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Private guards kill Somali pirate for first time NAIROBI, Kenya — In the first killing of its kind, private security contractors shot dead a Somali pirate in a clash that left two skiffs riddled with bullet holes, officials said Wednesday. The killing raises questions over who has jurisdiction over a growing army of armed guards on merchant ships flying flags from many nations. There's currently no regulation of private security on board ships, no guidelines about who is responsible in case of an attack, and no industrywide standards, said piracy expert Roger Middleton from the British think tank Chatham House. "There's no guarantee of the quality of individuals you are going to get," said Middleton. "If you're a shipping company, that could be legally concerning. It's also concerning to everyone if you have individuals with guns and not much oversight out on the seas." The exact circumstances of Tuesday's shooting are unclear, but the European Union Naval Force said guards were on board the Panama-flagged MV Almezaan when a pirate group approached it twice. On the second approach, there was a shoot-out between the guards and the pirates. An EU Naval Force frigate was dispatched to the scene and launched a helicopter that located the pirates. Seven pirates were found, including one who died from small-caliber gunshot wounds, indicating he had been shot by the detachment onboard the Almezaan, and not by the helicopter gunship, said Cmdr. John Harbour, the EU Naval Force spokesman. The pirates had two small skiffs and a larger ship — a whaler — believed to be a mothership for food and fuel. "Once the skiffs and the whaler had been intercepted it was discovered that one of them contained a dead body that had sustained several small-caliber bullet impacts. Numerous bullet impacts were also visible on the skiffs and bullet casings as well as arms and munition of different caliber were found aboard," said a statement from the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Spanish forces aboard the warship Navarra arrested the six remaining pirates, took custody of the pirate's body and sunk the larger boat, the ministry said. Spain planned to give the body to the Somali government and transfer the suspects to Kenya or the Seychelles for prosecution if the cargo ship's crew identified the detainees as their attackers. Legal experts said there is no consensus on who is responsible for investigating the incident, and there are several possibilities: Panama, whose flag the Almezaan flies; the United Arab Emirates, where the ship's owners are based; or the nation which the security contractors come from, which has not yet been made public. "This will be scrutinized very closely," said Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the U.N.'s anti-piracy program. "There's always been concern about these (private security) companies. Who are they responsible to? ... The bottom line is somebody has been killed and someone has to give an accounting of that." So far, laws governing private security contractors have generally reacted to specific abuses rather than attempting to prevent such abuses, said Patrick Cullen, an international relations lecturer at the Barcelona-based International Politics Institute and the co-author of an upcoming book on private maritime security companies. "Regulating maritime security companies is a very gray area," he said. Violent confrontations between ships and pirates are on the rise. Crews are becoming adept at repelling attacks by pirates and many more ship owners are using private security guards. Pirates are becoming more aggressive in response, shooting firearms and firing rocket-propelled grenades at ships to try to intimidate captains into stopping. Also on Wednesday, the head of the Navy and Coastal Armed Defense in Yemen said it had foiled a piracy attempt by Somalis against a Yemeni oil tanker that was carrying large amounts of oil to the port in Aden. The navy exchanged fire with Somali pirates who had encircled the tanker in four boats, before the pirates fled, General Ruwais Ali Majoor said. The navy is still searching for them, he said. The International Maritime Bureau says 39 ships were fired off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in 2008, but that number increased to 114 ships by 2009. Earlier this month there were four separate shoot-outs in a single day between pirates, security guards and military personnel aboard commercial vessels. Several organizations, including the International Maritime Bureau, have expressed fears that the use of armed security contractors could encourage pirates to be more violent in their approach. In Somali waters, it is often difficult to distinguish between pirates and fishermen until the boats are very close. Maritime experts have expressed fears that jittery security guards could accidentally open fire on ordinary Somalis. Pirate attacks have not declined despite patrols by dozens of warships off the Somali coast. The amount of ocean to patrol is too vast to protect every ship and pirates have responded to the increased naval presence by moving attacks farther out to sea. Experts say piracy is just one symptom of the general collapse of law and order in the failed state of Somalia, which has not had a functioning government in 19 years. They say attacks on shipping will continue as long as there is no central government capable of taking on the well-armed and well-paid pirate gangs. Associated Press Writer Harold Heckle in Madrid and Ahmed el-Haj in Yemen contributed to this report. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suspected Somali pirate was killed during shooting between pirates and armed guards on board a Panamanian-flagged ship, a maritime official and the EU anti-piracy taskforce said on Wednesday. World The private guards protecting the MV Almezaan returned fire as they beat back two attacks by the same gang off the coast of lawless Somalia on Tuesday. Somali pirates attacked a Yemeni oil tanker off the Yemen coast on Wednesday, but the Yemeni navy foiled the assault, the defense ministry said. Navy and coast guard vessels engaged four pirate boats that had surrounded the tanker, which was carrying crude oil to the Yemeni port of Aden, and forced them to flee, a Yemeni Defense Ministry website said. Marauding sea gangs have attacked ships in the busy lanes in the Gulf of Aden that link Europe and Asia for several years, earning ransoms worth millions of dollars from vessels captured. In the attack on the MV Almezaan, a patrolling Spanish warship deployed a helicopter that fired warning shots to stop the pirates as they fled the area. Spanish troops seized six individuals, recovered one body and destroyed three pirate vessels. "The body has been transferred to Navarra," EU NAVFOR said in a statement on its website, referring to the Spanish frigate. "An investigation indicated that the individual had died from small caliber gunshot wounds," it added. The MV Almezaan was en route to the Somali capital Mogadishu, the statement said. Kenyan maritime official Andrew Mwangura confirmed the incident by telephone from the port city of Mombasa. A fleet of foreign navies are patrolling the region's waters, operating convoys and offering safe transit corridors. But they have found themselves increasingly stretched as the pirates roam further out into the Indian Ocean. Some shippers have already started to avoid the Gulf of Aden, sending vessels round the Cape of Good Hope despite the higher cost, while others have chosen to carry private guards. On Tuesday pirates seized a Turkish ship with a crew of 21 and a Bermuda-flagged reefer with a crew of 25. (Reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed and Duncan Miriri; Additional reporting by Firouz Sedarat in Dubai; Writing by Richard Lough; editing by Tim Pearce) \|\|\|\|\| PARIS — Private security guards aboard a merchant ship plying the pirate-infested waters off Somalia shot dead one of several attackers trying to seize the vessel, the European Union Naval Force in the area said Wednesday. The killing was thought to have been the first involving private contractors, the naval force said. The death could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security teams. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors may make pirates adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the attacker also raised legal questions about the accountability of private teams, a United Nations official said. The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, Somalia, came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the British-based naval force said in a statement on its Web site. Twice, the pirates attacked the vessel and twice they were repulsed as a Spanish frigate, the Navarra, sped toward the scene, Cmdr. John Harbour of Britain’s Royal Navy, the spokesman for the naval force, said in a telephone interview. “Normally, the private security firms fire warning shots” to repel pirates, he said. But on Tuesday, “the pirates came for a second time firing their guns, and the security team fired back,” he said. Asked if the killing was the first by a private security team, he said, “I believe that is the case.” A helicopter from the Navarra located the pirates and fired warning shots while a team from the frigate went aboard the pirates’ boats. In one pirate skiff, which was riddled with bullets, the boarding party found three pirates and the body of a fourth who had been hit by small arms fire, Commander Harbour said. Six pirates were arrested and their ships were sunk. The spokesman said he did not know the nationalities of the private security team members. While several pirates have died in encounters with international naval forces, Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the United Nations’ antipiracy program, said the role of private security operatives this time “will be scrutinized very closely,” The Associated Press reported. “There’s always been concern about these companies,” she said. “Who are they responsible to?” Ms. Sambei continued, “The bottom line is somebody has been killed and someone has to give an accounting of that.”	A private security guard, defending the Panamanian based ''MV Almezaan'', killed a Somali pirate who was attempting to hijack the ship on Tuesday. This is the first time that a private contractor has killed a pirate in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates came up to the ship with two small vessels and one large "mother-ship". As the small boats approached the ''Almezaan'', the ship's contractors opened fire, and killed one of the pirates. Then European Union and Yemeni naval vessels surrounded the pirates, who attempted to flee. They were then apprehended. The EU's Naval Force Somalia released a statement saying that "the body has been transferred to the Spanish naval ship ''Navarra'', an investigation indicated that the individual had died from small caliber gunshot wounds." The incident came after pirates captured Turkish and Bermudan ships earlier Tuesday, capturing a total of 46 people.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. A Royal Navy pilot managed to eject to safety as a jet crashed in a field near a village in Rutland. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman said the Harrier crashed north-east of RAF Cottesmore at about 1350 BST. She said the pilot ejected and came down using a parachute and was "alive and conscious". He is receiving treatment in hospital. Residents said the crash happened about 200yds (180m) from Ashwell. No civilian casualties were reported. A safety cordon has been put in place around the crash site. The pilot was taken to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre by air ambulance. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Phil Morris, spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "We attended the incident along with the air ambulance. There was one casualty and that was the pilot. "He was fully conscious and alert, but had suspected spinal injuries which would be consistent with being ejected from a plane. "That is not to say that he definitely had spinal injuries. That's what the hospital will be looking into." Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it was called to the crash near Ashwell and 10 appliances were deployed. The aircraft was returning from a training exercise in Norfolk ahead of a four-month deployment in Afghanistan. All flying has been suspended at the airbase while investigations are carried out. Deputy Force Commander Ade Orchard, who was flying at the time of the incident, said: "His wing man who was airborne with him in another aircraft would have been helping him out all the way along. "Shortly afterwards I witnessed a flash from the vicinity of the lead aircraft, approximately 10 seconds after that a large fireball." 'Lucky escape' Vic Harrison, 73, who saw the aircraft come down, said: "I thought he didn't stand a chance, but I looked up and saw the parachute of the pilot. "I really thought he had hit the houses. It was a narrow miss - it must have been just 400 yards from our house. "It has been an exceptionally lucky escape." Craig Shepherd, 25, who was carrying out building work about half a mile (800m) from the crash site, said: "They [Harriers] had been flying over about seven or eight times during the day," he said. "We were working and heard a bang, looked up and saw the guy get out of the plane with a parachute and then just watched the plane come down to the ground and crash into a field. "It looked like the rear of the plane was on fire. We went over to the crash site and within about five minutes the fire engines arrived." An MOD spokesman said the pilot's next of kin had been informed. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| Harrier jet crashes into field, narrowly missing village houses seconds after pilot ejects An RAF pilot was in hospital this evening after he was forced to eject from his blazing Harrier jump jet seconds before it plunged into a field 600 feet from a village. As an investigation began into the loss of the latest Harrier, witnesses said it appeared the pilot had stayed with the plane until the final moments to ensure it avoided homes. He landed by parachute near the scene at Ashwell, Rutland, and is being treated at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre for spinal injuries which are not said to be life threatening. An RAF pilot is in hospital after ejecting from his burning Harrier jet just seconds before it crashed in a village field (file picture) The £20million Harrier GR7A, which was not carrying weapons, is thought to have developed a fault minutes after leaving its base at RAF Cottesmore. It had been taking part in a training operation with several other Harriers prior to deployment to Afghanistan where the jets support British and U.S. troops battling the Taliban. One villager, James Patrick, 87, said: 'I was sitting out in the garden when I saw the aircraft coming over the trees by the church. 'It went down just past the church - and there was a thump and a huge cloud of smoke. The next thing I saw was a parachutist coming down.' The Rutland village of Ashwell, next to which the Harrier jet crashed, has a population of around 200 and is surrounded by farmland Another resident added: 'Some people saw the plane come down in a ball of flame and the pilot ejecting seconds before it hit the ground. 'The first I knew about it was when I saw the black smoke. Then we heard lots of sirens and saw helicopters flying all around the village. 'Everyone is just relieved that nobody has been hurt. I dread to think what would have happened if it had crashed into the houses.' Fellow villager, Vic Harrison, 73, said: 'I thought the pilot didn't stand a chance, but then I looked up and saw his parachute. I really thought he had hit the houses. It was a narrow miss - it must have been 400 metres from our house.' The crash is the latest involving a Harrier. Two years ago a GR9 from Cottesmore crashed near Oxford and four years earlier two Harriers were lost in separate crashes. An RAF spokeswoman confirmed the pilot ejected with a parachute and was taken to hospital after being found 'conscious' nearby. She added: 'The Harrier came down near the airfield. We had an incident team at the site with seven minutes of the ejection notice.' \|\|\|\|\| The aircraft, from RAF Cottesmore, came down on open farmland just before 1350 hours near the village of Ashwell.The pilot, from the Royal Navy, ejected prior to the crash and has been taken to hospital by air ambulance. There is no word at this time on the condition of the pilot, whose next of kin have been informed. There are no reports of casualties on the ground.At this stage it is too early to say what might have caused the incident. However, a Board of Inquiry is being convened.	Police closed roads surrounding the scene of the crash A Royal Navy pilot has safely ejected from his Harrier GR7 aircraft moments before it crashed in a field near the small village of Ashwell in the county of Rutland in England. The crash occurred at about 1350 BST today. The pilot was taken by air ambulance to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham for treatment for spinal injuries. Local resident Vic Harrison spoke to the BBC about the incident: "I thought he didn't stand a chance, but I looked up and saw the parachute of the pilot. I really thought he had hit the houses. It was a narrow miss - it must have been just 400 yards from our house. It has been an exceptionally lucky escape." The plane, from the nearby RAF Cottesmore airbase, was on a training mission and is said not to have been carrying any weapons. ===Gallery=== Image:Harrier plane crash Ashwell, Rutland AB2.JPG\|The following day the scene was preserved under tents Image:Harrier plane crash Ashwell, Rutland AB3.JPG\|Police and military base of operations the day after the crash
Four sought in attempted attacks Police say man shot and killed in Underground not one of four LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police investigating Thursday's attempted bombings on the London transit system have released images of four men caught on closed-circuit television at the incident sites around the time the attacks were attempted. Authorities were urging the public to help find them. Earlier Friday, authorities shot and killed a man at the Stockwell Underground station. Police said the man shot was not one of the photographed four men being sought. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair said, however, that the fatal shooting was "directly linked to the ongoing and expanding anti-terrorist operation." Police said the man had emerged from a house that was under police observation, prompting surveillance officers to follow him to the Stockwell station. It's in south London, one stop and about a mile away from Oval Station, one of the four bombing targets Thursday. "His clothing and his behavior at the station added to their suspicions," a Scotland Yard statement said. Witnesses said the man was rushing toward a subway when he was shot at around 10 a.m. (Full story) Blair said any death is "deeply regrettable," but said the man refused to obey instructions to stop. The shooting is a rarity in London, where police generally are not armed except for special response units. The latest attacks came two weeks to the day 52 people were killed in four bombings targeting the city's mass transit. As in the July 7 attacks, three subway trains and a double-decker bus were attacked, but in Thursday's case, the four homemade bombs stuffed in backpacks only "partially detonated," said Assistant Police Commissioner Andy Hayman. He noted that it was too early to determine how they went off. One person was wounded. (Full story) Meanwhile, police announced an arrest in Stockwell in connection with Thursday's bombing attempts. Police would not comment on whether the man arrested was one of the four men caught in the closed-circuit television videos. Hayman said police searched three locations Friday, one of which was in West London. Scotland Yard identified the area further saying, "in West Kilburn, W9." Police cordoned off part of Harrow Road in that area. It is not clear if one of the three locations mentioned includes the place of the arrest. Police also arrested Friday a man at a rail station in Birmingham. The Snow Hill station was evacuated and cordoned off, police said, and two suitcases were seized at the scene. Images released The first CCTV image released by police Friday showed a young man in a dark top with "New York" written on it apparently fleeing the Oval station in south London where a bomb was left on a train. The second image showed a middle-aged man with a moustache wearing a gray T-shirt with a palm tree on it standing on the top deck of the number 26 bus in Hackney, east London. The third image shows a man leaving Warren Street Underground station in central London at about 12:39 p.m. on Thursday. He was wearing dark clothes. The fourth image showed a man at Westbourne Park Underground at 12:21 p.m. He later traveled west on the Hammersmith and City line to Shepherds Bush underground where he ran off. He was wearing a dark shirt and trousers, and was later wearing a white vest. In other developments: An east London mosque on Whitechapel Road said it received a bomb threat Friday. The mosque was evacuated, while police checked the building. People were then allowed back inside. The mother of Germaine Lindsay, one of the July 7 bombers, said she grieves for the victims. Maryam McLeod told reporters on the island of Grenada she is convinced, however, that he was not involved. (Full story) \|\|\|\|\| Police at Snow Hill Police at Snow Hill Arrest In Birmingham A man has been arrested under the Terrorism Act at a railway station in Birmingham. Snow Hill station was evacuated as bomb disposal officers dealt with two suit cases the suspect was carrying. Buses have been diverted, train and tram services through the station have been suspended as British Transport Police cordoned off the area. The male was detained under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act, police said. West Midlands Police said later in a statement: "Snow Hill station has been evacuated and cordoned off. "One man has been detained under section 44 of the Terrorism Act. Two suitcases at the train station are being investigated by the army bomb squad." Advertisement Advertisement A small group of people, many of them waiting to get back to cars parked in the streets behind the station and in its car park, were gathered outside the entrance to Snow Hill. Inspector Phil Milton, from British Transport Police, told reporters later that the packages were not found to be suspicious. "The bomb disposal team have been and checked and found it to be safe," he said. Asked how the incident came to light, he revealed that the alarm was raised by an off-duty officer who saw a man and believed his behaviour to be suspect. Asked if the arrest was connected to the London bombings, the officer added: "as far as I know its wholly unconnected." The station re-opened to the public at 8.15pm. \|\|\|\|\| The arrest was made at the metro station close to the train station The man was arrested at Snow Hill metro station in the city centre on Friday. He was reportedly carrying two suitcases which were checked by explosives officers. The station was evacuated shortly after 1800 BST and reopened two hours later. A spokesman later said the incident was not suspicious. The bomb disposal team have been and checked and found it to be safe Insp Phil Milton, British Transport Police Insp Phil Milton, from British Transport Police, told reporters later that the packages were not found to be suspicious. "The bomb disposal team have been and checked and found it to be safe," he said. He revealed that the alarm was raised by an off-duty officer who saw a man and believed his behaviour to be suspect. The man, said only to be an adult who had travelled from London, was on the tram at the time. Asked if the arrest was connected to the London bombings, the officer added; "as far as I know its wholly unconnected." The arrested man has been interviewed by officers but will not charged with any offences. Part of Snow Hill station is below ground level.	Scotland Yard says the arrest took place at a residence in Stockwell, south London and was "part of the investigation into the incidents of July 21st." The man is being held at Paddington Green police station under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Officials will not comment on whether the suspect was one of the four whose pictures were released after being caught by CCTV camera's. Just after 6pm BST police arrested a man at the Snow Hill rail station in Birmingham under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act. The station was evacuated and cordoned off because of two suspicious suitcases found at the station. The suitcases were examined and later found not to contain explosives. The BBC reports that the man who was arrested will not be facing charges. Snow Hill station re-opened at around 8pm BST.
> Use our pull-down menus to find more stories -- Regions/Countries -- Africa Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa --- Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe -- Topics -- AGOA AIDS Africa on the Move Agribusiness Aid and Assistance Arms and Armies Arts Athletics Banking Book Reviews Books Business Capital Flows Children Climate Commodities Company Conflict Construction Crime Currencies Debt Ecotourism Editorials Education Energy Environment Food and Agriculture From allAfrica's Reporters Game Parks Health Healthcare and Medical Human Rights ICT Infrastructure Investment Labour Land Issues Latest Legal Affairs Malaria Manufacturing Media Migration Mining Music Music Reviews NEPAD NGO Oceans Olympics Peacekeeping Petroleum Polio Pregnancy and Childbirth Privatization Refugees Religion Science Soccer Sport Stock Markets Sustainable Development Terrorism Trade Transport Travel Tuberculosis Urban Issues Water Wildlife Women World Cup --- Central Africa Business East Africa Business North Africa Business Southern Africa Business West Africa Business --- Asia, Australia, and Africa Europe and Africa International Organisations Latin America and Africa Middle East and Africa U.S., Canada and Africa --- From AllAfrica Photo Essays Special Reports web allafrica.com Enter your search terms Submit search form OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine Zimbabwe: Mugabe Claims All Key Ministries Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article View comments President Robert Mugabe has made a bid to claim unilaterally key government ministries - including defence, foreign affairs and home affairs - in Zimbabwe's new power-sharing government. But his main opponents have rejected the move as "a giant act of madness." The Herald newspaper, an organ of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, published a report on Saturday saying that Mugabe had allocated ministries among the three parties which signed the country's recent power-sharing agreement. The newspaper said he had formally published the allocation in Zimbabwe's government gazette. It claimed that only the ministry of finance remained the subject of dispute between the parties. But the Movement for Democratic Change of Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai issued a statement saying Mugabe had acted unilaterally overnight on Friday night in a bid to pre-empt the intervention of former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the Southern African Development Community mediator on Zimbabwe. Mbeki is due in Zimbabwe within days. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Mugabe had gazetted the ministries only hours after parties had referred the logjam over all key ministries to Mbeki. Chamisa called the Herald report's list a "wish list of ministries" which was "a product of unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous machinations by Zanu-PF." Relevant Links Southern Africa Zimbabwe He said Mugabe's move "puts the whole deal into jeopardy. Zanu-PF cannot nocturnally allocate ministries barely hours after the three principals agreed to disagree by referring the matter to the mediator..." \|\|\|\|\| President allocates ministries Herald Reporters PRESIDENT Mugabe has gazetted ministries allocated to Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC in terms of the power-sharing agreement signed by the three parties. Section (L) of the Functions and Powers of the President outlined in the power-sharing agreement states that the Head of State shall after consultation with the Vice Presidents, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, allocate ministerial portfolios in accordance with the agreement. After the assignment of ministries to the parties, President Mugabe is expected to sign the necessary papers for the appointment of the Vice Presidents, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers. After their appointments, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC counterpart Arthur Mutambara would have three months to find seats in Parliament. The President would then receive nominations of ministerial appointees from the two MDC formations for appointment into Cabinet. Highly placed sources last night said Zanu-PF has already agreed on its line-up of ministers. In the 31-member Cabinet, Zanu-PF — which won the popular vote on March 29 — has 15 ministries, MDC-T 13 while MDC has three. The principals would assign their members in the portfolios. No appointments would, however, be made until the facilitator, former South African president Cde Thabo Mbeki, has come to assist on the outstanding ministry — Finance, which Cde Mugabe provisionally assigned to Zanu-PF, according to the Government Gazette. The assignment of ministries was done in terms of Paragraph (a) of Subsection (1) of Section 31 D of the Constitution. The ministries are as follows. 1. Defence 2. Home Affairs 3 . Foreign Affairs 4. Transport 5 . Local Government and Urban Development 6 . Mines and Mining Development 7. Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement 8. Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism 9. Higher and Tertiary Education 10. Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development 11. Justice and Legal Affairs 12 . Media, Information and Publicity 13. Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development 14. Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment MDC-T 1. Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs 2. Economic Planning and Investment Promotion 3. Energy and Power Development 4. Health and Child Welfare 5. Labour and Social Welfare 6. Water Resources Development and Management 7 . Public Service 8. Sport, Arts and Culture 9. State Enterprise and Parastatals 10 . Science and Technology Development 11. Information Communication Technology 12. Public Works 13 . National Housing and Social Amenities MDC-M 1. Regional Integration and International Co-operation 2. Education 3 . Industry and Commerce NB: Finance is still in dispute. \|\|\|\|\| > Use our pull-down menus to find more stories -- Regions/Countries -- Africa Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa --- Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe -- Topics -- AGOA AIDS Africa on the Move Agribusiness Aid and Assistance Arms and Armies Arts Athletics Banking Book Reviews Books Business Capital Flows Children Climate Commodities Company Conflict Construction Crime Currencies Debt Ecotourism Editorials Education Energy Environment Food and Agriculture From allAfrica's Reporters Game Parks Health Healthcare and Medical Human Rights ICT Infrastructure Investment Labour Land Issues Latest Legal Affairs Malaria Manufacturing Media Migration Mining Music Music Reviews NEPAD NGO Oceans Olympics Peacekeeping Petroleum Polio Pregnancy and Childbirth Privatization Refugees Religion Science Soccer Sport Stock Markets Sustainable Development Terrorism Trade Transport Travel Tuberculosis Urban Issues Water Wildlife Women World Cup --- Central Africa Business East Africa Business North Africa Business Southern Africa Business West Africa Business --- Asia, Australia, and Africa Europe and Africa International Organisations Latin America and Africa Middle East and Africa U.S., Canada and Africa --- From AllAfrica Photo Essays Special Reports web allafrica.com Enter your search terms Submit search form OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine Zimbabwe: MDC Dismisses Zanu PF's Midnight Ambush Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article Nelson Chamisa Harare The MDC dismisses the Zanu PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans. The Herald-published list of ministries is a product of unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous machinations by Zanu PF. In fact, it is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy. Zanu PF cannot nocturnally allocate ministries barely hours after the three principals agreed to disagree by referring the matter to the mediator after a logjam over all key ministries. Zanu PF's ploy is to pre-empt the visit of the mediator and any attempt by SADC to try and help Zimbabweans locate exit points to the current impasse. For the past week, Zanu PF has been performing its usual propaganda rituals to lull the nation into believing that there was progress. The idea was to manage and prepare the nation for this barbaric ambush. The MDC did not append its signature to a Zanu PF power-grabbing deal but to a power sharing deal. The people of Zimbabwe are aware that we entered into dialogue with a sincere desire to resolve the national crisis. This brazen power-grab as reflected in the gazetted ministries cannot in any way be a result of a genuine power-sharing agreement. Zanu PF has waylaid and mugged the people's desire to see a new government put in place which would solve the endemic problems of starvation, clean water, housing, better health care and education. The elite in Zanu PF is not interested in addressing the current challenges in the country. Instead, they are obsessed with power retention at all costs. We reject the attempt by Zanu PF to get the MDC into office but without power. We derive our legitimacy and mandate from the people of Zimbabwe, not Zanu PF who were rejected by the very same people on 29 March. It is ridiculous that after having lost the election, Zanu PF, the loser, proceeds to allocate peripheral ministries to the MDC, the winner. This act of perfidy is a negation of the spirit of rapproachment and good will that should characterize any meaningful power-sharing arrangement. The MDC believes that Mr Mugabe, who lost the election on 29 March, cannot arrogate upon himself the right to unilaterally allocate ministries outside the framework of the dialogue process. We condemn Zanu PF's undermining of efforts by SADC and the African Union in trying to resolve the challenges confronting our country. All good Zimbabweans have a duty to stand up and be counted in defending that which is good about our country and stop the Zanu PF madness. In light of the latest developments, the MDC calls on the mediator, SADC, the AU and the international community at large to help support and protect Zimbabweans against the run-away and galloping power appetite of the minority Zanu PF leadership. Hon Nelson Chamisa, MP Relevant Links Southern Africa Zimbabwe Secretary for Information and Publicity	Robert Mugabe Zanu-PF, which until recently had complete control over all Zimbabwean cabinet posts, has reassigned control of these in a process separate from the power sharing negotiations which are taking place. This move seems aimed at giving Zanu-PF, the party lead by Robert Mugabe, control of the most important government ministries. The move will not be official, however, until approved in the power sharing negotiations. The move was announced yesterday in The Herald, a newspaper run by Zanu-PF, and was criticized heavily from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is led by Morgan Tsvangirai. "The MDC dismisses the Zanu PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans," said the MDC in a press release. "The Herald-published list of ministries is a product of unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous machinations by Zanu PF. In fact, it is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy. Zanu PF cannot nocturnally allocate ministries barely hours after the three principals agreed to disagree by referring the matter to the mediator after a logjam over all key ministries." "Zanu PF's ploy is to preempt the visit of the mediator and any attempt by SADC to try and help Zimbabweans locate exit points to the current impasse," added the press release. ===Zanu-PF allocation of ministries=== Ministry Controlling Party Defence Zanu-PF Home Affairs Zanu-PF Foreign Affairs Zanu-PF Transport Zanu-PF Local Government and Urban Development Zanu-PF Mines and Mining Development Zanu-PF Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement Zanu-PF Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism Zanu-PF Higher and Tertiary Education Zanu-PF Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Zanu-PF Justice and Legal Affairs Zanu-PF Media, Information and Publicity Zanu-PF Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Zanu-PF Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Zanu-PF Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs MDC Economic Planning and Investment Promotion MDC Energy and Power Development MDC Health and Child Welfare MDC Labour and Social Welfare MDC Water Resources Development and Management MDC Public Service MDC Sport, Arts and Culture MDC State Enterprise and Parastatals MDC Science and Technology Development MDC Information Communication Technology MDC Public Works MDC National Housing and Social Amenities MDC Regional Integration and International Co-operation MDC Education MDC Industry and Commerce MDC Finance Not allocated
Pakistan: Pakistani troops backed by tanks and gunships cleared militant hideouts near the Afghan border, sparking gunbattles that left eight troops and 40 rebels dead, the army said Thursday. Thirty militants were also arrested in the clashes over the last 24 hours in the South Waziristan tribal district, the hideout of an insurgent commander accused of masterminding the killing of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Pakistani forces launched a major operation against rebel positions following days of fighting in the barren, lawless region, which the United States has identified as a key lair of Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. "Reportedly, 40 miscreants have been killed in the last 24 hours and 30 miscreants have been apprehended, many of them injured," an army statement said. It added that eight soldiers "embraced martyrdom" while 32 others were injured in the clashes, the heaviest single-day toll in several weeks of fighting since Bhutto's assassination almost one month ago. Soldiers have cleared militants from three strongholds in Spinkai Raghazai, Nawazkot and surrounding areas of Tiarza village in the tribal area, the military said in the statement. Tanks had moved into position to protect the movement of military convoys, the statement added. Security officials said helicopter gunships were also pounding insurgent positions. Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the clashes occurred in areas mainly controlled by the fiercely independent Mehsud tribe. Abbas said he was not aware of the whereabouts of rebel commander Baitullah Mehsud who is based in South Waziristan's mountains, and has been blamed by the Pakistan and the US Central Intelligence Agency for Bhutto's killing. "It is not known whether he was taking part in the fighting or present in those areas," Abbas said. "We have recovered a few bodies and there will be investigations about their origin," Abbas added, saying it was not clear if any of the bodies were those of foreign fighters. The latest casualty figures could not be independently verified as the rugged area where fighting is occurring is out of bounds for journalists. But hundreds of families had fled the area and there was a severe shortage of food and other essential supplies, residents told AFP by telephone. Mehsud tribesmen have refused to seek shelter in a refugee camp set up by authorities in the nearby town of Jandola and had asked family in other districts to accommodate them, local tribesman Alam Khan said. "The Mehsuds are angry that the military is bombing innocent people and that is why they have refused to take any help," Khan said. The instability in the nuclear-armed nation ahead of crucial elections on February 18 has caused concern among Islamabad's international allies, especially in Washington. Pakistan has been wracked by violence and suicide bombings since troops crushed an uprising at a hardline mosque in Islamabad last July, and the bloodshed has escalated since Bhutto's killing on December 27. A suicide bombing late Wednesday, the fourth in Pakistan this year, killed one person at a checkpost on a highway that links the separate Khyber tribal agency with Peshawar city, in the northwest. But President Pervez Musharraf used a European tour this week to dismiss fears that the country and its nuclear warheads could slip into Al-Qaeda's hands, saying there was a "zero percent chance" of a takeover by extremists. - AFP \|\|\|\|\| The Pakistani army says it killed 40 Islamic militants and arrested 30 during two days of fighting along its border with Afghanistan. The United States, meanwhile, has offered to train Pakistani security forces in their fight against the al-Qaida-linked militants. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Islamabad. The fighting took place in South Waziristan province late Wednesday and Thursday. The army says security forces backed by helicopters attacked suspected hideouts of militants led by the country's most wanted man, Baitullah Mehsud. In recent months, bomb attacks blamed on Mehsud's followers have claimed the lives of more than four hundred people throughout the country. Most of the violence has been aimed at the security forces, but both the United States and the Pakistani government blame Mehsud for the assassination last month of the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. The army has retaliated with raids like the one this week, and can claim some battlefield success. The military said Thursday it had cleared three districts of militants, losing eight soldiers in the fighting. But not everyone believes this is an effective way to deal with the insurgents. The tribal region is a traditionally lawless and conservative region, whose inhabitants have never trusted the central Pakistani government. The region is also now home to scores of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters who fled Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2001. Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, the former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group, is now a noted political analyst. He says the army's increased activity in the tribal areas only exacerbates the problem. "It increases the level of insurgency in that area and that is what has been happening for the last, about four years," said Durrani. "It is never a good thing, especially when you are using it [force] against your own people…This was the wrong approach." Instead, Durrani says, the government should try to resolve the conflict through existing tribal structures, and mediation by influential figures trusted by both sides. As fighting intensified in the region this week, Admiral William Fallon, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, proposed that U.S. troops help train the Pakistani security forces in their fight against the militants. Durrani says if the government agrees, it will anger many Pakistanis. "It will make it worse…There is hardly anything anyone can teach us…The environments are different," he said. "The approach may be generally the same, but the environments are different. So only we, and with the involvement of the people there, can resolve it. There is no special training required." The government has not yet replied to Admiral Fallon's offer.	The Pakistani army says it killed 40 Islamic militants and arrested 30 during two days of fighting along its border with Afghanistan. The United States, meanwhile, has offered to train Pakistani security forces in their fight against the al-Qaeda-linked militants. The fighting took place in South Waziristan province late Wednesday and Thursday. The army says security forces backed by helicopters attacked suspected hideouts of militants led by the country's most wanted man, Baitullah Mehsud. In recent months, bomb attacks blamed on Mehsud's followers have claimed the lives of more than four hundred people throughout the country. Most of the violence has been aimed at the security forces, but both the United States and the Pakistani government blame Mehsud for the assassination last month of the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. The army has retaliated with raids like the one this week, and can claim some battlefield success. The military said Thursday it had cleared three districts of militants, losing eight soldiers in the fighting. But not everyone believes this is an effective way to deal with the insurgents. The tribal region is a traditionally lawless and conservative region, whose inhabitants have been said to have never trusted the central Pakistani government. The region is also now home to scores of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters who fled Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2001. Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, the former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group, is now a noted political analyst. He says the army's increased activity in the tribal areas only exacerbates the problem. "It increases the level of insurgency in that area and that is what has been happening for the last, about four years," said Durrani. "It is never a good thing, especially when you are using it force against your own people…This was the wrong approach." Instead, Durrani says, the government should try to resolve the conflict through existing tribal structures, and mediation by influential figures trusted by both sides. As fighting intensified in the region this week, Admiral William Fallon, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, proposed that U.S. troops help train the Pakistani security forces in their fight against the militants. Durrani said that if the government agrees, it will anger many Pakistanis. "It will make it worse…There is hardly anything anyone can teach us…The environments are different," he said. "The approach may be generally the same, but the environments are different. So only we, and with the involvement of the people there, can resolve it. There is no special training required." The government has not yet replied to Admiral Fallon's offer.
Missing Method in NewsController Error: The action displayStory.jhtml is not defined in controller NewsController Error: Create NewsController::displayStory.jhtml() in file: app/controllers/news_controller.php. Notice: If you want to customize this error message, create app/views/errors/missing_action.ctp. \|\|\|\|\| WALES SELECTS FIRST WAVE OF SWIMMERS The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales has announced the first wave of swimmers to be invited to take their seats on the Melbourne-bound plane for the 2006 Commonwealth Games (15-26 March 2006). They are: David Davies (City of Cardiff) Thomas Haffield (City of Cardiff) Julie Gould (Halesmere) Bethan Coole (Swansea) Jazmin Carlin (Tigersharks, Swindon) Rhiannon Henry (Swansea) - Élite Athlete with a Disability (EAD). There will be another opportunity to reach the qualifying standard at the second Commonwealth Games swimming qualifier – the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association Open Stage 3 Meet – to will be held at the Wales National Pool in Swansea on December 3-4. Chef de Mission for Team Wales M2006 Anne Ellis said: “I am delighted to welcome these swimmers into Team Wales. They will join a strong and determined squad who are already in the throws of preparing for the Games. 'To have reached the high qualifying standards is an achievement in itself and we are confident those selected are readily equipped to tackle the Melbourne challenge with vigour in March 2006.” Robert James, Chief Executive at Welsh Swimming, said: “I am delighted that we have such talented swimmers who have qualified at the first opportunity offered to then at the Commonwealth Trials in August. “This group have a wealth of experience to call upon. Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist David Davies (20) and our World Student Games representative, Bethan Coole (20) will be joined by Julie Gould (16), Thomas Haffield (17), and Jazmin Carlin (14) who have all represented British Swimming this year. “Bethan will be making her third Commonwealth outing - she was only 12 years old when she made her debut in the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998. David will be making his second Games appearance following an impressive debut in Manchester in 2002.” -ends-	The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales has named the first group of swimmers in the swimming squad who will compete in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Among the six named is David Davies, Olympic and World Swimming Championships bronze medal winner. The current squad list is: # David Davies - City of Cardiff # Thomas Haffield - City of Cardiff # Julie Gould - Halesmere # Bethan Coole - Swansea # Jazmin Carlin - Tigersharks, Swindon # Rhiannon Henry - Swansea There will be a second chance to qualify at the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association Open Stage 3 Meet on December 3/4.
Sexual abuse has been a noted problem in indigenous communities The offenders were either placed on probation or given suspended sentences for the 2005 rape in the Aurukun settlement, in northern Queensland. In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim "probably agreed to have sex with all of you". A review of sexual abuse sentences in Aboriginal Queensland has been ordered. Sentencing seven of the accused in Cairns in October, Judge Bradley told them that the girl involved was not forced into sex, according to a report in The Australian newspaper. She placed six of the offenders, who were minors at the time of the rape, on probation for 12 months, local media said. The three other defendants were handed suspended six-month prison sentences. Judge Bradley later defended her sentencing, telling The Australian that the sentences were "appropriate" because they were the penalties sought by the prosecution. 'No excuse' But Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has spoken out against the ruling, saying he was "appalled" by the verdict after it was revealed in the Australian press on Monday. "I am horrified by cases like this, involving sexual violence against women and children. My attitude is one of zero tolerance," he told reporters in Queensland, his home state. I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case Anna Bligh Queensland Premier "There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made," she said. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has now announced a review of all sentences given over the last two years in the communities in the Cape York region where the case occurred. "I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case," she said. "I want to satisfy myself that the people of Cape York, and the people who live in remote indigenous communities, are receiving the same level of justice as we can expect in any other community in Queensland." The offenders came from some of the most powerful and prominent Aboriginal families in Cape York, while the victim's family had a lower status, The Australian reported. The case comes six months after a high-profile inquiry into child sex abuse in remote northern Australia said it found problems in every Aborigine community visited by researchers. That inquiry led to an intervention programme in the Northern Territory. \|\|\|\|\| System failed 10yo rape victim, Bligh admits Posted Updated Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has acknowledged that the system failed a 10-year-old girl who was gang-raped by nine males in the Cape York Indigenous community of Aurukun. Nine males pleaded guilty to the rape but escaped serving jail time. Six boys were sentenced to 12-month probation orders, with no convictions recorded, while three others aged 17, 18 and 26 were given suspended sentences. There are reports today that the girl was removed from a white foster family and sent home to the community where the attack occurred. The report, in The Australian, says the girl was in foster care because she had previously been sexually abused. The paper said she was returned to Aurukun and was then gang-raped. The paper says social workers decided to remove the girl from her non-Indigenous foster family in Cairns because to keep her there would be tantamount to "another stolen generation". Speaking to Channel Nine, Ms Bligh said an external review of the girl's case led to disciplinary action against a number of child safety officers. "When all of this happened two years ago the Government at the time identified that child safety officers had failed to protect her and that their decision making was seriously flawed," she said. "We had an external review of those decisions and the people involved were subject to dismissal and disciplinary action. "The Government did not turn a blind eye to this and we certainly took it very, very seriously. "This little girl I should say is currently in a foster care family, she is receiving medical and therapeutic assistance. "I understand that this foster care family is not in her community, she's away from Aurukun." Meanwhile, the Queensland Opposition has questioned the validity of the "kinship first" policy on the placement of Indigenous children in state care. Opposition child safety spokeswoman Jan Stuckey says the policy of first placing Indigenous children with extended family might need to be reviewed. "The priority is to put them with someone who is a member of kin," she said. "Now the same isn't so for non-Indigenous children, so you have to really wonder if that policy is working as well as a broader one, where you would say who is the best person to care for this child." Foster Care Queensland executive director Bryan Smith says safety must be the priority rather than the placement of a child within a culturally appropriate setting. "I think that's a trial for all of us ... in terms of how we go about trying to ensure that children and young people remain in their culture, however we have a drastic shortage of Indigenous foster carers throughout the state," he said. "I think there's areas where we don't get it right. "I think we've got to work closer with Indigenous communities throughout the state to try and get it right." \|\|\|\|\| THE judge who handed down non-custodial sentences to nine males who admitted raping a 10-year-old girl has previously spoken out about the challenges involved in sentencing Aboriginal offenders. At a judges conference in January, Judge Sarah Bradley said indigenous offenders needed to be given special consideration by judges because of their gross over-representation in the criminal justice system. Judge Bradley said a raft of issues, including cultural and language barriers, made it difficult for Aboriginal people to access the justice system and receive equal treatment. She also identified the advantages and limitations of indigenous community justice initiatives and said justice could often only be done after obtaining input from community leaders. "Sentencing indigenous offenders is never easy. There are times when the offending behaviour clearly warrants the imposition of severe and significant penalties," she told the Perth conference. "There are also times when a judge who has knowledge of a community, has information about the community view of the offending, the background to it and the full particulars of those involved may decide an alternative penalty is appropriate. Determining which category of case is before you can be problematic and can often only be done with input from the indigenous community itself." Judge Bradley, 51, became the first magistrate in Queensland to be appointed to a higher court in 1999. Indigenous leaders welcomed the appointment because of her involvement in programs to keep Aborigines out of the prison system, especially in the troubled Palm Island community. At the time, Judge Bradley, now president of the Australian Association of Women Judges, said it sent a message about women's roles in society. "It is important for women to be seen in positions of authority and power," she said. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Bradley was a magistrate for six years. Her first job as a lawyer in 1978 was with the prosecution section of the Solicitor-General's Office. She subsequently worked for 13 years as a solicitor at four southeast Queensland law firms. The focus of the gang rape case now is whether Judge Bradley, who is also a Children's Court judge, should have accepted the recommendation of the Crown prosecutor not to impose custodial sentences. Former Supreme Court judge Angelo Vasta pointed out that while a judge should give weight to a prosecutor's recommendation he or she retained the ultimate discretion on sentencing. "They do not always accept it (a recommendation) as something which they would follow," Mr Vasta said. "They should take it into account but form their own view of the seriousness of the offence." Mr Vasta declined to comment on the case, but suggested the oldest offender, a 26-year-old, might have been lucky to avoid jail given his age. In her sentencing remarks, Judge Bradley pointed out the seriousness of their conduct rather than deliver condemnation. "I hope that all of you realise that you must not have sex with young girls," she said. And she told the 26-year-old: "You should have known a lot better." The guidelines set out by the Director of Public Prosecutions say the prosecutor must show child offenders "knew that what they were doing was seriously wrong and was deserving of punishment". Additional reporting: Michael Pelly \|\|\|\|\| 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. \|\|\|\|\| A JUDGE came under wide attack yesterday over her decision to set free nine Aboriginal males who pleaded guilty to gang-raping a 10-year-old girl - a sentence that has spurred an appeal and a review of all recent sentences for sex crimes in Cape York. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, joined a chorus of criticism of Judge Sarah Bradley's decision on the Aurukun rapists, which he said "disgusted and appalled" him. It has emerged that Judge Bradley had ordered that no conviction be recorded against six of the offenders, who were juveniles. The other three offenders had six-month jail sentences suspended for a year. During a sentencing hearing in October Judge Bradley said: "I accept that the girl … was not forced and that she probably agreed to have sex with all of you." The Queensland Attorney-General, Kerry Shine, announced an appeal against the sentences, and a review of all sentences for sexual offences in Cape York communities in the past two years. The Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, said she was horrified by the leniency of the sentences and was concerned it might reflect a broader trend for remote communities. "I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case. I do want to satisfy myself this is not part of a broader sentencing trend that reflects a lower standard [of justice] for those communities." Today's Australian newspaper reports that the victim in the Aurukun case is "mildly intellectually impaired". It quotes a Department of Child Safety report from last May - a month after the rape - which describes the girl having gone to a clinic seeking a pregnancy test, telling staff she was having consensual sex, and requesting condoms. It also reports the girl had been living with a white foster family before being returned to Aurukun. Her foster father and an unnamed department official are quoted saying the department feared being accused of creating "another stolen generation" if it left her with the white family. ■ The Federal Government has called a summit of Aboriginal leaders in the Northern Territory to discuss the Howard government's $1.5 billion takeover of 73 remote communities. The Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, plans to chair the summit, which has the support of land councils, in Darwin as early as this weekend. The former Australian of the year Galarrwuy Yunupingu is invited. There is speculation that Mr Rudd may attend. In one of her first acts as minister yesterday, Ms Macklin placed a moratorium on the dismantling of the work-for-the-dole Community Development Employment Program. But she declared the Government "strongly supports" the quarantining of welfare payments to reduce cash that can be spent on alcohol, drugs and gambling. She gave the go-ahead for the quarantining of such payments in 13 more communities, including violence-torn town camps in Katherine. with Lindsay Murdoch \|\|\|\|\| Aboriginal leaders want rape case judge dismissed Posted Updated Queensland Aboriginal leaders have called for a District Court judge to be stood down after she allowed nine Indigenous males who raped a 10-year-old girl at Aurukun on Cape York to walk free. Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine is appealing against the sentences, saying they do not reflect the community's expectation of punishments for this type of offence. Six boys were sentenced to 12-month probation orders, with no convictions recorded, while three others aged 17, 18 and 26 were given suspended sentences. Mr Shine has asked the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review all sentences for sex offences on Cape York over the past two years. "It's important to see what it does show in its relationship with other cases in other parts of Queensland," he said. "The law should be consistent in its application, whether it be at Aurukun or Clayfield, and that's what I am keen to see as a result of this review. "It might require further study thereafter, but at this stage we will see what the review comes up with." Mental health concerns Meanwhile, Queensland Children's Commissioner Elizabeth Fraser says she is worried about the mental health of the 10-year-old victim. Ms Fraser says the girl, who is now 12, will need a lot of support. "[She must have] the support and services to deal with the circumstances surrounding the offences and the help that she needs to get on with addressing the impact of that," she said. "Support to get on with her life is a critical component of what needs to happen for her for the future."	An Australian judge has handed down sentences to nine males who have admitted rape of a 10-year-old girl, none of which involve incarceration. Six of the offenders, who were minors at the time of the crime were placed on probation. The other three aged 17, 18 and 26 were given suspended sentences. In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim "was not forced and probably agreed to have sex with all of you". "I hope that all of you realise that you must not have sex with young girls," she said. She further admonished the 26-year-old: "You should have known a lot better." Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was "disgusted and appalled" by the court's decision. "I am horrified by cases like this, involving sexual violence against women and children. My attitude is one of zero tolerance," he told reporters. Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine said he is appealing and "I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case. I do want to satisfy myself this is not part of a broader sentencing trend that reflects a lower standard of justice for those communities." Both the victim and all of the defendants involved are from Australia's aboriginal population, which has played a major factor in the case. At a conference in January, Judge Bradley said: "There are also times when a judge who has knowledge of a community, has information about the community view of the offending, the background to it and the full particulars of those involved may decide an alternative penalty is appropriate. Determining which category of case is before you can be problematic and can often only be done with input from the indigenous community itself." Boni Robertson, an aboriginal activist, disagreed with the judge's decision. "There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made," she said.
