a meeting due to be held by the . Phelan sat on the and had been a Senator since 2002. He was also a County councillor and was elected council chairman in 1998. He was a member of the party. released a statement on the death of Senator Phelan. "Kieran is a well known, much admired and greatly respected member of Seanad Éireann. He is a constituency colleague of mine and a lifelong friend. I will miss him deeply," he said. As a mark of respect, proposed that the house be adjourned until June 1st.
Search for more information on other Fish and Wildlife Service web sites. This page provides selected links to USFWS sites and those of our Federal and State partners. Other organizations such as environmental groups may also have web sites with information on this species. \|\|\|\|\| American alligator, (Alligator mississippiensis) The American alligator is a member of the crocodile family, whose members are living fossils from the Age of Reptiles, having survived on earth for 200 million years. However, the alligator can be distinguished from the crocodile by its head shape and color. The crocodile has a narrower snout, and unlike the alligator, has teeth in the lower jaw which are visible even when its mouth is shut. In addition, adult alligators are black, while crocodiles are brownish in color. Today, alligators are found throughout the Southeast, from the Carolinas to Texas and north to Arkansas. As during the Reptile Age, today alligators live in wetlands, and it is this vital habitat that holds the key to their continued long-term survival. Alligators depend on the wetlands -- and in some ways the wetlands depend on them. As predators at the top of the food chain, they help control numbers of rodents and other animals that might overtax the marshland vegetation. The alligator has a large, slightly rounded body, with thick limbs, a broad head, and a very powerful tail which it uses to propel itself through water. The tail accounts for half the alligator's length. While alligators move very quickly in water, they are generally slow-moving on land, although they can be quick for short distances. Alligators will eat just about anything, but primarily consume fish, turtles, and snails. Small animals that come to the water's edge to drink make easy prey for the voracious alligator. Young alligators mostly feed on insects, crustaceans, snails, and fish. The alligator's greatest value to the marsh and the other animals within it are the "gator holes" that many adults create and expand on over a period of years. An alligator uses its mouth and claws to uproot vegetation to clear out a space; then, shoving with its body and slashing with its powerful tail, it wallows out a depression that stays full of water in the wet season and holds water after the rains stop. During the dry season, and particularly during extended droughts, gator holes provide vital water for fish, insects, crustaceans, snakes, turtles, birds, and other animals in addition to the alligator itself. Sometimes, the alligator may expand its gator hole by digging beneath an overhanging bank to create a hidden den. After tunneling as far as 20 feet, it enlarges the end, making a chamber with a ceiling high enough above water level to permit breathing. This is not the alligator's nest but merely a way for the reptile to survive the dry season and winters. The breeding season begins in the spring. Although alligators have no vocal cords, males bellow loudly to attract mates and warn off other males during this time by sucking air into their lungs and blowing it out in intermittent, deep-toned roars. The female builds a nest of vegetation, sticks, leaves, and mud in a sheltered spot in or near the water. After she lays her 20 to 50 white, goose-egg-sized eggs, she covers them under more vegetation, which, like mulch, heats as it decays, helping to keep the eggs warm. She remains near the nest throughout the 65- day incubation period, protecting the nest from intruders. When the young begin to hatch they emit a high-pitched croaking noise, and the female quickly digs them out. The young, which are tiny replicas of adult alligators with a series of yellow bands around their bodies, then find their way to water. For several days they continue to live on yolk masses within their bellies. Alligators reach breeding maturity at about 8 to 13 years of age, at which time they are about 6 to 7 feet long. From then on, growth continues at a slower rate. Old males may grow to be 14 feet long and weigh up to 1,000 pounds during a lifespan of 30 or more years. Historically, alligators were depleted from many parts of their range as a result of market hunting and loss of habitat, and 30 years ago many people believed this unique reptile would never recover. In 1967, the alligator was listed as an endangered species (under a law that preceded the Endangered Species Act of 1973), meaning it was considered in danger of extinction throughout all or a significant portion of its range. But a combined effort by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and state wildlife agencies in the South saved these unique animals. The Endangered Species Act prohibited alligator hunting, allowing the species to rebound in numbers in many areas where it had been depleted. As the alligator began to make a comeback, states established alligator population monitoring programs and used this information to ensure alligator numbers continued to increase. In 1987, the Fish and Wildlife Service pronounced the American alligator fully recovered and consequently removed the animal from the list of endangered species. Although the American alligator is secure, some related animals -- such as several species of crocodiles and caimans -- are still in trouble. For this reason, the Fish and Wildlife Service still regulates the legal trade in alligator skins, or products made from them, in order to protect these endangered animals with skin that is similar in appearance, but illegal in the commercial market. The story of the American alligator is one of both drastic decline and complete recovery, it is a story of state and federal cooperation, and it is truly one of the prominent success stories of the nation's endangered species program. Updated July 1995	File photo of an alligator. ''Source: Wikicommons'' A Virginia man who allegedly clubbed to death an alligator he hooked while fishing, is under consideration by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Richmond for destroying a “threatened species”. But according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service web page of delisted species on the Endangered Species Act, the American alligator was removed from the list in 1987. The reason cited for its removal was the species had recovered. Fisherman Max Belle reportedly used an oar to bring into submission the 44-inch-long, 9 pound creature when he brought it to the boat. Belle was fishing on the Chesterfield County Falling Creek Reservoir, where the alligator was first sighted in May. An alligator is not a native species in the mid-Atlantic region of the USA, and it is thought that it was released by someone who once kept it as a pet.U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) employee attempts to capture and relocate it were unsuccessful. The native habitat of the alligator is in regions of the Southeast, starting from the Carolinas and moving southwards to Texas. The fisherman’s attorney, David P. Baugh, said area residents surrounding the reservoir are happy the alligator is gone. Referring to the support for Mr. Belle of reservoir neighbors, he said, "... next time they USDA will ask to hire Mr. Belle to come catch the alligator." His client received a court summons Thursday and is prepared to pay a $300 fine and $50 court costs if he is found guilty of the federal misdemeanor crime. It took investigators two weeks to positively identify the toothy crocodile as an American alligator, (''Alligator mississippiensis'').
Donnette Sanz, 33, a traffic agent for the city police department, was pronounced dead Thursday, shortly after her baby's birth by an emergency C-section. The three-pound, six-ounce boy was in critical condition. Sanz was walking across a Bronx street around lunchtime Thursday when she was struck by a van that pushed her in front of the bus. "I ran out of my house to join 10 people trying to lift up the bus," said Cheryl Brown, 47. "At first, we couldn't get it up, so then another 10 people ran over to help, and we got the bus up and the lady out." The van's driver, Walter Walker, was arrested on charges of criminally negligent homicide and driving without a licence, police said. "My brakes went out," said Walker, 72. "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. ... I tried to miss her." Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said Walker had 20 suspensions to his driver's licence. Mayor Michael Bloomberg met with Sanz's husband, Rafael, at nearby St. Barnabas Hospital. "It's a terrible poignancy that Donnette's son's birthday will now coincide with the day his mother died," Bloomberg said in a statement. Sanz's sister, Beverly, said the baby was named Sean Michael. \|\|\|\|\| DOZENS of strangers helped lift a 4.5-tonne bus off a pregnant woman in New York - a heroic effort that saved the life of her child but was too late for her. Seven months pregnant, Donnette Sanz was crossing a busy intersection in the Bronx on Thursday when she was struck by a van whose brakes failed. The impact sent the 33-year-old police department worker into the path of a yellow school bus and pinned her underneath. About 30 people helped lift the bus, before Ms Sanz was rushed to St Barnabas Hospital, where doctors delivered her baby by caesarean section. Ms Sanz survived the delivery but died about an hour later. The 1.5-kilogram boy, named Sean Michael, was in a critical condition yesterday, but showing signs of improvement. Mourners and local residents gathered outside the hospital to pray for Ms Sanz and her child. The 72-year-old van driver, Walter Walker, pleaded not guilty to criminally negligent homicide and aggravated unlicensed operation of a vehicle. He was being held on $115,000 bail. Police said in court papers that the brakes on Walker's van had deteriorated so badly that the vehicle was unsafe to drive. Walker's licence has been suspended 20 times, most recently for failure to pay parking fines. "We was riding along, coming down the hill," John Dargan, a passenger in Walker's van, told the Daily News. "He said, 'Oh, my Lord, I don't have no brakes.' It happened so quick." Walker told the New York Post: "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. I tried to miss her." Bystanders, including Gary Burgess, lifted the bus from Ms Sanz. "It was the human thing to do," said Mr Burgess, 50. There were no children on the bus. At the hospital New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered condolences to Ms Sanz's husband, Rafael. \|\|\|\|\| Driver's road riddled with wrong turns The accidentÂ that killed a pregnant NYPD traffic agent was Walter Walker's worst alleged misdeed - but it was far from his first. His history of recklessness dates back to at least 1986, when he fired a gun on a Harlem street for no apparent reason, according to court records. When he got caught, he tried to stash the weapon in the clothes of an 8-month-old baby, police sources said. Walker was busted again in 1993 when he and two buddies tried to scam a 62-year-old woman out of $9,000 worth of savings in an investment scheme, police sources said. He was arrested on charges of grand larceny and possession of stolen property but pleaded guilty to a lesser count of fraudulent accosting. In March 1993, was sentenced to five days' community service. Walker was in trouble again in 2003 when he threatened to bash a neighbor in the head with an aluminum baseball bat. He chased the man up and down W. 139th St. until cops arrested him on charges of menacing and harassment. Again he pleaded guilty to a lesser charge - disorderly conduct - and was told it would be dismissed if he didn't get into trouble and attended an anger management class, sources said. It was unclear if he ever did. Walker didn't pay any attention to the laws of the road, either. He has driven without a legitimate license since 1989, when he got his first of two dozen suspensions. He was arrested in August 1999, when he was caught in a traffic checkpoint driving without a license. He was busted again for the same thing in 2005 and convicted in 2006. Now charged with criminally negligent homicide, Walker, 72, blames the accident on bad breaks, said defense attorney Michael Torres. "My client is absolutely remorseful. He said he tried to repair the brakes," Torres said in court. Walker's wife, Yvette, said her husband's life is full of good deeds. "He's no villain," she said. ccoleman@nydailynews.com With Kerry Burke	A MTA Bus A seven-month pregnant New York City resident was killed after being run over by a bus. 33-year-old Donnette Sanz, a traffic agent for the city police department was crossing a Bronx intersection at East 188th Street and Webster Avenue when a van pushed her into the path of an oncoming school bus that then pinned her to the road. "We was riding along, coming down the hill," John Dargan, a passenger in the van, told the Daily News. "He said, 'Oh, my Lord, I don't have no brakes.' It happened so quick." Approximately 30 people helped lift the bus off of the woman. "I ran out of my house to join 10 people trying to lift up the bus," said Cheryl Brown, 47. "At first, we couldn't get it up, so then another 10 people ran over to help, and we got the bus up and the lady out." After being freed from beneath the bus, Sanz was then transported to St. Barnabas Hospital where her baby was delivered by caesarean section. Sanz survived the birth, but died an hour later. The 1.5kg boy, named Sean Michael, was initially classified as being in critical condition, but later showed signs of improvement. "The light turned red, and I couldn't stop. I tried to miss her," said the van's driver, 72-year-old Walter Walker, to the New York Post. Walker was arrested on charges of criminally negligent homicide and driving without a license. He pleaded not guilty. Police said the brakes on Walter's van were in such poor condition that the vehicle was unsafe. Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that Walker already had 20 suspensions on his driver's license. Mayor Michael Bloomberg offered condolences to Sanz's husband, Rafael. "It's a terrible poignancy that Donnette's son's birthday will now coincide with the day his mother died," Bloomberg said in a statement. Sanz's colleagues have set up a memorial at the intersection where she was killed.
Istanbul (CNN) -- An earthquake that rattled western Turkey killed at least two people and injured dozens more, hospital and government officials said on Friday. The 5.8 magnitude quake, recorded late Thursday, occurred more than 200 miles west-southwest of the capital of Ankara, the U.S. Geological Survey said. Turkey's Kandilli Earthquake Observatory said the epicenter was the town of Simav in Kutahya province, where aftershocks rippled across the region overnight. Hospital officials in Simav reported about 150 injuries, most of them minor, and some structural damage has been reported. Emergency officials swiftly responded with search and medical crews, and supplies such as blankets, water and food. The Kutahya region recently had a scare of leaked cyanide-contaminated water from a wastewater dam after an embankment collapse. Crews are checking to see whether the dam was damaged by the quake and so far, there is "no risk," said Veysel Eroglu, the environment minister. \|\|\|\|\| Turkey: Earthquake in Kutahya province leaves two dead Residents of Simav were warned not to go back to their homes Continue reading the main story Related Stories An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 has struck north-west Turkey, killing at least two people and injuring 79. The tremor struck just before midnight local time and centred on the town of Simav, in Kutahya province, some 310km (190 miles) west of the capital Ankara. Terrified residents ran into the streets, and many spent the night in cars after being warned not to go back to their homes. One person died after jumping from a window in panic, officials said. Environment Minister Veysel Eroglu put the death toll at two, and said that of the 79 injured only one was in a serious condition. Kutahya Governor Kenan Ciftci said three people had died. State media reported that at least one derelict building collapsed and the windows in some buildings were shattered by the quake, which struck at 2315 (2015 GMT). "It was so strong that we could not even move in the first few seconds," lawmaker Idris Bal told NTV television. "People are waiting in their cars now." The quake was followed by around 50 aftershocks, the Kandilli observatory in Istanbul reported. Turkey is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes because it sits on major geological fault lines. At least 51 people were killed in a 6.0 magnitude earthquake in eastern Turkey in March 2010. Two earthquakes in 1999 with a magnitude of more than 7 killed almost 20,000 people in densely populated parts of the north-west of the country. \|\|\|\|\| A 5.9-magnitude earthquake partly destroyed some buildings and one mosque in western Turkey, killing at least three people and injuring nearly 100, authorities said Friday. The quake that struck at 11:15 p.m. (2015 GMT) on Thursday, sent terrified residents running from their homes before midnight. It was centered in the town of Simav, the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory said. Two people, including one who jumped out of a window in panic, were killed in Simav, Environment Minister Veysel Eroğlu told reporters. An elderly woman died of a heart attack in another town, İnegöl, authorities said. Eroğlu said 79 people, including some who suffered injuries after jumping from balconies and windows and those who suffered from heart attacks or panic-related shock, were taken to hospitals in Simav. He said only one of the injured was in serious condition. Fifteen others were treated at hospitals in the neighboring province of Uşak, said Şeracettin Çom, a senior health official. The Red Crescent said the temblor partly collapsed two empty buildings in Simav, along with a five-story building and a mosque. Authorities evacuated the state hospital in Simav and transferred the injured to other hospitals in the region, the governor's office said. Bilgin Türkmentepe, a member of the search and rescue group Akut, said some elderly people did not notice the cracks at one mosque at dawn and only left morning prayers after their warnings. Many residents spent the rest of the night in their cars or in the streets as authorities cautioned them against re-entering their homes. The Red Crescent set up soup kitchens and dispatched tents to the area, said Tekin Küçükali, head of the organization told NTV television. Murat Nurlu, head of the emergency earthquake center at the prime minister's office, said a team has been dispatched to a silver mine in Kütahya where an alleged leak from a cyanide pool was reported several days before the quake hit the area. Eroğlu, however, said measures have already been taken at the site. The quake was followed by about 50 aftershocks, the strongest with a preliminary magnitude of 4.6 that shook Kütahya, said Mustafa Erdik, head of the Kandilli Observatory. He warned of more aftershocks in the coming days. Most of the town of Simav was without electricity and telephone lines were down, reports said. İdris Bal, a lawmaker who was in Kütahya, said he experienced the quake on the fifth floor of an apartment building. "It was so strong that we could not even move in the first few seconds," Bal told NTV television. "People are waiting in their cars now." The quake was felt as far as the Aegean city of İzmir, the northwestern city of Bursa, Istanbul and the city of Edirne, close to the Greek and Bulgarian borders. Earthquakes are frequent in Turkey, which is crossed by fault lines. In March 2010, a 6.0-magnitude quake knocked down houses in five villages in eastern Turkey, killing 51 people. In 2003, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake killed 177 people in the southeastern city of Bingöl, including 84 children whose school dormitory collapsed. In 1999, two earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7 struck northwestern Turkey, killing about 18,000 people. \|\|\|\|\| Uploaded by AssociatedPress on A 5.9-magnitude earthquake partly collapsed some buildings and one mosque in western Turkey on Friday, killing at least five people and injuring more than 70 according to authorities. (May 20)	Two people were killed in a 5.9 earthquake in Turkey shortly before midnight local time on Thursday. The was located in , , and was at a depth of 7.6 km. In the hours following the initial earthquake, Kütahya was shaken by several aftershocks. Officials said two people were killed; one was thought to have suffered a and the other died after jumping from a window in panic. Dozens more were injured. Emergency services dispatched and gave out blankets, food and water. Officials said a had not been damaged by the earthquake, and it posed "no risk." The earthquake was felt as far away as the Aegean province of , the northwestern provinces of and İstanbul, and even the city of , not far from the Bulgarian and Greek and borders, because the depth was very shallow. More than 18,000 people died following two earthquakes with a magnitude of more than 7.0 in northwestern Turkey in 1999.
U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Sunday. VOA's Jim Teeple reports that on a trip the West Bank, Cheney warned Palestinians that continued violence against Israel will hurt efforts to create a Palestinian state. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, right, talks with US Vice President Dick Cheney during their meeting at Abbas' office in the West Bank city of Ramallah, 23 Mar 2008 Cheney traveled to the West Bank city of Ramallah Sunday where he met with moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. In remarks following the talks with Mr. Abbas, Cheney said the U.S. is strongly committed to the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, he said Palestinian violence against Israel could doom any chance for a future Palestine. "Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said. "A negotiated end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one that addresses the legitimate national claims of both peoples, would have limitless value. Years of mistrust and violence have achieved nothing, and the extremists who have stood in the way of a settlement have only caused grief and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples." In his remarks, Palestinian President Abbas condemned rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip that target towns in southern Israel. He also called on Israel to ease its restrictions on the Palestinians. Mr. Abbas says peace will not come to the Middle East as long as Israel continues to build settlements in the occupied West Bank and kills Palestinians in their own territory. Palestinian and Israeli negotiators have been holding a series of talks since late last year, aimed at reaching a peace agreement by the end of this year. However Palestinians say the talks have not resulted in any progress when it comes to stopping Israeli settlement building in the West Bank, or easing restrictions on Palestinians' freedom of movement. Israel says Palestinians must do more to stop terrorism, including the rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip. A spokesman for Hamas militants who control Gaza criticized Cheney's visit, saying it was designed only to offer support for Israel's actions against the Palestinians. Hamas militants defeated Fatah forces loyal to Mr. Abbas last year, taking control of Gaza and effectively splitting the Palestinian territories in two. Mr. Abbas says any reconciliation must be contingent upon Hamas agreeing to restore his authority in Gaza, something Hamas leaders have so far been unwilling to do. Efforts to reconcile Palestinians appeared to take a step forward on Sunday when Hamas and Fatah representatives meeting in Yemen agreed to hold direct talks aimed at resolving their split. No date has been set for the talks, but the issue is expected to be on the agenda at the upcoming Arab summit in Damascus scheduled to take place at the end of March. \|\|\|\|\| RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) -- A Mideast peace agreement will require "painful concessions" by Israelis and Palestinians who must work together to defeat those "committed to violence," Vice President Dick Cheney said Sunday. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, left, and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney meet in Ramallah Sunday. After meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Cheney stressed the U.S. commitment to the creation of an independent Palestinian state, saying it was "long overdue." "Achieving that vision will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table and painful concessions on both sides," said Cheney, whose stop in Ramallah came just two months after President Bush's trip to the West Bank. Abbas, a moderate, controls the West Bank and is battling Hamas militants who have taken charge of Gaza from Abbas-allied forces and have bombarded southern Israel with rockets. "Terror and violence do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people," Cheney said. In their meeting, Abbas asked Cheney to help stop Israeli settlement expansion and military operations targeting militants, said Saeb Erekat, an Abbas aide. Speaking at the news conference, Abbas thanked Cheney for U.S. support. But he also lashed out at Israel's settlements and checkpoints, and called for an end to Israeli military operations. "Peace and security can't be achieved through settlement expansion and building barriers," he said. To reach peace, Abbas said, "what is required is will, courage and strong support from the international community, especially the U.S." In his remarks, Cheney said, "A negotiated end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict -- one that addresses the legitimate national claims of both people -- will have limitless value. Years of mistrust and violence have achieved nothing, and the extremists who have stood in the way of a settlement have only caused further grief and suffering to the Palestinian and Israeli people." "No one," he said, "deserves to go through life in a climate of fear of deprivation. ... That should not be and must not be the direction of events in this region." Before the session, aides to Abbas said Abbas would tell Cheney there had been little progress in peace talks since the Palestinian leader and Israel's Prime Minister Ehud Olmert agreed to a resumption at a November conference hosted by President Bush in Maryland. Cheney said "the future belongs to the advocates of peace and reconciliation." He quoted Bush and said that "the establishment of a state of Palestine is long overdue." The Bush administration, Cheney said, will commit resources to help the Palestinians build the infrastructure necessary to prosper. Cheney held talks with Israeli officials in Jerusalem before flying by helicopter to the West Bank. After seeing Abbas, Cheney planned a separate meeting with Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad. The vice president began Easter Sunday with a prayer and the singing of "Amazing Grace" at a tiny chapel in Jerusalem, then launched into a day of talks about the Mideast peace process and the rising influence of Iran in the region. "We are obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States as well," Cheney said in a meeting with Israel's president, Shimon Peres. It was clear that Cheney was referring to Iran. Peres was more specific, saying the declarations that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad makes against Israel cannot be ignored. "We have this problem of the Iranians who want to build two satellites, the Hezbollah and the Hamas in Gaza. ... Nobody can control us and say that declarations by Ahmadinejad are less serious," Peres said. "We have to take it seriously." He said time is of the essence in the peace negotiations, but that he believes progress is achievable. Cheney is on a 10-day trip to the Mideast, where oil, the future of Iraq and Afghanistan and Iran's rising influence in the region have highlighted his talks with foreign leaders. His visit here is part of the Bush administration's strategy to keep the pressure on Israel and the Palestinians to reach a framework agreement for peace before Bush leaves office in January 2009. E-mail to a friend Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All About Dick Cheney • Mahmoud Abbas • Israel • Palestinian Politics \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President March 23, 2008 Remarks by Vice President Cheney and Palestinian Authority President Abbas Muqata Ramallah 3:04 P.M. (Local) PRESIDENT ABBAS: (As translated.) In the name of God the merciful and the compassionate, Mr. Vice President Dick Cheney, it is my pleasure to welcome you here in our country, Palestine, as a dear guest. Your visit comes at a time when we are exerting our utmost efforts to reach a comprehensive and just peace with our Israeli neighbors. This peace is based upon the international resolution and the vision of the President George Bush, and the road map plan, and the Arab initiative for peace, which would lead independently to end occupation -- Israeli occupation -- that started in 1967, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, with its capital, Jerusalem, East Jerusalem, that lives in peace and stability alongside the state of Israel and all neighboring countries. We appreciate the efforts that your administration is exerting, and the commitment of President George Bush to the two state solution and the hosting of the important Annapolis conference, and his insistence on reaching and concluding a peace, an Israeli peace, Palestinian-Israeli agreement by the end of the year 2008, as well as the ongoing and persevering work of Secretary of State, Dr. Rice. Peace and stability will not be achieved through a settlement expansion, or the setting up of checkpoints around towns and villages, and the military escalation against Gaza, nor the incursions, continuous incursions into West Bank villages and towns, as well as the arrest which led to more than 11,000 prisoners in the Israeli jails. We also reiterate our condemnation and rejection for the firing of missiles being launched from Gaza against Israel. We believe in a genuine peace, that would put an end to this long conflict that is causing a focus of tensions in the region, if not at the international level. The requirements of the peace between the two sides are very clear. And what is required is good will and the courage, and strong support from the international community -- particularly the United States of America -- and effective contribution from the quartet. This is the spirit of the Annapolis conference that we need to observe and maintain. The required peace and desired peace is one that addresses all core issues, final status negotiation issues, without exception, particularly Jerusalem, the refugees. And if this peace is established, then its first results would be to weaken the extremist forces and the creation of a regional environment for cooperation and good neighborhood relations. I thank you, Mr. Vice President, for your assistance to our people, and most recently, that we received $150 million support to the PA budget. And we hope that through your continuous support and your participation, also at the Moscow conference to follow up on Annapolis conference and accomplishments, as well as the other security, economic and investment conferences in Bethlehem, London and Berlin. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Vice President. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Thank you, President Abbas. I want to thank you for your hospitality, and for welcoming me here today. The President and I have just completed a good meeting, and in a few moments I'll have the opportunity to sit down for further for further discussions with Prime Minister Fayyad. I'm pleased to bring good wishes to the Palestinian people from President Bush, and from the people of the United States. My arrival here today comes, of course, only two months after President Bush's historic visit to Ramallah. I come, at his direction, to give further support and encouragement to the Palestinian leaders in their vital negotiations with the leaders of Israel. As President Abbas has pointed out, George W. Bush is the first president of the United States to endorse the establishment of an independent Palestinian State. Our administration is strongly committed to that objective, and we look forward to the day that an independent, viable, democratic, and peaceful Palestinian State comes into being. Achieving that vision will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table, and painful concessions on both sides. It will also require a determination to defeat those who are committed to violence and who refuse to accept the basic right of the other side to exist. A difficult but immutable truth must continue to be told: terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people. A negotiated end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, one that addresses the legitimate national claims of both peoples, would have limitless value. Years of mistrust and violence have achieved nothing. And the extremists who have stood in the way of a settlement have only caused further grief and suffering for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples. No one deserves to go through life in a climate of fear, or deprivation, or dreading what the next day may bring. That should not be, and must not be, the direction of events in this region. The future belongs to the advocates of peace and reconciliation, if only they seize the opportunities in front of them and maintain the resolve to join in defeating the forces of terror and extremism. Across this region, men and women of good will are many in number. They have the character and the resolve to bring about a settlement that is durable and fair to all concerned. And they can be assured of America's help as they work to that end. As President Bush has said, "The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it." The United States will commit resources to help the Palestinians build the infrastructure necessary for a stable, secure and prosperous democracy, and a society led by a government that joins in the fight against terror and honors the aspirations of all its people. This can be done. And if all concerned stay at the work, success will be achieved. END 3:12 P.M. (Local) \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President March 23, 2008 Remarks by Vice President Cheney and President Peres of Israel in Press Availability Presidential Residence Jerusalem 9:09 A.M. (Local) PRESIDENT PERES: Mr. Vice President, I would like to welcome you upon your visit at this time, in this place. I think time is of essence, and we don't have too much time, but this is the finale maybe of a very long trip here in the Middle East. And we have to try, all of us, to make the best of it. I do believe there are some things that are still achievable, in spite of the shortage of the time. We are actually dealing on three different issues one is political negotiations about peace. It will take a little bit longer than we would like to, but I believe they are making some progress. Actually, I wouldn't underestimate its importance. The mere fact that in spite of the differences the negotiations go on is a great hope for the future. The second is the economic trail. I do believe that we have to make a supreme effort, before the visit of the President here on May, and things can be concluded into the mains. One is in building industrial parks in the West Bank to help the Palestinian Authority to gain economic strengths to overcome some other weaknesses, and the other is what we call the "valley of peace," between the Jordanians and ourselves, that can inject a great deal of economic hope in the veins of the Jordanian kingdom, of the Palestinian Authority, and of Israel. It's a workable project. It may take less time than we think. By the way, on the two projects, so the finances are coming from different sources. The finances are made up -- doesn't depend upon governmental money. And then we have this problem of the Iranians, who wants to build their two satellites -- the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Hamas in Gaza. And with all our search for good neighbors, we would like that the Iranians be represented on our borders; take it very seriously. Nobody can console us and say that the declarations of Ahmadinejad are less serious than they are; we have to take it seriously, out of experience. You are a man of great experience and of great knowledge. And I think your counsel and maybe facilitation of the situation can be of great help right away, even for the visit of a short while. We have to make the most of it and the best use of it, and clearly together we can probably contribute quite a while to those three problems. Thank you. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: I want to thank you, Mr. President, for welcoming me back again to Israel. I remember when we first met many years ago, when you were Defense Minister -- PRESIDENT PERES: Both of us. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Both of us, yes. This was before I was defense minister. This was Rumsfeld's first time as defense minister. But we've known each other for many, many years, and I've always admired, had great respect for your contribution, not only to issues that affected your government, but on broader international basis, too. We're obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and also obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States, as well. So I'm here today to share some thoughts with you. The President looks forward very much to his return visit in May to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of Israel. So we're spending a good deal of time these days on issues related to our friends here in Israel. I'm delighted to be back. PRESIDENT PERES: Thank you very much. END 9:16 A.M. (Local) \|\|\|\|\| Cheney: US Will Never Pressure Israel if Security is Threatened United States Vice President Dick Cheney is in Israel, the latest stop on a Middle East tour. As Robert Berger reports from the VOA bureau in Jerusalem, he hopes to advance the peace process. US VP Cheney (left) and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert Vice President Dick Cheney went right into a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. The Vice President began with a message of reassurance. "The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security," he said. Cheney said the U.S. backs Israel's right to defend itself against Palestinian rocket attacks from the Gaza Strip, which is ruled by the Islamic militant group Hamas. But he said America would also work for peace between Israel and the moderate Palestinian government in the West Bank. "On this journey, I am reiterating the President's commitment to his vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine living side-by-side in peace and security." President Bush's goal is to reach a peace agreement before he leaves office in January. "Reaching the necessary agreement will require tough decisions and painful concessions by both sides, but America is committed to moving the process forward," he said. In response, Prime Minister Olmert said Israel would do its part for peace. "We are anxious to carry on the peace negotiations with the Palestinians," he said. But he warned of threats from radical forces in the region. "We are watching very carefully the northern front, the behavior of Syria and the Hizbollah and naturally I know how much concerned America is with the continued terrorist attacks against Israel coming from Gaza against innocent civilians," he said. \|\|\|\|\| For Immediate Release Office of the Vice President March 22, 2008 Remarks by Vice President Cheney and Prime Minister Olmert of Israel in Press Availability Prime Minister's Residence Jerusalem 8:25 P.M. (Local) PRIME MINISTER OLMERT: Good evening. Welcome, Mr. Vice President. I'm honored and delighted to have you visiting here after five years, which was your last visit. It is particularly significant this time because you are coming in the beginning of the 60th anniversary for the state of Israel, and you were always a very good supporter and friend of the state of Israel. And we are very proud to have you with us at this time. I have to add that we are going to discuss, naturally, many things tonight and Monday. There are many items on the common agenda of America and the state of Israel: We are both very concerned about Iran, we are anxious to carry on the peace negotiations with the Palestinians, we are watching very carefully the northern front, the behavior of Syria and the Hezbollah, and naturally I know how much concerned America is with the continued terrorist attacks against Israel coming from Gaza against innocent civilians in the south part of the state of Israel. All these matters will be discussed while you are visiting here, and we will always be happy to hear your advice and your observations about these very important issues which are on the top of the agenda of the state of Israel at this part of the world. Vice President, you were always a supporter of Israel. I remember your visit in Israel immediately after the first Gulf War, the early '90s, when you were Secretary of Defense. And throughout this period, in your different positions, you were always interested, concerned, and involved in matters which were very important for the state of Israel. I am proud that we are friendly for many years, meeting in different places, in America, and sharing the observations and the judgments about the events in different parts of the world, particularly in the Middle East. And now I'm proud that I can host you as the Prime Minister of Israel, in the state of Israel, at this very important time to all of us. Welcome, Mr. Vice President. VICE PRESIDENT CHENEY: Well, thank you very much, Mr. Prime Minister. I'm delighted to be in Jerusalem once again, with my old friend, the Prime Minister. And I want to thank him for the kind invitation that he extended to me and to my wife, Lynne, to visit Israel again. I've been gone too long. It's now been five years since I was last here, and I'm glad to be back. I also want to convey the good wishes of all -- to all Israelis of the people of the United States, and of our President, George W. Bush. I'm especially pleased to be here as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of Israel's emergence as a modern nation state. The state of Israel's rise out of the ashes of World War II is one of history's great miracles. So too is the fact that Israel has survived these six decades despite often violent assaults against its very existence. At the same time, the nation has flourished, growing in population and prosperity and military strength, while making remarkable contributions to the worlds of science, culture and technology. The founding of the new Jewish state declared on the 14th of May, 1948, at 12:00 midnight -- only 11 minutes later, by the direction of President Harry S. Truman, the United States recognized Israel. From that moment, our two countries have been more than just strong allies. We've been friends -- special friends -- and our peoples bound together by unique ties of history, culture, religion, and memory. Today, both our nations share the ideals of liberty, equality, human dignity, and representative government. Both our nations have stood firmly against the forces of terror and intimidation. Both our nations have shown a great willingness to work and sacrifice for the cause of peace. We are natural allies. America's commitment to Israel's security is enduring and unshakeable, as is our commitment to Israel's right to defend itself always against terrorism, rocket attacks and other threats from forces dedicated to Israel's destruction. The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security. As successful democracies, the U.S. and Israel have a basic confidence in the power of freedom to lift up whole societies and to lay the foundation for peace. We will defend ourselves and protect our people. But as President Bush said here in January, "We will do more than defend ourselves. We will seek lasting peace." History has clearly shown that when encountered by Arab partners like Anwar Sadat and the late King Hussein of Jordan, who accepted Israel's permanence and are willing and capable of delivering on their commitments, Israelis are prepared to make wrenching national sacrifices on behalf of peace. I have no doubt this is equally the case with Palestinians. On this journey, I am reiterating the President's commitment to his vision of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace and security. He stated that vision early in his presidency, and as I like to remind people, he was the very first American President to do so. Reaching the necessary agreement will require tough decisions and painful concessions by both sides, but America is committed to moving the process forward -- and to that end, I will meet with President Abbas and Prime Minister Fayyad. They, too, can be certain of America's good will in this process. It is not America's role to dictate the outcome. But we will help in the negotiations, and provide all the support and encouragement we can. We care deeply about these issues. We want to see a resolution to the conflict, an end to the terrorism that has caused so much grief to Israelis, and a new beginning for the Palestinian people. Mr. Prime Minister, I'm looking forward to our discussions. We have a full agenda, filled both with opportunities and with dangers. As we continue to work for peace, we must not and will not ignore the darkening shadows of the situations in Gaza, in Lebanon, in Syria, and in Iran, and the forces there that are working to derail the hopes of the world. Together, the United States and Israel will fulfill our responsibilities to our peoples, overcome our challenges, and continue to seek a future of security, freedom, prosperity and peace. Thank you, sir. PRIME MINISTER OLMERT: Thank you very much. END 8:34 P.M. (Local)	United States Vice President Dick Cheney watches Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert make a statement on March 22. United States Vice President Dick Cheney met with Israeli and Palestinian leaders on Sunday. Cheney met with Israeli President Shimon Peres and Primer Minister Ehud Olmert and their Palestinian counterparts, the moderate President Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad as part of a tour of the Middle East. Cheney told Palestinians that continuing violence against ill damage efforts for a Palestinian state. Cheney noted "Terror and rockets do not merely kill innocent civilians, they also kill the legitimate hopes and aspirations of the Palestinian people." The Vice President remarked he is committed towards a Palestinian state, quoting President George W. Bush, "The establishment of the state of Palestine is long overdue. The Palestinian people deserve it." Cheney also noted that "Achieving that vision will require tremendous effort at the negotiating table and painful concessions on both sides." Abbas condemned rocket attacks against Israel from the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip, but also told Israel to ease their restrictions on Palestinians. He also noted that Israel needs to stop building settlements within the West Bank. Abbas noted that, "Peace and stability will not be achieved through a settlement expansion, or the setting up of checkpoints around towns and villages, and the military escalation against Gaza, nor the incursions, continuous incursions into West Bank villages and towns." Cheney met earlier in the day with Shimon Peres, the Israeli president. Both men spoke of Iran, with Peres noting upfront that Iran and their leader Mahmoud Ahmadinejad wants to "build their two satellites -- the Hezbollah in Lebanon, and the Hamas in Gaza ... Nobody can console us and say that the declarations of Ahmadinejad are less serious than they are; we have to take it seriously, out of experience." Cheney noted that the Bush administration is pledged to the peace process and also referenced Iran but not directly, "We're obviously dedicated to doing all we can as an administration to try to move the peace process forward, and also obviously actively involved in dealing with the threats that we see emerging in the region -- not only threats to Israel, but threats to the United States, as well." Cheney met with Prime Minister Olmert on Saturday and told Olmert that, "The United States will never pressure Israel to take steps that threaten its security." He also told Olmert that the United States backs Israel's right to defend itself from Hamas rocket attacks but that America was also working for a peace deal between Israel and the moderate Fatah-controlled Palestinian government in the West Bank. Abbas lost control of the Gaza Strip to the rival Hamas party last year. Abbas, who is the leader of the more moderate Fatah party currently runs the Palestinian government located in the West Bank, the other Palestinian territory.
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. \|\|\|\|\| From NBC's Doug Adams and Mark Murray First Read can confirm, per a Democratic source with knowledge of the pick, that West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin (D) will select former general counsel Carte Goodwin to fill Robert Byrd's Senate seat until November's special election, in which Manchin is expected to run. So who is Carte Goodwin? He is 36 years old and currently a practicing attorney in West Virginia. He served as Manchin's general counsel from 2005-2009. He's thought to be a trusted associate of Manchin, and has known the governor since 2004, when Goodwin worked as a volunteer in his campaign. Goodwin is also a from a prominent West Virginia family -- his uncle is a federal judge, his cousin a U.S. attorney, and his father (who recently died) had chaired the West Virginia university board of governors. Also, Goodwin's wife, Rochelle, is the state director for soon-to-be colleague -- Sen. Jay Rockefeller. Goodwin left office in January of last year to go back into private practice as an attorney. He's currently a partner at his family's law firm based in Charleston, appropriately named Goodwin & Goodwin. Here is his bio at Goodwin & Goodwin... Bio: -- General Counsel to West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III, 2005-2009 -- Chairman, School Building Authority Member, -- Consolidated Public Retirement Board Chairman, -- Governor's Advisory Committee on Judicial Nominations -- Clerk for the Honorable Robert B. King, United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 1999-2000 Practice details: -- Representing clients in civil litigation throughout West Virginia's state and federal courts. -- Representing clients in mass and class action litigation. -- Representing clients in various commercial transactions as well as the formation and organization of business entities. -- Representing clients in the preparation and registration of federal trademark applications, license agreements and intellectual property litigation. Education: -- Marietta College, B.A., Philosophy, magna cum laude 1996 -- The Emory University School of Law, Doctor of Law, 1999 -- Order of the Coif -- Executive Notes & Comments Editor, Emory International Law Review -- Authored "Live, In Concert and Beyond: A New Standard of Contributory Copyright Infringement." 13 Emory Int'l L. Rev. 345 (1999)	Location of West Virginia , governor of West Virginia, named attorney to replace the late , who died at age 92 on June 28, in the U.S. Senate until a is held. Goodwin will be sworn in next Tuesday. The special election has not been scheduled; however, it could occur as early as November 2. Senator , member of the Democratic Party in West Virginia, says that the appointment of the Senate's 59th Democrat is crucial to passing an unemployment benefits bill that has been blocked by members of the Republican Party. "My responsibility is to work very hard every day to maintain the trust of the people of West Virginia," Goodwin said. "My sole objective will be to make West Virginia proud. I'm excited about the challenge. I'm looking forward to it," he added. Goodwin, who is 36, will become the youngest member of the Senate. He served as an adviser to Governor Manchin from 2005 to 2009. Before this assignment was announced, Goodwin worked as an associate in his family's -based law firm.
Some 10,000 peacekeepers are charged monitoring a buffer zone UN mission head Pierre Schori told the BBC he would recommend the move after a New Forces rebel group announcment rejecting South African mediation. Last year, President Thabo Mbeki was appointed mediator by the African Union to try to solve the Ivorian crisis. The country has been split since rebels seized the north three years ago. South African Deputy Foreign Minister Aziz Pahad said on Tuesday that the New Forces were blocking the peace process. The New Forces' statement claims this shows the clear bias the mediation has shown to President Laurent Gbagbo. Their statement, signed by spokesman Sidiki Konate, says they will no longer work with the South Africans. The statement says that despite following Ivory Coast for nine months, the South Africans have not fully understood the country. The New Forces also accused South Africa of selling weapons to President Gbagbo, in violation of a UN embargo, and said they might bring legal action. The statement called on the President of Nigeria and the African Union, Olusegun Obasanjo, to move the peace process forward. Finally, the New Forces said the most urgent issue to be resolved is that of identity. The BBC's James Copnall in Abidjan says that many northerners, including New Forces fighters, do not have Ivorian passports. The issue of who can be considered Ivorian - is one of the building blocks of this crisis. Elections There are clearly other problems to be resolved too, if the country is to hold presidential elections. They are due on 30 October, though President Gbagbo has already admitted they may be postponed from between one week and two months because of insufficient organisational material. The New Forces and the opposition say legal reforms on identification, nationality and electoral laws have not been made correctly by President Gbagbo, but the South African mediators agreed with President Gbagbo on this issue. In addition, the numerous militias who support President Gbagbo have not yet been dismantled. Until the reforms have been made to their satisfaction, and the militias have been closed down, the New Forces say they will not disarm. \|\|\|\|\| NAIROBI The ongoing peace process between the government and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) is threatened by its almost total exclusivity, necessitating a new approach from both the negotiating parties and Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) mediators, according to the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) think-tank. Whereas the first phase of the process had necessitated a narrow focus on the two main belligerents, a second phase after the signing of a bilateral peace agreement would need to radically change to involve the Sudanese public, said ISS in a report entitled: "The Sudan IGAD Peace Process: Signposts for the Way Forward". "For IGAD it means a marked change in philosophy and direction from that of the first stage, which can be characterised as secretive, eite driven, narrowly focused and which pointedly ignored the issue of human rights, to the next stage where transparency, engaging the large mass of Sudanese, and vastly expanding the focus and direction of the peace initiative, must set the tone," it said. Once a peace agreement was signed, a new approach taking account of the rights of all Sudan's citizens needed to be implemented, said the report. "It will be a critical test of the IGAD mediators whether they can adapt to the new demands placed upon them and carry the process forward." The Machakos Protocol, signed by both the government and the SPLM/A in July 2002, underlines the need for a democratic transformation of Sudan, referring to "democratic governance, accountability, equality, respect and justice for all citizens of Sudan", and for the Sudanese to establish "a democratic system of governance". But so far, a number of key groups, including northern opposition groups, southern militias and the National Democratic Alliance have been pointedly excluded from peace negotiations. The rebellion in Darfur, northwestern Sudan, which exploded in February 2003, is deemed by observers to be a direct reaction to this exclusivity and to fears that the national cake is being divided up into only two slices. In southern Sudan, there has also been no sustained effort to bring about south-south reconciliation, despite the fact that the South Sudan Defence Forces, an umbrella of government-aligned militias, are armed, control large swathes of the region, and hold many strategic positions particularly around the oil fields. According to ISS, a failure to win the popular support of Sudanese civil society and the country's major political players threatens the viability of the entire peace process and raises the possibility of a return to war. "However difficult the task, IGAD must play a leading role in the intimately linked objectives of an inclusive peace process and establishing a democratic Sudan," it warned. "The building of a democratic Sudan is not a luxury, but the best - and perhaps only - insurance that the many aggrieved groups in Sudan do not take up arms," said ISS, adding that southern grievances increasingly coming to the fore represented "only the tip of the iceberg of resentment". "Remarkably, the issue of human rights has received almost no attention thus far in the IGAD negotiations, but it cannot be ignored much longer," it added, urging a change of approach and the setting up of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Last week, the US State Department's 2003 report for Sudan noted that the two key parties to the peace process - who will be governing Sudan once a peace agreement is signed - had poor human rights records. The Sudanese government's record "remained extremely poor", with security forces and associated militias responsible for extrajudicial killings and disappearances, beatings, torture, rape and harassment with impunity. Similarly, the SPLM/A was accused of killings, beatings, rape, arbitrary detention, forcible military conscription of underage young men, and the manipulation of humanitarian assistance for military advantage. \|\|\|\|\| PRESS STATEMENT ON C ÔTE D’IVOIRE BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT Following is the text of today’s statement to the press by Security Council President Kenzo Oshima ( Japan): The members of the Council heard briefings by Mr. Mosiuoa Lekota, Minister of Defence for South Africa; Mr. Aminu Wali, Permanent Representative of Nigeria; and Mr. Pierre Schori, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Côte d’Ivoire. The South African Mediation stated that it will continue its efforts, with the support of the United Nations and the African Union, to ensure the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in Côte d’Ivoire as scheduled, which is the only solution to the crisis. The South African Mediation also underlined that it was now time for the implementation in good faith and without delay of the agreements signed by all Ivorian parties. The members of the Security Council reiterate their readiness to take all steps they consider necessary, including the implementation of individual sanctions, in order to ensure the respect of the resolutions of the Security Council. The members of the Security Council reiterate their full support for the action undertaken by the South African Mediation, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and the High Representative for the elections. * *** *	Yesterday, the United Nations Security Council said it would take all steps necessary, including the implementation of individual sanctions, in order to ensure that the resolutions of the Security Council were adhered to by both sides of the troubled Ivoiran peace process. The remarks followed a briefing to the Security Council by representatives from the UN Mission in Cote d'Ivoire and African Union-appointed South African mediators. "The South African Mediation stated that it will continue its efforts, with the support of the United Nations and the African Union, to ensure the holding of free, fair and transparent elections in Côte d'Ivoire as scheduled, which is the only solution to the crisis," the Security Council said in a statement following the meeting. The next round of elections are scheduled for the end of October although it is widely believed this date is unlikely to be met. The peace process in Cote d'Ivoire has been on shaky ground following the failure of the rebel forces to begin the disarmament process originally scheduled for 31 July. The rebels, led by the Forces Nouvelles, claimed that Ivorian President Gbagbo had failed to make the necessary legal reforms necessary to begin the disarmament. The international community later ratified the legal changes made by the Ivorian government as being in compliance with the peace deal.
People walk through Pearson International Airport's new Terminal 1 in Toronto. (CP / Aaron Harris) Scorpion on plane causes delay at Pearson Airport toronto.ctv.ca Airport security officials scoured a Toronto-bound plane on Sunday after a scorpion got loose onboard and stung a man. The critter snuck into the carry-on backpack of a passenger who was returning from a camping trip in Costa Rica, the Toronto Star reported. Once the flight was in the air, the arachnid climbed out of the bag and up the man's leg. It then stung him on the back of the knee. The man was treated by paramedics after the plane landed at Pearson International Airport in Toronto. Animal control workers said the scorpion was not lethal and the man is expected to recover, the Star reported. The incident caused some nervousness among fliers and forced an hour-long delay as security personnel combed the plane for other possibly dangerous critters. The scorpion apparently got through security in Costa Rica and was not detected when the American Airlines flight had a stopover in Miami. The victim is believed to be in his late 20s or early 30s. The scorpion was killed during its capture, officials said. "As a precaution, we did go in and search the aircraft just to see if we could find anything else," said American Airlines spokesman John Hotard, who added the incident was not completely unheard of. "We've had cases where passengers have brought critters on board in their backpack and they get out and crawl around, but it's rare." Passengers waiting in the departure lounge at Terminal 2 were told of the situation. Some made jokes about the incident. When passengers finally boarded the plane, the captain came on and announced: "Welcome to Scorpion Flight 1011." \|\|\|\|\| You've probably heard of the movie Snakes On A Plane. Well, passengers aboard a Toronto-bound jet experienced a similarly frightening mid-air experience this weekend when a scorpion made it onto an American Airlines flight from Costa Rica to Toronto and ending up biting a man. The flight made its scheduled stopover in Miami Sunday and had taken off again for Toronto when the critter made its unwanted appearance. After hiding undetected in the man's carry-on bag, the scorpion decided to slip out during the flight, crawling up his oblivious victim's pant leg. He wasn't oblivious for long, however. He reached a unique level of awareness when the poisonous stinger painfully sunk into his skin and a quiet flight took on an ominous, creepy tone. The man did manage to kill the scorpion after it bit him. But the fear of more carnage wasn't totally assuaged. The incident caused an hour-long delay at Pearson International Airport as officials looked to see if any others had gotten loose. After the plane landed the traveller was treated at Etobicoke General and released. Animal control officers identified the scorpion as a non-lethal species. According to Zoo Keeper Doug Chessell, the man was lucky he didn't encounter a more potent version of the vilified creature. "Some scorpions do have a lethal injection," he said. "A lot of it depends on the person and how they react to the venom." All scorpions are venomous. Both those who've watched those endless nature shows might think they're also all deadly. The truth is most of the creatures don't possess enough poison to kill a healthy adult. The venom is mostly used in the wild, where the arachnid is trying to kill or paralyze its prey. Once it's administered, the poison is quick and effective. But only a few species of scorpions are generally known to be very dangerous to humans. A lot depends on the type and the ability of medicine to counteract the poison. Those who do die from the creepy crawler's sting tend to be in countries like Mexico and Africa, and are often very young, infirm, elderly or have an allergy to the poison. But most of the creatures only bite to catch food or defend themselves and it's rare they go after something as large as a person. Most would prefer to simply run away and hide until the peril passes. What does a bite feel like? It generally begins with immediate and intense burning at the area where the venom went in. That can last between half an hour to half a day. It often gets worse over 24 hours. Symptoms can include: Abdominal cramps, Inflammation, Sensitivity to clothing, bedding and noise, "Pins and needles" sensations in the limbs, Stiff legs, Tremors, Involuntary movement, Increased pulse rate, Raised blood pressure Difficulty swallowing, Excessive salivation, Speech problems, Excessive perspiration, Headches, Nausea, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Restlessness and in the most serious cases, Respiratory distress and possible death. Save this page on del.icio.us Sign up for a del.icio.us account here to save your bookmarks for free online.	A black scorpion. A man who visited Costa Rica who was on American Airlines flight 1552 from Miami, Florida to Toronto was stung by a scorpion on Sunday. The scorpion was from Costa Rica, where the man was on a camping trip with his brother. The scorpion crawled out of the man's carry-on knapsack. Then, the scorpion stung the man, who is believed to be in his 20s or early 30s. Flight officials immediately delayed the outbound flight. The man was treated by paramedics and was taken to hospital. Later, the scorpion was killed. Animal control officers said the scorpion was a non-lethal species. "We delayed the outbound flight and searched the cabin of the aircraft to see if we could find any more, which we did not," said John Hotard, a company spokesman in Fort Worth, Texas. "This is rare. I'm not aware of a scorpion stinging a person on any of our flights before." "We've had cases where passengers have brought critters on board in their backpack and they get out and crawl around, but it's rare," he added. They arrived safely at Toronto's Pearson International Airport. The flight back to Miami was delayed by less than an hour. When the flight resumed, the pilot said: "Welcome to Scorpion Flight 1011." The scorpion is said to have been brought on the plane unintentionally.
Rann wants unconditional 'sorry' from Hicks Posted Updated South Australian Premier Mike Rann says convicted terrorism supporter David Hicks should make an unconditional apology for becoming involved with terrorist organisations. Mr Hicks was expected to make an apology when he was released from Adelaide's Yatala prison on Saturday, but instead his lawyer read a prepared statement. Mr Hicks is now staying in a secret location. Mr Hicks spent six years in custody after being captured by the Northern Alliance in Afghanistan. He admitted to training with Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 2001 and joining with pro-Taliban fighters after the September 11 terrorist attacks. He spent five years in the US prison camp at Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Mr Rann says it would be appropriate for Mr Hicks to say sorry. "My sympathies this Christmas/New Year are with those families in Australia who don't have their dads coming home because they were killed by the Taliban," he said. "Rather than working for the Taliban, I think it's appropriate for Mr Hicks to make an apology to the people of Australia." \|\|\|\|\| David Hicks has been released from prison. Wearing jeans and a green polo shirt, the 32-year-old walked from Adelaide's Yatala Prison at 8.17am (CDT) and was escorted to a waiting car, bypassing the waiting media pack that had been keeping a round-the-clock vigil. A small crowd of mostly elderly supporters were outside the prison as Hicks left, many holding banners reading 'This could have been your son' and 'David Hicks is no threat'. The supporters surrounded the car in which Terry Hicks and lawyer David McLeod left the prison, cheering as the car left the prison grounds. Hicks glanced at waiting media as he was driven from the jail in a blue sedan, escorted by police. His lawyer, David McLeod, later read a statement of Hicks's behalf. In the statement read to the media by his lawyer, Hicks said he didn't want to risk breaking the gag order placed on him as he didn't want to risk going back to Guantanamo. He also said he didn't feel that he could face the media at this point. He thanked his lawyers, various politicians and organisations that had lobbied for his fair treatment. In the statement, Hicks, captured among Taliban forces in Afghanistan in December 2001, did not apologise for his terrorist-related conduct. "I had hoped to be able to speak to the media but I am just not strong enough at the moment, it's as simple as that,'' Hicks said through his lawyer. "I am sorry for that. "As part of my conditions of release from Guantanamo Bay, I agreed not to speak to the media on a range of issues before March 30, 2008. "It's my intention to honour this agreement as I don't want to do anything that might result in my return there. "So for now, I will limit what I have to say - I will say more at a later time.'' Hicks said he recognised "the huge debt of gratitude that I owe the Australian public for getting me home''. "I will not forget or let you down,'' he said. He also thanked his lawyers, various politicians and organisations that had lobbied for his fair treatment. "Right now I am looking forward to some quiet time with my wonderful Dad, my family and friends,'' Hicks said. "I ask that you will respect my privacy as I will need time to readjust to society and obtain medical care for the consequences of five and a half years at Guantanamo Bay. "I have been told that my readjustment will be a slow process and should involve a gentle transition away from the media spotlight.'' Hicks, a father of two, was driven from jail to a secret location in Adelaide. His father, Terry Hicks, said his son was "on a high''. "It's now up to him,'' Mr Hicks told reporters. "He now has got to get on with his life. "He's on a high, he seems alright but I suppose in the quiet times everything will come back.'' Hicks has been in custody since being captured among Taliban forces in Afghanistan, in December 2001. The father of two has completed a jail sentence, after pleading guilty before a US military commission in March this year to a charge of providing material support for terrorism. Hicks will have to report to police within 24 hours. - with AAP \|\|\|\|\| THE confessed terrorism supporter David Hicks should be given a fair go when he is released from an Adelaide prison this morning, but he should make a genuine apology for his conduct, politicians say. When the 32-year-old father of two is released from Yatala prison, he will be a free man for the first time since he was captured with Taliban forces in Afghanistan six years ago. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, yesterday said Hicks "should be treated no differently to any other Australian citizen in these circumstances". "Our expectation of Mr Hicks is he would comply with the requirements which have been imposed upon him." Mr Rudd's comments were supported by the US military spokesman Commander J.D. Gordon, who said justice had been done. Hicks's father, Terry, said his son was "looking forward to finally stepping out into the open. All he wants is to get out and try and get some sort of normality." Hicks was sentenced to seven years' jail, with all but nine months suspended, after pleading guilty to providing material support for terrorism. As part of a plea bargain struck with US authorities he forfeited the right to appeal or sue the US government and agreed to a 12-month gag preventing him from speaking to the media. However, Hicks is expected to make a statement today through his family or lawyers. His father said it would include an apology for the "inconvenience" he had caused and would thank supporters who had lobbied for his fair treatment. The South Australian Premier, Mike Rann, said Hicks should use the opportunity to make an unconditional apology. "All of us want to see David Hicks turn his life around," Mr Rann said yesterday. "We have heard he intends to make an apology and we hope that, if that is the case, it's a genuine and unconditional apology." Hicks is also subject to an Australian control order, which includes a midnight to 6am curfew and reporting to police three times a week. Hicks's former military lawyer, Major Michael Mori, said the control order was unlikely to worry Hicks, who survived detention at Guantanamo Bay for almost 5½ years, mostly without charge. "Compared to the rigours of Guantanamo Bay, [complying with a control order] will not be a challenge for him," Major Mori said. "The real challenge will be the media hounding him." The Opposition Leader, Brendan Nelson, said most Australians believed Hicks had served his time and should now be treated like any other citizen. "As he is an Australian citizen, I feel most Australians will say, 'Look, give the guy a fair go.' " AAP and Ian Munro	South Australian Premier Mike Rann. South Australian Premier has said that David Hicks, a convicted terrorism supporter, should apologise unconditionally to the Australian public for his actions. Hicks, who was released from in , was expected to make an apology upon release, but his lawyer read a prepared statement instead. He spent six years at Guantanamo Bay before being convicted of providing material support to terrorists. Mr. Rann says it would be appropriate for Hicks to apologise. "Rather than working for the Taliban, I think it's appropriate for Mr. Hicks to make an apology to the people of Australia," Rann stated. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has said that Hicks "should be treated no differently to any other Australian citizen in these circumstances".
Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of security guards protesting over pay World Cup security guards have clashed with police after a football match between Australia and Germany in South Africa. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hundreds of workers who were protesting over salary levels. The workers, deployed as match stewards on Sunday, said they were being paid only a fraction of what they had been promised. One worker said their employer paid 150 rand, or less than $20, for the day's work, when their contract stipulated almost three times that amount. Riot police chased the workers, who had earlier been responsible for the security of 62,660 fans, from the new Moses Mabhida stadium in the city of Durban. "We were mounting a peaceful protest because they were not paying us what we expected and we were surprised that the police started charging at us," Sydney Nzoli, one of the workers, said. "They fired teargas at us." Woman injured At least one woman was injured when she was hit by a rubber bullet, a witness told Reuters news agency. At least two workers were detained by police, one of them after he handed over a pistol. The 2010 Organising Committee on Monday said a meeting was under way to resolve the pay dispute. The incident highlights the frustrations of the poor who feel they are not benefiting from Africa’s first-ever world cup. South Africa has some of the biggest wealth disparities in the world. Some workers' unions have threatened to bring the country to a standstill during the month-long football tournament if their demands are not met. Ttemba Maseko, a government spokesperson, said "People will and must be allowed to raise their issues but we will not tolerate anybody either threatening and disrupting the World Cup. "It's not going to happen and I can assure you let alone our security services, ordinary South Africans will not allow anyone to spoil this party." \|\|\|\|\| A rally by hundreds of world cup workers protesting over wages deteriorated into a confrontation with police outside the Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. Riot police armed with shot guns and riot shields chased the workers who were deployed as stewards in the ground where Germany had earlier beaten Australia 4 – 0. Tear gas and rubber bullets were used injuring at least one woman. The disturbance started after the employees were paid less than half what they had expected for their work during the match. About 500 were contained by police although only two were eventually detained. \|\|\|\|\| Stewards at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town left their posts ahead of this evening’s game between Italy and Paraguay. The walk out has prompted fears over the security for England’s match on Friday against Algeria where more than 15,000 fans are expected to attend from the UK. The South African Police Service has taken over responsibility for security services, which includes screening those entering the ground for offensive weapons and other banned objects. The move follows a demonstration by staff at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban last night which ended in armed police firing tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters. The dispute is among stewards hired by security firm, Stallion Security Consortium Pty (Ltd), who have complained they have not been paid the wages they were originally promised. In Durban more than 300 staff staged a sit in at the ground following the match between Germany and Australia. The workers claimed they had been promised £130 per shift but when they had received their wage packets some had earned as little as £17. Riot police moved in after the protesters refused to disperse and at least one woman was injured after being hit by a rubber bullet. The World Cup Organising Committee have confirmed that the South African Police Service have now taken over security at both the stadiums in Durban and Cape Town. Officers manned the turnstiles at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town ahead of the match between Italy and Paraguay and officials insisted security was not compromised. The organising committee CEO Danny Jordaan said: “This is an employer, employee wage dispute. Although we have respect for worker’s rights, we find it unacceptable for them to disrupt match day proceedings and will not hesitate to take action in such instances.” Thousands of extra security guards and police have been employed in order to clamp down on criminals targeting World Cup fans and also to ensure there are no outbreaks of violence between rival sets of supporters. More than 10,000 England fans who attended the team’s opening game against the USA in Rustenburg on Saturday were praised for their good behaviour by the South African police. No arrests were made and there were no reports of any supporters being targeted by criminals. But with more supporters expected to attend Friday’s match against Algeria, concern is mounting that the security operation will not be at full strength.	Following a labour dispute involving soccer match stewards, South African police have taken over security duties for World Cup games in Cape Town and . Security personnel staged a sit-down protest in the Durban stadium on Sunday, and walked off the job before yesterday's match in Cape Town. The security workers are in a contract dispute with their employer, Stallion Security Consortium Pty (Ltd). Workers claim they were promised as much as seven times as much pay for a shift than what they are currently receiving. Following the 2010 FIFA World Cup match between Germany and Australia on Sunday, workers staged a sit-in on the grounds of the Durban stadium and were attacked by police with tear gas and rubber bullets. The 2010 organizing committee claims they are working on resolving this dispute. Some South African unions have threatened to severely disrupt the country during the World Cup if labour demands are not met. South Africa currently has one of the largest disparities in the world.
WASHINGTON, Jan 26 (Reuters) - Japanese company Nipro Corp (8086.T) has recalled 2 million needles distributed in the United States for withdrawing blood, injecting medicines and other purposes, U.S. health officials said on Tuesday. Stocks \| Regulatory News The needles are used to access ports implanted under the skin of chronically ill patients for repeated access to veins. The Food and Drug Administration said October 2009 inspections of Nipro facilities in Japan found problems with the companies' needles that could allow pieces of the port's silicone core to become dislodged. The inspections found 60 percent to 72 percent of Nipro's needles tested had that problem, the FDA said. No harm has been documented, but FDA officials told reporters on a conference call they were concerned a piece of silicone could enter a patient's bloodstream. The needles are a type known as Huber needles and were distributed by privately held Exel International. Nipro subsidiary Nipro Medical Corp referred questions to Exel. An Exel official could not immediately be reached for comment. Details about the recalled needles were posted on the FDA website here (Reporting by Lisa Richwine, editing by Leslie Gevirtz) \|\|\|\|\| Washington (CNN) -- Millions of needles used in ports implanted under the skin of chronically ill patients are being voluntarily recalled, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced Tuesday. More than 2 million Huber needles, manufactured by Nipro Medical Corp. in Japan and distributed by Exelint International Corp., headquartered in Los Angeles, California, are affected. Huber needles are used primarily in hospitals and clinics -- and in some instances by patients receiving long-term treatment at home -- to draw blood or to inject medicine, other nutritional solutions or blood products. They are used with ports, which are small medical appliances placed under the skin. The Class 1 recall -- denoting that the FDA considers the product to be of the highest risk -- involves Exel/Exelint Huber needles, Exel/Exelint Huber Infusion Sets and Exel/Exelint "Securetouch+" Safety Huber Infusion Sets. Approximately 6 million Huber needles are used each year in the United States. The agency determined that 60 to 70 percent of Exelint's needles "cored," or cut slivers of silicone, when inserted into ports, raising the possibility of the silicone slivers entering the veins, damaging the port itself or harming the surrounding tissue. There have been reports of leakage, the FDA said, but none of silicone entering the vascular system as a result of the needles. It said anyone using the products should stop immediately and return any unused needles to Exelint. Investigations are being done of needles from 20 companies, and 10 of those investigations have been completed, the agency said. So far, no other products have been recalled. The FDA said it has sent letters to all Huber manufacturers asking them to address any design or manufacturing problems. There was no immediate public comment from Exelint.	The Japanese company Nipro has voluntarily recalled two million needles in the US used for withdrawing blood and medicine injections, health officials said today. The affected items are Huber needles, manufactured in Japan and distributed by Exelint International Corporation. The needles are intended to access ports placed under chronically ill patients' skin, for frequent access to veins. According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), inspections of Nipro facilities last October revealed problems with the needles, which could allow parts of silicone in the port to be dislodged. 60%–72% of tested needles had that problem. In a conference call with reporters, FDA officials remarked that they were concerned the silicone could enter the bloodstream of a patient, although, to date, no harm from this has been reported. "There are more than 2 million units impacted by this recall in distribution nationwide. Recalled needles were manufactured from January 2007 to August 2009," read a statement on the FDA's website. "... Hospitals, clinics and patients who have needles from these lists should immediately stop using these affected products and return any unused products to Exelint International Corporation." "At this time, the FDA has not received any adverse event reports related to silicone foreign bodies released in patients from Huber needle coring ... However, because it may be very difficult for clinicians to associate adverse patient outcomes with the use of defective Huber needles, there may be under-reporting of events," the statement continued. Exelint has not yet issued a public statement about the report from the FDA.
Caso não seja cadastrado, preencha os campos abaixo para ter acesso a todo o conteúdo do Globo On Line E-mail: Confirme o e-mail: Senha: Confirme a senha: Lembrar a senha para ter acesso automático ao site nas próximas visitas Nome Completo: Data de Nascimento: / / Sexo: Masculino Feminino Telefone: ( ) De onde acessa: Brasil África América Latina Ásia América do Norte Europa Oceania CEP residencial: - consulte Estado: AC AL AM AP BA CE DF ES GO MA MG MS MT PA PB PE PI PR RJ RN RO RR RS SC SE SP TO Renda individual mensal: Selecione Até R$500 De R$500 a R$1.000 De R$1.000 a R$2.000 De R$2.000 a R$3.000 De R$3.000 a R$5.000 De R$5.000 a R$7.000 Mais de R$7.000 Prefiro não informar Escolaridade: Selecione Fundamental incompleto Fundamental Médio incompleto Médio Superior incompleto Superior Pós-graduação É leitor do Globo impresso? Selecione Sou assinante - titular da assinatura Sou assinante - dependente Compro na banca Leio comprado por outra pessoa Assino outro jornal Compro outro jornal na banca Só leio na internet Com que freqüência? Selecione Leio diariamente Leio de 3 a 5 vezes por semana Leio até 3 vezes por semana Leio só aos domingos \|\|\|\|\| 06/06/2005 - 13h23 Filho de Pelé é detido durante operação do Denarc Publicidade J.Araújo/Folha Imagem O ex-jogador Edinho, filho de Pelé Com Folha de S.Paulo daO ex-goleiro Edson do Nascimento, o Edinho, filho de Pelé, foi preso nesta segunda-feira sob suspeita de envolvimento com tráfico de drogas.Edinho foi detido em Santos (litoral de São Paulo). Além dele, cerca de 20 pessoas também foram presas, como parte de investigações realizadas pelo Denarc (Departamento de Investigações sobre Narcóticos).Há suspeita que entre os presos estejam envolvidos no seqüestro de Marina Souza, mãe do jogador Robinho. Ela foi levada pelos seqüestradores no dia 6 de novembro do ano passado e ficou 41 dias no cativeiro.A Polícia Civil, porém, ainda não divulgou detalhes sobre os trabalhos ou apreensões feitas durante a operação. A reportagem não conseguiu localizar, por telefone, representantes de Edinho para comentar a prisão.Como goleiro do time que deu fama ao pai, Edinho foi vice-campeão brasileiro em 95. Até se firmar como goleiro da equipe, jogou pela Portuguesa Santista (92) e pelo São Caetano (93). Retornou à Vila Belmiro em 94 e ficou até 98. Voltou um ano depois, após passar pela Ponte Preta.Em 2003, virou empresário de jogadores, ao abrir uma empresa com Shep Messing --companheiro de Pelé no time Cosmos, time dos EUA. Rompeu com o sócio para abrir seu próprio negócio. \|\|\|\|\| Seg, 06 Jun - 13h47 Filho de Pelé é preso por envolvimento com tráfico Agência Estado Após oito meses de investigação, a polícia prendeu na manhã desta segunda-feira o ex-jogador Edinho, filho de Pelé, com outras 17 pessoas acusadas de tráfico de drogas e ligação com uma organização criminosa do Rio de Janeiro. Foram apreendidos também onze carro e armas. As informações são do jornal SPTV, da TV Globo.	According to the Brazilian newspaper O Estado de São Paulo, the newspaper of TV Globo informed that the former-goalkeeper of Santos Football Club and son of the famous soccer player Pelé, Edinho, was arrested in company of another 17 persons. The police accuse them of drug trafficking and connections with a criminal organization in Rio de Janeiro. The arrest happened this Monday, June 6, by morning.
Kenya is expected to file a notice of non-participation in the he... Carey Joy says her marriage to Albert Wanyonyi was ordained in he... How Bukusu man won the heart of an American girl Njoroge said the donation was a gesture of love and appreciation ... The Standard Podcasts Get all your favorite podcasts: Gumzo la Maisha, Maji Makuu, Maisha Kilimo, Danadana Viwanjani, What Your Mama Didn't Tell You and many more... Read The Standard newspaper without interuption on all your devices. Subscribe \|\|\|\|\| A day after the jubilation of South Sudan's independence proclamation, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N. warned Sunday of a "real risk" that the north-south peace process could unravel unless outstanding issues such as oil and border demarcations are quickly resolved. Celebrations rang out Saturday in the South Sudan capital of Juba, the first day of independence after decades of civil war between Sudan's north and south. Some 2 million people died in the most recent war, from 1983-2005. On Sunday, the capital appeared hungover from its massive celebration, though small groups of people still sang and danced on street corners. The new country's national anthem played from speakers and cell phones. The joy of independence day temporarily overshadowed the ongoing hostilities between the northern army and southern-allied forces in the northern state of South Kordofan and other violence along the north-south border. The south and north have yet to agree on a demarcated border, and the issue of oil remains contentious. The south has most of the oil but it must move it through the north's pipes. Dozens of world leaders joined a crowd tens of thousands strong in Juba on Saturday. The American delegation was led by Susan Rice, who told The Associated Press in a phone interview on Sunday that the U.S. government remains "focused on the urgency of resolving" the outstanding north-south issues. "We feel that until they are resolved, there's a real risk of the process to date beginning to unravel," she said. Rice said that the U.S. government would remain "very actively involved" in supporting negotiations between Khartoum and Juba. U.S. officials say they hope the talks will restart in the next week through a process led by an African Union panel. "As wonderful a day as yesterday (Saturday) was ... we are mindful that even as those presidents pledge a commitment to peaceful and cooperative relations, that these issues are such that in the absence of resolution there is a risk of things beginning to disintegrate," she added. Sudan President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted for war crimes for his role in the conflict in Sudan's western region of Darfur, attended Saturday's ceremony and appealed for the two nations to work to "overcome the bitterness of the past." Rice dismissed the possibility of U.S. military intervention in South Kordofan, where northern aerial bombardments have driven tens of thousands of black Africans from the Nuba ethnic group into caves for protection from the raids. She noted that the U.S. has not been involved militarily in Sudan and she doesn't foresee that changing in the near future. She said that given the great urgency of the ongoing crisis, the U.S. is working hard to continue to "engage diplomatically to try to broker (a) cessation" of hostilities. Southern Sudan voted in a January referendum to break away from the north as part of a north-south peace deal that ended the decades-long civil war in 2005. But the future of the 4,000-square-mile (10,500-square-kilometer) Abyei region, which lies near the north-south border, is still in flux. South Sudan is expected to become the 193rd country recognized by the United Nations next week and the 54th U.N. member state in Africa. \|\|\|\|\| South Sudan formally declares independence Updated South Sudan has hoisted its national flag after declaring independence and becoming the world's newest sovereign state to wild applause, tears and song. "We shall never, never surrender," the crowd chanted, as people whistled and wiped tears from their eyes. "I should cry for the recognition of this flag among the flags of the world," shouted one tearful man. "We have been denied our rights. Today, no more shall that happen." The South Sudanese parliament speaker read out the formal declaration of independence for the Republic of South Sudan, the final step in a 2005 deal that followed decades of war between the north and south. "We, the democratically elected representatives of the people, hereby declare Southern Sudan to be an independent and sovereign state," speaker James Wani Igga said, splitting Africa's largest country in two. The declaration of independence affirmed the new state's democratic and multi-ethnic and multi-confessional character, and its commitment to friendly relations with all countries "including the Republic of Sudan", Mr Igga said. The parliament speaker said as a "strategic priority," South Sudan would seek admission to the United Nations, the African Union, the east African bloc IGAD and other international bodies. South Sudan's Salva Kiir was sworn in as president. "I ... do hereby swear by Almighty God that as the president of the Republic of South Sudan I shall be faithful and bear true allegiance to the Republic of South Sudan," Mr Kiir said, reading out an oath on a podium before tens of thousands of southerners. Mr Kiir offered an amnesty to armed groups fighting his government, and promised to bring peace to troubled border areas. "I would to take this opportunity to declare amnesty for all those who have taken up arms against Sudan," he said. "I want to assure the people of Abyei, Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan that we have not forgotten you. "When you cry, we cry. When you bleed, we bleed. I pledge to you today that we will find a just peace for all." Guest of honour Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir was guest of honour at the ceremony, and watched a parade by thousands of members of the former rebel army that he failed to defeat in 16 years command of the northern forces. Bashir was guest of honour, even though he is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. He congratulated South Sudan on its independence and called for good neighbourly relations. In a gesture of goodwill, Sudan was the first nation to recognise the south, hours before the official birth of the new state. "We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of their new state," said Bashir, addressing thousands of southerners who cheered after he spoke. "We share their joy and celebration. The will of the people of the south has to be respected. "Despite our belief that Sudan's unity would have been better ... the gains achieved over the last years from the shared conviction of the feasibility of peace ... must be protected." From early morning, revellers gathered at the venue, singing songs and carrying flags, amid tight security for the ceremony, which was attended by scores of African leaders and senior Western officials. It was the largest international gathering ever seen in the war-damaged former garrison town on the White Nile that lacks even basic infrastructure, and army generals were asked to vacate their seats to make space for foreign dignitaries. South Sudan's independence came exactly six months after southerners voted almost unanimously to split with their former civil war enemies in the north. For decades, until a peace agreement was signed in 2005, southern rebels fought successive wars with the north, leaving the region in ruins, millions of people dead and a legacy of mutual mistrust. UN chief Ban Ki-moon, a prominent guest at the ceremony, praised the "political courage" of the Sudanese government in accepting southern independence. "I know secession is painful, emotionally and financially," Ban said after meeting Foreign Minister Ali Karti in Khartoum before flying to Juba for the celebrations. "While the people of north and south Sudan will soon live in different countries, their future will be closely linked." President Barack Obama later granted US recognition of South Sudan as an independent state. "After so much struggle by the people of South Sudan, the United States of America welcomes the birth of a new nation," Mr Obama said in a statement issued by the White House. - AFP/Reuters First posted \|\|\|\|\| South Sudan's flag raised at independence ceremony Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Tens of thousands of South Sudanese have watched the raising of the country's new flag at an independence ceremony in the capital, Juba. Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir and UN chief Ban Ki-moon are among dignitaries who came for the event. South Sudan became the world's newest nation at midnight, the climax of a process made possible by the 2005 peace deal that ended a long civil war. Sudan earlier became the first state to officially recognise its new neighbour. The south's independence follows decades of conflict with the north in which some 1.5 million people died. Excitement and relief Celebrations in Juba began at midnight (2100 GMT). A countdown clock in the city centre reached zero and the new national anthem was played on television. South Sudan became the 193rd country recognised by the UN and the 54th UN member state in Africa. Continue reading the main story At the scene Officials had planned for people to hold quiet celebrations at home, with the formal declaration of independence due later on Saturday. But the people clearly couldn't wait. Two hours before midnight and lines of cars zoomed around town packed with people waving flags and waiting to celebrate. When the final countdown arrived, the atmosphere was wild. Groups ran down roads, dancing to drum beats. Soldiers and policemen joined in too, waving paper flags and laughing. A sign read: "Congratulations, free at last, South Sudan." But the people didn't need to read the message - they were already dancing and leaping with happiness. "It is a shout of freedom," said Alfred Tut, lifting his head back and screaming. The BBC's Will Ross in Juba says the new country's problems were put aside for the night amid an air of great jubilation. People were in the streets cheering, waving South Sudan flags, banging drums and chanting the name of President Salva Kiir Mayardit, he adds. On Saturday, a formal independence ceremony was held at the mausoleum of the late rebel leader John Garang, who died just months after signing the peace deal that ended Africa's longest-running conflict. Our correspondent says South Sudanese have flocked to the event on a baking hot day - some of them are even climbing trees to get a view of what is going on. There is celebratory mood and there is a heartfelt display of excitement mixed with relief that after so many years of feeling oppressed the tie with the north has finally been cut, he says. The Speaker of the South Sudan Legislative Assembly, James Wani Igga, read out the Proclamation of the Independence of South Sudan. Afterwards, crowds cheered as Sudan's national flag was lowered and the new flag of South Sudan was raised. 'Southern brothers' Earlier, Mr Bashir arrived at Juba airport where he was greeted by Mr Kiir. Other attendees include former US Secretary of State Colin Powell, the US permanent representative to the UN, Susan Rice, and the head of the US military's Africa Command, Gen Carter Ham. Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a referendum was held on independence, which was approved by more than 99% of voters. The new country is rich in oil, but one of the least developed countries in the world, where one in seven children dies before the age of five. Unresolved disputes between the north and south, particularly over the new border, have also raised the possibility of renewed conflict. Continue reading the main story South Sudan Facts and figures: Population: 7.5-9.7 million Size: 619,745 sq km (239,285 sq miles), larger than Spain and Portugal combined Major languages: English, Arabic (both official), Juba Arabic, Dinka Religion: Traditional and a Christian minority Main export: Oil Challenges ahead: One of world's least developed countries: Worst maternal mortality rate; most children below 13 not in school; 84% of women are illiterate Relations with Sudan: Dividing debts and oil; border disputes; citizenship Security: At least seven active rebel groups President Bashir, who agreed the 2005 peace deal with the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA), stressed his country's "readiness to work with our southern brothers and help them set up their state so that, God willing, this state will be stable and develop". "The co-operation between us will be excellent, particularly when it comes to marking and preserving the border so there is a movement of citizens and goods via this border," he told journalists in Khartoum. Fears of fresh conflict resurfaced after recent fighting in two border areas, Abyei and South Kordofan, which forced some 170,000 people from their homes. But separate deals - and the withdrawal of rival forces from the border - have calmed tensions. The UN Security Council has passed a resolution approving a new 7,000-strong peacekeeping force for South Sudan - but this is basically a rebranding of the force which was already in Sudan, mostly in the south. Khartoum has said its mandate would not be renewed, leading the US to argue that the 1,000 UN troops should be allowed to remain in South Kordofan. The 1,000 troops in the disputed town of Abyei are to be replaced by 4,200 Ethiopian soldiers. Our correspondent says keeping both the north and the south stable long after the celebratory parties have ended will be a mighty challenge. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The two sides must still decide on issues such as drawing up the new border and how to divide Sudan's debts and oil wealth. Analysts say the priority for Khartoum will be to negotiate a favourable deal on oil revenue, as most oilfields lie in the south. At present, the revenues are being shared equally. Khartoum has some leverage, as most of the oil pipelines flow north to Port Sudan on the Red Sea. Citizenship is also a key issue which has not yet been decided. A new law passed by the National Assembly in Khartoum has withdrawn Sudanese citizenship from all southerners. The UN refugee agency (UNCHR), has urged both governments to prevent statelessness. Sudan: A country divided \|\|\|\|\| "Today we shall raise the flag of South Sudan to join the nations of the world," said Pagan Amum, the secretary general of the ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement, speaking at the base of a giant flagpole after independence was declared. Celebrations were not dimmed by the daunting problems faced by South Sudan , born as one of the poorest and most war-ravaged nations on Earth despite massive, under-developed oil resources. From early morning, thousands started to arrive at the official venue of Saturday's celebrations in the capital Juba, singing songs and carrying flags. Bells rang out in churches as midnight arrived, the moment of independence. The streets of the dusty city on banks of the White Nile were patrolled by heavily-armed soldiers. William Hague, the Foreign Secretary, was among the dignitaries due to attend a historic ceremony, along with 30 African leaders and senior Western officials. "I have not slept all night, we have been dancing and singing and praising God all night for this our independence," said Mary Ajah, 28, who spent the evening with her congregation at her Protestant church in Juba, the capital. "Not since Adam and Eve walked the Earth have South Sudanese had freedom, until today." Valentino Achak Deng, a former refugee from the war, said: "Really in my heart what makes me happiest is that from today, when people ask me where I am from, I do not have to say Sudan." "Before, we were associated in statehood with the very people trying to exterminate us." South Sudan's independence comes exactly six months after a referendum in which predominantly Christian southerners voted almost unanimously to split with their former civil war enemies in the north of Sudan, which is mostly Muslim. For decades, until a peace agreement was signed in 2005, southern rebels fought a series of wars with the north, leaving the region in ruins, two million dead and a legacy of mutual mistrust. Military parades, prayers and a performance of the new national anthem were due early in the morning, followed by the declaration of independence, the raising of the Republic of South Sudan's flag and the swearing of an oath of office by the new country's first president, Salva Kiir. Southern officials have said the chief guest of honour at the celebrations would be Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, the south's old enemy and a leader who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity and genocide in Darfur. Alain Juppe, the French Foreign Minister, has already said he will try to avoid an encounter with Mr Bashir at the independence ceremony. But Sudan was among the first countries to officially recognise the fledgling nation, which needs all the help it can get to overcome the vast challenges of building a stable and prosperous future. Northern and southern leaders have still not agreed on a list of issues, most importantly the line of the border and how they will handle oil revenues, the lifeblood of both economies. Sudan, which was Africa's biggest nation until midnight on Friday, has lost much of its oil reserves to the new nation. The Nuba Mountains on the border between Sudan and the new nation has recently been the scene of deadly clashes between northern troops and pro-southern militia. The United Nations Security Council voted on Friday to establish a force of up to 7,000 peacekeepers for South Sudan. \|\|\|\|\| JUBA, South Sudan — The celebrations erupted at midnight. Thousands of revelers poured into Juba’s steamy streets in the predawn hours on Saturday, hoisting enormous flags, singing, dancing and leaping on the back of cars. “Freedom!” they screamed. A new nation was being born in what used to be a forlorn, war-racked patch of Africa, and to many it seemed nothing short of miraculous. After more than five decades of an underdog, guerrilla struggle and two million lives lost, the Republic of South Sudan, Africa’s 54th state, was about to declare its independence in front of a who’s who of Africa, including the president of the country letting it go: Omar Hassan al-Bashir of Sudan, a war-crimes suspect. Many of those who turned out to celebrate, overcome with emotion, spoke of their fathers, mothers, sons and daughters killed in the long struggle to break free from the Arab-dominated north. “My whole body feels happy,” said George Garang, an English teacher who lost his father, grandfather and 11 brothers in the war. \|\|\|\|\| The countdown clock ran out, the flag ascended over the fledgling capital and a new nation born from Africa's longest civil war and the deaths of 2 million people joined the world. The mood in Juba was euphoric Saturday as the Republic of South Sudan formally declared its independence from the north, its bitter antagonist for generations. For the day, at least, a people weary of conflict were willing to ignore that their nation came into being as one the world's most troubled states. Dozens of heads of state gathered outside the mausoleum of southern war hero John Garang at a massive ceremony featuring marching soldiers. Thousands of Sudanese crammed into the parade grounds, singing and cheering. The man sworn in as South Sudan's first president, Salva Kiir, stood alongside his old nemesis, northern President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of war crimes in the western region of Darfur. Bashir's presence was a powerful sign that he has acceded to the partition, however grudgingly. It would not exactly be true to say the country is starting from scratch, because it has been building the rudiments of a functioning government since the 2005 peace deal that made independence possible. But nationhood comes fraught with outsized problems. The country, roughly the size of France, has profound poverty, the highest incidence of maternal death in the world and one of the lowest rates of elementary school enrollment. More than 90% of the population survives on less than a dollar a day, and nearly one in five people are chronically hungry, according to the United Nations. Only about a third of the population has access to safe drinking water, and only a fourth is literate, the U.N. says. There are also concerns about the new country's leaders, most of them former rebel fighters united by a foe that, on peace declarations at least, no longer exists. And devilish issues remain unresolved. Mostly Christian and animist South Sudan says the Arab Muslim north is fomenting insurgencies in its territory. Both claim the oil-rich Abyei region, and they have not decided how to divide their abundant oil revenue: The south has the oil and the north has the pipelines to carry it to market. With independence, the question of exactly what each side will demand, and will be prepared to risk, is expected to come into sharper focus. "In a way, the poker game has just begun," said R. Barrie Walkley, the U.S. consul general in Juba, South Sudan's capital. The United States, which helped broker the peace deal, gives South Sudan $300 million a year in development funds and $150 million in food aid, and is financing the building of the country's first paved highway, which will run from the capital to the border with Uganda at a cost of $225 million. How responsibly the Juba government will spend donor money "is obviously a big concern," Walkley said. "If you talk to the man on the street here, there is the perception that there is corruption at the highest levels." Although the government has an anticorruption commission, he said, it lacks prosecutorial powers. U.S. investment here has been discouraged by sanctions against Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, but with independence, South Sudan breaks free of them. USAID will hold a conference this year to give potential American investors a sense of the business landscape. "There are opportunities here," and the agricultural potential is enormous, Walkley said. "It should be the breadbasket of this part of Africa." Nhial Bol, owner and editor of the Citizen, a 5,000-circulation daily newspaper with the motto "Fighting Corruption and Dictatorship Everyday," believes the leadership of South Sudan wasn't prepared for independence when voters overwhelmingly approved it in January. What used to unite the men now running the country was their battle against the north, he said, "but they don't have one vision for the nation." Bol said he has been arrested and detained three times in the last four years — most recently last month — after criticizing officials for corruption and mismanagement. "People like our leaders have not been challenged in their life," Bol said. Most were once rebel fighters in the bush, and rank brought absolute authority, he said. In that environment, "you can just choose to claim somebody's life, and nobody can challenge you," Bol said. "Now, if you ask, 'What did you do with the money?' he won't like it." Recently, he has published critical articles detailing the funneling of large amounts of money to the army without a proper paper trail. "There is no accounting," Bol said. "The corruption here is very high because the culture of war has been institutionalized."	At 0000 Saturday (2100 Friday), the Republic of South Sudan achieved independent recognition, becoming the newest country on the planet. The parliament speaker for the new country recited a formal independence declaration. After independence was declared, the South Sudanese flag was lifted for all to see, with secretary general Pagan Amum stating: "Today we shall raise the flag of South Sudan to join the nations of the world". Thousands of jubilant people celebrated in the new country's capital Juba. They danced in the streets, sang songs and waved flags. Churches rang their bells at midnight as independence arrived. People crowded to the official ceremonial site, held at the of , leader of the rebellion who died several months after the peace deal was signed with Sudan, ending the bloody conflict. Many of the celebrants spoke emotionally of their family members who died in the long struggle with Sudan. George Garang, an English teacher, said he lost his father, grandfather and eleven brothers. "My whole body feels happy," he said. Valentino Achak Deng, who was a refugee during the war, said: "Really in my heart what makes me happiest is that from today, when people ask me where I am from, I do not have to say Sudan." has assumed the role as president of South Sudan. Kiir swore to pledge true alliance and faithfulness to South Sudan. In a speech, Kiir declared amnesty for any who have taken up arms against Sudan. Kiir insisted that martyrs for the cause of the new country did not die in vain, although South Sudan waited 56 years to be free. The southern Sudanese had agitated for more rights, even before Sudan became free from its British colonizers in 1956. Sudan was divided into three separate demographic groups, with the southern part of the country home to Christians and animists and the northern part dominated by Arab populations and those of Muslim faith. Kiir said to people of , Darfur, and , who remain part of Sudan, that "we have not forgotten you. When you cry, we cry. When you bleed, we bleed. I pledge to you today that we will find a just peace for all." Amongst those attending the event were Ban Ki-moon, the current and , the current president of Sudan. The latter was the guest of honour, despite the fact that the has a warrant out for his arrest based on offences of and in the Darfur region. "We congratulate our brothers in the south for the establishment of their new state," al-Bashir said at the event. "We share their joy and celebration. The will of the people of the south has to be respected." Two million individuals died in the between the two territories of Sudan and Southern Sudan and four million more exiled, a war that was waged for decades. Control of south Sudan's oil rich reserves was the primary reason for the fighting. An was signed in 2005, effectively bringing the war to an end, and Sudan became one of the first countries to recognise South Sudan. Under the regulations of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, Sudan held an independence referendum. In excess of 99% of those participating in the vote agreed to the concept of independence for South Sudan. Meanwhile, the United Nations plans to make the independent state its 193rd recognised country and its 54th African U.N. member state. United States president Barack Obama formerly recognized the new nation on behalf of the US and acknowledged the enormous struggle of its people to achieve independence. South Sudan remains a desperately poor country, with one in five of its inhabitants chronically hungry, only one third having access to safe drinking water and with the world's highest rate of maternal death. The country lacks infrastructure such as roads and railways. It remains torn by ethnic and tribal rivalries and many problems with the north remain unresolved, including the exact boundary line. Important revenue for Sudan has come from the rich oilfields of the south, keeping the country afloat and essential now for both economies. A formula remains to be developed on how to split these revenues between the two areas. U.S. ambassador to the U.N. said today that the peace process between Sudan and North Sudan could come apart if issues such as the division of the oil revenues and the border location are not solved soon.