By Andrew Stern CHICAGO (Reuters) - The estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson was arrested and will be charged with the October slayings of three of her relatives, police said on Monday. "We have obtained an arrest warrant for William Balfour. He was released to Chicago detectives," Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond said, adding that Balfour would be charged with three counts of murder. Balfour, 27, who had been married to Hudson's sister Julia, was questioned after the slayings but not charged. He was imprisoned for violating his parole on a previous attempted murder conviction, and was scheduled to have a hearing on Wednesday. Bond would not give details about what evidence led police to charge Balfour for the shooting deaths of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, brother, Jason Hudson, 29, and 7-year-old nephew, Julian King. Donerson and Jason Hudson were found shot to death on October 24 in Donerson's South Side home. Four days later, King's body was found in a stolen sport utility vehicle parked on the city's West Side. A handgun used in the slayings was found nearby. The Chicago Tribune reported investigators had evidence that Balfour had a gun matching the weapon. After the slayings, Jennifer Hudson returned to Chicago and identified King's body at the morgue. Hudson got her start in 2005 competing on the U.S. television show "American Idol" although she failed to reach the final. She later won the role of Effie White in the 2006 film version of the stage musical "Dreamgirls" and earned a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance. Hudson has since appeared in the movie version of "Sex and the City" and "The Secret Life of Bees." (Editing by Michael Conlon and Mohammad Zargham) \|\|\|\|\| Estranged relative arrested in Hudson killings CHICAGO (AP) — Police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson on Monday in the deaths of the entertainer's mother, brother and young nephew, taking him from a prison where he had been held on a suspected parole violation. William Balfour was arrested at Stateville Correctional Center and released to detectives as he awaited formal charges in the shooting deaths of the singer and Oscar-winning actress' relatives, said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. Until Monday, police had identified Balfour, 27, only as a "person of interest" in the investigation. He had not been charged by Monday evening, said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office. The bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were discovered Oct. 24 at the family's home on the South Side of Chicago. The body of 7-year-old Julian King was found three days later in a sport utility vehicle on the West Side. All three had been shot. Police took Balfour into custody the same day the bodies of Donerson and Hudson were discovered. After 48 hours — the longest Chicago police can hold a person without charges — Balfour was taken by the Illinois Department of Corrections on the suspected parole violation. Balfour — Julian's stepfather and the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's older sister, Julia Hudson — served seven years for a 1999 attempted murder and vehicular hijacking conviction. His mother, Michelle Davis-Balfour of Chicago, told reporters outside a police station Monday night that authorities don't have a case against her son. "If they found gun powder on his hands, you got a case; if they found a gun on him, he had a case; if they found a fingerprint on the truck that he did this, you got a case; but they don't have nothing," Davis-Balfour said. Balfour had refused to take a lie-detector test and stopped cooperating with detectives, according to a police official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Police have confirmed they found the gun used in the killings. The .45-caliber gun was discovered Oct. 29 in a vacant lot in the West Side neighborhood where the King's body was found a few days earlier. Bond declined to discuss any evidence Monday. But after a hearing at the prison, the chairman of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board said a woman had told authorities that a gun used in the slayings was "identical" to the gun that was recovered. At the time, board Chairman Jorge Montes said the evidence was key to a decision finding probable cause that Balfour violated his parole and should remain locked up pending a Dec. 3 hearing before a review board panel. Balfour did not have an attorney at the November hearing, and the Cook County public defender's office said at the time that nobody from the office had been assigned because he was not formally charged with a crime. No one in the public defender's office was assigned to Balfour's case late Monday, and it' was not clear whether he had other representation. Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen and Caryn Rousseau contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Chicago, Illinois, police arrested a man Monday in connection with the killing of three relatives of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson, a police spokesman said. William Balfour, here in an undated photo, is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia. William Balfour, 27, was first detained for questioning on October 24, the day Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death. Authorities said at the time that they were holding Balfour for an unspecified parole violation. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in their South Side Chicago home. The body of her nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, was found three days later in an abandoned SUV on Chicago's West Side. Police later found a handgun near the vehicle. Detectives served arrest warrants on Balfour on Monday afternoon, said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. Balfour was transferred from the Statesville Correctional Center to the custody of detectives in the case, she said, and he is awaiting formal charges on three counts of murder. Balfour is the estranged husband of the singer's sister, Julia Hudson, and the stepfather of Julian King. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Balfour spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. He was free on parole at the time of the shootings. Hudson won a best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of Effie in the film version of the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls." She competed on the third season of the singing competition "American Idol" in 2004, becoming one of the top seven contestants before being eliminated from the contest. Michele Davis-Balfour, Balfour's mother, passionately defended her son Monday to reporters. She said that at least one of the witnesses that police used to build a case against Balfour was lying. "My son did not do this. I am sick of this. They need to focus on somebody else," Davis-Balfour said. She said Balfour has an alibi: He was with one of his three girlfriends the night of the slaying. "He was with Diana that night and with Kate in the morning," she said. Balfour's attorney Josh Kutnick also said Balfour has told him that he did not commit the crimes. "He believes when the evidence comes out, he will be found not guilty," Kutnick said. CNN's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report. All About Jennifer Hudson • Chicago	Chicago, Illinois police arrested William Balfour, the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning American actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, on Monday, multiple media outlets reported. Balfour is expected to be charged with three counts of murder for the slayings of three of Hudson's relatives in October. Hudson holds her Oscar. "We have obtained an arrest warrant for William Balfour. He was released to Chicago detectives," Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond told Reuters. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29 were found dead in Donerson's home on October 24 and the body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King was found four days later in a stolen SUV. A handgun police say is tied to the case was found nearby, but Reuters reports that Bond did not comment on any evidence in the case. The Associated Press reports that police took Balfour into custody on Oct. 24 and held him for 48 before the Illinois Department of Corrections took possession of him on an alleged parole violation. Balfour previously served nearly seven years for a 1999 conviction attempted murder, vehicular hijacking, and possessing a stolen vehicle. CNN reports he was out of jail on parole at the time of the shootings. Balfour's mother, Michelle Davis-Balfour, spoke to the press Monday night, saying she thought that there was no case against her son. "If they found gun powder on his hands, you got a case; if they found a gun on him, he had a case; if they found a fingerprint on the truck that he did this, you got a case; but they don't have nothing," Davis-Balfour said, according to the Associated Press. She also said: "My son did not do this. I am sick of this. They need to focus on somebody else." Davis-Balfour also accused at least one witness of lying while providing an alibi for his son, saying he was with one of three girls friends when the killings happened. "He was with Diana that night and with Kate in the morning," she said, according to CNN. Attorney for Balfour, Josh Kutnick, told CNN that his client is innocent. "He believes when the evidence comes out, he will be found not guilty," Kutnick told CNN. Hudson became famous in 2004 when she was one of the finalists on the third season of the American hit television show ''American Idol''. She later won multiple awards for her role in the 2006 motion picture ''Dreamgirls''.
CAMERA Founded in 1982, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is a media-monitoring, research and membership organization devoted to promoting accurate and balanced coverage of Israel and the Middle East. CAMERA fosters rigorous reporting, while educating news consumers about Middle East issues and the role of the media. Because public opinion ultimately shapes public policy, distorted news coverage that misleads the public can be detrimental to sound policymaking. A non-partisan organization, CAMERA takes no position with regard to American or Israeli political issues or with regard to ultimate solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The scope of the problem Inaccurate and distorted accounts of events in Israel and the Middle East are to be found everywhere from college radio stations to network television, from community newspapers to national magazines, and, of course, on the Internet. In recent years misinformation about the Middle East has also surfaced in fashion magazines, architectural publications, encyclopedias, professional reference works, geography textbooks, travel guides, and even dictionaries. Frequently inaccurate and skewed characterizations of Israel and of events in the Middle East may fuel anti-Israel and anti-Jewish prejudice. How CAMERA works CAMERA systematically monitors, documents, reviews and archives Middle East coverage. Staffers directly contact reporters, editors, producers and publishers concerning distorted or inaccurate coverage, offering factual information to refute errors. CAMERA members are encouraged to write letters for publication in the print media and to communicate with correspondents, anchors and network officials in the electronic media. CAMERA's combination of rigorous monitoring, research, fact-checking, careful analysis, and grassroots efforts have had a documented impact. How CAMERA members are kept informed Members receive a variety of publications, including: The CAMERA Media Report Action Alerts detailing specific media misrepresentations The CAMERA Media Directory, containing contact information for media outlets Members of CAMERA's e-mail team receive frequent Alerts and information. In addition, CAMERA staffers regularly assist members seeking specific information. CAMERA's work is frequently cited in the secular and Jewish press, and in journalism reviews. CAMERA on college campuses Increasingly, campuses have been the scene of propagandistic assaults on Israel. Distorted literature, extreme speakers and false, inflammatory images are all too common, creating harmful misperceptions of Israel. This hostile environment can be intimidating to students seeking fair and objective information on Middle East issues. CAMERA publishes a student-focused magazine, CAMERA on Campus, containing specialized information useful in countering misinformation. CAMERA also provides one-on-one assistance to students who encounter Middle East distortions in campus publications, flyers, rallies and classroom teaching. How to participate Join CAMERA. CAMERA is 501(c)(3) nonprofit and contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Join CAMERA's e-mail team and respond to Action Alerts. Call and write independently whenever possible to counter media misinformation. Distribute CAMERA publications and Action Alerts to your friends, religious groups, schools and civic organizations. To join CAMERA To join CAMERA online, click here. To contact CAMERA Call us at (617)789-3672 Send us a fax at (617)787-7853 To fill out a media complaint form and for CAMERA e-mail addresses, click here \|\|\|\|\| POLÉMICA EN ORIENTE PRÓXIMO CON WIKIPEDIA MONICA G. PRIETO BEIRUT.- El conflicto entre israelíes y palestinos también se libra en las páginas virtuales de Wikipedia. La enciclopedia más popular de Internet podría estar siendo usada para 'reescribir' la Historia de Oriente Próximo, intoxicando así a los usuarios no implicados en la disputa y captando simpatizantes mediante la difusión de información 'corregida' por uno de los bandos. La denuncia partió hace unos días del portal Electronic Intifada, gestionado por el periodista americano-palestino Ali Abunimah. En su artículo de portada, "CAMERA planea reescribir la Historia", se mostraban 'e-mails' distribuidos por CAMERA (Comité para la Precisión de la Información sobre Oriente Próximo en América, en sus siglas en inglés) en los que se pide voluntarios para editar la enciclopedia online e impedir así que los "editores anti-israelíes introduzcan todo tipo de prejuicios y errores en muchos artículos relacionados con Israel". CAMERA es una organización concebida, según su página web, para "promover la precisión y la cobertura equilibrada de Israel y Oriente Próximo", así como "educar a los consumidores de noticias sobre Oriente Próximo". Lo hace desde EEUU, muy lejos de donde ocurren las noticias y sin personal que acuda al terreno para interrogar a sus protagonistas. Su sistema es cuestionar la información de los periodistas que trabajan para medios anglosajones desde Oriente Próximo criticando los contenidos desfavorables a Israel, tachados de "imprecisos" (por ejemplo, cuando se emplean términos como 'ocupación' o 'muro') cuando no de falsos. A muchos se les acusa de asumir "el punto de vista árabe". La web de CAMERA incluye listas de informadores y medios, entre ellos Kids Discovery, National Geographic, Vogue o Marie Claire, así como la prensa informativa, con sus "imprecisiones" correspondientes. En el caso de la BBC -considerado uno de los canales más independientes del mundo- se dedican 67 artículos a denostar sus contenidos. El seguimiento de CAMERA no se limita a medios extranjeros -al diario israelí Haaretz le acusa de "extremista"- ni periodísticos: en el caso de la 3ª edición de la guía turística 'Lonely Planet' sobre 'Israel y los Territorios Palestinos', los responsables consideran que su autor asume "la versión árabe de los hechos" y que está llena de "medias verdades". 'Educando' a los lectores En su labor de 'educar' a los consumidores de noticias, sus responsables han reparado en Wikipedia, donde perciben un alto número de 'imprecisiones' originadas por la influencia de los "editores anti-israelíes". En lugar de exigir correcciones, como hacen al resto de medios, CAMERA ha emprendido una campaña para aprovechar el democrático funcionamiento de la enciclopedia 'online' -basado en la buena fe de sus colaboradores- y "corregir" contenidos. El primer 'e-mail' -titulado "CAMERA busca 10 voluntarios para enviar información a Wikipedia"- fue enviado por Gilead Ini, un "experimentado analista investigador" de CAMERA, a un grupo de suscriptores del grupo. Tras pedir máxima divulgación pero especificar que "no se difunda este mensaje a miembros de la prensa", Ini resaltaba que "Wikipedia, la inmensamente popular enciclopedia online, puede ser editada por cualquiera" aunque "la mala noticia es que eso permite que 'editores' anti-israelíes puedan introducir todo tipo de prejuicios y errores en muchos artículos relacionados con Israel". Para evitarlo, Ini pedía 10 candidatos, una cifra ampliamente superada por las respuestas según admite en su siguiente e-mail. En él explicaba cómo actuar: recomendaba registrarse como editores de Wikipedia "evitando usar un nombre de usuario que os marque como pro-israelí", realizar toda modificación tras haberse registrado en el sistema para evitar que la dirección IP del ordenador empleado quede registrado, y "evitar editar artículos relacionados con Israel durante un corto periodo de tiempo o editar más artículos no relacionados que relacionados con Israel" para no levantar sospechas. Además Ini resaltaba la importancia de evitar dar argumentos usando los términos del conflicto para no chocar con una de las premisas de Wikipedia, el punto de vista neutral, que trata de proteger la veracidad de la información. Ini también remarcaba la "utilidad de hacer amistad con otros editores ya establecidos y con los super editores, más conocidos como administradores", un punto que más tarde cobrará más importancia. 'Isra-pedia Tras crear un grupo de discusión en Google llamado Isra-pedia, otros usuarios además aportaron claves para tener éxito en su misión de "corregir" Wikipedia. Uno de ellos, apodado Zeq, presumía de llevar tres años editando Wikipedia y daba sugerencias como alejarse de los contenidos relacionados con Israel y "hacer amistad" con otros editores para escalar posiciones y ser elegidos "administradores no involucrados", capacitados para mediar en disputas por contenidos. "Aquellos que quieran tomar este camino deben estar al margen de cualquier artículo relacionado con Israel por meses hasta que interactuéis con 100 editores de Wikipedia que más tarde os votarán como administrador", explicaba Zeq. Zeq aportaba una lista de artículos de "los que hay que alejarse temporalmente" pero cuya revisión consideraba de "alta importancia", entre ellos los relacionados con el éxodo palestino y sus causas, Hamas, Hizbulá, los árabes de Israel, la Naqba (el desastre, tal como llaman los palestinos al día de la creación del Estado de Israel) y el derecho al retorno. En otro de sus 'e-mails', destacaba que "ganaremos esta guerra tras construir nuestro Ejército, equiparlo y entrenarlo. Por el momento no tenemos la gente que necesitamos con suficiente experiencia y profundo conocimiento de Wikipedia para usarla con el objetivo de articular nuestro punto de vista desde una perspectiva política". Zeq fue responsable de muchas de las modificaciones de entradas sobre el conflicto israelo palestino, como la correspondiente a Hamas o la Naqba. Desde hoy, figura como 'usuario bloqueado' por Wikipedia que, tras el artículo de Electronic Intifada, dedica una entrada al caso en la que se especifica que fueron al menos 50 los editores de CAMERA que han intentado modificar contenidos o de hecho lo han conseguido. ¿Ocurre también del lado árabe? Es posible, aunque un rápido vistazo al historial de cambios de las páginas más controvertidas sobre el conflicto de Oriente Próximo y a los autores de dichos cambios indica, gracias a las referencias personales de éstos, que buena parte son judíos. Un ejemplo: la página sobre Hamas ha sido modificada, entre otros muchos, por Avrahan (quien especifica "no estar disponible por la fiesta del Pesach" en referencia a la festividad judía), el propio Zeq, Jayjg (quien destaca entre sus intereses "las sinagogas de Nueva York"), Yonatan (nativo en inglés y en hebreo) o Telaviv1. \|\|\|\|\| Email to a friend Media Views Electronic Intifada: A Pro-Israel Group's Plan to Rewrite History on Wikipedia (4/21/08) Captured emails from workers and supporters of the anti-Palestinian media organization CAMERA show the pressure group is orchestrating a secret, long-term campaign to infiltrate the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia to rewrite Palestinian history, pass off crude propaganda as fact, and take over Wikipedia administrative structures to ensure these changes go either undetected or unchallenged. Though hardly the first time the populist media site has come under attack, CAMERA's emails are particularly insidious in that "stealth and misrepresentation are presented as the keys to success." FAIR does not endorse every opinion expressed or vouch for facts presented here, except by ourselves. Send link suggestions to jnaureckas@fair.org. \|\|\|\|\| Entire Site Palestine - Action Items - Activism News - Art, Music & Culture - BNN - Coverage Trends - Development - Diaries: Live from Palestine - EI in the Press - Human Rights - Internet & Technology - Israel Lobby Watch - Journalists in Danger - Letters to the Media - Multimedia - Opinion/Editorial - Role of the Media - Business & Economy Lebanon - Opinion/Editorial - Diaries: Live from Lebanon - Human Rights/Development - Action & Activism Letters to EI About EI for EI Advanced Search	Seal of the United States Department of Justice ''Wikinews'' has learned that a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) IP Address has been blocked on ''Wikipedia'' after making edits to an article which were considered "vandalism". In two separate instances, the IP address from the DOJ removed information from the Wikipedia article about the organization Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), regarding an attempt by the organization to secretly gain influence on the site. The IP address has been confirmed by ''Wikinews'' to be registered and used by the DOJ located in Washington, D.C. On April 21, Electronic Intifada published a report based on leaked emails written between CAMERA and ''Wikipedia'' contributors who are allegedly planning to gain influence on the online encyclopedia. Information about CAMERA's campaign to influence Wikipedia was first added to the site's article about the organization on April 21 by user 'Bangpound', who cited the Electronic Intifada article. According to the edit history on the ''Wikipedia'' article CAMERA, the entire subsection relating to this controversy was removed by the IP address 149.101.1.130, which is hosted by 'wdcsun30.usdoj.gov' and is used by the DOJ. The IP address removed information regarding CAMERA's plan to "cooperate with prominent Wikipedia editors to promote a Zionist viewpoint and oppose pro-Arab viewpoints on Wikipedia" at least two separate times, on April 24 and April 25. The IP address belonging to the DOJ also made edits identified as vandalism to the Wikipedia articles Tracy Jordan, Roger Ebert, and James E. Akins. After several warnings on the IP address's "talk page", the IP address was blocked for four days for "repeated vandalism." Several hours prior to the DOJ edits, an IP address also from Washington D.C., 71.178.102.65, removed the same information. ''Wikinews'' can confirm the IP address is located in Washington D.C. and belongs to Verizon. Wikipedia administrators were kept apprised in an ongoing discussion about the incident at Wikipedia's Administrators' noticeboard. "The Justice employee is attempting to scrub any mention of CAMERA's activities to influence Wikipedia (now double-sourced) as seen here in this edit," said Wikipedia editor Lawrence Cohen, in an initial post to the Administrators' noticeboard. Founded in 1982, CAMERA is a pro-Israel media-monitoring and research non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. On April 21 the Electronic Intifada, a not-for-profit online publication which covers the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict from a Palestinian perspective, published an article describing efforts by CAMERA to secretly influence Wikipedia articles. According to the article, Electronic Intifada obtained a series of emails between CAMERA and members of Wikipedia, attempting to game the encyclopedia and influence articles on the site related to Israel. Electronic Intifada quoted a March 13 email from Gilead Ini, a Senior Research Analyst at CAMERA, who enlisted volunteers to make sure articles about Israel on Wikipedia were "free of bias and error, and include necessary facts and context". In a follow-up email from March 17, Ini emphasized secrecy, telling the email list members not to "forward it to members of the news media", and wrote that "There is no need to advertise the fact that we have these group discussions." The media criticism organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting criticized the CAMERA emails, calling them "particularly insidious" because "stealth and misrepresentation are presented as the keys to success." Later discussions in the series of emails obtained by Electronic Intifada included advice on how to get members of CAMERA elected as Wikipedia administrators, in order to gain influence. Wikipedia user 'Zeq' posted to the list: "One or more of you who want to take this route should stay away from any Israel realted sic articles for one month until they sic interact in a positive way with 100 wikipedia sic editors who would be used later to vote you as an administrator." After the IP address belonging to the DOJ was blocked, Wikipedia editors informed the Wikimedia Foundation's Communications committee about the incident. Both ''Wikinews'' and Wikipedia are projects of the Wikimedia Foundation. In addition to the DOJ IP address, several Wikipedia users determined to be cooperating with the CAMERA campaign to influence Wikipedia had also previously been blocked by Wikipedia administrators. ''Wikinews'' requested a statement from the Department of Justice on the edits to Wikipedia, but as of this article's publication had not received a response.
A piper plays as HMS Invincible sails into port for the last time In pictures The event in Portsmouth marked HMS Invincible's 25 years of service, which includes the Falklands war in 1982. The aircraft carrier will be de-commissioned and sold in 2010. Critics are worried that Invincible's retirement has left the navy with only one aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, while HMS Ark Royal undergoes a refit. Mothballed Captain Neil Morisetti, Invincible's commanding officer, said the event was an opportunity to "celebrate not only her 25 years of service but also the hard work and dedication shown by members of the ship's company past and present". The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Invincible would be gradually relieved of its crew and captain soon after the decommissioning ceremony. The crew will be given new postings and the vessel will be handed over to the MoD's Disposal and Reserve Ships Organisation where it will be mothballed until it is sold. The carrier was launched by the Queen in 1977. The Duke of York was based on board as a Sea King helicopter pilot during the Falklands war. \|\|\|\|\| ILLUSTRIOUS TO BE REDEDICATED AFTER VETERAN CARRIER TAKES A BOW With a greatly enhanced capability, strike carrier HMS Illustrious has succeeded her sister-ship HMS Invincible as Fleet Flagship and will be rededicated on August 4. The rededication ceremony, conducted at sea off Portsmouth, follows the ship’s £120-million refit and months of trials and sea training. Chief guest at the ceremony will be Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band. Next year the third of the Navy’s carriers, HMS Ark Royal, is due to return to the Fleet after her regeneration and upgrade conducted at Rosyth. When she returns to Portsmouth the Royal Navy will have in service two of the most powerful and capable warships in its history. Meanwhile, the veteran carrier HMS Invincible, one of the oldest ships in the Fleet, will enter a state of reduced readiness. The decision to rest her from active service a few months earlier than previously planned has been taken on the basis of current operational assessments and will allow resources to be re-directed to the Service’s greater benefit. Invincible, launched in 1977 and commissioned three years later, entered Portsmouth Naval Base on August 1. Almost 250 family members of the ship’s company joined the carrier for her entry into Portsmouth, which was marked by a gun salute and fly-past. The warship will be at reduced readiness until she becomes due for disposal at the long-planned date of 2010, when the scheduled entry into service of the new generation of much larger aircraft carriers will be approaching. - Month - Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - Year - 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 \|\|\|\|\| Conservatives have warned that the decommissioning of the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier HMS Invincible will undermine the UK's maritime capability at a time of unprecedented international tension. After 25 years service, including a leading combat role in the 1982 Falklands War, the warship is to be mothballed until it can be sold off by 2010. However, Invincible's "retirement" leaves the Royal Navy with just two aircraft carriers, HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal - and the latter is undergoing a full refit, and will remain unavailable for service for some time. Commenting on the latest reduction in Britain's military capability, which has left the navy relying on a single carrier, Shadow Defence Minister Gerald Howarth said: "To be downgrading our maritime capability at a time of unprecedented international tension is just unbelievable. We are now left with only two aircraft carriers and a dire situation when one of these is undergoing refit or is in dock, as is currently the case. It simply beggars belief." He told conservatives.com: "The paying off of HMS Invincible is being done on the promise that new aircraft carriers are scheduled to be available in 2012 and 2015. But it is now looking increasingly unlikely that the new carriers will be ready on time, which means that the foundation of the Government's expeditionary warfare strategy will be missing. "This is yet another capability gap wilfully created by a government determined to gamble with our Armed Forces."	The decommissioning ceremony for the former British Royal Navy flagship HMS Invincible has taken place in Portsmouth, Hampshire today. The ceremony marks the end of the aircraft carrier's 25-year career. Invincible was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 11 July 1980 and first saw service in the Falklands War in 1982. The Duke of York served aboard Invincible as a helicopter pilot. Pipers played aboard Invincible while it sailed into Portsmouth Naval Base on 1 August for the last time. A gun salute and a flypast also marked the event. Last month, Invincible undertook a UK tour to celebrate the ship's silver jubilee. In June, the carrier acted as flagship for the International Fleet Review to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that Invincible would be 'mothballed' for five-years in a state of reduced readiness. It is unlikely that Invincible will ever be recommissioned into the Royal Navy. The MoD said that a decision to either sell, scrap or even turn Invincible into a museum ship will be made in 2010. The decommissioning took place six-months earlier than planned and has prompted fears that the Royal Navy will be left overstretched. The move has been criticised by the opposition Conservative Party, who say that it will reduce the Royal Navy's capability at a time of "unprecedented international tension". Ark Royal is about to undergo a major refit at Rosyth, which leaves Illustrious — the Royal Navy's new Fleet Flagship — as the only aircraft carrier on active service. The three aircraft carriers are expected to be replaced by 2015 with two 65,000 tonne aircraft carriers — believed to be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
The deal includes anti-missile defences and helicopters The Pentagon has notified Congress of a proposed arms sale to Taiwan, worth $6bn (£3.7bn). The weapons, including helicopters and anti-missile defences, are part of a package first pledged by the Bush administration. Beijing considers the self-governed island a breakaway province of China and reacted angrily, saying the move would "seriously damage" its US ties. Taiwan split from China at the end of the country's civil war in 1949. Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed at the island and has threatened in the past to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing warning The $6.7bn (£4.2bn) package does not include F-16 fighter jets, an item highly desired by Taiwan's military. PROPOSED ARMS SALE 114 Patriot missiles ($2.81bn) 60 Black Hawk helicopters ($3.1bn) Communication equipment ($340m) 2 Osprey mine-hunting ships ($105m) 12 Harpoon missiles ($37m) Source: Defense Security Co-operation Agency The notification to Congress by the Defense Security Co-operation Agency is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded. US lawmakers have 30 days to comment on the proposed sale, Associated Press reported. If there are no objections, it would proceed. The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said the proposals would have a "serious negative impact" on co-operation between the US and China. In remarks published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he said the Chinese government was "strongly indignant" about the arms sales. Beijing has previously warned the US not to go ahead with arms sales to Taiwan. Ties between China and the US are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship. The DSCA said the proposed sale would support Taiwan's "continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and enhance its defensive capability." It added: "The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region." The US is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. \|\|\|\|\| Q: In her speech on internet freedom on January 21, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on China's internet policy, accusing China of restricting internet freedom. How do you comment? A: The US attacks China's internet policy, indicating that China has been restricting internet freedom. We resolutely oppose such remarks and practices that contravene facts and undermine China-US relations. China's internet is open. China is a country with the most vibrant internet development. By the end of last year, China had 384 million internet users, 3.68 million websites and 180 million blogs. China's Constitution guarantees people's freedom of speech. It is China's consistent policy to promote the development of internet. China has its own national conditions and cultural traditions. It supervises internet according to law, which is in parallel with the international paractice. Hacking in whatever form and offence of others' privacy is prohibited by law in China. As a major victim of hacking in the world, China believes that the international community should intensify the cooperaion in jointly combating internet hacking so as to safeguard internet security and protect the privacy of citizens in accordance with law. We urge the US to respect facts and stop attacking China under the excuse of the so-called freedom of internet. We hope that the US side can work with China to earnestly implement the consensus between leaders of both countries on developing bilateral relationship in the new era by strengthening dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, respecting each other's core interest and major concerns and properly handling differences and sensitive issues so as to ensure the healthy and stable development of China-US relationship. \|\|\|\|\| Photo: GETTY The Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency has proposed to sell Taiwan 60 Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot "Advanced Capability" missile defences known as PAC-3, and mine hunters, though it did not meet Taipei's request for F-16 fighter jets. China regards self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as a wayward offshore province subject to unification with the communist-run mainland and had urged Washington not to sell more arms to the island. The move is sure to complicate already difficult relations between Washington and Beijing amid discord over trade, human rights, Internet censorship and climate change policy. Shortly after the sale was confirmed, He Yafei, China's deputy foreign minister said the sale would "seriously harm" China's national security. He added that the move would have a "serious negative impact" on cooperation between Beijing and Washington. The United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier, is mandated by law to aid Taiwan's self-defence, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. The arms package was approved in principle by George W. Bush late in his administration, prompting Beijing to temporarily suspend military relations with Washington. Gen James Jones, Mr Obama's national security adviser, indicated that the Chinese government had been fully consulted on the deal. "We all recognise that there are certain things that countries will do periodically that may not make everybody completely happy," he said. "But we are bent towards a new relationship with China as a rising power in the world, with influence on a variety of issues that go beyond the arms sales and go beyond military confrontation," he added. The arms sales announcement may contribute to a bumpy year ahead in bilateral ties. Washington and Beijing have tangled over trade, cyber hacking and censorship of Google, Tibet and human rights. Though the two powers are mutually dependent economically, China continues to irk Washington by failing to clamp down on intellectual property theft, undervaluing its current in order to make its exports cheaper and promoting import substitution measures that disadvantage foreign manufacturers. \|\|\|\|\| Angry China retaliates over US arms deal for Taiwan BEIJING — China lashed out with a raft of reprisals Saturday after Washington announced a 6.4-billion-dollar arms package for Taiwan, escalating the biggest Sino-US crisis yet under President Barack Obama. Berating the year-old Obama administration for "crude interference" in its affairs, China said it was suspending military and security contacts with the United States, and imposing sanctions on US firms involved in the Taiwan deal. The furious riposte came a day after the Pentagon approved the sale of Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, mine-hunting ships and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet of fighter jets among other weaponry. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the reprisals reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal with Taiwan, which Beijing says is a part of its territory and must return to the mainland fold. But US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler told AFP the sale "contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who has overseen a marked warming in trade and political relations with China, said Beijing had nothing to fear from the sale. "It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China," Ma said, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. However, the Chinese response underscored a rapid degeneration in relations with the United States following recent strains over trade, climate change and Google's threat to quit China. Observers said China could yet go further by rejecting new UN sanctions on Iran. Hours before the announcement on Taiwan, the United States urged Beijing to help curb Iran's nuclear programme. "Cooperation between China and the US on key international and regional issues will also inevitably be affected," China's foreign ministry said. The defence ministry's Huang said the US package "runs counter" to commitments on cooperation outlined by the two governments when Obama visited China in November. "The Chinese side will never make concessions and compromise on this issue (Taiwan)," Huang told Xinhua. China refuses to rule out the use of force to reacquire Taiwan, and has hundreds of missiles deployed against the self-governing island of 23 million people, which split from the mainland in 1949. The last US arms package for Taiwan, announced under Obama's predecessor George W. Bush in 2008, also led China to cut off military relations with the United States temporarily. But this time the sanctions were more biting, and analysts said they reflected China's increased clout at a time when its economy looks set to overtake Japan's and its military budget is surging annually. The foreign ministry said China was suspending regular military exchanges and scheduled high-level talks on strategic security, arms control and non-proliferation. US arms firms would be specifically targeted, it said. In Washington, officials said the White House was committed to Taiwan's defence and denied it was picking a fight. Obama's national security advisor, former general James Jones, said the administration was being "transparent" with Beijing, which the United States recognises as the legal government for all of China. "But we are bent towards a new relationship with China as a rising power in the world, with influence on a variety of issues that go beyond the arms sales," he said. The Pentagon said it regretted Beijing's suspension of military exchanges. "We regret that the Chinese side has curtailed military-to-military and other exchanges," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told AFP. "We also regret Chinese action against US firms transferring defensive articles to Taiwan." Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei made an urgent official protest to the US ambassador in Beijing, Jon Huntsman, Chinese officials told AFP. In a statement to Huntsman, he urged Washington to cancel the deal, which he said constituted "crude interference in China's internal affairs that seriously endangers China's national security and damages China's peaceful reunification." Despite Washington's recognition of Beijing, Taiwan enjoys high-profile backers in the US Congress, which requires the administration to provide the island with weapons of a defensive nature. Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More »	left The US Department of Defense has notified Congress of a potential arms sale to Taiwan, with a value of $6 billion, that was first pledged by the Bush administration. The deal, that would include helicopters and anti-missile defences, angered China, who stated that the move would "seriously damage" US–China relations, as Beijing considers the island to be a break-away province of China, having split away after civil war in 1949. There is a stand-off between China and Taiwan. China has a large number of weapons aimed at Taiwan, and has threatened to use them in the past. Taiwan denounces this, warning that, if 1,500 missiles were not removed, relations between the two nations would deteriorate. The act of notifying Congress is a legal requirement and does not mean that the sale will go ahead. A thirty-day deadline is in place for politicians to decide on the proposition before it goes ahead. In a statement, the Pentagon listed the items being negotiated over, including 114 Patriot missiles and sixty helicopters. It will also include two minesweepers. The US is the main arms supplier for Taiwan. General James L. Jones, the National Security Advisor for the Obama administration, said that China had been fully consulted about the deal. "We all recognise that there are certain things that countries will do periodically that may not make everybody completely happy," he stated. However, he maintained that the US was "bent towards a new relationship" between themselves and China. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., Wang Baodong, said yesterday that the arms sale was a "gross intervention into China's internal affairs". He went on to assert that the trade "seriously endangers China's national security". Ties between the United States and China, already stretched by the recent row over internet censorship, in which Google threatened to withdraw its presence in the country, have been strained by the announcement. China maintains, according to a press release on 22 January, that the Internet in their country is "open", with the "most vibrant" sites based in China. Beijing wishes the United States to "respect each other's core interest", and to "ensure the healthy stable development" of their relationship.
The World's No.1 Science & Technology News Service ERROR Sorry there has been an error. The article you were looking for could not be found -- please try our search \|\|\|\|\| Published online: 12 December 2005; \| doi:10.1038/news051212-2 Burning oil depot plagues England's skies What are the consequences of the explosions near London? Mark Peplow A series of explosions at an oil depot just north of London has created one of the biggest industrial fires ever seen in Europe and injured 43 people. Starting at about 6:00 GMT on 11 December, a thick pall of black smoke has spread from the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, for more than 120 kilometres across southern England. As the fire rages on, Nature investigates efforts to damp the blaze, and asks about the environmental and health effects of the smoke. How did it start? No one knows for sure, but police say they have no reason to suspect foul play. How serious is it? Flames and smoke rise from the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England. © AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police "Any incident that you can see from space is not your average garden bonfire," says Zäl Rustom, who works for Hi-Bar UK, a pollution-response company in West Sussex. "It's major." But he adds that the fire now seems to be under control, and pipelines supplying the facility were shut off immediately after the explosions. Firefighters have 250,000 litres of foam concentrate at their disposal. This is added to water to make a thick blanket that starves a fire of oxygen. "The main problem now is the logistics of getting foam on top of the tanks," says Rustom. Roy Wilsher, Hertfordshire's chief fire officer, told a press conference on 12 December that it was impossible to say how long the blaze might burn. "We are in uncharted territory," he said. "This is the largest fire of its kind that we in the UK, and in Europe, have dealt with." What is burning? Up to 270 million litres of kerosene, diesel and gasoline, held in 20 storage tanks on the site. Half of those tanks' fires have now been extinguished. The facility is co-owned by Total and Texaco, but also used by oil companies such as BP and Shell. Much of the fuel at Buncefield is transported by train and pipeline to the nearby airports at Luton and Heathrow. What pollution is it producing? Smoke, mostly. And a research aircraft is now trying to find out more. "We're flying around the extremities of the plume as far as we can," says Steve Ball, who heads the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements, based at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire. The plane is normally used to monitor urban pollution, part of a joint project between the Met Office and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Today it is tracking the speed and shape of the cloud. The Met Office hopes this will help its researchers to forecast the plume's path. The cloud is currently being blown southwest. Researchers hope that the plane will return tomorrow with additional equipment that can sample the gases and particles in the smoke. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen are all pouring from the fire, along with tiny flecks of soot. "There will be hundreds of different molecules in there," says Met Office meteorologist Wayne Elliott. "And the smoke may continue even after the fire is out," he adds. What are the health effects? Health Protection Agency officials are advising that the smoke is likely to affect only those with existing respiratory problems, such as asthma. For those bothered by the smoke, staying indoors is the best precaution, they say. Colbeck adds that unless a person's exposure is exceedingly high, a one-off incident such as this shouldn't trigger any long-term health problems. Once the fire is out, local air quality should return to normal levels within a few days, says Ian Colbeck, an expert on the role of aerosols in the environment at the University of Essex, Colchester. What are the environmental effects? The cloud will contain pollutants known as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but it is unlikely that they could accumulate to a high enough concentration to cause severe environmental effects, says Dan Osborn of NERC's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Lancaster. "There's nothing in the cloud that isn't already in the environment," adds Osborn. The plume is also too small to have any direct effects on climate. England's rainy weather may also help to disperse the pollutants, spreading material over a wider area at lower concentration, so that toxic effects are less likely to build up. "If it does rain out, it should be less of a problem," says Osborn. England's rainy weather may also help to disperse the pollutants, spreading material over a wider area at lower concentration, so that toxic effects are less likely to build up. "If it does rain out, it should be less of a problem," says Osborn. The biggest potential difficulties could be caused by attempts to put the fire out, he adds. "When a mass of water goes into the ground, it can flush older contaminants out," Osborn says. "There has also been concern in recent years about the materials in fire-fighting foam." So the run-off mixture of foam, water and fuel will be contained within temporary reservoirs to avoid contaminations of water supplies. Top For full access to the site and the archive, subscribe here: To receive all the daily news in your inbox each week, sign up for our email alert here: To see the latest news visit our homepage Top \|\|\|\|\| Images of smoke and blasts In pictures Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has visited the scene of the blasts which injured 43 people, two seriously. The fire chief described the incident at the Buncefield fuel depot near Hemel Hempstead, after 0600 GMT, as possibly the largest in peacetime Europe. The M1 finally reopened around 2200 GMT after being closed for 12 hours. Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "The damage a fire of this intensity will cause may, or may not, leave clues for the fire investigation team." Junction 8 of the motorway, aswell as some slip roads, however, remain closed. The Highways Agency said it would review the situation on Monday morning. The fire, which police believe was an accident, could burn for another day. About 2,000 people living near the site have been evacuated, while police have advised others to keep their windows and doors closed because of fumes. Thick clouds of smoke are continuing to spread to the south-east and south-west of the site. One person admitted to Watford General Hospital in intensive care with respiratory problems has now been stabilised. Another person is in Hemel Hempstead Hospital being kept under observation. The other 41 people were treated for minor injuries and discharged. Witnesses said another two explosions followed the first at 0626 GMT and 0627 GMT at the site near junction 8. A security worker at the depot, Troy Woodland, described what happened. "I sat down and all of a sudden there was a huge orange light and a massive explosion which blew the doors through and knocked me off my chair, and the ceiling fell in," he told the BBC. Further explosions In total, 20 petrol tanks were involved, each said to hold three million gallons of fuel. Your experiences from the blast zone In pictures But Chief Con Whiteley said there was "nothing to suggest anything other than an accident". On his visit to the site Mr Prescott praised the response and offered government help but was told the emergency services were able to cope. Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "This is possibly the largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe." Fire chiefs are consulting oil industry experts about using millions of litres of foam to quell the blaze. But Mr Wilsher said they needed to know they had enough foam before they began. The BBC's Gavin Hewitt said about 100 firefighters were waiting to attack the blaze. Meanwhile samples of smoke are being taken to determine the long term effects of exposure, if any, according to Dr Jane Halpin, director of Hertfordshire Public Health. The blast was heard as far away as Holland She said: "However, what I would restate is that those people who are most at risk are those people who have inhaled the smoke." Tanker driver Paul Turner said he ran for his life after the explosion lifted him off his feet. "I just saw this great big ball of fire come up from behind the building. It was about 50 metres wide," he told the BBC. "Then there was the loudest explosion I have ever heard in my life. I got up, turned around and ran to my car and sped out of there as fast as I could." Many houses have been damaged, with some reporting feeling effects from the explosion as far away as Oxfordshire - while it was heard in a number of counties and even France and the Netherlands. School closures Eye witnesses reported buckled front doors, cracked walls and blown-out windows. Of the 2,000 people evacuated 290 people have gone to a leisure centre while 50 others have been offered bed and breakfast accommodation. HAVE YOUR SAY We heard an explosion and the whole house shook Anil Taank, Northwood, Middlesex Send us your experiences Read more of your comments Motorists have been told not to go "anywhere near the M1 from the M25 upwards". Hertfordshire police said about 70 schools in the Hemel Hempstead and St Albans areas would also be closed on Monday. At Heathrow airport some flights were forced to delay landing because of smoke, but Luton airport was operating as usual. The Buncefield depot is a major distribution terminal operated by Total and part-owned by Texaco, storing oil, petrol as well as kerosene which supplies airports across the region, including Heathrow and Luton. The country's fifth largest fuel distribution depot, it is also used by BP, Shell and British Pipeline. Police said there was no indication the explosion would cause fuel shortages and warned against panic-buying. A spokesman for Total said: "We are doing everything we can to support the emergency services and to bring the situation under control." A spokesman for the Department for Trade and Industry said it was too early to say what the effect would be on fuel supply but oil companies were getting oil from other parts of the south east and across the UK. A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said it would be investigating the incident. Concerned relatives can call a police casualty bureau on 0800 096 0095, or from abroad on 0207 1580125. \|\|\|\|\| Smoke and flames at the site Smoke and flames at the site Fire Crews Take On Blaze Hundreds of firefighters are preparing to tackle a raging inferno at a fuel depot ignited by a series of large explosions. Hertfordshire Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said fire crews were ready to mount "a sustained attack" on the fire using supplies of concentrated foam shipped in from round the country. The blast injured 43 people and has been described as the "largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe". The first blast near Hemel Hempstead was so powerful it rocked houses up to 40 miles away and was heard in Holland. More than 60 billion gallons of fuel erupted in a ball of flames hundreds of feet in the sky, creating an acrid cloud of smoke which is stretching for miles and moving south-eastwards. A picture sent to Sky News by a viewer A picture sent to Sky News by a viewer Most of the casualties had only minor injuries from flying glass but one person is seriously hurt and another is under observation in hospital. People near the smoke are being warned to stay inside and close all windows and doors. Authorities in the region have been handing out breathing masks. Dr Jane Haplin, of Hertfordshire Health Authority, said experts believed the smoke was largely made up of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which was reassuring. She said: "If there was going to be a large-scale reaction I would expect that we'd have started to see the signs of it by now and that doesn't seem to be happening." Breathing masks are needed Breathing masks are needed The first blast happened at the Buncefield depot, around 25 miles north of London, just after 6am. Two smaller blasts happened about 20 minutes later. Police have said that although the situation is now under control, they expect more blasts at the site, which stores 16 million litres of petrol, kerosene and diesel. Police have urged people not to panic-buy petrol. They say contingency plans are in place and there is "nothing to suggest" there will be a supply problem. All nine refineries in the UK are fully operational, with no problems related to the manufacture of petroleum or their distribution other than at Buncefield, an industry spokesman said. Map of the area Map of the area Houses near the depot have been evacuated and part of the M1 has been closed in both directions. Police say schools, libraries and day centres will be closed tomorrow and warned motorists to steer clear of the area. The cause of the explosions is not yet known but no third party - a plane or a terrorist - was involved. Thousands of viewers have contacted Sky News with reports it shook houses many miles away. Witnesses said buildings have been brought down and the roofs of houses were lifted by the force. One witness said he was near the site when the blasts happened and he saw a building "open up like a doll's house". Sky News Correspondent Geoff Meade heard the blast at his home and broke the news to the nation. He immediately called Sky Centre in west London, which was also shook by the explosions, and described "burning tongues" of flames in the sky. :: An emergency hotline has been set up to help anyone concerned about friends or relatives. The number is 0800 096 0095. \|\|\|\|\| UK fuel depot fire contained LONDON, England (CNN) -- British authorities say they have contained a fire raging at a fuel depot that injured 43 people, but it will take a day to burn itself out. The blast followed a series of explosions at the facility about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London early Sunday, lighting up the predawn sky and sparking a massive blaze. Britain has been on edge for terrorist attacks since four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters in July on London's transport system, but a police statement ruled out any attack. "All indications are, at this stage, that this was an accident," Hertfordshire Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said. "However, clearly we will keep an open mind ... until we can confirm that for certain." Forty-three people were taken to hospitals for their injuries, Whitely said, but the majority were "walking casualties." All but two have been released, he said, and those two do not have life-threatening injuries. Although firefighting units with more than 150 firefighters were on the scene, authorities said the fire may have to burn itself out. "Given the latest info on the fire, the fire is likely to continue for the next 24 hours or so," Whitely said. "It could go into days," Roy Wilsher, fire department spokesman, told reporters. He described the fire as "the largest I've seen." Wilsher said 250 million liters (more than 66 million gallons) of foam concentrate -- to be mixed with water to create flame suppressant foam -- was "on the way to us." "We're working with the oil industry experts to see if even that's enough," he said. About 20 petroleum tanks were thought to be involved in the blaze at the Buncefield Oil Depot near Hemel Hempstead, said Jane Vine, spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue. "What we're really concerned about is toxic smoke from the area," Vine told CNN. "There's a heavy cloud. We don't know if it's toxic, but we're asking people in Hemel Hempstead to keep their windows and doors closed and stay inside." The smoke was drifting slowly east, Whiteley said. Residents closest to the depot were being evacuated, she said, and nearby roads, including the M1 and M10, were closed. "What we really want is for people to keep away from the area." Nearby residents left quickly, some throwing possessions in the backs of their cars. Whiteley said those with doors and windows damaged by the blasts should leave. Whitely said more explosions were possible, but they would not be as powerful as the first blasts. Hemel Hempstead residents reported hearing a loud boom about 6 a.m. local time. Two other blasts followed, British television network ITN reported, at 6:26 and 6:27 a.m. The network showed flames shooting an estimated 80 to 100 meters (up to 300 feet) in the air, along with an immense cloud of smoke blocking out the sun. Witnesses told ITN the blasts shattered windows and caused other damage at nearby homes. As the smoke spread across Hemel Hempstead, witnesses said there was a strange taste in the air. "It's a horrible feeling in the back of your throat," Andy Dicker told the network. "Very unpleasant." At least one of the blasts was enough to wake residents of west London, some 40 miles away. Video from the scene showed heavy damage to buildings at the depot and nearby roads covered in debris from the blasts. Witness Simon Heyward described to ITN seeing "what looked like fireworks shooting up into the sky." Police, he said, had cordoned off the area. Another woman said she thought the noise was an earthquake or a plane crash at the Luton Airport. "It was that kind of intense noise," she said. Texaco owns 40 percent of Buncefield, but does not operate the facility. The other 60 percent is owned by Total, according to Texaco-Chevron UK and U.S.-based Texaco. No American workers were at the site, a Texaco USA spokesman said. Although the terminal is the fifth-largest in Britain, Whiteley told reporters there should be no concern about a fuel shortage. \|\|\|\|\| EXPLOSION AT BUNCEFIELD OIL DEPOT By Susie ODea Police and other emergency services are attending the area of Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead this morning following reports of an explosion just after 6am. There is nothing to suggest at this stage that this is anything other than an accident although we are keeping an open mind. Contrary to rumours circulating there is also nothing to suggest that a plane is involved in this incident. The M1 motorway is closed in both directions from Junction 9 the A5 to junction 6a at the M25 interchange. The M10 motorway is also completely closed in both directions as well as some artillery roads in Hemel Hempstead. Drivers are advised to completely avoid the area and find alternative routes. As soon as we have any more information in relation to this incident we will place updates onto this site. \|\|\|\|\| Police and emergency crews raced to the scene of the blasts Fires still burn in Hemel Hempstead 11.39PM, Sun Dec 11 2005 Fires are still burning after massive explosions at an oil terminal in Hertfordshire. Two people were seriously injured among 43 reported casualties following a series of blasts which rocked the Buncefield depot near Hemel Hempstead. There were no fatalities. The force of the blasts could be heard up to 40 miles away as flames shot more than 200 feet into the sky. It has been described as the biggest explosion in peacetime Europe. Despite residents reporting they heard the sound of a plane overhead before the explosions, Hertfordshire Police Chief Constable Frank Whiteley told a news conference they are treating the incident as an accident. The first blast happened just after 6am on Sunday at the fuel terminal in Leverstock Green, Herts, close to junction 8 of the M1. The motorway was closed for around twelve hours. The depot, which holds huge stocks of various fuels, also supplies aviation fuel for Heathrow and Luton airports. Chief Constable Whiteley said: "We cannot be 100 per cent sure of the cause at this stage because we are still interviewing witnesses. But there is nothing to suggest anything other than an accident. "Those injured appear to be the people working on the site and working nearby. They suffered injuries from broken glass and that kind of thing." It is thought that the fire could burn for days but there are unlikely to be further explosions. Police from neighbouring forces in London, Essex and Bedfordshire were drafted in to help with the situation. Officers have been in contact with anti-terrorist officers who were carrying out investigations as part of the inquiry. Government officials and police made necessary security checks at other fuel terminals. Chief Constable Whiteley said police had no reason to suspect any terrorist connection to the explosion, nor were wider inquiries undertaken by the anti-terrorist branch. Mar 24: Texas oil refinery blast kills 14 Sep 17, 2004: Nigerian pipeline blast kills dozens \|\|\|\|\| Hemel oil fire will take another day to put out By Phil Crowther UPDATED 10.35pm GMT, Eye Witness Report: Sixteen hours after a series of explosions ripped apart the Buncefield fuel depot outside Hemel Hempstead, the plant continues to burn in the winter darkness. The fire is contained but a blanket of pollution is spreading across south east England. Exhausted fire services, fighting the blaze since first light today, are reforming tonight for an assault on the inferno at dawn tomorrow which will see thousands of gallons of foam per minute hurled at the flames. Earlier today, the east side of Hemel Hempstead lay shrouded in a choking brown fog, and the skyline resembled an erupting volcano. The casualty count of 43 injured, two seriously, remained stable all afternoon. In what police have described as the biggest explosion and fire of its kind since World War II, it is a miracle no one has been killed. Numerous houses near the plant have been damaged, and as the towering smoke continues to drift south over London thick fresh filth belches into a cloudless night sky. The fuel capacity of the depot is believed to be in the region of 60m gallons stored in at least 26 colossal tanks. Holding primarily petrol and kerosene, highly flammable jet engine fuel, Buncefield is a major supplier of Luton and Heathrow airports. Further explosions have not been ruled out, but they are now unlikely as emergency services fence the fire into the northern half of the plant. The initial explosions, which were felt as far afield as Surrey and Oxfordshire, shook the entire town of Hemel between 06.03am and six-thirty, smashing windows, cracking walls and bringing people running from their homes. It could burn for another 24 hours Police Local hospitals began receiving the walking wounded before 7.00am, mostly those cut by flying glass. Police have declared the explosions a major industrial accident, though Total Oil which operates the depot (alongside Texaco) has accounted for all its people on site. The M1 motorway which runs close by the depot was closed both ways between junctions 6a and 12 earlier today, but it has since reopened. advertisement Those Hemel residents determined to go out just stand and stare. People are wandering around with cameras and phones taking pictures of nothing but a solid wall of smoke. Some started panic buying at the petrol pumps. My own apartment building, which lies just three miles from the Buncefield plant, shook me awake shortly after 6.00am, and my first thought was that a train had crashed near Apsley station. Within moments, however, a colossal tower of smoke was visible from my windows over the Grand Union Canal and it was clear that disaster had struck Buncefield. "It's a brilliant day but the sun is just like a 40 watt light bulb through the smoke," said one eye witness. Though the fumes are not believed to be toxic, the air over the town tastes acrid and police are advising people to close doors and windows. Luton Airport, ten miles away, remains open. Fuel supplies to both airports will not be disrupted. A casualty information number has been set up: 0800 096 0095 \|\|\|\|\| Please try the following: If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly. Open the home page, and then look for links to the information you want. Click the Back button to try another link. HTTP 404 - File not found Immediacy Content Management	Location of Hemel Hempstead within the UK A shot of the fire taken near the depot A series of large explosions have occurred close to Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire, UK. The source of the explosions has been confirmed as the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal (HOSL), Hemel Hempstead, known locally as the Buncefield complex. Up to 150 fire fighters are reported to be at the scene with 10 fire appliances and 1 specialist foamer. The first 'blast' was heard near Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 11 Dec at 6 am. Further smaller explosions followed at 6:24am , 6:26am, 6:30am. BBC News 24 reported an additional, fourth large explosion. Hertfordshire Police Constabulary are currently treating the explosion as an accident. Reports say the explosion, which registered 2.4 on the Richter scale, was heard as far away as Oxford, and Whitehall, Central London which is 60km (38 miles) away. Eyewitness statements report that the explosion was heard from at least 160km (100 miles) away and as far away as France and The Netherlands. Pilots reported noticing the blast from the North Sea and the West Country area of the UK. The M1 motorway which runs close by has been closed in both directions near the blast which is causing travel chaos as other roads become congested. Malcom Stewart, a BBC News24 eyewitness who is a tanker driver for the site has reported that the site supplies several oil companies and is a joint operation between Total UK and Texaco, it is also used by BP, Shell and the British Pipeline association. The complex is not a refinery but a storage facility for refined petroleum awaiting distribution to airports and filling stations. The eyewitness reports that the depot has approximately 20 tanks which can hold about 3 million gallons (11 million litres or 70,000 barrels) each. Another News24 eyewitness has just reported that he has seen at least 5 of these tanks on fire. Satellite image of Hemel Hempstead fuel explosion showing black smoke from the explosion near London The depot operates on a 24 hour basis and is split into 2 parts - aviation fuel and domestic fuel. A number of eyewitnesses have reported on UK news that the aviation fuel side appears to be the part of the site that has been affected. Local authorities were not immediately available for comment but there have been reports of casualties. Some reports on live television state that, "Several other neighbours said they did see a plane go into the depot." BBC News 24 were also discussing the idea a possible plane crash as the cause of the explosions. Hertfordshire police have now gone on the record to say that there is no plane involved (BBC News24). The police have issued a contact number 0800 096 0095 and asked that people do not call the emergency services in Hertfordshire directly unless it is an emergency. Buncefield Fire, taken from Dunsmore, Bucks - about 20miles away. In addition to being an oil storage depot, it is a major hub on the UK oil pipeline network with pipelines to Killingholme Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR), Humberside (10 inch), Merseyside (10 and 12 inch), Coryton on the Thames Estuary (14 inch) and Heathrow (6 and 8 inch) and Gatwick airports radiating from it. The disaster is believed to be the worst explosion at a petrochemical plant in the UK since the Flixborough disaster of 1974. Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "This is possibly the largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe." A firefighting press officer said that they are stock piling foam from neighboring regions for a prolonged attach which they hope will stop the spread of the fire, however, the inferno itself will have to burn out which could take between 24 hours and a few days. Despite the authorities saying that there is no need to panic buy petrol, filling stations have had above average queues since this morning and some small garages have ran out. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has visited the scene. Smoke Viewed from St Albans