Paul Kirk Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has named former Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul Kirk, Jr., to temporarily replace the late Edward M. Kennedy in the U.S. Senate. Kirk, a longtime friend and former aide to the late senator, will serve in the post until voters pick a permanent replacement during a special election in January. The governor told reporters Thursday that matters before Congress and the nation are "too important for us to be one voice short" in Washington. The appointment gives Democratic leaders in the U.S. Senate the 60th seat needed to circumvent efforts by Senate Republicans to prevent crucial votes on a health care reform bill. The late senator had called reform of the nation's health care system the cause of his life. U.S. President Barack Obama says Kirk is an excellent interim choice to carry on the work of the late senator. Kirk described the appointment as a profound honor and added that he will not run in the special election. Kennedy's widow, Victoria, and his two sons, Edward Junior and U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, each urged Governor Patrick to name Kirk. Kennedy died August 25 of brain cancer. The appointment comes one day after the Massachusetts state House and Senate passed legislation allowing the governor to name an interim replacement until a special election is held. \|\|\|\|\| Paul Kirk said it would be an honour to serve as senator The governor of Massachusetts has named Paul Kirk as a temporary replacement to fill the Senate seat left vacant by the death of Edward Kennedy. Mr Kirk, 71, is a former Democratic Party chairman and worked for Sen Kennedy for eight years. The move means that Democrats in the US Senate have regained the majority needed to push through President Obama's healthcare reform agenda. They fell one seat short through the death of Sen Kennedy. The Massachusetts state senate voted on Wednesday to allow the state governor to appoint a temporary replacement senator. Without the change, Sen Kennedy's seat would have stayed vacant until January. The rule change was one of Edward Kennedy's last wishes. 'Highest honour' The late senator feared that if his fellow Democrats did not have a full complement of senators, passing a healthcare reform bill would be more difficult. Mr Kennedy campaigned throughout his career for universal healthcare, and did not want his death to jeopardise prospects for reform. His widow Vicki Kennedy and son Edward Kennedy Jr had urged Governor Deval Patrick to choose Paul Kirk. "He (Sen Kennedy) often said that representing the people of Massachusetts in the Senate of the United States was the highest honour that he could possible imagine, and it is certainly nothing that I imagined, but it will be my highest honour, as well," said Mr Kirk. He is expected to be sworn in on Friday and will serve until 19 January. \|\|\|\|\| This was a test of Camelot's clout and Governor Deval Patrick's loyalties. Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, lobbied for Paul G. Kirk, Jr. as Ted Kennedy's interim successor. So did Kennedy's sons, Patrick and Edward M. Kennedy Jr. The pressure built. Patrick yielded. In picking Kirk, Patrick chose a loyal Kennedy foot soldier and political insider who is well-known inside Washington';s power circles -- but is virtually unknown to Massachusetts voters. In picking Kirk, Patrick rejected Michael S. Dukakis, who served three terms as governor of Massachusetts and won his party's presidential nomination, fighting all the while for core Democratic values. The Dukakis loss to George H.W. Bush in the 1988 presidential race is an unpleasant reminder of Democratic failure. But it is also an example of Dukakis's unwavering commitment to key Democratic principles, including health care reform. Dukakis' wife, Kitty, was also an early and avid Patrick supporter, who stood behind his bid for governor when other Democrats wrote it off. Kennedy's last wish for an interim replacement is being framed as a noble desire to retain two votes for Massachusetts, and especially to deliver a vote on health care legislation in the US Senate. It's also about keeping Kennedy's office staff in Washington as long as possible. Given the Kennedy staff reputation for excellence, there's nothing wrong with that goal and there's nothing terrible about choosing Kirk to carry it out. He's a good man for the interim job. But let's not over-wrap it in Camelot's gauze. Pushing Kirk as the temporary bearer of the Kennedy torch is typical backroom politics. And, and it was done with typically sharp Kennedy elbows. Kirk, a lawyer and onetime chairman of the Democratic National Committee, served as a special assistant to Kennedy from 1969 to 1977. He is currently the chairman of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation. He will do exactly what Kennedy would want him to do on health care reform and other issues that come up in the limited time of his interim appointment. But so would Dukakis. Or maybe he wouldn't. Is that so bad? Why must Kirk be promoted at Dukakis's expense, by painting the former governor as a stubborn, aging, trash-collecting, eccentric? It's pathetic to read the whispers of unnamed party officials who suggest that "an independent streak" makes Dukakis unsuitable for Washington. It's sad to hear the twenty-year-old jokes about a politician who left office to teach college students, not make millions in lobbyist fees; who walked away from elective office but stayed in the fight for public policy; who knows what he believes in and isn't afraid to state it; and who has a humble side, at odds with the over-inflated political ego that is a Washington staple. In New York, Caroline Kennedy tried and failed to win appointment as Hillary Clinton's replacement, after the former first lady and presidential candidate left the US Senate to become secretary of state. But in Massachusetts, the Kennedy legacy has more staying power and the Kennedy family believes it has more to say about who carries it forth. Ted Kennedy's temporary replacement must reflect Kennedy's values and embody his spirit, as they define it. The interim senator will hold the job only until a new senator is elected on Jan. 19. But the person should be more than a seat-warmer, not that either Kirk or Dukakis fits that description. As James Michael Curley once said, "Every time you do a favor for a constituent, you make nine enemies and one ingrate." From the start, Camelot's last hurrah was a dilemma for Patrick. To paraphrase Curley, who would be the ingrate, who the enemies? If it is a last hurrah. One of Joe Kennedy's twin sons is supposedly interested in the eighth congressional district seat that his father once held. Its current occupant, Rep. Michael Capuano, is running to replace Ted Kennedy in January's special election. A Capuano win would leave an opening for another Kennedy-for-Congress campaign. The torch may yet be passed to another Kennedy generation. No one wants to get burned. Joan Vennochi can be reached at vennochi@globe.com. © Copyright 2009 Globe Newspaper Company. \|\|\|\|\| THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary __________________________________________________________________ FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 24, 2009 Statement by The President on The Appointment of Paul Kirk as US Senator From Massachusetts "I am pleased that Massachusetts will have its full representation in the United States Senate in the coming months, as important issues such as health care, financial reform and energy will be debated. Paul Kirk is a distinguished leader, whose long collaboration with Senator Kennedy makes him an excellent, interim choice to carry on his work until the voters make their choice in January." ### \|\|\|\|\| BOSTON – Senator John Kerry today spoke at a press conference in which Governor Deval Patrick appointed Paul Kirk to temporarily fill Senator Kennedy’s seat. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery. “Governor Patrick, I think we all agree that the mark of a good Chief Executive isn't just making the difficult decisions, but getting them right. We are blessed in Massachusetts to have an enduring surplus of political and civic talent. There are a number of highly qualified people the Governor could have appointed. This was no easy call. But I believe the choice the Governor has made is completely in keeping with the intent of the change in the law by the legislature and the intent of all of us who advocated for the changes, including Senator Kennedy. This is a caretaker appointment, a gentle transition, a kind of stewardship -- and Paul Kirk will be a superb steward of this seat. Governor Patrick found the person for this moment and did what's in the best interests of our state. “I also want to thank Speaker DeLeo and Senate President Murray, without whose leadership and legislative skill the forces of taking the easiest route and the path of political least resistance would’ve prevailed, and this day would never have come. Like Ted Kennedy, they weren't afraid to sail into the political winds and do what's right for Massachusetts. “And none of us here today forget the fact that Ted Kennedy spent the final weeks of his life just as he had spent his life in the Senate looking out for Massachusetts. He reminded us that it was “vital for this Commonwealth to have two voices speaking for the needs of its citizens and two votes in the Senate” - especially in these times. He asked us to act, not for him, but for Massachusetts, and we did. “Vicki, Teddy Jr, and Patrick keep his memory alive --and understand that Paul Kirk shares Ted's love of this state and this country as well as his passion for public service. And they well understood we’re facing an historic moment in this country, the most critical legislative work in Washington since the New Deal - work in which every vote will count and in which Massachusetts must be fully counted. “In that work, Paul Kirk will ensure Massachusetts has a voice and a steward in these next months. Paul never ran for public office, but he’ll hit the ground running in the Senate with a familiarity with the Teddy’s Senate staff, a command of all the issues, an understanding of the politics at play in Washington, and with such a kinship with Teddy’s public values. “But more than that, he understands that public service is a higher calling and that we have a responsibility to carry on. This is not the first time that the passing of a Kennedy brother brought Paul back into service to his state. After Robert Kennedy’s assassination, Paul was ready to quit politics but after Ted told him he had a responsibility to fight on, he signed on to Teddy’s staff in 1969 and became one of Teddy’s most important advisers, a role he continued even after he left the Senate staff in 1977 through Teddy's final days. And it was during Paul’s tenure on Teddy’s Senate staff that Paul was first drawn into the debate over health care and drawn in with passion. He will represent Massachusetts now in the fight to make Teddy's life's work a reality. “It wasn’t always politics that pulled Ted and Paul together, however. It was a deep and abiding friendship between these two great men. They celebrated Thanksgivings together with their families or the weekends of the Harvard-Yale football games or, in recent months, long visits of shared reminiscing. It is no wonder that in his memoirs, Teddy refers to Paul as ‘my dear friend.’ “All of us were touched these last weeks to see Teddy's desk in the Senate, adorned with his favorite flowers and a simple cherished poem by Robert Frost, Teddy's favorite. But the selection of Paul to replace his friend in the Senate brings to mind a line from one of Frost’s other poems. Frost wrote: “Men work together,” I told him from the heart, ‘whether they work together or apart.’ “Teddy and Paul worked together for much of their lives, and even though they are apart now I have no doubt that they will still be working together in the United States Senate -- working together for Massachusetts.” \|\|\|\|\| "If it had to be somebody else, believe me, this was the guy," Dukakis said in an interview at his Brookline home. "He will hit the ground running, probably even faster than I would because he was down in Washington. He's going to be fine." Dukakis, 75, was for several weeks the most often-mentioned candidate for appointment by Gov. Deval Patrick to temporarily replace the late Edward M. Kennedy in the US Senate until a special election is held Jan. 19 . But this morning, Patrick announced that he had made a different choice, naming Paul G. Kirk Jr., a former Democratic National Committee chairman and the favorite of the Kennedy, to take the seat. "Hey, after you've run for the presidency of the United States..." Dukakis said, before trailing off. Then he graciously fielded questions on what it was like, once again, to be a contender but not quite make it. He took his wife, Kitty, for outpatient knee surgery. He taught a political science class at Northeastern University, and spoke at a campus event about health care as a basic right. BROOKLINE -- If he was having a difficult day, former Governor Michael Dukakis tried not to show it. Dukakis has experienced plenty of disappointment before -- he suffered a bruising defeat in his first bid for re-election, in 1978, and then was crushed by George H.W. Bush in the presidential campaign of 1988. But he remains widely popular among Massachusetts liberals, many of whom were rooting to see him in the public square once more. "The reality is, among Democrats he's very popular," said Philip Johnston, former chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party and Dukakis' secretary of health and human services, who was among those initially lobbying for Dukakis to win the appointment. Dukakis had already been vetted by the Patrick administration and was among those under serious consideration when Kirk's name surfaced as the preferred candidate of Kennedy's widow and sons. "I think the governor -- in a politically tenuous re-election position -- caved to pressure from the Kennedys," said one Dukakis fan, Sam Solomon, a fund-raising and organizational development consultant from Brookline who worked on Dukakis's presidential campaign. "Not catering to the family could hurt him next year. Snubbing Mike comes with no real political cost." Republicans -- including GOP gubernatorial candidate Christy Mihos -- had been relishing the idea of reviving Dukakis politically so they could remind voters of Dukakis' worst moments as a presidential candidate and link the current Democratic governor to old images of "Taxachusetts." "Go ahead -- make my day," Mihos was quoted as saying of the prospect of Dukakis' appointment. Some political observers were unhappy that Patrick had let Dukakis' name be bandied about publicly if he did not intend ultimately to appoint him. But Dukakis said he has no complaints. "In the last analysis, it's the guy in the governor's office who's got to make this decision. I have a lot of respect for Deval and you've got to make a choice," said Dukakis. "You do this almost every day and you're disappointing somebody when you pick somebody else -- but that's not a problem with me." Dukakis, now gray and subdued, adopted the tone of an elder statesman as he spoke about Kirk, whom he had helped become chairman of the Democratic National Committee. "I have enormous respect for him," Dukakis said. And then, speaking of the period when Kirk headed the Democratic Party and Dukakis was the party's presidential nominee, he said, "He did a fabulous job, and I regret to say I kind of screwed it up at the end." Dukakis, who now teaches political science to about 65 undergraduate and graduate students at Northeastern, said he is happy to continue his academic life. "I'm a very pretty steady guy," he said. "I take my professional work seriously." Does that mean he has no regrets about his latest moment as a contender? The former governor looked down at his kitchen table quietly. "That's that," he said.	Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has named former Democratic National Committee Chairman Paul Kirk to temporarily replace the late Edward "Ted" Kennedy in the US Senate. Ted Kennedy Kirk, a longtime friend and former aide to Kennedy, is to be sworn in as senator this Friday. He will serve in the post until voters pick a permanent replacement during a special election next January. The governor told reporters Thursday that matters before Congress and the nation are "too important for us to be one voice short" in Washington. The appointment gives Democratic leaders in the Senate the 60th seat needed to circumvent efforts by Senate Republicans to prevent crucial votes on a health care reform bill. The late senator had called reform of the nation's health care system the cause of his life. Kirk said he was honoured to be appointed and added that he will not run in the special election. "He Kennedy often said that representing the people of Massachusetts in the Senate of the United States was the highest honour that he could possibly imagine, and it is certainly nothing that I imagined, but it will be my highest honour, as well," Kirk said. Kennedy's widow, Victoria, and his two sons, Edward Kennedy, Jr. and US Representative Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, both urged Governor Patrick to name Kirk. The appointment comes one day after the Massachusetts House and Senate passed legislation allowing the governor to name an interim replacement until a special election is held. Kennedy's seat would have remained empty until the next elections, had that legislation not been approved. The rule change was one of Kennedy's last wishes.
Few Congolese benefit from the country's mineral wealth Voting has been mostly peaceful but at least one person died in protests over alleged fraud in the north-east. Results are not expected to be announced for about a week. Congolese hope the election will end years of conflict and abuse of power. Incumbent President Joseph Kabila faces ex-rebel Jean-Pierre Bemba. The run-off concludes DR Congo's first fully democratic polls since independence in 1960 and is supposed to draw a line under a five-year conflict. 'For the people' Voting started slowly in the capital, Kinshasa, and other western areas because of a violent thunderstorm. Turn-out is reported to be lower across the country, compared to July's first round. HAVE YOUR SAY I think this election will bring peace to neighbouring countries Patrick, Uganda Send us your comments In the north-eastern town of Bumba, supporters of Mr Bemba burnt ballot boxes, after claims of vote-rigging, AP reports. "Two people were killed when the police opened fire to disperse the crowds," local Equateur province governor Yves Mobando told Reuters but a UN spokeswoman said only one person had died. Shots were also fired at a polling station in Kinshasa following claims of attempted fraud. The BBC's Mark Doyle in Kinshasa says it is impossible to exaggerate how the destiny of DR Congo could shape the future of Africa. Nine states border the country and all were affected by the wars caused by the long lack of real government in DR Congo, the power vacuum at the heart of Africa, he says. Some four million people are thought to have died. Its rich reserves of minerals such as gold, diamonds and coltan - used in mobile phones - have attracted a series of armed groups, both Congolese and foreign, intent on looting. DR Congo is two-thirds the size of Western Europe but has just 300 miles of paved roads after years of conflict and gross mismanagement. UN officials say the polls are the most important on the continent since the 1994 election that ended apartheid in South Africa. Polls were due to start closing at 1500 GMT in the east and an hour later in the west, but voting was extended in some areas. Troops standby Mr Kabila has strong support in the east of Congo; Mr Bemba is popular in the west. Many easterners credit Mr Kabila with ending the war and blame the conflict on rebels such as Mr Bemba. FIRST ROUND RESULTS DR CONGO WAR 1998 - 2002 4m dead At least 8 armies, many rebel groups 2003: Rebels join unity government East remains unstable 17,000 UN peacekeepers Mr Kabila won first round polls on 30 July, but fell just short of the 50% needed for outright victory. He has also gained the support of the candidates who came third and fourth - veteran nationalist Antoine Gizenga and Nzanga Mobutu, son of the country's long-time leader, Mobutu Sese Seko. At least 23 people were killed in armed clashes between security forces loyal to Mr Kabila and Mr Bemba in Kinshasa after the results were announced. United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has called on the two candidates to ensure that the election progress passes off peacefully. Both men have promised to urge their supporters against violence and to abide by election rules. Extra UN peacekeeping troops are on standby in the east of the country. In Kinshasa, the UN is being backed up by a special European Union military force. \|\|\|\|\| DRC: Voting begins, marking completion of long democratic transition [This report does not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations] © Independent Electoral Commission (CEI) Joseph Kabila, 35, who won 44.8 percent of the first round presidential vote on 30 July. KINSHASA, 29 Oct 2006 (IRIN) - Voting began on Sunday in the Democratic Republic of Congo in a presidential run-off marking the official completion of a transition from war to peace that began in 2003. Incumbent President Joseph Kabila, 35, and Jean-Pierre Bemba, 44, had swept aside a field of 33 candidates in the first round on 30 July. Kabila won 44.8 percent of the vote and Bemba 20 percent. A candidate needed to garner 51 percent plus one vote to be declared the outright winner in the first round. The winner of the second round will be decided by a simple majority. There are 50,045 polling stations open, according to the chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Apollinaire Malumalu. Each office will count their ballots, then the voting papers will be transported to compilation centres and the provisional results announced. In the run-up to this round, the country has been tense and there have been several incidents of violence between Kabila’s and Bemba’s bodyguards. The most sensitive area of contention is the capital, Kinshasa, where on 20 August two days of fighting broke out between Kabila's guards and those of Bemba. International institutions supporting the transition to democracy in the DRC intervened to reduce tensions. The DRC, endowed with considerable mineral resources, making it potentially Africa's wealthiest nation, has had a turbulent political history. For five years, it experienced a civil war that eventually involved several African countries, some fighting against the government of the time. The war, in which Kabila and Bemba took part as combatants, killed four million people, mostly through hunger and disease, and displaced five million. This has presented the country with a huge humanitarian challenge. During their 15-day campaign to the run-off, both presidential candidates expressed their determination to end this tragedy by restoring order to the country. "There are five priorities for the rectification of the country after the elections, but the priority of priorities is security," Kabila told reporters at a news conference on Friday. In a separate news conference on Thursday, Bemba said: "Without safety we will not be able to do anything. If elected, our first action will be to restore security." Jean-Pierre Bemba, 44, runner up in the first round ballot on 30 July, with 20 percent of the vote. Bemba and his aides have said that if elected, he would first disband the remaining Congolese militias and expel all foreign fighters from the country. "If obliged to help them return to their countries he will utilise robust methods," Moise Musangana, the spokesman for Bemba's Mouvement de libération du Congo, said. Bemba has said the presence of armed Congolese and foreigners has been the main reason for the continued displacement of at least one million people in the country. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in the DRC has said that four million of the five million people displaced during the war had been resettled. The majority of them are in the east of the country. Since 2002, nearly 17,000 primarily Rwandan fighters and their dependents have been repatriated voluntarily, under a scheme supervised by the UN Mission to the DRC. Despite this, nearly 15,000 foreign armed combatants are still present in the east and northeast of the country. A small number are Ugandan and Burundian rebels but most are former Rwandan army troops. Known as the ex-FAR, they and their Interahamwe militia allies are accused of instigating the 1994 Rwandan genocide. They have been operating in the east of the country where they have been accused of violence, theft and rape. Kabila said during his news conference that this problem had almost been solved and the government controlled 99.9 percent of the country. However, he said, it was necessary to build a republican army - one that represented all peoples of the country. Efforts to achieve this have been slow. Since the beginning of this initiative in June, only 14 brigades - each comprising 3,500 men - have been formed. It was hoped to have 18 brigades ready before the elections. Kabila and Bemba said if elected they would complete the process speedily. The brigades, comprising former rival factions, have been deployed to the troublesome Ituri District in the northeast where an armed group created in June 2005, called the Mouvement des volontaires congolais, formed from an alliance of various militiamen who refused to disband and be integrated into the national army, have maintained hostilities. At least 16,500 combatants of six armed groups and militia - transformed into political parties or disarmed - are awaiting integration into the regular army. These Ituri militia have been fighting since 1999, leading to the deaths of at least 50,000 and the displacement of hundreds of thousands more, according to NGOs. In the southeastern province of Katanga, militia previously supported by the government have resisted government disarmament efforts. The militias have continued to attack civilians, causing hundreds of thousands to flee. The army this year launched an operation to disarm and disband them. Kabila and Bemba have both said that apart from integrating the military they would rebuild dilapidated barracks and other military infrastructure dating to the colonial period 46 years ago. In 1960, the police numbered 50,000 men but today this has tripled without a corresponding increase in facilities. Both have also said they would fight against impunity, corruption and bad governance. They said fighting poverty would remain a priority by creating jobs. Countdown in the Congo ei/oss/mw [ENDS] Theme(s) Peace Security \|\|\|\|\| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. \| Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. \| \|\|\|\|\| D.R.CONGO : Congolese Mark the Final Lap in a Watershed Election Eva Weymuller KINSHASA, Oct 29 (IPS) - Two people were reported killed and three injured when police in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) shot at supporters of Jean-Pierre Bemba, one of two candidates in Sunday's run-off presidential election. The supporters were said to be protesting ballot stuffing in the northern city of Lisala. However, polling got underway peacefully in eastern DRC, still volatile after the country's recent civil conflicts. Voters were waiting quietly outside polling stations hours before the official start of balloting at 06.00 local time (05.00 GMT), although there were visibly fewer in queues than during the first round of voting Jul. 30. Heavy rains disrupted polling in the west. City roads were flooded in the Bas Congo province and in the capital -- Kinshasa -- which is riddled with clogged-up sewers and poor drainage, preventing voters from reaching their polling stations. Some 25 million people registered to cast ballots at over 50,000 polling stations, in the DRC's first democratic elections in over forty years. The vote will decide whether incumbent President Joseph Kabila or Vice President Bemba inherits the leadership of a country that endured consecutive wars between 1996 and 2002. Nearly four million people lost their lives in the fighting, and as a result of the famine and disease provoked by conflict. Kabila received 45 percent of ballots in the first round of polling, more than double Bemba's 20 percent. Electoral rules called for a second round runoff if no candidate won a simple majority in the earlier election. The president is widely expected to win Sunday's ballot, having made alliances with other key candidates since the first round was concluded. His allies include Nzanga Mobutu, son of long time head of state Mobutu Sese Seko. Nzanga Mobutu was captured by Bemba's soldiers last week, while he was campaigning for Kabila in Gbadolite, a former stronghold of Bemba. He was later evacuated in a United Nations tank. Many Congolese are voting in the hope that elections will lead to the establishment of a responsible government, and bring positive change to a country that has been badly affected by war, and the poor governance of Mobutu Sese Seko (ousted in 1997). On Saturday, William Swing, chief of the U.N peacekeeping mission in Congo, said the Congolese polls were the most important on the African continent since the 1994 election held in South Africa that brought Nelson Mandela to power -- and ended apartheid. The U.N. has deployed 17,000 peacekeepers in the Central African country, while the European Union has sent another 2,000 troops to secure the DRC. On election day, armoured personnel carriers teeming with peacekeepers in blue helmets and carrying guns, trundled down roads in Kinshasa and other Congolese cities. Still, security remains a concern. Troops loyal to Bemba and Kabila clashed repeatedly after the announcement of first round results in August during three days of fierce gun battles in Kinshasa, killing more than 30 people. The capital remains heavily armed, and troops with Kalashnikovs slung over their shoulders can often be seen. Kabila keeps an estimated 5,000 soldiers of the presidential guard on hand, and Bemba is reported to have 600 of his own fighters in Kinshasa. Both camps accuse each other of provoking pre-election violence, which has included fistfights at several rallies in Kinshasa and in other provinces between supporters of the two candidates. "Bemba's people are determined to bring this country to ruin," said Chikaya Bin Karubi, a top counselor to Kabila. "Kabila wants to sell our country, and he'll do anything to keep power in his hands," observed Sesanga Dully, spokesman for Bemba. Neither Bemba or Kabila made as many public appearances as they did before the last vote in July, with Bemba canceling a rally in Kinshasa, Friday, the official end of the campaigning period. While popular in the Swahili-speaking east, where he grew up, the president is disliked by many in Kinshasa, where Bemba is the favorite. Both candidates are former belligerents, Kabila having served as a rebel soldier under his father, former president Laurent Kabila, who led forces that overthrew Mobutu with the help of neighbouring Rwanda and Uganda. Bemba was a rebel leader backed by Uganda during the 1998-2002 war'; he also stands accused of war crimes for supporting a failed coup in the Central African Republic. The track records of the two candidates have sparked concerns on the part of certain Congolese, who fear that Sunday's vote may lead to more fighting. "I think our candidates are ill-prepared to govern the country," said Fannie Mboyo, a commerce student in Kinshasa. "How can a young rebel and a warlord be our leader?" But Emmanuel Bushashire, an election observer in the eastern city of Goma, sounded a more positive note. "I vote for peace, so my country can reach its potential and become a star in Africa," she said. "Our country has had the worst luck. Maybe now things will change." Peace in the DRC could also herald stability for the troubled heart of the continent, and the start of large-scale foreign investment, which all but disappeared during the times of conflict. The DRC borders nine African countries, and its wars drew in six different armies, some with an eye to exploiting the Congo's rich reserves of gold, diamonds, coltan -- used in cellphones -- and uranium, amongst other resources. (END/2006) Send your comments to the editor \|\|\|\|\| Le diaporama du jour 0 / 10 05/03/2016 - Un porcelet peint aux couleurs du drapeau tricolore, pour les besoins d'une action coup de poing d'un collectif d'éleveurs "Sauvons l'elevage francais", dans une grande surface de la région rennaise (ouest de la France) 1 / 10 05/03/2016 - Le soleil se couche sur le port de Manille, où est amarré le navire militaire américain "USS Blue Ridge" 2 / 10 05/03/2016 - Une femme se couvre le visage,alors que la police anti-émeutes turque fait usage de gaz lacrymogènes pour disperser une manifestation de soutien au quotidien Zaman, à Istanbul 3 / 10 05/03/2016 - Des danseurs montés sur échasses, devant le palais de la Culture, à Abidjan pour l'ouverture de la 9e édition du festival MASA (Marché des arts du spectacle africain) 4 / 10 05/03/2016 - Une patrouille de la police montée britannique en tenue anti-émeutes à Londres, avant un match de Premier League entre Tottenham Hotspur et Arsenal 5 / 10 05/03/2016 - Le magnat des médias australien Rupert Murdoch (g), 84 ans, et sa nouvelle épouse, l'ancien mannequin américain Jerry Hall, 59 ans, posent sur le parvis de l'église Saint-Bride, à Londres, après la cérémonie religieuse 6 / 10 05/03/2016 - Des participants à une parade de carnaval gay et lesbien dansent dans une rue de Sydney 7 / 10 05/03/2016 - Duel entre la Chinoise Li Xiaoxia (d) et la Taïwanaise Cheng I-Ching en demi-finale des Championnats du monde de tennis de table au stade Malawati de Shah Alam, en Malaisie 8 / 10 05/03/2016 - Une route enneigée près de Beaufort en France \|\|\|\|\| Media mogul Sumner Redstone is planning to name National Amusements Inc general counsel Tad Jankowski to the seven-person trust that will determine the fate of both Viacom and CBS in the event of Redstone's incapacitation or death, sources familiar with the situation told Reuters on Sunday. \|\|\|\|\| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. \| Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. \|	The final round of voting has ended in the first free elections in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in over forty years. The runoff is between incumbent President Joseph Kabila and Vice-President Jean-Pierre Bemba, who led a field of 33 candidates in the first round of polling held on July 30, but failed to achieve the required majority vote. The voting has been largely peaceful, though isolated incidents of violence and voting fraud have been reported. Contestants Bemba (left) and Kabila, August 2006.Credit: MONUC/Myiram Asmani/IRIN '''Jean-Pierre Bemba''' '''Joseph Kabila''' 44 years old 35 years old One of four Vice Presidents President leads Movement for the Liberation of Congo leads People's Party for Reconstruction and Democracy polled 20% of vote in first round polled 44.8% in first round Main support base in western Congo Main support base in eastern Swahili-speaking Congo son of a prominent businessman, who was close to Mobutu Sese Seko. backed by Ugandan army during the war. retains considerable business interests. son of former President Laurent Kabila, grew up abroad, received wartime backing from Rwanda.
The company has spent years working on its latest online project, APB, and not long after its release has announced job losses and that it will have to move others to provide support for the game following a 30 day consultation period. The company was continuing to work on its next title, My World – an online social networking game when it was closed earlier today. Blame for the closure has been laid at the lackluster performance of APB upon its recent release which the company had high hopes for and promoted heavily during development. Writing in the comments section of video games website Rock, Paper Shotgun last week, the former employee criticised the business strategy of the company, indicating that it centred too much of its plans around the development of APB. “The problem was that management looked at the revenue they wanted to generate and priced accordingly, failing to realise (or care) that there are literally a dozen top quality, subscription free team based shooters. Many of which, now, have progression and persistence of some sort – for free,” explained the employee. “They also failed spectacularly to manage expectations. When Dave J spoke out saying there would ‘not be a standard subscription model’, he unwittingly set expectations at ‘free to play’. When it’s announced that we’re essentially pay-per-hour, we get absolutely killed in the press, somewhat understandably,” they added, before commenting that they believed that the announcement of the game was made ‘too early.’ “The sheer time spent and money it took to make APB is really a product of fairly directionless creative leadership. Certainly Dave J has great, strong, ambitious ideas for his games. But he’s a big believer in letting the details emerge along the way, rather than being planned out beyond even a rudimentary form. For most of the lifetime of APB, he was also CEO of the whole company, as well as Creative Director,” they continued. They added that My World was ‘genuinely groundbreaking’ and said that the senior management team must take responsibility for the problems that the company now faces. Ken Pattullo and Paul Dounis of Begbies Traynor have been appointed joint administrators. \|\|\|\|\| Realtime Worlds announces 60 redundancies One of Scotland's leading video games companies has been plunged into crisis after 60 staff at Realtime Worlds were made redundant. It is understood the entire team working on the company's next title, Project: My World, which was scheduled for release next year, have lost their jobs. The Marketgait company only released its ambitious online game APB at the start of last month after a five-year development process. Just days after APB's release it was announced Realtime Worlds would have to make several staff redundant and move others to provide support for the game but it now appears those job losses run deeper than was imagined. Despite this restructuring, the company announced it was already working on its next title, an online social networking game called Project: My World. It has now been claimed the entire team working on that title have been put on "gardening leave" and are expected to lose their jobs. A statement released by the firm said, "Further to the press release issued on July 7 announcing the post-launch restructure for APB and expected redundancies, the 30-day consultation period with the affected staff has ended. "The supporting infrastructure for a game inevitably changes once released, and those staff that couldn't be redeployed to new projects in the art, audio, coding, design, production, and QA (quality assurance) departments have regrettably been made redundant. "APB continues to be our primary development focus, and we remain fully committed to the game and its players." Studio manager Colin MacDonald said, "The only other thing I can add is, from a personal point of view, how hard all this has been. "We're a pretty tight team and it is highly regrettable to let anyone go but as is always the case, if you can't redeploy someone, redundancies are unavoidable." One source at the company said, "We're laying off 60 staff and cancelling projects that have taken years to develop." Another claimed, "The My World team has been completely laid off. As many as 60 may have gone, but there's a rumour they may be trying to sell the team as a smaller entity." Another member of staff said, "I think it's pretty clear that they put all their eggs into one basket with APB. There's no contingency if it doesn't make it. "We knew they were planning redundancies, but there was no expectation it would be on this scale. "We expected things to be bad but didn't expect so many people to be made redundant so quickly." One member of staff posted on a forum to reassure APB players the game would not be affected. "As we've announced we had to restructure the company to make it so that we can focus totally on APB," he wrote. "APB is still going strong and we fully intend to support 100%." He later posted that he hoped staff working on My World would soon be "picked up" by other companies. Less than a year ago Realtime Worlds announced it was expanding its office space and looking to increase the total number of staff to more than 300. The company was founded in 2002 and headed by Dave Jones, who was responsible for creating two of the world's most successful gaming franchises, Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto. Realtime's first game, Crackdown, was a huge success, selling over 1.5 million copies and earning the company a video game BAFTA, but the sequel to the game was developed by Dundee studio Ruffian Games, which was set up by former Realtime Worlds employees. Dundee Lord Provost John Letford described the job losses as "disastrous." He said, "There was a real feeling of optimism about Realtime Worlds and this is really bad news. "Dundee has lost its industry and companies like this are our future but, if anybody can recover from this, it will be Realtime because of the drive and ethos they have there." Dundee West Labour MP Jim McGovern laid part of the blame for the announcement at the feet of the UK Government for withdrawing tax breaks for the industry that were set up by Labour administration. He said, "I have met Colin MacDonald of Realtime Worlds on a number of occasions, indeed as recently as last week and I know he will be devastated at having to make this announcement. "Despite being the party who claimed to support business in their manifesto, the Conservatives, aided and abetted by the Liberal Democrats, in their first budget withdrew these tax incentives. "The Scottish Select Committee, of which I am a member, are conducting an inquiry into the computer games industry's importance to Dundee and indeed throughout Scotland."	Scottish based game-developer Realtime Worlds entered today following low sales of their online shooter game, . Between 60 and 170 jobs will be lost, and a total closure of their US office has been announced. APB will stay online to gamers who have already purchased the game. The company's administrators are A former employee heavily criticised the company's business plans, saying "the problem was that management looked at the revenue they wanted to generate and priced accordingly, failing to realise (or care) that there are literally a dozen top quality, subscription free team based shooters. Many of which, now, have progression and persistence of some sort – for free... The sheer time spent and money it took to make APB is really a product of fairly directionless creative leadership." The game's early announcement, over-reliance on one product and "letting the details emerge along the way, rather than being planned out beyond even a rudimentary form," were also blamed. The company now seeks to restructure, with an aim to provide support for the new game and to work on their next release, Project: My World. This game is still intended to be released, although ''The Courier'' reports that every member of the development team is now jobless.
An "extremely loud" explosion has been reported in Madrid's city centre - with rescue teams, firefighters and police sent to the scene. Spanish media reports said the explosion took place in a building near a nursing home - and videos and images shared on social media showed rubble scattered in the street. "We didn't know where the sound came from. We all thought it was from the school. We went up the stairs to the top of our building and we could see the structure of the building and lots of grey smoke," a witness told the AP news agency. According to TVE, several people have been injured, while Telemadrid is reporting that at least one person is trapped. \|\|\|\|\| “It was like an earthquake, I thought a bomb had gone off.” That was one witness’s account of the explosion that ripped through a building in central Madrid at 2.56pm on Wednesday, at number 98 Toledo street – just a kilometer from the landmark square Plaza Mayor and 15 minutes on foot from the central Puerta del Sol. The seven-story building was destroyed in the blast, leaving at least four people dead and 10 injured. According to source from the emergency services, all the evidence points to a gas boiler that exploded. The building in question was the Church of the Virgen de la Paloma parish center. It contains office space, a shelter run by the charity group Cáritas, a meeting room, a living room and three housing units for priests. A strong smell of gas was detected in the building at around 2pm, spreading throughout the seven floors. One of the priests who was present, according to sources from the archbishopric, called a well-known electrician from the parish, David Santos Muñoz. On arrival, the 35-year-old started to inspect the “several” boilers that were located in the building. Minutes later the explosion took place, blowing out one of its facades. The emergency services confirmed at 7pm on Wednesday that Santos Muñoz had died in the incident. He was married and had four children. Two other men died in the blast but their ages have not been confirmed. Another priest, aged 36, was confirmed on Thursday morning to have died after being injured in the explosion. Another 10 people were left with injuries by the huge blast. The most serious of these was a 26-year-old male who was taken to La Paz hospital in a moderate to serious condition; another male, aged 53, suffered minor head injuries, and was taken to the Ramón y Cajal hospital; and a third man, aged 29, suffered a fractured fibula and was moved to the Clínico hospital. A 27-year-old who suffered injuries to his ankle was taken to the Fundación Jiménez Díaz for tests. Two National Police officers were also taken to hospital with light injuries. The Church priest, Gabriel Benedicto, 39, was locked down in the building due to coronavirus at the time of the blast. “He is okay and in a state of shock,” sources close to him reported. The first minutes after the explosion caused chaos in the central La Latina neighborhood. Hundreds of residents came out to their balconies, as a plume of white smoke – visible from kilometers around – pointed to the origin of the blast. Police and ambulance sirens began to wail all around. Images of the aftermath began to reach WhatsApp groups of thousands of people. Pablo Nogales, 43, came upon the scene as he left the Puerta de Toledo Metro station. There, he explained, he saw a woman crying, as well as parked cars on the street completely destroyed by the rubble. He saw smoke and the faces of passers-by in complete shock. He took out his cellphone, almost as a reflex, and began to record the scene. “It was all full of rubble, it was really shocking,” he said. All of the patrons of a nearby bar, called Eduardo, came out onto the street to see what had happened. “It was as if a bomb had dropped, the noise was tremendous,” said the bar’s eponymous owner. In around 30 minutes, ambulances, fire crews and dozens of police officers had cordoned off the area, and had begun to evacuate residents and passers-by. A neighboring senior residence, Los Nogales, was immediately evacuated, with its 57 residents taken to safety. Also next to the affected building is a school, La Salle-La Paloma. The 200 students had only just returned to class on Wednesday, after a delay of a week and a half due to the effects of the recent Storm Filomena, which left a near-unprecedented amount of snow on the city. The children had a lucky escape from injury, given that they were not in the school yard at the time of the blast as they normally would be due to the snow that was still present in the area. Despite the huge amounts of rubble that fell onto the school yard, just one child was left with a light injury, a minor head wound according to the regional education department. The school has already been inspected by the local council’s technicians, but its students will be studying from home while the full structural damage is evaluated. English version by Simon Hunter.	On Wednesday, at least four people killed by an explosion at a residential building located in Central Madrid, Spain. Eyewitnesses reported a strong smell of gas shortly before the blast. The building was owned by a Roman Catholic Church and was destroyed by the blast. Among the dead was an electrician who was present to inspect the building's boilers. At least ten others were injured as a result of the incident. According to the reports, strong gas smell had first been detected at around 2pm local time, so an electrician David Santos Muñoz had been called out to inspect the boilers. Minutes after this, at 2:56 pm, the building exploded, killing him and at least three others. An owner of a nearby bar told '''' "It was as if a bomb had dropped, the noise was tremendous". An eyewitness also told the newspaper "it was like an earthquake; I thought a bomb had gone off." A school and nursing home were nearby to the blast, the latter of which had suffered minor damage according to the city's mayor . Nobody was injured in either of these and TVE said that the school has been said to have been empty at the time due to closures after significant snowfall in the capital. Police said the nursing home was safely evacuated following the blast.