2015/08/21 09:28 (ATTN: ADDS more details throughout) SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered front-line troops to have full combat readiness against South Korea as he declared a "quasi-state of war," the North's state media said Friday, raising tension after both Koreas exchanged fire across the western border. Kim convened an emergency meeting of the central military commission of the Workers' Party hours after the exchange of fire and ordered chief commanders to go to front-line troops to prepare for military operations, the North's Korean Central Television reported. "Commanders of the Korean People's Army were hastily dispatched to the front-line troops to command military operations to destroy psychological warfare tools if the enemy does not stop the propaganda broadcast within 48 hours and prepare against the enemy's possible counteractions," the broadcaster said. The exchange started when the North fired shells into a South Korean front-line military unit on Thursday afternoon, which prompted South Korean troops to counter with artillery fire. No casualties were reported. Shortly after the shelling, North Korea issued a fresh threat to take military action if South Korea does not stop its anti-Pyongyang propaganda campaign. The two Koreas have traded a war of words over the broadcasts that South Korea resumed on Aug. 10 in retaliation for a land mine attack earlier this month that left two South Korean soldiers severely injured. South Korea accused the North of planting the mines inside the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, a charge denied by North Korea. North Korea has bristled at South Korea's propaganda campaign amid concern that an influx of outside information could pose a threat to its leader. North Korea has threatened to carry out "indiscriminate strikes" on South Korea unless Seoul halts the broadcasts. The North warned Thursday that it would take strong military action if the South does not end border propaganda broadcasts and dismantles the broadcast facilities "within 48 hours." South Korea has ordered its military to be on top alert, vowing to sternly deal with any North Korean provocations. The government also said it has taken measures to ensure the safety of its nationals who are temporarily staying in the North. It said it will put a partial ban on the entry of its nationals into Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North where a total of 124 South Korean smaller firms are running factories with about 54,000 North Korean workers employed. ejkim@yna.co.kr sooyeon@yna.co.kr (END) \|\|\|\|\| South Korea has fired artillery rounds towards North Korea after the dictatorship fired a projectile towards a South Korean loudspeaker that had been blaring anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, the defence ministry in Seoul has said. North Korea did not immediately respond to the shots, it said on Thursday, as tensions rose on the peninsula. South Korea said its detection equipment had spotted the trajectory of a suspected North Korean projectile, which did not appear to have damaged the loudspeaker or caused any injuries. “Our military has stepped up monitoring and is closely watching North Korean military movements,” South Korea’s defence ministry said in a statement. South Korea’s military raised its alert status to the highest level. There was no mention of the firing in North Korean state media, which does not typically make immediate comments on events. The suspected North Korean projectile landed in an area about 35 miles (56km) north of Seoul in the western part of the border zone, the defence ministry said. South Korean residents in the area were ordered to evacuate, according to the Yonhap news agency. Yonhap reported that the projectile appeared to have landed in a mountainous area near a South Korean military base in the town of Yeoncheon. South Korea’s presidential office said it had convened a meeting of the national security council. The exchange of fire was the first between the two Koreas since last October, when North Korean soldiers approached the border and did not retreat after the south fired warning shots, the South Korean defence ministry said at the time. The north’s soldiers fired back in an exchange of gunfire that lasted about 10 minutes, with no casualties. Tension between the two countries has risen since early this month when landmine explosions in the demilitarised zone wounded two South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused North Korea of laying the mines, which Pyongyang has denied. Seoul then began blasting anti-North Korean propaganda from loudspeakers on the border, resuming a tactic that both sides had halted in 2004. North Korea on Saturday demanded that the south halt the broadcasts or face military action, and on Monday began conducting its own broadcasts. Thursday’s exchange of fire came amid ongoing annual joint US and South Korean military exercises, which began on Monday and which North Korea condemns as preparations for war. The two Koreas have remained in a technical state of war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.	According to news agency, quoting 's main news agency (KCNA), the country's military has been placed on high alert and has been told to prepare a "quasi-state of war". The report comes after North and exchanged artillery fire yesterday. "War maniacs of the South Korean puppet military made another grave provocation to the DPRK in the central western sector of the front on Thursday afternoon. They perpetrated such reckless action as firing 36 shells at KPA civil police posts under the absurd pretext that the KPA fired one shell at the south side. Six shells of them hit the area near KPA civil police posts 542 and 543 and other 15 shells fell near KPA civil police posts 250 and 251," said KCNA. "Foolhardy provocation deserves harsh punishment," it added; and, later, " issued an order of the supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army KPA that the front-line large combined units of the KPA should enter a wartime state to be fully battle ready to launch surprise operations." Yesterday, North Korea fired artillery rounds aimed at a loudspeaker in South Korea that broadcasts anti- propaganda into the North. "Commanders of the Korean People's Army were hastily dispatched to the front-line troops to command military operations to destroy psychological warfare tools if the enemy does not stop the propaganda broadcast within 48 hours and prepare against the enemy's possible counteractions," added KCNA. No injuries or deaths were reported in the attacks from either side, but South Korea evacuated about 80 people in the town of after at least one shell landed near the area. The South retaliated by firing dozens of rounds of artillery into the north. South Korea had recently started to broadcast propaganda from loudspeakers after an 11-year lull. The broadcasts began on August 10 and South Korea says the broadcasts will continue. After the exchange of fire, North Korea stated it would attack any loudspeakers broadcasting propaganda and would respond, militarily, within 48 hours if the broadcasts do not stop. Both countries have put their militaries on high levels of alert. == Sources == * * * *
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. \|\|\|\|\| By Sarah Rainsford BBC News, Ankara Unofficial results prompted wild street celebrations by supporters Turkey's powerful military warned it would intervene to protect the republic, if required. This Sunday, 46.4% of the electorate cast their votes for the AKP across the country, proving they did not believe in any such danger. It was a resounding victory and, as the results rolled in, there was euphoria at the brand new party headquarters in the city. Hundreds of people thronged outside, waving orange and blue party flags. There was singing and dancing in the streets. Passing cars were draped in party flags too, passengers hanging out of the windows. "It is very exciting. It will be very good for Turkey," said Sadi, one of the supporters. He voted for the AKP so democratic reforms would continue, moving Turkey closer to the European Union. But the AKP has its roots in political Islam. So does this second term success mean Turkish society is becoming more religious and more introverted? Sadi disagreed. "Today nearly half of the people voted AKP, and half of all people here do not want Turkey to be an Islamic society," he explained. "I don't want that. I want more democracy." From a balcony overlooking the crowd of supporters, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's democracy had "successfully passed a test". "Our unity, democracy and republic have emerged stronger from the ballot box," he added. Dogu Ergil, a political analyst, says the AKP's victory was "a vote for stability and continuity". It was also helped significantly by a feel-good factor created by the economy doing well, and the failure of the main opposition parties to unite against the AKP. Military 'squeezed' But for many Turks, the strong AKP showing at this general election was primarily a backlash against the role of the military and secular establishment in the controversial presidential vote earlier this year - that is what sparked the entire crisis. Turkish voters give their verdict on the election result In pictures "This election sends a very clear signal to the military and the bureaucracy not to meddle," analyst Ihsan Dagi says. "In that sense, I think the result is a slap in the face for the military." Newspaper columnist Burak Bekdil agrees that Turkey's generals, who paint themselves as the protectors of the republic, will be unable to intervene any further without losing legitimacy. "The military will feel squeezed by this election - they can't act against such a large majority," he says. "That will really limit their room for manoeuvre against what they see as an Islamist threat to Turkey's constitutional regime." Presidential dilemma When it is time for the new parliament to try again to elect a president, AKP leaders will be under great pressure from the party faithful to nominate Mr Gul once again. Secularists say Abdullah Gul has a hidden Islamist agenda When he appeared with his wife at party headquarters on Sunday, the crowds shouted: "Gul for president". But Professor Ergil does not believe the party will nominate the foreign minister again. "They won't want to jeopardise their new legitimacy," he says. "There are other people they can nominate. This party is new and it's learning all the time." Like many here, Professor Ergil believes the AKP has moved to the centre of the political playing field in Turkey. That is a dramatic U-turn from its leaders' Islamist past - the reason some Turks still do not trust them. An opposition supporter, Fadik, claims the AKP are against the republic. "They are not following the path of our great leader, Ataturk - they're completely against him," she says. "Instead of moving forwards, Turkey is going backwards in every way." Another, Deniz, believes Turkey's secular society is already changing. "This high percentage vote for them is dangerous," she says. "We didn't used to see women wearing chadors on the streets before. Covered women didn't used to give you condemning looks." But the fears of people like Deniz failed to keep the AKP from power. And now they are back with a stronger mandate than ever. That could mean this whole crisis is resolved, or it could mean phase two has just begun. \|\|\|\|\| Mr Erdogan said that "democracy has passed a very important test" Mr Erdogan also said his Islamist-rooted AK Party would seek national unity and respect Turkey's secular constitution. Unofficial results gave the AK Party about 47% of the vote, prompting wild street celebrations by supporters. Opponents have warned that an AKP win could undermine Turkey's secularism. The election was called after opposition parties in parliament blocked the AK Party's nominee for the post of president, causing political deadlock. But despite his election win, Mr Erdogan will lack the two-thirds parliamentary majority to force through his presidential choice. In the capital Ankara, Mr Erdogan told jubilant supporters that the AKP victory was a triumph for democracy. He promised to "press ahead with reforms and the economic development that we have been following so far". "We will continue to work with determination to achieve our European Union goal," he said. The prime minister also vowed to continue the fight against Kurdish rebels in the east of Turkey. Fewer seats Although the AKP has been returned to power with a larger share of the vote, the presence of a third political party in the parliament means it will have fewer seats, the BBC's Pam O'Toole says. The AKP's 47% means it would get up to 341 seats in the 550-member parliament. Two opposition parties won the 10% share needed to guarantee seats in parliament - the secularist Republican People's Party (CHP) polled 20%, and the right-wing Nationalist Action Party (MHP) 14%. Estimates said the CHP would win up to 112 seats and the MHP some 70 seats, with up to 27 going to independent candidates, including pro-Kurdish politicians. 'Ringing endorsement' The election was touted as one of the most important in Turkey's history and turnout was reported to be extremely high, with many people breaking off holidays to return home to vote. The key test now, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Ankara, will be who the party puts forward for president and whether or not it is willing to compromise. HAVE YOUR SAY As a secular Turk I have every confidence that Turkey has a great future in the hands of Prime Minister Erdogan and his party. Dr Hasan Ferit Boysan, London Send your reaction He is a devout Muslim and his wife wears the Islamic headscarf. It is not clear how the staunchly secularist military will react to the re-election of the AKP. During the deadlock over the presidency, the army said it was prepared to step in to defend Turkey's secular system. The current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and the secularist establishment have vowed to resist what they regard as the Islamist agenda of the AKP. Mr Erdogan's government dismisses that portrayal, pointing to its record of five years of economic growth and the start of membership negotiations with the EU. And, our correspondent says, with this massive of vote of confidence in the AKP, almost half of the population have turned out to show they do not believe it is any threat to Turkey's secular system. With such a clear mandate, the AKP may be tempted to nominate Abdullah Gul again, she says, though most believe the party will look for consensus to avoid dragging the country back into chaos. \|\|\|\|\| ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Monday celebrated a decisive poll victory but now faces challenges over delayed presidential elections, Kurdish separatist violence and Ankara’s troubled EU bid. Turkey's ruling AK Party supporters celebrate the results of the national elections in front of the party headquarters in Ankara, July 22, 2007. REUTERS/Umit Bektas His AK Party boosted its share of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections to 47 percent despite opposition efforts to portray his pro-business party, which has Islamist roots, as a Trojan horse set to turn Turkey into an Iran-style theocracy. It was a personal triumph for Erdogan, who called the poll early after the army-backed secular elite blocked his choice of an ex-Islamist ally as the next president — the first divisive issue parliament must tackle after it convenes next week. “We will resolve this matter (presidential election) without causing tensions,” Erdogan told a news conference. Financial markets rallied on a result that keeps in power the party most favorable to foreign investment, without any need for coalition wrangling, but does not make it so strong as to provoke the army, guarantor of Turkey’s secular system. The lira currency hit its highest levels against the dollar in more than two years, bonds soared and Istanbul’s stock exchange jumped five percent to a record close. Although unofficial results gave the AK Party 47 percent of the vote, up more than 12 points on 2002, a stronger nationalist opposition means it will get 340 out of 550 seats, slightly fewer than now. Parliament in one of the world’s few Muslim democracies will now feel very different, with ultra-nationalists and two dozen pro-Kurdish independents in for the first time in years. Foreign Secretary David Miliband of Britain, an ally of Turkey in the EU, said: “It’s very important that across Europe we reach out to the new government in Turkey when it is formed. A stable and secure Turkey is massively in our interests.” A U.S. State Department spokesman congratulated the Turkish people on holding what he said was a free and fair election. “I would point out that we have had a very good working relationship with Prime Minister Erdogan and his government, and that we have faith in Turkey’s secular democracy,” he said. Erdogan, controversial but popular, vowed in his victory speech to pursue political and economic reforms to join the European Union and made conciliatory noises towards his foes. COMPROMISE PRESIDENT? Turks are now watching to see if that turns into compromise over a choice of president to replace staunchly secular Ahmet Necdet Sezer, a fierce critic of the AK Party whose term is up. A crisis was sparked when the army, which ousted an Islamist predecessor of Erdogan’s party 10 years ago, rejected the candidacy of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as president, fearing he would erode the republic’s separation of religion and state. “The only danger at the moment is failure to reach an accord over the presidency,” said Erdal Saglam, a columnist for the top-selling Hurriyet newspaper. The prime minister said he would discuss with Gul, who was deeply disappointed at failing to secure the post earlier this year, whether he would remain the party’s candidate. Influential State Minister Besir Atalay told Reuters that Gul, who helped secure Ankara’s EU accession talks, was still the best candidate to become head of state. Erdogan must tread gingerly between supporters who hope his victory means fewer religious restrictions in public life, such as the ban on headscarves at university, and the army generals. The AK Party, which likes to compare itself with Germany’s Christian Democrats, is expected to move more to the centre of Turkish politics after more liberal-minded members won seats. Two other, secularist, parties made it into parliament — the nationalist Republican People’s Party (CHP) with 112 seats and the far-right National Movement Party (MHP) with 71. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the government must press on with reforms required of Turkey in stalled EU entry talks. Once EU enthusiasts, Turks have grown cooler after rows over Cyprus and unpalatable domestic reforms. Slideshow (11 Images) Nationalists will resist more rights for ethnic and religious minorities as well as other reforms sought by the EU and will also press Erdogan to send troops into northern Iraq to root out Turkish Kurdish separatist rebels taking refuge there. Turkish security forces have been battling the PKK rebels since 1984 in a conflict that has cost more than 30,000 lives.	The Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey secured a solid mandate in Turkish general election, held yesterday. Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could celebrate getting 46.5% of the vote, more than 12% better than the last poll in 2002, his party will have to settle for slightly fewer seats in Turkey's parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. AKP will now have 340 seats versus 353 formerly. Before a cheering crowd, Erdoğan said yesterday: "We've passed an important test of democracy that is an example to the world. The people have pronounced the Justice and Development Party as the central political power in Turkey." Abdullah Gül in 2005 AKP called this election, ahead of schedule, after opposition parties boycotted the vote on AKP's presidential candidate, Abdullah Gül, and the Constitutional Court annulled the result. Speaking about the issue of the presidency, Erdoğan told a news conference: "We will resolve this matter without causing tensions." United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Miliband, said: "It's very important that across Europe we reach out to the new government in Turkey when it is formed. A stable and secure Turkey is massively in our interests." In Washington, spokesperson Tony Snow said: "It was a free and fair election, and Turkey remains an important ally of the U.S." EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the government must move forward on reforms as EU entry talks have stalled. "We expect the new government will be formed swiftly. It is essential that the new government will re-launch the legal and economic reforms with full determination and concrete results," he told reporters. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), saw the greatest growth in support. Although in 2002, they pulled nearly 6% in support it was not enough for any seats. The 14.3% achieved in this election, got the MHP 71 seats. The general secretary of the party said it won't seek to create tensions. The Republican People's Party (CHP) was dealt the biggest setback in the election. CHP saw an erosion in support that cost them 66 seats, leaving them with 112. "The only danger at the moment is failure to reach an accord over the presidency," said election observer and columnist for Hürriyet, Erdal Saglam.
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. \|\|\|\|\| SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- More than a half million people had been ordered from San Diego County homes Tuesday as wildfires rage from the Mexican border to north of Los Angeles. Fire burns early Tuesday in Chula Vista, south of San Diego, in a photo from Norman Arroyo. more photos » Across Southern California, more than 1,300 homes had been reduced to ashes, officials said Tuesday. About 1,000 homes have been destroyed in San Diego County alone. A second civilian has died in the wildfires, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday afternoon. It provided no details. Fears grew north of Los Angeles that the winds may fan three wildfires into one monster blaze. Some officials feared there were not adequate resources available to fight such a blaze. Watch a fire official describe "utter devastation" » Those fires threaten more than 56,000 homes. In San Diego County, at least 513,000 residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters, schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas Tuesday. Twelve thousand more were advised but not ordered to evacuate. The U.S. Navy ordered sailors out of barracks in the area and onto ships to make room for evacuees. A spokesman for the county's emergency effort told Sacramento TV station KCRA that the evacuations amount to "a mass migration." New evacuation orders are being added frequently to the San Diego Office of Emergency Services Web site. San Diego City Councilman Brian Maienschein is walking neighborhoods and helping compile a list of homes that have been destroyed or badly damaged. He said officials will post the list on the city's Web site soon. "People are worried," he said. "They just want to know, even if their homes are destroyed." And officials said the crisis is far from over. "It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," San Diego Fire Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli said Tuesday. Firefighters expected no break from the winds fueling the fires until midday Thursday, said Harvey Johnson, deputy administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At least 17 wildfires have scorched about 425 square miles from north of Los Angeles to southeast of San Diego since the weekend. Three of those fires were added to the list Tuesday. Despite having 21 years experience as a firefighter, Arthur Jackson marveled at the fires he battled. "It is just amazing how this fire selects whatever it wants and burns whatever it wants," he told CNN. Despite toiling in 24-hour shifts, Jackson said he and his fellow firefighters were "holding up pretty good." What weighed heaviest on them was not so much the physical exertion, he said, but knowing they had failed to protect all of the structures. For some, the failure was more than a professional concern. "Some of the firefighters -- their own homes have burned up," he said. In an e-mail to CNN, Jonathan Gallen, a doctor in Poway, described how the fires quickly closed in on his neighborhood Monday. "My pool was completely black with soot. Like the 'Creature From the Black Lagoon' was about to walk out of there," Gallen wrote. "The soot was falling so heavily that it blocked out the sun. There was a smoke cloud above our home that seemed to stretch for miles. This was bad." National Guard troops were posted at Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, as it became a temporary home to 12,000 to 15,000 fire evacuees, according to the mayor's office in San Diego. Watch evacuees try to pass the time as they worry about their homes » Volunteers tried to keep spirits up by handing out chairs, cots, food and water. Many evacuees had red eyes from fatigue and smoke irritation. Among the volunteers was Tony Bradley, a restaurant worker by night and a magician by day. He strode through the crowd captivating youngsters by twisting balloons into the shapes of animals. "That's what I'm here for, just to make them happy, make them forget about what's going on," he said. Five of San Diego's 23 emergency shelters reached capacity Monday evening. Sean McGough and his family fled their home in El Cajon for Qualcomm early Tuesday as the flames arrived. "I looked out and saw the mountain engulfed in flames with a trail at least three miles long coming down," McGough said. "When I went to bed at midnight, nothing in the East County was any immediate threat. ... Two hours later is when we got the news we needed to get out of our homes." Impact Your World See how you can make a difference Anticipating more arrivals at the stadium, the Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered 25,000 cots early Tuesday afternoon. President Bush issued an emergency declaration Tuesday for seven California counties, clearing the way for federal disaster relief. The president will visit the area Thursday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Emergency officials asked for food and water for evacuees and told those still in their homes to cut electrical use so the power grid is not strained. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Administration chief David Paulison flew to California Tuesday to get a first-hand look at relief efforts. The response has been improved because of lessons learned from the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, officials said. The Witch Fire consumed 164,000 acres, 500 homes and 100 commercial buildings between Sunday afternoon and early Tuesday, moving on a fast 20-mile westward path from its origins near Ramona into the more populated San Diego city limits and across Interstate 15. The Pacific coast was barely five miles west of the fire line early Tuesday. See photos of the fires » "It's probably the worst this county has ever had, well in excess of the Cedar Fire. ... It looks like it's going to get worse, and we want everybody to be prepared and understand," San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender said. Bush's declaration covers the same seven counties that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cited Monday: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. See where fires burn across Southern California » The U.S. Marines' Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, told only "key and essential personnel" to report to duty Tuesday. The Rice Fire is burning east of the base. At about 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET), there were two fires burning on the property of Camp Pendleton. Residents of Fallbrook, adjacent to Camp Pendleton, evacuated as the Rice Fire burned 1,500 acres, destroyed 50 homes and damaged 30 more in nearby Rice Canyon. A "major natural gas line leading into" Fallbrook was ruptured Tuesday afternoon and is on fire, according to the California Highway Patrol Web site. Southeast of San Diego, the Harris Fire burned 25,000 acres. The blaze claimed the one life on Sunday and injured 17 civilians and five firefighters. Watch report of a man who fled fire in Chula Vista » Officials said they're concerned about the fire spreading to San Miguel Mountain, the site of important communications towers. Early Tuesday, a new fire was reported on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, northeast of Escondido, according to a state fire report monitored by the San Diego Union-Tribune. The fire has destroyed 40 houses, and people were being evacuated to the nearby Palomar Observatory, the report said. In northern Los Angeles County, three fires have charred nearly 93,000 acres, and fire officials said they fear the Ranch, Buckweed and Magic fires could merge. "We want to keep these fires as small as we can," said Capt. Barry Parker of the Ventura County Fire Department. If they come together, he said, "the only good thing is we would be able to share more resources." He added, "But we would rather keep the fires individually fought." The 54,000-acre Ranch Fire grew by nearly 20,000 acres overnight and is two miles away from the 1,200-acre Magic Fire. The blazes were straddling the line between Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Parker said he wasn't sure if they had enough resources. "We're using a limited amount of resources to go in and fight these fires," he said. "We've got about 600 people on the Ranch Fire; we normally would have about 1,500. "So we have to be absolutely surgical in how we plan and how we tactically use our fire equipment because we just simply don't have enough fire engines in the state of California to battle these blazes." Two fires that erupted Monday in San Bernardino County near Lake Arrowhead have destroyed at least 123 structures and charred 1,800 acres, said Loretta Benavidez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino National Forest. Several communities in the area, including Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear and Running Springs, were evacuated. Aerial views of the Lake Arrowhead fires showed more homes burning there Tuesday. E-mail to a friend CNN's Dan Simon contributed to this report. All About Wildfires \|\|\|\|\| BY CORKY SIEMASZKO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER A firefighter lights backfires to protect the neighborhood of Bonita as fires continue to wreak destruction across Southern California. A swimming pool is coated with ash in the wealthy enclave of Rancho Santa Fe. • October 1991: Oakland hills of Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay area; 1,520 acres; 3,276 homes and apartments destroyed; 25 people killed. Cause: A flying ember from a fire believed to have been contained ignited a tree. • November 1993: Malibu area of Los Angeles County; 18,000 acres; 323 homes destroyed; three deaths. Cause: arson. It was among more than 20 that killed four people, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and consumed 193,814 acres over two weeks. • October 2003: Near San Diego; 273,000 acres; 4,847 structures destroyed; 15 deaths. Cause: Accidentally started by a hunter. It was among 15 wildfires that killed 22 people, destroyed 3,640 homes and blackened 750,000 acres of Southern California over two weeks. Some of the worst wildfires in California since the 1930s, based on deaths, destruction or acreage burned: President Bush declared a state of emergency in Southern California today as hellish firestorms stoked by Santa Ana winds forced thousands more to abandon their homes. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," Bush said. "We send the help of the federal government." Bush, who was widely criticized for the botched federal response to Hurricane Katrina, promised help on Day 3 of the fiery cataclysm that has consumed more than 1,000 homes, burned through more than 400 square miles and turned 300,000 Californians into refugees. "We've learned from the past," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "Everybody is working together." Marines newly returned from Iraq were mustered to help exhausted firefighters battle blazes that appeared to ignite out of nowhere, smeared the sky with smoke - and sent walls of flames marching across the scrub brush from the mountains to the Pacific Coast. "We are getting very strong northeast winds," Capt. Don Camp, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told The Associated Press. "They are very erratic, causing us to modify our procedures." Adding to the woes were furnace-type temperatures approaching 100 degrees in San Diego and nearby Orange County. Meanwhile, Marines at Air Station Miramar in San Diego were ordered to fly their F-18 fighter jets, C-130 cargo planes and helicopters to bases elsewhere in California and Arizona to get them away from the flames. Mandatory evacuations of civilians in hardest hit San Diego County were also ordered and the freeways were clogged with cars heading north and east in search of safety. So far, the wildfires have claimed one life in San Diego County and injured 42. At least 16 of the injured were firefighters - some of whom reportedly lost their own homes while trying to save the homes of others. At Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, up to 10,000 evacuees waited for the crisis to be over and watched the local news coverage of the fires on the stadium's television sets. Local officials pleaded for donations of blankets, board games, cots, pillows and food for the people staying there as hundreds more arrived by the hour. Many evacuees, fleeing along with their friends and neighbors, were unsure where to go for shelter. Wanda Tomkinson, 79, checked into the Doubletree in Del Mar for safety. But she and her husband and their Boston terrier had to decamp when the hotel was evacuated. Tompkinson said they hoped a family friend would be able to take them in. If not, she said, "the Lord'll take care of us." The first of the wildfires erupted on Sunday along the Mexican border and hopscotched across the parched landscape as far north as Burbank, outside Los Angeles. They did not discriminate, devouring everything from Malibu mansions to middle-class homes. Wildfires have wreaked havoc here in the past. Four years ago this month, blazes tore through Southern California, killing 22 people and destroying 3,640 homes. \|\|\|\|\| Nearly a million people have fled their homes as more than a dozen fires continue to burn in Southern California. At least two people have died. President Bush will visit California Thursday. Mike O'Sullivan reports, fire has destroyed more than 1,000 homes in San Diego, and hundreds in other parts of the state. Firefighter tries to extinguish fire at a house in San Diego, 23 Oct 2007 High gusty winds and hot, dry weather are fanning the wildfires, which have broken out from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles. President Bush signed an emergency declaration late Monday to authorize federal aid and allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts. Mr. Bush expressed sympathy for the people forced from their houses. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes, and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes. We send our prayers and thoughts with those who have been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well," he said. San Diego, in the southern-most part of the state, was hardest-hit by the fires, and National Guard troops are helping with evacuation and crowd control there. The Department of Defense has agreed to send air tankers equipped to drop water and fire retardant chemicals, but on the third day of the blazes, high winds are limiting flights in many areas. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke of federal efforts on Tuesday, just before he boarded a plane to fly with other officials to California. "We have been moving cots, blankets, other supplies into the area of San Diego so that we can handle any necessity for additional sheltering capacity. We have also moved air assets to be poised to take flight when we do have the opportunity to deal with the fire, once the winds begin to die down," he said. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said that among the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, is the need for improved communications, and she said the lesson is being applied. FEMA's response was harshly criticized in the aftermath of Katrina. People forced from their homes are taking shelter in sports stadiums, community centers, fairgrounds and schools, and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders asked residents in unaffected places to keep streets clear for emergency responders and people fleeing their houses. "Please stay at home today, if you can. Stay off the freeways. Allow our emergency vehicles and people needing to evacuate to move around freely, and please stay off your cell phones," he said. Officials are also urging residents to obey mandatory evacuation orders, where they are given. Some have refused and have stayed with their homes to try and fight the fires themselves. High temperatures and strong winds are expected to continue.	On October 22, 2007, NASA satellites continued to capture remarkable new images of the wildfires raging in Southern California. Nearly 330,000 people in San Diego County, California located in the United States are being ordered to evacuate after massive wildfires started to spread and grow. As a result, U.S. President George W. Bush has declared a state of emergency in California clearing the way for federal aid assistance. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes. We send the help of the federal government," said Bush in a statement to the press. This pair of images, depicting the area around Los Angeles on October 21, 2007, shows just how quickly the fires grew. Almost 1,500 houses have been burned to ashes and fires continue to threaten nearly 60,000 more. Firefighters now fear that the fires could merge into one giant blaze if the Santa Ana Winds continue sending close to if not over 500,000 people running for safety. One person has died as a result of the fires with 42 injured. 16 of those are reported to be firefighters who were battling the blazes. "It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," said San Diego County Fire Battalion Chief, Bruce Cartelli. At least 13 wildfires have burned more than 356,000 acres (142,400 hectares) in areas stretching from San Diego, near the border with Mexico, to Malibu, near Los Angeles. Air Station Miramar for the U.S. Air Force is also being evacuated with the base's planes and other military equipment being transported away from the raging fires to Arizona and places far north of the fires in California.
Bolivia's President Easily Wins Re-election Sunday's vote followed ratification of a constitutional amendment earlier in the year that allowed Mr. Morales to run for a second term. Photo: AP Exit polls in Bolivia show that leftist President Evo Morales has earned a second term after easily winning re-election on Sunday. Bolivian media report that President Morales gained at least 61 percent of the vote, 35 points ahead of his closest challenger, former governor Manfred Reyes. Mr. Morales was first elected in 2005 and is the South American country's first indigenous president. Analysts say the victory means he will likely continue leftist reforms aimed at greater government control over the economy and social spending programs for the poor. Sunday's vote followed ratification of a constitutional amendment earlier in the year that allowed Mr. Morales to run for another term. Bolivia's voters also chose a new Congress, with polls showing the president's Movement Toward Socialism party well ahead. During his first term, the leftist anti-U.S. leader nationalized key sectors of Bolivia's economy, including mining and energy. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. \|\|\|\|\| Morales appears to have strengthened his grip on power with a landslide victory [EPA] Morales appears to have strengthened his grip on power with a landslide victory [EPA] Morales appears to have strengthened his grip on power with a landslide victory [EPA] "This process of change has prevailed," Morales said on Sunday night from the balcony of the presidential palace in La Paz, where thousands of supporters shouted "Evo Again! Evo Again!" Evo Morales has claimed victory in Bolivia's presidential election after exit polls indicated he had easily won re-election with more than 60 per cent of the vote. Exit polls and a quick count gave Morales between 61 and 63 per cent of the vote, more than 35 percentage points ahead of his closest challenger, Manfred Reyes Villa, a former governor who picked up only 23-25 per cent. Sunday's polls also appeared to hand Morales unfettered control of congress, meaning that he will have a free hand to deepen reforms for the duration of his new five-year term. The ruling Movement Towards Socialism party succeeded in winning two-thirds of the seats in congress, including taking control of the senate from the conservative opposition, according to the exit polls. If confirmed, the win will mean Morales will have the legislative numbers to pass laws without needing to negotiate with the opposition. Official results are not expected until late Tuesday. Bolivia's first indigenous president - a former llama herder who never attended high school - has a 60 per cent approval rating, much of it from the country's indigenous majority. Since he took office in 2006, he has instituted quotas to give indigenous posts in the military and created a special school for aspiring diplomats with native backgrounds. He has also started three indigenous universities. Morales also nationalised Bolivia's oil and gas sector in a move that helped lift the country's economy out of the red and build $8bn in reserves. Criticism But he has also angered other Bolivians who have seen their landholdings decreased as part of the president's reforms. Opponents say he has failed to increase output in the oil and gas sector, stamp out corruption in the state-run energy company and develop the natural gas industry. Morales supporters celebrating their candidate's sweeping victory [AFP] Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo, reporting from the administrative capital, La Paz, said the pattern of voting, according to exit polls, indicated how divided the country still is, with the richest provinces continuing to oppose Morales. Morales received only about 40 per cent of the votes in Santa Cruz, a key province that has opposed his presidency and sought autonomy from his central government, whereas he garnered more than 70 per cent in La Paz. But Sunday's unofficial results indicate the opposition, which repeatedly challenged Morales in the early years of his presidency, is weakened even though it retains strong support in eastern regions, home to many of the country's natural resources and leading businesses. Our correspondent also reported that while there were some complaints about missing ballots and tampering of ballot papers, according to election council officials, the Organisation of American States and the EU monitors were satisfied with the conduct of the election. Morales re-election to a second term was made possible after he won a referendum that lifted the one-term limit for president. The move mirrored similar moves by other Latin American leaders including Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Rafael Correa of Ecuador.	File photograph of Evo MoralesExit polls in Bolivia indicate that President Evo Morales has earned a second term after winning re-election on Sunday. Bolivian media report that the president gained at least 61%, 35 points ahead of his closest challenger, former governor Manfred Reyes. "This process of change has prevailed," Morales said on the balcony of his presidential residence, addressing supporters. Morales was first elected in 2005 and is the South American country's first indigenous president. Analysts say the victory means he will likely continue reforms aimed at greater government control over the economy and social spending programs for the poor. Bolivia's voters also chose a new Congress, with polls showing the president's Movement Toward Socialism party well ahead, securing about two-thirds of the seats.
Friday, January 21, 2005 SpongeBob creators accused of advancing gay agenda SpongeBob SquarePants, the popular cartoon character known the world over for his underwater antics, has recently become the target of antigay Christian groups who accuse his creators of advancing a gay agenda in America's public schools. "Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" James C. Dobson, founder of the antigay group Focus on the Family, asked guests at a Tuesday night black-tie dinner for members of Congress, according to a report by The New York Times. SpongeBob needed no introduction. In addition to his popularity among children, who watch his cartoon show, he has become a well-known camp figure among gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick, Patrick, and likes to watch the imaginary television show The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Now, Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside children's television colleagues like Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others. The makers of the video, he said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity." The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," told the Times that Dobson's objection stems from a misunderstanding. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the 9/11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site. Rodgers suggested that Dobson and the American Family Association, the conservative Christian group that first sounded the alarm, might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth. "The fact that some people may be upset with each other peoples' lifestyles, that is OK," Rodgers said. "We are just talking about respect." Mark Barondess, the foundation's lawyer, said the critics "need medication." On Wednesday, however, Paul Batura, assistant to Dobson at Focus on the Family, said the group stood by its accusation. "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," he told the Times. "It is a classic bait and switch." \|\|\|\|\| Spongebob is popular among adult gay men Focus on the Family and other groups say the video - a remake of the Sister Sledge hit, We Are Family - is a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda. The video's makers plan to mail it to US schools in the spring to promote tolerance and diversity. They say the attack is based on a misunderstanding. The video also features children's favourites like Bob the Builder, along with characters from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. We see the video as an insidious means by which the organisation is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids Paul Batura Focus on the Family But James Dobson, founder of right-wing Christian group Focus on the Family, singled out SpongeBob at a black-tie dinner in Washington in the run-up to President Bush's inauguration, the New York Times said. SpongeBob - who appears on the children's cable channel Nickelodeon - is seen as an icon for adult gay men in the US, apparently because he regularly holds hands with his sidekick Patrick. His creators deny that he is gay, but he is not the first such character to cause controversy. In 1999 conservatives claimed handbag-carrying Teletubby Tinky Winky, an import from the UK, was a bad role-model. 'Easy lesson' Nile Rodgers, who wrote the song and is founder of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) which released the new video, says it is intended to help teach children the values of co-operation and unity. "We believe that this is the essential first step to loving thy neighbour," he said. "And the fun and exciting format makes it a lesson that's easy for children to learn." But conservatives say it sees the video as a cunning attempt to promote homosexuality. They point to the fact that the WAFF is linked to a pledge being promoted by some liberal groups which includes a recognition of tolerance of sexual identity. "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organisation is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," Paul Batura, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, told the New York Times. Mr Rodgers said the groups may have confused his foundation with an unrelated organisation with a similar name that supports gay youth. WAFF spokesman Mark Barondeso told the newspaper that anyone who thought the video promoted homosexuality "needs to visit their doctor and get their medication increased".	Anti-gay groups accuse a music video, with over 100 children's TV heroes such as SpongeBob SquarePants, of being a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda. The video's makers say the music video - a re-recording of the Sister Sledge hit "We Are Family" - is to promote tolerance and diversity to America's children. Dr. James C. Dobson, co-founder of the pro-Family Christian Ministry Focus on the Family, singled out SpongeBob at a black-tie dinner for members of Congress in the run-up to G.W. Bush's inauguration on 2005 Jan 18, according to The New York Times. Dobson told the guests that the cartoon sponge had been enlisted in a "pro-homosexual video" that was going to be mailed to thousands of elementary schools promoting a "tolerance pledge" that included a reference to "sexual identity." The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," told The New York Times that Dobson's objection stems from a misunderstanding. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the 9/11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site. Rodgers suggested that Dobson and the American Family Association might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth.
Monday, June 05, 2006 PHOTOS STORIES The victims were herded into more than a dozen vehicles, according to witnesses and officials. It was not known who was behind the attack, but the Interior Ministry denied that police were involved. The attackers arrived at mid-morning and began randomly grabbing people in the shabby business district, where several transportation companies are based and buses pick up passengers traveling mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohamedawi said. • CountryWatch: Iraq "They took all the workers from the companies and nearby shops," said Haidar Mohammed Eleibi, who works for the Swan Transportation Co. in the Salihiya area. He said his brother and a cousin were among those detained, along with merchants, passers-by and even men selling tea and sandwiches. "They did not give any reason for it," he said. "Police came afterward and did nothing." The Shiite-dominated Interior Ministry, which oversees the police and has been accused of backing militias in sectarian violence, denied its forces were behind the attack. (Story continues below) ADVERTISEMENTS Advertise Here Another transportation worker Amjad Hameed said 15 cars belonging to police rushed into the area and began randomly seizing people. "We asked them why but nobody replied," he said, adding that Iraqi forces and Americans came to the site afterward. The U.S. military said it had no information about the event. Another witness told an Iraqi television station that the gunmen blocked the roads and beat people before putting bags on the captives' heads and leading them one-by-one to the vehicles. In a similar attack on a locally owned security firm March 8, gunmen dressed as Interior Ministry commandos stormed into the al-Rawafid Security Co.'s east Baghdad headquarters and took away 50 people, many of them former military personnel from Saddam Hussein's regime. Those employees have not been heard from since. It was the latest in a series of setbacks for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who announced a security plan late last month aimed at restoring order in Baghdad, which has been hit hardest by suicide attacks, roadside bombs and sectarian death squads. He has not released details of the plan, and violence has persisted in the capital of 5 million people, where at least eight people were killed Monday, including a Shiite school guard and two Sunni brothers who were shot to death as they were driving to college. Iraqi police also found the blindfolded and bound body of a man who had been shot in the head and chest and another body that had been shot in the head in separate locations in Baghdad. Eight other deaths were reported nationwide on Monday, a day after masked gunmen stopped two minivans carrying students north of Baghdad, ordered the passengers off, separated Shiites from Sunni Arabs, and killed the 21 Shiites "in the name of Islam," a witness said. Al-Maliki also has been frustrated in his efforts to crackdown on sectarian and militia violence in the oil-rich southern city of Basra, where attacks have been unabated despite his declaration of a state of emergency on Wednesday. And the Shiite prime minister still has not been able to reach consensus among Iraq's ethnic and sectarian parties on candidates for interior and defense minister — posts he must fill to implement his ambitious plan to take control of Iraq's security from U.S.-led forces within 18 months. Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's secular Iraqi List party criticized the latest delay in announcing the new ministers, insisting that "they should be national independent figures" and calling on al-Maliki to use his constitutional authority to fill the posts. The U.S. State Department also stressed the importance of filling the positions to complete al-Maliki's government of national unity, which took office just over two weeks ago. "I know that there are very active discussions under way right now to fill those positions. We think that that is important. We hope that that, in fact, occurs in the very near future," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "That will send an important signal to the Iraqi people that they have a full government working on their behalf, especially in those positions where you would have individuals that would be free from the taint of association with militias," he added. Elsewhere, U.S.-led forces fired artillery at the train station in the western city of Ramadi, in the volatile Anbar province, "targeting four military-aged males unloading a weapons cache," according to the U.S.-Iraqi Joint Operations Center. A hospital official, Dr. Omar al-Duleimi, said five civilians were killed and 15 wounded by American forces in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad. The Joint Operations Center said the mission had "positive effects on the target," but it denied the report that civilians were killed or injured. The influential Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars, meanwhile, warned the U.S.-backed Iraqi government against participating in any assaults against Anbar, a vast province that stretches from western Baghdad to the borders with Syria and Jordan. "Its consequences would be very dangerous for the Iraqi society and for the government," said Mohammed Bashar al-Faidi, a spokesman for the Sunni group believed to have links to insurgents, said at a news conference. Al-Maliki has said that his government was working on a plan to restore security to the provincial capital of Ramadi and that Iraqi forces would work with U.S. troops, and about 1,500 U.S. combat troops have been moved from Kuwait to the province. Separately, a 30-year-old Iraqi man accused of helping the kidnappers of British aid worker Margaret Hassan also was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, while two other suspects were acquitted, a court official said. Hassan, 59, the director of CARE international in Iraq and a citizen of Britain, Ireland and Iraq was abducted in Baghdad in October 2004. She was killed a month later and her body has never been found. In other violence Monday, according to police: — Gunmen in two cars killed a member of the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, near his home in western Baghdad. — The head of the Abu Ghraib city council and his driver were killed in a drive by-shooting west of Baghdad. — Gunmen in two cars killed a local councilman and one of his guards as they were driving in Baghdad's upscale al-Mansour neighborhood. — Gunmen also raided a printing press in the downtown Baghdad neighborhood of Karradah on Monday, abducting the owner. — Police found the bodies of four men in the Tigris River in Suwayrah, 25 miles south of Baghdad. — Gunmen killed a former member of the local Baath Party and the brother of an interpreter working for British troops in Amarah, 180 miles southeast of Baghdad. Police said the gunmen may have mistaken the victim for his brother. \|\|\|\|\| ABC News Gunmen Seize at Least 50 at Iraq Bus Stops Gunmen Dressed As Police Abduct at Least 50 Travelers and Employees at Iraq Bus Stations By QAIS AL-BASHIR BAGHDAD, Iraq Jun 5, 2006 (AP) Gunmen in police uniforms raided bus stations Monday in central Baghdad, seizing at least 50 people, including drivers and passengers preparing to travel outside Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said. The attackers also grabbed people working in the area, where several travel agencies are based and buses pick up passengers traveling mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, Lt. Colonel Falah al-Mohamedawi said. The victims, including two Syrians, were herded into more than a dozen vehicles, according to witnesses. It was not known who was behind the attack. "They took all workers from the companies and nearby shops," said Haidar Mohammed Eleibi, who works for the Swan Transportation Co. in the Salihiya business district. He said his brother and a cousin were among those detained, along with merchants, passers-by and even a vendor selling tea and sandwiches. "They did not give any reason for it," he said. "Police came afterward and did nothing." Another transportation worker, Amjad Hameed, said 15 cars belonging to police rushed to the area and began randomly seizing people. "We asked them why but nobody replied," he said, adding that Iraqi forces and Americans came to the site afterward. The dramatic attack came a day after masked gunmen stopped two minivans carrying students north of Baghdad, ordered the passengers off, separated Shiites from Sunni Arabs, and killed the 21 Shiites "in the name of Islam," a witness said. Haqi Ismail, a 48-year-old electrician, told The Associated Press that the attackers ordered the Shiites to lie down, and before they opened fire, one shouted, "On behalf of Islam, today we will dig a mass grave for you. You are traitors." In predominantly Shiite southern Basra, police hunting for militants stormed a Sunni Arab mosque early Sunday, just hours after a car bombing. Nine people were killed in the ensuing firefight. The surge in attacks has dealt a blow to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's pledge to curb sectarian violence. He also failed again to reach consensus Sunday among Iraq's ethnic and sectarian parties on candidates for interior and defense minister posts he must fill to implement his ambitious plan to take control of security from U.S.-led forces within 18 months.	On June 5, gunmen, who had posed as police officers, raided a bus station in central Baghdad and captured 50 people. Attackers raided bus stations and seized travellers and local vendors. This happened a day after 21 people were dragged off buses and killed in Diyala province. Of the 50 people, there are two Syrians and one is an Interior Ministry official. The gunmen rounded up people from the area including people from the many travel agencies that populate the area. The people were then herded into cars and taken away. "They took all the workers from the company and nearby shops," says Haidar Mohammed Eleibi, who works for the Swan Transportation Co. in the Salihiya business district. Most of the buses at the station were headed to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company, said computer tapes containing personal information on 600,000 current and former employees were lost. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the disappearance of a container holding 40 backup tapes, Time Warner spokeswoman Kathy McKiernan said yesterday. Data-storage company Iron Mountain Inc. discovered the loss after a driver who picked up the tapes in New York performed a scan after his delivery in New Jersey, company spokeswoman Melissa Burman said. The probe hasn't found evidence that the tapes have been accessed or misused, New York-based Time Warner said. The case is the second-largest loss of personal data after an incident involving Bank of America Corp., which in February said it lost information on about 1.2 million federal government charge-card accounts, said Marc Rotenberg, executive director at Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center. "This is very serious," Rotenberg said. The case "underscores the need for Congress to move aggressively to protect" private identities. Iron Mountain, the largest seller of record-management services with 200,000 customers worldwide, makes 5 million pickups and deliveries a year with a 99.99 percent accuracy rating, Burman said. This year, the company has lost four shipments of tapes, she said. In April, Iron Mountain told clients to encrypt data being sent for storage, and Time Warner said yesterday in a letter to employees posted on its Web site that "the information on the tapes is in a form that is not easily accessed." The missing tapes contain names and Social Security numbers of current and former U.S.-based employees of Time Warner and its affiliates, U.S. citizens working for the company abroad and some other workers, Larry Cockell, Time Warner's chief security officer, said in the letter. The tapes do not include data on Time Warner's customers, he said. The company currently employs 85,000 people worldwide. The Secret Service shares jurisdiction with the FBI in identity-theft cases, Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry said. He said the agency is working with Time Warner and the data-storage company on the case. Time Warner's data was misplaced as privacy concerns are increasing after Reed Elsevier PLC and ChoicePoint Inc. said last month that information on more than 400,000 people may have been fraudulently accessed. London-based Reed Elsevier said it found 59 incidents over two years in which unauthorized people may have acquired information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers. Time Warner managers "deeply regret that this incident occurred," Cockell said in the letter. The company offered workers help in contacting credit-rating agencies to monitor their accounts. Time Warner has been an Iron Mountain client for 10 years and plans to stay with the company, McKiernan said. \|\|\|\|\| Sensitive data lost, Time Warner says By Tom Zeller Jr. The New York Times WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2005 They include current and former employees, some of their dependents and beneficiaries and individuals who have provided services for the company. Time Warner said on Monday that the data, on 40 tapes in a container the size of a cooler, disappeared more than a month ago while being shipped to a storage center. Among those affected are virtually all the 85,000 current employees of Time Warner. A companywide e-mail message about the data loss was distributed on Monday, and the company said a more detailed letter would be mailed out over the next several days. Time Warner is offering to pay for one year of credit monitoring for all affected individuals with the credit reporting agency Equifax. "We take the security of our employees' personal information extremely seriously," Larry Cockell, the chief security officer, said in a statement, "and we deeply regret that this incident occurred." The U.S. Secret Service is continuing to investigate the missing tapes, said Kathy McKiernan, a company spokeswoman, although no evidence has yet surfaced that the tapes, or any information on them, have been stolen. No customer information was involved. The tapes were being transported by Iron Mountain, a records management company that routinely handles offsite data storage for Time Warner and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. Iron Mountain, which is based in Boston, said it lost track of the bar-coded container holding the tapes after picking it up from Time Warner in Manhattan on March 22. The container was scanned and presumably placed onto an unmarked Iron Mountain truck, a spokeswoman for the company said, but it was not on the truck when it arrived at the Iron Mountain storage center in New Jersey later that day. Iron Mountain notified Time Warner immediately, and when an initial investigation by the two companies did not turn up the container, the Secret Service was called, Time Warner said. According to Melissa Burman, a spokeswoman for Iron Mountain, it was one of about 18 pickups and deliveries that the company made in New York that day. The company routinely makes about five million such transactions with customers around the world every year, with about a dozen or so such losses, on average. "It happens, unfortunately, when there are humans involved," Burman said. Iron Mountain began advising its corporate customers two weeks ago to begin encrypting the data on its backup tapes. Adding to concerns about the security of personal information, Time Warner has reported the loss of computer backup tapes containing sensitive data, including the names and Social Security numbers of about 600,000 people.They include current and former employees, some of their dependents and beneficiaries and individuals who have provided services for the company.Time Warner said on Monday that the data, on 40 tapes in a container the size of a cooler, disappeared more than a month ago while being shipped to a storage center.Among those affected are virtually all the 85,000 current employees of Time Warner. A companywide e-mail message about the data loss was distributed on Monday, and the company said a more detailed letter would be mailed out over the next several days. Time Warner is offering to pay for one year of credit monitoring for all affected individuals with the credit reporting agency Equifax."We take the security of our employees' personal information extremely seriously," Larry Cockell, the chief security officer, said in a statement, "and we deeply regret that this incident occurred."The U.S. Secret Service is continuing to investigate the missing tapes, said Kathy McKiernan, a company spokeswoman, although no evidence has yet surfaced that the tapes, or any information on them, have been stolen. No customer information was involved.The tapes were being transported by Iron Mountain, a records management company that routinely handles offsite data storage for Time Warner and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. Iron Mountain, which is based in Boston, said it lost track of the bar-coded container holding the tapes after picking it up from Time Warner in Manhattan on March 22.The container was scanned and presumably placed onto an unmarked Iron Mountain truck, a spokeswoman for the company said, but it was not on the truck when it arrived at the Iron Mountain storage center in New Jersey later that day.Iron Mountain notified Time Warner immediately, and when an initial investigation by the two companies did not turn up the container, the Secret Service was called, Time Warner said.According to Melissa Burman, a spokeswoman for Iron Mountain, it was one of about 18 pickups and deliveries that the company made in New York that day. The company routinely makes about five million such transactions with customers around the world every year, with about a dozen or so such losses, on average. "It happens, unfortunately, when there are humans involved," Burman said.Iron Mountain began advising its corporate customers two weeks ago to begin encrypting the data on its backup tapes. \|\|\|\|\| Time Warner's personal data on 600,000 missing By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY Time Warner (TWX) on Monday said computer tapes containing Social Security and other personal information on 600,000 current and former workers are missing. The media giant said the tapes, which were placed in a truck on March 22, were lost during transport by its data-storage company, Iron Mountain. Time Warner — owner of America Online, CNN, HBO and Warner Bros. studio — said the tapes include data stretching back to 1986 with details on dependents and beneficiaries, in addition to Social Security numbers. Customers were not affected, Time Warner said. Though there is no evidence the tapes were accessed or misused, Time Warner did not rule out foul play. The Secret Service is investigating. The incident comes amid heightened security concerns about personal data that have been lost or stolen. In breaches reported publicly since February, more than 2.5 million records may have been exposed to thieves at data broker ChoicePoint, retailer DSW, news and information broker LexisNexis, the University of California at Berkeley and elsewhere. The mishaps underscore the trove of personal data floating in cyberspace and the thriving underground market for stolen IDs, law-enforcement officials and privacy experts say. Personal information has become the currency of choice for criminals because the credit system allows anyone with someone's identity information to set up lines of credit until fraud is detected, they say. "The underground economy is more than just credit cards and bank-account information," says John Watters, CEO of security firm iDefense. "They want your entire information set — passwords, Social Security number, passport, driver's license — to increase their profit potential." Nearly 10 million Americans were victims of ID theft last year, says the Better Business Bureau. That could rise as more data are available online, security experts say. About 80% of 2,000 consumers surveyed say they are concerned about ID theft online, says security firm Entrust. Time Warner is the second major company to report losing data. In February, Bank of America said it lost computer data tapes for 1.2 million federal employees, including U.S. senators. The missing tapes contain customer and account information, including some Social Security numbers, from a federal government program using Visa cards for government travel and procurement. The tapes were lost in late December, during shipment to a backup data center. Federal law-enforcement officials were notified immediately. Bank of America says there is no evidence the tapes or their content were accessed or misused.	Time Warner Inc announced that they are unable to locate a container holding 40 backup tapes. These tapes contain personal information on 600,000 current and former employees back to 1986. This information includes details on dependents and beneficiaries, in addition to Social Security numbers. Customers were not affected, Time Warner said. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating and has not found any evidence that the tapes have been misused. This loss affects most of the 85,000 current employees. The tapes were lost by Iron Mountain Inc., a data storage company, which routinely handles off-site data storage for Time Warner and many other Fortune 500 companies. Time Warner has said that the tapes would require expensive equipment to read them, and that they were encrypted.