Bird flu diagnosed at Egyptian chicken farm Printer Friendly Top News U.S. ties with India, Pakistan on divergent paths Kumble leaves England reeling ANALYSIS - Indian Hindus, Muslims seek to rise above conflict Australia ban on uranium sales to India stays--Downer Restive Nepal braces for rebel blockade CAIRO (Reuters) - Bird flu hit an Egyptian chicken farm near Cairo on Saturday and the authorities decided to cull all 10,000 birds there, the state news agency MENA said. Egypt reported its first cases of bird flu on Friday but all of the seven chickens infected were domestic fowl, not on large farms. No humans have contracted the virus in Egypt. The infected chicken farm is at Shibin el-Kanatir, in the Nile Delta 60 km (35 miles) north of Cairo. The authorities have imposed a veterinary cordon three km around the farm and are testing the 12 workers, MENA said. The arrival of bird flu has created panic among many Egyptian and hotlines set up by the government were jammed with calls throughout Saturday. People reported many cases of dead birds found in the street but none of those proved positive. Prime Minister Ahmed Nazif advised people who breed poultry at home to get rid of them to prevent the spread of bird flu. "The time has come to get rid of the idea of breeding chickens on the roofs of houses, especially under current circumstances," he said. "The world is moving towards big farms because they can be controlled under veterinary supervision, so if any problems arise, intervening to deal with them is much easier," he added. Many Egyptians in cities and towns keep chickens or pigeons on the roof for their own consumption or as a source of supplementary income. Nazif said the government would compensate the owners of any sick or dead birds. But it is safe to slaughter and eat domestic fowl which do not have the disease, he added. The Egyptian Health Ministry said on Friday it had carried out tests on people living near the seven diseased chickens but no human cases were found. Egypt has tested 37,000 samples from birds since the virus started spreading around the world but Thursday's were the first positive results, it said. To meet an expected increase in demand and hold prices down, the government plans to buy more red meat from abroad, Agriculture Minister Amin Abaza told a news conference. Egypt's main suppliers of livestock have been Sudan and Ethiopia. Egypt has banned the import of live birds and has tightened quarantine controls to keep out bird flu. It also cancelled the annual bird hunting season to minimise contacts between people and migrant birds. H5N1 influenza remains mainly a disease of poultry, and has killed or forced the culling of more than 200 million birds across Asia, parts of the Middle East, Europe and Africa. But it has also infected 169 people, killing 91, and is steadily mutating. If it acquires the ability to pass easily from person to person, it could cause a pandemic that might kill millions. © Reuters 2006. All Rights Reserved. \|\|\|\|\| اكتشاف 25 أصابه جديدة بأنفلونزا الطيور بمحافظة المنيا 25 اصابة جديدة بفيروس انفلونزا الطيور مصراوى-خاص - أكد مصدر مسئول بوزارة الصحة ظهور 25 حالة جديدة مصابة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور بين الدواجن في محافظة المنيا ليصبح عدد الحالات المصابة بالمرض 32 حالة تم الاعلان عنها رسميا . وقد أكد مصدر مسئول بوزارة البيئة بأن غرفة العمليات الرئيسية بالوزارة قد تلقت بلاغا بنفوق 1000 ديك رومي بمحافظة المنيا تبين من الفحص أنها حاملة للفيروس كما تم رفع حالات الطوارئ القصوي في المحميات الطبيعية وحول البحيرات لتحليل عينات من الطيور المهاجرة ومعرفة إذا كانت سلبية أم إيجابية. وقد أصيب الشارع المصري بحالة من القلق بعد الإعلان عن اكتشاف حالات انفلونزا الطيور في محافظات القاهرة والجيزة والمنيا حيث امتنع المواطنون عن التعامل بالشراء أو بيع الدواجن . وشكلت جميع المحافظات غرف عمليات لاستقبال أي بلاغات وسرعة مواجهتها وقد تأثرت القوة الشرائية لاطباق البيض والدواجن فوصل سعر طبق البيض فور علم المواطنين بظهور بعض حالات في مصر لأربعة جنيهات وكيلو الدواجن بـ 350 قرشا ولم تتعد مبيعات المحلات من الدواجن نسبة الـ3% طوال اليوم. وقامت اجهزة الامن باخلاء محلات بيع الدواجن ومصادرة محتوياتها وخاصة في الاماكن الشعبية وبالرغم من اعتراضات البعض الا ان المخاوف من تفشي المرض جعلت الجميع يتقبل الامر رغم الخسائر الفادحة التي يتعرض لها وقامت قوات الامن المركزي بمحاصرة بعض الاماكن خشية حدوث احتجاجات بينما قامت الاهالي بتسليم الالاف من الدواجن المشتبه في اصابتها الي لجان وزارة الصحة من اجل اعدامها والتخلص منها . وفي محافظة القاهرة تم الانتهاء من وضع كافة الاستعدادات لمواجهة مرض انفلونزا الطيور حيث تقرر تشكيل لجنة تضم اللواء محمود ياسين النائب الأول لمحافظة القاهرة للمنطقة الغربية واللواء حسن مختار للمنطقة الشمالية واللواء عبدالهادي جاد المولي للمنطقة الشرقية واللواء زكي عبدالغني للمنطقة الجنوبية بالاضافة إلي وكيل أول وزارة الصحة بالقاهرة والسكرتير العام والسكرتير العام المساعد مهمة هذه اللجنة متابعة أي حالات واتخاذ الإجراءات الوقائية اللازمة. صرح اللواء محمود ياسين بأنه تم إعداد أرقام تليفونات لتلقي أي بلاغات عن حالات إصابة بالمرض للانتقال فوراً اليها والارقام هي: 3907147. 3912136 بالاضافة إلي الخط الساخن الموجود بالمحافظة برقم 152. وأضاف انه تم إعداد برنامج زمني يبدأ فوراً لإزالة العشش الموجودة وسط المباني لاسكنية أو المقامة وقال إنه تم اعداد مستشفي حميات العباسية ومستشفي منشية الصدر لتلقي أي حالات قد يشتبه الإصابة بها. وقد حظرت أجهزة الأمن بالقاهرة دخول عربات النقل التي تحمل الطيور أو البيض من الدخول إلي العاصمة وتتولي كمائن الشرطة علي كافة منافذ القاهرة فحص السيارات قبل دخولها العاصمة. كما قامت حملات موسعة علي محلات الطيور بكافة أحياء العاصمة وضواحيها للفحص والتأكد من عدم وجود حالات مصابة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور وعند اكتشاف أو الاشتباه في أحد الطيور يتم علي الفور اخطار الطب الوقائي الذي أقام غرفة عمليات خاصة لتلقي البلاغات والاخطارات. وقد أصيب أهالي الجيزة بالهلع بعد تسرب خبر وصول فيروس انفلونزا الطيور إلي المحافظة ونفوق دجاج مزرعة باكملها باوسيم رغم أن التقارير أثبتت ان رفع حرارة الدفايات أدي لاختناق الطيور بها. وقد قام د.فتحي سعد محافظ الجيزة بتشكيل لجنة برئاسته لفحص البلاغ والتأكد من سلامة الطيور وقد قامت اللجنة المشكلة من خبراء الطب البيطري والوقائي بحصر كافة البلاغات التي وصلت الي ما يقرب من 70 بلاغا تهميدا لفحصها بعد اخذ العينات اللازمة. انتقلت اللجنة الي شارع القومية العربية بامبابة وثبت لدي اللجنة نفوق عدد من الدجاج علي الاسطح وتم دفنها دفناً صحياً وأخذت اللجنة عينات من حوالي 50 منزلا مجاوراً بعمق 2 كيلو وإرسالها إلي مركز بحوث الحيوان لفحصها. من ناحية اخري قام الطب الوقائي باخذ عينات من دماء أهالي هذه المنازل التي تم فيها نفوق الطيور وثبت من العينات بعد فحصها انها سلبية وطمأن د.حسين جلال مدير إدارة الطب البيطري بالمحافظة الأهالي مؤكداً أنه لم يثبت بالدليل القاطع وصول المرض بشكل نهائي للمحافظة وان أهم علاماته هو انتفاخ وجه الدجاجة ثم تتحول للون الأزرق للوجه والأنف والقدمين وإسهال شديد. وقال حسين: إن المديرية انشأت غرفة عمليات طوال 24 ساعة بكافة إداراتها لتلقي البلاغ والانتقال الفوري لمكانه. واشتكي أهالي امبابة والوراق من انتشار عشش الدجاج فوق أسطح المنازل مشيرين الي ان اصحاب العمارات وأقاربهم حولوا تلك العشش إلي مزارع تنبعث منها الروائح الكريهة وحشرات الطيور. وكانت مديرية الصحية بالجيزة قد تلقت بلاغين في منطقتي امبابة والوراق من شخصين يقومان بتربية الطيور حيث أكدا عثورهما علي 31 دجاجة نافقة وطلبوا تحليل هذه الدواجن وجاءت نتيجة التحليل تؤكد أنها مصابة بمرض انفلونزا الطيور. وزيادة في الحرص تم أخذ عينات من السكان المقيمين في المنزل الموجودة به الدواجن لتحليلها ومعرفة إذا كانوا مصابين من عدمه. وأكد الدكتور فتحي شبانه مدير مستشفي حميات امبابة ان المستشفي لم يستقبل أي حالات آدمية مصابة بانفلونزا الطيور مضيفا انه فور ظهور الحالات في الدواجن بمنطقتي امبابة والوراق تم رفع درجة الاستعداد بالمستشفي واستدعاء الأطباء تحسباً لوصول اي حالات مصابة ليتم التعامل معها. كما نفقت 10 دجاجات في منزل فلاح باوسيم وبفحص طبيب بيطري لعينة منها تبين ان النفوق كان بسبب مرض انفلونزا الطيور. وتلقت مديرية الطب البيطري بالجيزة بلاغين بنفوق دجاجتين وإعياء 20 أخري في منطقة حدائق الأهرام. كما وصل عدد البلاغات في منطقة الوراق الي 4 بلاغات وبذلك وصل عدد الدواجن النافقة في الوراق إلي 60 دجاجة. اقرأ ايضا: \|\|\|\|\| Knife found at O.J. Simpson's former L.A. home studied by police LOS ANGELES Police said on Friday they were examining a knife purportedly found at the former home of O.J. Simpson, the onetime football star acquitted of stabbing to death his ex-wife and her friend in the "Trial of the Century" two decades ago. \| Supreme Court temporarily blocks Louisiana abortion law WASHINGTON The Supreme Court, two days after hearing a major abortion case from Texas, on Friday temporarily blocked a Louisiana law imposing regulations on doctors who perform abortions in a move that would allow two recently closed clinics to reopen. Exclusive: U.S. watchdog to probe Fed's lax oversight of Wall Street NEW YORK A U.S. watchdog agency is preparing to investigate whether the Federal Reserve and other regulators are too soft on the banks they are meant to police, after a written request from Democratic lawmakers that marks the latest sign of distrust between Congress and the central bank. Brazil's Lula detained in corruption probe; Rousseff objects SAO PAULO/BRASILIA Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was briefly detained for questioning on Friday in a federal investigation of a vast corruption scheme, fanning a political crisis that threatens to topple his successor, President Dilma Rousseff. \|	Yesterday February 17, 2006, the World Health Organisation officially declared presence of the H5N1 strain of the avian flu virus in Egypt. "There is avian flu now in Egypt," Hassan el Bushra, regional adviser for emerging diseases at the eastern Mediterranean regional office of the WHO said. His response was to the reported presence of H5N1 virus in dead birds in three areas in Egypt - namely Cairo, Giza, and Al-Minya. Today February 18, 2006, a responsible source from Egyptian ministry of health announced reporting of another 25 cases of infected birds in Al-Minya with aftermath of 35 confirmed cases between birds, yet there are no human cases reported. === Control measures === Egypt has banned the import of live birds and has tightened quarantine controls at airports to keep out bird flu. It has also canceled the annual bird hunting season to minimize contacts between people and migrant birds. In Cairo phone numbers 3912136, 3907147, and the hotline 152 have been assigned for reporting any suspected cases. A newly formed unit formed of veterinarians and preventive medicine specialists in Giza actively studying more than 70 reports of dead birds for exclusion of H5N1. Egyptian Prime Minister Ahmed Naxif has advised people who breed poultry at their homes to dispose of their birds to prevent the virus from spreading. "The time has come to get rid of the idea of breeding chickens on the roofs of houses, especially under current circumstances," he said. Many Egyptian citizens breed chickens and pigeons on the roof of their residences for their own consumption and as a source of extra income. Despite avian flu mainly being a disease of poultry, it has also infected 171 people, killing 93 of them, and is steadily mutating. If it acquires the ability to pass easily from person to person it could cause a pandemic that might kill millions.
Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream seized for safety tests Each serving of the breast milk ice cream costs £14 Continue reading the main story Related Stories Ice cream made from breast milk has been removed from a central London restaurant on health grounds following complaints by members of the public. The dessert, called Baby Gaga, went on sale at ice cream parlour Icecreamists in Covent Garden in February. But Westminster Council officers removed the product to make sure it was "fit for human consumption". Icecreamist founder Matt O'Connor said the donor was medically screened and the milk mixture was pasteurised. 'Amazing response' The ice cream was churned with donations from London mother Victoria Hiley, and served with a rusk and an optional shot of Calpol or Bonjela. Each serving costs £14. Westminster council said it had received two complaints from members of the public and concerns were raised by the Health Protection Agency and Food Standards Agency. Tory Westminster Councillor Brian Connell said: "Selling foodstuffs made from another person's bodily fluids can lead to viruses being passed on and, in this case, potentially hepatitis. "As the local authority we will support small businesses and applaud innovative ideas wherever possible, but must protect the health of consumers." Mr O'Connor, said: "We have had an amazing response - many women have come forward and offer to give us milk. "You can buy alcohol and tobacco but not breast milk in Westminster. "If Westminster bans this then I am going to begin a protest with mums who have already shown support." \|\|\|\|\| LONDON -- Local government officials said Monday they have confiscated ice cream made with human breast milk from a London shop amid concerns the dessert is unsafe. A spokeswoman from Westminster City Council said it was responding to two complaints from the public over whether a shop should be selling edibles made from other people's bodily fluids and awaiting guidance from Britain's Food Standards Agency. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with council policy. The official said the ice cream, marketed as "Baby Gaga" and launched last week, is being tested with the full cooperation of The Icecreamists, the parlor marketing the dessert. Viruses, including hepatitis, can be passed on through breast milk. The company has said that the milk was screened in line with blood donor requirements before being pasteurized and churned together with vanilla pods and lemon zest. The dish comes in a martini glass and sells for 14 pounds ($22.50) each. "As far as we are aware there is no law prohibiting a business from selling breast milk ice cream," Matt O'Connor, founder of The Icecreamists, said in a statement. The company paid women who responded to an online ad to donate their breast milk and said all of its products meet the "highest and safest" of food standards. The company said it has had a "huge response" to its "fresh take" on the world of ice cream. The Icecreamists said at the time that its "Baby Gaga" ice cream sold out as soon as it launched on Friday, but that women had signed up to donate more milk.	Local British councillors have reported that they have seized ice cream made from the that had been placed on sale in a shop located in London, England, United Kingdom. Officials cited concerns relating to health and safety. A spokeswoman explained that two complaints made by members of the public were being replied to by the council. The Icecreamists, the marketing company involved with the dessert known as 'Baby Gaga', are fully co-operating with officials who are carrying out tests that are currently ongoing. According to Brian Connell, an individual from the council, "selling foodstuffs made from another person's bodily fluids can lead to viruses being passed on and, in this case, potentially ." A serving of the ice cream is valued at 14 (US$22.76, €16.49) and is provided in a . The item became available to purchase during the last week and quickly increased in popularity; within days, the first shipment was sold out. The breast milk was donated by fifteen women who responded to an online advertisement located on a forum aimed at mothers. According to the company, all milk is screened for the "highest and safest" standards before it is and prepared for human consumption. It is then mixed with the of lemons and vanilla seed cases. Matt O'Connor, who founded the Icecreamists, stated: "As far as we are aware there is no law prohibiting a business from selling breast milk ice cream". He claimed that "if it's good enough for our children, it's good enough for the rest of us" and "some people will hear about it and go yuck - but actually it's pure organic, free-range and totally natural." Brian Connell, a member of the the Conservative Party in the UK, believes that "as the local authority we will support small businesses and applaud innovative ideas wherever possible, but must protect the health of consumers."
PayPal becomes a bank to fight off Google By Tom Stevenson Last Updated: 1:45am BST 16/05/2007 Online payments company PayPal is to become a bank as part of a push to beef up its European operation and fend off fierce new competition. The eBay-owned electronic payment system is fighting off a challenge from Google, which launched a rival system last month. PayPal said it was moving its headquarters to Luxembourg, where it has been awarded a banking licence. This means it will no longer be authorised by the Financial Services Authority, which has overseen PayPal since it became an Electronic Money Issuer in 2004. PayPal has 35m customers in Europe, including 15m in Britain, which is the region's biggest online shopper. More than half of Britain's population is now online and more than half of British internet users have a PayPal account. PayPal allows users to pay for goods and services online, without having to key in their card details for each purchase. The service also hides account details from retailers, for extra security. advertisement Brent Bellm, head of PayPal's European operation, said the changes would allow the company to increase the number of online retailers offering the service. According to Forrester Research, 23pc of European internet shoppers prefer to pay with PayPal. More than 100,000 retailers offer PayPal but most are small. Only a handful of big retailers such as Boots and Harrods are signed up to PayPal. Although Google is a threat to PayPal, the eBay subsidiary has continued to grow since the search engine launched its Checkout service last year in America. PayPal has more than 130m users worldwide. Last month, eBay said a 27pc rise in first-quarter revenues to $1.77bn was boosted by a 51pc jump in payments through PayPal. The online auction house accounted for around 60pc of PayPal revenues but the other 40pc was growing faster, Mr Bellm said. Post this story to: del.icio.us \| Digg \| Newsvine \| NowPublic \| Reddit \|\|\|\|\| PayPal heeft het statuut verworven van een Luxemburgse bank. De online betalingsdienst telt in Europa zo'n 36 miljoen rekeninghouders en wordt door meer dan 100.000 internetwinkels aanvaard. De grootste klant blijft eBay, sinds vijf jaar ook het moederbedrijf van PayPal. Totnogtoe opereerde PayPal in Europa met een vergunning van de Britse financiële toezichthouder FSA, als een 'instelling voor elektronisch geld'. Die vergunning werd ingeruild voor een volwaardige banklicentie in Luxemburg. 'Dat laat ons toe om actief handelaars te gaan prospecteren in de verschillende Europese landen', zegt Benelux-directeur Christopher Coonen. 'Met onze Britse vergunning kon dat alleen in het VK zelf, en konden we in andere landen alleen reageren op vragen die van de handelaars zelf uitgingen.' Voor de bestaande gebruikers verandert er niks, zegt Coonen. 'We gaan hen wel informeren over het nieuwe statuut, en ze zullen onze algemene voorwaarden opnieuw moeten aanvaarden.' Het is voorlopig niet de bedoeling om met het bankstatuut ook bancaire diensten te gaan aanbieden, maar de mogelijkheid wordt wel bestudeerd. 'Als we dat doen, zal het wel altijd in samenwerking zijn met lokale partijen', zegt Coonen. (wdp)	San José, California, together with several other eBay divisions. The online payment service PayPal has received a banking licence in Luxembourg, promoting it to the status of a bank. As a consequence PayPal will move their headquarters to Luxembourg. Since 2004 PayPal had the status of an Electronic Money Issuer supervised by the U.K. Financial Services Authority. Having an official bank status opens new prospects for the company: "This will allow us to actively scout retailers in different European countries. With our British licence, we could only do that in the U.K. itself, and in other countries we could only react to requests of the retailers themselves," Christopher Coonen, General Manager of PayPal Southern Europe and Benelux, explained. The change will not affect existing customers dramatically, says Coonen: "We are going to inform them of the new status, and they will have to accept our terms of service again." He also said that for now, there were no plans to use the new licence to offer traditional banking services, but the possibility was being evaluated by PayPal. Working with local partners would be an option to accomplish this, according to Coonen. The British newspaper ''The Daily Telegraph'' speculates that the move is part of a strategy to compete with Google's payment service Google Checkout, which launched in the U.K. last month. PayPal has 130 million users worldwide, and 35 million customers in Europe. Payments via its mother company eBay continue to make up 60% of PayPal's revenues. More than half of Britain's internet users have a PayPal account.
The £5bn Large Hadron Collider (LHC) is intended to smash protons - one of the building blocks of matter - into each other Repairing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) near Geneva will cost almost £14m ($21m) and "realistically" take until at least next summer to start back up. An electrical failure shut the £3.6bn ($6.6bn) machine down in September. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (Cern) thought it would only be out of action until November but the damage was worse than expected. It is hoped repairs will be completed by May or early June with the machine restarted at the end of June or later. Cern spokesman James Gillies said: "If we can do it sooner, all well and good. But I think we can do it realistically (in) early summer." Fundamental questions The LHC was built to smash protons together at huge speeds, recreating conditions moments after the Big Bang, and scientists hope it will shed light on fundamental questions in physics. The fault occurred just nine days after it was turned on with Cern blaming the shutdown on the failure of a single, badly soldered electrical connection in one of its super-cooled magnet sections. The collider operates at temperatures colder than outer space for maximum efficiency and experts needed to gradually warm the damaged section to assess it. "Now the sector is warm so they are able to go in and physically look at each of the interconnections," Mr Gillies told Associated Press. The cost of the work will fall within the Cern's existing budget. Dr Lyn Evans, the Welsh-born project director has called the collider "a discovery machine, the most sophisticated scientific instrument of our time." \|\|\|\|\| Physics / Physics 6 hours ago \| not rated yet \| no comments yet (PhysOrg.com) -- A water drop placed on a soap film that vibrates up and down may bounce as if on a trampoline -- but it's much more than that, according to MIT mathematicians who say the "fluid trampoline" ... Physics / Physics 10 hours ago \| 4.8 / 5 after 8 votes \| no comments yet A Princeton-led team of researchers has discovered an entirely new mechanism for making common electronic materials emit laser beams. The finding could lead to lasers that operate more efficiently and at higher ... Physics / Materials 11 hours ago \| 4.5 / 5 after 2 votes \| 1 (PhysOrg.com) -- Researchers at MIT and the National University of Singapore have made significant progress in understanding a class of materials that has resisted analysis for decades. Their findings could lead to the rapid ... Physics / Physics 4 hours ago \| 4.8 / 5 after 4 votes \| no comments yet (PhysOrg.com) -- About 10 years ago, scientists reached the astonishing conclusion that our universe is accelerating apart at ever-increasing speeds, stretching space and time itself like melted cheese. The ... Physics / Physics 4 hours ago \| 5 / 5 after 1 vote \| no comments yet (PhysOrg.com) -- Using only the computing power of 16 Sony Playstation 3 gaming consoles, scientists at The University of Alabama in Huntsville and the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, have solved a ...	A view of the LHC tunnel. Map of the LHC (the large circle) and the area underneath which it lies. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) said on Monday that repairing the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) will cost up to €16.6 million or US$21 million. The LHC, which is the world's largest and highest-energy particle accelerator, is located near the border of France and Switzerland and crosses the border four times. It has a diameter of 27 km (17 miles). It is designed to simulate the conditions shortly after the Big Bang, but it broke down on September 19 due to an electrical failure. Most of the repair time is covered by previously scheduled maintenance time, and CERN originally hoped to have the machine up and running again by early May. However, CERN officials now believe that it may take until the end of July or longer. CERN spokesman James Gillies said: "If we can do it sooner, all well and good. But I think we can do it realistically by early summer." The machine operates at temperatures colder than outer space and must be gradually warmed up for experts to assess the damage, causing much of the delay. CERN expects the repair cost to fall within the annual budget for the project.
Raila Odinga has the largest party but not an overall majority Its candidate won by just four votes after three tense rounds and following heated exchanges over ballot procedure. The opposition, which says the presidential vote was rigged, feared the ballot for Speaker would be too. Meanwhile, ex-UN head Kofi Annan has postponed his mediation trip for "a few days" because of flu, the UN said. The parliament meeting was the first time opposition leader Raila Odinga and President Mwai Kibaki had been in the same room since the 27 December election. More than 600 people were killed in unrest that followed. Celebrations The vote for Speaker - the nation's third most powerful figure - began amid bitter clashes, with the opposition Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) calling for an open rather than secret ballot. We hope and we expect that eventually everybody will come to their senses, realise that we've got to learn to live with each other Martha Karua Justice minister Clash of generations In pictures: Angry parliament Senior ODM official William Ruto said: "We went through [national] elections with a secret ballot, and you stole the vote." But government MP Mutula Kilonzo retorted: "You are now violating the very principle this country has been seeking." After one false start, MPs were called forward to cast secret ballots into a transparent box in the centre of the chamber. The first round ended with 104 votes for ODM-backed Kenneth Marende and 99 for the government-backed Francis ole Kaparo. In the second round Mr Marende took 104 and Mr Kaparo 102. The third round, where a simple majority was sufficient, was tense, with MPs crowding around the count to dispute possible spoilt ballots. The ODM erupted in celebration as it was announced Mr Marende had won by 105 votes to 101. He was immediately sworn in and said he was "humbled and deeply touched by the confidence you have actively demonstrated in me". Analysts say the vote highlights the difficulties Mr Kibaki will have in trying to govern after his disputed win. Security was tight for the meeting, with troops deployed around the parliament building in Nairobi. HAVE YOUR SAY The only option for Kenya is to have a transitional government Mohammad, Hargeisa, Somalia Send us your comments Opposition MPs had originally planned to sit on government benches. But in the event, Mr Odinga took the seat reserved for the leader of the opposition. His followers declined to stand up as Mr Kibaki entered the chamber - an indication that they do not regard his election as valid. The ODM is the largest party in parliament, though it does not have an absolute majority. 'Cooler heads' About 250,000 people fled or were driven from their homes after the election in a country once seen as a beacon of relative stability in East Africa. The BBC's Adam Mynott in Nairobi says the level of violence in Kenya has fallen significantly, but tension remains very high. Speaking ahead of parliament resuming, ODM MP Najib Balala said the party was still pressing for a new election. Mr Annan has said he expects all sides to work hard for a solution But he told the BBC's Network Africa programme: "We want to prove to the world we are not going to act in an uncivilised way, we are going to parliament, we are going to show that we are controlling parliament." Justice Minister Martha Karua told the BBC she believed cooler heads would prevail. "We are ready to navigate through a hung parliament through persuasion, through negotiations. "We expect that eventually everybody will come to their senses, realise that we've got to learn to live with each other." Mr Annan, the former UN secretary general, was due to arrive on Tuesday at the head of an African mediation team in an effort to bring about negotiations between Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga. But a UN statement said: "On his way to the airport in Geneva this morning... Kofi Annan was taken ill with a severe flu." It said the mission to Nairobi would be postponed for "a few days". \|\|\|\|\| Kenya's new Parliament convened for the first time since the country's disputed December 27 election, but lawmakers on opposing sides carried their fight over the balloting into the chambers. Nick Wadhams has the story from VOA's Nairobi bureau. Najib Balala, member of the Kenyan parliament belonging to Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM), walks into parliament past group of police Wearing orange kerchiefs in their breast pockets, lawmakers with Raila Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement insisted the election for speaker be held by open ballot; Mr. Kibaki's supporters demanded the vote be secret. Tempers flared for over an hour as prominent politicians from both sides traded accusations from their respective sides of the aisles, before the two parties agreed to go ahead with a secret ballot. "The standing orders are very clear that members will be given a ballot. Can you show us where it says secret ballot? We went into election with secret ballot, you stole the vote, we cannot trust you anymore," said William Ruto, a senior Odinga adviser. After a first round of voting, the Odinga candidate had a narrow lead, necessitating another ballot. If no-one gets two-thirds majority after two rounds the speaker will be elected by a simple majority in the third round. It was bickering like that seen in Parliament that has led many Kenyans to say they have felt abandoned by their leaders in the weeks of chaos that followed the December 27 vote. A supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga chants slogans next to car burnt in post election violence, in Kisumu, 15 Jan 2008 Some say they are furious over the presidential vote, which international observers have said was flawed. Others appear to be taking advantage of lawlessness that followed the vote. While the parliamentary debate went on, violence continued across the country. In Nairobi's giant Mathare slum, gangs torched a school and an orphanage. And to the northwest, in an area hit hard by violence, groups of young men allegedly from the Kalenjin tribe killed at least two people and set their homes ablaze. "Gangs of Kalenjin warriors invaded the village and they burned down a couple of houses. When people went in to salvage some things, they met them and they killed two of them," said Karanja Njoroge, a retired professor in the village where the attacks occurred. "Several others were wounded with arrows in their bodies. And they removed the ones who were wounded and they ran away on the main highway toward the police station." Kenya is bracing itself for Wednesday, when Mr. Odinga plans the first of three consecutive days of protest in cities around the country. The government has said it will not allow the demonstrations to go ahead. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan is to go to Nairobi to try to find a solution to the standoff. Mr. Kibaki's government has said it sees no reason to negotiate, because it believes the vote was fair. \|\|\|\|\| Kenya's new Parliament convened for the first time since the country's disputed December 27 election, but lawmakers on opposing sides carried their fight over the balloting into the chambers. Nick Wadhams has the story from VOA's Nairobi bureau. Najib Balala, member of the Kenyan parliament belonging to Orange Democratic Movement's (ODM), walks into parliament past group of police Wearing orange kerchiefs in their breast pockets, lawmakers with Raila Odinga's opposition Orange Democratic Movement insisted the election for speaker be held by open ballot; Mr. Kibaki's supporters demanded the vote be secret. Tempers flared for over an hour as prominent politicians from both sides traded accusations from their respective sides of the aisles, before the two parties agreed to go ahead with a secret ballot. "The standing orders are very clear that members will be given a ballot. Can you show us where it says secret ballot? We went into election with secret ballot, you stole the vote, we cannot trust you anymore," said William Ruto, a senior Odinga adviser. After a first round of voting, the Odinga candidate had a narrow lead, necessitating another ballot. If no-one gets two-thirds majority after two rounds the speaker will be elected by a simple majority in the third round. It was bickering like that seen in Parliament that has led many Kenyans to say they have felt abandoned by their leaders in the weeks of chaos that followed the December 27 vote. A supporter of opposition leader Raila Odinga chants slogans next to car burnt in post election violence, in Kisumu, 15 Jan 2008 Some say they are furious over the presidential vote, which international observers have said was flawed. Others appear to be taking advantage of lawlessness that followed the vote. While the parliamentary debate went on, violence continued across the country. In Nairobi's giant Mathare slum, gangs torched a school and an orphanage. And to the northwest, in an area hit hard by violence, groups of young men allegedly from the Kalenjin tribe killed at least two people and set their homes ablaze. "Gangs of Kalenjin warriors invaded the village and they burned down a couple of houses. When people went in to salvage some things, they met them and they killed two of them," said Karanja Njoroge, a retired professor in the village where the attacks occurred. "Several others were wounded with arrows in their bodies. And they removed the ones who were wounded and they ran away on the main highway toward the police station." Kenya is bracing itself for Wednesday, when Mr. Odinga plans the first of three consecutive days of protest in cities around the country. The government has said it will not allow the demonstrations to go ahead. Former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan is to go to Nairobi to try to find a solution to the standoff. Mr. Kibaki's government has said it sees no reason to negotiate, because it believes the vote was fair.	Kenya's new Parliament convened for the first time since the country's disputed December 27 election, but politician's on opposing sides took part in a heated discussion over who would be the new speaker of the party. Kenyan opposition politicians argued with followers of re-elected President Mwai Kibaki over how to pick a new parliamentary speaker. When a discussion into how the speaker should be decided started, lawmakers with 's opposition insisted the election for speaker be held by open ballot; Mr. Kibaki's supporters demanded the vote be secret. The discussion took place for over an hour politicians from both sides took part in a discussion where anger was clearly shown, before the two parties decided a secret ballot was acceptable. "The standing orders are very clear that members will be given a ballot. Can you show us where it says secret ballot? We went into election with secret ballot, you stole the vote, we cannot trust you anymore," said William Ruto, a senior adviser for Odigna. After a first round of voting, the Orange Democratic Movement candidate had a narrow lead, necessitating another ballot. If no-one gets two-thirds majority after two rounds the speaker will be elected by a simple majority in the third round. It was an argument like that seen in Parliament that has led many Kenyans to say they have felt abandoned by their leaders in the weeks of chaos that followed the December 27 vote. ===Demonstrations=== Kenya is preparing for Wednesday, when Mr. Odinga plans the first of three consecutive days of protest in cities around the country. The government has said it will not allow the demonstrations to go ahead. Former secretary-general is to go to Nairobi in a few days to try to find a solution to the issue. Mr. Kibaki's government has said it sees no reason to negotiate, because it says the vote was fair. Annan was due to arrive today but delayed it as he is suffering from flu. ===Background=== At least 500 people have been killed and more than 250,000 displaced in clashes between protesters and police, as well as ethnic-related violence that has seen rioters torch homes and businesses across the nation. Some say they are furious over the presidential vote, which international observers have said was flawed. Others appear to be taking advantage of lawlessness that followed the vote. While the parliamentary debate went on, violence continued across the country. In Nairobi's giant Mathare slum, gangs torched a school and an orphanage. And to the northwest, in an area hit hard by violence, groups of young men allegedly from the Kalenjin tribe killed at least two people and set their homes ablaze. "Gangs of Kalenjin warriors invaded the village and they burned down a couple of houses. When people went in to salvage some things, they met them and they killed two of them," said Karanja Njoroge, a retired professor in the village where the attacks occurred. He added that "several others were wounded with arrows in their bodies. And they removed the ones who were wounded and they ran away on the main highway toward the police station."
Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption The BBC's Frank Gardner has been given access to the facility that was damaged in Saudi Arabia on 14 September The UN has welcomed a proposal from Yemen's Iran-backed Houthi rebels to end all attacks on Saudi Arabia as part of a peace initiative. A statement said the proposal could send "a powerful message of the will to end the war". The offer comes a week after drone and missile strikes hit Saudi Arabian oil facilities. Houthi rebels have claimed to have carried out the attack, but the US and Saudi Arabia have blamed Iran. Tehran denies any involvement in the strikes. Yemen's civil war has killed 10,000 and pushed millions to the edge of starvation in what has become the world's worst man-made humanitarian disaster. Saudi Arabia and its regional allies drastically escalated the conflict in 2015 when they launched an air campaign against the Houthis, who had ousted President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi and seized the capital, Sanaa. The Houthis have launched numerous drone, missile and rocket attacks on the Gulf kingdom. What have the Houthis offered? In a televised announcement, Houthi Supreme Political Council chair Mahdi al-Mashat said the group would end all strikes on Saudi Arabia, provided the kingdom and its allies did the same. "We reserve the right to return and respond in the case there is no reaction to our initiative," he said, and called on all parties in Yemen to work towards "comprehensive national reconciliation". Image copyright Reuters Image caption The announcement came as Houthi followers marked the fifth anniversary of the rebels' capture of Yemen's capital, Sanaa On Saturday, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Martin Griffiths welcomed the halt on strikes and the calls for a political solution. "The special envoy stresses the importance of taking advantage of this opportunity and moving forward with all necessary steps to reduce violence, military escalation and unhelpful rhetoric," a statement issued from his office read. What about the attacks on Saudi oil facilities? The Houthis have repeatedly claimed responsibility for the attacks on the Abqaiq oil facility and the Khurais oil field on 14 September which affected markets around the world. But both the Saudis and the US have laid the blame squarely on Iran. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir on Saturday said the weapons used were Iranian and vowed to release their full findings. Speaking to reporters in Riyadh, Mr Jubeir said his government was in consultation with allies and would take "necessary measures" after its investigation was complete, without giving details of possible actions. "The kingdom calls upon the international community to assume its responsibility in condemning those that stand behind this act, and to take a firm and clear position against this reckless behaviour that threatens the global economy," he said. Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Saudi Arabia says the direction of the strikes showed the missiles could not have come from Yemen The Trump administration backs the Saudi accusations. Unnamed senior officials have told US media that the evidence suggests the strikes originated in the south of Iran. Officials on Friday announced a moderate deployment of US troops to Saudi Arabia, to help boost its missile and air defences. But the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard in Iran, Maj Gen Hossein Salami, warned on Saturday that the country's "readiness to respond to any aggression is definitive". "Be careful, a limited aggression won't remain limited. We'll pursue any aggressor," he said at the opening of an exhibition of captured drones in the capital, Tehran. "We'll continue until the full destruction of any aggressor." Speaking at the same event, the head of the Guards' aerospace branch, Brig Gen Amirali Hajizadeh, said the US ought to learn from its past failures and that any attack on Iran would receive "a crushing response". The country's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) are an elite branch of Tehran's military and have been designated a terrorist organisation by the US. Iran, the regional rival of Saudi Arabia, is an opponent of the US, and tensions between the two have risen markedly this year. The US said Iran was behind attacks on two oil tankers in the Gulf in June and July, as well as on another four in May - accusations rejected by Tehran. \|\|\|\|\| Foreign Policy Rouhani: Foreign Military in Region Threatening Energy Security, Peace TEHRAN (FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Sunday that foreign military presence in the Middle East has put energy security and peace in serious danger, adding that trans-regional forces should leave the region if they are honestly concerned about security. “The presence of foreign forces can be dangerous for the region, international waters, as well as the security of shipping lines and energy, but our path is to create unity and coordination with regional countries," President Rouhani said this morning, addressing the massive military parade in Tehran which along with parades across the nation mark the start of the Sacred Defense Week. Calling upon those who claim to be worried about security in the Middle East, Rouhani said, “If they are telling the truth, they’d better not turn the region into a stage of arms race … if they are after [establishing] security, they’d better get out of the region.” He went on to say that the attempts by those who try to pin the blame for regional incidents on the Islamic Republic are “just like all of their exposed lies.” Washington and Riyadh rushed to blame Tehran for an attack led by Yemeni Armed Forces against Saudi Arabia's oil facilities on last Saturday. The attack effectively halved the kingdom's oil production. Rouhani went on criticizing Washington for its destructive role in the region, saying, wherever Americans have set foot, they increased insecurity, as it was proved in cases of Afghanistan and Iraq. The Iranian president noted that he is going to present an initiative in the UN General Assembly this week which will guarantee the security of the Persian Gulf and Hormuz Strait with the cooperation of regional states. Early on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif referred to Riyadh’s attacks against al Hudaydah port in retaliation for last week operation of the Yemenis against the kingdom’s oil installations as a clear sign that even Saudi Arabia itself does not believe in its self-concocted fiction of Tehran’s involvement in the attacks. “Since the Saudi regime has blamed Iran—baseless as that is—for the attacks on its oil facilities, curious that they retaliated against Hodaideh in Yemen today—breaking a UN ceasefire,” Zarif tweeted early on Saturday. “It is clear that even the Saudis themselves don't believe the fiction of Iranian involvement,” the Iranian diplomatic chief underlined.	Yesterday, President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said if the goal is peace and security, then foreign powers should "get out of the region" as their presence could cause an arms race. He also announced a new security initiative for the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and the Strait of Hormuz to be unveiled at the United Nations General Assembly later this week. Rouhani delivering the speech Rouhani was speaking at the opening of , an annual commemoration of the eight-year , which features military parades. "The presence of foreign forces can be dangerous for the region, international waters, as well as the security of shipping lines and energy, but our path is to create unity and coordination with regional countries," he said. "Those who want to link the region’s incidents to the Islamic Republic of Iran are lying like their past lies that have been revealed ... If they are truthful and really seek security in the region, they must not send weapons, fighter jets, bombs and dangerous arms to the region." "Your presence has always been a calamity for this region and the farther you go from our region and our nations, the more security would come for our region", he continued in the speech which was delivered in Tehran, the capital. Rouhani's new security plan would be led by Iran and feature support from regional countries in securing the waterways in the region. According to the Associated Press, Iran has increased cooperation in the last few years with the navies of China, India, Oman, Pakistan, and Russia. The speech came approximately one week after an attack on oil infrastructure in Saudi Arabia which halved Saudi oil output. The attack was claimed by the in Yemen, but both Saudi Arabia and the United States have alleged Iranian involvement. The initial reports were of drone attacks, but the Saudi government said the attack included which could not have originated in Yemen. The United States was more forceful in blaming Iran for the attack, committing to send more troops to Saudi Arabia. Recently, the United States announced a naval coalition to patrol the Persian Gulf which was joined by Australia, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly is set to open tomorrow.
Tropical Storm BLANCA ZCZC MIATCDEP3 ALL TTAA00 KNHC DDHHMM TROPICAL STORM BLANCA DISCUSSION NUMBER 3 NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL EP032009 200 PM PDT MON JUL 06 2009 BLANCA HAS CHANGED LITTLE IN INTENSITY SINCE THIS MORNING. MICROWAVE FIXES DURING THE DAY HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY NORTH OF DVORAK POSITION ESTIMATES...INDICATING THAT THE VORTEX MAY NOT BE VERTICALLY ALIGNED. ADDITIONALLY...CLOUD TOP TEMPERATURES HAVE RECENTLY WARMED AND THE CONVECTIVE DISTRIBUTION HAS SHRUNK... POSSIBLY IN RESPONSE TO THE DIURNAL CONVECTIVE MINIMUM. IN SPITE OF THE MORE RAGGED APPEARANCE...THE CYCLONE CONTINUES TO DISPLAY WELL-DEFINED BANDING FEATURES IN VISIBLE SATELLITE IMAGERY...WITH THE CENTER EMBEDDED WITHIN A CENTRAL CONVECTIVE MASS. DVORAK T-NUMBERS FROM TAFB AND SAB ARE 2.5 AND 3.0...RESPECTIVELY...AND THE INITIAL INTENSITY REMAINS 40 KT FOR THIS ADVISORY. THERE IS NOW LESS DOUBT WITH REGARD TO THE INITIAL MOTION...WITH RECENT FIXES INDICATING 305/09. MODEL GUIDANCE SHOWS BLANCA ON THE EASTERN PERIPHERY OF A MID-LEVEL RIDGE THAT EXTENDS FROM THE SUBTROPICAL EAST PACIFIC EASTWARD TO THE NORTHERN BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA . THIS FEATURE SHOULD REMAIN IN PLACE DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND STEER BLANCA ON A GENERALLY WEST-NORTHWESTWARD COURSE OVER THE NEXT 12-24 HOURS...FOLLOWED BY A DECREASE IN FORWARD SPEED AND A FURTHER BENDING OF THE TRACK TO THE WEST ONCE BLANCA BEGINS TO WEAKEN. EVEN THOUGH THE ORGANIZATION OF BLANCA HAS NOT IMPROVED FURTHER...THE STORM IS STILL MOVING OVER 27-28C WATER IN A RELATIVELY LOW SHEAR ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER...THE CYCLONE SHOULD REACH SUB-26C WATER JUST AFTER 12 HOURS...WITH A CONTINUED DECREASE IN SSTS ALONG THE FORECAST TRACK OF THE STORM. THIS...ALONG WITH THE FACT THAT EASTERLY SHEAR IS FORECAST TO INCREASE SLIGHTLY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS...SHOULD PRECLUDE ANY SIGNIFICANT STRENGTHENING. THEREAFTER...WITH THE RAPID DROP-OFF IN SSTS...BLANCA SHOULD BEGIN WEAKENING AND BECOME A REMNANT FLOW BETWEEN 72-96 HR. FORECAST POSITIONS AND MAX WINDS INITIAL 06/2100Z 18.0N 112.9W 40 KT 12HR VT 07/0600Z 18.7N 114.1W 50 KT 24HR VT 07/1800Z 19.4N 115.9W 50 KT 36HR VT 08/0600Z 19.9N 117.5W 45 KT 48HR VT 08/1800Z 20.2N 118.9W 35 KT 72HR VT 09/1800Z 20.5N 121.0W 25 KT 96HR VT 10/1800Z 20.5N 123.0W 20 KT...REMNANT LOW 120HR VT 11/1800Z...DISSIPATED $$ FORECASTER KIMBERLAIN/BROWN NNNN \|\|\|\|\| MEXICO CITY (AP) Tropical Storm Blanca off Mexico's Pacific coast was losing steam as it moved toward colder waters Tuesday, which should sap its energy. Blanca was located about 465 miles southwest of the tip of the Baja California Peninsula, and was heading west-northwest at 10 mph, said the National Hurricane Center in Miami. The storm had maximum sustained winds near 45 mph. The center said Blanca is expected to move over colder waters in the next few days and die out at sea. Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more	The United States National Hurricane Center has upgraded a tropical disturbance off the coast of Mexico to Tropical Storm Blanca. The storm is the second named storm of the 2009 Pacific hurricane season. NOAA five-day forecast map. The storm currently has maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour. Blanca is located about 390 miles south-southwest of Baja California, Mexico, and is currently tracking towards the west-northwest at 10 miles per hour. The storm is expected to continue moving away from land over the next few days. Current projections show that it could intensify slightly before entering unfavorable conditions and weakening. Blanca is not expected to directly impact land, but interests in the area are encouraged to track its progress.