(Adds interview with Nader)By Donna SmithWASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Consumer advocate Ralph Nader, blamed by many Democrats for their loss of the White House in the 2000 election, said on Sunday he is launching another independent campaign for the White House.Nader, who will turn 74 this week, announced his longshot presidential bid on NBC's "Meet the Press" saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans were addressing problems facing Americans.Nader called Washington "corporate occupied territory" that turns the government against the interests of the people. "In that context, I have decided to run for president," he said.Democrats said they do not expect Nader, who also ran as an independent in 2004, to have much of an impact."When you get into running for your third or fourth time, I don't think people will pay that much attention to it, and I wouldn't see it having any effect on the race," Virginia Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine said on "Fox News Sunday."In an interview with Reuters, Nader said he will push the candidates on a number of issues including health care and changing the tax system to shift the burden away from wage earners and put it on things like pollution, tobacco and "Wall Street speculation" and reduce taxes on wages.Nader dismissed Democratic criticism of his latest bid for the White House."For anybody who thinks that the third try is something that should be demeaned, it represents persistence, it represents never giving up the struggle for justice," Nader said. "The forces of injustice never take a holiday."Nader ran for president in 2000, when he got about 2.7 percent of the national vote as the Green Party candidate. Many Democrats blamed Nader for draining votes from Democrat Al Gore and tipping the election in favor of Republican George W. Bush. He also ran as an independent in 2004, but got only a tiny fraction of the vote.Nader said he expects to do better this time and will work to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states.Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, appearing on CNN's "Late Edition," said he thought Nader could pull votes away from the Democratic nominee."Naturally Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that maybe a few more will join in," Huckabee said.Democratic candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama criticized the independent candidate."That's really unfortunate. I remember when he did this before, it didn't turn out to well, for anyone, especially our country," she said. "I hope it's kind of a just a passing fancy that people won't take too seriously."Obama, Clinton's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, was asked on Saturday about a Nader candidacy. "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," he said. (Additional reporting by Claudia Parsons, Jeff Mason and Nancy Waitz; Editing by David Wiessler) (To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online here \|\|\|\|\| Nader mixes up 2008 race with new White House run WASHINGTON (AFP) — Consumer champion Ralph Nader announced Sunday a fresh tilt at the White House, eight years after earning the acid hatred of Democrats for dividing the anti-Republican camp in a razor-thin vote. Denying that he was running as a "spoiler" who could hand the presidency to Republican John McCain, Nader accused both the main parties of shutting out the US public and handing the nation over to corporate interests. "Dissent is the mother of assent, and in that context I have decided to run for president," Nader, who turns 74 on Wednesday, said on the NBC program "Meet the Press." As Nader railed against the "political bigotry" of Democrats still smarting from their 2000 loss to Bush, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton girded for a March 4 battle that could decide the former first lady's political fate. Pundits had detected a hint of farewell in Clinton's closing remarks at a debate with Obama Thursday. But the New York senator came out firing Saturday, declaring "shame" on her rival for attacking her healthcare and trade policies. A spate of reports said Clinton's advisors were eyeing the potential end of her White House campaign after the March 4 clashes in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont. Her campaign dismissed that as "nonsense." "I believe that we are going to do well in Ohio and Texas. I'm not even thinking about other alternatives," Clinton's communications chief Howard Wolfson said. Amid the Democratic infighting, Nader declared: "If the Democrats can't landslide the election this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down." But Nader, who rose to prominence by campaigning for auto safety in the 1960s, said he still had a message to offer for those "locked out" by the perennial Republican-Democratic duel. Whether it was the war in Iraq, the Palestinian issue, environmental threats or the power of Wall Street, "you have to ask yourself as a citizen, should we elaborate the issues the two are not talking about?" McCain was "the candidate for perpetual war," Nader added, calling for the impeachment of the "criminal recidivist regime of George Bush and (Vice President) Dick Cheney." Standing as a Green party candidate in 2000, Nader took more than 97,000 votes in Florida, outraging Democrats who said he had siphoned off enough support from former vice president Al Gore to hand victory to George W. Bush. But he won just 0.3 percent of the national vote as an independent in 2004, when he appeared on the presidential ballot in only 34 states. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, an Obama supporter, was derisory about Nader's latest intervention. "I mean, when you get into running for your third or fourth time, I don't think people will pay that much attention to it, and I wouldn't see it having any effect on the race," he said on Fox News. New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, a Clinton backer, agreed about Nader but said the billionaire mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, could have a "major impact" on the main parties if he runs. Bloomberg has denied he is planning a White House bid but his protests have done little to silence the media buzz surrounding the former media mogul. Obama, who is bidding to knock Clinton out of the race on March 4, said anybody had the right to run for president if they qualified. "And I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate is not going to make any difference," he told reporters Saturday. McCain meanwhile has enjoyed a bounce in support from hardline conservatives after The New York Times last week insinuated an improper relationship between the maverick Republican front-runner and a female lobbyist eight years ago. McCain received another boost Sunday with reports that Puerto Rico Republicans had awarded their 20 delegates to the Arizona senator, in an overwhelming defeat for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, still in the Republican race despite trailing badly to McCain, said Nader's entry would hurt the Democrats. "So naturally Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that maybe a few more will join in," he told CNN. \|\|\|\|\| Ralph Nader announces presidential bid Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2008 10:44 AM by Mark Murray Filed Under: , From NBC's Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan On Meet the Press this morning, Ralph Nader -- who won 2.7% of the popular vote in 2000 and just 0.4% four years later -- announced that he will once again be running for president this year. Yesterday, when asked about a potential Nader candidacy at his press conference, Obama said: "I think anybody has the right to vote for president if they file sufficient papers. And I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate's not going to make any difference." When reporters reminded Obama that Nader had said some not-so nice things about him, Obama replied: "He had called me and I think reached out to my campaign. My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who if you're -- don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive. He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work. Now, and by the way, I have to say that historically, he is a singular figure in American politics and has done as much as just about anybody on behalf of consumers. So in many ways, he is a heroic figure and I don't mean to diminish him, but I do think there's a sense now that um, you know if somebody's not hewn to the Ralph Nader agenda then you, you must be lacking in some way." \|\|\|\|\| Consumer advocate Ralph Nader says he is launching a campaign for president of the United States. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports, Nader cites growing discontent in the country with both Republicans and Democrats. Ralph Nader (File) Ralph Nader made it official during an appearance on national television. "I have decided to run for president," said Nader. Nader told NBC's Meet the Press that he is entering the race because neither one of the major political parties is acting in the best interest of the American people. This is his third run for the presidency. In 2000, Nader - as the candidate of the Green Party - won just less than three percent of the national vote. Many Democrats still blame him for Al Gore's loss that year, saying he siphoned off just enough liberal votes to cost Gore a very close election. Nader said he will not be deterred. "The political bigotry that is involved here is that we should not enter the electoral arena - all of us who think the country needs an infusion of freedom, democracy, choice, dissent," he said. In 2004, Nader ran as an independent and his support slipped. But Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said the Democrats still have reason to be concerned about a Nader candidacy. Mike Huckabee, 04 Jan 2008 "Well, I think it would always pull votes away from the Democrats, not the Republicans," said Huckabee. "So actually, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that a few more will join in." During an appearance on CNN's Late Edition, Huckabee was asked if there might be another third-party candidate on the right of the political spectrum. He said that is not likely to happen, adding he has no intention of doing so if frontrunner John McCain becomes the Republican Party nominee. "I think it is a suicide mission," he said. "Third-party candidates are not going to win the election. At best, they are going to take away from one of the major parties and I just do not see that happening within the conservative wing at all." Meanwhile, top Democrats are downplaying the impact a Nader campaign might have on their prospects of taking back the White House. Appearing on the Fox News Sunday television program, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine said he is more intrigued by the possibility of an independent campaign by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "I think that would have a major impact on the outcome of the race, and I think it is unpredictable which side would hurt the most on that," said Corzine. "That is a question that is much more relevant, I think to the end game of who the next president of the United States is." Bloomberg, who was elected mayor as a Republican, recently dropped his party affiliation. And there has been speculation that he might tap his personal fortune to one day launch a presidential campaign targeting moderate and independent voters. \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ralph Nader is entering the presidential race as an independent, he announced Sunday, saying it is time for a "Jeffersonian revolution." Ralph Nader is running for president as an independent. "In the last few years, big money and the closing down of Washington against citizen groups prevent us from trying to improve our country. And I want everybody to have the right and opportunity to improve their country," he told reporters after an appearance announcing his candidacy on NBC's "Meet the Press." Asked why he should be president, the longtime consumer advocate said, "Because I got things done." He cited a 40-year record, which he said includes saving "millions of lives," bringing about stricter protection for food and water and fighting corporate control over Washington. Nader's decision, which did not come as a surprise to political watchers, marks his fourth straight White House bid -- fifth if his 1992 write-in campaign is included. The two contenders for the Democratic nomination were quick to pounce. "He thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush and, eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about," Sen. Barack Obama said a town hall meeting Sunday. Watch Nader describe whom the Democrats should be "going after" » Calling Nader's move "very unfortunate," Sen. Hillary Clinton told reporters, "I remember when he ran before. It didn't turn out very well for anybody -- especially our country." "This time I hope it doesn't hurt anyone. I can't think of anybody that would vote for Sen. McCain who would vote for Ralph Nader," she said. Nader was criticized by some Democrats in 2000 for allegedly pulling away support from Democrat Al Gore and helping George Bush win the White House. Noting that he ran on the Green Party ticket that year, Clinton said Nader "prevented Al Gore from being the 'greenest' president we could have had." Nader has long rejected his portrayal as a spoiler in the presidential race. In his NBC interview Sunday, he cited the Republican Party's economic policies, the Iraq war, and other issues, saying, "If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form." But Clinton said, "Obviously, it is not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is. But, you know, it is a free country." Nader said political consultants "have really messed up Hillary Clinton's campaign." Long-shot GOP contender Mike Huckabee said Nader's entry would probably help his party. "I think it always would probably pull votes away from the Democrats and not the Republicans, so naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race," Huckabee said Sunday on CNN. Nader said Thomas Jefferson believed that "when you lose your government, you've got to go into the electoral arena." "A Jeffersonian revolution is needed in this country," he said. Nader told NBC that great changes in U.S. history have come "through little parties that never won any national election." "Dissent is the mother of ascent," he said. "And in that context I've decided to run for president." Nader, who turns 74 this week, complained about the "paralysis of the government," which he said is under the control of corporate executives and lobbyists. Obama also criticized Nader earlier this weekend. "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," he told reporters when asked about Nader's possible candidacy. "He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work." Obama said Nader "is a singular figure in American politics and has done as much as just about anyone for consumers." "I don't mean to diminish that," he said. "There's a sense now that if someone's not hewing to the Ralph Nader agenda, he says they're lacking in some way." Responding to those remarks, Nader called Obama "a person of substance" and "the first liberal evangelist in a long time" who "has run a good tactical campaign." But he accused Obama of censoring "his better instincts" on divisive issues. Nader encouraged people to look at his campaign Web site, votenader.org, which he said discusses issues important to Americans that Obama and Sen. John McCain "are not addressing." E-mail to a friend All About U.S. Presidential Election • Ralph Nader	Iraq War in 2007. Political activist Ralph Nader has announced the launch of an independent campaign for President of the United States. Nader, who also ran for president in the previous three elections, made the announcement on NBC's television program ''Meet the Press''. "Dissent is the mother of ascent, and in that context I have decided to run for president," said Nader. "In the last few years, big money and the closing down of Washington against citizen groups prevent us from trying to improve our country. And I want everybody to have the right and opportunity to improve their country." In 2000, Nader ran for President as a Green Party candidate and received 2.7% of the popular vote. Many Democrats believe his campaign led to the election of Republican George W. Bush by taking away potential votes for Democrat Al Gore, especially in the state of Florida. Nader also ran in 2004 as an independent, but only garnered 0.4% of the vote. At a press conference yesterday, Democratic candidate Barack Obama doubted that a potential Nader candidacy would have the same impact as in 2000. "I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate's not going to make any difference," he said. Today, however, Obama was more disapproving of Nader. "He thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush and, eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about," Obama told reporters. Democrat Hillary Clinton seemed more concerned about Nader's bid. "Obviously it’s not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is," she said. "I remember when he did this before, it didn't turn out too well for anyone, especially our country." She said Nader "prevented Al Gore from being the 'greenest' president we could have had", and she hoped his bid will be "just a passing fancy that people won't take too seriously." Nader dismissed criticism of his entry into the race, saying, "For anybody who thinks that the third try is something that should be demeaned, it represents persistence, it represents never giving up the struggle for justice." Meanwhile, Republican candidate Mike Huckabee welcomed Nader into the race, in the hopes that he will lessen the Democratic voter base. "I think it would always pull votes away from the Democrats, not the Republicans," he said. "So actually, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that a few more will join in."
Costs have become a major issue for F1 Formula One's teams and governing body the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have agreed key cost-cutting measures for the next two seasons. The packages come after Japanese manufacturer Honda pulled out of F1. The Formula One Teams Association (Fota) said as well as a package for 2010, an agreement for a cost-cutting plan for 2009 had also been reached. The details will be released on Friday after it has been approved by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council. "Agreement was reached on measures to meet all the objectives originally put forward by the FIA for 2010 and thereafter," said the FIA in a statement. "In addition to which Fota have now made proposals for very significant cost saving in 2009, while maintaining Formula One at the pinnacle of motor sport and reinforcing its appeal." Ferrari and Fota president Luca di Montezemolo added in the statement: "The unity of the teams was fundamental to meeting the goals for a new F1, but with the same DNA, as requested by the FIA." FIA chief Max Mosley had wanted the teams to use a standard engine and gearbox from 2010 to help cut their costs by up to 80%. 606: DEBATE Why not loosen the regs and allow open the sport to newcomers? Regazzoni28 While Fota is committed to dramatically cutting the operating costs of the teams, it was opposed to the idea of one manufacturer, Cosworth, providing a standard engine for all the teams. A complete "powertrain" - with an engine supplied by Cosworth and gearbox from Xtrac and Ricardo - would cost the teams an initial up-front payment of £1.68m. The teams could build their own engines to the same specification as the Cosworth, or continue to use their existing units, but on a par in terms of performance. That would be followed by a fee of £5.4m per season over the three years of the agreement, running from 2010 through to 2012. Such a figure is around 10% of what teams have spent on engines in recent years. Ferrari and Toyota have previously threatened to quit the sport if a standard engine was to be introduced. Yet all the teams are committed to dramatically reducing their operating costs, particularly in the light of Honda's pull-out. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Renault deny parting ways with FOTA By Pablo Elizalde The Renault F1 team have denied they are planning to part ways with the Formula One Teams' Association. In a brief statement released on Wednesday morning, the French manufacturer said they are in accordance with the principles sustained by the Formula One Teams' Association. "Following speculation that appeared this morning in the Italian press, the ING Renault F1 Team would like to state that the positions of the Team and Renault are in complete accordance to those of the FOTA," said Renault in a statement. "We would like to point out that neither Mr. Briatore nor Renault have spoken to the press regarding this matter before this official press release." FOTA representatives are to meet today with FIA president Max Mosley in Monaco to analyse the proposals from the teams. Renault are believed to be one of five teams who have expressed an interest in signing a deal to use a standard engine to reduce costs. The deal, which includes a standard-specification Cosworth engine from 2010, will go ahead if four teams sign up. \|\|\|\|\| GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX GO TO NEXT STORY Mosley: Standard engine will stabilize F1 By Pablo Elizalde FIA president Max Mosley is adamant that the introduction of a standard engine in Formula One will help stabilize the sport. "We need dramatically to cut costs and get innovation back into Formula One," said Mosley, speaking at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco today. "We must stabilize the system with a base engine which anyone can have and which is inexpensive, as well as a standard gearbox. "That will stabilize Formula One until we can bring in new energy-efficient engines which undoubtedly will be the future. "But I would hate anyone to think that we want Formula One to lose sight of one of its main objectives, which is to remain the pinnacle of motor racing technology. If properly managed the regulations will ensure that this continues to be the case." The sport looks likely to accept the introduction of a cheap, standard engine today, with Mosley meeting with representatives of the Formula One Teams' Association. Five teams, including Renault, are believed to be interested in singing up for the standard engine idea, which is aimed at reducing costs drastically. Today's meeting comes less than a week after Honda announced its withdrawal from Formula One. Mosley warned that, given the current financial crisis, more manufactures could follow the Japanese car maker. "Honda pulled out because of falling car sales and there is no guarantee that these falling sales, which affect all manufacturers, will not drop further," he added. "If they do then we have to prepare for other manufacturers to pull out not only from Formula One but other areas of motor sport as well. "But what is wrong with Formula One today was wrong before any of the present economic problems cropped up. Essentially it's the rules, which have become ever more restrictive compressing the work of the engineers into an ever smaller area. "As such, success in F1 today consists of optimizing every single part of the chassis to the ultimate degree and that is both extremely expensive and utterly pointless." Mosley was also critical of those teams calling for a delay or a ban to the introduction of the KERS systems next year. "We've finally found a serious engineering challenge for the teams in KERS," Mosley said. "Some manufacturers have risen to this challenge, one manufacturer has produced electric systems which will astonish people when they appear, another team is working on a completely new technology which will also astonish people. "But some leading teams, such as Ferrari, have said that they don't like KERS because it is 'too complicated'. Could you imagine the great F1 engineers like (Lotus founder, Colin) Chapman or (Cosworth co-founder, Keith) Duckworth saying 'I can't do that because it is too complicated'? "It is a symptom of a disease in F1 where incremental change becomes the whole object of the exercise and real serious innovation plays no part." Go to earlier story Go to the News Index Go to next story \|\|\|\|\| GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX GO TO NEXT STORY Standard engine set for go-ahead By Jonathan Noble Radical plans for a standard engine in Formula One look almost certain to be rubber-stamped by the FIA later this week, autosport.com has learned, with five teams including Renault believed to have expressed an interest in signing up to the deal. FIA president Max Mosley has given teams until Thursday afternoon to sign up to the option of having a standard-specification Cosworth engine from 2010. In a letter to the teams last week, he said the deal would go ahead as long as a minimum of four outfits were interested in a three-year deal - which will cost them an upfront fee of £1.68 million and an annual charge of £5.49 million. Although there has been no official confirmation from the FIA about the level of interest in the deal, with Mosley simply claiming last Friday that he had been contacted by three teams, investigations by autosport.com have revealed that half the grid are now seriously looking into it. Autosport.com understands that as well as wholly independent teams Williams and Force India having shown an interest, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso have told the FIA that they are taking the option into consideration. But the biggest surprise is that French car manufacturer Renault is believed to have told the FIA that it too is interested in the supply of standard engines. Such a move would mark a significant departure for the car maker, who have supplied engines from their Viry-Chatillon base in France since they returned to F1 in 2001. However, with Renault having long faced financial pressures from their parent company to justify their involvement in F1, the prospect of a dramatic reduction in engine budget from 2010 may be enough to quell any unease that could lead to the French car manufacturer following Honda out of the sport. Renault boss Flavio Briatore was unavailable for comment about Renault's interest in standard engines, but did say at the season-closing Brazilian Grand Prix that power units were one area where big cost savings could be made. "I think we are in a very difficult position economically, what is going on around the globe and it's a panic at the moment," he said. "Formula One is not immune from this panic. I believe our chairman and everybody is very sensitive as to what happens in Formula One as well. "Regarding the question of the engines, sure we need to cut the costs but for me, all this discussion about Formula One engines, already today, with frozen engines, theoretically there is no development. I don't understand all the time how it's surprising when people are talking about engine development etc. "Already today we have no performance (gains) from the engine. If everybody follows the rules, the engine is frozen and nobody is allowed to touch the engine. Whatever proposal we put together, we need to take into consideration this as well." The FIA has made it clear that it will not force manufacturers to run a standard engine from 2010, but Mosley said in last week's letter than any car maker's own power unit will have its performance pegged to that of the standard engine. With no performance differentiation between the different types of engines, Briatore may have felt that there was little point in Renault continuing to fund a full-scale engine programme for tens of millions of pounds, when there is a fully-competitive option for less than £6 million. Mosley is due to meet with FOTA representatives in Monaco on Wednesday to discuss the latest raft of cost-cutting ideas for implementation next year and 2010. He has already hinted that measures being proposed by the teams do not go far enough and, with an added urgency to bring budgets down in the wake of Honda's withdrawal, there could be some fraught discussions about what needs to be done. After Thursday's deadline for standard engines, the FIA World Motor Sport Council will meet on Friday, with Formula One cost cuts believed to be the main item on the agenda. It is expected that the meeting will rubber stamp any rules proposals coming out of the FOTA meeting, as well as the standard engine plans. Go to earlier story Go to the News Index Go to next story \|\|\|\|\| Sebastien Buemi led the times in testing at Jerez on Tuesday as six teams began a three-day session at the Spanish circuit. Buemi, who hopes to land a Toro Rosso race seat for 2009, was half a second quicker than Sebastien Bourdais, who in turn is looking to retain his drive with the team. Mixed weather saw morning fog give way to intermittently dry and damp conditions, before a late downpour gave the teams the chance to try out their wet-weather tyres. Buemi was among the busiest men on track, the Swiss GP2 star completing 91 laps to Bourdaiss 77 as both ran 2009 downforce levels on the STR3 in combination with slick tyres. When the rain came, Toro Rosso took the opportunity to compare this years Bridgestone rain tyre with a development version for the 2010 season. Buemi continues testing on Wednesday and Thursday, while Bourdais will hand over to Takuma Sato from Wednesday lunchtime. The McLarens of Gary Paffett and Pedro de la Rosa were next up, completing just 26 and 21 laps respectively as the team restricted their running in the changeable weather. De la Rosa concentrated on set-up work in the MP4-23A, while Paffett evaluated boost levels in the KERS-equipped MP4-23K. Wednesday will see Heikki Kovalainen back in the cockpit for the first time since the Brazilian Grand Prix. Beating Kovalainen back to the track by a single day, fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen made his Ferrari return on Tuesday, the former champion going fifth fastest after 48 laps of set-up and engine work. He will be joined by team mate Felipe Massa on Wednesday. BMW Sauber had Nick Heidfeld (sixth) and tester Christian Klien (ninth) in action, both in interim F1.08Bs featuring some 2009 bodywork. Kliens car was also fitted with BMWs KERS device, but the Austrians schedule was curtailed after 15 laps following a precautionary engine change prompted by a suspected mechanical problem. Heidfeld, who will be joined by team mate Robert Kubica on Wednesday, managed 49 laps of set-up, suspension and aero work. After an early visit to the gravel trap, Kazuki Nakajima went on to total 58 laps as he finishes seventh fastest for Williams. Set-up and slick tyre work were the Japanese drivers main focus in the FW30B. Nico Rosberg will continue the teams programme on Wednesday. At Renault, Nelson Piquet was eighth after a mammoth 124 laps in the R28. The team evaluated 2009 set-ups and slick tyres, as well as putting mileage on their engine in preparation for next seasons three race engine rule. Wednesday will see Fernando Alonsos first winter test outing for the team. Unofficial Tuesday times from Jerez: 1. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:18.742 2. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso, 1:19.288 3. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:20.134 4. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:20.164 5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:20.261 6. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 1:20.678 7. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams, 1:21.338 8. Nelson Piquet, Renault, 1:21.547 9. Christian Klien, BMW Sauber, 1:22.098 \|\|\|\|\| GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX GO TO NEXT STORY Richards: Honda's exit a lesson for F1 By Jonathan Noble Prodrive boss David Richards believes Honda Racing's fight for survival is a lesson that Formula One must now change if it is to face the future with confidence. Honda announced last Friday that it was pulling the plug on its Formula One efforts, leaving team chiefs Nick Fry and Ross Brawn with just a few weeks to find a buyer to keep the outfit afloat. And although it is understood Richards is considering an involvement in a deal, he is well aware that the current business model for F1 teams must evolve if teams are going to be allowed to prosper. Speaking at the Autosport Awards about whether he believed there was the prospect of Brawn and Fry finding a buyer, Richards said: "I certainly hope so. "It's a great team and a great team of people, but it's a salutary lesson for the whole of F1 that things are going to have to change, and everything is going to have to come back a little bit if the whole sport is to prosper in the future - which I am sure it will do." Sources suggest that Richards has been approached by two different consortiums – believed to be from the Middle East – asking him if he would be interested in running a team funded by them. Speaking to The Daily Mail, however, Richards admitted that the current financial climate and changes that F1 are about to make, means it is far from certain he will decide to get involved. "I'm keeping an open mind," he said. "You could say that the facilities Honda have make it an attractive proposition but I disagree. The overheads are not what would be needed in an age when Formula One is cutting costs. I won't rush into anything." Go to earlier story Go to the News Index Go to next story \|\|\|\|\| Toyota insist they can reduce costs and still compete in Formula One Five of Formula One's top teams have pledged to remain in the sport. BMW Sauber, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault and Toyota are all determined not to follow Honda by quitting F1. Honda bowed out for financial reasons, prompting motorsport boss Max Mosley to warn that cost-cutting was vital to avoid losing any of the other teams. Toyota, believed to be under pressure in the current economic crisis, said they were "committed to succeeding in Formula One and to reducing costs". That is despite the team, who considerably outperformed Honda in 2008, scoring four times as many points and finishing fifth in the constructors' championship, axeing the media launch for their 2009 car as a money-saving measure. We are contributing to activities which will achieve significant cost reductions, whilst maintaining the spirit of the sport Toyota F1 statement French team Renault, who finished in fourth with 80 points to Toyota's 56, also revealed they remained committed to the sport. But former F1 giants Williams, who limped to eighth place in 2008, have yet to make a statement. One of the few remaining independent teams, Williams have seen sponsors RBS, AT&T; and Philips suffer heavy losses in recent months. Honda withdrew from the sport on Friday, leaving their Northamptonshire-based team just weeks to find new backers or face closure. The Formula One Teams Association (Fota) met on Thursday to discuss proposals to secure the future of the sport, and said agreement had been reached on "substantial cost-cutting for 2009 and 2010" as well as "additional initiatives to improve the show". With top teams spending about £300m a year, Mosley, president of governing body the International Automobile Federation (FIA), said the sport had to cut soaring costs. Despite Mosley describing the team's cost-cutting proposals as "fiddling about", Toyota, who have one of the biggest budgets in F1, are sure they are on the right path. HOW SAFE ARE REMAINING TEAMS? BMW Sauber - secure Large budget, safe despite 25% slump in BMW sales Ferrari - very secure Future not in doubt. Huge fanbase, beating heart of F1 Force India - secure Owned by billionaire Vijay Millya, well-funded for 2009 at least McLaren - very secure Sound finances, strong core of sponsors Red Bull - secure Owned by billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, money no object Renault - vulnerable Manufacturing losses make team vulnerable to Honda-style pull-out Toro Rosso - safe Also owned by Mateschitz - how long can he sustain two teams? Toyota - vulnerable Very large budget, car sales down, could struggle Williams - vulnerable Big losses in 2007, no car maker or billionaire backing "We are contributing to the Fota activities which will achieve significant cost reductions, whilst maintaining the spirit of the sport," a statement from the manufacturer read. "We hope Fota's proposals and activities will be given the widespread support they deserve as they provide the sound, stable base Formula One requires at this time." BMW board member Klaus Draeger, whose team won in Canada this year and finished third overall, said in a statement that Honda's decision would have no bearing on his company's involvement in F1. "F1 involvement is an integral part of the company strategy," he added. "There is no better platform than Formula One for demonstrating our brand values. "BMW, moreover, makes targeted use of the Formula One project as a technology accelerator for series production. "With the BMW Sauber F1 Team, we have from the start focused on high efficiency and have achieved our successes with a compact and powerful team. The cost-benefit ratio is commensurately positive." Norbert Haug, the head of Mercedes Motorsport which powered Briton Lewis Hamilton to his recent title victory, also revealed his team were working hard on measures to reduce costs. "Our Formula One involvement is built on financially solid foundations and is in large part financed by our sponsoring partners," he said. "Mercedes-Benz's contribution is cost-efficient, the resonance in the media and in the public which last season and Lewis Hamilton's win generated was worth many times our financial investment." He added: "This pullout is very sad. It only shows how important the cost-cutting measures are that we've been advocating for more than five years, and which have only been realised to a small degree. 606: DEBATE Could we realistically be looking at a 14-car grid in Melbourne? Sheff Hatter "Within the Formula One Teams Association, we're working very hard on measures to cut costs, and over the next two years we must achieve cuts of at least 50%." Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, one of the sport's strongest and most secure teams, remained positive about the sport's future. "We unanimously agreed to important short and long term measures, for 2009 and 2010," he said. "We gave a new push toward a reduction in costs especially to help the smaller teams already from the next season." Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India operate under a separate financial model, relying on funding from billionaire owners to finance their campaigns, and are not believed to be in difficulty. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Cosworth's 2004 Champ Car engine Formula One looks set to enter an era of standardised engines. The FIA is meeting with teams in Monte Carlo and is expected to approve the use by some teams of a standardised power unit provided by Cosworth, an automotive engineering company, from 2010 onwards. The move to a standard engine, which is common in lower tiers of open wheeled racing such as GP2, was pushed for by FIA President Max Mosley earlier this year as he aims to reduce team costs. This would not see the exclusion of manufacturer made engines, as at this time participation in the system would be voluntary and teams would be free to build licensed Cosworth engines or their own powerplants but on a performance par with the Cosworth unit. Mosley has stated that stabilising Formula One means that the FIA "...must stabilize the system with a base engine which anyone can have and which is inexpensive, as well as a standard gearbox" and has warned of future budget problems, saying that "Honda pulled out because of falling car sales and there is no guarantee that these falling sales, which affect all manufacturers, will not drop further". Ahead of the meeting of the FIA there have been rumours in the Italian press that Formula One team Renault had broken with the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), rumours which Renault has strongly denied. FOTA was established earlier this year by the teams to negotiate with the FIA over cost cutting measures and other changes, changes it hopes will stop the introduction of compulsory standardisation of engines and other parts on F1 cars. The FOTA's position was hard hit last week by the announcement by Honda that they were leaving F1 due to the economic crisis, a move which has caused many teams to re-assert their commitment to a future in Formula One. David Richards, whose Prodrive entry to Formula One was called off last season due to costs, highlighted what he sees as the need for fundamental changes, saying that Honda's exit was 'a salutary lesson for the whole of F1 that things are going to have to change, and everything is going to have to come back a little bit if the whole sport is to prosper in the future'. Five teams have reportedly expressed an interest in the Cosworth engines from the 2010 season, the five being all four independent teams (Williams, Force India, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso) joined by manufacturer Renault. If only four teams sign up to the idea, the FIA has announced it will go ahead. Renault have been highly vocal in criticising the failure of the engine development freeze that has existed in Formula One and have, after a couple of seasons of struggling, been under pressure from their parent company to justify the continued expenditure in Formula One. Cosworth have previously been prolific engine suppliers in Formula One, their last stint was supplying engines to Williams in 2006. The talks come as many of the Formula One teams are in Jerez for part of their winter testing regime, with potential Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Buemi topping the time sheets for the first two days.
First S4C chief, ex-BBC Wales head Owen Edwards dies Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Tributes have been paid to the first chief executive of the Welsh language channel S4C, Owen Edwards, who has died at the age of 76. Mr Edwards led S4C from its pre-launch phase in 1981 to 1989 and was also controller of BBC Wales. Menna Richards, the director of BBC Wales, called his work "extraordinary". S4C chair John Walter Jones said he was a "colossus of Welsh language broadcasting" and one of the nation's "great figures". Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world” End Quote John Walter Jones S4C chair Mr Jones added: "He made an invaluable contribution to the survival of our culture and our identity as a country. "As the first director of S4C, he continued his family's unique tradition of ensuring that our culture remains dynamic in the modern era. "He built on what his father and grandfather accomplished in the field of education and with young people by ensuring that our language and culture flourish in the media. "He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world," he said. Menna Richards said his contribution to the development of the media in Wales was "unsurpassed". Ms Richards added: "S4C, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru were all launched under his visionary leadership. "Owen had that rare knack of getting the very best from all those who worked with with him. "He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring," she said. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring” End Quote Menna Richards Director, BBC Cymru Wales In 2008, Mr Edwards, who lived in Cardiff, was honoured with a special award for his contribution to the media. Programme organiser His career began in the 1950s as a presenter on the Welsh programme Dewch i Mewn, produced by ITV company Granada. From 1961 to 1966 he presented Heddiw, then the BBC's daily news programme in Welsh, and was one of the journalists to report the Aberfan disaster in October 1966. Later, he influenced the development of the Welsh language media from behind the scenes, first as programme organiser and then as head of programmes at the BBC. He was appointed controller of BBC Wales in 1974 and under his leadership Radio Cymru and Radio Wales were launched. Mr Edwards was in charge at S4C from 1981 until his retirement in 1989. Mr Edwards reported in Welsh on Aberfan, when 144 people died after coal waste engulfed the village He was the son of Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of the Urdd Eisteddfod, and the grandson of the historian, author and publisher OM Edwards He was presented with the Cyfrwng award at the National Library in Aberystwyth in May 2008 by Alwyn Roberts, former chair of the BBC's Broadcasting Council for Wales and one of the first three members of the S4C Authority. Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones described Mr Edwards as a "cultural innovator," who made a "very rich contribution" to broadcasting in Wales. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Owen was a true Welshman of the valleys, of the countryside. He could put himself in a situation and say the right thing at the right time” End Quote R Alun Evans Broadcaster "His work as the first director of S4C after it was established was extremely important - steering the channel very cleverly through those early years," said Mr Jones. "As well as being a very successful figure in broadcasting, he was also a very kind and compassionate man." Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said: "Owen was a passionate Welshman whose significant contribution to Welsh broadcasting and culture will never be forgotten". Fellow broadcaster R Alun Evans remembered Mr Edwards's "rapport" with the Welsh language audience. He paid tribute to Mr Edwards's reporting of the Aberfan disaster. "The whole world of press and broadcasting came to Aberfan because of that disaster but the one shining star in the middle of it was Owen. "He gave Welsh language broadcasting that air of significance. That we could cope, that we could say the right things." He added: "Owen was a true Welshman of the valleys, of the countryside. He could put himself in a situation and say the right thing at the right time." \|\|\|\|\| Owen Edwards, the first director of S4C, has died at the age of 76, it was announced today. Mr Edwards, who led the channel from its launch in 1981 until 1989 was today described as “a colussus of Welsh broadcasting” by the channel’s chair, John Walter Jones. He led S4C through the early pioneering years, establishing it as a channel that was at the centre of Welsh-speaking cultural life. Mr Jones said: “He was not only a colossus of Welsh-language broadcasting but one of the great figures of our nation. “He made an invaluable contribution to the survival of our culture and our identity as a country. “As the first director of S4C, he continued his family’s unique tradition of ensuring that our culture remains dynamic in the modern era. “He built on what his father and grandfather accomplished in the field of education and with young people by ensuring that our language and culture flourish in the media. He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world. “By extending our condolences to the family at this difficult time, I can state categorically that Wales will never forget his remarkable contribution.” Born and brought up in Aberystwyth, he was the son of Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, the founder of the Welsh-language youth movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru, and the grandson of the historian, author and publisher OM Edwards. He worked in the Welsh-language media for over 30 years and was key in the establishment of the radio services BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales as well as S4C. Mr Edwards’ career in broadcasting began in the late 1950s and 1960s as presenter of Welsh-language programmes on ITV and BBC. He earned a reputation as a polished broadcaster as the anchor presenter of BBC’s Welsh-language daily news programme, Heddiw. In the 1970s, he turned to management behind the camera as the BBC’s Programme Organiser and Head of Programmes before being appointed Controller of BBC Wales in 1974. Leave your tributes to Owen Edwards in the comments below \|\|\|\|\| Owen Edwards wedi marw Ei gyfraniad i'r byd darlledu: 'Heb ei ail' Bu farw'r darlledwr Owen Edwards yn 76 oed. Roedd wedi dioddef o Glefyd Parkinson ers mwy nac 20 mlynedd. Fe oedd Prif Weithredwr cyntaf S4C ac roedd wrth y llyw rhwng 1981 ac 1989. Fe gafodd ei benodi'n Rheolwr BBC Cymru yn 1974 ac o dan ei arweiniad fe gafodd Radio Cymru a Radio Wales eu lansio. Rhwng 1961 a 1966 fe oedd cyflwynydd y rhaglen newyddion Heddiw a gohebodd am Drychineb Aberfan yn 1966. Dywedodd y Gweinidog Treftadaeth, Alun Ffred Jones, fod ei gyfraniad i fywyd diwylliannol Cymru'n gyfoethog iawn. "Roedd ei waith fel Cyfarwyddwr cyntaf S4C ar ôl ei sefydlu yn eithriadol o bwysig - yn llywio'r sianel yn fedrus iawn drwy'r blynyddoedd cynnar hynny. "... mi gymerodd o'r cyfrifoldeb hanesyddol fel Prif Weithredwr cyntaf S4C ac fe lwyddodd i osod sylfaeni cadarn ar gyfer y dyfodol." 'Arloeswr' Dywedodd fod cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y rhaglenni Cymraeg oherwydd ei arweinyddiaeth. "Yn ogystal â bod yn ffigwr llwyddiannus iawn ym myd darlledu yng Nghymru, mi oedd hefyd yn ŵr hynaws iawn. "Fe fydd yn cael ei gofio felly gan y rheini ohonom oedd yn ddigon ffodus i'w adnabod, ac fel arloeswr diwylliannol a lwyddodd i gyfoethogi bywyd ei genedl." Roedd yn byw yng Nghaerdydd, ei deulu â'u gwreiddiau ym Meirionnydd a threuliodd ei blentyndod yn Aberystwyth. Roedd Owen Edwards, meddai Cadeirydd S4C John Walter Jones, nid yn unig yn un o gewri'r byd darlledu yng Nghymru ond "yn un o fawrion ein cenedl. "Fe wnaeth gyfraniad amhrisiadwy i barhad ein diwylliant a'n hunaniaeth fel gwlad. "Fel Cyfarwyddwr cyntaf S4C, fe barhaodd â thraddodiad unigryw ei deulu o sicrhau bod ein diwylliant yn parhau yn un deinamig yn yr oes fodern." 'Rhyfeddol' Fe adeiladodd, meddai, ar yr hyn a gyflawnodd ei dad-cu, O M Edwards, a'i dad, Syr Ifan ab Owen Edwards, ym maes addysg ac ieuenctid trwy sicrhau y gallai'r iaith a'r diwylliant ffynnu ym maes y cyfryngau. "Wrth estyn ein cydymdeimlad i'r teulu ar yr adeg anodd yma, hoffwn ddweud na fydd Cymru byth yn anghofio ei gyfraniad rhyfeddol." Dywedodd Menna Richards, Rheolwr BBC Cymru, fod ei gyfraniad i'r byd darlledu yng Nghymru "yn eithriadol ac yn un na welwyd ei debyg. Owen Edwards yn cyhoeddi dechrau S4C yn 1982 "Cafodd S4C, BBC Radio Cymru a Radio Wales oll eu lansio o dan ei arweinyddiaeth ysbrydoledig. "Roedd gan Owen y ddawn unigryw o gael y gorau o bawb oedd yn gweithio yn ei gwmni. "Roedd ei gariad at Gymru yn angerddol ac fe fydd ei gyfraniad gwerthfawr i fywyd cyhoeddus y genedl yn dysteb barhaol." Yn y pumdegau fe oedd cyflwynydd y rhaglen, Dewch i Mewn, yr oedd cwmni Granada yn ei chynhyrchu. Yn 1982 ei lais gyhoeddodd ddechrau swyddogol S4C ac am chwe blynedd fe oedd cyfarwyddwr y sianel newydd. Dywedodd y Parchedig Ddoctor R Alun Evans, oedd yn cydweithio ag Owen ar raglenni BBC Cymru: "Dyddiau oedd y rhain pan oedd pobl, pobl ddoeth iawn, yn amau a oedd yna ddawn yng Nghymru i gynnal hyd yn oed rai oriau o ddarlledu heb sôn am wasanaeth cyflawn. 'Profi' "Roedd yn rhaid i Owen ac eraill oedd o'i gwmpas brofi i'r rhai oedd yn wrthwynebus, yn Gymry Cymraeg ac yn ddi-Gymraeg, fod y ddawn yn bod. "Fe lwyddodd i wneud hynny ... ac fe ddaeth S4C drwy ei arweiniad cynnar ef yn wasanaeth credadwy. "... mi ddefnyddiodd ei holl urddas a'i gwrteisi wrth gwrdd â gwleidyddion a darlledwyr a sicrhau bod y sianel yn cael y dechrau gorau." Tad-cu Owen oedd yr arolygydd ysgolion aeth ati i sicrhau bod y Gymraeg yn cael ei dysgu mewn ysgolion. Ei dad sefydlodd Urdd Gobaith Cymru ac ysgol gynradd Gymraeg gyntaf Cymru yn Aberystwyth. Roedd yn un o saith o blant. 'Dewrder' Bu'n gohebu am drychineb Aberfan Dringodd drwy rengoedd BBC Cymru a dod yn bennaeth rhaglenni ac yna'n rheolwr yng Ngorffennaf 1974. Yn 1988 cyhoeddodd ei ymddeoliad o S4C ac roedd clefyd Parkinson, meddai, yn brif ffactor. Dywedodd ei gyfaill, Alwyn Roberts, cyn-Gadeirydd Cyngor Darlledu Cymru'r BBC ac un o aelodau cyntaf Awdurdod S4C, fod rhaid cofio sut yr oedd wedi dygymod â'r clefyd. "Mi oedd ei ddewrder a'i ddiffyg chwerwedd yn arbennig." Ar ôl gadael y sianel bu'n gadeirydd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol cyn camu'n araf bach o'r llwyfan cyhoeddus. Cafodd ei gyfraniad i'r byd darlledu ei gydnabod pan gafodd Wobr Arbennig BAFTA Cymru yn 1995. Yn 2008 fe gafodd Wobr Cyfrwng oherwydd ei "gyfraniad aruthrol" i ddatblygiad y cyfryngau Cymraeg. Fersiwn brintiadwy HEFYD Teyrnged i Owen am ei gyfraniad 27 Ebr 08 \| Newyddion Carreg filltir i ysgol Gymraeg 25 Medi 09 \| Newyddion CYSYLLTIADAU RHYNGRWYD: Owen Edwards yn holi un o bentrefwyr Aberfan wedi'r drychineb Cyfweliad Owen Edwards gydag S.O. Davies, AS Merthyr ym 1966 Dyw'r BBC ddim yn gyfrifol am gynnwys safleoedd rhyngrwyd allanol PRIF STRAEON NEWYDDION Owen Edwards wedi marw Damwain farwol: Arestio dyn Chwilwyr yn dod o hyd i gorff	Owen Edwards fronted the launch of station S4C in 1982 , the former director of and the first chief executive of Welsh language television station , died on Monday at the age of 76. Edwards had suffered from for over twenty years. Edwards started his career with the BBC in 1950 as a broadcaster. He worked on regional news programmes and reported on such events as the . In 1961 he began presenting ''Heddiw'' (‘Today’), the BBC's Welsh early evening news programme. He took a role behind the camera in 1966. In 1974, Edwards was made director of BBC Wales. Under his control, both and were launched. He left the post in 1981 to found S4C, a Welsh language television station. He stayed with the channel until his retirement in 1989. In 2008, Edwards was presented with a special achievement award for his contributions to media. , the current director of BBC Wales, commented on Edwards death. She said, “He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring.” Current S4C chair said, “He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world.”