Ex-Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq surrounded by security Torch grabbed Thirty-five arrests have been made after clashes between pro-Tibet protesters and police as the Olympic torch made its way through London. Protests over China's human rights record began soon after the relay began at Wembley, and prompted an increasing police presence through the city. One protester tried to snatch the torch from former Blue Peter host Konnie Huq. After an unpublicised change to the route, the Chinese ambassador carried the torch through Chinatown. It later made an unscheduled move onto a bus. See a map of the torch relay route A protective ring of 10 Chinese flame attendants and fluorescent-jacketed police officers surrounded the torchbearers at all times, with additional uniformed officers joining at potential flashpoints along the route. Police decided the torch should travel along Fleet Street to St Paul's Cathedral by bus, rather than held by a runner, after it was surrounded by a large group of protesters. Chaotic scenes A contingent of pro-China supporters also tried to make their voices heard along the route, waving Chinese and Olympic flags and calling for "one China". I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way Konnie Huq In pictures: Olympic Torch relay Brown criticised over parade Outside Downing Street there were chaotic scenes as former Olympic heptathlon gold medallist Denise Lewis took the flame to No 10. Gordon Brown greeted the torch outside Number 10 despite coming under pressure to boycott the parade and the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony. However he did not hold it. Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said the prime minister's involvement was "wholly inappropriate" until China opened talks with the Dalai Lama. People cannot just come in and cause havoc with what's being done...and officers have stopped them Jo Kaye Metropolitan Police Commander Huq tells of 'shock' Flashpoints on torch route Police said about there were about 500 people in Whitehall and about 2,000 gathered near the British Museum. Several small scuffles broke out as police tackled some of the protesters. Beijing Olympic torch relay spokesman Qu Yingpu told the BBC: "This is not the right time, the right platform, for any people to voice their political views. Human rights "So we are very grateful and very thankful to the people in London, the police and the organisers, for their efforts trying to keep order." Pictures of the London relay were broadcast on China's state-controlled TV, but not of the protests and disruption. Metropolitan Police Commander Jo Kaye denied officers had been heavy-handed with some protesters. "Our duty is to see that that torch is taken safely and securely to the end of its route. We're doing that. We're on schedule. The convoy has kept going according to schedule all the way," he said. "People cannot just come in and cause havoc with what's being done there and the officers have stopped them. They know quite well that they shouldn't be trying to get in at the torch and they've been stopped." At the start of the relay, three protesters were taken away by police after trying to board the open-top bus taking the torch from Wembley. Police also stepped in when a protester later tried to snatch the torch from Ms Huq. Olympic values She told BBC News 24 she was "a bit bashed about" but not seriously hurt. "I always said my taking part in the procession doesn't mean I condone China in any way," she added. "I believe in the Olympic values, the Olympic ideals... it's just unfortunate that China has such a terrible track record when it comes to human rights and they are the host nation." Those taking part in the relay include 10 Olympic champions, 18 schoolchildren and public figures such as news reader Sir Trevor McDonald and musician Vanessa Mae. Double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes ran the last stage of the route to complete the relay and lit the Olympic cauldron in front of 5,000 spectators. The flame will complete the London leg of its journey with a finale event at the O2 Arena. It will then leave for Paris. Girl band The Sugababes withdrew from the finale at the last minute, saying singer Amelle Berrabah had been diagnosed with laryngitis. They had earlier carried the torch on an open top bus down Oxford Street. The torch was lit in Olympia, Greece, last week and will go through 20 countries before being carried into the Beijing Games opening ceremony on 8 August. LONDON TORCH RELAY 6 APRIL 1: Wembley 1030BST 2: Ladbroke Grove 1100 3: British Museum 1220 4: China Town 1230 5: Trafalgar Square 1250 6: Southbank Centre 1330 7: Somerset House 1415 8: St Paul's Cathedral 1430 9: Potter's Fields 1500 10: Whitechapel Road 1530 11: Stratford 1600 12: Canary Wharf 1700 13: North Greenwich 1800 Source: Mayor of London Return E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| The Olympic torch parade descended into chaotic scenes today as more than 25 protesters were arrested within the two hours of its tour of London. Your View: Were protesters justified in disrupting the Olympic torch procession? In pictures: Protests disrupt torch relay Send in your pictures of the relay Former Blue Peter presenter Konnie Huq was caught in the middle of an ugly scuffle as a man attempted to wrestle the torch from her hands. The parade was brought to a temporary halt five times in its first few miles as anti-China protesters made repeated attempts to breach security, including one man who tried to extinguish the flame with a fire extinguisher. However Prime Minister Gordon Brown welcomed the torch at Downing Street, where at 1pm he posed for photographed alongside the torch - by which time 25 protesters had been taken into custody. Vast crowds of peaceful pro-Tibet protesters – calling for independence from China – also lined the streets, chanting "Free Tibet" and booing the torch bearers. Britain's greatest Olympian, Sir Steve Redgrave, started the route at Wembley stadium in north London. The Olympic torch route through London Buildup to Beijing 2008: Coverage in full But within five minutes – after he had passed it to the second torch carrier - a protestor tried to steal the flame as it was carried on to a bus. The woman was bundled to the ground and arrested along with two others. advertisement She screamed at television cameras: "I urge you Gordon Brown listen. Free Tibet". After a brief, quiet period, there were three incidents in 10 minutes in west London. Miss Huq, who had expressed her doubts about taking part in the event, ran with it for several minutes but as she stopped to pass the flame over, a man in a brown jacket grabbed it from her hands and six police officers and attendants were forced to wrestle it from him. One onlooker said: "It was a very nasty scuffle and Konnie looked shocked by it all". Five minutes later another man ran out of the crowd and was stopped by police just before he reached the inner cordon. At 11.30am, a man disguised in a yellow day-glo jacket ran out from the side of a crowd and let off a fire extinguisher. He was forced to the ground as the air filed with white smoke. Police then beefed up security, bringing in van loads of officers to flank the convoy running alongside it along with motorcycles and a dozen officers on bicycles closely guarding the torch. Around 15 Chinese attendants, dressed in blue and white, also huddled around it. Four minutes later the torch was passed to British tennis champion Tim Henman. He wore an uneasy smile as he watched the crowd closely, jogging down the road. In Bloomsbury Square the ceremony came to a complete halt in a stand-off between large crowds of pro-China and pro-Tibet supporters. Sir Clive Woodward, the World Cup winning rugby coach, was confronted by three protesters immediately as he was handed the flame. They were all arrested. In Trafalgar Square, as Sir Trevor Macdonald held the torch aloft, large groups of protesters clashed with police in the most violent scenes and six people were detained. Police say they have made around 35 arrests along the 31 mile route. \|\|\|\|\| Scuffles broke out every time members of the relay team handed over the flame London police battle Tibet protesters on Olympic torch relay LONDON (AFP) — British police battled to keep pro-Tibet protesters away from the Beijing Olympics flame, making 30 arrests as the torch went on a high security tour of London on Sunday. Police jogged or cycled alongside the torch as it was carried by each member of the relay. There were continual scuffles along the route as members of a team of renowned British athletes, pop stars and television personalities handed the flame to the next runner. Two demonstrators against China's crackdown in Tibet were arrested as they attempted to extinguish the torch, while a third was pushed to the ground as he tried to seize the flame from a television presenter. Police said they had made 30 arrests for public order offences and estimated that more than 1,000 demonstrators were out in force. Shouts of "Free Tibet, free Tibet," echoed around the streets while demonstrators held up banners and had their faces painted in the colours of the Tibetan flag. Pro-China supporters were also out in force. Former Olympic champion rower Steve Redgrave started the relay that began at Wembley Stadium amid an unseasonal fall of snow. There were even arrests here as Redgrave handed over the flame to a 16-year-old girl. A Chinese embassy spokesman told AFP that its ambassador to Britain, Fu Ying, had not been troubled as she ran through London's Chinatown. He would not confirm reports that her route had been changed to avoid trouble. Beijing has faced international criticism over its crackdown on protests in Tibet that began on March 10 and which have spread to other areas of China with Tibetan populations. Exiled Tibetan leaders say more than 150 people have been killed in the unrest. China has given a figure of 20. But China's top official in Tibet, rejecting demands by activists around the world, insisted on Sunday that the Beijing Olympics torch relay would pass through Tibet as planned. Some 2,000 British police officers were out in force to protect the London torch procession. Ahead of the relay, police said they were expecting around 500 demonstrators from six organisations, including the Free Tibet movement, Falungong and the Burma Campaign. But they were outnumbered by the thousands who lined the streets to enjoy the relay in a carnival atmosphere. A number of China supporters also braved the cold temperatures to voice their political opinions. The torch was met by British Prime Minister Gordon Brown at his Downing Street residence. Brown has brushed aside criticism of his plans to attend Beijing Olympic ceremonies, insisting it is the right thing as London will host the 2012 Games. David Cameron, leader of Britain's opposition Conservatives, acknowledged many people were "very unhappy" about China's crackdown in Tibet but sided with the government in rejecting calls for a boycott of the Olympics. "I don't think we are at the stage yet where we should be considering a boycott," he told Sky Television. "I think having a policy of robust engagement with China is right." An array of British sports and entertainment stars, flanked by police and security officers, carried the torch on a 31-mile (48 kilometre) route taking in the site of the London 2012 Olympic Games and finishing at the O2 arena. Among the torch-bearers were round-the-world sailor Ellen MacArthur, runner Kelly Holmes, tennis player Tim Henman, Arsenal footballer Theo Walcott, rugby player Kenny Logan, rower Ed Coode, cricketer Kevin Pietersen, violinist Vanessa Mae, singers the Sugababes, rugby coach Clive Woodward and heptathlete Denise Lewis. Stand-up comedian Francesca Martinez withdrew Thursday in protest over the China. The torch heads for Paris on Monday where the French authorities have also prepared massive security for the relay which has sparked protests since the torch was lit in Greece a week ago at the start of its 85,000-mile journey to Beijing via 21 countries.	Stratford, London. Around 25 arrests have been made by Metropolitan Police officers, during the 31 mile Olympic Torch relay in London, England. The torch relay began at Wembley Stadium where protesters waved flags and chanted as the torch started on its route. Protests then became more dramatic, as demonstrators attempted to extinguish the flame using a fire extinguisher, and grab the torch from the hands of TV presenter Konnie Huq in Ladbroke Grove. Both of the attempts were unsuccessful, and were prevented by police officers and members of the torch's security team. The torch continued its route, surrounded by more than twenty security officers, to be seen by hundreds of spectators, and also continued verbal protests by groups highlighting the human rights issues in China. There were also pro-China protesters present chanting slogans. It is believed that around 20 - 25 arrests have been made throughout the course of the day. The route ends at the O2 Arena after being carried by around 80 athletes, dignitaries and entertainers, including five time Olympic gold medal winner Sir Steve Redgrave.
The Bayern players completed their final training session on Saturday ahead of the Bundesliga's... FC Bayern appeals to reason and sense of responsibility of fans: Please stay away from the stadium... FC Bayern appeals to reason and sense of responsibility of fans Please stay away from the stadium Matches behind closed doors, personnel and more - Hansi Flick’s key statements ahead of the match...... Live ticker, web radio & more How to follow the Union game live on fcbayern.com and on the App You can keep in touch with all the action in Berlin on Sunday. \|\|\|\|\| Bayern looked set for a first defeat of the season with just five minutes to go in Thursday’s meeting with Red Star Belgrade, but Miroslav Klose and super sub Toni Kroos had other ideas. “We’d have been happy enough with a draw, but now we’re obviously delighted. We’ve put ourselves in a great position,” general manager Uli Hoeneß summarised. Reaction to Red Star Belgrade v Bayern: Uli Hoeneß: “It was a real fight out there tonight, especially on the unbelievably difficult pitch. Even the referee said he had trouble staying on his feet, so it was very tough and definitely a lottery. It was good to see the team coming from behind twice, but obviously it was a little bit lucky at the end. We’d have been happy enough with a draw, but now we’re obviously delighted. We’ve put ourselves in a great position. We need to win our home games, and then we’re home and dry.“ Ottmar Hitzfeld: “You could see we were having huge problems with the turf. We did consider lodging an appeal after we trained on the pitch yesterday. I’m just pleased we’ve basically come out of it in good shape. Today was all about desire. It wasn’t a day for the pretty stuff, all that mattered was battling away. By the end, I’d have been happy enough with a point.“ Miroslav Klose: “I want to praise the team for the way we kept coming back at them. We had to go to the limit, especially when you consider the conditions here. The turf wasn’t exactly perfect, and you feel it in your legs. We need to keep believing in ourselves.“ Toni Kroos: “It was vital to start the group with a win. It was hard work, the pitch was a catastrophe, but I think we made the best of the situation and coped well. We fought hard and put up stiff resistance, and I think we deserved to win at the end.“	Bayern Munich beat 3-2 on the last kick of the game on 17-year-old Toni Kroos' 1st professional goal. Toni Kroos played a key role as he also assisted on 's 2nd equalizer only minutes earlier. Red Star Belgrade opened the scoring in the 16th minute while Miroslav Klose 1st equalizer 4 minutes later. Red Star Belgrade took the lead again when couldn't handle a long distance shot.
Mon, July 16, 2007 Icing on the case Frigid 18-minute swim at the North Pole highlights threat of climate change By SUN WIRE SERVICES A British swimmer who has made it his mission to draw the world's attention to climate change, has successfully completed a kilometre-long swim in the freezing water of the North Pole. The story you are searching for is available in its entirety via email, fax or mail for $12.00 (plus GST), payable with credit card (include expiry date). Just call the Sun Media News Research Centre at 416-947-2258 or toll free at 1-877-624-1463 with information about the story and supply the following: Name of credit card, number and expiry date on card Your name, mailing address and phone number (we will mail or fax you a receipt). E-mail address or fax number. Cheques or money orders can be mailed with your request to: Sun Media Research Centre 333 King Street East Toronto, Ontario M5A 3X5 Canada Other research services available are: $75.00 (plus GST) for up to ten articles on any one topic. This is a research, information service offered to professionals, students, businesses, internet users. Photo Reprints @ $46.00 (plus taxes) (8 by 10 colour glossy) Full Page Reprints from Sun newspapers @ $100.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing. Personalized Mock-Up Frontpages @ $130.00 (plus taxes) suitable for framing. Tearsheets or Back Editions of Sun Newspapers @ $15 each (plus taxes) Orders from outside Canada must be paid in US funds. \|\|\|\|\| Quote "This swim is a triumph and a tragedy a triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole." Lewis Gordon Pugh WHAT DO YOU THINK? Go To Comments (AP) A British explorer has braved sub-zero temperatures to become the first person to swim at the North Pole. Lewis Gordon Pugh took to the freezing waters on Sunday to highlight the devastating impact of climate change on the natural world. It took him 18 minutes and 50 seconds to swim 0.6 miles in waters created by melted sea ice at temperatures of 29°F the coldest a human has swum in. "I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy," the 37-year-old British lawyer said after coming out of the water. "A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole." Pugh said he hoped that his swim will make world leaders take climate change seriously. "The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world," he said. "I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic these creatures are on the front line up here." Swimming has given him a unique perspective on climate change, Pugh says on his Web site. "I have witnessed retreating glaciers, decreasing sea ice, coral bleaching, severe droughts and the migration of animals to colder climates. "It's as a result of these experiences that I am determined to do my bit to raise awareness about the fragility of our environment and to encourage everyone to take action." Calling it the hardest swim of his life, Pugh said Sunday that the water was black when he jumped in. "It was like jumping into a dark black hole. It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire," said Pugh, who's an ambassador for the World Wildlife Fund UK. "I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions." Colin Butfield of WWF UK called the challenge "a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change." Pugh is known for his epic swims in waters from the Antarctic to the Indian Ocean. His ability to raise his body temperature in anticipation of a swim in cold waters has intrigued top sports scientists and has earned him his "Polar Bear" nickname. © MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.	Lewis Gordon Pugh, 37, a man from the United Kingdom has become the first person to swim at the North pole. The water, 29 degrees F (-1.8 C), is believed to be the coldest waters any human has ever swam in on the planet. "I am obviously ecstatic to have succeeded but this swim is a triumph and a tragedy. A triumph that I could swim in such ferocious conditions, but a tragedy that it's possible to swim at the North Pole," said Pugh who swam 0.6 miles in just under 19 minutes through cracks in icebergs. Pugh says he swam at the North Pole to demonstrate the effects that global warming is playing on the Earth and is hoping that his act will gain the attention of leaders from around the world. "The decisions which they make over the next few years will determine the biodiversity of our world. I want my children, and their children, to know that polar bears are still living in the Arctic — these creatures are on the front line up here," added Pugh. The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), which sponsored the swim, states that the only reason Pugh was able to swim in the freezing waters was due to global warming. "The swim was a bittersweet victory, as this swim has only been possible because of climate change," said WWF U.K. spokesman, Colin Butfield. The waters were completely frozen ten years ago and the swim would have been impossible to complete. Pugh has also swum in the waters of Antarctica where he was credited to being the only person to swim so far south earning him the nickname "The Polar Bear." Pugh also swam the Indian Ocean. "It was frightening. The pain was immediate and felt like my body was on fire. I was in excruciating pain from beginning to end and I nearly quit on a few occasions. It was without doubt the hardest swim of my life," added Pugh.
By Michele Kambas NICOSIA (Reuters) - Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos was eliminated in the first round of a presidential election on Sunday, sending two candidates who want talks on reuniting the island to a run-off. The surprise result signaled that Greek Cypriots are ready to return to peace talks key to Turkey's hopes of joining the EU, analysts said. The February 24 run-off will pit right-winger Ioannis Kassoulides against communist Demetris Christofias. Both pledge a more conciliatory approach towards estranged Turkish Cypriots in the breakaway north. Cyprus was divided in a Turkish invasion in 1974 triggered by a brief Greek inspired coup. Peace talks stalled in 2004 when Papadopoulos, elected the year before, led Greek Cypriot rejection of a United Nations blueprint for reunification. Sunday's vote showed a shift in opinion since then. "If you want to extract a political message out of it, 65 percent of Greek Cypriots voted for clear pro-solution candidates," said political analyst Hubert Faustmann. "The Greek Cypriots are back at the negotiation table." Kassoulides, 59, had supported the UN plan while Christofias, 62, had opposed it. Both acknowledge the blueprint cannot be revived but they also favor talks on reuniting the island. Now, they will need to secure support from Papadopoulos ahead of the second round. Continued... \|\|\|\|\| Mr Papadopoulos was narrowly defeated in the knife-edge poll The MEP Ioannis Kasoulides won the knife-edge poll by just 980 votes, after a turnout of around 90%. The former foreign minister will face Demetris Christofias, who came second, in a run-off vote next Sunday. The election is being seen as a crucial step towards reunification with the break-away Turkish-controlled northern Cyprus after decades of division. Mr Kasoulides won 33.51% of votes compared to 33.29% for Mr Christofias and 31.79% for Mr Papadopoulos. Open-minded A member of the right-wing DISY party, Mr Kasoulides is the candidate most favoured by the international community to push ahead with reunification talks, says the BBC's Tabitha Morgan in Nicosia. She says the result shows that most Cypriots have clearly rejected Mr Papadopoulos's uncompromising approach to solving the Cyprus problem in favour of a more open-minded candidate. Last month the International Crisis Group, a think tank, warned that if talks after the election failed, the likely outcome would be partition. Cypriots living in Greece and Britain have been flown back to Cyprus on planes chartered by the main parties, so that they can vote. Cyprus was partitioned after a Turkish invasion in 1974, which came shortly after a Greek Cypriot coup backed by the military junta ruling Greece at the time. Shortly before joining the European Union in 2004 the Greek Cypriots rejected a United Nations plan to reunify the island. Turkey recognises only the Turkish Cypriot authorities and keeps about 30,000 troops in the north of the island.	According to exit-polls Cyprus president Tassos Papadopoulos has been defeated in the Cypriot presidential elections. In the closest election in Cyprus ever, Papadopoulos finished third, after right-winger Ioannis Kassoulides and communist Demetris Christofias. Kasoulides won 33.51% of votes, compared to 33.29% for Christofias and 31.79% for Papadopoulos. The two remaining candidates will compete again in a run-off vote next Sunday. The current election is regarded as extremely important in reuniting the Turkish-controlled northern part of the island with Greece-oriented southern part, after having been divided for decades. Papadopoulos, member of the Cypriot Democratic Party, has been in office since 2003.
The Moving Finger Writes Parochialism has no place in a nation state By M.V. Kamath When are we going to bring this childish behaviour to an end? When is India going to be for Indians? The Chandigarh Tribune recently (January 23) carried a story that makes one cry. It would seem that Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi commenting on the demand for a separate Telangana said that it is a sin to cut up the country or states into pieces (because) it is not good for the country or for the people. The comment obviously was made in all good faith. Sai Baba had donated Rs 200 crore from a trust under his name to complete a project to bring the waters of the Krishna River from Andhra to Chennai which was a major contribution. A function had been organised in Chennai to felicitate him and his remarks were not intended to hurt anybody. But obviously those who want a separate Telangana state could not stomach Sai Babas comments and are reported to have made some extremely insulting remarks. A Congress MP and active protagonist of Telangana Madhu Yashki Goud reportedly wanted to know whether Sai Baba knew anything about the problems of the Telangana people and of the flouride issue in the Nalgonda area. May be he does, may be he doesnt. The issue is much simpler. Is there a genuine need for further division of existing states? Uttar Pradesh was considered too large and it presented a genuine problem. It was resolved amicably. Bihar presented a similar problem. That too, hopefully has been resolved to everyones satisfaction. The first thing that we must realise and accept is that India is a composite nation. The British, following their conquest, set up their Presidencies without giving any thought to linguistic or ethnic issues. After Independence, and after much discussion and argument the concept of linguistic states came to be accepted. In Kerala, Malayalam speaking Muslims wanted a district with their own majority. It was a wrong demand but a communist-run government conceded it. At the rate in which dalits are being beaten-up, a time may come when they may demand dalit-majority districts of their own. When will all this stop? We all know what happened at Khairlanjis where a dalit woman was stripped and assaulted. According to a survey made some time ago by the International Movement Against All Forms of Discrimination and Racism (IMADR), in India, on an average two dalits are assaulted every hour, three dalit women are raped every day, two dalits are murdered and two dalit houses burnt down everyday. And this is happening to a community that forms 19.8 per cent Indias population. One out of every five Indians is a dalit. If we accept the Telanganist logic, we will soon have to set-up separate districts for dalits. Where will all this end? This is a country with over 22 major languages and a hundred times more dialects but which has survived for over ten thousand years and no doubt will survive till eternity come. But we cant leave it at that. This is where we need the right kind of leadership that goes beyond party lines. There is more anxiety among our leaders for power than for working for social integrity. Politics in India is no longer ideology-based. Stated in simple terms, it is caste-based and we should be ashamed of ourselves. This is a fact known to everybody and one has only to study the situation in states like Uttar Pradesh or even Karnataka to realise how we have divided and sub-divided ourselves without the slightest hesitation. Actually we are revelling in our caste distinctions. During the old Congress regime in Gujarat, the party was openly spelling out its political strategy of appealing to KHAMKshatriyas, Harijans, Adivasis and Muslims. When will this kind of political criminality ever stop? Time was when in Mumbai the Shiv Sena was opposed to the presence of so-called madrassis. In Assam, ULFA wants no Hindi-speaking labour. If ULFA has gone into organisational murder, one has to hark back to 1979-80 when Parliamentary elections were held on the basis of 1979 electoral rolls which had been highly inflated by the inclusion of Bangladeshi infiltrators. Such was the resentment amongst Assamese that a mass movement erupted. If Assam has to have peace all the Bangladeshi migrants who are detected and declared illegal foreigners must be deported. Now we hear that Kashmir is for Kashmiris. When are we going to bring this childish behaviour to an end? When is India going to be for Indians? But to go back to Telangana for a while. The charges are that it is a neglected area. Surprisingly enough, when linguistic states were in the offing, the central leadershipthen it was Congresswas not in favour of Vishal Andhra. In October 1953 no less than Nehru himself criticised the concept as bearing the tint of expansionist imperialismwhatever that meant. But subsequently he was to change his views due to pressures from the leaders of the Andhra region. It may be remembered that in the early fifties, seven out of ten Congress committees and 73 out of 105 Congress delegates were in favour of the formation of a Telangana state. The State Executive of the Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) and ten members of Parliament also lent their support to the demand for the formation of Telangana. In the end the voice of the leaders from coastal Andhra Pradesh prevailed. It was stated that they wanted easier access to the coal available at Singerni in the Telangana area. The proponents of Telangana felt that their homeland was being exploited, even as many in Assam think that the rest of India is exploiting Assamese oil reserves without adequately compensating the Assamese people. This is a matter for deep study and sympathetic understanding. What we need is a committee to study the availability of various resources in different states, the manner in which they are utilised and the ways in which the reservoir states are made to feel that they are properly compensated and not just robbed. As for Telangana the feeling is that it has been converted into an internal colony as a result of the economic development process pursued by successive governments. As has been noted in Economic and Political Weekly the movement for separate statehood seeks to articulate the demand for a fair share of the resources. Fair enough. And that applies not just to Telangana but to Assam and other areas as well. We dont need a Sachar Committee but a committee of scholars who can look at all issues fairly, keeping in mind the essential unity of India. All problems have solutions; What is needed is objectivity, not running down people or sending armed forces to put down dissension. Down the centuries we have been one nation. And so we will continue to be. \|\|\|\|\| News: Advts: Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad Agnivesh flays Baba's remarks Special Correspondent Silence on Nithari killings decried `Comments on Telangana unnecessary' Arya Samaj leader to write a letter to Sai Baba Swami Agnivesh HYDERABAD: Noted social activist and president of All-India Arya Samaj Swami Agnivesh has criticised spiritual leader Saibaba for his remarks favouring an integrated State. "He talked something that was unnecessary while ignoring an urgent issue -- the killing of innocent children at Nithari," Agnivesh said at the dharna that he led against the killings at Indira Park here on Wednesday. Swami Agnivesh lamented that all dharmacharyas, irrespective of their spiritual practices, should have condemned the carnage, but Sai Baba was silent. Instead, he raised his voice against a separate Telangana. Though he was a guru practising dharma, his silence led to doubts over his credentials. Not a political leader "As he is not a political leader he should not make such comments," he said, adding that he would address a letter conveying his protest to Saibaba. He was also critical of leaders belonging to other religions for not reacting to the killings. Even the five crore people who took the holy dip in Ganges as part of Kumbhmela did not express sympathy for the victims. Neither did the Hajis who returned from Makkah. Resignation sought The Arya Samaj leader was particularly critical about the President and Prime Minister not visiting Nithari, a place so close to Delhi. He demanded the resignation of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav. As president of World Council of Arya Samaj, Swami Agnivesh said, he would take the initiative to involve leaders of all religions in an agitation against Nithari. Printer friendly page Send this article to Friends by E-Mail Andhra Pradesh \|\|\|\|\| Adding that spiritual leaders like Sai Baba should confine themselves to practising spiritualism, Rao asked why was Baba insensitive to the plight of Telangana weavers and people of Nalgonda district who were suffering from chronic flourosis. "Has he ever thought of solving the problems of the people of Telangana?" PCC president K Keshava Rao, however, said Sai Baba's comments were misinterpreted. "Every one, more so a great person like Sai Baba, has a right to his wisdom. There is no need to read politics into it. His statement is not political," he said. In Puttaparthy, a bandh call was given by Sai Baba's followers who later organised a procession in the town and burnt effigies of the TRS president and balladeer Gaddar. On Monday, some members of the Telangana Vidyarthi Sangham (TVS), a student outfit, gathered in front of Shivam, the Sai Baba temple, in Hyderabad and burnt his cutout. The protesters also gained entry into the temple and shouted slogans against Sai Baba. \|\|\|\|\| NEW DELHI: Congress on Wednesday sought to ignore the remarks of Satya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi opposing creation of a separate Telangana state carved out of Andhra Pradesh. "With due respect to Sai Baba we can say that the work for setting up the second state reorganisation commission will go on,"said party general secretary Digvijay Singh. He said his party favoured creation of a separate Telangana state. Singh, who looks after Andhra affairs in the party, disagreed with a suggestion that chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy could have instigated the Sai Baba to make the statement. \|\|\|\|\| Advanced Search Qatar Gulf/Arab World Iraq Americas Britain/Ireland Europe/World India Pakistan/Afghanistan SriLanka/Bangladesh Philippines/East Asia Opinion Islam Finance & Business Sport Features Classifieds Back Issues Feedback Contact Us Site Map About Us Home: India Spiritual guru criticised for opposing statehood for Telangana region HYDERABAD: People went on a rampage here yesterday in protest against spiritual guru Satya Sai Baba who said he was against a separate Telangana state. His followers meanwhile called a shutdown in Puttaparthi town of Anantapur district to condemn remarks on the guru. Shouting slogans against him, dozens of students belonging to Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) barged into a Sai Baba temple near Osmania University here, pulled down huge cut-outs of the guru and burnt them. An effigy of Sai Baba, who termed moves to bifurcate the state ‘mahapapam’ (great sin), was also burnt. Addressing a function in Chennai on Sunday, Sai Baba said there was no demand for a separate Telangana state from the people of the region. “Dividing the people or the country is not good. Bifurcating the state is mahapapam,” he said. Sai Baba, who preaches love, understanding and universal brotherhood, has thousands of followers in India and abroad including several heads of state, politicians, military officials, judges, film stars and sportsmen. During the last few decades, he has built a vast empire worth billions of rupees transforming the small village of Puttaparthi, his birthplace, into a modern town with a state-of-the-art airport, education and health facilities. The reaction to his comments was sharp from the protagonists of separate Telangana. TRS president K Chandrasekhara Rao asked Sai Baba to confine himself to religion. “Is Sai Baba blind to the suicides by farmers in Telangana region? Is he blind to the fact that the region was subjected to exploitation?” asked Rao, who is leading the movement for a separate state comprising 10 districts including Hyderabad. Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Yaskhi Goud wondered what Sai Baba knew of the problems of Telangana. “He is from Rayalseema region and what does he know about the problem of fluorosis (an abnormal condition caused by excessive intake of fluorine), in Nalgonda? He is funding the water projects for Rayalseema and Chennai,” said Goud. Revolutionary balladeer and Maoist sympathiser Gaddar, who is also actively participating in the movement for separate Telangana, criticised Sai Baba for opposing the demand. Meanwhile, a shutdown was being observed in Puttaparthi town in Anantapur district to condemn the remarks of Telangana leaders against Sai Baba. Shops and business establishment were shut and Sai Baba’s disciples set afire effigies of Chandrasekhara Rao, Madhu Yashki Goud and Gaddar. The streets around Prashanti Nilayam, the abode of Baba, wore a deserted look.- IANS Gulf Times Newspaper, 2007 © \|\|\|\|\| Advertisement Controversy is nothing new to Godman Satya Sai Baba of Putaparthi. This time around, the frizzy-haired, saffron-robed savant has firmly and publicly opposed the division of Andhra Pradesh, thus raising the hackles of those who support the movement for a separate Telangana state. “There is no demand from the people for a separate Telangana. Dividing the people or the country is not good. Bifurcating the state in such a manner is mahapapam (great sin),” Sai said on Sunday while speaking at a function in Chennai. The statement has not gone down well with the supporters of a separate Telangana state, including the outlawed Maoists. Angered by what he said, a group of youths on Monday attacked the Sivam temple, the local outfit of Sai Baba situated near Osmania University. The youths, shouting anti-Sai Baba slogans, entered the premises and pulled down a hoarding sporting the holy man’s face. They then dragged it to the main road and set it on fire. “Not a single devotee but only some of us were present at the temple when the attack took place. The miscreants retreated soon after burning the hoarding,” a temple staff told Hindustan Times. Following the incident, the temple authorities lodged a complaint at the Amberpet police station. Officers started an investigation and have arrested 20 people thus far. The pilgrim town of Putaparthi observed a bandh to protest the attack on Sai Baba. But opposition to Sai Baba’s views does not end with the youths. Political leaders supporting Telengana also came out strongly against him. Leader of Telangana Rasthra Samithi and former Union Minister K Chandra Sekhar Rao asked Baba to limit his business to giving religious discourses and tending to devotees. “Otherwise, he should quit religion and join politics,” Rao said. Congress MP Madhu Yakshi Goud echoed similar sentiments too. She asked what Sai Baba was doing when people were dying of flurosis in Telangana for ages? Revolutionary poet and Maoist sympathiser Gaddar also asked Sai Baba to “shut up”.	Indian spiritual leader Sathya Sai Baba, 81, found himself embroiled in a political row after his recent remarks characterising the partition of the state of Andhra Pradesh (AP) as a "great sin". On a recent visit to Chennai he publicly spoke out against the proposed partition of India's fourth largest state, calling such a move a "mahapapam" (great sin) and claimed that there was no demand from the people to bifurcate AP into Telangana and Andhra states. The comments caused an outcry among pro-Telangana activists who angrily voiced their protests in street marches and attacks on the Sivam building, the Baba's temple in Hyderabad, which was staffed by a few devotees. Shouting anti-Sai Baba slogans, the protestors pulled down a large picture of the holy man and trampled on it before taking it outside and setting it on fire. An effigy of the Baba was also reported to have been burnt, and twenty protestors were arrested following several police complaints.
With Vladimir Putin and the United States staring at each other like the gunfighters in the final scene in the “Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” War College takes a fresh look at the 70-year-old alliance called NATO. \|\|\|\|\| The newly appointed archbishop of Warsaw resigned on Sunday, less than an hour before his scheduled installation, after admitting he had co-operated with Poland's communist-era secret police. Stanislaw Wielgus announced his decision at Warsaw's St. John's Cathedral, packed with worshippers gathered for a mass that was to have marked his formal installation. The congregation included President Lech Kaczynski. Though some in the congregation, including Kaczynski, applauded the announcement, others shouted that Wielgus was welcome to stay. Stanislaw Wielgus admitted he had informed against fellow clerics. (Czarek Sokolowski/Associated Press) In his resignation letter to Pope Benedict XVI, he said his past actions had "gravely compromised his authority" in the Roman Catholic homeland of the late Pope John Paul II. The admission that he collaborated with the former communist regime, which ended in 1989, is a major embarrassment for the Vatican and the powerful Polish Catholic Church. His resignation reportedly came at the request of Pope Benedict, who appointed him just a month ago. Wielgus, 67, is believed to have informed on fellow clerics for around 20 years, from the late 1960s, according to allegations raised in a Dec. 20 article by the weekly Gazeta Polska newspaper. He initially denied any collaboration, but the scandal widened when church officials on Friday said that documents at a historical institute showed Wielgus had willingly co-operated with the secret services, and the Polish media intensified calls for his resignation. Wielgus has since issued statements acknowledging that he signed an agreement in 1978 promising to co-operate with the security force in exchange for permission to leave Poland to study in West Germany. However, he stressed that he did not inform on anyone or try to hurt anyone, and he expressed remorse for both his contacts with the secret police and his failure to be forthcoming from the beginning. With files from the Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| Wielgus (L) was moved to tears during the service It said revelations about Stanislaw Wielgus's co-operation with the Polish secret police under communist rule had compromised his authority. He confirmed his decision in a tearful announcement to the congregation gathered to witness his installation. The BBC's David Willey in Rome says the resignation is a setback for the Pope. The sudden announcement of the Pope's acceptance of Monsignor Wielgus's resignation came only two days after an official statement had reiterated that the prelate enjoyed the pontiff's full confidence. The Vatican has suggested the disclosures - published first in the media and later confirmed by the archbishop himself - may have been leaked by communists in revenge for the Catholic Church's role in their fall from power. Applause and shouting The decision by the 67-year-old Polish prelate was made public less than an hour before the beginning of a Mass which was to inaugurate his appointment at St John's Cathedral in the city. His confirmation of the news prompted some in the congregation to applaud, including the anti-communist President, Lech Kaczynski, while others shouted for him to stay. The Mass went ahead, but focused on giving thanks for the outgoing archbishop, Jozef Glemp, who will now administer the diocese on a temporary basis. He said Monsignor Wielgus should not be judged too harshly. Correspondents say the episode is an unprecedented embarrassment for the Catholic Church in Poland. Monsignor Wielgus had been under severe pressure since he admitted that not only had he collaborated, but that he had lied about it, even after the allegations surfaced last month. The Church plays a very prominent role in Polish society, and was highly esteemed because of its leading role in the fight against communism in Poland and worldwide, particularly during the time of Polish Pope John Paul II. But historians estimate that up to 15% of Polish clergy agreed to inform on their colleagues in the communist era. The Polish Church has launched a series of investigations in recent years to identify collaborators. HAVE YOUR SAY The Vatican probably saw him as a safe pair of hands but now don't want their own fingers burnt. David Scheinmann, Cardiff, UK Send us your comments Series of problems Pope Benedict XVI made no mention of the crisis in the Polish church in his regular Sunday speech to pilgrims in St Peter's Square, despite the presence in Rome of a large group of Polish pilgrims. Our Rome correspondent says the Vatican clearly realised that Monsignor Wielgus's position had become untenable after he admitted spying for the communists from the 1970s onwards, and accepted the inevitable. He adds that the crisis in Warsaw does mark yet another setback for the Pope, who last year had to deal with a series of international problems. These included the Church's difficult relations with the Muslim world after the Pope's lecture at his former university in Germany linking Islam with violence, and continuing aftershocks in priestly paedophile scandals in various countries, in particular the United States.	St. John's Cathedral, where the former Archbishop announced his resingation Stanislaw Wielgus, the Archbishop of Warsaw, resigned yesterday after admitting to have worked for the secret police of Poland during the operation of the Communist government. At a mass in Warsaw Cathedral, the Archbishop was to have marked his formal installation. Instead, he tendered his resignation. The resignation came at the request of Pope Benedict XVI, who had appointed Wielgus one month previously. The reaction to the resignation is mixed. Polish President Lech Kaczyński, who attended the service, applauded the resignation. Wielgus' supporters gathered outside the cathedral, yelling "Stay with us". Those opposed to the Archbishop also gathered outside, carrying banners that said "non possumus" ("we cannot allow that"). Since the late 1960s, the former Archbishop spied on members of the Church for about 20 years. After the ''Gazeta Polska'' newspaper published allegations of his actions on December 20, Wielgus denied them. However, when church officials announced they had obtained documents showing that Wielgus had willingly co-operated with the secret services, he acknowledged that the accusations were true. There is some suspicion that the documents were leaked by communists, in retribution for the Catholic Church's role in the fall of European communism. A poll, conducted by the TNS OBOP Institute and published January 5 in the Polish daily ''Dziennik Polska-Europa-Świat'', revealed that 26% supported the Archbishop's immediate resignation, 41% thought that he would have to resign "after some explanations", 20% believed that he should keep his position, and 13% had "no opinion". Cardinal Józef Glemp will retain the position of apostolic administrator until a replacement is chosen.
Nobel Winner Gore Urges US, China to Do More on Global Warming Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore speaks during an interview in Oslo, Norway, 10 Dec 2007 Global warming campaigner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says it is time for humanity to stop "waging war" on planet Earth. Gore spoke Monday in Oslo after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He urged the two largest carbon-emitting countries - the United States and China - to make what he called the "boldest moves" to fight global warming. The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international pact that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China was not required to reduce emissions under the deal. Gore said he would go to the U.N. climate meeting in Bali later this week to urge world leaders to meet as often as every three months to enact a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, represented at today's ceremony by Rajendra Pachauri. Pachauri stressed the link between the fight against climate change and peace. He warned that severe climate change will trigger what he called "dramatic population migration," as well as war over water and other resources. He also warned that up to 250 million people in Africa could face what he called "increased water stress because of climate change. \|\|\|\|\| Gore urges US, China to join efforts to save feverish planet OSLO (AFP) — Former US vice president Al Gore said humanity was "waging war" on the Earth and urged the United States and China to join the fight against global warming, as he accepted his Nobel Peace Prize here Monday. "Both countries should stop using the other's behaviour as an excuse for stalemate and instead develop an agenda for mutual survival in a shared global environment," Gore said at a lavish ceremony in the Oslo city hall. Gore, 59, was jointly awarded the prestigious peace prize with the UN's top climate panel. "It should be absolutely clear that it is the two largest CO2 (carbon dioxide) emitters, and most of all my own country, that will need to make the boldest moves," he said. The United States is the only rich nation not party to the Kyoto Protocol, while China has said it will not back binding emissions curbs that could affect its booming economy. "The Earth has a fever. And the fever is rising," lamented the creator of the Oscar-winning documentary "An Inconvenient Truth" on the disastrous effects of climate change. "We have begun waging war on the Earth itself," he said, standing underneath brightly-coloured frescoes in a city hall decked in orange flowers. "It is time to make peace with the planet," he said, pointing out that a yet-to-be-released study by US Navy researchers indicates the North Polar ice cap could melt away completely during summer in as little as seven years. Previous estimates have indicated it would take 22 years for it to disappear in the summer months. Gore, wearing a dark blue suit and pale blue tie, voiced optimism on the prospects of the ongoing Bali summit. Delegates from nearly 190 nations are hammering out the groundwork for a new global warming treaty beyond 2012 when the Kyoto Protocol's first phase expires. "It's unfortunate that my country, which I believe should be the leader of the world, is now blocking action in Bali," Gore said in a CNN interview following the awards ceremony. By coincidence, Monday's ceremony, which was broadcast live at the Bali conference, took place on the eve of the 10th anniversary of the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, the landmark pact for curbing greenhouse gases. Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) -- a United Nations body of about 3,000 experts -- each received a Nobel diploma, a gold medal and 10 million Swedish kronor (1.5 million dollars, 1.1 million euros) to be split between them for their work to raise awareness about the effects of global warming. Most of Norway's royal family was present and a long line of Norwegian and foreign dignitaries, politicians and entertainment stars, including US actress Uma Thurman, could be seen in the packed city hall. Later Monday, the winners of the 2007 Nobel prizes for medicine, physics, chemistry and economics received their awards from Sweden's King Carl XVI Gustaf at a formal ceremony in Stockholm. The Norwegian Nobel committee's decision to award the peace prize to climate campaigners continued the trend of broadening its scope beyond the traditional fields of conflict prevention and resolution and disarmament. IPCC chairman Rajendra Pachauri, who accepted the prize on behalf of his organisation, stressed the link between fighting climate change and peace. Global warming could prompt "dramatic population migration, conflict and war over water and other resources as well as a realignment of power among nations," he cautioned. But halting the process was still possible, he added. "The impacts of climate change can be limited by suitable adaptation measures and stringent mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions." Gore meanwhile insisted on the need for collective, global efforts to fight global warming. "This is not a 'me' problem, it's a 'we' problem," he told CNN, responding to accusations that he himself has a large carbon footprint. In that spirit, Gore said at the Nobel ceremony he planned to present a number of proposals when he travels to Bali later this week to join the ongoing climate change conference there. They included imposing taxes on CO2 and urging world leaders to meet as often as every three months to work out a global emissions cap treaty by 2010. Scientists' warnings more than 20 years ago had helped raise awareness about the possibilities of a "nuclear winter", he said. Today, we "are in danger of creating a permanent 'carbon summer'," he added. But Gore ended his speech on a positive note. "We have everything we need to get started, save perhaps political will, but political will is a renewable resource." \|\|\|\|\| Nobel Winner Gore Urges US, China to Do More on Global Warming Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore speaks during an interview in Oslo, Norway, 10 Dec 2007 Global warming campaigner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says it is time for humanity to stop "waging war" on planet Earth. Gore spoke Monday in Oslo after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He urged the two largest carbon-emitting countries - the United States and China - to make what he called the "boldest moves" to fight global warming. The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international pact that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China was not required to reduce emissions under the deal. Gore said he would go to the U.N. climate meeting in Bali later this week to urge world leaders to meet as often as every three months to enact a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, represented at today's ceremony by Rajendra Pachauri. Pachauri stressed the link between the fight against climate change and peace. He warned that severe climate change will trigger what he called "dramatic population migration," as well as war over water and other resources. He also warned that up to 250 million people in Africa could face what he called "increased water stress because of climate change.	Al Gore accepting the Nobel Peace Prize today. Global warming campaigner and former U.S. Vice President Al Gore says it is time for humanity to stop "waging war" on planet Earth. Gore spoke today in Oslo after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize. He urged the two largest carbon-emitting countries - the United States and China - to make what he called the "boldest moves" to fight global warming. The United States has not ratified the Kyoto Protocol, the 1997 international pact that requires reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. China was not required to reduce emissions under the deal. They also refused today to approve a new treaty designed to cut emissions by 25 percent to 40 percent by 2020. Gore said he would go to the U.N. climate meeting in Bali later this week to urge world leaders to meet as often as every three months to enact a global cap on greenhouse gas emissions by 2010. Gore shared the 2007 Nobel prize with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, represented at today's ceremony by Rajendra Pachauri. Pachauri stressed the link between the fight against climate change and peace. He warned that severe climate change will trigger what he called "dramatic population migration," as well as war over water and other resources. He also warned that up to 250 million people in Africa could face what he called "increased water stress because of climate change.
A terror attack is no longer imminent, say experts MI5 and the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC) said an attack was no longer expected imminently. The move comes after eight migrants with NHS links were arrested over the London and Glasgow failed bomb attacks. Earlier, more background checks on migrant workers were announced by Prime Minister Gordon Brown. The threat level was reduced after the first phase of the investigation - rounding up suspects - drew to a close. It indicates that the manhunt is over, says BBC correspondent Daniel Sandford. The reduced level is likely to mean a slight reduction in security procedures and controls. THREAT LEVELS Critical - an attack is expected imminently Severe - an attack is highly likely Substantial - an attack is a strong possibility Moderate - an attack is possible but not likely Low - an attack is unlikely Source: Home Office Timeline: Failed bomb attacks Who are the suspects? Ms Smith said although there was no intelligence to suggest another attack was imminent, it did not mean the overall threat had disappeared, and she urged the public to remain vigilant. In his first question time as prime minister, Mr Brown ordered an urgent review of NHS recruitment. The suspects have links to the health service, with some working in hospitals as doctors. Mr Brown said it was "vitally important that the message is sent out to the rest of the world that we will stand strong, steadfast and united in the face of terror". The new terrorism minister Sir Alan West will carry out the review of NHS recruitment. 'Recruiters' concern' The Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), which represents the UK recruitment industry, said Mr Brown's call for more checks on highly-skilled migrants was a "step in the right direction". Anne Fairweather, external relations manager for the trade body, said: "Recruiters have been concerned for some time that CRB checks do not necessarily cover offences committed outside of the UK. "One way to tackle this complex issue is to be more stringent when issuing foreigners with permits to work in the UK." She added: "Ultimately it is for the Border and Immigration Agency to decide whether it is appropriate for someone to work in the UK. "Agencies and employers responsibility lies with checking that a candidate is suitable for the job." Mr Brown also told the Commons that sponsors of skilled workers would be asked to provide background checks on them. Among other measures, he also said a watch list of potential suspects would be expanded to warn authorities across the world, and the admissibility of intercept evidence in court would be reviewed. New agreements will be signed with countries around the world to ensure a co-ordinated response to the terror threat. On Saturday afternoon, a burning green Jeep Cherokee loaded with gas cylinders crashed into the doors of Glasgow airport. The previous day two Mercedes containing petrol, gas cylinders and nails were found in central London. ARRESTS TIMELINE 30 June Dr Kafeel Ahmed and Dr Bilal Abdulla arrested at Glasgow airport after burning car driven into doors of main terminal 30 June Dr Mohammed Asha, 26, and his wife Dana Asha, 27, arrested on the M6 near Sandbach, Cheshire 30 June/1 July Dr Sabeel Ahmed (brother of Kafeel), 26, arrested near Liverpool's Lime Street station 1 July A 28-year-old man and a 25-year-old man, thought to be medical students or doctors from Saudi Arabia, arrested in Paisley 2 July Dr Mohammed Haneef, 27, detained in Australia, and a second doctor is questioned 3 July Second doctor questioned in Australia is released without charge Send us your comments Brown and Cameron clash Extremists 'hounded out' Seven of those arrested are believed to be doctors or medical students and one used to work as a laboratory technician. Six are being questioned at London's Paddington Green police station. The seventh remains in hospital after the Glasgow attack, and the eighth is still being questioned in Australia after his arrest at Brisbane Airport. Meanwhile, Calor is writing to its 10,000 local retailers to remind them of its policy on the way it sells its gas, after reports that its canisters were used in the attacks. New customers must fill in a form which asks for their name, address and other personal details when they get their first Calor gas canister. 'Kicking and punching' A man who grappled with one of the suspects after he saw the attack at Glasgow airport has described how his leg was broken in two places in the tussle. "One of the guys got out of the car and went for the police officer. I just ran over to help the police officer," said 40-year-old heating engineer Michael Kerr. "I tried my best to get the guy. I tried punching and kicking him but punching him I fell back and broke my leg." Mr Kerr, who also lost several teeth, told the BBC that he was no hero but just doing his duty. \|\|\|\|\| Terror Threat Level Reduced To Severe Britain's terror threat level has been reduced from "critical" to "severe". That means a terrorist attack is no longer imminent - but is still likely at any time. "It still means the authorities believe it is highly likely that there will be an attack at any moment," said Sky's Crime Correspondent Martin Brunt. The threat level was raised to critical by Home Secretary Jacqui Smith on Saturday evening following the failed terror attacks on London and Glasgow. Advertisement Ms Smith said the decision to lower the threat level to severe had been made by the Joint Terrorism & Analysis Centre. She said: "There is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is expected imminently. However, the reduction of the threat level to severe does not mean the overall threat has gone away. "There remains a serious and real threat against the United Kingdom, and I would again ask that the public remain vigilant." \|\|\|\|\| INTELLIGENCE SERVICES COMMISSIONER The Rt. Hon. Sir Peter Gibson is the current Intelligence Services Commissioner. The Commissioner's role is defined by statute under the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA). Section 59 of the Act provides for the Prime Minister to appoint the Commissioner, who must hold or have held high judicial office within the meaning of the Appellate Jurisdiction Act 1876. He or she is appointed for a period of three years with the possibility of re-appointment. His job is to keep under review the issue of warrants by the Secretary of State authorising intrusive surveillance (e.g. eavesdropping) and interference with property in order to make sure that the Secretary of State was right to issue them. Like the Interception of Communications Commissioner, the Intelligence Services Commissioner reviews warrant applications and visits the Security Service and other agencies to discuss any case he wishes to examine in more detail. He must, by law, be given access to whatever documents and information he needs and at the end of each reporting year he submits a report to the Prime Minister which is subsequently laid before Parliament and published. The Intelligence Services Commissioner is also responsible for reviewing our internally authorised use of directed surveillance (the covert monitoring of targets' movements, conversations and other activities) and of covert human intelligence sources (i.e. agents) to check that we are acting in accordance with the requirements of the law. Reports of the Intelligence Services Commissioner	Thames House, headquarters of MI5. The United Kingdom's (JTAC), a division of the security agency MI5, has now reduced the United Kingdom threat level from 'critical' to 'severe'. Since the terrorist attacks in London and Glasgow the threat level in the United Kingdom was at 'critical' meaning an "attack was imminent", however the , , today announced the level was to be reduced. She said, "There is no intelligence to suggest that an attack is expected imminently. However, the reduction of the threat level to severe does not mean the overall threat has gone away." The MI5 website stated, "This means that future terrorist attacks are still highly likely, but no longer thought to be imminent. The decision has been made by JTAC based on a review of the latest intelligence." This reduction comes after eight arrests were made in connection to the terror attacks.
Some Copiague parents want their students back in classrooms They complained about having to choose between all virtual classes or following a hybrid model under district restrictions to reduce risk of coronavirus exposure. 7:34 PM Trustee defeats incumbent Hempstead Village mayor Waylyn Hobbs beats Mayor Don Ryan in a four-way mayoral election Tuesday. 8:16 PM Cops: Teen suffers multiple head injuries in street attack Dominick Palumbo, a freshman at SUNY Maritime College, remained hospitalized Wednesday after an altercation between two groups early Saturday in a Sayville parking lot, Suffolk police said. 8:02 PM She had no family, so strangers came to honor her at funeral None of them had known Celia Teresa de Jesus Alferez. Still about 50 parishioners attended her funeral Mass last week at St. Joseph Church in Ronkonkoma. LI golfers continue to flock to courses amid pandemic Golf was one of the few activities that people could do during the pandemic, leading to a banner year for rounds played in 2020. 1:49 WATCH NOW Amid a year of pandemic hardship, NY parks thrived Experts say state parks on Long Island and across New York helped ward off negative emotions that swept in with COVID-19's arrival one year ago, as isolation helped breed fear, anxiety, depression — and sorrow kept ratcheting up. 2:03 Breaking News LI officials, NYPD on alert in Asian communities after Georgia killings The NYPD is beefing up patrols and Long Island official are urging Asian residents to report hate incidents after eight people, many of them Asian women, were shot to death at Atlanta-area massage parlors. \|\|\|\|\| By MATTHEW VERRINDER, Associated Press Writer Wed May 23, 6:39 PM ET TRENTON, N.J. - A 60-year-old woman became a mother, twice over, when she delivered a pair of boys Tuesday. Frieda Birnbaum gave birth to "Baby A" at 12:44 p.m. and "Baby B" a minute later by Caesarean section at Hackensack University Medical Center, hospital spokeswoman Nancy Radwin said. The twins each weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces, she said. "The mom is in recovery, and she and the babies are doing really well," Radwin said, declining a request to speak with the mother. Hospital officials believe Birnbaum may be the oldest woman to give birth to twins in the United States, Radwin said. Birnbaum, a psychologist from Saddle River, underwent in-vitro fertilization last year in Cape Town, South Africa, at a center that specializes in older women. She and her husband, Ken, a New York attorney, have been married for 38 years and have three other children sons ages 6 and 33 and a daughter, 29. Birnbaum told Fox News she wanted her younger son to have siblings closer to his age and wanted to remove some of the stigma attached to older women giving birth. Coincidentally, Tuesday was the birthday of twins born one year ago to a 59-year-old woman also to a New Jersey woman. Lauren Cohen gave birth to Gregory and Giselle on May 22, 2006, at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia. Cohen said Birnbaum contacted her after seeing her name in a magazine and that the two quickly became friends. "We talked about babies; I suggested things that would be helpful when you try to feed two babies simultaneously," Cohen said.	Infant twins. Frieda Birnbaum, aged 60, gave birth to two sons on May 22, at 12:44 pm at Hackensack University Medical Center in Trenton, New Jersey. Both babies were delivered by Caesarean section, and each weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces and are doing well. "The mom is in recovery, and she and the babies are doing really well," said Nancy Radwin a spokeswoman for the medical center. Doctors believe Birnbaum may be the oldest woman in the United States to give birth to twins. Birnbaum has been married to her husband Ken for 38 years, and underwent in-vitro fertilization last year in Cape Town, South Africa. The couple already had three children, a daughter, 29 and two sons, 6 and 33. "This is so wonderful, I feel so relaxed. It has been a great experience. I don't feel like I'm 60. I don't know what 60 is meant to be," said Birnbaum as quoted by ''Newsday'', who quotes ''FOX News.'' Women giving birth this late in age, says Radwin, face high risks when they become pregnant. "There were no guidelines of what to do and what to look for in a pregnancy at the age to 60. Can the heart or the kidneys withstand the pregnancy? It becomes a little risky to take care of this pregnancy," added Radwin. One year ago, a now 60 year-old woman also from New Jersey named Lauren Cohen gave birth to twins. Birnbaum and Cohen became friends after Birnbaum contacted Cohen about her giving birth. Currently, Maria del Carmen Bousada Lara, who lives in Spain, is the oldest woman in the world to give birth to twins. On December 29, 2006, she gave birth to two boys. She was 67 at the time.
Russia seals deal for Turkey's first nuclear power plant ANKARA — Russia on Wednesday signed a 20-billion-dollar (15.8-billion-euro) deal to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant as President Dmitry Medvedev hailed expanding ties with the NATO member. "This agreement opens a new page in our cooperation... Our talks today showed that Turkey and Russia are strategic partners not only in words but in deeds," Medvedev told a joint news conference with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The deal to build and operate the plant at Akkuyu, on Turkey's Mediterranean coast, was one of some 20 agreements signed by the two countries which Medvedev said would generate about 25 billion dollars of investment. "It really looks rather impressive," he said. Erdogan said construction of the plant would begin after both parliaments ratify the accord, and take seven years to complete. Russia has long looked to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant, but a Turkish court last year scrapped a tender won by a Russian-led consortium to build four reactors with a total capacity of 4,800-megawatts at Akkuyu. Wednesday's deal "is a very big contract," Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, told reporters. "An approximate price of such a project is around 18-20 billion dollars." Kiriyenko said Russia would own the plant -- the first Russian-owned plant outside the country -- holding "no less than a controlling stake". Erdogan said he and Medvedev discussed projects to carry Russian gas and oil to world markets via Turkey, which has emerged as a major transit hub between East and West. He cited Moscow's South Stream pipeline project to supply gas to Europe bypassing Ukraine, as well as Ankara's proposal for an oil pipeline from Turkey's Black Sea port of Samsun to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, which already serves as a terminal for conduits from Azerbaijan and Iraq. "We are determined to take this step," he said of the Samsun-Ceyhan conduit, which, he added, would be completed with a joint refinery at Ceyhan. The construction of the pipeline, which aims to ease tanker traffic in the congested Bosphorus Strait, would cost three billion dollars, Russian Deputy Prime Mininster Igor Sechin told reporters. Last year, Turkey secured a Russian pledge to supply oil to the conduit in return for backing South Stream. Ankara, which also backs the European Union's rival Nabucco pipeline, agreed to allow Russian exploration work for the project in its Black Sea waters. As the two countries expressed a desire to triple trade volume to 100 billion dollars over the next five years, Medvedev said their national currencies -- the rouble and the lira -- should be used in bilateral trade. "We need to think how to dramatically expand the use of national currencies," he told a business forum, reiterating that both economies were too dependent on global reserve currencies, primarily the US dollar. The idea was floated in a confidential new foreign policy strategy prepared for Medvedev and published by Newsweek Russia this week. The two countries also signed a deal mutually lifting visas for stays of up to 30 days, a major boost to investors and millions of Russians holidaying at Turkey's Mediterranean coast each year. Despite sometimes shaky political ties, economic exchanges between the two countries have boomed since the fall of communism. In 2009, their trade volume stood at 22.9 billion dollars, making Russia one of Turkey's top commercial partners. Russia's military intervention in Georgia in 2008 briefly strained relations with Turkey, which has close ties with the former Soviet republic, its northeastern neighbour. Russia is Turkey's main gas supplier, providing about 60 percent of the country's gas imports. Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More » \|\|\|\|\| The two countries want to double bilateral trade in five years President Dmitry Medvedev has agreed a deal under which Russia will build Turkey's first nuclear power plant. Russia will have a controlling stake in the plant, which is likely to cost $20bn (£13.5bn) and is to be built on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. It was one of several agreements struck by Mr Medvedev during a visit to Ankara, the Turkish capital. Both countries said they wished to improve trade links, lift visa conditions and boost energy projects. "We share a determination to increase the trade volume from a current $38bn to $100bn in five years," Turkish President Abdullah Gul said after hosting talks with Mr Medvedev. Turkey is aiming to reduce its dependence on foreign energy supplies, but at the same time be a hub through which oil and gas producers can ship their supplies to Europe. \|\|\|\|\| By Anatoly Medetsky Murad Sezer / Reuters President Dmitry Medvedev, left, and Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan shaking hands during a May 12 signing ceremony in Ankara. Turkey on Wednesday agreed to let Russia build and own a $20 billion nuclear power plant in a deal that opens a new page in Russia's global expansion in the industry. Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Rosatom, the state nuclear corporation, signed the agreement to build four reactors on Turkey's southern Mediterranean coast during a visit by President Dmitry Medvedev to the country. In a first, Rosatom will control the facilities and sell the electricity that it generates, Kiriyenko said. “It's an extremely important contract for us. We have been craving this for a long time,” he told reporters after the signing. “It's much more interesting for us to be co-investors in such projects.” Rosatom's other deals outside the country — most notably in places like China, India and Iran — exclude the company from any ownership or management role. Financially, the Turkish agreement is smaller than Rosatom's plan to build 16 reactors in India. In executing the contract, which crowns years of negotiations and a contentious tender, Rosatom will initially establish a fully owned subsidiary to start the work at the Akkuyu site, Kiriyenko said. Later on, it will offer up to 49 percent of the venture to investors in and outside Turkey, he said, estimating construction costs at $20 billion. “Turkish investors are interested. We’re also holding talks with European investors,” he said, declining to identify potential partners. Rosatom won the bidding for the project in September 2008. Spurring the current deal, a Turkish court delayed awarding the contract because the company was the sole bidder. “This is a smart move for Turkey … because they don’t have to pay anything upfront, just provide the site,” Kiriyenko said, referring to Wednesday's agreement. Turkey's state electricity generating company EUAS will hand over land for the project free of charge, the Cabinet said in guidelines for the deal published Wednesday. Rosatom expects to recoup costs 15 years after completing each reactor by selling half the electricity to Turkey's state energy company Tetas at a fixed price and offering the rest on the unregulated market, according to the contract guidelines. Afterward, Rosatom and its partners, if any, will transfer 20 percent of the profit to the Turkish government. Rosatom has until mid-August to start creating the subsidiary to build the plant, according to the contract. Rosatom plans to open the first reactor within seven years after securing all construction permits. It will then complete one reactor every year for the next three years. Rosatom may also set up a facility to make nuclear fuel in Turkey. In other energy issues, Russia and Turkey will continue considering gas trade projects such as Blue Stream-2 and South Stream, Medvedev said after talks with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Ankara. In a goodwill gesture, Gazprom allowed Turkey to buy as little as 75 percent of the 16 billion cubic meters of gas that the country had originally agreed to buy this year through the Blue Stream pipeline. Normally, the Russian gas export monopoly charges penalties if its customers buy less than 80 percent or 85 percent of contracted volumes, a condition that irritated many European energy companies after the economic downturn reduced demand. The countries also are looking at Russia's possible involvement in the Samsun-Ceyhan oil pipeline, which is now a joint project between Turkey's Calik and Italy's Eni. If built, the pipeline will carry Russian and Kazakh oil across Turkey on a potentially safer and faster transit route than the congested straits connecting the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. Erdogan said an energy security agreement signed Wednesday made a priority of the oil link, whose cost was put at $3 billion by Deputy Prime Minister Igor Sechin on Tuesday. Medvedev said Russia and Turkey signed deals with a combined value of $25 billion on Wednesday. Bilateral agreements included dropping visas for tourists as soon as the countries agree on the terms of readmission for illegal migrants. Medvedev's visit to Turkey ended a Middle East trip that also took him to Syria, where he said Tuesday that Russia might build nuclear power reactors for the Arab country. \|\|\|\|\| Russia, Turkey sign $20bn nuclear power plant deal Thursday, 13 May, 2010 Russia's President Medvedev and Turkey's Prime Minister Erdogan signed documents in Ankara. Medvedev hailed “strategic” ties with Turkey as the two sides prepared to seal a plan to build Turkey's first nuclear power plant. –Photo by AFP Several agreements, including removing visa restrictions and shipping oil products from the Black Sea, were struck during a landmark visit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to Turkey, aiming to turn itself into an energy hub for European supplies. Russia has built nuclear power plants in nations from China to Iran and might build a power plant in Syria. Nuclear agency chief Sergei Kiriyenko said state-controlled building group Atomstroiexport will lead construction of the plant on Nato member Turkey’s southern coast. “It’s an extremely important contract for us,” Kiriyenko told journalists. Turkey is keen to reduce its dependence on imported energy and cover a looming power shortfall. Russia provides 60 per cent of Turkey’s gas needs, which has raised concerns that Turkey is becoming too dependent on Russia, a major trading partner. Such deals would have been inconceivable two decades ago, when Turkey guarded Nato’s eastern borders during the Cold War. However, seeking to balance its West-facing foreign policy, Turkey has strengthened relations with Russia and other Central Asian countries in the past years. \|\|\|\|\| ISTANBUL—Russia and Turkey signed several energy and trade agreements Wednesday, tying the knot in a relationship between historic rivals that has quietly grown into what Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev described as "a full-scale strategic partnership." Met by a 21-gun salute and honor guard on his first visit to Turkey, Mr. Medvedev oversaw the signing of deals to ensure visa-free travel, build Turkey's first nuclear-power plant and boost construction of an oil pipeline from Turkey's Black Sea coast to the Mediterranean. ... \|\|\|\|\| Dmitri Medvedev on Wednesday sealed a $20bn deal for Russia to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant, furthering Moscow’s ambition of carving out a bigger role in the renascent international market for nuclear energy. Energy cooperation is the core of a rapidly developing partnership between Moscow and Ankara, former cold war rivals who say bilateral trade could reach $100bn in the next five years – half the value of Russia’s trade now with the entire European Union. “Turkey and Russia are strategic partners, not just in words but in reality,” the Russian president told reporters on Wednesday during a trip to Ankara, where he also discussed Moscow’s involvement in an oil pipeline that will cut tanker traffic through the Bosphorus straits and struck a deal to scrap visa requirements for short visits. Russia, which already sells Turkey 70 per cent of its imported energy, has overcome Turkish criticism of cost and over-dependence on its neighbour to win the nuclear deal, after making the only bid in a 2008 tender that was later cancelled. Sergei Kirienko, head of the country’s nuclear agency, said the deal was a breakthrough because Russia would keep a controlling stake in the project. It will own 100 per cent at first and may later sell 49 per cent to another investor. “We have been striving for this for a long time … it is much more interesting for us to be co-investors in such projects,” he said. This arrangement might also allow Turkey’s government to take a stake in the project at a later stage. It had considered doing so upfront in order to give the plant’s operator greater guarantees and so bring down the cost of the project. Mr Kirienko said state-owned Rosatom would finance construction of the plant on Turkey’s Black Sea coast, with four reactors and a generating capacity of 4,800MW. Tetas, Turkey’s state electricity company, has pledged to buy up to 70 per cent of power when the plant begins generating in 7 years time, with some sold on the open market. The deal illustrates Russia’s appetite to cement its position in Turkey’s domestic energy market, one of the fastest growing in the region, as Ankara proceeds with privatisations of power distribution grids and generating assets. Mr Medvedev and Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Turkish prime minister, both noted that they had also discussed future co-operation on Russia’s planned South Stream gas pipeline, and plans to build a refinery at the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan. \|\|\|\|\| AP contributed to this report. While Jerusalem lashed out against Moscow on Wednesday for wanting to include Hamas in the diplomatic process, it took a much more low-key approach to news that Russia would build a nuclear reactor in Turkey, and was considering doing the same in Syria.“This is obviously not something people here are overjoyed about,” one official said of the developments, but there is a feeling – at least regarding Turkey – that if the plant is under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency, there is much less to worry about.The problem is Syria, the official added, because although it is a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and under IAEA supervision, it still managed to set up a clandestine plutonium-producing facility that was reportedly taken out by the IAF in September 2007.“The Syrians have never apologized and have not been cooperative with the IAEA,” the official said.Turkey and Russia signed 17 cooperation agreements on Wednesday, including one for the construction of Turkey’s first nuclear power plant near the Mediterranean coastal town of Akkuyu. The construction was expected to take seven years, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said.Russia plans to build four reactors at the plant at a cost of about $20 billion.On Tuesday, Russia’s energy minister, who visited Damascus along with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, said Moscow was studying the possibility of building a nuclear plant in Syria as well.Syrian President Bashar Assad said during Medvedev’s visit that he and the Russian president “talked about oil and gas cooperation, as well as constructing conventional or nuclear-powered electricity stations.”Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, when asked whether his country would build an atomic power plant in Syria, told Reuters, “We are studying this question.”Israeli diplomatic officials said Russia was following France and the US in trying to ink lucrative deals in Mideast countries for nuclear plants. The US signed civil nuclear power deals with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in 2009, and France pledged in 2007 to help Morocco develop its nuclear program for civilian use.Over the past three years, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait,the UAE, Yemen, Morocco, Libya, Jordan and Egypt have all indicated aninterest in developing some kind of nuclear facilities.Israel, one official acknowledged, has little leverage to try to stopRussia from building a nuclear reactor in either Turkey or – if itdesired – in Syria, just as it had little power to keep Moscow frombuilding the Iranian reactor in Bushehr. \|\|\|\|\| ISTANBUL — Turkey and Russia signed 17 agreements on Wednesday to enhance cooperation in energy and other fields, including pacts to build Turkey’s first nuclear power plant and furthering plans for an oil pipeline from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean. The pipeline would allow Russia to expand its oil exports from the Black Sea, bypassing the Bosporus, whose shipping lines are already at capacity. The deal follows several rounds of agreements between Russia and Turkey in recent years that have helped Russia maintain its dominance of Eurasian energy routes. On his first official visit to Turkey, the Russian president, Dmitri A. Medvedev, met with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul; Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan; and other top officials. Mr. Erdogan saluted the progress on the pipeline, which is to run from the Black Sea port of Samsun to the Mediterranean port of Ceyhan, and said it would ease pressures on the Bosporus and reduce the threat of devastating spills. “Our shores are under severe danger during the passage of the oil tankers through the straits,” he said. “Once we realize the Samsun-Ceyhan pipeline, we would have the opportunity to reach out to the world from Ceyhan.” For his part, Mr. Medvedev highlighted the expected increases in the $30 billion in trade between Turkey and Russia. “Our trading capacity will not only improve but will exceed past records,” Mr. Medvedev said. “We are aiming for more than $100 billion of trade in future, which is very inspiring.” His comments, in Russian, were translated by Turkish television. But most of that number comes from Turkish imports of Russian oil and gas, and some Turkish energy experts cautioned that the increase would do more good for Russia than for Turkey. The deal for the nuclear plant, scheduled to be built over seven years in the Mediterranean city of Mersin, raised further concerns among some Turks of relying too much on Russia. “If we add dependency on nuclear energy on top of the current energy trading from Russia, it’s inevitable that we get concerned,” Necdet Pamir, an energy expert, told the news channel NTV. He said Turkey had energy options it could explore without Russian aid. “Half of Turkey’s immense hydroelectric potential is on hold, so it’s misleading to present Turkey as a helpless country,” he said. Moreover, Mr. Pamir added, the reactor suggested for the project in Turkey, known as Model 1400, has not been given safety approvals by European institutions. A project by a Russian consortium to build a nuclear reactor in Akkuyu, another Mediterranean town, was canceled by a Turkish court last year after intense public complaints. Other agreements signed after the first session of high-level meetings led by Mr. Medvedev and Mr. Erdogan called for cooperation in combating drug trafficking and in transportation and education, as well as a lifting of visa requirements for visits shorter than a month. Russian tourism to Turkey grows every year, with nearly five and a half million tourists from the Commonwealth of Independent States in 2009, according to Tourism Ministry figures, while Russia is a popular destination for Turkish businessmen. In addition to the agreements, the leaders pledged greater diplomatic efforts toward a resolution of the dispute over Iran’s nuclear program and called for stability in the Caucasus, acknowledging the delicate nature of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia over the Nagorno-Karabakh region, which both Turkey and Russia are closely monitoring. Turkey has been a supporter of Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy but strongly opposes nuclear weapons in the region and has been critical of Israel on the matter. \|\|\|\|\| Turkey moved closer to becoming a nuclear energy nation after inking a deal with visiting Russian President Dmitry Medvedev to build a nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast. Istanbul, Turkey Turkey has taken a big step toward being a nuclear energy nation by signing a deal with Russia on Wednesday to build its first nuclear power plant on the Mediterranean coast. The project – along with a pipeline plan to bring Russian oil overland from the Black Sea to a refinery on Turkey’s southern coast for export to Europe, and a host of other measures – was signed during a visit here from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. “By taking these steps, Turkey is taking its position as an energy hub to a much different level,” said Turkey’s Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. “The solidarity with Russia on this issue is of utmost importance.” Mr. Medvedev was also effusive: “This agreement opens a new page in our cooperation…. Our talks today showed that Turkey and Russia are strategic partners not only in words but in deeds,” he said. Turkey expands influence The energy deals are part of NATO-ally Turkey's broader strategy to expand its influence in the region and become an energy corridor between East and West, while also serving as an increasingly important diplomatic player seeking to help resolve Iran’s nuclear standoff with the West and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. For Russia, the Turkey visit is part of a regional swing that saw the Russian leader in Syria earlier this week in a bid to raise Moscow’s profile in the Middle East. In Damascus, Medvedev sought to rejuvenate some of Syria’s historic ties with the former Soviet Union – even while the United States has signaled a partial thaw with Syria by appointing the first US ambassador since 2005, though the US Senate has held up his nomination and on May 3 President Obama extended economic sanctions for one year. Medvedev followed up in Turkey, where the 20 or so agreements made on Wednesday will generate some $25 billion in investment, a figure that he said “really looks rather impressive.” Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul said the two nations aimed to triple annual bilateral trade to $100 billion in the next half decade. Sergei Kiriyenko, the chief of the Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom, said nuclear deal alone was “a very big contract” that could be worth $18 billion to $20 billion, according to Agence France-Presse. Russia would hold a controlling stake in the plant and operate it. “Russia has never owned a nuclear power station outside its territory,” Mr. Kiriyenko said. The nuclear power plant is to start in 2014 and take seven years to build in the coastal town of Akkuyu. It is not unlike the one Russia is building for Iran at Bushehr, which has taken more than a decade and faced repeated delays – some of them, Iran suspects, for political reasons. Pipeline plans The pipeline proposal, reported to be worth $3 billion, would bring Russian oil from Turkey’s Black Sea port of Samsun to a joint refinery on the Mediterranean at Ceyhan, which already links oil flows from Azerbaijan and Iraq. The deal would bypass the narrow Bosphorus at Istanbul, which is congested with tanker traffic, and would provide for both Turkey’s domestic and European markets. Erdogan also spoke of Russia’s South Stream gas pipeline project, which aims to provide Russian natural gas to Europe while bypassing Ukraine, though it is a rival to the European Union Nabucco pipeline, which Turkey also supports. In the past year, Russia has become one of Turkey’s primary trading partners, at a volume worth $40 billion in 2008 and dipping – because of the global recession – to $22.9 billion in 2009. Russia already provides some 60 percent of Turkey’s natural gas. One of the first orders of business during the Russian leader’s visit was an agreement to lift tourist visa restrictions between the two nations. More than 2 million Russians flock to Turkish resorts and beaches each year, often on package tours flying direct from Moscow and other Russian cities to Turkey’s sunny southern coast. “It’s a historical agreement that will before anything else ease the life of millions of people,” Medvedev said. Related: \|\|\|\|\| Russia Urges Nations to Take Active Role in Middle East Photo: AP Russian President Dmitri Medvedev on Wednesday urged the all nations to actively work on helping bring peace to the Middle East. The Russian president made the appeal during a two-day visit to Turkey, where the leaders of both countries agreed to expand cooperation. President Medvedev called for greater involvement in the Middle East peace process during a press conference in Ankara with his Turkish counterpart, Abdullah Gul. Mr. Medvedev said the urgency of the peace process is heightened by the deteriorating situation in Gaza. "Gaza has worsened, it's close to a humanitarian catastrophe," he said. He added that the international community "must do everything to try, if it's not possible to solve the existing problems, then at least make it possible for each state that feels its responsibility for the development of events in the region, to work on these problems more effectively." Washington recently launched U.S.-mediated peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians, but signs of trouble already have emerged. On Monday, Israel said it does not intend to end construction of Jewish housing in east Jerusalem. The Palestinians accused Israel of undermining trust and urged President Barack Obama to intervene. After meeting with the Russian leader, Turkish President Abdullah Gul said their two countries have similar foreign policy goals in the region - a hint that Moscow is becoming a more active mediator in the region, much like Turkey has in recent years. "We were pleased to note common vision on regional and international issues," Mr. Gul said. "We have agreed to work together to solve regional problems through dialogue." The Turkish president said he gives "high importance to cooperation with Russia at the United Nations Security Council," and cited the example of Iran's nuclear ambitions. Mr. Medvedev said Iran must adopt a constructive approach as the United States and its allies push for new U.N. sanctions against Tehran, in response to its nuclear program. Iran maintains that its atomic program is for peaceful purposes. Turkey and Russia agreed Wednesday on a $20 billion project in which Moscow will build and own a controlling stake in Turkey's first nuclear power plant, as the two Cold War-era rivals try to build a strategic partnership.	The Russian and Turkish governments today signed an agreement that would lead to Russia building a US$20 billion nuclear power plant in Turkey, the country's first. The plant will be built on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, and construction will commence as soon as the deal is approved by both countries; the building process is expected to take around seven years. The reactor will also be owned by Russia, which will hold "no less than a controlling stake," according to , who is the head of , a Russian nuclear energy corporation. The reactor to be built is the second proposed power plant in the same location; a separate proposal for a four-reactor complex built by a Russian-led consortium was rejected by a Turkish court last year. Russia has attempted to build a nuclear power plant in Turkey, and the contract signed Wednesday "really looks rather impressive," according to Dmitry Medvedev. The contract for the reactor was one of 20 signed by the two countries today, expected to result in around US$25 billion of Russian investment in Turkey. Other major contracts signed include projects to transport Russian oil and natural gas through Turkey to ports on the Mediterranean Sea. One such project is a major pipeline between the Turkish ports of on the Black Sea and on the Mediterranean Sea, built in conjunction with an oil refinery in Ceyhan. In a press conference, Russian President Medvedev said that the agreements signal "a new page in our cooperation...Our talks today showed that Turkey and Russia are strategic partners not only in words but in deeds." Abdullah Gul said that the two countries "share a determination to increase the trade volume from a current US$38 billion to US$100 billion in five years."
America's most famous television surgeon, Sanjay Gupta, is poised to take his black bag and microphone to the White House as President-elect Barack Obama's choice for U.S. surgeon general. A neurosurgeon who is also a correspondent for CNN and CBS, Gupta was chosen as much for his broadcasting skills as for his medical résumé, suggesting that the incoming administration values visible advisers who can drive a public message. He has also been offered a top post in the new White House Office of Health Reform, twin duties that could make him the most influential surgeon general in history. A practicing physician and one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive," Gupta met for more than two hours with Obama in Chicago on Nov. 25, according to two sources with knowledge of the talks. Gupta, 39, later spoke with several Obama advisers, including Thomas A. Daschle, who will run the new White House policy office and the Department of Health and Human Services. The globetrotting doctor has told Obama aides he wants the job, which involves overseeing the 6,000-member Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service. When reached yesterday, Gupta did not deny that he plans to accept the offer but declined to comment. Transition officials refused to speak on the record about his selection, but several Obama allies praised Gupta as the sort of highly visible, articulate physician who might restore the luster that the position of "the nation's doctor" had in the person of Reagan appointee C. Everett Koop and some of his predecessors. A representative of the Commissioned Corps, however, said Gupta will face a "credibility gap" because he has never served in the uniformed Public Health Service. "I am unaware of any public health experience or qualifications he has to be the leader of the nation's public health service," said Gerard M. Farrell, executive director of the service's Commissioned Officers Association. "This would be akin to appointing the Army chief of staff from the city council of Hoboken," N.J. The selection of Gupta represents a "return to a communicator model," said Susan Blumenthal, who retired as an assistant surgeon general two years ago after 20 years in the Public Health Service. If he is confirmed by the Senate, Gupta would provide the administration with a skilled television personality to help market what is planned to be a massive reorganization of the U.S. health system. The Obama team already has initiated a public relations campaign aimed at mobilizing grass-roots support for eventual health reform legislation. Last week, Daschle appeared at town-hall-style meetings in Indiana and Washington to solicit public input. The sessions, captured on video and posted on the transition Web site, were among more than 8,500 local gatherings held over the holidays. Gupta is "a great voice to get the public engaged in the discussion over health care reform," said Kenneth Thorpe, a former Clinton administration official who has become friendly with Gupta as a colleague at Emory University in Atlanta. Gupta, the son of Indian parents, has long been drawn to policymaking. He was a White House fellow in the late 1990s, writing speeches and crafting policy for then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. He is currently associate chief of neurosurgery at Grady Memorial Hospital, Atlanta's busy downtown hospital. \|\|\|\|\| In this Monday, Oct. 8, 2007 file photo, Dr. Sanjay Gupta attends a screening of the environmental documentary "Planet in Peril," in New York. President-elect Barack Obama has approached CNN's chief medical correspondent, Sanjay Gupta, to be the country's next surgeon general, the cable news network said Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2009. (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) CNN: Gupta approached about surgeon general post WASHINGTON (AP) — President-elect Barack Obama's reported choice for surgeon general, CNN medical correspondent Sanjay Gupta, could bring a dose of star power to a job that hasn't had that much clout in decades. Gupta doesn't just play a doctor on TV, he's a neurosurgeon who still scrubs in part-time in one of the nation's toughest hospitals when he's not on CNN assignments that have taken him from Hurricane Katrina to Iraq. He also has co-hosted a health "network" that beams feel-good advice on TVs in clinic waiting rooms around the country — one that has drawn some criticism for drug-company promotion. The surgeon general doesn't set health policy — but the office can be an effective bully pulpit, and a major report aimed at Congress just last month called for "a more prominent and powerful role for the surgeon general who ... should be a strong advocate for the American people." Past surgeons general pushed the nation to fight tobacco and AIDS. Having such a well-known TV personality could give the post a reach not seen since the renowned C. Everett Koop, who served under President Ronald Reagan and helped make AIDS a public health issue rather than a moral one — in an era before the 24/7 news cycle. With the celebrity behind Gupta's medical credentials, "it's like a name-brand immediately," said Dr. Michael Johns, chancellor at Emory University in Atlanta, where Gupta, 39, is an assistant professor of neurosurgery. "If chosen, Dr. Gupta's communication skills and medical knowledge could be a boon to the new administration's health system reform efforts," noted Dr. Joseph Heyman, chairman of the American Medical Association's board. And in contrast to the grandfatherly Koop, People magazine named the then-single Gupta one of the sexiest men of 2003. However, a surgeon general would "need to demonstrate skills that are too often missing in medical news on TV: skepticism about the science and a careful analysis of both the benefits and harms of medical care," said Drs. Lisa Schwartz and Steven Woloshin of the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice. The pair raised questions about drug-company sponsorship of some programs Gupta hosted in a broader critique of medical media coverage last fall, and on Tuesday they urged careful examination of any potential conflicts of interest. CNN said Obama had approached Gupta about the job but said he would not comment on the discussions. "Since first learning that Dr. Gupta was under consideration for the surgeon general position, CNN has made sure that his on-air reporting has been on health and wellness matters and not on health care policy or any matters involving the new administration," the cable network said Tuesday. Two Democrats with knowledge of the discussions over the surgeon general spot said Gupta was under consideration but cautioned a choice has not been made. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media on the matter. Obama's transition office did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Gupta has made a handful of political donations in recent years, but appears to have stayed out of the 2008 presidential race. To take the job, he'd have to give up a lucrative media-and-medical empire. Gupta hosts "House Call" on CNN, contributes reports to CBS News, and writes a column for Time magazine, as well as operating and overseeing residents part-time at Atlanta's Grady Memorial Hospital, known for its trauma cases. During the Clinton administration, Gupta was a White House fellow and special adviser to then-first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton. Gupta grew up in the Detroit area, the son of parents who moved from India in the 1960s to work at a Ford plant. He earned undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan. CBS News is a unit of CBS Corp.; CNN is owned by Time Warner Inc. \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a neurosurgeon and CNN’s chief medical reporter, is the leading contender to become the next surgeon general, a pick that will give the moribund office a higher profile but one that has received a mixed reaction among public health advocates. CNN confirmed Tuesday that Dr. Gupta had been approached by the Obama transition team and discussed the job with President-elect Barack Obama late last year in Chicago. Dr. Gupta did not respond to an e-mail message seeking comment. According to people at CNN and in the Obama transition team, Dr. Gupta is likely to make a decision about taking the job within a few days. News of his selection was first reported Tuesday by The Washington Post. Dr. Gupta presides over a small media empire that, in addition to his regular work on CNN, includes appearances on the “CBS Evening News” and columns in Time magazine. His first book, about the search for immortality, was published in 2007. He is paid for speaking engagements, a controversial practice for a journalist. The All American Talent and Celebrity Network lists his speaking fees as $30,001 to $50,000.	United States president-elect Barack Obama has chosen Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a medical correspondent from the American television station CNN, to be the next United States Surgeon General. Gupta, also a neurosurgeon, was reported to be chosen because of his background in broadcasting and skills in communication. He is currently the host of ''House Call'', a program on CNN, a columnist for ''Time Magazine'', a contributor to CBS News, and also a part time worker at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He will likely leave all of these positions to serve as US Surgeon General. Dr. Joseph Heyman of the American Medical Association supported Gupta, stating "If chosen, Dr. Gupta's communication skills and medical knowledge could be a boon to the new administration's health system reform efforts." Conversely, Doctors Steven Woloshin and Lisa Schwartz from the Dartmouth Institute for Health Policy and Clinical Practice stated that the next Surgeon General would need to "...demonstrate skills that are too often missing in medical news on TV: skepticism about the science and a careful analysis of both the benefits and harms of medical care." According to reports by sources close to the discussions, Gupta met with Barack Obama on November 25 in Chicago to discuss the position. He later met with several advisors to the president-elect, including Thomas A. Daschle of the US Department of Health and Human Services. He was reported to tell Obama that he wanted the Surgeon General position. Gupta declined to comment about the situation yesterday, but did state that he plans to accept Obama's choice.