The ailing Nationals are looking for a new federal leader after an emotional Mark Vaile quit the top job in the wake of his party's poor election result. The outgoing deputy prime minister said he accepted some responsibility for the coalition's crushing defeat, but insisted the Nationals will "kick on again". Standing with his wife Wendy, Mr Vaile choked back tears when he talked about the toll his parliamentary career had taken on his family. "It's been a long 10 or 11 years for my family whilst I've been away from home and they deserve a bit of time and that's what I want to give them," said the father of three, holding back tears. Mr Vaile's resignation took colleagues by surprise and came less than 24 hours after outgoing treasurer Peter Costello announced he would not run for the Liberal Party leadership. Like Mr Costello, Mr Vaile, 51, did not endorse a possible successor and said it was time for a generational change in leadership. "We are at a point in the history of politics in Australia where I believe it is time for an opportunity for a bit of a change in the leadership of our party," he said. Possible leadership contenders include Warren Truss, Peter McGauran and Luke Hartsuyker. The Nationals had hoped to win 13 or 14 seats in parliament but look to have held on to just 10 - down from 18 in 1996. The Nationals could not hold the NSW north coast electorate of Page and in Dawson in Queensland, held by former minister De-Anne Kelly, the party suffered a swing against it of 13.4 per cent. "As the leader of my party I shoulder my share of the responsibility for the outcome on Saturday," said Mr Vaile, who will remain as the MP for Lyne. The Nationals leader, whose election stunts included skateboarding, wild pig hunting and horseback riding, maintained the party's campaign had been strong. "We fielded outstanding candidates in all the electorates that we contested across Australia." Mr Vaile rejected suggestions the party and its leadership were imploding and said they would still be a strong voice for regional Australia. He also rejected merging with the Liberal Party. "As far as amalgamation is concerned, I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future. "I have an absolute belief in the future of our party the National Party. "Can I just assure everybody living in regional Australia we are going to be there as a voice for regional Australia." Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says Mr Vaile's decision to step down took him by surprise. "Mark has done a huge amount for our nation, he's been an extremely hard worker, he's held one of the highest offices in the land, he's been instrumental with so much to do with our trade," he told ABC radio. "I think Mark has made a decision and we all respect that - we were obviously all taken by surprise, that would go without saying." Mr Vaile worked as a jackaroo in regional New South Wales before entering federal parliament as the member for Lyne in 1993. He succeeded John Anderson as the Nationals leader in 2005 and became deputy prime minister and minister for transport and regional services in 2006. \|\|\|\|\| Outgoing Vaile resists amalgamation calls Updated Outgoing deputy prime minister Mark Vaile disagrees with the view that the Liberal and National parties should amalgamate in the wake of the weekend's election loss. Mr Vaile today announced that he will not contest the leadership or deputy's job with the Nationals, saying it is time for generational change. Veteran Liberal Wilson Tuckey says the Liberals and Nationals should join together. Mr Vaile disagrees and argues the two parties should stay in Coalition. "As far as amalgamation is concerned I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future," he said. "My belief is that regional Australia is entitled to their unique voice and that's always been given to them by the Nationals and we have had proposals in terms of amalgamation, I've argued against it then and I'll argue against it in the future." The then-Queensland Nationals leader Lawrence Springborg first suggested a merger with the Liberals after the 2004 federal election, but then prime minister John Howard rejected the proposal. Mr Springborg says it is pointless to consider whether a united party would have made a difference to Saturday's result, but now is the time to reconsider the concept. "We've lost a number of years and given everything that happened on the weekend, it'll probably compound the time that it could take to rebuild and come back," he said. "But if it was in place it would certainly make the road back a lot more clearer, a lot easier and certainly with a lot more focus." Dumping policies? Meanwhile the outgoing minister for ageing, Christopher Pyne, says renewal within the Coalition could include dumping policies it had while in government. Mr Pyne is expected to declare his interest in the deputy leadership of the Liberal Party next week, once a new leader is appointed to replace John Howard. Mr Pyne says after an election defeat the slate needs to be wiped clean. "What we need to do is think about the future and plan for the future and engage with the public about what they think is important," he said. "It includes everything, the Liberal Party is not wedded to old policies from the previous government. "The Liberal Party will continue to evolve and determine what is best for Australia into the future." Topics: liberals, federal-election-2007, government-and-politics, elections, federal-government, political-parties, vaile-mark, australia, qld First posted	The outgoing Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Mark Vaile today announced that he will resign as leader of the National party, following the Liberal/National party coalition government's defeat on Saturday. Mr Vaile took leadership of the National party after John Anderson's resignation in July, 2005. With his wife by his side, an emotional Mark Vaile said that he had considered his future in wake of the coalition's defeat and that he believed it was time for change within the National party. "Over the last couple of days and particularly as I drove to Canberra this morning with Wendy to come down and start packing up my office to make way for the incoming deputy prime minister, we reflected on a whole range of issues," he said. "We are at a point in the history of politics in Australia where we believe and I believe it is time for an opportunity for a bit of a change in the leadership of our party. I certainly don't want to stand in the way of that." Mr Vaile said that the past 11 or so years had been particularly difficult for his family. "It's been a long 10 or 11 years for my family whilst I've been away from home and they deserve a bit of time and that's what I want to give them," said Mr Vaile. Mr Vaile said he accepted some of the responsibility for the coalition's defeat on the weekend. "As the leader of my party I shoulder my share of the responsibility for the outcome on Saturday," he said. Mr Vaile also dismissed Liberal Wilson Tuckey's suggestion that the Liberals and Nationals should amalgamate. He said he continued to oppose the idea. "As far as amalgamation is concerned I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future," he said. "My belief is that regional Australia is entitled to their unique voice and that's always been given to them by the Nationals and we have had proposals in terms of amalgamation, I've argued against it then and I'll argue against it in the future." Mr Vaile will continue to serve the remainder of his term for his constituency of Lyne on the backbench.
James Ibori has already been acquitted of multiple corruption charges One of Nigeria's most influential and wealthy politicians, James Ibori, has been arrested in Dubai. The former governor of oil-rich Delta state is accused of stealing funds worth $290m (£196m) by Nigeria's EFCC anti-corruption agency. Last month, police were attacked by Mr Ibori's supporters while trying to arrest him in his home town. For years, he has denied corruption allegations but is also wanted by police in the UK. He is a senior figure in Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and played a key role in the 2007 presidential election victory of Umaru Yar'Adua, who died last week. New charges Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) head Farida Waziri told the BBC that Mr Ibori had been arrested on Wednesday following the intervention of the international police agency Interpol. He is currently in custody but it is not clear whether he will face extradition to Nigeria or the UK. "We are consulting on the next line of action, whether the Metropolitan Police will want him to stand trial there in London. We also have a case here pending against him," Mrs Waziri said, reports Reuters news agency. She also said that the EFCC wanted to press new charges against him, without giving any details. In 2007 a UK court froze assets allegedly belonging to him worth $35m (£21m). His annual salary was less than $25,000. He had already left the UK when his assets were seized. He was first arrested in Nigeria in December 2007. Two years later, a court in Asaba cleared him of 170 charges of corruption, saying there was no clear evidence to convict, sparking the anger of the EFCC. Under Nigeria's federal system, state governors enjoy wide powers. Those running oil-rich states have budgets larger than those of some African countries. They enjoy immunity from prosecution while in power, but several have faced corruption charges since leaving office after the last election in 2007. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| James Ibori, a wealthy and influential former Nigerian state governor, has been arrested in Dubai as part of British efforts to secure his extradition on charges of alleged money-laundering. Mr Ibori, a leading backer of Umaru Yar’Adua, the late president, has fought constant legal battles since his eight years as governor of the oil-rich Delta State ended in 2007. London’s Metropolitan Police said Mr Ibori has been arrested in Dubai on Wednesday at the UK force’s request “on suspicion of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud”. “The UK authorities are seeking extradition,” the police told the Financial Times. Mr Ibori has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His spokesman said he had been detained by agents who came to his Dubai hotel on Wednesday saying they worked for Interpol. He was bailed by a Dubai court on Thursday, the spokesman said, adding that Mr Ibori regarded himself as the victim of “persecution”. In August 2007, the UK froze assets relating to Mr Ibori worth $35m, more than 100 times his annual salary as a governor. Later that year, he was held in connection with charges that he allegedly stole $85m during his governorship. A Nigerian court threw out all 170 counts against him in December. But last month, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency, said it wanted to question Mr Ibori over allegations that $290m was looted from state government coffers during his tenure. After gangs in Mr Ibori’s home state confronted police seeking to detain him, his spokesman denied that he had gone into hiding. But Wednesday’s arrest confirmed suggestions that he left Nigeria for Dubai, where he was believed to own property. In a country where political battles are regularly fought through the courts, Mr Ibori’s changing fortunes have been linked to the death of his ally, Mr Yar’Adua. Mr Ibori is no friend of Goodluck Jonathan, who has succeeded Mr Yar’Adua as president. Mr Jonathan has vowed to reinvigorate an anti-corruption campaign, which had trailed off under his predecessor, during the remaining months of his term before national elections due by the middle of next year. The Metropolitan police said Mr Ibori was expected to stand trial, but no date could be set pending the extradition proceedings.	, a former Nigerian governor, has been arrested in Dubai on corruption charges. Ibori was the governor of from 1999 until 2007. He has been accused of stealing US$290m (£196m). As well as being wanted by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency and by law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. London's released a statement saying that Ibori had been arrested at the United Kingdom's request on suspicion of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud. The Met added that they are seeking extradition though the EFCC are reported to have requested his extradition to Nigeria. Ibori's UK assets were frozen in 2007. They amounted around US$35m while Ibori's annual salary only amounted to US$25,000. He had already returned to Nigeria when his assets were frozen prior to his arrest in Nigeria in December 2007. Ibori was cleared of all 170 charges by an court in 2009 which found that there was no evidence to convict him. Police attempted to arrest him again in Nigeria last month but were attacked by Ibori's supporters. The former governor has been a senior figure in for many years. He played a big part in getting elected as president.
A senior Foreign Ministry official has confirmed that the Mauritania authorities have given Israeli Ambassador Miki Arbel and his staff about 48 hours to leave the embassy building. At this stage it is unclear whether the Mauritanian authorities removed the barriers around the embassy, but Jerusalem is preparing for the evacuation and for the staff's return to Israel. (Roni Sofer) \|\|\|\|\| NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Staff left the Israeli embassy in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott Friday, a Reuters witness said. Diplomatic relations between Mauritania, one of only three Arab countries to have full ties with the Jewish state, have been strained since Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip in late December. Earlier Friday, Gulf TV broadcaster Al-Arabiya said Mauritania had given the Israeli ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. In January, Mauritania recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultation, a step an adviser to the northwest African country's government described as a "first step" to cutting ties. (Reporting by Hachem Sidi Salem; Editing by Daniel Magnowski) \|\|\|\|\| By Hachem Sidi Salem and Vincent Fertey Mauritania has ordered staff at Israel's embassy to leave the country within 48 hours after freezing ties with the Jewish state over its invasion of Gaza, a senior Mauritanian official said on Friday. Diplomatic relations between Mauritania, one of only three Arab countries to have full ties with the Jewish state, have been strained since Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip in December. "The Mauritanian authorities have given staff at the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott 48 hours to leave the country," the official said. Another official close to Mauritanian military ruler General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said the decision to expel the Israeli diplomats followed the decision in January to freeze relations with the state. "This is the logical consequence of the freezing of relations between Israel and Mauritania ... there is nothing new," said the official, who declined to be identified. "This was expected. After General Aziz took the decision at the Doha summit, an envoy from the Mauritanian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the ambassador of Israel to leave the country," the official said. Staff were seen leaving the embassy in Nouakchott. Abdel Aziz announced the decision to freeze relations at a summit of Arab nations in Doha, Qatar, in January. Qatar said at the time that it would freeze its own relations with Israel, which are at a lower level than full diplomatic ties. An Israeli Foreign Ministry official who also declined to be identified said Israel had not been officially informed by Mauritania of plans to expel its ambassador. "We don't know what is happening there exactly. We are still checking. They did not tell us they intend to expel our ambassador," he said. He added that the timing of the decision could be linked to a planned visit to Nouakchott by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. "Maybe they are just showing they're tough," the official said. (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Jerusalem; writing by Daniel Magnowski; editing by Alistair Thomson)	In response to the Israeli offensive into the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and the early part of 2009, the African country of Mauritania has cut diplomatic ties with Israel and expelled the Israeli diplomats in the country. They have been ordered to leave the country in no more than 48 hours. As a result of the expulsion, the Israeli government has closed their embassy in Nouakchott and staff could be seen leaving the building. Military personnel were also seen dismantling security features around the embassy and the guards have been ordered to stand down. "The Mauritanian authorities have given staff at the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott 48 hours to leave the country. After General Aziz took the decision at the Doha summit, an envoy from the Mauritanian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the ambassador of Israel to leave the country," said an unnamed Mauritanian official. The official also adds that the country's decision to cut ties with Israel was made in January, during an Arabic nation summit in Qatar. Despite the decision, Israeli officials said they were not aware of the expulsions. "We don't know what is happening there exactly. We are still checking. They did not tell us they intend to expel our ambassador," said an Israeli official. The official also said that the expulsions could be a show of power ahead of the visit of Muammar Gaddafi, the president of Libya. "Maybe they are just showing they're tough."
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. \|\|\|\|\| Israel's prime minister has announced a 10-month suspension to the construction of new settlement houses in the occupied West Bank. Binyamin Netanyahu told a news conference on Wednesday that he declared the limited halt "out of broad national interests with the aim of encouraging negotiations with our Palestinian neighbours". "When the period of freeze ends my government will return to the previous policy of building in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said, using the Jewish names for the occupied West Bank. The Israeli proposal excludes areas of the West Bank that Israel annexed to its Jerusalem municipality after occupying the territory in the 1967 Middle East war and building projects already under way. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Jerusalem, said that the suspension would only apply to "new residential permits and new residential starts". "We are only talking about housing here. This freeze does not apply to public buildings such as schools or police stations or whatever, and it also means any existing building permits that have been granted they will go ahead," she said. "Any construction which has already begun, any construction sites where the cement mixers are already whirring and the cranes are at work they will continue." Palestinian rejection A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, earlier dismissed the Israeli plan after details of it were outlined in a statement from Netanyahu's office. "Any return to negotiations must be on the basis of a complete settlement freeze, and in Jerusalem foremost," Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Referring to Jerusalem in Wednesday's news conference, Netanyahu said: "My position it is well known, I do not impose any restriction on building in Jerusalem." The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, has refused to return to peace talks with the Israelis until Netanyahu orders a complete to all settlement building work in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Before Netanyahu's news conference, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, told the security cabinet that the proposal was an attempt to "keep open a window to the resumption of the negotiation process" with the Palestinians. "Israel is strong and determined, but time is not necessarily on our side, and it is important to move towards two states for two people, through agreement. All other options are much worse," he said. Washington has been pressing Israel to freeze settlement construction in order to allow the talks, which have been on hold since Israel launched its 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip last year, resume. Mixed US reaction George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, called the 10-month suspension "significant". "It falls short of a full settlement freeze, but it is more than any Israeli government has done before," he said. "It falls short of a full settlement freeze, but it is more than any Israeli government has done before" George Mitchell, US special Middle East envoy "As President Obama has said many times, we believe that a two-state solution to the conflict is the best way to realise the shared goal of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. "That's why we have urged the Palestinians to expand and improve their security efforts. And it's why we've urged Israel to stop settlement activity." The Palestinians and the US had previously dismissed an Israeli proposal that would have seen a halt to new settlement construction, but allow what Israel calls "natural growth" to provide for settlers as their population rose. Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from the West Bank town of Ramallah, said that Washington's apparent softening on the issue in recent weeks had "deeply disappointed the Palestinian public and the Palestinian president". "There was a lot of hope attached to this Obama presidency," she said. "A lot of people really believed his statements and his promises that the Obama administration would be balanced and that it would really seek a firm start to a political process that would lead to Palestinian statehood within two years. "Now most Palestinians, if not all, feel let down." About 500,000 Jews live in the West Bank and annexed areas around Jerusalem alongside 2.7 million Palestinians. Palestinians say the settlements deny them the possibility of a viable state by cutting off Palestinian areas from each other. \|\|\|\|\| A Palestinain construction worker shown at the site of a new housing development in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem, Wednesday. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, proposed a 10-month freeze on new West Bank settlement construction. Israel settlement freeze: Benjamin Netanyahu promises 10-month halt, angering allies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a 10-month Israel settlement freeze on Wednesday in a bid to restart stalled peace talks. The move angered some of his domestic allies. In an attempt to jump-start Middle East peace talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Wednesday for a c. Israel's security cabinet, one of the gatekeeping bodies on major policy decisions, approved the freeze with an 11-1 vote. "We have been told by our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps towards peace, the Arab world and the Palestinians will follow,'' Netanyahu said after winning the security cabinet's approval. "Well, the government of Israel has taken a very big step towards peace today, and I hope the Palestinian and the Arab world will work with us to forge a new beginning for our children and theirs." Netanyahu indicated that such an announcement would be forthcoming following his last meeting with US President Barack Obama, who has been trying to push Israel towards a settlement freeze almost since taking office. The move was immediately met with criticism from several corners. Several members of Netanyahu's cabinet belonging to Shas – a conservative, ultra-Orthodox party – boycotted Wednesday's crucial cabinet meetings in a sign of their disagreement. Settlers and their political supporters said Netanyahu was going too far, while Palestinians said he had not gone far enough. "I think it's a complete crumbling of Netanyahu's position and is contrary to all of his electoral promises," Danny Dayan, chairman of the main settler lobby, told the Monitor. "He promised an end to unilateral steps, and here we see him after only a few months in office giving up, even though there is no reciprocity from the Palestinians." Dayan said that Netanyahu could expect strong opposition to the move and that settlements would continue to experience so-called natural growth regardless. "We are 300,000 citizens, living in 150 communities," he says. "It is impossible to freeze us. I don't how it will happen, but we will break this freeze." The freeze proposal would suspend construction permits for new residences and the start of new residential construction for 10 months. Netanyahu's office said that the freeze does not include natural growth – characterized mainly as the product of young people who grew up in the settlements wanting to build homes for families of their own. Nor does it include East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1980. While Israel now declares Jerusalem its united and eternal capital, Palestinians view it as the seat of their future state. "The exclusion of Jerusalem is a very serious problem for us," said Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in comments to reporters Wednesday. "What has changed to make something that was not acceptable a week or 10 days ago [acceptable] now?" The diplomatic tug-of-war over a settlement freeze has raged since September, when Mr. Obama tried to get Netanyahu to agree to stop the growth of Israeli building in the West Bank ahead of a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. But Netanyahu deflected the pressure to make such a commitment, suggesting a temporary slowdown instead – and giving his stamp of approval for 3,000 new homes to be built. The Palestinian leadership has consistently said that it will not return to negotiations unless there is a full settlement freeze. \|\|\|\|\| Israeli PM Declares Settlement Freeze Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declares moratorium on construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in what he says is a bid to restart the stalled peace process Photo: AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday declared a moratorium on construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in what he says is a bid to restart the stalled peace process. Palestinians have criticized the plan in part because it does not include a halt to building in East Jerusalem. After meeting with his security cabinet, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel will not issue new permits for construction in settlements in the West Bank for 10 months. He called it an important step toward peace. AP "This is a far-reaching and painful step. We authorized it because of our deep desire to move forward toward peace," he said. "We hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach an historic peace agreement that will finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," he said. Even before the official announcement, the Palestinians rejected Israel's move because it does not include East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordanian control, following Israel's victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The Jewish state annexed that part of the city in a move that was not recognized by the international community. Earlier this week, on a visit to Argentina, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stepped up his campaign to put international pressure on Israel to stop building on lands that Palestinians claim as their own. Mr. Abbas urged President Barack Obama and leaders of other nations that support Israel to press the Jewish state to end its construction of settlements on occupied lands. Mr. Netanyahu has in the past offered to restrain settlement growth, but Wednesday's announcement was the first time he set a clear timeframe. The Israeli leader said his plan will allow for what his government calls "natural growth," which includes completing settlement construction that is already underway. The building of schools and places of worship that will enable settlers to live what Mr. Netanyahu describes as "normal lives" will also continue. On the issue of Jerusalem, he said there will be no change to Israel's existing policy. "Regarding Jerusalem, our sovereign capital, our position is well-known. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," he said. Palestinians say the settlements - home to about 300,000 Israelis - hinder the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. Israel had continued to expand settlements in defiance of U.S. calls for it to exercise restraint. On Wednesday, Washington praised Mr. Netanyahu's announcement. \|\|\|\|\| Israel tonight proposed a 10-month partial halt to settlement building on the occupied West Bank as a prelude to restarting peace talks, but Palestinian officials were quick to dismiss it as unacceptable. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said the offer was a policy of "restraint" that was in Israel's national interest. "This is a far-reaching and painful step. We authorise it because of our deep desire to move forward towards peace," he said in a televised press conference. He wanted a "historic peace agreement to finally end the conflict". It did not seem likely to bring the two sides together. Even before it was publicly announced, Palestinian officials said only a full halt to all settlement building – in line with Israel's obligations under the 2003 US road map – would allow peace talks to restart for the first time in a year. Netanyahu's offer does not include east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and is now home to more than 200,000 Jewish settlers. It also does not include what are thought to be around 3,000 homes where work has already begun or where permits for work have been issued, and nor does it include any public buildings such as schools or synagogues. Israel proposed "a 10-month suspension of new residential construction permits and new residential construction starts in Judea and Samaria", the government said, using the Israeli term for the West Bank. Netanyahu talked of roadblocks that had been taken down and "bureaucratic obstacles" removed to allow Palestinian economic development. He insisted the Palestinians still needed to recognise Israel as a "Jewish state". "Israel today has taken a far-reaching step towards peace. It is time for the Palestinians to do the same," he said. Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, said any offer that did not include east Jerusalem was a non-starter. "The exclusion of east Jerusalem is a very, very serious problem for us," he said. The Palestinians wanted a peace process to begin again, but only in the right circumstances. "We are not looking for the resumption of the process just for the sake of it, for it to falter a week or two down the road," he said. There appears to be general agreement among senior Palestinian leaders that talks should not restart without a full settlement freeze. At the start of this year the US administration pressed Israel for a complete halt to settlement building. In recent months Netanyahu's government has felt confident that it had resisted American pressure. Washington has scaled back its demands, asking instead merely for Israeli "restraint". That was such a profound disappointment for the Palestinians that this month Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president elected on a platform of winning independence through negotiations, announced he did not want to run for re-election and criticised the lack of support from Washington. Nearly two decades of talks have failed to bring the Palestinians their independent state. The occupation continues and the number of Israeli settlers has grown to nearly 500,000 in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, even though settlement on occupied land is illegal. \|\|\|\|\| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday evening that Israel would impose a 10-month freeze on construction in West Bank settlements, saying the move was a bid to restart stalled peace talks with the Palestinians. "I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a historic peace agreement that would finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," Netanyahu said at a special press conference he held shortly after the security cabinet approved the moratorium. He added: "We have been told by many of our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps toward peace, the Palestinians and Arab states would respond." Advertisement Settlement building has been a key sticking point in U.S. efforts to restart Middle East peace talks; the Palestinians say they will not return to the negotiating table without a complete halt to construction. During the press conference, Netanyahu said the "far-reaching and painful" move would not be implemented in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem, which is viewed by Israel as a separate issue to be discussed in a final status agreement with the Palestinians. "We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," the premier said. The freeze applies only to new construction, meaning housing already underway will continue. Also, Netanyahu said, only new homes are included. "We will not halt existing construction and we will continue to build synagogues, schools, kindergartens and public buildings essential for normal life in the settlements," he said. Netanyahu concluded with an appeal to the Palestinians to enter into a new round of peace talks. "Now is the time to begin negotiations, now is the time to move forward towards peace," he said. "Israel today has taken a far-reaching step toward peace, it is time for the Palestinians to do the same." He added: "Israel's government has made an important step toward peace today, let us make peace together." Netanyahu: Settlement freeze will prove Israel really wants peace At the cabinet vote, National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beiteinu) was the only minister to oppose the move. Shortly before the cabinet session, Netanyahu said the freeze would prove that Israel genuinely seeks to reach peace with the Palestinians. "In the international circumstances that have been created, this step will advance Israel's broad international interests. This is not a simple step, nor an easy one; but it has many more advantages than disadvantages," Netanyahu told his aides. He added: "It will enable us to show the world this simple truth: The Government of Israel wants to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians, is taking practical steps to enter into negotiations and is very serious in its intention to advance peace." At least one key Security Cabinet member, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, came out in favor of the proposal. "Its aim is to open a window for renewing negotiations with the Palestinians," he said. "I hope that the Yesha [council of settlements] leadership, which is patriotic, responsible and serious, will understand the need for the decision at this time," Barak added. "The understandings with the United States are of the utmost importance with regard to negotiations, and guarantees of security and its military supremacy." An official statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday said Netanyahu would seek approval for the moratorium from his cabinet in order to boost peace prospects. "As part of our efforts to give impetus to peace talks with the Palestinian Authority and promote Israel's comprehensive national interests, the prime minister will ask the security cabinet to approve a temporary suspension on construction permits for new residences and the [actual] start of new residential construction for a period of ten months," the statement said. The move is not unexpected; Netanyahu announced several days ago that he intended to declare a settlement freeze for 10 months. Israel began building in the West Bank in 1967, following the capture of the territory from Jordan during the Six-Day War. Today, more than a quarter of million Israelis live in West Bank settlements. The freeze will also not apply to construction that has already been authorized or to work on public buildings conducive to normal life in the territories.	The prime minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, told a news conference earlier today that there will be a ten-month stop in the construction of new settlement housing in the West Bank. The Israeli cabinet approved the move by a margin of eleven to one. File photo of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu."We have been told by our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps towards peace, the Arab world and the Palestinians will follow," said Netanyahu following the cabinet's endorsement of the move. "Well, the government of Israel has taken a very big step towards peace today, and I hope the Palestinian and the Arab world will work with us to forge a new beginning for our children and theirs." The freeze was made "out of broad national interests with the aim of encouraging negotiations with our Palestinian neighbours," he continued. "When the period of freeze ends my government will return to the previous policy of building in Judea and Samaria the Jewish name for the West Bank." "This is a far-reaching and painful step ... We hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach an historic peace agreement that will finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," Netanyahu later said. Under the plan, construction permits for new residential buildings would be put on hold for ten months. The government said that "natural growth" — characterised by the construction of homes by young people, who were raised in the settlements and want to build houses for their own families — would be exempt from the freeze. Parts of the West Bank that Israel annexed to the Jerusalem municipality would also be excluded from the freeze. The building of schools and places of worship, which will enable settlers to live what Netanyahu described as "normal lives", will also continue. "We will not halt existing construction and we will continue to build synagogues, schools, kindergartens and public buildings essential for normal life in the settlements," he commented. The prime minister added that there would be no change to Israel's existing policy on the issue of Jerusalem. "Regarding Jerusalem, our sovereign capital, our position is well-known. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," he said. Several members of the Israeli cabinet expressed their disapproval at the proposal, with the conservative, ultra-Orthodox Shas party boycotting the cabinet meetings. "I think it's a complete crumbling of Netanyahu's position and is contrary to all of his electoral promises. He promised an end to unilateral steps, and here we see him after only a few months in office giving up, even though there is no reciprocity from the Palestinians," said the head of the main settler lobby, Danny Dayan, to the Christian Science Monitor. We are 300,000 citizens, living in 150 communities. It is impossible to freeze us. I don't how it will happen, but we will break this freeze." Many Palestinians also criticised the proposal, mainly because East Jerusalem was not included in the settlement freeze. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a Palestinian spokesman, said to the Wafa news agency that Palestine “rejects returning to peace talks without the complete cessation of settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.” Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad also rejected the plan. "The exclusion of east Jerusalem is a very, very serious problem for us. We are not looking for the resumption of the process just for the sake of it, for it to falter a week or two down the road," Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordanian control, following Israel's victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The Jewish state annexed that part of the city in a move that was not recognized by the international community. Earlier this week, on a visit to Argentina, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stepped up his campaign to put international pressure on Israel to stop building on lands that Palestinians say are their own. Abbas urged US president Barack Obama, as well as leaders of other nations that support Israel, to press the Jewish state to end its construction of settlements on occupied lands. Netanyahu has in the past offered to restrain settlement growth, but today's announcement was the first time that he set a clear timeframe.
Haulage magnate Edward Stobart dies, aged 56 Edward Stobart (r) sold the firm to his brother in 2004 Continue reading the main story Related Stories Haulage magnate Edward Stobart, who built up the Eddie Stobart lorry empire and ran it for more than 30 years, has died at the age of 56. He suffered what were described as "heart problems" on Wednesday and died this morning in hospital in Coventry. He took the business started by his father Eddie and built it into the best known haulage company in the UK. Mr Stobart sold the firm to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler in 2004. In the 1970s Eddie Stobart took the company from a local firm delivering fertiliser into a road transport and warehousing company. Drivers wore collars and ties, which was unusual at the time, and were also instructed to wave back and honk their horn when signalled by a passer-by. By the 1990s the distinctive trucks, with each cabin bearing a woman's name, were a common sight on motorways across the UK and Europe. 'Massive loss' The firm even set up its own fan club, which now has more than 25,000 members. During the Kosovo crisis Eddie Stobart trucks delivered supplies to British forces based in neighbouring Macedonia. When the company was sold in 2004 Eddie Stobart moved to the Midlands and took over a firm which built lorry trailers but that failed in 2009. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Ann Preston, chair of haulage company, Preston's of Potto, paid tribute to what she described as a "very, very kind man". "He was very passionate about road transport," she said. "From a young boy he didn't want to do anything else. "He's a massive loss, he's definitely the most iconic figure that has ever been in this industry." The Stobart Group said in a statement: "Our thoughts are with Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time." The Stobart Members' Club said in a statement: "The club's members will certainly have fond memories of the man who started the phenomenon off, created the iconic Eddie Stobart brand and made it cool to spot lorries. "Stobart Spotting will continue and the legacy of Edward Stobart will live on." \|\|\|\|\| LONDON, March 31 \| LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Edward Stobart, who turned the family trucking company into one of Britain's best-known brands as his distinctive green and white lorries thundered along the country's motorways, has died at the age of 56. The company said in a statement: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart, son of Eddie Stobart, passed away at 8.10 a.m. this morning at University Hospital Coventry, after heart problems yesterday." Although not involved with today's Stobart Group, Edward was managing director of Eddie Stobart Ltd for over 30 years, a business started by his father Eddie. He sold the company to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler in 2004. William Stobart continues the family involvement in his role as chief operating officer of the group. What began in the 1950s as an agricultural business in Cumbria, northern England, turned into haulage company Eddie Stobart Ltd in the 1970s, eventually passing to Edward. Once named after female singers, the trucks and their smartly dressed drivers are an integral feature of the British trunk road network, the subject of a million counting and I-Spy games on long car journeys. Such is the cult status of the firm that it has its own fan club and dedicated army of "Stobart spotters" who keep tabs on the fleet of nearly 2,000 trucks. (Reporting by Steve Addison; Editing by Keith Weir) \|\|\|\|\| Haulage magnate Edward Stobart, who ran the Eddie Stobart lorry empire for more than three decades, has died at the age of 56. Stobart was managing director of Eddie Stobart Ltd, a business started by his father Eddie in the 1950s. Eddie Stobart is now in his 80s. He died on Thursday morning at University hospital, Coventry, after suffering from heart problems. Stobart is credited with having built up the brand. He first became involved in the company towards the end of the 1960s, and oversaw its growth from a regional supplier in Cumbria to a giant of the haulage industry, with a cult following. From beginnings in agriculture and then as a road haulage company, the company has expanded into rail and air transport, as well as logistics management and warehousing. But haulage operations continue, with the distinctive trucks operating throughout Europe. The individually named trucks attracted an "Eddie spotting" fanbase, which subsequently led to an official fan club and a merchandising operation selling Stobart-branded goods. The fan club has more than 25,000 members. In 2004, Stobart sold the company to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler. The Stobart Group said: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart has passed away. Our thoughts are with Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time."	Edward Stobart, famed for his construction of the truck empire and being its for over thirty years, has died at the age of 56. In a statement, the Stobart Group commented: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart, son of Eddie Stobart, passed away at 8:10 AM this morning at , after heart problems yesterday." When Eddie Stobart — Edward's father, who is aged over eighty — created the company during the 1950s in in northern England, it originally involved itself in the business of agriculture. In the 1970s, the business was given the name Eddie Stobart Limited and became a haulage service. Eddie Stobart then handed over the company to his son. The enterprise subsequently became the most popular of that industry within the United Kingdom, according to ''''; it extended to include transportation by air and railways, as well as warehousing and management of . Due to the that they had achieved via a of 'Stobart spotters', which involves the observation of their company's uniquely named vehicles, the Stobart Group decided to create an official followers' group, which now has in excess of twenty-five thousand members. Eddie Stobart-branded merchandise has also been released. William Stobert — the brother of Edward Stobart — and Andrew Tinkler purchased the business from Edward in 2004. Edward subsequently relocated to the and took over what was to become an unsuccessful building firm in 2009. Edward Stobart experienced his death in , England at 0810 (0710 ) on Thursday. The Stobart Group have expressed their condolences to "Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time." Haulage firm Preston's of Potto's chairwoman Ann Preston described Edward as "the most iconic figure that has ever been in this industry" and that the death of a man who "was very passionate about road transport" and "didn't want to do anything else" since he was a child was "a massive loss". The Stobart Members' Club have stated: "The club's members will certainly have fond memories of the man who started the phenomenon off, created the iconic Eddie Stobart brand and made it cool to spot lorries. Stobart Spotting will continue and the legacy of Edward Stobart will live on."
Pope Francis arrives for a prayer at Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore basilica early on his first full day as the head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images) Story Highlights Installation Mass for Pope Francis is set for Tuesday Vice President Biden will lead U.S. delegation to Rome for ceremony Francis hasn't warmed to Popemobile just yet VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis could have been excused for sleeping in Thursday, a day after shocking the world with a series of pontiff firsts: a Jesuit from Latin America who chose a name honoring St. Francis of Assisi. But the newly elected leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics had a quick dinner with his fellow 114 cardinal-electors Wednesday night in order to rise early Thursday and pray for 30 minutes at Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore church. Outside, a crowd of around 150 faithful cheered. Vatican officials confirmed Thursday that Pope Francis' official installation Mass will take place Tuesday at St. Peter's Square. The White House said Vice President Biden, who is Catholic, will lead a U.S. delegation to Rome for the installation ceremony. At a Vatican press conference, details also emerged about the new pope's humble approach to his new position. After appearing on the balcony, Francis declined to use a private car with the license plate SCV1 - Vatican City 1 - to return to the cardinals' dormitory. "He said, 'I'll take the bus (that shuttled the cardinals to the Sistine Chapel), since that's the way I came here,'" said spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica. Pope Francis then went to pay pick up his belongings and pay his bill at the clerical hotel he stayed at before the conclave, "because he wanted to be sure to give a positive example to his fellow cardinals," Rosica said. "We'll get used to a new way of doing things," said Rosica, referring to the casual style with which the new pope buzzed around Rome, greeting well-wishers at each stop. "The security forces are here to work with the style of whoever is the new pope. Remember John Paul II, and how many rules he broke doing things his way with his own style." Later Thursday, the pope will celebrate Mass inside the Sistine Chapel with the 114 other cardinals who participated in the conclave. Francis will stay on for a few days at a VIP apartment in the same Casa Santa Marta residence that hosted all the cardinals during the conclave. "It features a number of rooms (as compared to the simple one he stayed in as cardinal), which he will need for papal audiences," Rosica said. Pope Francis also will go to the official residence and take off the papal seals on the doors - which prevented anyone from entering after Pope Benedict XVI left the premises - so work can officially begin on refurbishing it for the new pope. Another significant item on the pope's to-do list is a visit with Benedict, the first pope emeritus in 600 years, who has been staying at the Vatican's fabled summer retreat, Castel Gandolfo, since his historic resignation last month. Pope Francis puts flowers on the altar inside St. Mary Major Basilica, in Rome, on Thursday. (Photo: AP/L'Osservatore Romano) Rosica said Francis will visit with the man he succeeded "some time in the coming days," and not Thursday as had originally been suggested. The two men did speak Wednesday night by phone after the election. On Wednesday, throngs jamming St. Peter's Square roared with joy as Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, stepped onto the balcony as the new pope. "Brothers and sisters, good evening," he said to wild cheers. "You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome." The crowd grew silent as Francis, 76, recited the Lord's Prayer and a Hail Mary. He asked the crowd to pray for him before he blessed them. "Let us pray for the whole world," he said. Moments later, the official Twitter account for the pope tweeted: "Habemus Papam Franciscum" — We have Pope Francis. It was retweeted more than 55,000 times in less than two hours. Hours later, the Vatican updated the Holy See website with the first official portrait of the new pontiff and the Latin phrase announcing his selection. Besides English and Latin, the site is available in Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and German. KEY FACTS: Meet Pope Francis COLUMN: Why evangelicals should care about new pope: Column Francis' papacy is one of firsts: He is the first Jesuit, the first non-European in modern times and first Latin American pope. He also is the first to take the name Francis, for the saint devoted to the poor. The Vatican's lead spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, who like Pope Francis is a Jesuit, expressed surprise at Wednesday's choice. "We're (Jesuits) not used to seeking office like this, so I was stunned at what happened yesterday as I saw my brother come out on the loggia," said Lombardi. "It's a great calling, but a calling none of us aspired to. It's a call of extreme service. The idea of a Jesuit priest is very strange, I wasn't prepared psychologically. We are used to serving, not being the ones in charge. But I see it as a special compliment." Bergoglio reportedly received the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger — Pope Benedict XVI — in the 2005 papal election. Despite being Argentina's top church official, Bergoglio never lived in the ornate church mansion in Buenos Aires, preferring a simple bed in a downtown room heated by a small stove. For years, he took public transportation around the city and cooked his own meals. It's been widely reported that he had a lung removed as a teen, but Vatican spokesman Rosica said Pope Francis "did not have a lung removed," but had an operation as a young man due to an infection. The cardinals took five ballots over two days to reach their decision by the required two-thirds majority. The first vote took place late Tuesday. Two morning votes Wednesday brought similar results — black smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney that meant no decision on a new pope had been reached. Late Wednesday, the smoke was finally white and Vatican bells pealed. President Obama offered "warm wishes" to the new pope. "As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years — that in each other we see the face of God," Obama said in a statement. James O'Rourke, a management professor at the University of Notre Dame, a Roman Catholic school in South Bend, Ind., said Francis will need a strategic vision, team-building and financial skills and what he calls "charismatic empathy." Many North American Catholics want a greater role for women in the church, O'Rourke said, while many Europeans oppose such a move. Catholics in Latin America want more vibrant parishes and the fast-growing Catholic population in Africa needs more priests, he said. Fittingly, Bergoglio's new namesake, St. Francis, is famous for his vision of a talking crucifix telling him, "Francis, rebuild my church." Contributing: Cathy Lynn Grossman, Katharine Lackey, David Jackson; Judy Keen and Lisa Tucker \|\|\|\|\| New Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be known as Pope Francis Pope Francis Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been named as the new Pope ARGENTINIAN Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected the new Pope. He will be known as Pope Francis. Pope Francis is 76. He is the first Jesuit to be elected Pope and the first to hail from Latin America. He is the first non-European pontiff in 1000 years. He will be known simply as Pope Francis, not Pope Francis I. "It will become Francis I after we have a Francis II," Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said. Bells rang across St Peter's Square this morning as white smoke billowed from atop the Sistine Chapel signaling the Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion followers had a new pope. After four inconclusive ballots, the crowd of several tens of thousands of onlookers who had been standing in incessant rain in the Vatican’s square for most of the day cheered in wild jubilation at the news Argentinian cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had been elected to become the 266th pope. "Viva il Papa," was chanted by the crowd over and over until one hour after the smoke Pope Francis appeared on the balcony to be greeted by a deafening roar. It was a massive surprise to most whom had expected that after such a quick voting process, Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola and his close connection to the Vatican would be the obvious choice. Instead the 115 of the world Catholic cardinals went, with a minimum two thirds majority, for the Argentinian who has spent his entire career at home in Buenos Aires and who reportedly came unofficial second in 2005 papal elections to the eventual pope then Benedict XVI. In his first words after the election he said it seemed his brother cardinals had "gone to the end of the world" to choose him. "You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome," he said. Standing on the balcony to address the crowd, Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for him as he thanked former pope Benedict, who dramatically stepped down last month to prompt the election, for all he had done and called for brotherhood in the church. He then blessed the city and "all men and women of goodwill". Who is Pope Francis? Handing the pontiff’s cap to a Latin American, a region with the world’s largest share of Catholics, will be the first step in reviving the church and giving its power base to where the masses live. Pope Francis was recognised widely within the broader church for his self-effacing humility as well as leadership and was credited with modernising the church in Argentina which had been one of the most conservative. Pope Francis joined the Jesuit Order in 1958, where he studied philosophy, literature and psychology. He became a priest in 1969 and became a professor of theology. He was promoted through the ranks of the Jesuits and became Cardinal in 2001. Pope Francis is known as a doctrinal conservative and a believer in social justice. His reputation for humility has been supported by his simple lifestyle. As Cardinal of the Catholic Church in Argentina, he passed on the right to have a chauffeured limousine and instead used public transport. Instead of a bishop's palace, he lived in a small apartment. He also reportedly cooked his own meals. Francis has also shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly, according to his official biographer, Sergio Rubin. He showed that humility today, saying that before he blessed the crowd he wanted their prayers for him and bowed his head. "Good night, and have a good rest," he said before going back into the palace. Video tour of the conclave in 60 seconds A sped up version of Vatican TV's recreation of the passage the cardinals will take as they arrive at the conclave to elect the next pope. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). White smoke pope elected The white smoke emitted at 7.06pm local time (5.06am AEDT), was at first only small leading to some initial confusion but then it billowed strongly in the rain, it was unmistakable, to the triumphant cheers and delight and flag waving from the throng. And if there was still doubt the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out. Across Rome, bars and restaurants were broadcasting the news live and the cheers and applause could be heard everywhere. Then something of a stampede an half an hour after the news as thousands more Italians flocked to the square on news it was an Italian who had been elected. In traditional pomp an Italian military band marched with the Swiss Guards carrying the flag with the Pope’s seal to the front of the Vatican, shielded from the masses by wooden fences erected earlier in the day. They crowds cheered again when the doors to the loggia opened, and again when Cardinal Bergoglio's name was announced. "I can't explain how happy I am right now," said Ben Canete, a 32-year-old Filipino, jumping up and down in excitement. Earlier in the day, black smoke was emitted from arguably the most watched roof in the world signifying consensus based on 77 votes from 115 ballots had not been achieved during the second and third ballot. Vatican spokesman Frederico Lombardi said the delay did not necessarily mean there were "divisions or conflicts" saying selection simply took time. Who was Saint Francis? Francis, the name the new pope has chosen, is a much-beloved Italian saint who is identified with peace, poverty and a simple lifestyle. This is the first pontiff to adopt the name of Francis, the rich young man from Assisi who renounced wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars in 1290. The choice could foretell the pope's priorities in striving to bring a sense of serenity to the troubled church. St. Francis is said to have been called by God to repair a church in ruins. Choosing the name of one of Italy's patron saints also ties the new pope to Italy, the homeland of all popes of the last few centuries until 1978. \|\|\|\|\| UK welcomes election of new Pope Francis Pope Francis I is the first to hail from Latin America British politicians and religious leaders have welcomed the election of Jorge Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as the new Pope. David Cameron said it was a "momentous day" for Catholics around the world. Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said the election was a moment of "great joy". And the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he looked forward to working with Pope Francis. Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pontiff on the fifth ballot on Wednesday in the papal conclave in Rome. The 76-year old is the first pontiff to come from Latin America and his election follows the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI last month. No 10 said it was "a momentous day for the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world". 'Inspired choice' The Catholic Church in England and Wales issued a statement welcoming the election of Pope Francis. "On behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, I wish to express my great joy at the news of the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J. [Socius Jesu - ie a member of the Jesuits] as the 265th Successor of St Peter and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church," Archbishop Nichols said. "As he begins his new Apostolic ministry, as the Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the universal Church, Pope Francis I may be assured of the prayers and loving support of the Catholic community throughout England and Wales." Archbishop Nichols expressed his "great joy" at the election. His predecessor Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor said it was an "inspired choice" and the Church was "very blessed". Describing Pope Francis as a "humble, spiritual and very intelligent" man with an instinctive feel for the poor, Cardinal Murphy O'Connor said his election "may have been a surprise" but it was an "inspired choice". "He will bring a new kind of style of to the Catholic Church," he said. "His own simplicity of life will be a great example to the whole world." The election of a Pope from Latin America, he added, reflected the fact that the Catholic Church "was a global Church in a way that it has never been before" and "this man understands that". Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow, president of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, said he was "surprised that the conclave was so quick. It took hardly any longer than the election of Benedict XVI. "Given the pre-Conclave situation, and the absence of a single dominant figure, I can only see this quick result as God's work. "As soon as I heard I went into my chapel and offered a grateful and joyful prayer of thanksgiving." 'Bonds of understanding' Archbishop Welby, the Anglican primate of All England, said the choice of a new pontiff was of "great significance to Christians everywhere, not least Anglicans". "We wish Pope Francis every blessing in the enormous responsibilities that he has assumed on behalf of Roman Catholics around the world. Archbishop Tartaglia said he could only see the speedy result as God's work "We have long since recognized and often reaffirmed that our churches hold a special place for one another. I look forward to meeting Pope Francis, and to walking and working together to build on the consistent legacy of our predecessors." He added: "Pope Francis is well known as a compassionate pastor of real stature who has served the poor in Latin America, and whose simplicity and holiness of life is remarkable. He is an evangelist, sharing the love of Christ which he himself knows." Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond offered Pope Francis his "warmest congratulations". "I wish him well in his time in the Papacy, and his first message as Pope - urging greater bonds of understanding and co-operation among peoples and nations - is one that should resonate around the globe." \|\|\|\|\| 2013-03-13 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) It’s official: white smoke pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney signals that we have a new Pope! The billowing white smoke began spilling out of the chimney at approximately 7:06 p.m. local time, indicating the Cardinals had reached consensus on a candidate in the second round of balloting Wednesday afternoon. This means that at least two thirds, or 77 of the 115 cardinals gathered in conclave since Tuesday afternoon are united in their support for the candidate who has now become the 265successor of St Peter.As the cheering crowds wait eagerly in St Peter’s Square, the new pontiff is changing into the traditional white vestments in what is called the Room of Tears. After that, he returns to the Sistine Chapel where each of the Cardinal electors kneels to offer a sign of homage and obedience to their new Holy Father.Following that ritual, the new Pope will move to the Pauline Chapel to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Shortly after that, the senior cardinal deacon, French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran will appear between the red curtains of the central balcony on St Peter’s Basilica to proclaim the famous Latin words ‘Habemus Papam’, revealing the identity of the new pontiff and the name that he has chosen.A moment later, the Pope will come out onto that balcony to greet the crowds and to give his first 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing to the city of Rome and to the world.Stay tuned to our live Vatican Radio webcast: Waiting for the Pope on YouTube.com/vaticanradio or click on the LIVE WAITING FOR THE ELECTION OF THE POPE button below.Don’t forget you can also join in our conversation wherever you are in the world on : www.facebook.com/VaticanRadioEnglishWe look forward to hearing your thoughts, your hopes and your questions in the comments section! \|\|\|\|\| Rome conclave: New Pope chosen by cardinals Bells rang as the white smoke poured out White smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney has announced to the world that cardinals gathered inside have elected a new Pope to head the Catholic Church. Crowds in St Peter's Square cheered and bells rang out as the smoke appeared. The name of the new Pope is expected to be announced shortly. He will replace Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down last month saying he was no longer strong enough to lead the Church. The 115 cardinals have been in isolation since Tuesday afternoon, and held four inconclusive votes before electing a Pope. Before the conclave began, there was no clear frontrunner to replace Benedict. \|\|\|\|\| Congregations: for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Clergy; for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ; Pontifical Council for the Family; Pontifical Commission for Latin America. 2013-03-13 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) The man elected to be the 265th Successor of Saint Peter in the conclave, is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite. He was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. He was Provincial for Argentina (1973-1979) and rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel (1980-1986). After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba.On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998. He is also Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite.Adjunct Relator General of the 10Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2001.He served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011.Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of S. Roberto Bellarmino (St. Robert Bellarmine).Member of: \|\|\|\|\| President Obama's statement on the new pope: "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy. "As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years -- that in each other we see the face of God. "As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day. "Just as I appreciated our work with Pope Benedict XVI, I look forward to working with His Holiness to advance peace, security and dignity for our fellow human beings, regardless of their faith. "We join with people around the world in offering our prayers for the Holy Father as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church in our modern world." Other Washington lawmakers also congratulated Pope Francis. \|\|\|\|\| The scene at the Vatican as Pope Francis emerges on the balcony at St. Peter's Basilica. (Photo: Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images) Story Highlights Lawmakers react to election of new pope on Twitter Congress shares joy with Catholics around the world New pope is first from Argentina WASHINGTON — For one day at least, the election of a new pope has brought together members of Congress regardless of party or religion. Their good wishes about Pope Francis — the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires — spilled out on Capitol Hill via news releases and Twitter feeds. Some House Republicans heard about the new pope from President Obama, who announced the news during their closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, according to Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. STORY: Cardinal from Argentina elected pope The election of a pontiff with so many historic firsts to his credit even raised the possibility that the fractious Congress might learn a thing or two from the Vatican conclave as it deals with the federal budget. "I'm looking for a little white smoke out of the Capitol here by the end of the summer," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, as he emerged from a Senate Budget Committee hearing. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent, joked that the Vatican might become a model for Congress to get its work done — by locking lawmakers in a room "with 500-year-old plumbing" and not letting anyone leave until a decision is made. At a news conference, House Speaker John Boehner — the highest ranking Catholic in Congress — offered his congratulations to the first pontiff from South America. "I'm happy that they were able to come to a choice as quickly as they did," said Boehner, R-Ohio. "I think that reaching out beyond the traditional continent of our church is another big step in the right direction of our church." Boehner later said in a statement that he was inspired that the new pope is named Francis for "the saint who lived a simple life of humility and charity" and who set "an example for how to make God's love visible to all, especially those in despair or pain." Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who is Catholic, said on Twitter that he is hopeful Pope Francis "guides the Catholic Church in a direction underscored by greater inclusion and equality in the world." Another Catholic, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, essentially live-tweeted the announcement to his 353,521 followers once the white smoke was seen at the Vatican. He began with the Latin phrase "habemus papam," which signals the election of a new pope. MORE: President Obama sends best wishes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Americans offer to Pope Francis good wishes of "health, happiness and strength in facing up to the responsibilities and the burdens of his office." On his Twitter feed, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said he is "hopeful that Pope Francis will help foster peace and spirituality across the globe." Schumer, the No. 3 Democratic leader, is Jewish. Bergoglio is the first pope from Argentina, which sparked at least one reference to a scandal by an American politician. Scott English, former chief of staff to ex-South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, tweeted, "See, nobody complains when the College of Cardinals goes to Argentina." That is an indirect reference to Sanford's extramarital affair with an Argentine journalist, who is the fiancée of the congressional candidate. (Contributing: Alan Gomez, Jackie Kucinich) \|\|\|\|\| Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) VATICAN CITY (CBSNewYork/AP) — He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the son of Italian immigrants and on Wednesday, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became the leader of world’s estimated 1.2 billion Catholics. Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis, was elected pope after receiving a two-thirds majority from the 115 cardinals on the fifth ballot vote during the second day of the papal conclave. “Let’s begin this long road from the Bishop of Rome to the people. Let us all behave with love and charity. Let us pray always not just for ourselves, but for others, for everyone in the word,” Bergoglio said to the massive crowd gathered in St. Peters Square. EXTRA: Pope Francis Speech Text PHOTOS: Papal Conclave Day 1 \| Papal Conclave Day 2 \| Cardinals Elect New Pope The new pope is known as a humble man who denied himself the luxuries that previous Buenos Aires cardinals enjoyed. He will also have a special connection to the almost half-billion Catholics who live in Latin America. “There was a real human touch there, and I think he’s really going to connect with people,” said the Rev. Andrew Small, OMI, of Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. As CBS 2’s Jessica Schneider reported, Small visited the then-cardinal at his Buenos Aires residence several years ago, and was astonished at how the now-pontiff welcomed him. “There’s no one else in the house. He’s answering his own door. They didn’t show us into a nice little lounge, where you wait until the grand man comes in,” Small said. “He was just incredibly down to earth.” Bergoglio’s demeanor came from his humble upbringing. Bergoglio is one of five children and as a child suffered a respiratory illness that left him with just one lung. Bergoglio is known in his native city’s archdiocese for his simplicity, CBS 2′s Schneider reported. Prior to his election, Bergoglio didn’t live in the archbishop palace, but rather in an apartment, where he cooked his own meals. His vestments are also simple. Case in point, on Wednesday he came out in a white cassock instead of the red cape and papal stoll. He even chose to wear his own, simple cross — devoid of diamond and jewels — as he stood on the balcony taking in the incredible scene below. “He’s lived those 76 turbulent years on little buses and bikes and convents, in dusty lanes all across Latin America,” Small said. “I think he’s going to transform the papacy in a real way.” Bergoglio often rode the bus to work and regularly visited the slums that ring Argentina’s capital. He considers social outreach, rather than doctrinal battles, to be the essential business of the Church. “His way shows very much that he wants to approach people, listen to people, ask their blessing,” said the Rev. Luke Sweeney of the New York Archdiocese. The new pope reportedly got the second most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election to replace Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis isn’t just a departure in terms of geography, but also in ideology. He is the first pope from the Jesuit order. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969 and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. CBS News papal consultant Monsignor Anthony Figueiredo said Bergoglio “did not want to be pope.” “This man did not expect to be pope,” Figueiredo said, adding that Bergoglio’s selection is an “incredibly courageous choice.” CBS News reported that Bergoglio is not a favorite of the Vatican curia. “This man now has a clear mandate from 115 cardinals to come in and clear out the curia,” Monsignor Figueiredo said. The new pope once accused fellow church leaders of hypocrisy and forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes. “Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony. Go out and interact with your brothers. Go out and share. Go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit,” Bergoglio told Argentina’s priests last year. Bergoglio’s legacy as cardinal includes his efforts to repair the reputation of a church that lost many followers by failing to openly challenge Argentina’s murderous 1976-83 dictatorship. He also worked to recover the church’s traditional political influence in society, but his outspoken criticism of President Cristina Kirchner couldn’t stop her from imposing socially liberal measures that are anathema to the Church, from gay marriage and adoption to free contraceptives for all. Elected on the fifth ballot, Francis was chosen in one of the fastest conclaves in years, remarkable given there was no clear front-runner going into the vote and that the Church had been in turmoil following the upheaval unleashed by Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation. By comparison, Benedict was elected on the fourth ballot in 2005, but he was also the clear front-runner going into the vote. Pope John Paul II was elected on the eighth ballot in 1978 to become the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Share your thoughts in the comments section below… (TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) \|\|\|\|\| DPA / Zuma The debate within the Argentine Senate would take 15 hours, going deep into the night and into the early hours of the morning. Outside, demonstrators on both sides of the issue stood their ground fervently: one side, pious and reciting the rosary with passion; the other, proudly gay and chanting slogans about equality. In the end, the legislators of the South American nation passed a law on Thursday, July 15, that made Argentina the 10th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. By a vote of 33 to 27, they gave homosexual couples the same inheritance and adoption rights as heterosexual ones. Against the intense and sustained opposition of the church, President Cristina Fernández staked her political reputation on passing the law, deepening her often bitter feud with the country's Catholic hierarchy. "I am very satisfied. It has been a positive vote," said the President in Shanghai, where she is on an official tour of China. "This is a positive step that defends the right of a minority." Her Cabinet chief Aníbal Fernández was slightly more effusive, posting on Twitter, "Same-sex marriage is law in Argentina. Don't worry, be happy." Argentina has been a longtime gay-friendly tourist destination, rivaling Rio de Janeiro. Nevertheless, the debate had been fierce, pitting Fernández's government against the Catholic Church's organized marches and verbal attacks on the bill as "a plan to destroy God's plan," in the words of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires. "This is no mere legislative bill. It is a move by the father of lies to confuse and deceive the children of God," Bergoglio declared last week as the legislative debate approached its climax. The President responded with harsh words of her own, saying the Cardinal's statement was "really reminiscent of the times of the Inquisition." (See Mexico City's revolutionary first gay marriage.) Fernández and her husband (and predecessor in the presidency) Nestor Kirchner have been at loggerheads with the church in Argentina before, with Catholic prelates taking issue with the adminstration's failures to deal with corruption and poverty. Earlier this month, Fernández broke a long-held presidential tradition by missing the Te Deum Mass for Argentina's Independence Day celebrations on July 9, a clear snub to Catholic officials. Though Argentina guarantees religious freedom, Roman Catholicism enjoys the constitutional designation of official religion. Abortion remains illegal in the country. (See a timeline on the history of gay rights around the world.) As for the former President, he voted for the bill in the lower house, where he is a member. "Argentina must leave discriminatory and Dark Age visions behind," said Kirchner. Although a recent poll showed that 60% of Argentines favor same-sex marriages, representatives of the country's Catholic majority as much as 90% of the populace have been vocal in their opposition. Some 60,000 people converged on the Congress building in downtown Buenos Aires carrying orange flags, the symbol of opposition to the bill, the evening before the vote, in a march organized by the Catholic Church in alliance with Evangelical groups. "We won't vote for politicians who vote for the marriage of homosexuals," declared a statement prepared by march organizers. Argentina's Synod of Bishops thundered similarly: "This is not a private matter or a matter of religious choice, this is a reality rooted in the very nature of humanity, which is male and female." And Cardinal Bergoglio, in a fresh declaration, prophesied that "if approved, this law would be a real and dire anthropological throwback." (Comment on this story.) For her part, Fernández says the proposed law "recognizes a pre-existent reality" and "the rights of minorities." But while most Argentines and now the country's laws agree with her, many political observers see the legislation as just another instance of the battle between the Kirchners and the country's bishops. "Kirchner's epic vision of politics and his need to turn every issue into a mortal combat have driven him to seek the defeat of Bergoglio and the church," said Joaquin Morales Sola, a columnist and Kirchner critic at the conservative daily La Nacion. "Kirchner doesn't care about the gay community," said opposition leader Elisa Carrio of the Coalicion Civica party. "Kirchner is using the gay-marriage issue to take on Bergoglio." Same-sex marriage has previously been legalized in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Iceland. Argentina, in joining the group, becomes the first Latin American nation to legalize such marriages. Mexico City approved same-sex marriages in late 2009, its law going into force this year, although those unions are not recognized in the rest of Mexico. Brazil recognizes some same-sex unions on the basis of what would be called common law in the U.S. and other countries; such common-law couples receive most of the government benefits heterosexual couples have, including insurance, inheritance and pension. Both Mexico and Brazil are predominantly Catholic countries, though neither has designated Roman Catholicism its official religion. Like Brazil, Argentina has been at the forefront of gay rights in the region. In 2002, Buenos Aires became the first Latin American city to legalize civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, giving them most of the rights enjoyed by heterosexuals, excluding adoption and inheritance rights. Those were granted by the new national marriage law. Since December 2009, gay marriages have taken place across the country following court rulings that denounced as unconstitutional the country's Civil Code prohibition against same-sex marriages. For all the talk that it was a pawn in the Kirchners' confrontation with the Catholic Church, Argentina's gay community celebrated the passage of the law outside the Congress building in the early hours of this morning. "Nondiscrimination, equality and democracy have won," said Maria Rachid, head of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals. "It is legitimate for part of society to disagree, but it is not right for them to impose themselves on the whole of society." See TIME's Pictures of the Week. See the Cartoons of the Week.	Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2012 The Roman Catholic Church has elected Archbishop of Buenos Aires as the new pope. He is to take the and take over from the recently retired Benedict XVI. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 7:06pm (Rome time) yesterday, signifying that the conclave had elected a new pope after four unsuccessful attempts. Following his election, he appeared at a balcony in to greet crowds of onlookers. Introducing himself in St. Peter's Square, Francis was jovial: "Brothers and sisters, good evening. You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome." He went on to say: "Let's begin this long road from the Bishop of Rome to the people. Let us all behave with love and charity. Let us pray always not just for ourselves, but for others, for everyone in the word". Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936 and now aged 76, the new pope became a bishop in 1992, and was elevated to cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. As a child, he lost a lung due to an infection. He is the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas. He was the President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 2005 to 2011. US President Barack Obama made a statement about the election of the new pope: "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy." Obama's statement noted the new pope was a "champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us", and "as the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world". US House Speaker John Boehner also pointed out the new pope came from the Americas: "I think that reaching out beyond the traditional continent of our church is another big step in the right direction of our church." British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the papal election was "a momentous day for the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world". The , , said the election of a new Pope was of "great significance to Christians everywhere, not least Anglicans". He went on to describe the new pope: "Pope Francis is well known as a compassionate pastor of real stature who has served the poor in Latin America, and whose simplicity and holiness of life is remarkable. He is an evangelist, sharing the love of Christ which he himself knows." In Argentina, he was outspoken against socially liberal policies including the provision of free contraception and gay marriage. Bergoglio said plans to legalize gay marriage in Argentina were "a plan to destroy God's plan" and "a move by the father of lies to confuse and deceive the children of God". Vatican spokesman said Francis would be known as Pope Francis; "It will become Francis I after we have a Francis II".
July 23: The death toll is rising after three bombs exploded at an Egyptian resort town early Saturday. NBC’s Tom Aspell reports from Sharm el-Sheik. SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - Egypt's president vowed on Saturday to hunt down terrorists who unleashed a rapid series of car bombs and another blast in this Egyptian Red Sea resort, devastating a luxury hotel and a coffee shop and killing at least 88 people. The early morning attacks, Egypt's deadliest terror hit ever, came just two days after the latest strikes in London and sent an already jittery world reeling again. At least 119 people were also wounded, Egypt's Interior Ministry said. With an al-Qaida-linked group claiming responsibility, Egypt tightened security at other busy tourist sites like the Pyramids and Luxor, and the government and British tourist agencies sent large aircraft to the Sinai to fly home now-nervous tourists. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak flew into Sharm el-Sheik and inspected the scene at the Ghazala hotel. Heavily armed security forces guarded him throughout. "This cowardly, criminal act is aimed at undermining Egypt's security and stability and harming its people and its guests," Mubarak said later during a live nationally televised broadcast. "This will only increase our determination in chasing terrorism." Rescue effort ends Rescue workers gave up the search for more dead or survivors at the Ghazala Gardens hotel, where a car bomb blast flattened the reception area. A few body parts were still being found, but emergency personnel said they did not expect major increases in the death toll. Egyptian police detained at least 20 people, including local Bedouin tribesmen, for questioning but were not currently suspected of involvement in the blasts, said security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because of the investigation was ongoing. The men were detained near the scene of the bombings. Pope Benedict XVI was among world political and religious leaders deploring the attacks, calling them "senseless acts." He appealed to terrorists to renounce violence. Coordinated blasts The attacks appeared well coordinated. Two massive car bombs, possibly by suicide attackers, went off simultaneously at 1:15 a.m. just more than 2 miles apart. One car was packed with 660 pounds of explosives and slammed into the reception of the Ghazala Gardens in Sharm's Naama Bay, the main strip of hotels, officials said. The second bomb weighed about 440 pounds and exploded in a nearby area called the Old Market, frequented mainly by Egyptians working in the town's resorts. A third bomb, believed hidden in a sack, detonated around the same time near a beachside walkway where tourists often stroll at night. A total of 88 people were confirmed dead, said Dr. Saeed Abdel Fattah, manager of the Sharm el-Sheik International Hospital where the victims were taken. Among the dead were two Britons, two Germans and an Italian, he added, and Czech officials said one Czech tourist was also killed. Claims of responsibility There were conflicting claims of responsibility. Several hours after the attacks, a group claiming ties to al-Qaida issued a claim on an Islamic web site. The group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, al-Qaida, in Syria and Egypt, was one of two extremist groups that also claimed responsibility for October bombings at the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan that killed 34. The group also claimed responsibility for a Cairo bombing in late April. Hours later, a previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Warriors of Egypt faxed a statement to newspapers discounting the al-Qaida claim and saying it carried out Saturday's attack. It listed the names of five people it said were the bombers. The authenticity of the statements could not be immediately verified. A top Egyptian official said there are some indications the latest bombings were linked to last fall's Taba explosions. "We have some clues, especially about the car that was exploded in the Old Market, and investigators are pursuing," said Interior Minister Habib al-Adli. He called it "an ugly act of terrorism." Rate this story Low High • advertisement \|\|\|\|\| SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, July 23 - The death toll from three bombs at this Red Sea resort rose sharply on Saturday. The Egyptian authorities said at least 90 people had been killed in an attack strikingly similar to one that tore apart resorts farther up the coast of the Sinai Peninsula nine months ago. The latest attack, the worst in Egypt, ripped through an upscale hotel, a local market and a parking lot beginning shortly after 1 a.m., a synchronized series of blasts that witnesses and the authorities said had occurred about five minutes apart. Citing police officials, Reuters reported that 35 people had been arrested here Saturday, though it was not clear if they were suspected of close ties to the bombers or whether it was part of a general roundup. Several hours after the bombings an extremist group claimed responsibility on an Islamic Web site. The group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades of Al Qaeda in Syria and Egypt, also claimed to have carried out a similar series of bombings that killed 34 people last October at and near the resort town of Taba. Within hours, a second group, which identified itself as the Holy Warriors of Egypt, claimed responsibility in a fax to newspapers and gave the names of five people it identified as the bombers. Neither claim could be verified. \|\|\|\|\| Tourists, Egyptians rally to protest attacks CTV.ca News Staff About 1,000 foreign tourists and local Egyptians marched Sunday to protest attacks that turned a peaceful paradise into terror hell. They chanted anti-terror slogans in English, Arabic, German and Italian on the streets of the shattered Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheik. Signs in English read "we are against terrorism." Six thousand tourists did fly out in the first 24 hours after the bombings struck early Saturday morning, killing 88. But many others stayed, insisting they would stick to their holidays -- much to the relief of shopkeepers. "The purpose of terrorism is they think we will run (but) the answer is no," said Franz Weinlich, a German doctor. "I don't like to dance to the music of terrorism." Officials also adopted an "out of sight, out of mind" policy, putting shrouds up at the three bombing sites to obscure some of the grim work being done there. While some worked on finding and identifying victims, Egyptian police hunted for three suspected bombers who are believed to have escaped the attacks. Security officials said a fourth attacker apparently blew himself up in the bombing of the hotel. Security forces have detained 70 people following the bomb blasts that killed at least 88 people. The roundups came after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to hunt down the terrorists. But none of the people detained have yet been accused of involvement in Egypt's deadliest-ever terror attack, officials said. The police investigation appeared to be similar to the one that followed last October's attacks at the Sinai resorts of Tabas and Ras Shitan, when 3,000 people were detained. Some 200 of those people are believed to still be in custody. Egypt's interior minister has said investigators are probing whether there are links with the 2004 blasts in Sinai. Local investigators are examining the possibility that foreigners carried out the latest attacks that killed dozens and injured at least 119. Most of those killed were Egyptians, but there were at least seven Westerners among the dead. Officials say the attacks didn't kill or injure any Canadians. The three near-simultaneous blasts came within minutes of each other, targeting crowded areas, shortly after 1 a.m. local time. The bombings, believed to be Egypt's deadliest terror attack ever, renewed fears of a campaign by militants to cripple the economy by targeting tourists. "This cowardly, criminal act is aimed at undermining Egypt's security and stability and harming its people and its guests," Mubarak said Saturday. "This will only increase our determination in chasing terrorism." On Saturday, there were conflicting claims of responsibility. One group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades of al Qaeda in Syria and Egypt, claimed responsibility for October bombings at the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan that killed 34. The group also claimed responsibility for a Cairo bombing in late April. A previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Warriors of Egypt also faxed a statement to newspapers saying they carried out the attacks. "Although the groups claiming responsibility are all different in name and different in reason for carrying out the attacks, it does suggest that there is a wider network at play here, and often their actions are difficult for governments and security forces to track or to anticipate," CTV Middle East Bureau Chief Janis Mackey Frayer said. Cairo incident Meanwhile, an explosive detonated as a man carried it from a tourist bazaar near the Pyramids of Giza on Sunday, Egyptian police said. The blast came amid heightened fears of attacks following Saturday's bombings. Investigators were looking into whether the man was taking the explosive to the nearby tourist area of Kerdassa, a bazaar of souvenir shops near the pyramids, an official said. Police think the man was carrying the device in a sack, when it seemingly accidentally went off in the neighbourhood of Kufr Tuhurmus. No other injuries were reported. The official said injuries suffered by the man, identified as Sami Gamal Ahmad, meant he couldn't be questioned yet. Earlier reports suggested the blast went off in a residence. The Interior Ministry put out a statement saying the explosion hit the ground-floor apartment, where "leftover" explosive material may have been stored. With a report from CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer \|\|\|\|\| Authorities sweep Sinai in bombing probe Attacks may be tied to October strike in another Red Sea resort RELATED SPECIAL REPORT YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Egypt Terror attacks or or Create Your Own SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptian security forces on Sunday were sweeping the Sinai peninsula and rounding up Bedouins as part of their investigation into three bombings that killed 84 people and wounded more than 200 in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The cleanup continued, meanwhile, from suicide car bomb blasts at the Ghazala Garden Hotel and the city's Old Market, as well as an explosive device that detonated at a beachfront parking lot and shuttle stop frequented by tourists. The blasts all occurred at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday -- an Egyptian national holiday commemorating the 1952 bloodless revolution which brought a group of army officers to power after deposing King Farouk. Sixty of those who died were Egyptians, and at least eight were foreigners, including an Italian man on his honeymoon, a tourist from the Czech Republic, two from Britain and one American. Although the city's airport was crowded and traffic on the roads was heavy as tourists left the county late Saturday and Sunday, more busloads of tourists were arriving, CNN's John Vause reported. Egyptian officials are worried the bombings could harm the country's $6 billion tourism industry. Two groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks -- the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site, and another from a group called the Holy Warriors of Egypt, who faxed statements to news outlets. CNN could not authenticate either of those claims. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, however, are believed to be behind last year's October attack on the Taba Hilton and nearby camping ground. The series of bombs killed 34 people, and one suspect from those bombings is still sought by authorities. (Full story) Egypt's interior minister said Saturday the Taba bombings and the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings could be linked. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who toured the area Saturday to survey the damage and visited some of the victims, said in a national address Saturday night that the incident will only strengthen Egypt's determination to fight terrorism. Mubarak said the attacks will embolden Egypt's effort to fight terror. "Terrorism is still approaching us from time to time with its ugly face," he said. "It is a blind terrorism which is expanding all over the world, terrorizing people and targeting them everywhere." The three blasts are believed to have been two suicide car bombs and a planted bomb. It was Egypt's deadliest bombing in recent years. One suicide car bomb killed 17 Egyptian workers in a coffee shop at the city's Old Market, authorities said. The other suicide car bomber struck the Ghazala Garden Hotel, speeding past a security checkpoint and ramming the hotel's reception area before exploding. The hotel lobby area collapsed, along with its roof. Video footage showed the Old Market area littered with broken glass and debris. The third bombing -- an explosive device left in a bag -- killed six tourists at a beachfront parking lot and shuttle stop frequented by tourists, about two miles from the hotel. Witness felt building tremble An employee at the Ghazala Hotel said she heard a huge explosion and felt the building tremble. Guests were being transferred to other hotels, and police cordoned off the area, she said. (Full story) Video from Nile TV showed men at one site carrying body bags to emergency vehicles, and other bodies lying amid debris on bloody ground, covered by sheets or blankets. "We are trying to comfort those touched by those explosions," el-Maghrabi said. "These groups, those criminal groups, will never be able to steal the right of people to move and travel. This is very unfortunate." One husband and wife were awakened by the blasts. "My wife and I were asleep and, basically, I just woke up because our house is made out of glass doors, and simply the glass started shaking really hard," said Ahmed Mansour, who lives in Sharm el-Sheikh, 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Naama Bay. "I personally just thought it was an earthquake. ... Fifteen minutes later, I started to get phone calls from, basically, people asking us if we were all right," Mansour said. Egypt had been operating under heightened security in recent days, Interior Minister al-Adli said, because of the bomb attacks in London. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. ALL AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY \|\|\|\|\| Advertisement A group citing ties to al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the bombings, according to a statement posted on an Islamic Web site. The group, calling itself the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, al-Qaida, in Syria and Egypt, said that its "holy warriors targeted the Ghazala Gardens hotel and the Old Market in Sharm el-Sheikh." "We reaffirm that this operation was in response to the crimes committed by the forces of international evil, which are spilling the blood of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechny." Interior Minister el-Adli had earlier on pinned the attack on Islamic militants. "This is an ugly act of terrorism," el-Adli said in a statement carried on the government news agency. "It has nothing to do with Islam, they are only acting under the slogan of Islam. Reports indicated Egyptian security forces operating in Sinai later on Saturday arrested some 35 suspects believed to be connected to the bombing attacks. The majority of the suspects rounded up in relation to the attacks were local Bedouin. The bombings appeared well coordinated. Two car bombs, possibly suicide attackers, went off simultaneously at 1:15 A.M. some 4 kilometers apart. A third bomb, believed hidden in a sack, detonated around the same time near a beachside walkway where tourists often stroll at night. At least 200 people were wounded and at least eight foreigners were among the dead. Officials said that the victims included British, Russian, Dutch, Kuwaitis, Saudis, Qataris and Egyptians. "Many of the injuries are very serious and they are in critical condition," said a doctor at Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital, who asked not to be named. The Foreign Ministry reported one Israeli Arab woman was lightly injured in the blasts and was being treated in the International Hospital. Saneh Hussein from the Wadi Ara village of Musmus in northern Israel was released from hospital on Saturday afternoon. Representatives of the Israeli embassy in Cairo were making their way to the site of the attacks to determine if any other Israeli nationals were injured in the blasts. A string of three car bombs Police said the explosions were caused by three car bombs in Sharm el-Sheikh and the nearby resort of Naama Bay. One blast went off in the driveway of the Ghazala Gardens hotel, a 176-room four-star resort on the main strip of hotels in Naama Bay, said the governor of South Sinai province, Mustafa Afifi. El-Adli later said that the bombers had shot dead the security guard at the entrance to the hotel before detonating the bomb. The reception hall of the luxury Ghazala Gardens hotel collapsed into a pancaked pile of concrete, sending terrified guests fleeing for safety, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. Rescue workers hours later said they feared more victims may be buried under the rubble. A second car bomb exploded in a parking area near the Movenpick Hotel, also in Naama Bay, said a receptionist there who declined to identify himself. The third detonated at a minibus parking lot in the Old Market, an area about four kilometers away, killing 17 people. A security official in the Cairo operations control room monitoring the crisis said he believed most of these casualties were Egyptians sitting at a nearby outdoor coffee shop. Three minibuses were set ablaze, though it was not clear if they were carrying passengers, the official said. "The [Ghazala] hotel was completely burned down, destroyed," said Amal Mustafa, 28, an Egyptian who was visiting Sharm with her family and who drove by the Ghazala Gardens. Naama Bay has dozens of luxury hotels popular with divers and holidaymakers from Europe. Khaled Sakran, a Sharm resident, said he saw the first blast from the Old Market. "I saw the saw the fire in the sky," he said. "Right after, I saw a light in the sky and heard another explosion, coming from Naama Bay." Although the explosions took place after 1 A.M., the bazaars would have been busy with holidaymakers at this time of year because the daytime is so hot, residents said. Ahmed Fawzi, an Egyptian lawyer visiting Naama Bay on business, told Reuters that one of the explosions ripped the door of his office off its hinges. A resident living 10 km from Sharm el-Sheikh said the explosions had shaken the windows of his house. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has a holiday villa in the Golf Hotel, close to the Movenpick. Situation roon inundates with calls The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem has set up an emergency situation room, which is in contact with the embassy in Cairo in an effort to establish if any Israelis are among the casualties. The situation room has been inundated with calls from concerned Israelis who have family members in Sinai. Click here for a chronology of attacks on tourist targets in Egypt. In the run up to the Shavuot holiday several months ago, the counter-terrorism unit at the Prime Minister's Office issued a recommendation against travelling to Sinai, due to fresh intelligence it had received regarding preparations to carry out attacks. Israel's security agencies have been closely following events in the Sinai Peninsula and also recently upgraded the situation in Sinai to "very sensitive." In October 2004, more than 30 people were killed, including Israelis, in explosions in Sinai resorts. Jerusalem situation room: 02 - 530 3155	Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to hunt down the terrorists. A new explosive detonated on Sunday near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt police said. It was reportedly carried by a man from a tourist bazaar. The man allegedly was carrying the bomb in a sack. It might accidentally have exploded in the area of Kufr Tuhurmus. No other injuries were reported except to the bomber himself, Sami Gamal Ahmad, who was too badly injured to be questioned. The man may have been taking the explosive to the tourist area of Kerdassa, where souvenir shops are located in a bazaar near the pyramids, said an official. Egyptian security forces have detained 70 suspects in a sweep to find the perpetrators in Saturday's early morning bombings that killed 88 and left hundreds injured. The police investigation of the bombings has targeted a smaller number of people than the October 2004 roundup that followed attacks in the Sinai resorts of Tabas and Ras Shitan. 3,000 people were detained for questioning in those bombings. According to Canadian ''CTV'', 200 of those people are believed to still be in custody. A massive manhunt was undertaken in the Sinai Peninsula to identity whether it was foreigners who executed the attack. One security official speaking on the condition of anonymity told an ''Al Jazeera'' reporter that the bombers "did not appear to be locals." But the ''New York Times'' reported that Bedouin leaders were arriving at the local police headquarters, possibly over concerns that many of the suspects picked up in the prior bombing in the region were, by human rights group accounts, Bedouin. Among the dead, officials said victims included British, Russian, Dutch, Kuwaitis, Saudis, Qataris, Czech Republic, U.S., and native Egyptians. Sixty were identified as Egyptians, and at least eight were foreigners. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said, "The whole world is getting very disturbed. The frequency of attacks seems to be mounting." Badawi chairs the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference. Resort hotels are being abandoned by tourists. At the nearest international airport, hundreds are reported trying to get flights out. Three bombs erupted in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh just after 1am. At the Ghazala Gardens hotel, work is underway to clear the destroyed reception lobby where emergency teams have gavin up the search for survivors. A car with 660 pounds of explosives drove into the hotel's driveway and detonated in an apparent suicide attack. The day of the bombings is marked as an Egyptian national holiday that commemorates the bloodless coup by a group of army officers that brought them to power after deposing King Farouk in 1952. Egypt has been the victim of 15 tourist attacks since October 1992.
For the second time in just over a year, the dice are silent in the gaming world. News has reached us that Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away last night at the age of 61. While not as famous as Gary Gygax, who passed away in March of last year, Arneson was a driving force behind D&D's creation and his contribution to the world of adventure gaming should not be underestimated. It was Arneson's spark that transformed Gygax's game Chainmail into the first edition of D&D, and begat everything that followed. Arneson had to fight to get credit for his contributions, filing multiple lawsuits (later resolved out-of-court) against Gygax over crediting and royalties. He nonetheless did return to TSR in the mid-'80s to work with Gygax again. Following that, he began a second career as an educator, working in several schools with a particular focus on how to use gaming as an instructional tool. Arneson suffered a stroke in 2002 and was soon after diagnosed with cancer. He finally lost his battle with cancer last night, surrounded by his family, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Gamers everywhere owe him a certain debt of gratitude for his work. He will be sorely missed. \|\|\|\|\| Dave Arneson, born in 1947, an American game designer, teacher and entrepreneur and the co-creator of the seminal Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and daughter. Arneson was introduced to table-top wargaming in the early '60s by his parents, who bought him a copy of Avalon Hill's Gettysburg game. In college at the University of Minnesota, he met other wargamers and began both modifying existing games and designing his own. He attended the second official Gencon and there met a similarly youthful Gary Gygax. Gygax had published a set of 1:1 scale miniatures rules called Chainmail, which became the bare bones of an ongoing campaign that Arneson ran for friends called Blackmoor. In 1974, Arneson and Gygax wrote up the rules they had evolved for their fantasy role-playing campaigns, creating the game Dungeons & Dragons. After failing to get any mainstream publishers interested, they created a company, TSR, and published the book themselves using investment money provided by one of Gygax's friends. The book became a hit, first in the wargaming community and then in the mainstream. Dungeons & Dragons not only created a new type of gaming, role-playing, but laid the foundation for the entire hobby gaming industry. Arneson left TSR in 1979 and filed a lawsuit against the company. As a part of the ultimate settlement of that suit, neither Arneson nor Gygax ever spoke about what drove them apart, although Arneson would later return to TSR when Gygax was briefly president of the company again in the mid-'80s. They were on good terms at the time of Gygax's death last year. In his post-D&D;/TSR life, Arneson founded a computer game company 4D Interactive Systems, which is still in business. He did computer consulting. In the late '90s, he became a teacher at Full Sail, a private university that teaches media and computer careers. He suffered a stroke in 2002, but kept teaching until 2008. Throughout these years he continued to work on his original Blackmoor role-playing campaign, publishing it in various paper forms and also creating an online role-playing community. He is a member of Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Fame. Grognardia editor James Maliszewski received the following note from Dave Arneson's family: \|\|\|\|\| Dave Arneson, the man who first created the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game alongside Gary Gygax, passed Tuesday night, his family announced via email. It may not directly relate to the world of electronic videogames, but it's impossible to ignore the influence Arneson's work has had on the gaming developers we all hold so dear. Not only did D&D force gamers to think creatively and reason their way to safety, it's also the single greatest source of high fantasy creatures and ideas since Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. I attempted to come up with any fantasy title that doesn't somehow lift from D&D, and after 20 minutes of contemplation, I'm still drawing a blank. Sadly, this news follows the passing of Gary Gygax in 2008. We offer our greatest condolences to Arneson's family and loved ones, and would like to thank the man for making the world a much more interesting place during his time here. Correction: Gary Gygax passed away in March of 2008, not 2009. We apologize for any confusion. Image: Wikimedia Commons See Also: \|\|\|\|\| Gamer with deep St. Paul ties created an enduring role-playing adventure David Arneson, a co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, the best-selling and best-known role-playing game of all time. Dave Arneson was a master dreamer. His daughter thought every girl grew up with dragons and fairies. His father couldn't figure out why the college kids in his St. Paul basement weren't raiding the liquor cabinet. But Arneson — who in 1974 co-created Dungeons & Dragons, the best-known and best-selling role-playing game of all time — molded fantasy in such a way that many lament him as the "unsung hero" of the gaming industry. After a falling-out with DD co-creator Gary Gygax and the company that published their work, Arneson went on to other careers: co-founding two other companies, moving to teaching — and finally, after being diagnosed with cancer, returning to St. Paul, where he died Tuesday at the David Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, in 1979, as he promoted another role-playing game. ((Pioneer Press File Photo)) age of 61. The creative process began in the early 1970s on a ping-pong table in the basement of his parents' Highland Park home. There, a core group of 10 or so high-school and college-age kids developed their own mental playground, taking board games and first altering the rules, then creating their own. Arneson was the first to introduce the group to a fantasy setting, telling his friends to imagine that he had disappeared on a flight from Norway to the United States, returning from a family visit. The friends play-acted a scenario where they flew out to search for him. They found a cave in Iceland, entered — and on the other side was the land where Dungeons & Dragons was born. The group was promptly attacked by a group Advertisement of trolls. "We quickly decided that we should retire those (real life-based) characters and start new ones because the game was awful deadly," said Ross Maker, of St. Paul, one of the gamers in the group. Another member of the group, Dave Wesely, of St. Paul, remembers returning from the military to find his old friends fiddling with dice in a basement. "I'm an Army lieutenant and leader of men, and not a college student and I'm trying to take myself seriously. Here they're playing with elves and dwarves and such ... I'm thinking I'm never going to tell anybody I was in this game." Arneson's daughter, Malia Weinhagen, remembered venturing down to the basement on many occasions, drawn by the pretty dice. "Any house I ever lived in with him always had a basement devoted to gaming. I thought everyone grew up with dragons and fairies. It was quite a shock in elementary school when I found out I was not the norm," she said. That first campaign, known as Blackmoor, was one of Dungeons & Dragons' first fantasy settings. There would be dozens more — and dozens of games like it. While Gygax is often seen as DD's rules guru, focusing on such things as tables and dice, Arneson is often credited with creating the "role playing" elements of the game. "Dice and maps and figures and complicated rule books are a crutch. The game doesn't need them — but the market does," Arneson said in 1992. In an era when dozens of gaming companies were starting and failing, the two teamed up under the auspices of Lake Geneva, Wis.-based Tactical Studies Rules Inc., and after a rocky start, started a product in 1974 that would soon become world-renowned. "We had no advertising or anything like that,'' Arneson said in 1992. "We sold 500 sets in three months, invested the earnings to make 1,000 more, sold them, invested the earnings to make 5,000 more. And so on.'' But a few years later, Arneson was ousted from the company, which had taken on additional investors. It was a painful time, many note, for Arneson — who sued the company over royalties. They settled out of court. Gygax and Arneson's split remains a topic of heated debate in gaming circles. "We never reconciled," Arneson told the Pioneer Press when Gygax died last year. "We were polite, but things never came together that way." "We had fun," he added. "A lot of fun." In 1978, Arneson joined three partners to establish 4D Interactive Systems, a St. Paul company originally created to design games. But when the company turned largely to programming — first for games, and then, to make additional money, for medical devices — Arneson left for more creative endeavors. He started his own fantasy company, Adventure Games, fueled by funds from the lawsuit. The company folded a few years later, and Arneson moved around, finally settling on teaching in the late 1990s. He ended up at Full Sail University in a suburb of Orlando, Fla., teaching a class on game design. In June, diagnosed with cancer, he returned to St. Paul. Over the past several months, Arneson got together weekly in St. Paul with his old gaming crew. His last hours with them were over a brand new board game he enjoyed titled "Memoire 44." "You get so busy and so distracted with everyday living, but my dad never forgot about passion and having fun," his daughter said. As for Arneson's old Blackmoor campaign: "We've kept it alive. Sometimes once a year. I'm still playing the dwarf that I started with," Maker said. After more than 30 years, the dwarf is still a measly 10th level, he said. "You gotta work for it in Dave's campaign." Born in Minneapolis in 1947, Arneson graduated from Central High School in St. Paul and went on to get his bachelor's in history from the University of Minnesota. There will be a memorial from 4 to 8 p.m. April 20 at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 678 S. Snelling Ave., St Paul. Services will follow April 21 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 104 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. Tad Vezner can be reached at 651-228-5461. \|\|\|\|\| D&D; Co-creator Dave Arneson Dies at 61 Wired.com is reporting that Dave Arneson, co-creator of, has passed away at 61 . Arneson, a veteran wargamer and member of the International Federation of Wargamers, met Gary Gygax in Wisconsin in 1970, when they collaborated on several games together before beginning work on what would become. While the basic format of the game was derived from Gygax's owngame, it was Arneson who was most responsible for creating the nuts and bolts of the original role-playing game, including the invention of the all-important hit point.The success of the company was somewhat bittersweet to Arneson, who had to fight for proper credit on the game and filed a number of lawsuits against Gygax and TSR that were later settled out of court. The two patched up their differences in the mid-1980s and did work together again. In later years he published an open d20 version of his original Blackmoor D&D; setting, in addition to a full-time gig teaching computer documentation at Full Sail university in Florida. He had a stroke in 2002 and was later diagnosed with cancer.GameSpy had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Arneson for our 30th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons celebration in 2004 . At that time, we asked Mr. Arneson how he would like to be remembered. He responded with typical Arneson humor: "The world in general? That I was a good grandpa -- that's a good one... I don't know, 'Father of role-playing games?' I got a sign that says that somewhere."This one hits me hard. Writing the History of Dungeons & Dragons and the 30th Anniversary celebration stories remains one of my proudest achievements at GameSpy and I remember it fondly for my chance to interview Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. I only got to speak with him that one time but he struck me as a good-natured man who was proud of what he had accomplished with, well past any bitterness over the difficulties it caused him and content with the way his life had turned out. For me and anyone who calls themselves a gamer, our debt to Dave is incalculable and I thank him for all the fun he's given me over the years. Rest in peace Dave, and give my regards to the outer planes! \|\|\|\|\| From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Dave Arneson is the co-author, with Gary Gygax, of the original 1970s role playing game Dungeons & Dragons and an important figure in the history of role playing games. Arneson's Blackmoor, published by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), was one of the first published role playing game campaign settings and has the distinction of being the longest continuously played fantasy role playing campaign at 25 years and counting. A version of his world, The First Fantasy Campaign, was published in the late 1970s by Judges' Guild. In the early 1980s Arneson established his own game company, Adventure Games, which produced the miniature games Johnny Reb and Harpoon. Arneson had a cameo in the 2001 Dungeons & Dragons movie as a mage. In 2002 he suffered a stroke. He is now working as a game designer, reviewer, video historian and lecturer. He is something of a recluse. Zeitgeist Games, where Arneson works, is producing an updated d20 system version of Blackmoor to be published by Goodman Games. External Links \|\|\|\|\| Page 1 of 3 » Jump to page Go Author Topic: From the Arneson Family - Updated (Read 2,310 times) arnesonfamily Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 1 Karma: 2 From the Arneson Family - Updated « Thread Started on Apr 7, 2009, 4:43pm » Quote: (originally posted 4:43pm Tuesday, April 7th) As of this writing, Dave is still with us. We have moved him into a facility where we can focus on keeping him comfortable. We have been and will continue to watch the forums and blogs and are passing along everyone's thoughts and prayers. Right now our focus is on getting Dave into the best possible position to maintain his comfort and his dignity. We will update the community as we can. We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and ask that you continue to send Dave your support in whatever form that means to you. An address has been established to receive messages to Dave. Dave Arneson 1043 Grand Avenue Box #257 St. Paul, MN 55105 Shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, April 7th, Dave Arneson passed away. He was comfortable and with family at the time and his passing was peaceful. The Arneson family would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few days, and for the support the entire community has shown Dave over the years. We are in the process of making final arrangements and will provide additional details as we work them out. We will continue to receive cards and letters in Dave's honor. We are planning to hold a public visitation so that anyone wishing to say their goodbye in person has the opportunity to do so. Cards and letters can continue to be sent: Dave Arneson 1043 Grand Avenue Box #257 St. Paul, MN 55105 Visitation will be on April 20th Time: yet to be determined Address: Bradshaw Funeral Home 687 Snelling Avenue South St. Paul, MN 55105 « Last Edit: Apr 8, 2009, 5:41pm by arnesonfamily » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged jamesm Level 7 Enchanter member is offline Fight On! Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 546 Location: Grand Duchy of Grognardia Karma: 22 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #1 on Apr 7, 2009, 4:52pm » I can't begin to say how pleased I am to hear this. I had been told by someone who is close to Dave that he had passed away. I am both glad that this is not the case, even as I am embarrassed that my source was mistaken. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged James Maliszewski, Writer and Sleep-Deprived Dad Grognardia Zulgyan Level 9 Sorcerer member is offline Thank you EGG! Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,091 Location: Argentina Karma: 40 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #2 on Apr 7, 2009, 5:09pm » This is good news. I hope and pray for his betterment. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged havard Level 3 Conjurer member is offline Skandaharian Jarl Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 86 Location: Norway, Europe Karma: 5 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #3 on Apr 7, 2009, 5:20pm » Thank you for sharing this information. My thoughts are with both you and Dave in this difficult time. Havard Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Visit my Blackmoor Website: http://www.blackmoor.mystara.us/ chgowiz Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Chgowiz Joined: Dec 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 136 Location: Northern Chicago Suburbs, IL Karma: 6 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #6 on Apr 7, 2009, 5:41pm » The thoughts and prayers of myself and my family are with your family. We hope that David is comfortable and resting well and knows that he is cared for by a great many. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged -- Chgowiz If you're in the dark, beware the grue! Chgowiz's Old Guy RPG Blog - Sharing the fun of original edition D&D;, one game at a time. lizc Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 1 Karma: 0 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #7 on Apr 7, 2009, 8:20pm » As a former student of Dave's, I can only wish the best for him and the family at this time. I hope he is comfortable at the hospice and they are treating him well. Liz Canacari Link to Post - Back to Top Logged oltekos Level 6 Magician Defender vs Spam member is offline "I think you'd better let Elfstar take care of things - you're getting out of control..." Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 400 Location: S.W. Florida (U.S.A.) Karma: 9 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #8 on Apr 7, 2009, 9:13pm » I'm so happy to hear that Dave is still with us. My fiancee & I hope for all the best in this trying time for him, his family, & his friends. « Last Edit: Apr 7, 2009, 9:13pm by oltekos » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Thank You Dave & Gary--For Everything. L.W.S. invoker Level 1 Medium member is offline I'm only human Living in this beautiful mess! Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 13 Location: Holt, Michigan Karma: 1 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #9 on Apr 7, 2009, 10:02pm » We will keep you in our prayers! Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Ever feel like someone is watching you? It's me! melan Level 5 Thaumaturgist member is offline Evil Scientist Joined: Jul 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 219 Location: Civitas Quinqueecclesiensis Karma: 13 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #10 on Apr 8, 2009, 12:17am » Here is to Dave, and everything he has given us - I wish him and his family the best that is possible. Celebrate the man, his life and his work. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged "D&D; is the ultimate right wing wet dream. A bunch of guys who are better than your average joe set out into the middle of nowhere where they murder and kill everything they come across in order to stockpile gold and elaborate magical bling. There are no taxes, no state and any poor people that get in your way get their village burned to the ground. It's like Ayn Rand on PCP." - Mr. Analytical thegreyelf Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 136 Karma: 3 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #11 on Apr 8, 2009, 7:34am » Well, I'm glad to hear he hasn't passed yet, but hospice care generally means he's very close to the end. Hopefully they're keeping him as comfortable as possible, and he has a peaceful and painless passing. Here's to Dave. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Jason Vey, The Grey Elf President, Elf Lair Games http://www.lulu.com/elflairgames http://elflairgames.proboards107.com/ chgowiz Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Chgowiz Joined: Dec 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 136 Location: Northern Chicago Suburbs, IL Karma: 6 Re: From the Arneson Family - Updated « Reply #12 on Apr 8, 2009, 7:29pm » My condolences to the Arneson family - it's good that he passed with family. He leaves behind many of us who appreciate him. If there's anything that we can do, as a community, please let us know. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged -- Chgowiz If you're in the dark, beware the grue! Chgowiz's Old Guy RPG Blog - Sharing the fun of original edition D&D;, one game at a time. Fandomaniac Level 3 Conjurer member is offline I've come here to chew bubblegum and roll d20's and I'm all out of bubblegum. Joined: Nov 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 84 Location: Long Island, NY Karma: 4 Re: From the Arneson Family - Updated « Reply #14 on Apr 8, 2009, 7:40pm » My deepest condolences to Dave's family. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged --Rob C. Long Island Gamer & Fandomaniac \|\|\|\|\| Page 1 of 4 » Jump to page Go Author Topic: Dave Arneson health update (Read 5,735 times) Finarvyn Administrator Dungeon Master member is offline Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,630 Location: Near Chicago Karma: 52 Dave Arneson health update « Thread Started on Apr 5, 2009, 12:06pm » I got this message yesterday from Bob (Robert the Bald) Meyer regarding the health of Dave Arneson. As everyone knows, Dave is co-creator of our favorite hobby game and has been a frequent poster here. Quote: David's cancer has unexpectedly worsened just this week, to the point that he is in the hospital. He is heavily sedated and not doing well. He is not expected to live for more than a couple days, if that long. This one came in today. Bobís original plan was to hold off on an announcement, but I convinced him that it would be nice to get the information out right away. My hope is that Bob can track down an address so folks here can send cards and flowers to demonstrate to Dave just what he has meant to our community. Quote: I will see what I can do about getting an address, and will post this on your forum. Clearly, this is devastating to Daveís family as well as his gaming friends. Updates will be posted here as I get them. EDIT: Update as of 4/8/09 for anyone who has not found the] other thread. Apr 7, 2009, 4:43pm, arnesonfamily wrote: As of this writing, Dave is still with us. We have moved him into a facility where we can focus on keeping him comfortable. We have been and will continue to watch the forums and blogs and are passing along everyone's thoughts and prayers. Right now our focus is on getting Dave into the best possible position to maintain his comfort and his dignity. We will update the community as we can. We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and ask that you continue to send Dave your support in whatever form that means to you. An address has been established to receive messages to Dave. Dave Arneson 1043 Grand Avenue Box #257 St. Paul, MN 55105 Please do not call or visit! The family has asked that all contact be in the form of posts on forums such as this one or by sending cards to the address listed above. « Last Edit: Yesterday at 7:26am by Finarvyn » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Finarvyn Earl of Stone Creek, C&C; Society Amber Diceless OD&D; Player Since 1975 "The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own." - Gary Gygax "Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson ptingler Level 2 Seer member is offline Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 38 Karma: 3 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #1 on Apr 5, 2009, 12:20pm » My thoughts are with Dave and his family. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged dubeers Level 4 Theurgist member is offline 20? No problem. Joined: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 178 Karma: 8 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #2 on Apr 5, 2009, 1:53pm » This is sad news. My prayers are with Dave and his family during this trying time. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged I'm Everywhere RandallS Level 2 Seer member is offline Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 42 Location: Waco, TX Karma: 1 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #4 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:20pm » This is not good news. Dave and his family will be in my prayers. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged RetroRoleplaying [Blog - Forum - Microlite74] -- Out Of Print & Out Of Style Tabletop Roleplaying Games Random Level 5 Thaumaturgist member is offline Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 208 Karma: 6 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #5 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:28pm » Thanks, Dave! May he do better than expected. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged havard Level 3 Conjurer member is offline Skandaharian Jarl Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 86 Location: Norway, Europe Karma: 5 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #6 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:46pm » I was hoping...wishing it would never come to this Havard Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Visit my Blackmoor Website: http://www.blackmoor.mystara.us/ Zulgyan Level 9 Sorcerer member is offline Thank you EGG! Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,090 Location: Argentina Karma: 40 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #7 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:55pm » My best wishes for Dave and his family. I'll have them in my prayers. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged codeman123 Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Zarano Van Gaiagore Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 130 Location: Nashville, TN Karma: 3 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #8 on Apr 5, 2009, 4:55pm » Horrible news... i hope Mr. Arneson will make it though.. my thoughts go out to him and his family.. been a sad past year or so for the gaming community.. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged It's not that i'm lazy it's that i just don't care.. My OD&D; Blog.. http://nostalgiagamin.blogspot.com/ cadriel Level 3 Conjurer member is offline Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 62 Karma: 5 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #9 on Apr 5, 2009, 5:42pm » It would be a tremendous tragedy to lose Dave so soon after losing Gary. All by best hopes and thoughts go to him and his family. I hope he pulls through. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Semper Initiativus Unum - OD&D; blog oldgeezer Level 3 Conjurer Original Blackmoor Participant member is offline Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 70 Karma: 9 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #10 on Apr 5, 2009, 5:55pm » I will keep Dave in my prayers. OG (Michael Mornard) Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Known elsewhere as Gronan of Simmerya malandar Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3 Karma: 0 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #11 on Apr 5, 2009, 6:32pm » Oh this is sad news. I found this site through this news, not the best way to find a site and make my first post but here I am. I have had many years of fun with D&D; and other games from TSR. and I met Dave and talked a bit with him at Gen-Con in 2007 and enjoyed talking to him quite a bit. I am not very religious, but may all the gods with any power in this world Help Dave recover from this to live on many more years. Malandar D&D; player since 1984 Link to Post - Back to Top Logged robertthebald Level 1 Medium member is offline Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 21 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota Karma: 7 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #12 on Apr 5, 2009, 7:19pm » I made the mistake of releasing the information about David before I checked with his daughter. She does not want anyone trying to visit David or sending him anything. I have just talked to her and explained what I had done, and she said that it is okay for it to be on this forum. She understands how people feel about her father. Greg's post was in response to an e-mail I had sent to him. It is just fine to keep this post up, and I apologize to everyone(especially Greg) for my mistake. I did visit David with some of his other friends and it went very well. He was able to participate in the conversation easily, and we ended up staying with him for a couple hours before he tired too much. I think this should be the last update I should provide until afterwards. Once again my profound apologies to everyone. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Robert the Bald Original Blackmoor Participant James Mishler Level 1 Medium member is offline Joined: May 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 20 Location: Iola, WI Karma: 6 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #13 on Apr 5, 2009, 8:35pm » Well... crap. My apologies for promulgating it further from OD&D; Discussion. I will see what I can do about deleting the other posts I have made, but it is a little late, as many folks have seen and already responded to them. If I can't delete them (and as all have been responded to, I likely can't), I will pass on the request that there be no attempts to contact him. I know what that can be like, having gone through it with Bob Bledsaw... Link to Post - Back to Top Logged James James Mishler President, Adventure Games Publishing PO Box 185 Iola, WI 54945 james@adventuregamespubs.com www.adventuregamespubs.com http://jamesmishler.blogspot.com malandar Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3 Karma: 0 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #14 on Apr 5, 2009, 9:22pm » Apr 5, 2009, 8:35pm, James Mishler wrote: Well... crap. My apologies for promulgating it further from OD&D; Discussion. I will see what I can do about deleting the other posts I have made, but it is a little late, as many folks have seen and already responded to them. If I can't delete them (and as all have been responded to, I likely can't), I will pass on the request that there be no attempts to contact him. I know what that can be like, having gone through it with Bob Bledsaw... Why delete the posts ? Personally I think people should know about his condition so that they can wish him well even if it is just to do so in this thread. (not saying that everyone should know where he is though) I understand that his daughter doesn't want any real contact that is understandable he needs his rest and doesn't need to deal with loads of people visiting or sending who knows what to him. Robertthebald... Please if you see him again soon let him know that people here are thinking of him and wishing him well. I know I am even though I am new to this forum. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged	Dave Arneson. Dave Arneson, co-creator of the first roleplaying game, ''Dungeons and Dragons'', died on Tuesday of cancer, at the age of 61. A close friend of Arneson, Bob Meyer, reported on April 5 that he had taken a turn for the worse and was admitted to a hospital. Family later confirmed that he was in a facility "where we can focus on keeping him comfortable." Reported at that time, the doctor indicated that he had days to live. The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design in 1984 inducted Arneson into their Hall of Fame. Pyramid Magazine in 1999 named him as one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, "at least in the realm of adventure gaming". Arneson started out as a wargamer including naval games. He soon developed some for his personal use due to the major publishers' slow release of games. With David Wesley and the other members of the Midwest Military Simulation Association, Arneson developed the basis of modern role-playing games with individual miniatures representing one person and having non-military objectives. Arneson attended the University of Minnesota as a history student. He was a founder, along with Gary Gygax, of the Castle & Crusade Society as a medieval miniature chapter of the International Federation of Wargamers. With Gygax in 1972, he authored ''Don't Give Up the Ship!'', a naval wargame. Arneson's ''Blackmoor'' was the first role-playing game, a genre in which players describe their characters in thorough detail and can attempt almost any action the character plausibly could. Ernest Gary Gygax, then a close friend of Arneson, worked with him during 1972–73 to develop the extensive set of rules (in this case three volumes) that such a game requires. This became the first edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. With his experience with David Wesley, Arneson tried it with fantasy miniatures free style calling his game, ''Blackmoor''. He then latched on Gygax's ''Chainmail'' miniature game and Fantasy supplement for resolution of battles. He showed Gygax what he was doing. Gygax got involved and started preparing a set of rules to supplement ''Chainmail''. They shopped the game, ''Dungeons & Dragons'', around to various gaming companies but got turned down. Gygax started a business partnership, Tactical Studies Rules, to publish the game in 1974. The game launched a whole new category in gaming. Although not involved with rulebooks for later editions of ''D&D'', Arneson did create adventure modules for later editions.