Police officers stand outside of the Roller World Forum were five people were murdered in Grand Prairie, Texas July 23, 2011. DALLAS \| DALLAS (Reuters) - A man who opened fire on his estranged wife and her relatives at a family birthday party, killing five people and himself and wounding four others, had been having ongoing marital problems, police said on Sunday. Tan Do, 35, began shooting at a North Texas roller rink late on Saturday at a party for his 11-year-old son, police said. He killed five family members, including his wife, and wounded four other people before turning the gun on himself and fatally shooting himself in the head. Do, and his wife, 29-year-old Trini Do, were hosting the party when an argument erupted and Do drew a gun and started shooting, police said. The couple's domestic disagreement had been going on for "some time," Grand Prairie Police Department spokesman John Brimmer said. "They were estranged. They'd been having some marital problems," he said. "This was a domestic situation that went south in a hurry," he added. "The shooting lasted only seconds." About 30 people were attending the party at the Forum Roller World in Grand Prairie, about 20 miles west of Dallas, where the shooting occurred at about 7 p.m.. Along with Do, the dead were identified as his wife, her two sisters, 16-year-old Lynn Ta and 28-year-old Michelle Ta, her brother, 21-year-old Hien Ta, and sister-in-law, 25-year-old Thuy Nguyen. The couple's two children were unharmed. (Reporting by Eric Johnson; Editing by Ellen Wulfhorst) \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- A man opened fire at a Texas roller skating rink during a birthday party for one of his children, killing his estranged wife and four of her family members before turning the gun on himself, police said Sunday. Tan Do, 35, and Trini Do, 29, were hosting the party at the Roller World Skating Rink in the Dallas suburb of Grand Prairie, Texas, on Saturday for one of their two children, Grand Prairie police said in a statement. "The couple had been involved in ongoing marital problems and it is believed that this led to the shooting," police said. "Trini Do was among the deceased." Police responded to a call of a shooting at 7:10 p.m. Saturday (8:10 p.m. ET). Officers found the bodies of five people; a sixth person -- the suspect -- with a gunshot wound to the head; and four other people who had sustained non-life-threatening injuries. Others who were killed included Trini Do's sisters, Lynn Ta, 16, and Michelle Ta, 28; her brother, Hien Ta, 21; and her sister-in-law, Thuy Nguyen, 25. "It appears the suspect targeted his estranged wife and her family members," police said. The couple's two children were not harmed, and were in the care of other family members Sunday, authorities said. Tan Do was transported to a hospital where he was pronounced dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to police. About 30 people were attending the party at the time of the shooting, but the roller rink was not open to the public, police said. Employees of the rink were not injured. Witnesses were interviewed by police, and the police department's crisis counselors and chaplain were working with the survivors, authorities said. CNN's Leslie Tripp contributed to this report.	Grand Prairie is a suburb of Dallas Six people have died after a shooting at a in , Texas. The shooting happened at a children's birthday party on Saturday at around 7:10pm after a domestic dispute. The gunman is among the dead after a self inflicted gunshot. Four other people were injured in the shooting. John Brimmer, a spokesman for the Grand Prairie Police Department said "This was a domestic situation that went south in a hurry. The shooting lasted only seconds." The entire rink had been rented out by a family for a private party. All of the dead were either teenagers or adults attending the celebration. Brimmer added at the end of his statement, "Thankfully we don't have things like this happen with any kind of regularity. We are a community of give or take 160,000 people and it's a great city and for something like this to happen is just horrible." == Sources == * * *
Full scorecard - Commentary - Wickets - 3D animation - Partnerships - Wagon wheels - Player v player - Over comparison - Over graphs - Career averages - Match home - Bulletin - Article index (19) - Photo index (42) Twenty20 Int. no. 46 - Final India v Pakistan 2007/08 season Played at (neutral venue), on 24 September 2007 (20-over match) Result India won by 5 runs India innings (20 overs maximum) R M B 4s 6s SR c Mohammad Asif b Umar Gul 75 76 54 8 2 138.88 c Shoaib Malik b Mohammad Asif 15 12 8 1 1 187.50 c Shahid Afridi b Sohail Tanvir 8 13 11 1 0 72.72 c & b Umar Gul 14 28 19 1 0 73.68 b Umar Gul 6 9 10 0 0 60.00 not out 30 22 16 2 1 187.50 not out 3 9 3 0 0 100.00 Extras (lb 1, w 4, nb 1) 6 Total (5 wickets; 20 overs; 90 mins) 157 (7.85 runs per over) Did not bat , , , Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 3 0 25 1 8.33 (1w) 4 0 29 1 7.25 (2w) 4 0 30 0 7.50 3 0 25 0 8.33 4 0 28 3 7.00 (1nb, 1w) 2 0 19 0 9.50 Pakistan innings (target: 158 runs from 20 overs) R M B 4s 6s SR c Uthappa b Singh 1 3 3 0 0 33.33 run out (Uthappa) 33 28 14 4 2 235.71 b Singh 0 8 3 0 0 0.00 c YK Pathan b Joginder Sharma 24 27 24 4 0 100.00 c Sharma b IK Pathan 8 25 17 0 0 47.05 c Sreesanth b Joginder Sharma 43 51 38 0 4 113.15 c Sreesanth b IK Pathan 0 2 1 0 0 0.00 b IK Pathan 15 16 11 2 0 136.36 b Sreesanth 12 9 4 0 2 300.00 b Singh 0 4 2 0 0 0.00 not out 4 6 1 1 0 400.00 Extras (b 1, lb 4, w 6, nb 1) 12 Total (all out; 19.3 overs; 90 mins) 152 (7.79 runs per over) Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 4 0 26 3 6.50 (1nb) 4 1 44 1 11.00 (2w) 3.3 0 20 2 5.71 (2w) 1 0 5 0 5.00 4 0 16 3 4.00 (1w) 3 0 36 0 12.00 (1w) Toss India, who chose to bat first Series India won the 2007/08 ICC World Twenty20 Twenty20 Int. debut YK Pathan (India) Player of the match IK Pathan (India) Player of the series Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) Umpires (England) and (Australia) TV umpire (Australia) Match referee (Sri Lanka) Reserve umpire (West Indies) Match notes India innings Restricted Overs (0-6) : India 40/2 (G Gambhir 14, Yuvraj Singh 0) India: 50 runs in 7.4 overs (49 balls), Extras 3 G Gambhir: 50 off 38 balls (6 x 4, 1 x 6) 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 40 balls (G Gambhir 37, Yuvraj Singh 11, Ex 2) India: 100 runs in 13.1 overs (83 balls), Extras 5 India: 150 runs in 19.2 overs (121 balls), Extras 6 Innings Break: India - 157/5 in 20.0 overs (RG Sharma 30, IK Pathan 3) Pakistan innings Pakistan: 50 runs in 5.3 overs (35 balls), Extras 4 Restricted Overs (0-6) : Pakistan 53/3 (Younis Khan 15, Shoaib Malik 0) Pakistan: 100 runs in 15.3 overs (97 balls), Extras 6 Pakistan: 150 runs in 19.2 overs (123 balls), Extras 12 Twenty20 International Scorers: S Raju and Binoy George Search for an international scorecard from the match/series archive: \|\|\|\|\| By Paresh Soni India fought back superbly to become the first World Twenty20 champions They were up against it when Umar Gul (3-28) helped restrict them to 157-5, despite Gautam Gambhir's 75. But RP Singh struck twice early on and Irfan Pathan took 3-16 as a succession of Pakistanis gave away their wickets. Misbah-ul-Haq (43) rallied them with three sixes off Harbhajan Singh and another in the final over, but fell to Joginder Sharma to end an amazing game. It brought a hugely entertaining tournament to a fitting climax, which was always likely - after all, the teams tied their group game. There was a similar frenzied atmosphere when the latest instalment in their rich rivalry commenced at a packed Wanderers. 606: DEBATE Tough luck Pakistan but in the end India held their nerve and are deserving champions Shekhawat Gambhir was a figure of calm assurance, however, after debutant Yusuf Pathan and Robin Uthappa perished with mis-timed heaves during a frenetic opening. He placed and timed the ball elegantly, particularly through the covers, in bringing up his fifty in 38 balls. The left-hander put India on course for a formidable total, but Yuvraj Singh - the hero against England and Australia - never got going as Gul exerted control with his clever variations in pace and length. Gul took a return catch after Yuvraj top-edged a pull and sent skipper Mahendra Dhoni's leg-stump flying as the scoring slowed dramatically between the 14th and 18th overs. Umar Gul pegged India back during an impressive spell Gambhir quite literally hurt Gul's figures by smashing the ball into the scoreboard over the mid-wicket fence but Gul had the last word by having him snapped up at short fine-leg to become the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13. Rohit Sharma collected successive fours off Yasir Arafat, while Mohammad Hafeez helped a swipe off Sohail Tanvir over the wide long-on boundary to take the score past 150. But India still had a lot of work to do to clinch their first major silverware since the 1985 B&H; Championship and 1983 World Cup final to deny their neighbours the chance to emulate their 1992 50-over triumph. Their prospects looked brighter when Hafeez guided RP Singh's fifth ball to Robin Uthappa at slip and Kamran Akmal lost his off-stump to an inswinger from the left-arm paceman. As long as Imran Nazir stayed at the crease the run rate was never likely to be an issue. He battered two fours and two sixes off an atrocious first over from the erratic Sree Santh which cost 21 runs. Younus Khan was nowhere near as convincing, although he managed to get bat on ball to collect successive leg-side fours off Santh to take the team past 50 in the sixth over. The innings then capitulated from 52-2 to 77-6 as Dhoni's bowling changes took the pace off the ball. Nazir, who went into the game with a groin problem and was refused a runner, was short of the crease when Uthappa's throw from mid-off hit the stumps. RP Singh took three wickets as India fought back Younus holed out to mid-on, while skipper Shoaib Malik and dangerman Shahid Afridi, who went first ball, tossed their wickets away with ambitious heaves off Irfan Pathan. The seamer cleaned up Yasir Arafat to end a brief revival but Misbah swung off-spinner Harbhajan between cow corner and long-on for three thumping sixes, and Tanvir flicked the returning Santh for two more maximums to provide a massive twist in the tale. Crucially, Santh knocked out the tail-ender's off-stump and RP Singh cleaned up Gul with his penultimate delivery. The inexperienced Joginder Sharma was entrusted with the final over and began with a horrible wide and when Misbah battered another six down the ground the game looked up. But Misbah's gamble of trying to loft the ball over short fine-leg backfired horribly and handed a stunning victory to India.	India defeated Pakistan by five runs in the final of the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 at Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, South Africa. Gautam Gambhir scored 75 runs as India were limited to 157-5 after twenty overs. The other Indian batsmen fell cheaply, with Rohit Sharma the second highest scorer, reaching 30 not out. Yusuf Pathan was the first to fall, dismissed by Mohammad Asif for 15 runs. Robin Uthappa fell for just eight runs while Yuvraj Singh made 14 before being caught and bowled by Umar Gul, who was Pakistan's best performing bowler, taking 3-28. Gul also bowled Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who made six runs. Pakistan suffered an early blow when Mohammad Hafeez was dismissed in the first over, and Kamran Akmal fell for a duck soon afterwards. Misbah-ul-Haq top scored with 43 runs as Pakistan neared the Indian total, but wickets fell too quickly as R P Singh took 3-26 and Irfan Pathan took 3-16 to set up a tense finish. Pakistan were bowled out in the final over, five runs short of India. '''Toss:''' India won and chose to bat first. '''Fall of wickets:''' 1-25 (Y K Pathan, 2.4 ov), 2-40 (Uthappa, 5.4 ov), 3-103 (Yuvraj Singh, 13.3 ov), 4-111 (Dhoni, 15.2 ov), 5-130 (Gambhir, 17.6 ov) '''Did not bat:''' Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, S Sreesanth, R P Singh '''Fall of wickets:''' 1-2 (Mohammad Hafeez, 0.5 ov), 2-26 (Kamran Akmal, 2.3 ov), 3-53 (Imran Nazir, 5.4 ov), 4-65 (Younis Khan, 8.3 ov), 5-76 (Shoaib Malik, 11.3 ov), 6-77 (Shahid Afridi, 11.4 ov), 7-104 (Yasir Arafat, 15.6 ov), 8-138 (Sohail Tanvir, 17.6 ov), 9-141 (Umar Gul, 18.5 ov), 10-152 (Misbah-ul-Haq, 19.3 ov) '''India:''' G Gambhir, Y K Pathan, Yuvraj Singh, R V Uthappa, R P Sharma, M S Dhoni (capt, wkt), I K Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Joginder Sharma, S Sreesanth, R P Singh '''Pakistan:''' Imran Nazir, Mohammad Hafeez, Younis Khan, Misbah-ul-Haq, Shoaib Malik (capt), Shahid Afridi, Kamran Akmal (wkt), Mohammad Asif, Umar Gul, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat '''Player of the Match:''' I K Pathan (India) '''Player of the Tournament:''' Shahid Afridi (Pakistan) '''Umpires:''' M R Benson (England) and S J A Taufel (Australia) '''TV Umpire:''' D J Harper (Australia) '''Match Referee:''' R S Madugalle (Sri Lanka) '''Reserve Umpire:''' B R Doctrove (West Indies)
CAMP DAVID, Maryland (Reuters) - President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown presented a united front on Iraq and promoting Middle East peace on Monday, trying to quell suggestions of a cooling in trans-Atlantic ties. After a spate of reports that the new British leader would seek to distance himself from Bush and withdraw from Iraq, both men were keen to show at their first meeting at the secluded presidential retreat that they could strike up a strong bond. “Everybody’s wondering whether or not the prime minister and I were able to find common ground, to get along, to have a meaningful discussion. And the answer is absolutely,” Bush told a news conference on the grounds of Camp David. Bush forged a close bond with Brown’s predecessor, Tony Blair, the U.S. president’s closest ally during the Iraq war. By contrast, Brown, the son of a Scottish preacher, is a serious intellectual keen to avoid the tag of “Bush’s poodle” that undermined Blair in Britain. The two leaders’ personal chemistry was noticeably cooler than that enjoyed by Bush and Blair, who stepped down last month. During the more than three hours of one-on-one meetings, Bush searched for common ground with the new British leader, noting that he had been to Scotland. Aides also described them as both big rugby fans. Bush heaped praise on Brown, saying he was “not the dour Scotsman” portrayed in the media, rather “he’s actually the humorous Scotsman.” When Brown bragged that six members of his cabinet were younger than 40, Bush shot back: “You must be feeling damn old, then.” SHARED VALUES Yet, Brown said little about Bush, though he stressed the two countries’ shared values. “I’ve told President Bush that it’s in Britain’s national interest that with all our energies we work together to address all the great challenges that we face, also together,” Brown said, listing these as nuclear proliferation, climate change, global poverty, the Middle East peace process and security. On Iran, the two agreed on the need to pursue tougher sanctions against the country over its nuclear program. “We’re in agreement that sanctions are working and the next stage we are ready to move towards is to toughen the sanctions with a further U.N. resolution,” Brown said. Slideshow ( 6 images ) Brown gave no promises on how long Britain would keep its 5,000 troops in Iraq. “The prime minister was very careful not to say much about the war in Iraq. I thought he really pulled away from that,” said William Keylor, professor of international relations at Boston University. Britain has already handed over security control to Iraqi forces in three of the provinces it was responsible for and Brown said it intends to do the same in the fourth province, Basra, but the decision would be based on military advice. Slideshow ( 6 images ) The head of the British military said last week Britain should be in a position to hand over control of Basra to Iraqi forces by year-end, and a British government source said Brown’s comment did not mark an acceleration of the schedule. Britain’s decision would also take account of a report due in mid-September by the head of U.S. forces in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, on attempts to quell unrelenting sectarian violence, the source said. Bush appeared unconcerned at the prospect of British forces withdrawing. “There is no doubt in my mind that Gordon Brown understands that failure in Iraq would be a disaster for the security of our own countries,” he said. Bush also said they were optimistic World Trade Organization members can reach a long-sought deal in the Doha round of talks that collapsed in June. “Gordon Brown brought some interesting suggestions on the way forward,” Bush said. Brown later stopped by the U.S. Capitol and told Democratic and Republican leaders of Congress that U.S.-British relations were “not only strong, but strengthening.” \|\|\|\|\| Mr Bush praised Mr Brown for the UK's battle against terrorism Mr Brown said both nations had duties and responsibilities in Iraq, and that he would seek military advice before announcing any changes in policy. The pair met at Camp David, near Washington, amid widespread interest about whether they could work together. The talks also focused on Afghanistan, Darfur, world trade and climate change. Ahead of the summit there was speculation about whether the Texan president and the Scottish prime minister would find some common ground. In the event, Mr Bush spoke warmly of the "special relationship" with the UK, describing it as "our most important bilateral relationship" - the same term used by Mr Brown ahead of his trip to the US. Britain and America's policies on Iraq are in step - for now, at least BBC political editor Nick Robinson Read Nick's thoughts in full The president said he found Mr Brown a warm, humorous man, far removed from the "dour Scotsman" image sometimes portrayed by the media. He also paid tribute to Mr Brown's personal strength in overcoming the death of his first child in 2002. And he joked when he learned that six of Mr Brown's newly-appointed cabinet were under 40 years old, telling the prime minister: "You must be feeling old." But the BBC's political editor Nick Robinson, at Camp David, says Mr Brown did nothing to return those personal compliments - even referring to their meetings as full and frank, which is normal diplomatic code for an argument. Iraq debate On Iraq, Mr Brown said any recommendation on the future role of the UK's 5,500 troops in Iraq could be put to parliament after British MPs return to work in October after a summer break. That would leave any decision on UK troop levels until after a final report on the US "surge" in Iraq by Mr Bush's commander in Iraq, General David Petraeus. The consequences of failure would be disaster for Great Britain and the US, something this Prime Minister understands George W Bush US President "Our aim, like the United States is, step-by-step, to move control to the Iraqi authorities," Mr Brown said. Mr Bush then linked the fortunes of both nations to the outcome of events in Iraq. "The consequences of failure would be disaster for Great Britain and the US, something this prime minister understands," the president said. 'Common struggle' Mr Brown, who faced a series of attempted bombings in the UK in the days after he assumed office in June, denounced terrorism as a crime, not a cause. Correspondents say Mr Bush used familiar language, including soaring rhetoric on the subject of good and evil, while Gordon Brown was much more specific, detailing a long list of what the two men had talked about. However, Mr Brown denied suggestions that his view of terrorism differed greatly from that of Mr Bush. "We know we are in a common struggle, we know we have to work together, and we know we have to deal with it," he said. "Today in 2007 we see the challenges are radically different to 10 years ago," Mr Brown added, citing climate change, Africa, and the search for a Middle East peace process as key issues. He said both men had agreed on the need for tougher sanctions against Iran, and the importance of restarting the Doha round of world trade talks. \|\|\|\|\| Welcome to the Provincial Iraqi Control web page. The process of returning the responsibility for security in Iraq to the Iraqi security forces in each province is at the heart of the country’s journey to full nationhood. At this point two provinces have acquired full responsibility for their own security. Al-Muthanna province was first, followed by Dhi Qar province on Sept. 21, 2006. For information about each of the provinces, click on the links below. Should you wish to seek further information about Provincial Iraqi Control please contact the Combined Press Information Center . Provinces	__NOTOC__President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Gordon Brown of the United Kingdom, walk past an honor guard Sunday, July 29, 2007 United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown met United States President George W. Bush at Camp David in Maryland for their first formal talks since Brown took office in June. Gordon Brown arrived at Camp David on Sunday, July 30. Monday, they addressed the press in a joint press conference. According to reports, the talks focused on Iraq, Afghanistan, Darfur, world trade and climate change, amid speculation whether the two leaders could work together. Correspondents say they appeared relaxed as they faced reporters after their talks. Both reiterated a commitment to fighting terrorism, which Prime Minister Brown called "a crime against humanity", and discussed ways of making sure that the two countries' security systems are "properly aligned" and share information. President Bush spoke of waging an ideological struggle between those who "believe in freedom and justice and human rights and human dignity, and cold-blooded killers who will kill innocent people to achieve their objectives" and said that defending the "young democracies" of Afghanistan and Iraq was a way to defeat "an ideology of darkness" with a "more hopeful ideology". "It's very important for us to make it clear to those who are in harm's way that these missions will be driven not by local politics but by conditions on the ground," the President added.
Los Alamos confirms data breach The lab acknowledges three computer drives were found in a drug bust and says it's taken steps to address risks. Police reports released Wednesday identified the owner of the trailer, where officers found a sizable amount of drug paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use, as Jessica Quintana. Law enforcement officials said Quintana was a former contract employee at the lab. ADVERTISEMENT Quintana was employed as an archivist and apparently had a key security clearance, including approvals to participate in special access programs, according to sources familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. Law enforcement and lab officials have declined to say what information was found on the computer drives. The New Mexico lab has a history of security problems dating to March 1999, when the FBI accused scientist Wen Ho Lee of leaking nuclear secrets to China. Lee later pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling nuclear data; prosecutors dismissed the other charges. In July 2004, Los Alamos was shut down after two incidents — the reported loss of two classified computer disks and a laser accident that injured an undergraduate intern — and remained closed for the rest of that year. Investigators later concluded that the reportedly missing disks had never existed. The lab's closure was estimated to have cost the government up to $370 million. Security and safety problems were among the key reasons the Energy Department elected not to renew the laboratory's management contract held by the University of California. In December, it awarded a new contract to a consortium that included UC and Bechtel National, as well as several other private firms. The consortium was under tremendous pressure to clean up what is widely regarded in Washington as a "cowboy culture" at the lab that openly disdains federal oversight and takes a lax attitude toward security. Two previous directors of the lab resigned after their tenures were marked by scandal. The security breach also comes at a potentially critical time for the laboratory as the Energy and Defense departments weigh proposals to design the nation's newest nuclear device, the so-called reliable replacement warhead. The lab is in competition with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Northern California to design and oversee the nuclear device. In a statement Wednesday, Los Alamos Director Michael Anastasio said the lab was cooperating with the FBI and had taken steps to address potential security risks. The statement indicated the incident was not minor. "Let me reiterate how seriously I regard this matter as one of the upmost concern to us all," Anastasio said. Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, which has prodded the Energy Department to beef up security at nuclear weapons sites, said the case showed that very little had improved at Los Alamos under the new contract. "Despite the changes in the contract, we are still seeing the same old sloppiness," Brian said. "The government needs to be more serious about oversight at the lab." The case involves three so-called jump or thumb drives, small devices that plug into the USB port on a personal computer and that can hold a sizable amount of data. Los Alamos police found the drives Oct. 17 when they responded to a report of a fight at Quintana's home at the Royal Crest Trailer Park. When they arrived, they found Justin Stone, 20, who was wanted for probation violations. Stone was arrested and remains in custody on the probation violation, police said. Stone told police that Quintana had allowed him to stay at the trailer a couple of days a week. During the arrest, the police found several glass pipes and other drug items covered with residues, which tests confirmed as methamphetamine. Quintana admitted to police at the time that at least one of the glass pipes was hers, according to the police report. The report also lists the three thumb drives as confiscated in the search. The drives apparently had markings that indicated they were property of the nuclear lab, and police notified the FBI. The police did not charge Quintana, but referred the case to the local district attorney for a review of possible charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession, delivery or manufacture of drug paraphernalia. KRQE, a local news station in Los Alamos, reported Wednesday that Quintana's employment contract with the lab expired several weeks ago. The station quoted a local YMCA official as saying Quintana more recently worked at the YMCA as a director of an after-school program, but was fired when news of the drug investigation broke. * ralph.vartabedian @latimes.com Los Alamos National Laboratory, one of the nation's key nuclear weapons research centers, confirmed Wednesday that it experienced a potentially major security breach — discovered last week when police found three laboratory computer drives during a drug arrest at a New Mexico trailer park.Police reports released Wednesday identified the owner of the trailer, where officers found a sizable amount of drug paraphernalia associated with methamphetamine use, as Jessica Quintana. Law enforcement officials said Quintana was a former contract employee at the lab.The FBI executed a second search of the trailer in Los Alamos on Friday but sealed the warrant and said little about what agents found.Quintana was employed as an archivist and apparently had a key security clearance, including approvals to participate in special access programs, according to sources familiar with the investigation who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case.Law enforcement and lab officials have declined to say what information was found on the computer drives.The New Mexico lab has a history of security problems dating to March 1999, when the FBI accused scientist Wen Ho Lee of leaking nuclear secrets to China. Lee later pleaded guilty to one count of mishandling nuclear data; prosecutors dismissed the other charges.In July 2004, Los Alamos was shut down after two incidents — the reported loss of two classified computer disks and a laser accident that injured an undergraduate intern — and remained closed for the rest of that year.Investigators later concluded that the reportedly missing disks had never existed. The lab's closure was estimated to have cost the government up to $370 million.Security and safety problems were among the key reasons the Energy Department elected not to renew the laboratory's management contract held by the University of California. In December, it awarded a new contract to a consortium that included UC and Bechtel National, as well as several other private firms.The consortium was under tremendous pressure to clean up what is widely regarded in Washington as a "cowboy culture" at the lab that openly disdains federal oversight and takes a lax attitude toward security. Two previous directors of the lab resigned after their tenures were marked by scandal.The security breach also comes at a potentially critical time for the laboratory as the Energy and Defense departments weigh proposals to design the nation's newest nuclear device, the so-called reliable replacement warhead. The lab is in competition with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Northern California to design and oversee the nuclear device.In a statement Wednesday, Los Alamos Director Michael Anastasio said the lab was cooperating with the FBI and had taken steps to address potential security risks. The statement indicated the incident was not minor."Let me reiterate how seriously I regard this matter as one of the upmost concern to us all," Anastasio said.Danielle Brian, executive director of the Project on Government Oversight, which has prodded the Energy Department to beef up security at nuclear weapons sites, said the case showed that very little had improved at Los Alamos under the new contract."Despite the changes in the contract, we are still seeing the same old sloppiness," Brian said. "The government needs to be more serious about oversight at the lab."The case involves three so-called jump or thumb drives, small devices that plug into the USB port on a personal computer and that can hold a sizable amount of data.Los Alamos police found the drives Oct. 17 when they responded to a report of a fight at Quintana's home at the Royal Crest Trailer Park. When they arrived, they found Justin Stone, 20, who was wanted for probation violations. Stone was arrested and remains in custody on the probation violation, police said.Stone told police that Quintana had allowed him to stay at the trailer a couple of days a week. During the arrest, the police found several glass pipes and other drug items covered with residues, which tests confirmed as methamphetamine.Quintana admitted to police at the time that at least one of the glass pipes was hers, according to the police report.The report also lists the three thumb drives as confiscated in the search. The drives apparently had markings that indicated they were property of the nuclear lab, and police notified the FBI.The police did not charge Quintana, but referred the case to the local district attorney for a review of possible charges of possession of methamphetamine and possession, delivery or manufacture of drug paraphernalia.KRQE, a local news station in Los Alamos, reported Wednesday that Quintana's employment contract with the lab expired several weeks ago. The station quoted a local YMCA official as saying Quintana more recently worked at the YMCA as a director of an after-school program, but was fired when news of the drug investigation broke. More Nation News - Kerry's fighting words give way to apology - In Montana, things are looking blue - Epidemic of foot-in-mouth afflicts candidates this year \|\|\|\|\| With Vladimir Putin and the United States staring at each other like the gunfighters in the final scene in the “Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” War College takes a fresh look at the 70-year-old alliance called NATO. \|\|\|\|\| A search of a suspected meth lab turned up classified documents from Los Alamos National Laboratory, where, among other things, nuclear weapons research is conducted. According to the Associated Press, a researcher at the lab was under investigation for methamphetamine related offences, and the documents were discovered when police executed an arrest warrant against her. Police contacted the FBI, which has said only that the documents in question "appear to contain classified material," the AP reports. Los Alamos has developed a reputation for shoddy security, with a series of high-profile blunders over the past few years. These range from the bizarre case of Wen Ho Lee, who was either perfectly innocent and slightly careless, or a Red Chinese spy. After years of investigation, no one can say. Then there was the case of the missing hard disk drives with sensitive data that the lab reported missing, then claimed had never existed in the first place. The University of California, which guided the institution through these and other snafus, has since lost its contract to manage the labs, which are now in the hands of a private consortium called Los Alamos National Security (LANS) LLC. It had been hoped that private sector management might prove more effective than its academic predecessor, but today's news suggests that more will be needed to bring the labs up to snuff in terms of security. ®	Documents missing from the Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico have been found on a USB Flash Drive during a drug bust located inside the Los Alamos trailer park, Royal Crest on October 17 and contain what police say are "classified material." The drives were marked with symbols that indicated they belonged to the Los Alamos Laboratory. Los Alamos has since confirmed that a breach has occurred and that at least three computer drives from the laboratory were confiscated during the raid. "During the course of the search, officers realized that some of the items seized appeared to belong to the Los Alamos National Laboratory," said a statement by the Los Alamos County Police Department. A subcontractor, Justin Stone, 20 was involved in the breach of security at the lab and according to Michael Anastasio, the lab's director, there is an "ongoing investigation." Stone was working in Technical Area 55, an area of the lab where plutonium is kept or the X Division, where data for the designs of nuclear bombs are kept. Stone says that he was not aware of what the drives contained saying, "I have no idea what's on it because I didn't get a chance to look." Stone also says that he acquired one of the drives a year ago when he traded drugs for the drive and that drive also contained information from Los Alamos Laboratory. Stone had only been living with a female friend, Jessica Quintana for no more than three weeks and was with his girlfriend Jessica Collins when police raided the home. "I vaguely remember it contained information about nuclear waste sites around Los Alamos. I erased it and used the drive for myself," added Stone. Quintana, who also worked in the laboratory as an archivist, was being investigated by the FBI for charges relating to methamphetamine type offenses and was arrested when authorities executed an arrest warrant for the female. Police say a "large amount" of methamphetamine paraphernalia was discovered in her trailer during a raid by the FBI. Pipes with the remains of methamphetamine were also found at the scene and Quintana also admitted that the items belonged to her. "This is a serious matter, and we are taking immediate steps to address it. We intend to do everything possible to guard against any criminal activity, particularly where a breach of security may be involved. We have already taken a number of steps to address potential security risks," said Anastasio in a statement. Drug paraphernalia along with methamphetamine drugs were also seized during the bust. Police were initially responding to a call of a domestic disturbance between Stone and his girlfriend which Stone denies was taking place.
Quote Sonny Olsen, an attorney speaking for the families, says they want drilling to continue even if the sixth hole fails to show signs of life. If rescue is not possible, the families want the men's bodies to be retrieved. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Go To Comments (AP) Even as crews began a last effort Thursday to find six trapped miners, lawmakers in Washington launched separate reviews of whether the mining that preceded the thunderous cave-in was too aggressive. As a drill bored a sixth hole into the side of a mountain, Sen. Edward Kennedy, chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, demanded a litany of documents from the Labor Department about the Crandall Canyon Mine and its operators. "The loss of life at the mine, and the devastating emotional toll on families of the victims, underscore the urgent need for a thorough examination of our federal system of mine safety," Kennedy, D-Mass., wrote to Labor Secretary Elaine Chao. The six miners have been trapped since Aug. 6, and searchers have found no sign they survived. Three other miners were killed and six more injured last week when the shifting mountain crumbled around them as they tunneled toward the missing men. Tunneling has not resumed. Kennedy wants to review several petitions the mine's co-owner, Bob Murray, made to the Mine Safety and Health Administration for changes in his mining plans at Crandall Canyon, among other documents. Experts have said the proposed changes were risky and could have led to the initial collapse. The Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees labor issues announced plans for a hearing on the mine collapse when Congress returns from its summer break Sept. 5. The subcommittee wants to question Murray and MSHA chief Richard Stickler. Officials with Murray's company did not return repeated requests for comment Thursday. At the mine, crews began working on the sixth test hole to try to locate the men. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration said in a news release Thursday that no air samples or video images could be obtained from the fifth hole because it became plugged with mud. Other holes provided only grainy video images of rubble and poor air sample readings, and efforts to signal the miners have met with silence. The sixth hole will head toward an area where the miners were last believed to have been working, some 1,500 feet below the surface. It was expected to be completed over the weekend. "This is the last hole," Murray said Wednesday night. Drilling it, he said, will "bring closure to me that I could never get them out alive." Sonny Olsen, an attorney acting as spokesman for the families, said Thursday night that the families want drilling to continue even if the sixth hole fails to show signs of life. If rescue is not possible, the families want the men's bodies to be retrieved. "Sealing up the mine with our loved ones inside without knowing if they've perished is outrageous to us," said Olsen, reading from a statement. "There's been no indication that these men are not alive. The families acknowledge that there's an issue with the air. These men are trained on how to survive in these kinds of environments." Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman said Thursday that the families of the missing men need peace of mind. "I do think the way the families have been treated is unconscionable," he said. Murray has made a series of conflicting statements about whether mining will ever again take place at the mine, or elsewhere on the mountain. On Wednesday night, he said the mine would be sealed and digging would cease at Crandall Canyon. "I can tell you right now, we are not going back into that mountain," he said. He said MSHA would decide after the investigation how soon he could seal the mine. "I want out of it. I want to recover the equipment and get out of it as quickly as possible," Murray said. © MMVII The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. \|\|\|\|\| Lacee Taylor, center, a girlfriend of Brandon Phillips, one of six coal miners trapped inside the Crandall Canyon Mine, talks to reporters as Taylor's mother Jackie watches on Wednesday, Aug. 22, 2007, in Huntington, Utah. At right is Brandon's sister Cassie Phillips. Officials said a sixth exploratory hole 1,700 feet below ground would be drilled beginning Thursday, officials said, and Kuzar said it will be in the area where the miners were last believed to have been working. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong) Relatives of six miners trapped deep inside a Utah coal mine are holding out hope the sixth and last borehole will provide the miracle they've craved for more than two weeks. Other holes drilled into the Crandall Canyon mine have failed to reveal signs of life. The sixth hole is to be drilled Thursday into an area where the miners were last believed to have been working. "This is the last hole," mine co-owner Bob Murray said at a news conference Wednesday night. Drilling it, he said, will "bring closure to me that I could never get them out alive." But Jackie Taylor, whose daughter Lacee dates one of the six men missing since an Aug. 6 cave-in, said relatives and friends are insisting that more be done. She issued a plea Thursday for the rescue effort to continue, even though three men died trying to tunnel toward the miners. "We are so appreciative to all of the rescue members and their families. Don't get us wrong, we are so appreciative," Taylor told NBC's "Today." "Our love and our prayers go out to all of their family members. But our family members are still under there. They're underground. We need that closure in our lives also." Punching through the fifth borehole Wednesday, rescuers found only a 6-inch void in the mine 1,500 feet down, federal officials said. No noise was heard from the hole after a microphone was lowered and workers banged on the drill steel, said Jack Kuzar, a district manager for the Mine Safety and Health Administration. A video camera had not yet been put down the hole, nor had oxygen readings been measured, Kuzar said. Attempts to tunnel through the broken mine shaft toward the miners were halted after a second cave-in killed two miners and a federal safety officer. Six others were injured. Sonny J. Olsen, a lawyer and spokesman for relatives of the miners, said the families don't want the search to end until the men are found. "Regardless if it takes three months to wait for the seismic activity to stop, they want some method to go down and get their families," Olsen said.	Locator map of Salt Lake City, Emery County and Huntington. Today rescue workers will drill a sixth hole into the collapsed Utah mine in a final effort to resuce the trapped miners who have been missing since August 6. The previous holes, which have been dug as deep as 1,500 feet (460 m) underground at the Crandall Canyon Mine, have not produced any signs of the trapped miners. Bob Murray, the mine's co-owner, said this sixth attempt to reach the miners will be the last. Murray also said that this last attempt will bring him closure. However, he realizes the families may never find the closure they are calling for. A spokesman for the families said they do not want the rescue efforts to stop until they find the men. One family member said, "He doesn't realize that what we have now is hope, and maybe our family members are not alive, but we want our bodies out...We want proper burials." Mining will not be resumed in the area, Murray said.
Howard: 'I had previously said I did not contemplate a major increase'. (Lateline) Prime Minister John Howard has conceded the Federal Government has reversed an earlier decision to not send additional troops to Iraq. He has denied he misled Australians over the Government's decision to send more troops to Iraq. An additional 450 troops will be sent to southern Iraq to begin work in early May, training security forces and protecting Japanese soldiers involved in the reconstruction effort. The commitment came after the Dutch Government decided to pull out its 1,400 troops, in the face of strong domestic pressure. Mr Howard has told ABC radio's AM program, circumstances in Iraq have altered and he does not apologise for changing the Government's policy. "I'm not running away from the fact that I had previously said I did not contemplate a major increase and that was a fair statement of the Government's state of the mind at the time I made that," he said. "But in these situations a government have a capacity, if circumstances alter, and it is judged to be not only in our own interests, but also in the broader interests of democracy in the Middle East, that we make those changes." Aiding allies Mr Howard says the Government received a letter from the British Foreign Secretary in late January, asking for Australia to increase its military presence. Shortly after that, Mr Howard told a national magazine that the Government had no intention of significantly increasing the number of troops in Iraq. The Prime Minister says at the time the Government had not decided to change its policy and that it was not a misleading answer. "We had previously had a position and until you change your position in relation to that, and it was by no means certain even at that time that we were going to change it," he said. "I, in [being] asked a question, gave the response that I've given previously and I think that's perfectly reasonable." Mr Howard says the Federal Government is responding to requests from the leaders of two close allies, Britain and Japan. "This involves a partnership with a country that is very important to us in our own region," he said. "It also involves responding to a request from one of the other Coalition partners - the British, but the Japanese element of this is very important because Japan is a strong regional ally and partner of Australia." Japan renounced the right to use force in its US-imposed 1947 constitution and its 600 troops in Iraq have not fired their weapons since the start of the deployment in December 2003. Australia, an original member of US President George W Bush's "coalition of the willing" committed 2,000 troops to the 2003 invasion, but has since reduced its deployment to around 950. Coalition talks Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson has also discussed Australia's decision to increase the number of troops in Iraq with his British counterpart, John Prescott, in London overnight. Mr Anderson labelled the Government's decision to more than double the number of Australian troops in Iraq as difficult, but the right thing to do. "We're very committed to ensuring that at this quite important time for Iraq that it does not go wrong for us - we have to see this through," he said. When asked whether seeing it through means the Government is open to sending more troops, Mr Anderson says he did not "anticipate, and the Government does not anticipate, any further requests or need". But he acknowledged the Government was just as adamant before the election that it would not need to provide further reinforcements. Mr Anderson was also asked whether the Government had discussed boosting troops before the federal election in October. "There have been certain discussions at non-political levels ... since that Dutch decision was made, but the Government started its consideration more recently and took a decision on Tuesday," he said. Opposition concern The Opposition says the Federal Government promised it would not increase troop numbers in Iraq and has misled the nation. Labor's defence spokesman Robert McClelland says Australia risks being caught up in a civil war in Iraq. "We seem to be getting swept along with the tide - we have never stated what our objective is, when that objective is going to be satisfied, and when we can get out," he said. He says the troops should instead be defending Australia from the threat of regional terrorism. Praise Meanwhile, Iraq's interim prime minister, Iyad Allawi, has praised Australia for promising to send the extra troops to Iraq. Mr Allawi says the Australian decision supports the Iraqi Government in spreading security and keeping order to confront terrorism. Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has also welcomed Australia's decision to dispatch more soldiers to Iraq. The Australian troops will be based mainly in the provincial capital Samawah where nearly 600 Japanese troops are stationed for humanitarian and reconstruction work. Mr Koizumi says he asked Mr Howard to send the troops in a telephone conversation last Friday, following a similar request from Britain. Pentagon official Larry DiRita says the United States is also grateful for the extra troops, describing Australia as an important and wonderful ally. "I don't know that a formal approach has gone to any individual country as much as there's regular dialogue with the coalition, and the coalition countries know what requirements there are," he said. \|\|\|\|\| AUSTRALIA'S military strength in Iraq will more than double after appeals from the British and Japanese governments for more troops. Prime Minister John Howard said yesterday 450 Australian troops would be sent to guard humanitarian projects in the relatively peaceful south of the country. But the deployment has reignited argument over the war, with Labor accusing Mr Howard of breaking his election pledge of no "dramatic increase" in troop numbers. The projects in the Al Muthanna province are being run by the Japanese military in an area under the responsibility of British troops. Mr Howard said there was "a real possibility" the projects would be abandoned if Australia did not provide assistance. The Australians will replace 1400 Dutch soldiers to be withdrawn by their Government in March in response to domestic political pressure. Mr Howard said he knew the troop commitment would be unpopular but it was needed to preserve gains made by Iraqis at the January 30 elections and to help progress. "The Government believes that Iraq is very much at a tilting point, and it's very important that the opportunity of democracy ... be seized and consolidated," he said. Labor Leader Kim Beazley condemned the decision, saying our allies in Iraq were told they had seen "the upper levels of Australia's engagement". He accused Mr Howard of misleading voters at the last election when he said: "We're maintaining the general level of forces that we've had there, we don't have any plans for a dramatic increase." "That was consistent with what the Government had been saying for the previous two years in statement after statement," Mr Beazley said. "They told the Australian people that they thought the Australian commitment to Iraq was sufficient and all that there would be, give or take the odd soldier. "Now, suddenly, there is dramatic change." Australia currently has about 880 military personnel in the Iraq area. Some 580 are on ships in the Gulf, in air crews stationed nearby, or in army operations outside Iraq. There are about 300 soldiers on Iraqi soil guarding diplomats and other Australian interests, and helping train Iraqi forces. The new Australian taskforce will increase this number to 750. The extra commitment would have what Mr Howard called "a major role in training" Iraqi security forces as well as Japanese soldiers in non-combat jobs building roads, schools, water projects and health care. Since the end of World War II, the Japanese military has been confined to defensive roles. The Dutch contingent has lost two lives in the two years it has been in Al Muthanna but it is a relatively safe area when compared to the violent Sunni triangle to the north. The RSL warned that many veterans would disapprove of Australian troops being sent to protect Japanese engineers. National President Bill Crews welcomed the "spirit of co-operation" but not all members would be willing to forget. Howard's war in words "We're not planning to commit a whole lot more troops. I've said all along that we don't have any capacity to have a significant number of troops on the ground." - May 18, 2004, downplaying any increase "We're maintaining the general level of forces that we've had there, we don't have any plans for a dramatic increase." - October 4, 2004, during the election campaign "We had said there may be tiny adjustments at the margin, that there would not be any substantial increase. What the UN was seeking was a substantial increase ..." - October 22, 2004, after the UN sought troops "The Government believes that Iraq is very much at a tilting point and it's very important that the opportunity of democracy, not only in Iraq but also in other parts of the Middle East, be seized and consolidated." - Announcing the new deployment yesterday Where our men and women are serving overseas * About 400 personnel inside Iraq providing headquarters staff, security and training of the Iraqi military * About 500 elsewhere in the Middle East, including 220 on HMAS Darwin in the Persian Gulf, plus RAAF elements operating C-130 transport aircraft and P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft * 11 personnel attached to the UN Truce Supervision Organisation in Israel, Syria and Lebanon * 25 with the Multinational Force and Observers in the Sinai * 120 soldiers in the Solomons * 100 soldiers assisting in East Timor * About 950 personnel assisting in tsunami relief in Sumatra, including 150 engineers in Banda Aceh	Australian prime minister John Howard has admitted this week's decision to commit an additional 450 troops to Iraq is a policy backflip. During the 2004 election campaign Mr Howard indicated that there would be no major increase in the number of Australian troops in Iraq. However yesteday's announcement is set to more than double the number of Australian troops on the ground in Iraq. Mr Howard justified the reversal of policy as being in the "broader interests of democracy in the Middle East". He also explained that the decision came in response to requests from British and Japanese leaders. The commitment of extra troops comes as a result of the Dutch government's decision to withdraw 1400 soldiers from Iraq, in response to political pressure in Holland. The Australians will be deployed to the Iraqi province of Al Muthanna to provide military support for Japanese engineers working on reconstruction projects.