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada’s government backed away from a legal confrontation on Thursday by promising to obey a law obliging it to lay out how Ottawa will meet targets for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions dictated by the Kyoto protocol. But Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Conservatives had earlier promised to ignore the measure, said the proposed law was so badly constructed that it would have no effect on his policies. The environment -- a topic the opposition sees as the Conservatives’ weak spot -- is set to be a key issue in the next federal election, which some political observers and insiders say could be called in the next few months. The House of Commons adopted the bill on Wednesday in the latest clash over green issues between opposition legislators and the minority government, which says Canada cannot meet its Kyoto targets. The Kyoto bill must now go the Senate, Parliament’s upper house, for approval before formally coming into force. The Senate is dominated by members of the opposition Liberal party and officials said the law could be adopted in April or May. The Conservatives describe the bill as “a toothless tiger” because it does not provide any money to implement the cuts called for by Kyoto. “If and when that becomes law, the government would respect it. I’ll just point out ... that the bill has no plan of action in it, the bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to have a plan of action,” Harper told Parliament. The opposition Liberals said Ottawa could be sued if it carried out earlier threats to ignore the law and they attacked what they said was Harper’s contempt for Parliament. “Is the prime minister of Canada now going to decide which laws he’s going to respect and which laws he’s going to break?” asked Pablo Rodriguez, the Liberal legislator who drew up the draft legislation. “Is he going to throw the foundations of our democracy to the grounds and close Parliament? Is he going to say ‘Democracy is finished, long live the dictatorship’?” he asked Parliament after Harper had spoken. The law would give the Conservatives 60 days to come up with a plan to meet the cuts laid out by Kyoto -- reductions that Harper says would paralyze the Canadian economy. Canada is the largest exporter of energy to the United States. Environment Minister John Baird said he was more interested in pushing ahead with the government’s own clean air plan that was unveiled last September. The plan -- which did not call for binding emissions cuts until 2020 at the earliest -- was savaged by critics and is now being rewritten by a special parliamentary committee. Kyoto obliges Canada to cut emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. Emissions are currently 27 percent above 1990 levels. The environment is also a challenging issue for the Liberals because they were in power from 1993 to early 2006 -- a period when emissions surged. The party’s record on green issues is under attack both from the Conservatives and the left-leaning New Democrats, who are eager to pick off soft Liberal votes in the next election. \|\|\|\|\| Thu, February 15, 2007 Harper will respect Kyoto bill Dismisses it as meaningless By CP OTTAWA Prime Minister Stephen Harper says hell respect the Kyoto climate-change legislation forced through by the opposition, but he dismissed the bill as a toothless measure. The legislation, which gives the government 60 days to come up with a plan to meet Canadas obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, was passed by the opposition parties Wednesday over the strong objections of Harper and his minority Conservatives. The Tories have rejected the Kyoto targets a six per cent emissions drop from 1990 levels by 2012 calling them unattainable and destructive to the economy. The prime minister said Thursday that he would respect the law, but in the next breath downplayed the legislation as useless. Of course, if and when that becomes law, the government would respect it, Harper said. I would point out that the bill has no plan of action in it. The bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to actually have a plan of action. The prime minister says the government will bring in a national system regulations to control both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in a way that will preserve jobs and the economy. The Tories repeatedly tried to kill the bill, attempting procedural measures to have it declared invalid up until the day of the final vote in the Commons. It was finally adopted in a 161-113 vote. Constitutional experts have warned that the government has no choice but to respect the legislation if it is passed by the Senate. The Liberals have said it would amount to a virtual coup detat if Harper were to ignore the law. Next story: Bureaucrat charged in income trust probe	The Conservative Canadian government have decided to obey the Kyoto bill which was a forced decision by the opposition Liberals. Prior to this decision, the Liberal opposition party said the government could be sued if they would ignore the law. "If and when that becomes law, the government would respect it. I'll just point out ... that the bill has no plan of action in it, the bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to have a plan of action," Canadian PM Stephen Harper told the House on Thursday. "Of course, if and when that becomes law, the government would respect it." The bill will be sent to the Senate of Canada for approval before it is actually made law. The legislation will only give the government 60 days to come up with a plan that meets with the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto wants to drop 6% of greenhouse gas emissions starting from 1990 to 2012. The Conservatives say it is bad for the Canadian economy. Political experts are now saying that a federal election could come as soon as spring 2007. The Conservatives were elected on the 23 of January in 2006.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — New York Magazine issued an apology to its readers Tuesday morning, December 16, acknowledging the editors were “duped” by the teen stock trader rumored to have made $72 million. “Our fact-checking process was obviously inadequate; we take full responsibility and we should have known better. New York apologizes to our readers,” the note read. The note was added to the profile of 17-year-old Mohammed Islam, featured as part of the magazine’s “Reasons to love New York” issue. It was the second editor’s note in 24 hours. The first came late Monday night after the New York Observer ran an interview with Islam in which he admitted to making the story up. The initial story of Islam made immediate waves. The New York Post featured it on its front page on Sunday and it was shared widely on Facebook. Commentators quickly questioned whether Islam could have truly made $72 million. The writer of the story, Jessica Pressler, told CNNMoney that Islam’s net worth had been fact-checked, and the story said that Islam had confirmed his net worth to be in the “high eight figures.” Pressler told CNNMoney that the teen appeared to have “an obscene amount of money in his account.” The Washington Post reported the flaws in that fact-checking process. It cited an anonymous “source close to the Islam family” who said that the 17-year-old “created some bullsh*t thing on the computer with blacked out numbers. He said she could look at it for 10 seconds, and pulled it away.” Pressler, who is heading to Bloomberg News in the new year to cover the “culture of wealth and money,” told CNNMoney that her piece was “skeptical enough.” Bloomberg declined to comment on the matter. Pressler faulted the original headline: “A Stuyvesant senior made $72 million trading stocks on his lunch break.” She told CNNMoney she didn’t write it and said it was “glib.” Islam took issue with New York Magazine in an interview with CNBC. “The way we were portrayed is not who we are,” he said. New York Magazine originally defended the piece. It noted that the “story itself does not specify an amount.” The revised headline, which says that Islam “made millions picking stocks,” is still inaccurate. The story was still featured prominently on New York Magazine’s website late Monday, hours after the Observer interview was published. A spokeswoman for New York Magazine did not say whether the story will be retracted completely. \|\|\|\|\| Nokia to Buy Navteq for $8.1 Billion Nokia has agreed to buy digital map supplier Navteq for $8.1 billion in cash as it seeks to expand its cellphone-based navigation offerings, the companies announced Monday. Nokia, the world’s largest cellphone maker, said it will acquire Navteq for $78 a share, which is only 3 cents above Navteq’s closing share price on Friday. But Navteq’s stock has risen sharply in recent weeks amid rumors that it was a takeover target. Once rumor became reality, investors seemed a bit disappointed. Navteq’s shares fell about 1.7 percent in early trading Monday. Navteq’s major customers are automakers and auto suppliers, who license its databases for dashboard navigation systems. Some had theorized that Google could be interested in buying Navteq; others suggested that a private equity firm might be circling the company. In the end, it was Nokia of Finland that struck a deal. Monday’s sale price reflects a 34 percent premium over Navteq’s share price a month ago, Nokia said Monday. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008. Nokia and its competitors are looking for new sources of revenue, and mapping technology has become an increasingly popular feature. Nokia sees the Navteq deal as a way to accelerate its mobile map-related offerings. “By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market,” Nokia chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in a press release. A snarkier assessment the deal came from a MarketWatch commentary, which served up this headline: “Nokia bets men will spend anything to avoid asking directions.” Go to Article from The New York Times » Go to Nokia Press Release via PR Newswire » Go to Article from MarketWatch » \|\|\|\|\| Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced on Monday that it will acquire Navteq, a provider of digital map information used in car, mobile and Internet-based applications, in a deal valued at $8.1 billion. Founded in 1985, Chicago-based Navteq has 3,000 employees and generated 2006 revenues of $582 million. "Location based services are one of the cornerstones of Nokia's Internet services strategy," said Nokia president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. "By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market." Related Links: http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1157198 http://www.navteq.com	Nokia, the mobile phone manufacturer based in Nokia, Finland, has negotiated the takeover of Chicago, United States Geographic Information Systems software development company Navteq for US$8.1 billion. Nokia are paying $78 per share in Navteq, who employs 3,000 people and operates 168 offices spread across 20 countries. Nokia, meanwhile, is the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer. The price comes in at only three cents a share more than current stock market prices, but these prices have recently risen steeply after rumours surfaced that the company may be subject to a takeover deal. However, share prices fell 1.7% after the deal was confirmed as fact. “Location based services are one of the cornerstones of Nokia's Internet services strategy. By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market,” said a statement by Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's chief executive. Meanwhile, MarketWatch had a slightly different take on events, using the headline “Nokia bets men will spend anything to avoid asking directions.”
(CNN) -- NASA scientists revealed Friday a first-of-its-kind image from space showing reflecting sunlight from a lake on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. It's the first visual "smoking gun" evidence of liquid on the northern hemisphere of the moon, scientists said, and the first-ever photo from another world showing a "specular reflection" -- which is reflection of light from an extremely smooth surface and in this case, a liquid one. "This is the first time outside Earth we've seen specular reflection from another liquid from another body," said Ralf Jaumann, a scientist analyzing data from the Cassini unmanned space probe. Jaumann said he was surprised when he first saw the photos transmitting from Cassini, orbiting Saturn about a billion miles from Earth. "It was great because if you look at photos of planets, you mostly see nothing is happening. But in two hours we saw a glint of light getting brighter." Titan's similarities to Earth have attracted NASA's attention for decades. It's the only body besides our own in the solar system that is believed to have liquid on its surface. Like Earth, Titan has an atmosphere which is mostly nitrogen. Experts believe the presence of liquid on a planet or moon improves the chances that some kind of life could develop there. The photo comes from the spacecraft Cassini, which has been searching for this kind of reflection since it began circling Saturn in 2004. Scientists with the University of Arizona were able to use previous data from Cassini to learn details about the reflection's location on Titan. The glint appears to be coming from the southern edge of a lake called Kraken Mare -- a massive body of methane that covers about 150,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers). That's larger than the Caspian Sea, which is the largest lake on Earth. The hunt for the specular reflection took five years, NASA said, because the moon's northern half had been shrouded in winter darkness. "Next, we want to find out more about Titan's liquid," said Jaumann. "Do we have some kind of weather there? Do we have changes with seasons? Does it rain? How does the liquid methane run across the surface?" But Jaumann sounded a note of caution regarding the prospect of life in this case. "The temperature on Titan's surface is something like minus-180 degrees Celsius," he said. "That means it's very cold. But you never know." The project is based out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This is not the first evidence of liquid on Titan. In 2008, project members used infrared technology to discover a large lake in the moon's southern hemisphere. But this recent discovery is a sure sign that liquid exists on the moon's northern half. That region is believed to include larger basins that could hold more liquid. \|\|\|\|\| SAN FRANCISCO — A glint of light from a large lake confirms the presence of surface liquid in Titan’s northern hemisphere. This image, released Thursday here at the American Geophysical Union meeting, was captured on July 8, using the Cassini spacecraft’s visual and infrared mapping spectrometer. “This one image communicates so much about Titan — thick atmosphere, surface lakes and an otherworldliness,” said Cassini project scientist Bob Pappalardo, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a press release. “It’s an unsettling combination of strangeness yet similarity to Earth.” Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has a dense nitrogenous atmosphere and is the only place, other than earth, containing stable pools of liquid on its surface. In 2008, Cassini confirmed liquid methane lakes in Titan’s southern hemisphere using infrared data. Cassini has been looking for this mystical glint since reaching Saturn in 2004, but winter had shrouded the northern half of Titan. The sun began shining on this area, which contains more lakes than the southern hemisphere, in August 2009 during the moon’s spring equinox. The glint comes from the southern shoreline of the sprawling Kraken Mare lake, which covers about 400,000 square kilometers of Titan’s surface. The image proves the lake has been stable for at least three years, indicating that Titan cycles liquid methane to its surface, said Ralf Jaumann, Cassini team member at the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, Germany. “These results remind us how unique Titan is in the solar system,” Jaumann said in a press release. “But they also show us that liquid has a universal power to shape geological surfaces in the same way, no matter what the liquid is.” Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/DLR See Also: \|\|\|\|\| By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, San Francisco Ligeia Mare covers about 100,000 sq km in Titan's high north A daring proposal to try to put a "boat" down on a sea of Saturn's moon Titan is about to be submitted to Nasa. The scientific team behind the idea is targeting Ligeia Mare, a vast body of liquid methane sited in the high north of Saturn's largest moon. The concept will be suggested to the US space agency for one of its future mission opportunities that will test a novel power system. It would be the first exploration of a planetary sea beyond Earth. "It is something that would really capture the imagination," said Dr Ellen Stofan, from Proxemy Research, who leads the study team. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "The story of human exploration on Earth has been one of navigation and seafaring, and the idea that we could explore for the first time an extraterrestrial sea I think would be mind-blowing for most people," she told BBC News. Dr Stofan, who is also an honorary professor at University College London, has been describing her group's idea here at the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Fall Meeting, the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Low cost The Cassini mission currently in orbit around Saturn has confirmed the haze-shrouded moon Titan to be an extraordinary place. Great lakes exist on its surface, fed by rivers that wash down valleys whenever it rains. TITAN MARE EXPLORER (TiME) A Nasa Discovery Class proposal, powered by ASRG technology Simple mission concept would hope to be low cost -	The historic image shows a telltale bright reflection NASA have revealed that a flyby of its probe Cassini past Titan, a moon of Saturn, has produced a historic image: the first photograph showing liquid on a world other than our own. The picture shows a "specular reflection" from an extremely smooth surface, in this case a liquid. Cassini has been trying to spot one since arriving in 2004, and in 2008 used infrared data to prove that there were liquid methane lakes down there. The northern hemisphere has only been visible since August 2009, as before then it was covered by winter weather. Most of Titan's lakes are in the north. "This one image communicates so much about Titan — thick atmosphere, surface lakes and an otherworldliness. It’s an unsettling combination of strangeness yet similarity to Earth," said Bob Pappalardo, a Cassini scientist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Titan's atmosphere is, like Earth's, mainly nitrogen, but temperatures on the icy world are around -180°C. This reduces the prospect of life, although the presence of liquid does increase the likelihood. The lake seen in the photograph is called Kraken Mare, and at 150,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers), it isn't the largest basin on north Titan, but it is bigger than the Earth's biggest lake, the Caspian Sea. Ralf Jaumann, another Cassini scientist, spoke of the team's hopes for the future. "Next, we want to find out more about Titan's liquid. Do we have some kind of weather there? Do we have changes with seasons? Does it rain? How does the liquid methane run across the surface?" A team of scientists are due to propose to NASA that the agency drop a boat into a Titan lake, with Kraken Mare and the similarly sized Ligeia Mare being hot candidates. The Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) is projected to be relatively low-cost at US$400 million and would investigate the composition, density and shape of a Titan lake. If launched in 2016 it could arrive in 2023 and spend several years floating on the moon. However, several other projects are also keen to get themselves the next opportunity NASA is offering for the launch of a new project other than its own.
The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted 344.65 points on Thursday on a confluence of poor news about the economy, although investors could not pin the drop on any overriding reason. Reports showed that retail sales were weak last month, just as more Americans filed for unemployment benefits. Anxiety lingered about a global slowdown. Fears of another financial crisis refused to go away. None of the news came as a shock to Wall Street. So what pushed the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index down 3 percent, its worst daily performance in three months? “Boy, it’s hard to say,” Douglas M. Peta, a market strategist at J.& W. Seligman, said after the market’s close. “All of us were scratching our heads. Why today?” \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Labor market worries boosted Treasury prices Thursday after a spike in weekly unemployment claims. The benchmark 10-year note rose 19/32 to 103 2/32, while its yield fell to 3.62% from 3.7% late Wednesday. Prices and yields move in opposite directions. The 30-year bond rose 29/32 to 103 28/32, with its yield falling to 4.27% from 4.32%. The 2-year note rose 5/32 to 100 12/32. Its yield fell to 2.17% from 2.26%. Bonds also rose Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said slow U.S. economic activity could continue into next year. Job weakness: Investors bought Treasurys after the Labor Department said applications for unemployment benefits jumped by 15,000 last week to 444,000. Economists polled by Briefing.com had expected the number of new claims to fall to 420,000. Economic weakness often prompts investors to shift their money out of the more volatile stock market and corporate bonds into the safety of Treasurys, which are backed by the U.S. government. The Dow Jones index fell more than 300 points during Thursday trading after the report's release and news of sluggish retail sales. More indications of labor market breakdowns are expected Friday, when the Labor Department releases its monthly jobs report. Economists expect the government to report an eighth straight month of job reductions. Taming inflation: Bond investors were also paying close attention to signals that inflation was being brought under control. Falling inflation drives up the value of Treasurys. On the open market, the dollar rose versus the 15-nation euro, following a decline in oil prices and signs of weakness in the European economy. Oil and the dollar have had an inverse relationship over the past several months as investors bought crude and other commodities to hedge against inflation. But in the past month and a half, oil prices have fallen sharply from an all-time high set in July. Oil prices settled down $1.46 a barrel at the end of Thursday trading. "The consensus view is that inflation has peaked, and that's certainly helped by the falling commodity prices," said Wan-Chong Kung, senior fund manager at First American Funds. The dollar has also been getting a boost from signs of weakness overseas. European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet expressed concern Thursday about both inflation of the euro and slowing economic growth. In the United States, signs of higher productivity and lower wages helped quell fears of runaway dollar inflation as well. The productivity of American workers climbed 4.3% in the second quarter, the Labor Department reported Thursday, much larger than expected. At the same time labor costs fell 0.5%. \|\|\|\|\| Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 in New York. Wall Street plunged Thursday, sending the Dow Jones industrials down more than 340 points as retailers and the Labor Department added to the mountain of dismal economic news that has all but dashed investors' hopes for a late-year recovery. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Stocks plummet after retail, unemployment data NEW YORK (AP) — Dejected investors sent stocks plunging Thursday, hurtling the Dow Jones industrials down more than 340 points after retailers and the government added to a mountain of bad economic news and devastated hopes for a late-year recovery. The market was already nervous as it waited for the government to release its August employment report on Friday. So news from the nation's major retailers that shoppers curtailed their spending last month due to higher gas and food prices came as a heavy blow. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, beat expectations because of its big discounts, but many teen retailers and luxury chains did poorly, a sign that consumers are spending mostly on essentials and putting discretionary buying on hold. Meanwhile, the Labor Department said new applications for unemployment insurance rose by 15,000 last week from the previous week. That broadly missed expectations for a fourth-straight week of declines, heightening worries that the average American — already feeling the effects of the weak housing market — will have even less means to spend. Furthermore, if the job market keeps deteriorating, it is tough for Wall Street to see a rebound in sight for the economy's biggest culprit: the tumbling housing market. "You have to have a paycheck to pay that mortgage," said Craig Peckham, market strategist at Jefferies & Co. The numbers released Thursday were a sign that despite some upbeat reports over the past month, the economy remains deeply troubled. Investors are not expecting any promising news in the August jobs report, particularly after the ADP National Employment Report said that private sector employment decreased in August by 33,000. Economists are predicting the government will report the eighth straight monthly payrolls drop, and a rise in the unemployment rate. The market was so disheartened that it showed little reaction when the Institute for Supply Management said the service sector grew unexpectedly in August for the first time in three months as new orders increased and inflation moderated. The August reading of 50.6 was higher than the 50.0 expected, and the reading of 49.2 in July; but the sector's edging above the threshold between contraction and expansion was hardly a sign of a robust economy. An economic recovery appears to be far off to investors — and with the Dow down more than 15 percent for the year so far, they don't appear to be holding out for a significant upturn in stocks, either. "We're seeing nothing but sellers," said Ted Oberhaus, director of equity trading at Lord, Abbett & Co. "In a bear market, you sort of really don't need an excuse to sell." The Dow fell 344.65, or 2.99 percent, to 11,188.23. It was the worst drop for the blue-chip index since June 26, when it fell more than 358 points, or 3.03 percent. Broader indexes also tumbled. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 38.15, or 2.99 percent, to 1,236.83, and the Nasdaq composite index dropped 74.69, or 3.20 percent, to 2,259.04. All three indexes moved back into bear market territory, defined as a 20 percent drop from a recent peak. The indexes were at highs, including a record 14,198.09 for the Dow. As investors fled stocks, they turned to the safety of government bonds, sending Treasury prices higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.63 percent from 3.70 percent late Wednesday. Not even another drop in oil could console investors. After the government reported a lower-than-expected drop in U.S. gasoline and crude supplies, light sweet crude fell $1.46 to settle at $107.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude is about $30 below its July 11 high of $147.27. Gold prices also slid Thursday. Toll Brothers Inc. CEO Robert Toll said he is seeing signs the housing market is stabilizing, but Ara Hovnanian — CEO of Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. — said he sees no evidence yet of a market bottom. The stock market appeared to agree with the latter sentiment on Thursday, sending homebuilder stocks sharply lower. Toll Brothers performed better than its peers, even after posting a third-quarter loss; its shares rose 27 cents to $25.07. But shares of Hovnanian, which on Wednesday reported a quarterly loss, sank $1.35, or 17.4 percent, to $6.40. Pulte Homes Inc. fell 86 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $12.05, and KB Home fell $1.22, or 5.7 percent, to $20.11. The financial sector performed poorly on Thursday as well, particular after bond fund manager Bill Gross wrote in a commentary on his firm's Web site that the U.S. Treasury needs to provide funding to mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Freddie shares fell 30 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $5.08, and Fannie shares fell 65 cents, or 8.9 percent, to $6.67. The biggest decliners among the 30 Dow components were three financial stocks: Bank of America Corp., which fell $2.36, or 7.2 percent, to $30.60; Citigroup Inc., which fell $1.31, or 6.7 percent, to $28.30; and American International Group Inc., which fell $1.36, or 6 percent, to $21.22. Wal-Mart's stock ended down only a penny at $59.78, after it said sales of groceries and back-to-school products helped its August same-store sales rise 3 percent, above expectations. But the discount chain's success was seen as the corollary of a cash-strapped consumer, and other retailers fell. JCPenney Co. fell $2.07, or 5 percent, to $39.57, while Gap Inc. fell 83 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $19.14. Wall Street found no solace in tumbling oil prices — if anything, the drop in commodities weakened the market further by sending the stocks of energy and mining companies lower. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 23.29, or 3.14 percent, to 718.62. Declining issues outpaced advancers by about 5 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.30 billion shares. Overseas, the Bank of England and European Central Bank left their benchmark interest rates unchanged — a move analysts expected, as both regions face rising inflation and slowing economic growth. The ECB also decided to make it more expensive for banks to borrow from the central bank against risky assets — another worry weighing on investors' minds, Jefferies' Peckham said. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 2.50 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 2.91 percent, and France's CAC-40 shed 3.22 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock closed down 1.04 percent.	The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a stock market index used to gauge the performance of American stock exchanges, fell 344.65 at the close of trading Thursday. Wall Street The exact reason for the drop is unknown, with different news agencies pointing to different causes. ''The New York Times'' cites a rise in unemployment numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor and a fall in retail sales released by several large corporations. According to the Associated Press, the number of people claiming weekly unemployment benefits rose 15,000 last week to 444,000, which, according to ''The New York Times'' is near a five-year high. “This morning’s employment numbers continue to indicate that the labor sector remains soft at best and looks to continue to shed jobs throughout the remainder of the year,” Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at Merk Investments, said in a statement to ''The New York Times''. One major corporation that posted a gain in sales was Wal-Mart, with a 3 percent boost, which resulted in a one penny loss in their stock. Fellow retailer Target posted a sales loss. Shares of energy companies ExxonMobil and Chevron fell by 1.5 and 3 percent, respectively. The other two major American stock indices fell too. The S&P 500 fell 2.99 percent while the Nasdaq composite index fell 3.20 percent. The Dow's 344.65-point fall left the index at 11,188.23, a 2.99 percent decrease from the close of trading Wednesday. According to ''The New York Times'', the drop is the largest since June of this year, but an expected announcement Friday of August unemployment data could cause the index to rise. ''The New York Times'' and the Associated Press both report that the number of jobs in the service sector rose in August according to research done by the Institute for Supply Management. This is the first rise in the number of jobs in several months. CNNMoney.com points to the rise in the price of Treasury bonds as a reaction to data released Wednesday that the American economy would continue to be slow in 2009.
Ozzy Osbourne has lashed out at illegal downloaders, blaming them for the poor sales of his new album Black Rain. The heavy rock icon claims he is "suffering terribly" from the effects of internet piracy, and his financial woes are such that he has been forced to perform 90 concerts in an effort to recoup his losses. He tells Australia's Herald Sun newspaper, "If they don't find something to stop (this), people won't be able to make records. There won't be any new bands. How are they going to survive?" Osbourne admits he's struggling to complete a grueling world tour he felt committed to after his new release took a hit in the record stores. And he refuses to heed his manager/wife Sharon's advice and "just stand there" onstage. He adds, "I ain't getting any younger. Sharon says to me 'Just stand there.' I can't just f---ing stand there! I'm a moving target. People would aim their can of beer at my head!" \|\|\|\|\| Entertainment News - Music, movie, Entertainment COOPER TO PERFORM HANGING TRICK AT CONCERT Print article Refer to a friend Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com) 2007-11-02 17:39:02 - Rock legend ALICE COOPER will perform his infamous 'hanging' stunt on his upcoming tour - almost 20 years after a near fatal attempt. Cooper, 59, has not performed the trick since 1988 when the gallows collapsed and the singer fell through the stage at London's Wembley Arena . But the star is desperate to perform the stunt for his fans at his world tour - and promises more danger. He says, "I haven't done the hanging in a long, long time and I forgot how difficult it was . And I've decided to make it more dangerous this time . Instead of just doing the hanging, I said, 'Why don't we hang Alice in the straightjacket?'" "(When I fell) it was like getting a left hook from (boxer) Roberto Duran . As soon as I felt the noose on my neck, I threw my head back . I got a nice rope burn but, if I'd gone the other way, it would have been a different story." (PAW/WNTSU/LR&LJ) THE THINGS THEY SAY: "What is that? Is it like Kabbalah?" BRITNEY SPEARS is perplexed when asked about the Eastern religion Hinduism . Disclaimer: The International Movie, Film, TV, Music, Hollywood, Showbiz, Entertainment & People News are owned by WENN.com and published by PR-inside.com. If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact Wenn.com. PR-inside can not assist or help you giving information about this Movie, Film, TV, Music, Hollywood, Showbiz, Entertainment or People News articles. \|\|\|\|\| Home & Away: 4482: Martha puts herself in danger. Friday, 18:00 on Five. Hollyoaks: 2159: Rhys is forced to accept Beth as part of the family. Friday, 18:30 on Channel 4. Coronation Street: Steve throws Liz with a 50th party. Friday, 19:30 on ITV1. EastEnders: Ronnie and Jack go head-to-head. Friday, 20:00 on BBC One. Emmerdale: Donna passes her interview. Sunday, 19:00 on ITV1. Holby City: 'The Apprentice'. Tuesday, 20:00 on BBC One. \|\|\|\|\| Posted On: Thursday, November 1, 2007 06:08 MDT Post to del.icio.us Post to reddit Post to Furl Post to Technorati Post to Blinklist Rock legend ALICE COOPER has blamed OZZY OSBOURNE's reality TV show for ruining the BLACK SABBATH star's career. Cooper, 59, feels reality TV show The Osbournes destroyed all of the mystique surrounding the star and left fans disappointed with an unexpected insight into the rocker's life. He says, "Most fans thought he lived in a big, dark castle with skeletons in the cellar. "When that show aired they knew he was just some guy who potters around his Beverly Hills mansion. It was meant to be some kind of comedy but the audience was laughing at Ozzy, not with him. "And as a close friend, that made me very sad."	Alice Cooper pictured without his famous stage makeup in 2006. Solo American hard shock rock artist Alice Cooper has commented that ''The Osbournes'', a reality TV show starring heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, ruined the career of the Black Sabbath frontman. Cooper said he felt that by allowing daily life in his house to be broadcast to the world, he destroyed the mystery that had previously surrounded him. "Most fans thought he lived in a big, dark castle with skeletons in the cellar." said Cooper. "When that show aired they knew he was just some guy who potters around his Beverly Hills mansion. "It was meant to be some kind of comedy but the audience was laughing at Ozzy, not with him. And as a close friend, that made me very sad." Ozzy Osbourne performing live in 2007. Meanwhile, both artists have related news this week. Finnish solo symphonic power metal soprano Tarja Turunen, most famous as the former Nightwish frontwoman, has released a 30-second preview of her cover version of Alice Cooper's top ten hit ''Poison'', which will feature on her upcoming album ''My Winter Storm''. Cooper himself has stated that during an upcoming tour he will replicate a mock hanging for the first time after a near-fatal accident performing the same stunt in 1988, only this time he will also be wearing a straightjacket. Meanwhile, Ozzy has blamed illegal music downloads for poor sales of his latest album ''Black Rain'', saying that the low sales have forced him into a 90-gig world tour that he has admitted he can barely cope with.
Advertisement Three persons, including the owner of a cyber cafe, were taken into custody on Friday after top government officials received e-mails saying that attempts would be made on the lives of President Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Several senior officials, including the Home Secretary and DGP received the e-mail sent from a single ID. The mail, which originated from a Kochi village, contained references to Mohammed Afzal Guru, who is facing execution for the 2001 Parliament attack, and PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani, who is being held in connection with the Coimbatore blasts. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who hurriedly convened a meeting of top officials, including the DGP, chief secretary and the Home Secretary in Thiruvananthapuram, said there was no reason to panic. The content of the message was that there was an immediate threat to the life of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is slated to visit the place on November 1, and a similar threat to President APJ Abdul Kalam, state police chief Raman Srivastava said after the meeting. There is no change in the Prime Minister's visit, but security would be further stepped up. The investigation in the case would be directly supervised by Srivastava and Central intelligence agencies have been informed of the matter. Though police has some clues, the details, including the e-mail ID from which the message was sent, could not be disclosed as it would affect the investigation, Srivastava said. The involvement of any particular outfit has not been established but surveillance of organisations like the banned SIMI has been stepped up, officials said. According to officials, the e-mail was sent to most district police heads and other senior police officials simultaneously. They said a "serious investigation" had already begun and the help of cyber experts would be sought, if necessary, to track down the source of the message. The officials said the e-mail could possibly be part of efforts to divert the attention of police and security personnel. Meanwhile, those taken into custody are being interrogated by a police team. The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram for the inauguration of the golden jubilee celebrations of the state's formation on November one. \|\|\|\|\| Sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau and Kerala police are carrying out countrywide raids to the catch the person who sent the threatening e-mail to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Three persons, including the owner of the cybercafe from where the e-mail was sent, have already been taken into custody. "We are not leaving anything to chance. We are on the job to nab the sender of the e-mail," a senior intelligence official told rediff.com on Friday evening. But another intelligence officer said that though the IB is not taking the threat lightly and every possible angle is being looked into, the Kerala police has gone overboard in telling the media about it and the media in turn has exaggerated the incident. "Such incidents are dealt in absolute secrecy so that no panic is created among the general public," the official said. Union Home minister Shivraj Patil and other senior ministers in the home ministry and top officials of the Prime Minister's Office and home ministry are being kept in the loop about the latest developments. Dr Singh would visit Kerala on November 1 despite the e-mailed threat to his life, the Prime Minister's Office said in New Delhi. Three persons were arrested by the Kerala police after an e-mail was received by the Prime Minister's Office from a cyber cafe in Kochi saying that there would be a threat to the prime minister's life during his visit to Kerala. This includes two boys who were customers and had used the cyber cafe between 9 and 9.30 on Friday morning and the owner of the cafe who is a woman. Several senior officials, including the home secretary and DGP received the e-mail sent from the same ID on Thursday. It contained references to Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution for the 2001 Parliament attack, and PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani, who is being held in connection with the Coimbatore blasts. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who hurriedly convened a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram of top officials including the DGP, chief secretary and home secretary, said there was no reason to panic but the government had taken serious note of the matter. Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said his government was viewing the e-mail issue "very seriously". He said the state police chief was looking into the matter and senior police officials would keep him constantly informed about the progress of investigations in the matter. Asked if any foreign hand was suspected in the matter, Achuthanandan said police are looking into all aspects.	The Kerala police have received an email threatening Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his trip to the state. Singh is scheduled to visit Kerala on November 1 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the state's formation. Three persons have been taken into custody by the Kerala police after an e-mail was received by the Prime Minister's Office from a cyber cafe in Kochi. This includes two boys who were using the cyber cafe between 9 and 9.30 on Friday morning and the woman owner of the cafe. Top police sources said the message was sent to Director General of Police Raman Srivastava and the Home Secretary Sri Prakash Jaiswal. Taking serious note of the e-mail, Kerala police are interrogating the accused persons suspecting they had played a prank. After this incident, the authorities are on high alert. This threat can have serious connotations considering the arrest of 2 Al-badr militants from down south. Sources said, according to a senior official of Prime minister's office, "As of now there is no change in the prime minister's trip but his security is being constantly under review and a decision could be taken keeping in the mind threat perception".
Japan's moon base project faces funding hurdle TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Boosted by a return to success for its satellite launch program and needled by China's achievements, Japan's space agency wants to put a manned space station on the moon, though it may struggle to raise funds. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unveiled a long-term vision on Wednesday that included a drawing showing how Japanese astronauts and robots might look working together on the moon in 2025. The plan, presented to a Science Ministry committee, comes amid relief for the agency after the success of its latest satellite launch in February, 15 months after an embarrassing rocket failure that resulted in the loss of two spy satellites intended for scrutinizing secretive North Korea. The fiasco was doubly humiliating for Japan as it came weeks after China put a man in space, a feat that Japan, despite its reputation for technical prowess, has never attempted. JAXA says it would need a hefty increase in budget and personnel to carry out its proposals, which may be hard to secure given Japan's 751 trillion yen ($6,937 billion) national debt. "As scientists, we want to experiment with everything, including manned flight, if we can get the money," said Taketoshi Hibiya of the aerospace engineering department at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology. "Unfortunately, the country's budget is in a bad way at the moment." JAXA said it needs 250-280 billion yen a year to move forward with its plans, against last year's budget of 179 billion yen. The agency said in its plan that satellite surveys of the moon should be carried out within the next 10 years to enable Japan to decide whether to try to develop the moon. A moon base project might be a good way to catch the public imagination and boost support for Japan's space program, aerospace professor Hibiya said, but he was dubious about its practical value. "If you are hoping to exploit energy resources for example, the question is whether you gain more energy than you expend getting to the moon and back," he said. China's state media say it has abandoned plans to send astronauts to the moon for financial reasons. Other items on JAXA's long-term agenda include creating an aircraft capable of traveling at five times the speed of sound. \|\|\|\|\| Officials: At least three businesses damaged in late-night fire No one was inside at the time and no injuries were reported in the blaze, fire and police officials said. 7:23 AM LI pizza chain opens new location in Oyster Bay It's the smallest location to date, but the menu remains nearly as big. Georgia massage parlor shootings leave 8 dead; man captured Shootings at two massage parlors in Atlanta and one in the suburbs have left eight people dead, many of them women of Asian descent, authorities said. 7:42 AM Assembly hires NYC firm for Cuomo impeachment probe Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says Davis, Polk and Wardell is a "top-flight firm" with nearly 1,000 attorneys. 19 m ago Papers: Thomas Valva was bruised, had hair missing, walked with limp The new details of Thomas' physical condition were laid out in court documents filed in response to requests from defendants Michael Valva and Angela Pollina to have evidence in the case thrown out. Report: Cuomo staff prepared letter attacking credibility of accuser The New York Times said the governor was involved in preparing the letter after a former aide accused him of sexual harassment. The letter was never sent. \|\|\|\|\| TOKYO, April 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has compiled a long-term space exploration program, which calls for launching a domestically designed manned spacecraft to the moon within the next 20 years, JAXA officials said Wednesday. Under the program, JAXA will complete a rocket for human spaceflight within 10 years based on the technologies being developed for the domestically made H-2A rocket. The government-affiliated agency will then design a reusable manned space vehicle by 2025 that incorporates the same technologies as an unmanned transfer vehicle used for ferrying cargo to international space stations which is under development now. The exploration program is the first JAXA has compiled, and it will require a significant increase in budgetary allocations. The plan also sees the start of construction of an international manned space station 20 years from now using Japanese robot technologies. Japan successfully launched its seventh H-2A rocket in late February after a setback in November 2003 when an H-2A rocket failed to launch. Enditem \|\|\|\|\| There's light-speed travel in 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' Is it possible? Spaceships zipping at the speed of light or faster are a staple of science fiction. Think of the Millennium Falcon in the "Star Wars" movies and the starship Enterprise in "Star Trek." Such travel sounds like fanciful speculation. But is it? \|\|\|\|\| Russia Stands Ready for Manned Flights to Mars Manned space missions to the Moon may resume in 2015-2020, Anatoly Perminov, head of the Federal Space Agency of Russia (Roskosmos) announced Wednesday. Man-controlled flights to Mars will begin in 2030. The U.S. space program requires that starting from 2020 the Moon is to become a nesting place for flights to other planets, including Mars. To this effect, manned space missions to the Moon will resume in 2015. Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan are pressing ahead with the space programs focused on the Moon/Mars flights. At first, it is necessary to master space assembly. Then, flights to the Moon and Mars could be planned, Perminov pointed out. Federal Space Agency launches in 2006 the simulation stage of its Mars-500 project, which financing started in March of 2005. The project is carried on in line with the national space program of arranging manned missions to Mars and sets forth assembly of a spaceship that will simulate space environment. Starting from 2006, six volunteers, from 35 to 55 years old, perhaps from different countries, will be confined to a module spaceship 500 days long. The experts will study response of a human body and equipment operation in conditions close to the Mars flight. Though the Agency's press service declines to disclose the project budget, the sources say 18,268.63 million rubles will be allocated for the federal space program in 2005 from the 25,156.40-million ruble budget of the Agency. The Agency studies all chances to apply nuclear facilities in the Mars flights. Perminov said some projects are existing, including the project of Russian scientist Evgeny Velikhov. Such units were created and put in operation, but the projects were terminated due to the lack of funds. Still, there are research institutes in Russia that proceed with developing similar facilities, Perminov pointed out. Perminov also called for the 29.7-percent increase in financing Russia’s space industry in 2006 compared to 24 billion rubles planned for that purpose. The funds are needed to commission 26 space vehicles finished by 80 percent-90 percent to-date. The U.S. space program requires that starting from 2020 the Moon is to become a nesting place for flights to other planets, including Mars. To this effect, manned space missions to the Moon will resume in 2015.Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan are pressing ahead with the space programs focused on the Moon/Mars flights. At first, it is necessary to master space assembly. Then, flights to the Moon and Mars could be planned, Perminov pointed out.Federal Space Agency launches in 2006 the simulation stage of its Mars-500 project, which financing started in March of 2005. The project is carried on in line with the national space program of arranging manned missions to Mars and sets forth assembly of a spaceship that will simulate space environment.Starting from 2006, six volunteers, from 35 to 55 years old, perhaps from different countries, will be confined to a module spaceship 500 days long. The experts will study response of a human body and equipment operation in conditions close to the Mars flight.Though the Agency's press service declines to disclose the project budget, the sources say 18,268.63 million rubles will be allocated for the federal space program in 2005 from the 25,156.40-million ruble budget of the Agency.The Agency studies all chances to apply nuclear facilities in the Mars flights. Perminov said some projects are existing, including the project of Russian scientist Evgeny Velikhov. Such units were created and put in operation, but the projects were terminated due to the lack of funds. Still, there are research institutes in Russia that proceed with developing similar facilities, Perminov pointed out.Perminov also called for the 29.7-percent increase in financing Russia’s space industry in 2006 compared to 24 billion rubles planned for that purpose. The funds are needed to commission 26 space vehicles finished by 80 percent-90 percent to-date. by www.kommersant.com \|\|\|\|\| China will, after completing unmanned lunar probe, launch manned exploration at proper opportune and will build a moon base with other countries. This is learned at a symposium on technological innovation in space flight the promotion of the development of the industry. According to Luan Enjie, chief commander of the moon probe program, human's moon exploration is composed of three stages: probe, landing and stationing. Now China is at the first stage, that is unmanned landing on the moon. China's moon probe is divided into three steps: a moon-orbiting probe, an exploration based on landing vehicles and returning with samples brought back to the earth. Luan said, the scientific goal of China's moon probe is to draw a "portrait" of the moon. The objective at the first stage is to launch a moon-orbiting satellite by the year 2007, which is aimed to obtain three-dimensional images of the moon surface, ascertain the distribution of the 14 elements and substances on the moon, probe the depth of the lunar soil and the space of 40, 000 to 400, 000 kilometers between the earth and the moon. Ruan held that He3, a rare but important resource on the earth, may be found through the moon probe, which is conducive to solving the energy problem on the earth. He added that preparations for virtual moon observatory are under way in China. By People's Daily Online	'''April 6, 2005''' Japan said it would decide within 10 years whether it would pursue its moon program on its own, or if it would team up with other nations. Japan announced on Wednesday a program to send astronauts to the moon by 2025. The plan calls for the establishment of a moon base that would be operated by Japanese astronauts and robots. "Until now, the question has been, 'Can Japan develop its own manned spaceship?' We will know the answer in another 10 years," JAXA Chairman Keiji Tachikawa told the ''Associated Press''. The plan includes the development of robots and nanotechnology, and calls for the design of a space vehicle to carry passengers and cargo to the moon. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) asked for a budget increase to about US$2.6 billion a year to fund the program. Aerospace professor Taketoshi Hibiya, who works at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology, questioned the value of going to the moon. No country has sent a manned mission to the moon since the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s. "If you are hoping to exploit energy resources for example, the question is whether you gain more energy than you expend getting to the moon and back," Hibiya told ''Reuters''. "As scientists, we want to experiment with everything, including manned flight, if we can get the money," he said. "Unfortunately, the country's budget is in a bad way at the moment." Japan is running a national debt of 751 trillion yen (US$6.94 trillion). Japan said it would decide within 10 years whether it would pursue its moon program on its own, or if it would team up with other nations. No country has sent a manned mission to the moon since the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s. China and Russia are both planning moon programs of their own. China plans to send a satellite to the moon in 2007. Russia has a plan to send personnel to the moon sometime between 2015-2020 as part of a larger program to one day send a mission to Mars. JAXA's next mission will survey the moon with the ''SELENE'' probe. The mission was scheduled to launch this year, but has been delayed for unknown reasons.