Economy Taipei is the 43rd wealthiest city in the world, New York most wealthy: study TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taipei is the 43rd wealthiest city in the worl... \|\|\|\|\| Print Mail wiki links COA confirms Luchu bird flu outbreak RESOLVED: While there are no known cases of the H5N2 strain infecting humans, health authorities continued to monitor farms within a 3km radius of the outbreak By Meggie Lu STAFF REPORTER Sunday, Dec 21, 2008, Page 1 The Council of Agriculture confirmed yesterday an outbreak of a lesser strain of the bird flu virus H5N2 at a chicken farm in Kaohsiung County’s Luchu Township (路竹). “The problem has been resolved. Starting in October, the farm was disinfected and we monitored the situation as if it were a highly pathogenic virus. The affected chickens were culled on Nov. 14,” Agriculture Minister Chen Wu-hsiung (陳?Z雄) told a press conference yesterday. Chen said the results of a second round of samples from the affected chicken farm were confirmed by a panel of experts to be a low-pathogenic strain of H5N2. Avian influenza has many different subtypes, including H5N1 and H5N2. The H5N1 subtype is highly pathogenic and can cause fever, coughing, sore throat, muscle ache, pneumonia or death when transmitted from birds to humans. There are no reports of H5N2 transmission to humans. News of the outbreak were first made public by the council at a press conference on Wednesday, during which Deputy Minister Hu Sing-hwa (?J興華) said the council suspected an outbreak had occurred at a Kaohsiung chicken farm, adding that an investigation had been launched on Oct. 21. Asked why it had taken so long for the test results to be made public, Animal Health Research Institute deputy director Lee Shu-hui (???Q?z) said “the examination requires careful work and is a complex process.” “Our first results on Nov. 12 showed what looked like a high-pathogenic strain of H5N2, but as less than 3 percent of chickens in the population died, the result did not agree with the lab test,” Lee said. To ensure they did not miss a potential threat, Lee said her team decided to do a second examination while seeking to avoid causing a panic. She said that as soon as the lab had the slightest evidence that there may have been a bird flu outbreak in October, she informed the council’s Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine to initiate epidemic prevention mechanisms. While the affected farm was thoroughly disinfected, farms within a radius of 3km have also been monitored since October, she said. “After viral separation and cultivation, second results showed that the chickens had a H5N2 Intravenous Pathogenicity Index [IVPI] of 0.89, which makes it low-pathogenic,” she said. An IVPI over 1.2 would be high-pathogenic. Responding to comments by former minister of health Twu Shiing-jer (�?�) that testing for avian flu would only take one to two days, Lee said that what Twu was referred to was identifying H5N1 contamination in humans. “I can also have results within two days, but my results may show a negative while a longer cultivation time may show a positive result,” she said. Regarding the risk to humans, Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine Director-General Watson Sung (宋華?o) said there were no known cases of H5N2 mutating into the H5N1 strain, which can affect humans. This was the only instance of bird flu in Taiwan, Soong said, adding that “high” or “low” pathogenic referred to chickens, not humans. “On Nov. 14, the farm owner voluntarily culled all the chickens as a precautionary measure,” Chen said. “Now that we have confirmed the results, we will report the case to the World Organization for Animal Health. We will also continue to monitor the 76 chicken farms around the affected farm for three months before applying for poultry exportation to Japan.” Chen said losses in sales of chicken to Japan would be in the several millions of NT dollars. This story has been viewed 1297 times. Advertising \|\|\|\|\| World Goodbye, Geoffrey: Toys R Us closing its last stores NEW YORK (AP) — Toys R Us is closing its last U.S. stores by Friday, the e... \|\|\|\|\| 2 March 2004 During last week’s emergency meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, officials from FAO, OIE, and WHO drew attention to several unique features of the current outbreaks of H5N1 in poultry in Asia, in particular its geographical distribution, rate of spread and severity of which are unprecedented. Prospects for rapid control are inconsistent with worldwide experience, over more than four decades, with previous outbreaks, which have all been much smaller in scope and inherently less challenging. Even in countries with good surveillance, adequate resources, and geographically limited outbreaks, control has often taken up to two years. For these reasons and others, WHO has cautioned against assumptions that the outbreaks can be controlled in the immediate future. WHO has described the serious public health implications of these outbreaks in a previous update . Up to the end of 2003, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) was considered a rare disease. Since 1959, only 21 Outbreaks had been reported worldwide. The majority occurred in Europe and the Americas. Of the total, only five resulted in significant spread to numerous farms, and only one was associated with spread to other countries. Since mid-December 2003, eight Asian countries have confirmed outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza caused by the H5N1 strain. Most of these countries are experiencing outbreaks of this disease for the first time in their histories. In several, outbreaks have been detected in virtually every part of the country Over the past two months, more than 100 million birds have either died of the disease or been culled in Asia. This figure is greater than the total number of poultry affected, over years, in the world’s previous five largest outbreaks combined. Worldwide experience since 1959 supports official statements about the unprecedented nature of the present situation and the challenges for control. Unique features in the present situation include: - Concentration of poultry in backyard farms. In several countries experiencing outbreaks, up to 80% of poultry are produced on small farms and backyard holdings in rural areas, where poultry range freely. In China, 60% of the country’s esitmated 13.2 billion chickens are raised on small farms in close proximity to humans and domestic animals, including pigs. This situation makes implementation of strict control measures, essential to the control of previous outbreaks, extremely difficult. These control measures – including bird-proof, ecologically controlled housing, treatment of water supplies, disinfection of all incoming persons, equipment, and vehicles, prevention of contact with insects, rodents, and other mechanical vectors – cannot be applied on small rural farms and backyard holdings. – Economic significance of poultry production. Poultry production contributes greatly to the economies and food supplies of affected countries. The agricultural sector faces the challenge of minimizing losses to industry and subsistence farmers in ways that also reduce health risks for humans. Because many people in the region are so dependent on poultry, appropriate culling may be difficult to implement. – Lack of control experience. Since the disease is new to most countries in the region, very little experience exists at national and international levels to guide the best country-specific control measures. In some countries, announcements of successful culling in certain areas are being followed by subsequent eruptions of disease in the same areas, suggesting reintroduction of the virus, continuing presence in the environment, or inadequate verification of outbreak control. – Lack of resources. Several countries with very widespread outbreaks lack adequate infrastructure and resources, including resources to compensate farmers and thus encourage compliance with government recommendations. In some countries that have announced outbreaks, neither surveillance to detect the extent of spread nor culling of animals known to be infected is taking place. – The scale of international spread. With so many adjacent countries affected, a region-wide strategy will be needed to ensure that gains in one country are not compromised by inadequate control in another. These unique features will make rapid control and long-term prevention of recurrence extremely difficult to achieve. Culling remains the first line of action, as recommended by FAO, OIE, and WHO, for bringing the current outbreaks under control. Unlike other economically important domestic animals, poultry raising takes place in a very short production system. Provided sufficient resources are available to replace culled poultry stock, countries should not postpone aggressive culling because of fears of long-term consequences on poultry production. Wild birds can play a role in introducing a virus of low pathogenicity into domestic flocks where, if allowed to circulate for several months, it can mutate into a highly pathogenic form. No evidence to date indicates that wild birds are the source of the present outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza. Wild birds should not be culled. Previous outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza worldwide Year Country/area Domestic birds affected Strain 1959 Scotland chicken H5N1 1963 England turkey H7N3 1966 Ontario (Canada) turkey H5N9 1976 Victoria (Australia) chicken H7N7 1979 Germany chicken H7N7 1979 England turkey H7N7 19831985 Pennsylvania (USA)* chicken, turkey H5N2 1983 Ireland turkey H5N8 1985 Victoria (Australia) chicken H7N7 1991 England turkey H5N1 1992 Victoria (Australia) chicken H7N3 1994 Queensland (Australia) chicken H7N3 19941995 Mexico* chicken H5N2 1994 Pakistan* chicken H7N3 1997 New South Wales (Australia) chicken H7N4 1997 Hong Kong (China)* chicken H5N1 1997 Italy chicken H5N2 19992000 Italy* turkey H7N1 2002 Hong Kong (China) chicken H5N1 2002 Chile chicken H7N3 2003 Netherlands* chicken H7N7 *Outbreaks with significant spread to numerous farms, resulting in great economic losses. Most other outbreaks involved little or no spread from the initially infected farms. Observations from previous outbreaks (1959–2003) Outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza can be extremely difficult to control, even under favourable conditions (concentration of infected birds in well-maintained commercial production facilities, limited geographical occurrence). – The 1983 Pennsylvania (USA) outbreak took two years to control. Some 17 million birds were destroyed at a direct cost of US$62 million. Indirect costs have been estimated at more than US$250 million. – The 2003 outbreak in the Netherlands spread to Belgium and Germany. In the Netherlands, more than 30 million birds - a quarter of the country’s poultry stock – were destroyed. Some 2.7 million were destroyed in Belgium, and around 400,000 in Germany. In the Netherlands, 89 humans were infected, of whom one (a veterinarian) died. In that outbreak, measures needed to protect the health of poultry workers, farmers, and persons visiting farms included wearing of protective clothing, masks to cover the mouth and nose, eye protection, vaccination against normal seasonal human influenza, and administration of prophylactic antiviral drugs. Control is even more difficult in countries with dense poultry populations. – The Italian outbreak of 1999–2000 caused infection in 413 flocks, including 25 backyard flocks, and resulted in the destruction of around 14 million birds. Control was complicated by the occurrence of cases in areas with extremely dense poultry populations. Compensation to farmers amounted to US$63 million. Costs for the poultry and associated industry have been estimated at US$620 million. Four months after the last outbreak ended, the virus returned in a low-pathogenic form, rapidly causing a further 52 outbreaks. – Although the last outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza in Mexico occurred in 1995, the causative agent – the H5N2 strain – has never been entirely eliminated from the country, in its present low-pathogenicity form, despite years of intense efforts, including the administration of more than 2 billion doses of vaccines of varying efficacy. Similarly, the vaccination policy pursued in Pakistan does not appear to have resulted in eradication of the causative agent. Avoidance of contact between poultry and wild birds, especially ducks and other waterfowl, can help prevent the introduction of a low-pathogenicity virus into domestic flocks. Although no evidence to date has conclusively linked the current outbreaks with wild migratory birds in Asia: – Several of these outbreaks have been linked to contact between free-ranging flocks and wild birds, including the shared use of water sources. Faecal contamination of water supplies is considered a very efficient way for waterfowl to transmit the virus. Virus (low-pathogenicity) has been readily recovered from lakes and ponds where migratory birds congregate. – An especially risky practice is the raising of small numbers of domestic ducks on a pond in proximity to domestic chicken and turkey flocks. Domestic ducks attract wild ducks, and provide a significant link in the chain of transmission from wild birds to domestic flocks. Aggressive control measures, including culling of infected and exposed poultry, are recommended for avian influenza virus subtypes H5 and H7 even when the virus initially shows low pathogenicity. (H5 and H7 are the only subtypes implicated in outbreaks of highly pathogenic disease.) – Several of the largest outbreaks (Pennsylvania, Mexico, Italy) initially began with mild illness in poultry. When the virus was allowed to continue circulating in poultry, it eventually mutated (within 6 to 9 months) into a highly pathogenic form with a mortality ratio approaching 100%. Moreover, the initial presence of low-pathogenicity virus in these outbreaks complicated diagnosis of the highly pathogenic form.	3D Modell Influenzavirus. New outbreaks of H5N2 have been confirmed in Taiwan. Council of Agriculture (COA) Minister Chen Wu-hsiung has confirmed on Saturday that "the recent chicken deaths at a poultry farm in Kaohsiung County’s Luchu Township (on October 21) were caused by the low-pathogenic H5N2 bird flu virus, that is not communicable to humans." They had slaughtered 18,000 chickens on November 14. "The problem has been resolved," he said. COA has been monitoring wild and migratory birds and said "it is still investigating the source of the infection." Lujhu Township (蘆竹鄉) is a rural township in northwestern Taoyuan County in Taiwan. It is located at kilometer 49 of the Highway no.1, close to the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (IATA: TPE). Kaohsiung County (高雄縣, Gāoxióng Xiàn, Gaosyóng Siàn, Kao-hsiung Hsien; Ko-hiông-kōan) is a county in southern Taiwan administered as a County of Taiwan. It encloses but does not include Kaohsiung City. Mr Huang Kwo-ching, deputy director of the Bureau of Animal and Plant Health Inspection and Quarantine, however, said, "we took the most stringent measures in dealing with the episode as according to the rules of the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE), there was no need to slaughter those chickens." A transmission electron micrograph of influenza A virus, late passage. H5N2 is a subtype of the species Influenzavirus A (avian influenza virus or bird flu virus). A highly pathogenic strain of H5N2 caused bird flu outbreaks with significant spread to numerous farms, resulting in great economic losses in 1983 in Pennsylvania, USA in chickens and turkeys, in 1994 in Mexico in chickens and a minor outbreak in 1997 in Italy in chickens. Deputy Minister Hu Sing-hwa (胡興華) explained that “after viral separation and cultivation, second results showed that the chickens had a H5N2 Intravenous Pathogenicity Index IVPI of 0.89, which makes it low-pathogenic,” adding that "We will also continue to monitor the 76 chicken farms around the affected farm for three months.” Taiwan has thus stopped its poultry exports for at least three months. Meanwhile, Taiwan News has reported that "Japan has banned the imports of Taiwan’s poultry. Being the biggest duck provider to Japan, Taiwan exports 5,000 tons of duck annually worth US$23 million (approximately NT$750 million). For the time being, US$4 million (NT$130 million) worth of duck in the process of shipping, customs clearance is expected to be affected." For this reason, COA has promised to subsidize poultry farmers affected by the virus which broke out on October 21. H5N2 avian flu strain first broke out in Taiwan in January 2004.
Natural Selection At Work In Dramatic Comeback Of Male Butterflies Science Daily An international team of researchers has documented a remarkable example of natural selection in a tropical butterfly species that fought back - genetically speaking - against a highly invasive, male-killing bacteria. Shown is a male Hypolimnas bolina, also called the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly. A male-killing bacteria has led to skewed sex ratios in populations of H. bolina in the South Pacific, but researchers have found that male butterflies on some islands have bounced back thanks to the rise of a suppressor gene. (Credit: Sylvain Charlat) Shown is a male Hypolimnas bolina, also called the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly. A male-killing bacteria has led to skewed sex ratios in populations of H. bolina in the South Pacific, but researchers have found that male butterflies on some islands have bounced back thanks to the rise of a suppressor gene. (Credit: Sylvain Charlat) Within 10 generations that spanned less than a year, the proportion of males of the Hypolimnas bolina butterfly on the South Pacific island of Savaii jumped from a meager 1 percent of the population to about 39 percent. The researchers considered this a stunning comeback and credited it to the rise of a suppressor gene that holds in check the Wolbachia bacteria, which is passed down from the mother and selectively kills males before they have a chance to hatch. "To my knowledge, this is the fastest evolutionary change that has ever been observed," said Sylvain Charlat, lead author of the study and a post-doctoral researcher with joint appointments at the University of California, Berkeley, and University College London. "This study shows that when a population experiences very intense selective pressures, such as an extremely skewed sex ratio, evolution can happen very fast." Charlat pointed out that, unlike mutations that govern such traits as wing color or antennae length, a genetic change that affects the sex ratio of a population has a very wide impact on the biology of the species. It is not yet clear whether the suppressor gene emerged from a chance mutation from within the local population, or if it was introduced by migratory Southeast Asian butterflies in which the mutation had already been established. "We'll likely know more in three years' time when the exact location of the suppressor gene is identified," said Charlat. "But regardless of which of the two sources of the suppressor gene is correct, natural selection is the next step. The suppressor gene allows infected females to produce males, these males will mate with many, many females, and the suppressor gene will therefore be in more and more individuals over generations." Charlat worked with Gregory Hurst, a reader in evolutionary genetics at University College London and senior author of the paper. Descriptions of all-female broods of H. bolina date back to the 1920s, but it wasn't until 2002 that Hurst and colleagues first identified Wolbachia bacteria as the culprit behind the distorted sex ratio. "We usually think of natural selection as acting slowly, over hundreds or thousands of years," said Hurst. "But the example in this study happened in a blink of the eye, in terms of evolutionary time, and is a remarkable thing to get to observe." The researchers noted that bacteria that selectively kill male offspring are found among a range of arthropods, so what was seen in this study may not be unusual, despite the fact that it has never before been described in the scientific literature. Previous research has revealed some of the extraordinary ways in which insects adapt to the pressures inherent when nearly all its members are of one gender. Notably, Charlat and Hurst reported in an earlier study that, thanks to Wolbachia, when males of H. bolina, commonly known as the Blue Moon or Great Eggfly butterfly, become a rare commodity, the number of mating sessions for both males and females jumps, possibly as an attempt to sustain the population despite the odds. Charlat added that the relationship between Wolbachia and the Blue Moon butterfly illustrates the so-called Red Queen Principle, an evolutionary term named after a scene in Lewis Carroll's famous book, "Through the Looking-Glass," in which the characters Alice and the Red Queen run faster and faster at the top of a hill, only to find that they remain in the same place. "In essence, organisms must evolve or change to stay in the same place, whether it's a predator-prey relationship, or a parasite-host interaction," said Charlat. "In the case of H. bolina, we're witnessing an evolutionary arms race between the parasite and the host. This strengthens the view that parasites can be major drivers in evolution." The researchers focused on the Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii, where in 2001, males of the Blue Moon butterfly made up only 1 percent of the population. In 2006, the researchers embarked on a new survey of the butterfly after an increase in reports of male-sightings at Upolu. They found that males that year made up about 41 percent of the Blue Moon butterfly population in Upolu. They hatched eggs from 14 females in the lab and confirmed that the male offspring from this group were surviving with sex ratios near parity. For Savaii, the population was initially 99 percent female at the beginning of 2006. By the end of the year, researchers found that males made up 39 percent of the 54 butterflies collected. The researchers tested for the continued presence of Wolbachia in the butterflies. By mating infected females with males from a different island that did not have the suppressor gene, they also confirmed that the bacteria were still effective at killing male embryos. The male-killing ability of the bacteria emerged again after three generations. Thus, they could rule out a change in the bacteria as an explanation for the resurgence of the males in the butterfly populations studied. The researchers' findings are described in the July 13 issue of the journal Science. The field work for this study was based out of the UC Berkeley Richard B. Gump South Pacific Research Station on the island of Moorea in French Polynesia. The Gump station is part of the Moorea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research Site, one of 26 sites funded by the National Science Foundation to study long-term ecological phenomena. The Gump Research Station is managed through UC Berkeley's Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research. George Roderick, UC Berkeley professor of environmental science, policy and management and curator of the Essig Museum of Entomology, is a former director of the station, and Neil Davies is the station's executive director and research scientist. Both Roderick and Davies are co-authors of this study. Other study co-authors are Emily Hornett of University College London, James Fullard of the University of Toronto at Mississauga, and Nina Wedell of the University of Exeter in Cornwall, England. The U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada helped support this research. Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of California - Berkeley. New! Search Science Daily or the entire web with Google: \|\|\|\|\| « Colorado kook identified \| Main \| Flogging mythical dead horses » Category: Evolution • Organisms • Reproduction • Science Posted on: July 13, 2007 1:14 PM, by PZ Myers If you've been reading that fascinating graphic novel, Y: The Last Man(amzn/b&n/abe/pwll), you know the premise: a mysterious disease has swept over the planet and bloodily killed every male mammal except two, a human named Yorick and a monkey named Ampersand. Substantial parts of it are biologically nearly impossible: the wide cross-species susceptibility, the near instantaneous lethality, and the simultaneity of its effect everywhere (there are also all kinds of weird correlations with other sort of magical putative causes, which may be red herrings). On the other hand, the sociological part of the story seems very plausible. There is no feminist utopia, the world goes on in a traumatized and rather complicated way, and the reactions everywhere vary from crazed euphoria to a more common despair. One thing that isn't at all implausible, and actually has been observed, is a plague that selectively exterminates males. It's called Wolbachia. It's not quite as dramatic as the plague that turns males into hemorrhaging corpses in the graphic novel — it kills developing males as embryos, or more sneakily, disrupts sex determination so that all the embryos develop as females. This is advantageous to the bacterium, because it is transmitted in the cytoplasm of the egg, so males won't pass it on to their progeny and are useless from the point of view of Wolbachia. It is, like the plague in Y, something that infects a huge range of species, but each species varies in the severity of its response to the bacterium. My readers with simple camera eyes will be relieved to know that the disease only affects arthropods. Those of you with compound eyes ought to worry: Wolbachia is also being being considered for use as a biological pesticide. Now here's a disease that can have dramatic effects on a population—in some cases, the sex ratio can shift from 50:50 females:males to 99:1. That can be devastating to a population, although of course it's nowhere near as severe as if that ratio were reversed. Here's where evolution comes into play. What if a mutation for resistance to the sex-distorter effects of Wolbachia arose? What if, say, one of the rare males carried an allele that made his male progeny able to fight off the deleterious effects of infection with Wolbachia? I think you can guess. That would be a greatly beneficial mutation that would spread with extraordinary rapidity. Since the rare male carriers would face little competition and would be fertilizing many females, they ought to produce lots of progeny and lots more males, who would spread the resistance further. Now such an example of evolution in action has been directly observed. Butterflies of the species Hypolimnas bolina, the Blue Moon butterfly, in the Polynesian islands have been known for several years to be suffering from an extreme case of the sex-ratio distorter infection, with populations consisting of greater than 99% females. In 2005-2006, males were found to be making a comeback, and a complete shift from a highly skewed sex ratio to the more normal 50:50 proportions was observed to occur in only 10 generations — about a year. It's a beautiful example of how rapidly natural selection can transform a population when selection pressures are high. The cause of the change is not eradication of Wolbachia — the animals are still carrying the bacterium. It is also not a result of the bacterium reducing its virulence autonomously, since introgression of Wolbachia from resistant populations into susceptible ones showed a full return of the male-killing ability of the bacterium. Something in the nuclear genome of the butterfly had changed to confer resistance. Now here's one thing that bugs me about Y: The Last Man. For this rapid dispersal of resistance to spread, resistant males should be procreating profligately. In the book, Yorick seems to be obstinately abstinent! (Some of the women, at least, understand the principle, and there are plots with attempts to capture the last man for breeding stock for their group.) I can understand how the author might want to resist turning the story into a boring male fantasy of having the only penis among teeming millions of fertile females, but come on, biological reality has to intrude at some point. The future of the human race demands it! Charlat S, Hornett EA, Fullard JH, Davies N, Roderick GK, Wedell N, Hurst GDD (2007) Extraordinary flux in sex ratio. Science 317:214. \|\|\|\|\| By Jeanna Bryner Staff writer A population of butterflies has evolved in a flash on a South Pacific island to fend off a deadly parasite. The proportion of male Blue Moon butterflies dropped to a precarious 1 percent as the parasite targeted males. Then, within the span of a mere 10 generations, the males evolved an immunity that allowed their population share to soar to nearly 40 percent — all in less than a year. “We usually think of natural selection as acting slowly, over hundreds or thousands of years," said study team member Gregory Hurst, an evolutionary geneticist at the University College London. "But the example in this study happened in a blink of the eye, in terms of evolutionary time." Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement The scientists think the males developed genes that hold a male-killing microbial parasite, called Wolbachia, at bay. The results, detailed in the July 13 issue of the journal Science, illustrate the power of positive natural selection on “suppressor” genes that thwart the lethal bacteria, allowing the male butterflies to bounce back. Male killers Sylvain Charlat of the University of California, Berkeley, and the University College London, along with colleagues, studied the sex ratios of Hypolimnas bolina butterflies on the Samoan islands of Upolu and Savaii, where males had dwindled to 1 percent of the populations in 2001. The likely culprit was a male-killing parasite, Wolbachia, which lives inside the butterfly’s reproductive cells, preferably female sex cells. With a female host, Wolbachia can hitch a ride to the next generation aboard the mother’s eggs. Since males are “useless” for the bacteria's survival, the parasite kills male embryos. But the male butterflies found a way to stealthily overcome the parasites. At the beginning of 2006, the scientists found the males made up about 40 percent of Upolu’s butterfly population. On Savaii, females still dominated the Blue Moon butterfly population (99 percent) at the start of 2006, but by the year’s end, males made up nearly 40 percent. Secret weapon The team ran genetic analyses to see if the parasite had somehow vanished. It hadn’t. Wolbachia was still present in butterflies from both islands. Other lab experiments indicated the males had evolved suppressor genes to shield against the parasite. Unlike genetic tweaks that alter wing color or antennae length, mutations that affect a population’s sex ratio can have a significant impact on the biology of a species, the scientists say. “The suppressor gene allows infected females to produce males,” Charlat said. “These males will mate with many, many females, and the suppressor gene will therefore be in more and more individuals over generations." The study was funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.K. Natural Environment Research Council and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. © 2007 LiveScience.com. All rights reserved.	''H. bolina'' is known colloquially as the Blue Moon Butterfly or Great or Common Eggfly and is found mainly in the South Pacific. Scientists reported that they had documented very fast evolution in the butterfly species ''Hypolimnas bolina''. After infection by ''Wolbachia'', the fraction of the population that was male dropped drastically to about one percent of the total population. However, after approximately ten generations (about a year) the male population had rebounded to about 39 percent of the overall population. In the case of ''H. bolina'', infected females were unable to have male offspring since the male embryos died early on. However, a gene arose which suppressed ''Wolbachia'''s ability to kill the male offspring, and this gene spread rapidly through the natural ''H. bolina'' population. At this time, it is unknown if the novel gene was a mutation or a pre-existing gene. However, researchers said that regardless, the findings constituted strong evidence that parasites can drive and substantially alter evolution. The research was performed by scientists at the University of Berkeley lead by Sylvain Charlat, a post-doc at Berkeley. Public Library of Science / Scott O'Neill ''Wolbachia'' is a bacterium that is very effective at jumping from species to species, generally infecting arthropods such as insects. Since the bacterium resides in the cytoplasm of cells, males cannot pass ''Wolbachia'' onto their offspring because sperms only pass on their nucleus with the DNA, but females can. ''Wolbachia'' has thus adapted a number of strategies, such as killing male embryos of infected females or preventing infected males from reproducing with uninfected females. ''Wolbachia'' is dangerous to hosts because it is able to easily jump species barriers and so has little reason to restrain itself -if an infectious organism kills its host, it generally dies along with it. The bacterium is believed to be responsible for some extinction events as well as some speciation events.
Creationism should be included in science lessons to reduce the confusion among the rising numbers of schoolchildren who have been brought up to reject the principles of evolution, one of the country's leading scientists said yesterday. Citing evidence that more than one in 10 children in British state schools now believes in creationism, Professor Michael Reiss, the director of education at the Royal Society, called for such beliefs to be discussed and debated in class by science teachers, but not taught as a subject. The professor, who is also an ordained Church of England clergyman, said the move would help pupils understand that such literal beliefs in religious scripture are not supported by scientific evidence. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, the body responsible for the national curriculum, has ruled that discussion of creationism should be omitted from the science curriculum because creationism is "not a scientific theory". But at the British Association's science festival at Liverpool University, Professor Reiss said it was necessary for this to change. "I'm trying to make it less likely that students will ignore science, that they will detach from it, because it makes them feel that they cannot continue with science because it conflicts with their beliefs... But I feel if a science teacher feels comfortable with it then it could reduce confusion." Surveys show that more than 10 per cent of children believe that the Earth is only a few thousand years old rather than the four billion years or so accepted by science. An even greater proportion of schoolchildren does not believe that humans and all other species of life on earth evolved from common ancestors as a result of Darwinian natural selection, he said. Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice While not as high as in America, more children are brought up in evangelical Christian and in Muslim households than in the past. "We have an increasing number of children in schools from Muslim backgrounds and a very high proportion of Muslim families have creationist beliefs," Professor Reiss said. "Secondly, while Christianity as a religion is becoming less important in British society, within Christianity there is quite a high proportion of families that do hold fundamentalist beliefs, and that often means they are creationists." Professor Reiss, who works for the University of London's Institute of Education, said he favoured a gradual approach to tackling the problem. "A better way forward is to say, look, I simply want to present you with the scientific understanding of the history of the universe and how animals and plants and other organisms have evolved." His comments were criticised by other academics and teachers' unions. Martin Johnson, the deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, said: "Our feeling is that our members would need some convincing that creationism should be taught in science lessons – unless it is just as a theory whose validity can be debated." Professor Lewis Wolpert, of University College London, said: "Creationism is based on faith and has nothing to do with science, and it should not be taught in science classes. \|\|\|\|\| Why are we asking this now? The theory of evolution has held sway in British science curricula for decades. But yesterday, Professor Michael Reiss, Director of Education at the Royal Society, made the case for bringing creationism back into the classroom. And a recent documentary found that there are a number of schools where creationist ideas are taught as an alternative to the mainstream evolutionary point of view. How do these theories differ? Proponents of evolution believe species change by a process of random genetic mutations. They believe the world is 13-14 billion years old. Creationists, in contrast, believe that the Earth is less than 10,000 years old, and that its existence is the result of one of the processes described in religious texts like the Bible. They reject the idea that one species could evolve into another. A related theory, intelligent design – sometimes described as "creationism in a cheap tuxedo" – attempts to strip the religious element out of the formal theory, instead referring to an unknown intelligent force at the beginning of the universe. Why is teaching creationism controversial? Many who oppose creationism in the science classroom are quite happy for it to be discussed in Religious Education. But it is very hard to make the case for creationism as a legitimate scientific theory. Teaching creationism in the classroom, says Richard Dawkins, "would hand creationism the only victory it realistically aspires to. Without needing to make a single good point in any argument, it would have won the right for a form of supernaturalism to be recognised as an authentic part of science." What does Professor Reiss argue? Please enter your email address Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Thanks for signing up to the News newsletter {{#verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} {{^verifyErrors}} {{message}} {{/verifyErrors}} I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice Reiss is a priest as well as a scientist, but he is far from an advocate of the intelligent design theory. But, he says, treating intelligent design as too obviously simple-minded to merit discussion is a mistake. Creationist beliefs, he argues, are much more likely to be part of a complex set of related cultural ideas than a simple misconception; a 50-minute science lesson that ignores them is more likely to alienate a student than suddenly endow him with a new worldview. Instead, according to Reiss, the best a science teacher can hope for is to lay out the evidence for evolution, and at least make sure that they see that the word "theory" does not simply mean a hypothesis about the way things might work, but a rigorously supported system of ideas that fit with the available evidence. "While it is unlikely that this will help students who have a conflict between science and their religious beliefs to resolve the conflict," he concludes, "good science teaching can help students to manage it – and to learn more science." Is creationism taught now? According to a More 4 report earlier this year, there are at least 40 schools in Britain that teach creationism in science lessons. Of those schools, five were part of the state system, but defied government guidelines. The report was the result of enquiries to just 50 faith schools, of almost 7,000 in the country (over 99 per cent of which are Christian) – so there may be many more schools doing the same thing. This is not the first suggestion that creationism is on the rise. In 2006, a group called Truth in Science sent out intelligent design teaching materials to every secondary school in the country, at least 59 of which began using them. And there has been a longstanding controversy over the Emmanuel Schools Foundation, an evangelical organisation that already runs three schools under the Government's academies scheme and hopes to take on four more, and which has been widely criticised for teaching evolution and creationism as competing scientific theories – although Ofsted found no problem with its science provision. What's the official position? In 2002, Tony Blair said that he was relaxed about the Emmanuel Schools position, saying that "it would be unfortunate" if the issue stood in the way of "getting as diverse a school system as we properly can". The Government's Guidance on Creationism and Intelligent Design, to which Professor Reiss contributed, is the most recent official word on the subject. It says that creationism and intelligent design should not be taught as part of the national curriculum; but, crucially, it adds that "there is a real difference between teaching 'x' and teaching about 'x'", and argues that questions about creationism "could provide the opportunity to explain why they are not scientific theories". What do the public think? Professor Reiss estimated yesterday that perhaps 10 per cent of the public believe in creationism, but this may be a severe underestimate: according to a 2006 Mori poll, 39 per cent of people believe in either creationism or intelligent design – and more than 40 per cent believe they should be taught in schools. How does this compare internationally? Our 39 per cent of people being adherents to creationism may sound high, but it is considerably lower than the United States, where surveys say that 66 per cent of people believed that the world was less than 10,000 years old – and even 16 per cent of biology teachers are creationists. America's culture war makes it particularly fertile ground for evangelical Christians, whose catchphrase – infuriating to a unanimous scientific community – is "Teach the Controversy". Elsewhere, the Council of Europe recently declared that member governments should "firmly oppose" the teaching of creationism in science classes, denouncing it as a potential threat to human rights. Most countries in the developed world take the same stance. Islam has historically been much more well-disposed towards the theory of evolution than Christianity, in part because the Qu'ran does not go into detail about the creation process – but Islamic creationism is on the rise, in particular in Turkey, where creationism is included in school syllabuses. Why is it an issue again? It's hard to give an empirical answer. It is partly to do with an increasingly organised evangelical Christian movement and a growing number of Muslims in the UK who subscribe to creationism; according to Professor Reiss it may be a reaction against the exclusion of dissenting views from the science classroom. What's certain is that it's a phenomenon on the rise. "There is an insidious and growing problem," says the geneticist Professor Steve Jones. "It's a step back from rationality. They (the creationists) don't have a problem with science, they have a problem with argument. And irrationality is a very infectious disease." Should creationism be taught in science lessons? Yes... * If science education ignores creationism, those who believe in it will ignore science * It may strengthen the case for evolution to explain why creationism is not scientific * A belief held by large numbers of people should not be dismissed out of hand No... * Presenting creationism alongside evolution gives it a false scientific credibility * No one says evolution should feature in RE classes: why should this be any different? \|\|\|\|\| matt dickinson new Four men are on a Zoom call, each with stories so harrowing that it took decades before they could find the words. For Colin Harris, it still pains him to recall hearing his mum ask, ‘What’s happened to our little boy?’ almost 50 years ago. He never could tell her what had transformed him from a promising Chelsea apprentice into a man who...Four men are on a Zoom call, each with stories so harrowing that it took decades before they could find the words. For Colin Harris, it still pains him to recall hearing his mum ask, ‘What’s happened to our little boy?’ almost 50 years ago. He never could tell her what had transformed him from a promising Chelsea apprentice into a man who...Four men are on a Zoom call, each with stories so harrowing that it took decades before they could find the words. For Colin... \|\|\|\|\| Creationism should be discussed in science lessons, according to the professor in charge of education at the Royal Society. Professor Michael Reiss, of the Royal Society, and Dr Simon Underdown, of Oxford Brookes University, discuss whether creationism has a place in the science classroom. \|\|\|\|\| Two Nobel prize winners - Sir Harry Kroto and Sir Richard Roberts - have demanded that the Royal Society sack its education director, Professor Michael Reiss. The call, backed by other senior Royal Society fellows, follows Reiss's controversial claim last week that creationism be taught in schools' science classes. Reiss, an ordained Church of England minister, has since alleged he was misquoted. Nevertheless, several Royal Society fellows say his religious views make him an inappropriate choice for the post. 'I warned the president of the Royal Society that his [Reiss] was a dangerous appointment a year ago. I did not realise just how dangerous it would turn out to be,' said Kroto, a Royal Society fellow, and winner of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry. Roberts, winner of the 1993 Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work on gene-splicing, was equally angry. 'I think it is outrageous that this man is suggesting that creationism should be discussed in a science classroom. It is an incredible idea and I am drafting a letter to other Nobel laureates - which would be sent to the Royal Society - to ask that Reiss be made to stand down.' Zoologist Richard Dawkins, a Royal Society fellow, said: 'A clergyman in charge of education for the country's leading scientific organisation - it's a Monty Python sketch.' A spokesman for the Royal Society rejected the principle that it was inappropriate for a clergyman to hold a senior post at the organisation. 'Michael Reiss's views are completely in keeping with those of the Royal Society,' he said. The row over Reiss's remarks is the second recent controversy over the society's stance on religion. Fellows, including cancer expert and Nobel Prize winner Sir Paul Nurse, complained about the financial links that had been established between the society and the Templeton Foundation, a conservative US organisation that seeks to establish links between science and religion. The latter funded a lecture course at the society. Many fellows fear the society, the world's oldest scientific organisation, is failing to take a sufficiently robust stance against the spread of fundamental religions which oppose scientific teachings about the origins of the Earth and humanity. 'The thing the Royal Society does not appreciate is the true nature of the forces arrayed against it and the Enlightenment for which the Royal Society should be the last champion,' Kroto said.	Following misleading reports that Rev Professor Michael Reiss had advocated that creation should be taught in science class, he left his post as director of education at the Royal Society, the UK's national academy of science. Last week at the British Association's science festival Rev Professor Michael Reiss said that creation should not be ignored if it come up in class. Professor Reiss, who was director of education at the Royal Society, said that since a substantial number of pupils have concerns about the issue, they are likely to "detach from" science if their concerns and world view are not addressed. Creation should not be taught, he said, but if it comes up, teachers should be encouraged to explain the science of evolution. He also said that students should be taught the nature of a scientific theory - that it does not simply mean a hypothesis about the way things might work, but a rigorously supported system of ideas that fit with the available evidence. The Times of London reported him as saying that Creationism should be taught in science classes as a legitimate point of view. This provoked a storm of protest from a group that included two Nobel Laureates and other scientists who strongly oppose the teaching, or even the discussion of creation in science class. Yesterday the Royal Society said in a statement that some of Professor Reiss' comments had been "open to misinterpretation", and that this had damaged the Society's reputation. "As a result, Professor Reiss and the Royal Society have agreed that, in the best interests of the society, he will step down immediately as director of education." The Royal Society went on to say: "However, if a young person raises creationism in a science class, teachers should be in a position to explain why evolution is a sound scientific theory and why creationism is not, in any way, scientific." The chief executive of the British Association for the Advancement of Science, Roland Jackson, said that the Royal Society should have supported Professor Reiss and used this opportunity to further a reasoned debate. "I was at the actual discussion, and what I heard him say, however it has been reported, was essentially the position advocated by the Royal Society," Jackson said.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Insurgents have attacked Nato forces in eastern Afghanistan. Several attackers were killed in the Taliban attack on a base at an airfield outside Jalalabad, near the border with Pakistan. Gunmen set off a car bomb and fired rocket-propelled grenades, wounding two soldiers, Nato said. The US Senate has confirmed US Gen David Petraeus as the new commander of the campaign in Afghanistan. The general earlier warned of an "industrial-strength insurgency" in the country, saying that fighting might "get more intense in the next few months". His appointment follows the dramatic departure of Gen Stanley McChrystal last week. In another development, UK Defence Secretary Liam Fox warned of further coalition casualties to come while stressing the dangers of withdrawing troops prematurely. Commando-style raid The attack began at 0730 local time (0300 GMT), with insurgents attacking the airport from different directions. Analysis Continue reading the main story The attack on the military base near Jalalabad airport was planned and co-ordinated, a sign that after nine years of fighting in Afghanistan, the Taliban still have plenty of fight in them, and are growing more sophisticated as the war goes on. But the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf) takes a different view. This attack was successfully repelled, and only the insurgents died. Civilian and Isaf injuries were minor. The base is shared by Afghan and international troops, and Afghans, say Isaf, are increasingly taking lead in protecting the area, and attacking insurgents. A Nato spokesman said the perimeter of the base had not been breached. An Afghan soldier and one international service member were wounded. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said six suicide attackers had taken part in the assault. Eight insurgents died in the ensuing gun battles, the Associated Press news agency reports. The attack is yet another example of the increasingly sophisticated assaults favoured by the Taliban, says the BBC's Quentin Sommerville in Kabul. These commando-style operations are increasing in numbers, and often result in higher civilian and military casualties. A total of 100 Nato troops serving in Afghanistan were killed in June, making it the deadliest month for the alliance since the US-led invasion of 2001. An Afghan army-led operation is taking place in nearby Kunar, where 600 troops are attempting to rout about 250 insurgents thought to have links to al-Qaeda. 'Trans-national terror' threat Jalalabad is one of Nato's largest bases in Afghanistan, after Kandahar in the south and Bagram near Kabul. Continue reading the main story [Premature withdrawal] would be a shot in the arm to jihadists everywhere Liam Fox UK defence secretary Both of those bases have been attacked by insurgents in recent months. Speaking in London, Mr Fox said the coalition must be prepared for increased insurgent violence. "We are bound to meet resistance and increased violence until the Afghans believe that we are gaining the upper hand and we are willing to see this through," he said. "That is why we are likely to see an increase in the number of coalition casualties over this summer." "We must hold our nerve, maintain our resolve, and have the resilience to see the job through," he added. Mr Fox argued that were coalition forces to leave now, the world would see "the return of the destructive forces of trans-national terror". He identified the risk of civil war in Afghanistan creating a security vacuum and the "destabilisation of Pakistan with potentially unthinkable regional, and possibly nuclear, consequences". To withdraw prematurely would mean giving "a shot in the arm to jihadists everywhere, re-energising violent radical and extreme Islamism", Mr Fox said. Are you in the area? If you have any information you wish to share with the BBC, you can do so using the form below: \|\|\|\|\| US and Afghan soldiers approach the site of a car bomb, part of the assault on a Nato base near Jalalabad. Photograph: Str/AFP/Getty Images Eight insurgents were killed today in a failed attempt to storm a Nato air base in eastern Afghanistan using a suicide car bomb and rocket-propelled grenades. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, the third ground assault against a major coalition base in the past five weeks. The attacks failed to overrun the bases but showed that the Taliban have not been cowed by US efforts to ramp up the war. Using light weapons and rocket-propelled grenades, the militants fought US and Afghan forces for 30 minutes around the airport outside Jalalabad city, the media office at the airport said. The assault came just a day after the new US and Nato commander in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, warned that fighting "may get more intense in the next few months". An Afghan soldier and one international service member were wounded in the fighting, Nato said. "They were not able to breach the perimeter. They were fought off by a combination of Afghan and coalition security forces," said German army Brigadier General Josef Blotz. The airport, which includes a major military base shared by Afghans and the international force, is located on a main road that leads to the Pakistani border. In a text message to the Associated Press in Kabul, Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid claimed that six suicide attackers killed 32 foreign and Afghan security forces at the airport, about 80 miles (125 kilometres) east of the Afghan capital. The insurgents often claim higher numbers of casualties than the official toll. The Jalalabad attack follows a ground assault on 19 May against the giant Bagram air base north of Kabul and a similar attack three days later against Kandahar air base in the south. In a separate incident in eastern Afghanistan, Nato said a US soldier died of wounds sustained in a gunfight with insurgents. Nato did not provide other details. The death brought to 59 the number of American troops who have died in June. Elsewhere in the east, US and Afghan forces battled hundreds of militants from an al-Qaida-linked group for a third day yesterday in Kunar province, the US military said. Two American soldiers were killed on Sunday in the first day of the operation. The attack in Kunar was directed against insurgents thought to be responsible for a roadside bombing that killed five American personnel in the area on 7 June, a US statement said. The militants were believed to be members of the Haqqani group, a faction of the Taliban based in Pakistan that has close ties to al-Qaida. About 600 US and Afghan troops are taking part in the operation. In western Afghanistan, two patients waiting for a doctor were wounded when a suicide bomber detonated his vest of explosives behind a clinic in the Dularam district of Farah province, said General Abdul Jabar Pardeli, chief of police in neighbouring Nimroz province. He said the intended target was not known.	Taliban launched an attack on a NATO base in Afghanistan, which was repelled soon afterwards. Taliban forces launched an attack on a NATO base in Afghanistan on June 30. The attack was subsequently repelled, with eight Taliban fighters killed. The raid, the third such attack in five weeks, was carried out with a car bomb and rocket-propelled grenades. A Taliban spokesperson said that there were six initial suicide attackers, and a total of eight were killed in the initial attack and the gun battle that followed. A German Army official, Brigadier General Josef Blotz, said that the Taliban "were not able to breach the perimeter. They were fought off by a combination of Afghan and coalition security forces." The attack occurred at an air base in the eastern part of Afghanistan, near the city of . The base is home to both Afghan and international troops. According to commentators, attacks such as this have become increasingly utilized by the Taliban; all three of the largest bases in Afghanistan have been attacked in recent months. They generally result in higher levels of casualties when compared with other forms of attacks.