Reporter: Meng Qingsheng 丨 CCTV.com 06-07-2016 06:02 BJT To Guangyuan in southwest China's Sichuan Province, where a tourist boat carrying 18 people capsized on June 4th. Four people were rescued on the same day, but one of them died after being taken to hospital. On Monday, one of the 14 missing bodies was found. The search and rescue operation for the 14 missing boat passengers continued a day after the boat was located. Around noon time, a missing body was found and lifted out of water. Two days after the accident, the first missing body has been found by rescuers. It’s a middle aged man. So far, two people have been confirmed dead. And 13 others are still missing. Victims' families and local villagers witnessed the moment. The city mayor has promised an intensified search and rescue operation. "We have decided to intensify the search. Since a body was found, it's quite possible that someone else would come up," said Zou Zijing, Mayor of Guangyua City, Sichuan. A robot capable of underwater operation has arrived at the site to speed up the rescue, and help lift the capsized boat. "The underwater robot will examine the area where the boat has been found. It'll also examine the boat itself to check how many people still remain there. And then we will decide the next step. To save the missing people is our priority from the very beginning," said Zou. The water level on this lake is now gradually going down as a dam starts to discharge water. Along with all measures available, it's aimed at paving the way to conclude this most tragic event on this lake in two decades. \|\|\|\|\| Authorities on Sunday launched an investigation into a deadly boat accident in southwest Chinese province of Sichuan on Saturday, as 14 people including at least six children remained missing. The tourist boat, the Shuanglong, was carrying 18 people on a three-hour tour at Bailong Lake in the city of Guangyuan Saturday noon. The boat capsized at about 2:40 p.m, minutes before it was about to reach its destination, Xinhua reporters learnt. Three adult men survived, and one rescued child was announced dead after emergency treatment failed. A total of 14 people, mostly young parents with their children, were missing. The tragedy befell on five families who were enjoying a weekend excursion on the lake, a popular tourist site. Boat operator Zhou Piqiang, his wife and four-year-old son are also among the missing. A spokesperson of Blue Sky rescue team said on Sunday noon that they found the capsized boat about 65 meters under the water with the help of underwater video cameras, but no sign of life was detected. The State Administration of Work Safety has sent a work team to the site of the accident. Source; Xinhua \|\|\|\|\| You are here: Home One child is confirmed dead and 14 others listed as missing after a pleasure boat capsized in southwest China's Sichuan on Saturday. Rescuers search for the missing passengers on a pleasure boat that capsized in southwest China's Sichuan on Saturday. [Photo: Sichuan Daily] The child is one of 4 people who have been pulled from Bailong Lake in the city of Guangyuan. The other 3 managed to survive, and are still being treated in hospital. A search for those still missing is still underway. The boat itself was equipped to hold at least 40-people, but was only carrying 18 when it capsized. Authorities say strong gales pushed the ship over. \|\|\|\|\| Child killed, 14 missing after leisure boat capsizes in China A child was killed and 14 other people went missing today after a leisure boat capsized in a lake in southwest China, authorities said. The child was one of the four people who were pulled from the Bailong Lake in Guangyuan City of Sichuan Province after the 40-seater boat carrying 18 people capsizedamid strong gales at 2:50 pm (local time), the Guangyuan city committee of the Communist Party of China said in a statement. It said the child did not respond to emergency treatment and died at a local hospital, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The document did not give the name, age or gender of the child. It said the other three survivors are out of danger but are still being treated. The search for the missing is going on. An investigation has been launched, the report said. A child was killed and 14 other people went missing today after a leisure boat capsized in a lake in southwest China, authorities said. The child was one of the four people who were pulled from the Bailong Lake in Guangyuan City of Sichuan Province after the 40-seater boat carrying 18 people capsizedamid strong gales at 2:50 pm (local time), the Guangyuan city committee of the of said in a statement. It said the child did not respond to emergency treatment and died at a local hospital, state-run Xinhua agency reported. The document did not give the name, age or gender of the child. It said the other three survivors are out of danger but are still being treated. The search for the missing is going on. An investigation has been launched, the report said. Press Trust of India \|\|\|\|\| A leisure boat capsized on a large lake in southwestern China during strong winds, killing one child and leaving another 14 people missing, local authorities said. The incident happened Saturday afternoon in Sichuan province on Bailong Lake, a man-made lake that translates as "White Dragon" and has an area of more than 60 square kilometers (20 square miles). The lake is surrounded by mountains and a tourist attraction. An online statement from the news office of Guangyuan city government said late Saturday that the boat was carrying 18 people and the three survivors were receiving treatment. The child was pulled out from the water and given emergency treatment, but died at a hospital. The search for the missing continues.	Location of Sichuan province in China On Saturday, local authorities said a child died and three were being treated after a capsized at Bailong Lake in , , China at 14:50 local time (0650 ). At about noon on Monday a search and rescue team found the body of a middle-aged male passenger; thirteen other people were still missing. According to officials, strong winds caused the accident. The boat had been running a three-hour tour and the accident happened several minutes before its finish. Officials on Saturday said the child was taken to hospital and pronounced dead there. On Sunday, a Blue Sky rescue team spokesman said underwater video cameras located the boat at around 65 (around 215 ) depth, with no signs of survivors. The search for the remaining then-fourteen people was ongoing. Five families had been on board, and the boat operator, his wife, and his son. The vessel was prepared for up to forty passengers. == Sources == * * * * *
(01-25) 10:41 PST NOVATO -- A Novato teenager has been arrested in Tennessee for allegedly plotting to hijack a plane from Los Angeles, authorities said Friday. The 16-year-old was not identified because of his age. He was being held at Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville, and a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in that city confirmed that the office is reviewing the case. The boy was a passenger on Southwest Airlines Flight 284, which took off Tuesday from Los Angeles and landed in Nashville. He was found with handcuffs, duct tape and yarn in his bag, authorities said. The teenager was calm during the flight and didn't make any attempt to hijack the aircraft, authorities said. But FBI spokesman George Bolds characterized the items as "suspicious" and said the boy had told FBI officials that he had planned to commandeer the aircraft. The FBI also had said Thursday that a search of his home revealed a "mock cockpit." Nashville prosecutor Jon Seaborg said what was found in the home was "a photograph of the inside of a small aircraft, something you'd find in a bookstore." Nashville-area prosecutors and court officials said the teen pleaded guilty Friday to a "delinquent act," but they refused to provide other details. A juvenile court judge ordered the boy sent back to California for disposition of that charge and other charges pending against him. Novato police Sgt. Jay Demski said the boy's parents had reported him missing about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. "Subsequently, after his arrest in Nashville, we have been cooperating with Nashville airport police and the FBI," Demski said. Chronicle staff writer Marisa Lagos contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Teen Arrested on Flight May Be Suicidal NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities believe a teen accused of plotting to hijack a plane was suicidal, and a judge was scheduled to decide Friday whether to keep him in custody. The 16-year-old, who has not been identified by authorities, was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight Tuesday night at Nashville International Airport. He was being held at a juvenile detention facility. FBI spokesman George Bolds told The Associated Press the teen had handcuffs, rope and duct tape in his bag, and was believed to be traveling alone. The teen was calm during the flight from Los Angeles and made no apparent attempt to commandeer the plane, Bolds said. He could not comment further on the teen's mental condition because he is a minor. Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit, he said. Juvenile Court Administrator Tim Adgent said a hearing scheduled Friday afternoon would determine whether the teen should remain in custody or "if there other avenues for his release." A message left with the juvenile public defender's office was not immediately returned. The boy is currently facing only state charges. Nashville District Attorney General spokeswoman Susan Niland would not release the nature of the charges because the suspect is a minor. Federal prosecutors were still reviewing the case and had not filed any charges as of Friday morning, said David Boling, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Middle Tennessee. The FBI dismissed broadcast reports Thursday night that the teen was planning to crash the plane into a "Hannah Montana" concert in Lafayette, La. Associated Press Writer Antonio Gonzalez contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Your account has been frozen . For your available options click the below button. To read this article in full you must be registered with the site. Teen arrested over US plane hijack attempt US: A teenage passenger has been arrested in Tennessee for plotting to hijack a plane from Los Angeles to Nashville. The 16-year-old boy from California was removed from Southwest Airlines Flight 284 on Tuesday night and found with "suspicious" items. "His plan had a low probability of success," an FBI agent said. New Zealand: Japan's whaling fleet was heading for New Zealand-controlled waters in Antarctica, in breach of an agreement to remain in Australian waters, a minister said today. The full article contains 89 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.	Southwest airliner (file photo). A 16-year-old male from Novato, California has been arrested in Tennessee over allegations he intended to hijack a commercial passenger airliner in the United States. The boy, who was unnamed due to his age, was a passenger on board Southwest Airlines Flight 284 from Los Angeles to Nashville on Tuesday, with his parents reporting him missing at 11:30 am the same day. Although he remained calm throughout the flight and made no hijacking attempt, authorities report he had handcuffs, duct tape and yarn inside the aircraft cabin with him. Although his arrest was only made public on Friday, it is reported that he was detained immediately on reaching Nashville International Airport. George Bolds, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that the items were "suspicious" and that the boy had informed the FBI he had indeed intended to hijack the aircraft. An FBI agent told reporters that he felt the plot was ill-conceived, saying "His plan had a low probability of success." The FBI also conducted a search of his home on Thursday, finding in his room "a photograph of the inside of a small aircraft, something you'd find in a bookstore." Subsequent to his arrest he pled guilty on Friday to a "delinquent act," according to local officials. A juvenile court judge ordered him to be returned to California for continued perusal of that charge as well as others set to be made. He is currently in Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville. Authorities believe that the teen was suicidal, but the FBI dismissed earlier reports alleging that he intended to crash the airliner into a Hannah Montana concert in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Joren Van der Sloot, the 22-year-old Dutch native long suspected of killing Natalee Holloway, was charged today with the murder of Stephany Flores. Now prison officials tell The Daily Beast that he lied about the timing of the crime, that contrary to earlier reports, he wasn't high the night of it — and that he'll be locked in solitary confinement for months to come, "for his own safety." Dutchman tells Peruvian police he knows location of Natalee Holloway's body. Van der Sloot is finally, officially, going down. On Friday, he was formally charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the death of 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores, whom he confessed to killing earlier this week. The Peruvian judge who condemned him to one of Lima's most notorious prisons to await trial added that the murder had been committed with "ferocity and great cruelty." An extraordinary scene unfolded outside Lima's Palace of Justice as Van der Sloot heard the judge's order. Crowds of indignant onlookers flanked the rear entrance of the imposing colonial building as a decoy van marked "AMBULANCE" stopped outside the door. Van der Sloot, clearly identifiable by his height and close-cropped haircut, was the last of 11 suspects police manhandled into the entrance. Onlookers shouted "murderer!" and threw rotten vegetables at him from behind police lining the gap between the van and the door. After van der Sloot was loaded back into the van to be transported to Lima's Miguel Castro Castro prison, Police General Cesar Guardia told The Daily Beast that most of what the accused murderer had confessed were blatant lies. "His toxicological report shows no signs that he had ingested any kind of drug," Guardia said, countering van der Sloot's perhaps strategic claim that he was high on marijuana when he killed Flores—in Peru, felony crimes committed under the influence of drugs can be treated with leniency in the courts. Guardia also told The Daily Beast that van der Sloot lied about the timing of the murder. Earlier in the week, he told investigators that he had gone out to buy coffee for himself and Flores, and killed her when he returned to the room after finding the young woman on his computer. In fact, according to Guardia, hotel surveillance cameras show that van der Sloot faked his early-morning coffee run. Instead, he left the room with two empty paper cups and then summoned a member of the hotel staff to open his door, lying that he had forgotten his key. \|\|\|\|\| Peruvian judge orders Joran Van der Sloot held on murder charges A Peruvian judge today ordered Joran van der Sloot held on murder charges in the death of a Lima student, the Associated Press reports. Judge Juan Buendia issued the order before dawn,, instructing penal authorities to place the Dutchman in a penitentiary pending trial for allegedly killing Stephany Flores in Peru. Van der Sloot also remains the lone suspect in the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway. Police in Peru say the 22-year-old Dutchman told them he knows the location of Holloway's body. (Posted by Doug Stanglin) \|\|\|\|\| Weeks after the FBI monitored the payment of $15,000 to Joran van der Sloot by an alleged extortion victim, the Dutch playboy took a seat at a poker table in a Peruvian casino where he would meet the woman whose battered body would later be found in his blood smeared hotel room. U.S. authorities told ABCNews.com that they launched an extortion investigation of van der Sloot six weeks ago, before Stephany Flores Ramirez, 21, was found beaten and stabbed to death last week. Play U.S. investigators said they did not issue a warrant for his arrest until this week because they lacked sufficient evidence. The federal extortion investigation began in late April, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Birmingham said. On May 10, $15,000 was wired to a Netherlands bank by someone in Mountain Brook, Ala., allegedly in exchange for a promise by van der Sloot to provide information about what happened to Natalee Holloway and the whereabouts of her remains. Play Van der Sloot had for five years been the prime suspect in the disappearance on Holloway, a high school student from Mountain Brook who vanished in Aruba on May 30, 2005. Van der Sloot, a Dutch national who lives in Aruba, was arrested Thursday in Chile and was extradited today to Peru to face murder charges in Flores' death. He told authorities he met Flores, but denied killing her. For several weeks van der Sloot had been on the radar of American officials who, in a criminal complaint released Thursday, said he planned to extort $250,000 from the unidentified victim. When asked why van der Sloot was not arrested following the initial alleged payment, authorities told ABC News.com there was not "sufficient evidence to support the charge." A criminal complaint alleging the extortion was, however, filed Thursday, just days after Flores was found dead and van der Sloot had fled to Chile. Authorities said their charges were not the result of the Peru death. "This was completely separate and before the girl was killed in Peru," said Peggy Sanford, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Birmingham. "This investigation had been going on. It was a complete coincidence and tragedy that the other woman was murdered." The complaint does not name the person whom van der Sloot was trying to extort, by providing information about Holloway's death, but Sanford suggested, van der Sloot had initiated contact by approaching the alleged victim. "He extorted, or attempted to extort someone, an individual, in exchange for the location of Natalee Holloway's remains and information about her death. Mr. van der Sloot made efforts to extort someone and get money," said Sanford. U.S. law enforcement, however, may never get to try van der Sloot for the alleged extortion scam. He arrived in Peru today under armed guard. Famed criminal defense lawyer Roy Black told ABC's "Good Morning America" that, "The murder case in Peru takes precedence over" the extortion charges, and that the chances of van der Sloot getting extradited to Alabama "are zero." "He's going to get a very long sentence in Peru," Black said. "By the time he gets out of jail, if he ever does, this would be a footnote in history." The lawyer said, however, that the Holloway disappearance could be used "as evidence of proof in Peru," and the Holloway family may ask a Peru court "for a longer sentence because of Natalee's murder." Joran van der Sloot Gambled With His Alleged Victim "If they have enough proof that he committed the crime in Peru, maybe, just maybe that might help to get him to confess in Natalee's case. It just might crack him," a Holloway family lawyer, Vinda de Souza, told the Associated Press. A spokeswoman for Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty, issued a statement saying she "extends her deepest sympathy" to the Flores family "and prays for swift and sure justice." "What breaks everybody's heart is this guy had something to do with Natalee and could have been stopped five years ago," Natalee Holloway's aunt Marcia Twitty told ABC News.com. Van der Sloot was grabbed while riding in a taxi near the coastal resort city of Vina Del Mar. Police quickly recognized him despite the fact that his hair had been cut short and dyed red. Peru's Interior Minister Octavio Salazar Miranda said, "We're confident this young man will pay for his crimes." New details have emerged about the night that Flores died. Van der Sloot and Flores, who was an avid gambler, were playing poker in a Lima casino late Saturday night and Flores was winning big, police said. Investigators said van der Sloot invited Flores to his room at the Miraflores Hotel Tac to celebrate her winnings. A hotel employee later told police that she heard the couple arguing. Hours later, Flores was dead. ABC News has learned that her body was not discovered for another four days because van der Sloot had prepaid his room for 14 days and instructed the hotel's front desk not to allow anyone into his room, including the cleaning staff. Flores' father, Ricardo Flores, is a well known politician and former race car driver in Peru. He was burying his daughter at the same time that van der Sloot was being arrested in Chile. He said that his daughter's death had driven stake through the family's heart. "It's not just about my daughter," he said. "There's a matter pending in Aruba and we don't know how many more remain unpunished." "I think God used my daughter as an element so that another soul could rest in peace, so that the parents of this girl can rest in peace too, knowing that somewhere in the world justice was made for the killing of their daughter," Flores said. "This man cannot continue to be out in the world killing people. This man needs to pay for his crimes," he said. "Joran was able to laugh at the crime he committed in Aruba," the father said. "But in Peru he will not be able to laugh."	22-year-old Dutch native was charged yesterday with the murder of Peruvian Stephany Flores. Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez, the 21-year-old daughter of a former Peruvian presidential candidate, was found beaten to death in Van der Sloot's hotel room on May 30, 2010. The two appeared to have met only hours before while playing poker at a nearby . Flores was found four days later by an employee of the Hotel Tac in the of Lima. Van der Sloot had previously requested that no hotel staff enter his room. As Flores was being buried by her family, Van der Sloot was arrested in Chile after trying to escape from Peru. Van der Sloot, who lives in Aruba, was extradited to Peru on June 4. At first, he told police there that, while he had met Flores, he had not killed her, but late last week, he confessed to murdering her. Van der Sloot claimed that he only killed Flores after he found her looking through personal files on his computer. Joran van der Sloot is the only suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager during her school trip on . Holloway was last seen on May 30, 2005, exactly five years before Flores' death. Van der Sloot, however, was never charged in connection with the disappearance. Van der Sloot will be held in for the next few months "for his own safety."
'Here we shoot to kill' Marietie Louw-Carstens Polokwane - Seven armed men were shot dead by police in a hail of bullets at a security company's cash depot on Sunday morning, after police received a tip-off about the planned robbery. After the shootout, more than 30 shells lay scattered at the Protea Coin security group's cash depot in an industrial area of Polokwane. The bloodied bodies of four of the armed men lay outside the entrance, while three other bodies lay inside the building. No members of the police or the public were injured in the shootout, and no money was stolen. 'This is a warning' On Sunday the Polokwane police were ordered by Bheki Cele, national chief of police, to refrain from revealing information about the incident. Cele said in an official statement that the police had simply reacted to a distress call. However, Beeld has heard from more than one source that the police had received a tip-off on Saturday night, and a special task force was given the order to "get ready". In the statement Cele says: "Our Saps members have prevailed yet again. They were ready to strike in the early morning hours. "People often forget that it might just as well have been members of the police force who were shot and killed," said Cele. "This is a warning. Anyone who attempts to challenge the police will lose." "With the festive season upon us, we are bound to see more people try their luck. But we are ready ensure that our people are not held to ransom by criminals and violent thugs." A detective believed to have been involved in the shootout, told Beeld at the scene: "The thugs must know this is Limpopo. Here we shoot to kill." The police opened fire on the men with heavy calibre firearms and pistols. Three 9mm pistols were found in the robbers' possession. Angle grinders The seven men struck at the cash depot on Sunday morning at about 00:30. Security cameras and lights at the building's main entrance were shot out. Apparently the men had been wearing gloves and balaclavas, and had angle grinders with them. Some of the building's burglar bars were sawn off, and there was evidence of tampering with the alarm system. The Protea Coin group's Petrus van Niekerk said security guards, who had been hiding in another part of the building, phoned the police when they heard the shots as the men were destroying the cameras. "The police reacted in a flash," said Van Niekerk. People who live across the road from the depot, on the corner of Nikkel and Sapphire streets, said they had hidden under their beds during the shootout. Hardwick Ramogale said: "It sounded like 100 shots." 'It felt like we were in Baghdad' A friend of his said he peeked through a window, "but every time a shot went off, I fell to the floor. It felt like we were in Baghdad." Saps spokespeople and members in Limpopo have been forbidden from talking about the incident. All inquiries were referred to Cele's office. Van Niekerk said they are very grateful that the robbery was foiled, and that no Saps members or security guards were injured. The company has already launched an independent investigation into the incident. Members of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) were at the scene, and are investigating the shootout. - Beeld \|\|\|\|\| Nov 8, 2009 10:27 PM \| By SIPHO MASONDO Current Font Size: Cele's statement follows the police shooting and killing of seven armed robbers, who were trying to plunder a Coin Security depot in Nirvana, Polokwane, early morning. Cele said: "There will be no mercy to criminals who don't mind putting other people's lives in [danger] because of their selfish reasons. We send a stern warning to those who think they can go shopping with money without having to work for it. The police will be out there and will respond." Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi said operational and crime intelligence police received information that a break-in was in progress at a Coin Security cash depot. "The criminals, who were wearing balaclavas, were already inside and had tampered with the alarm when the police arrived. They also had cut a burglar window leading to the main vault. "After realising that they were in trouble, the robbers started firing at the police," Zondi said. When all was done, seven robbers lay dead, Zondi said, adding that Cele had commended the police for their swift response. No police were injured. Zondi said experience had taught the police that during periods leading towards the festive season there is a general spike in criminal activity, including heists, attempted heists, fraud and mall robberies. "They become prevalent during the festive season," he said, adding that, although police are on high alert during this time, their duty was to protect the citizenry all year round. Last month Cape Town police shot dead four robbers who attacked a Coin Security cash van in Kuilsrivier. During August, robbers launched a blitz on shopping malls, hitting among others, the San Ridge shopping centre in Midrand, Gallo Manor shopping centre in Sandton, and the Irene Village Mall near Centurion. \|\|\|\|\| Page not found It appears that you've lost your way either through an outdated link or a typo on the page you were trying to reach. Please feel free to return to the EWN home page or use the search box below to find the information you were looking for.	According to local police, seven armed men were shot to death by South African police early on Sunday at the Protea Coin security group's cash depot in Polokwane. The men reportedly arrived at the cash depot shortly after midnight, and shot out the lights of the building's main entrance and security cameras. They were reportedly dressed in balaclavas and gloves, and the burglar alarms had apparently been tampered with. Petrus van Niekerk, from the Protea Coin group, said that security guards in another part of the building heard shots being fired, presumably as the intruders were blasting out the lights and security camera. "The police reacted in a flash," he noted. "The criminals, who were wearing balaclavas, were already inside and had tampered with the alarm when the police arrived. They also had cut a burglar window leading to the main vault. After realising that they were in trouble, the robbers started firing at the police," said police spokesman Musa Zondi. Police returned fire, killing all of the intruders, according to Zondi. He added that none of the police officers or any passerby were injured, and no money from the cash depot was stolen. Three firearms and burglar's tools were later recovered. Werner Vermaak, a spokesman for the ER24 ambulance company, said that paramedics, after arriving at the depot, had proclaimed all of the intruders dead at the scene, from gunshot wounds. “Seven people have been fatally wounded and no one else was injured in this incident,” he said, as quoted by Eyewitness News. In an official statement, national chief of police Bheki Cele said that security officials had responded to a distress call. "Our SAPS South African Police Service members have prevailed yet again. They were ready to strike in the early morning hours. People often forget that it might just as well have been members of the police force who were shot and killed," said he. "This is a warning. Anyone who attempts to challenge the police will lose." "With the festive season upon us, we are bound to see more people trying their luck. But we are ready ensure that our people are not held to ransom by criminals and violent thugs," the police chief continued. He praised the police for what he called their "swift and efficient action". The Beeld newspaper, however, said that they received information that the police might have received a tip-off the night before the incident, in which a special task force was told to "get ready".
By Liz Seward The teeth have gorilla-like characteristics, say researchers The 10 million-year-old fossils belong to an animal that has been named Chororapithecus abyssinicus by an Ethiopian-Japanese team. This new species could be a direct ancestor of living African great apes, say the researchers. The finds from the Afar rift, in eastern Ethiopia, raise questions on current theories of human evolution. The researchers say the fossils from Ethiopia probably belonged to an ape from the gorilla family. Evolutionary divide Based on genetic evidence, gorillas and humans were thought to have split away from a common ancestor about eight million years ago. The 10-million-year age of the fossils led the research team to suggest that the split must have happened earlier than 10.5 million years ago. If correct, molecular and DNA studies will need to be revisited. The fossils were found at a site in eastern Ethiopia's Afar rift They carried out cutting-edge 3D analysis of the molar tooth's structure and found that both gorillas and the new species had a unique specialisation for eating fibrous foodstuffs such as stems and leaves. "It's a subtle distinction, but we've compared it with everything we could think of," said Dr Suwa from the University of Tokyo and a member of the research team. "And it does show some telling signs of gorilla-like molar structure. If it's not a gorilla relative, then it's something very similar to what an early gorilla must have looked like." Vegetarian tastes Gorillas are unique among modern and fossil large-bodied apes in having molars that are specialised for shredding fibrous vegetation. The reason for this is that large-bodied gorillas depend on stems and leaves as an important part of their diet. Not everyone agrees with the team's conclusions, however. Professor Peter Andrews, from London's Natural History Museum, commented: "It is stretching the evidence to base a time scale for the evolution of the great apes on this new fossil." Professor Andrews believes the structures found on the teeth could be related to the diet of the animal. He added: "These structures appear on at least three independent lineages of apes, including gorillas, and they could relate to a dietary shift rather than indicating a new genetic trait." Fossil record What is not in doubt is that the find itself is impressive. "The ancestry of humans is increasingly well known, but the fossil evidence for the evolution of our closest living relatives, the great apes, is almost non-existent," Professor Andrews explained. "It is really exciting therefore to find a fossil ape from this time period - about 10 million years ago - since there is only one other fossil ape known from this time, the more complete Samburupithecus." The find also supports data that suggests Africa was the origin of both humans and modern African apes. The teeth were discovered in a region that is about 170km (110 miles) east of Addis Ababa. In an area of the Oromiya National Regional State, there are exposed patches of sediments that are 10 to 11 million years old, putting them in the Miocene Epoch. Hence, they are known as Miocene Chorora Formation. The name of the ape is taken from the geological formation Chorora and the former name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia. \|\|\|\|\| New Fossil Ape May Shake Human Family Tree Editor's note: The original headline for this story—"New Fossil Ape May Shatter Human Evolution Theory"—has been changed to more clearly reflect the implications of the discovery. Fossil teeth found in Ethiopia might represent a previously unknown species of great ape that lived in Africa ten million years ago, paleontologists report. The find not only fills an important gap in the fossil record, the Japanese and Ethiopian team says, but could also demolish a working theory of human evolution. The teeth—eight molars and a canine—come from Ethiopia's fossil-rich Afar region, a valley made famous by the 1974 discovery of the early human ancestor known as Lucy. (What was Lucy?) For years scientists have been unable to find fossils of direct ancestors of modern great apes in Africa dating back to between 8 million and 14 million years ago. But the fossil record of great apes—including gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos—is abundant in Asia and Europe during this time (see related pictures of an ancient great ape found in Spain). Experts had speculated that the common ancestor of all apes and humans had left Africa and split off into separate species. Among the new species was the ancestor of African apes and humans, which returned to Africa sometime around seven million years ago. Molecular analyses of fossils from Europe and later African species seemed to back up this hypothesis. The recent fossil discovery, however, means that ancient gorilla-like apes lived in Africa as far back as ten million years ago. "Based on this fossil, that means the split is much earlier than has been anticipated by the molecular evidence," said Berhane Asfaw, a study co-author at the Rift Valley Research Service in the Ethiopian capital of Adis Abeba (Addis Ababa). "That means everything has to be put back." Diet Clues	Researchers say that new, ten million-year-old fossils found in Ethiopia, prove that the theory that humans may have evolved from a species of great apes eight million years ago, may not be true, but that humans may have split from apes as long as 10.5 million years ago. At least nine fossilized teeth, one canine tooth and eight molars, of a previously unknown species of apes found in Africa were discovered by a team of researchers from Ethiopia and Japan who then compared the 3-D make up of the teeth to other fossils that date back as far as 8 million years and found that the fossils are likely a "direct ancestor" of apes currently living in Africa and that the new ape fossils were that of a species of gorilla who ate mostly plants high in fiber. Current fossils and research say that the evolutionary split from apes to humans occurred at least eight million years ago. The new fossils say that the split may have happened as long as 10.5 million years ago. "Based on this fossil, that means the split is much earlier than has been anticipated by the molecular evidence. That means everything has to be put back," said researcher at the Rift Valley Research Service in Ethiopia and a co-author of the study, Berhane Asfaw. Despite the finds, other researchers are not convinced that the findings are correct. "It is stretching the evidence to base a time scale for the evolution of the great apes on this new fossil. These structures appear on at least three independent lineages of apes, including gorillas, and they could relate to a dietary shift rather than indicating a new genetic trait," said a Professor at the London Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom, Peter Andrews who also added, "but the fossil evidence for the evolution of our closest living relatives, the great apes, is almost non-existent. Researchers have named the newly discovered species ''Cororapithecus abyssinicus'' whose remains were found in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, the same place where the remains of Lucy were discovered in 1974.
SYDNEY - Thousands of Australians were evacuated from their homes, several people had to be rescued and a couple was feared swept from a causeway as flooding hit northern NSW and Queensland's Gold Coast today. One of the areas worst affected by the heavy rain was the northern NSW town of Lismore, where about 3000 residents were told to evacuate their homes to escape rising floodwaters. Authorities in northern NSW also had to rescue several people trapped by rising water, while several motorists on the Gold Coast called for help after becoming stranded in their cars. Rescuers were today searching for a man and a woman believed to have been swept from a causeway across a creek at Coomera on the Gold Coast. A police spokeswoman said the couple was reported missing about midnight, and two hours later a call was received from a driver saying water was pouring into their car on the causeway, the spokeswoman said. "The mobile then cut out," she said. There was no immediate sign of a let-up in the conditions, with authorities on the Gold Coast warning conditions were worsening and flood warnings issued around major river systems in northern NSW. In Lismore, the Wilson River was expected to peak later today, but residents were evacuated this morning as a precaution, State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman Steve Delaney said. Residents were being sent to an evacuation centre at Southern Cross University, or being told to move to the second storeys of their homes. "The Director General of the State Emergency Service has authorised a full evacuation of the city," Mr Delaney said. He said authorities had revised the number of people evacuated in Lismore to 3000, down from an earlier estimate of 6000. Earlier today, more than 75 elderly residents at a nursing home in Benora, on the Queensland border, were evacuated and about 50 people at a Lismore caravan park were moved to higher ground. Several people also had to be rescued as heavy rain swamped the region, including a 50-year-old man plucked to safety by rescuers in a front-end loader. The storm system brought more than 100mm in 24 hours to areas across the border in NSW, including Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore. Downstream of Lismore, moderate to major flooding was forecast for later today around the Richmond River at Coraki, Bungawalbyn and Woodburn. Minor flooding was also forecast for the Brunswick River at Mullumbimby and Bellinger River through Bellingen. Last night, residents in Yamba and Byron Bay were using sandbags to prevent rain entering their houses as flash flooding hit the towns. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast more rain for NSW today with flash flooding warnings for the Northern Rivers, mid-north coast and the Northern Tablelands. In south-east Queensland, the SES said most suburbs on the Gold Coast were flooded this morning. Gold Coast SES controller Peter Lanell said conditions were worsening. Even SES support crews being called in from Brisbane were becoming stranded in some areas. "My relief crews coming in to back me up are now getting stranded and they can't get through," he told the Nine Network. The SES had this morning received about 500 calls for help after strong winds and falling trees caused widespread damage on the Gold Coast. SES volunteers were manning road blocks to stop motorists from braving the worst of the flooding, and people were being advised to stay inside and not to travel. Jeff Callaghan, a severe weather expert with the Bureau of Meteorology, said the southern end of the Gold Coast had recorded falls of 368mm in the past 24 hours. Brisbane has also been swamped with heavy rain, with bayside suburbs near Manly copping the heaviest of the falls. "And there's more to come," Mr Callaghan said. - AAP \|\|\|\|\| The Australian doesn't play nicely with your current browser. Please take a moment to upgrade to the latest version. \|\|\|\|\| From drought to deluge - wide areas of NSW and Queensland have been swamped by torrential rain that forced thousands from their homes and left two people missing, feared drowned. A young couple was believed swept away on the Gold Coast as up to half a metre of rain turned roads into rivers, stranding motorists and flooding cars and homes. In northern NSW, 3,000 people were told to evacuate their homes as Lismore prayed a new levee would save the town centre from inundation. Elsewhere, record rains forced flights to be cancelled or delayed and prompted flood warnings for major rivers from mid-north NSW to southern Queensland. More rain has been forecast for parts of NSW and Queensland, bringing hope for many parched areas, before clearing. On the Gold Coast, more than 400 millimetres of rain was dumped in around 24 hours, exceeding the amount that fell before devastating floods in 1974. Carrara recorded a massive 590mm over 36 hours. A Counter Disaster and Rescue Services spokeswoman said 67 people were evacuated from their homes, while many apartment basement car parks were flooded. Motorists were trapped in cars, homes were damaged and the major Gold Coast shopping centre Pacific Fair was closed down. Meanwhile, a search is continuing for a man aged 25 and woman, 21, feared swept from a causeway into the Coomera River. The search was launched after a call was received about 2am from a driver saying water was pouring into their car on the causeway, a police spokeswoman said. "The mobile then cut out," she said. People were warned to stay at home as few Gold Coast suburbs escaped the flooding. There were also calls for help from water-damaged homes in Brisbane, Ipswich and Beaudesert. "We haven't seen anything like this since the 1974 floods - there have been landslides and people's phones aren't working," said Gold Coast City Council spokeswoman Daphne McDonald. Flooding shut down the Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta and subsequent flight delays were felt in Sydney too. "The runway is flooded and so are the taxiways - it is too dangerous for any aircraft and we are not allowing any landings," an airport spokeswoman said. Across the border in NSW, the town of Lismore was the worst hit, with more than 500mm of rain falling in parts of the catchment. As the Wilson River that flows through Lismore began rising, the State Emergency Service told 3,000 residents to leave their homes for evacuation centres. Authorities had predicted the river would peak at 10.4 metres, just centimetres below the top of a new, 11-metre-high, $19 million levee built to protect the town centre. But authorities have downgraded their flood warnings and it appeared Lismore would escape the worst of the flooding. "There are no concerns about the levee," said SES spokesman Steve Delaney. Lismore's worst flood was in the 1950s, when the river reached 13 metres. "What we've got at the moment is only a one-in-10-year flood," said SES Director General, Brigadier Philip McNamara. NSW Premier Bob Carr is expected to visit the area to review rescue measures and any damage. Flood warnings were also issued for major rivers in northern NSW, including the Tweed, Richmond, Lower Clarence, Brunswick and Bellinger rivers. At Tweed Heads, authorities said the 382mm of rain that fell in 24 hours was a record. But the weather bureau said the rain was likely to clear along the northern NSW coast. The downpour brought hope to many drought-affected areas, but only time will tell whether it's enough. But in a cruel blow for some, heavy rain washed away some recently planted crops.	6,000 residents of in have been told to evacuate their homes. A couple is missing on the in Queensland. State Emergency Services (SES) workers are currently preparing to evacuate a number of nursing homes in the suburbs of and . The (BOM) have said that South East Queensland has recorded rainfalls of 368mm in the last 24 hours and that the Gold Coast suburb of has been averaging 80mm per hour for at least two hours. The Coolangatta airport was closed due to flooding. Further south the city of Lismore has been inundated. A recently constructed levy has held back the waters of the , protecting the town's central business district.
Associated Press Columbine Evacuated After Bomb Threat Columbine High School, the site of the nation's deadliest school shooting eight years ago, was evacuated Thursday after a bomb threat was called in, authorities said. Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said students were taken to a nearby park while bomb squads and dogs searched the school. School officials called off classes for the rest of the day. Kelley said she believed more than one threat was called in Thursday beginning at 9:30 a.m. She did not know whether the caller made reference to the April 20, 1999, attack by students Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. "Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there," Kelley said. "But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine." Columbine has about 1,850 students, said Marlene Desmond, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Schools. The school is in the Denver suburb of Littleton. It was at least the 10th threat of violence against the school or its students since the 1999 killings and at least the second time a threat has prompted the school to send students home. At least six people, most of them from other states, have been arrested on charges of making telephone or email threats involving the school. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed More On This Topic Subscriptions > \|\|\|\|\| Students were moved to a nearby school where their parents were able to pick them up, a police spokesman said. There were several hundred pupils in the Colorado school at the time. A bomb squad and police dogs searched the building but officials said there was no evidence at this point to support the threat. More than one bomb threat was made by telephone to officials on Thursday morning but it is unclear whether any reference to the 1999 attack was made by the caller. "Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there," said Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley. "But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine." In 1999, two pupils at the school shot dead 12 fellow students and a teacher before killing themselves. \|\|\|\|\| LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Columbine High School in Colorado, scene of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, was evacuated on Thursday after a bomb threat. "All we know at this point is that there is a bomb threat and that the school has been evacuated," a Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman said. Columbine High School students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people at the school on April 20, 1999, before killing themselves. \|\|\|\|\| The school in 1999 The school in 1999 Columbine High Bomb Alert Columbine High School in Colorado, where 15 people died in a mass shooting in 1999, was evacuated following bomb threats. About 1,700 students and teachers fled the site but no bomb was found. Bomb squads conducted several sweeps of the school with bomb-sniffing dogs but found no evidence of explosives. A Jefferson County Sheriff spokesman said he did not know the nature of the threats because the caller did not speak to police. Another spokeswoman, Jacki Kelley, said the school had been evacuated immediately and the 1,700 students had been excused for the day. "I am not in the position to be specific but some of the content (of the call) was disturbing," Ms Kelley said. She said Columbine gets numerous threats but that the school was evacuated because of the nature of the latest calls. Columbine made international headlines in April 20, 1999, when two students shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. \|\|\|\|\| LITTLETON, Colo. Columbine High School was evacuated Thursday after officials received at least one call about a bomb threat, authorities said. Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said students were being taken to a nearby park while bomb squads and dogs searched the school. Eight years ago, Columbine was the site of the nation's deadliest school massacre when two students opened fire on their classmates. School officials said Columbine would be closed for the rest of the day. Kelley said she believed more than one threat was called in Thursday beginning at 9:30 a.m. She did not know whether the caller made reference to the April 20, 1999, attack by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. "Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there," Kelley said. "But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine." Columbine has about 1,850 students, said Marlene Desmond, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Schools. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements The threat was being handled the same as other threats elsewhere, Kelley said. \|\|\|\|\| Your Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update Get the very latest news and health information on the coronavirus pandemic delivered to your inbox daily.	Columbine High School HOPE Library. Reports say that an evacuation has taken place at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado after a bomb threat was phoned into the school. "All we know at this point is that there is a bomb threat and that the school has been evacuated. Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there. But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine," said Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Kelley added that all people evacuated from the school were initially sent to a park near the school, and that more than one threat was made against the school. Columbine High School. Kelley also added that the threats began at about 9:30am local time (4:30 PM UTC). According to Reuters, police have found no evidence of explosives at the scene. However, the bomb squad is still searching and bomb-sniffing dogs are also being used to search the school. According to Marlene Desmond, spokesperson for Jefferson County Schools, there are over 1,850 students at the high school. The entire school was evacuated upon receipt of the bomb threat. In 1999, the school was the scene of a massacre when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, both students at the school, shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. This is the 10th in a series of threats the school faced since then, and is the second time the threats caused the school to evacuate and send students home. In an exclusive interview Jim Shires, Public Information Officer for the Jefferson County Sheriff told ''Wikinews'' that it is unknown if this incident was referenced in the current bomb threat. "We won't know more until we speak with the people who actually took the call," Shires said. He added that the school would be closed for the remainder of the day while the investigation continues. ==Sources== * * * * * *
IndyStar.com Metro & State We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. LOCAL NEWS ALERTS Get breaking local news as it happens from The Indianapolis Star. Enter your phone number below: ( ) - Modify existing alerts 4INFO \| Get this tool Bud Wolf Chevrolet Chat Live with our Internet Sales Manager, Mark Danner, Now! Bud Wolf Chevrolet Offers Great Deals and a Great Buying Experience! Chat Live with our Internet Sales Manager, Mark Danner, Now! Bud Wolf Chevrolet Offers Great Deals and a Great Buying Experience! Tom Wood Ford Tom Wood Ford offers great deals on New and Pre-Owned vehicles in Indianapolis. Call or Stop in Today! Tom Wood Ford offers great deals on New and Pre-Owned vehicles in Indianapolis. Call or Stop in Today! Tom Wood Lexus Lexus Certified Pre-Owned includes 3 Year or 100,000 Total Vehicle Mileage Warranty. Click Here! Lexus Certified Pre-Owned includes 3 Year or 100,000 Total Vehicle Mileage Warranty. Click Here! View all Top Car Deals We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. \|\|\|\|\| POSTED: 1:56 pm EDT August 29, 2007 Health officials in Indiana are reporting two more cases of the West Nile virus. The two new cases bring a total of four that have been reported recently. One case was reported in nearby Randolph County, which is near Winchester. The other three cases were reported in northwest Indiana in Lake County. Copyright 2007 by WHIOTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. There were 60 cases of West Nile virus reported in Indiana last year. Five of those cases resulted in death.	Mosquito biting a human. According to city health officials in Hammond, Indiana, there have been two more cases of West Nile virus reported in humans. West Nile virus.West Nile virus' (WNV) is a virus of the family ''Flaviviridae''; part of the Japanese encephalitis (JE) antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, and domestic rabbits. The main route of human infection is through the bite of an infected mosquito. The two victims are former chief of police, Frank DuPey and a 67-year-old Hammond resident. Currently both patients are hospitalized with acute disease, according to Hammond Health Officer-Administrator Rodrigo Panares.
Credit: AP Photo/Disney, Todd Anderson In the never ending quest to get movie fans to completely re-buy their entire home-video collections, (some of us for the third time), it has been announced that all six live action Star Wars films will at long last be released on Blu-Ray in one massive box set, due for release in the fall of 2011. This news was given to thousands of fans at the "Star Wars Celebration V" convention in Orlando, Florida by George Lucas himself, in rollicking presentation moderated by Jon Stewart. In what was the main event for convention, Stewart asked Lucas questions submitted by the fan community online, and one the most frequently asked questions involved the series' release on the HD format. With a sly smile, Lucas said "I wish I could say it was coming out this year" paused dramatically "But it's not, it's coming out next year" as the crowd went wild. StarWars.com reports that along with all six films with the best possible picture and audio quality, the set will include many special features and bonus footage. Fans were treated to glimpses of the bonus material including a long-thought-lost deleted scene from "Return of the Jedi" in which Luke Skywalker assembles his new green lightsaber prior to venturing to Jabba the Hutt's palace. After finishing the weapon he hides it inside R2-D2 for use later. This scene was completely finished with effects and all before it was cut from the final version, making it a special rarity. Mark Hamill appeared on stage to present the clip. In an interview given to the New York Times, Lucas said that the first three Star Wars FIlms in the set will be the "Special Edition Releases" that were shown theatrically in 1997. He also acknowledged that the wait for this set has been a little long, as they were waiting for the format to take hold. The wait may have made sense, as of now there are almost 19.4 million Blu-Ray players in the United States. George Lucas also surprised Stewart when R2-D2 brought him his own Star Wars action figure. The toy featured two interchangeable heads, one representing a clean shaven, and the other a goateed Stewart, much to the pleasure of the fans. Can't get enough of Motion/Captured? Don't miss a post with daily HitFix Blog Alerts. Sign up now. Don't miss out. Add Motion/Captured to your iGoogle, My Yahoo or My MSN experience by clicking here. Not part of the HitFix Nation yet? Take 90 seconds and sign up today. \|\|\|\|\| MEMBERS ONLINE Currently no members online. You are an anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here Lost password? Get new password User name Password Remember me \|\|\|\|\| "Star Wars Celebratio..." This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Lucasfilm Ltd. Sorry about that. \|\|\|\|\| Lucasfilm Ltd. Though nearly 35 years of “Star Wars” fandom have yielded all kinds of memorabilia inspired by George Lucas’s outer-space epic, including light saber lookalikes and wearable replicas of Princess Leia’s slave costume, one holy grail has lately eluded fans: a video version of the “Star Wars” films that takes the fullest advantage of their top-of-the-line home theater systems. That’s a Death Star-sized void that Lucasfilm plans to fill shortly. On Saturday, the studio is to announce that it will release all six live-action “Star Wars” features on Blu-ray DVD in fall 2011. A boxed set containing the Blu-ray versions of the movies, spanning from 1977’s “Star Wars” through the final 2005 prequel, “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” will mark the first time the films have been offered in a high-definition home format, and will include documentary features and previously unseen footage. Given Mr. Lucas’s exacting standards for film presentations (he founded the THX company) and Lucasfilm’s embrace of digital movie technology (digital projection was used for the theatrical release of all three “Star Wars” prequels, and the last two prequels were shot digitally), many fans expected that high-definition versions of the “Star Wars” features would soon follow. But in a telephone interview, Mr. Lucas said he had been waiting to see if the Blu-ray format would be widely accepted by home viewers. “We’ve been wanting to do it as soon as we possibly could, but we just wanted to do it when enough people would be able to buy it and see it,” Mr. Lucas said on Friday from the Star Wars Celebration V convention in Orlando, Fla. When the original “Star Wars” movies were released on VHS in the early 1980s (along with other short-lived home video formats), Mr. Lucas said sales were slow to take off at first. “We came out with ‘Star Wars’ right at the beginning of VHS,” he said, “and we sold 300,000 copies.” Within a few years, he added, “They were selling 1 million, 2 million, 10 million. So we learned from that experience that if you’re too early in the marketplace, there’s just not enough demand for it.” In the case of Blu-ray, at least the potential for galactic-scale sales exists: a recent report by the media firm DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group said that nearly 2 million Blu-ray players were sold in the first half of 2010, an increase of 103 percent over last year, for a total of 19.4 million such devices in the U.S. Mr. Lucas said the versions of the first three “Star Wars” films – “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” – included in the Blu-ray boxed set will be the special-edition releases that were shown theatrically in 1997 and digitally restored for a 2004 standard-definition DVD boxed set. Perhaps bracing for the reactions of fans who decried some of the changes made to the special-edition films – like, say, an exchange of gunfire between Han Solo and a certain green-skinned bounty hunter – Mr. Lucas said that to release the original versions of these films on Blu-ray was “kind of an oxymoron because the quality of the original is not very good.” “You have to go through and do a whole restoration on it, and you have to do that digitally,” he added. “It’s a very, very expensive process to do it. So when we did the transfer to digital, we only transferred really the upgraded version.” And while some viewers might want the “Star Wars” Blu-ray release in time for this year’s Life Day – that is, the Wookiee holiday that roughly coincides with the start of the holiday shopping season – Mr. Lucas said a 2011 release was the earliest possible date. (The boxed set will be distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; Lucasfilm did not give pricing information or indicate if the films will also be sold individually.) That, he said, was partly due to continuing work on the additional Blu-ray features, and partly to factors beyond his control. “We’ve been working on them for quite a while,” Mr. Lucas said, “but still, there are pipelines. Unfortunately, the recent releases get priority over what we call the classic versions of things.”	Lucas in 2009. After years of rumours personally announced at Convention in Orlando the worldwide release of the Star Wars Saga on in autumn 2011. All six films will be released as a box-set with high video- and audio-quality and containing additional features. Specific details have not been mentioned, but a "deleted scene" was shown at the convention, where Luke Skywalker assembles a . "Blu-ray is the absolute best way to experience Star Wars at home – in pristine high definition,” said George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Saga. “The films have never looked or sounded better." According to '''', George Lucas said that they wanted to wait with the Blu-ray Disc release until market penetration was high enough, because they learned from the 1980s VHS release that an early release on a new home-video system can negatively influence sale figures. ''Wikinews'' learned yesterday that have issued copyright claims to YouTube regarding videos related to the convention and the deleted scene that is now slated for release. As a result, YouTube has removed at least two videos showing this content.
The transport group was awarded the contract to run the East Coast Main Line franchise by the Department for Transport after a bidding war. National Express beat off opposition from Arriva, First Group and a joint venture between Virgin Trains and Stagecoach to win the contract. The group will take over the operation from troubled GNER in December. The new franchise, covering the arterial North-South rail route, will be called National Express East Coast. It links London with Scotland, calling at Peterborough, Leeds, Doncaster, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. The whole deal is very good news, not only for passengers but for the taxpayer Transport Minister Tom Harris It was put out to tender last year after the US parent firm of British rail firm GNER was struck by financial troubles and could not afford to pay the £1.3bn it had promised the government for the right to run the service. Extra services "The whole deal is very good news, not only for passengers but for the taxpayer," said Transport Minister Tom Harris, speaking to the BBC. Under the terms of the deal, National Express has agreed to pay the Treasury £1.4bn to operate the franchise until the end of March 2015. The group, which also operates the Gatwick and Stansted Express and the inter-city services between Yorkshire, the east Midlands and London through Midland Mainline, has also pledged to invest in extra services, stations and on-board services. National Express said it would inject £7.4m to upgrade stations, including the creation of 2,000 extra car park spaces, over the course of the seven-and-a-half years. It also said that from December 2010, the number of weekday trains could rise from 136 to 161 and a new London-to-Lincoln service would also be added. The company will spend £400,000 in reducing energy use at stations and train depots. GNER had joined forces with Virgin Trains and Stagecoach in their joint bid for the contract, in the hope it would retain a stake. GNER's chief executive Jonathan Metcalfe said: "Naturally, we are disappointed that our joint bid was unsuccessful, but we now have to look to the future and work with the successful bidder to create an even bigger and better railway. "The needs of our passengers will always come first." \|\|\|\|\| National Express awarded contract for growth on InterCity East Coast Stock Market statement For immediate release: 0700hrs 14th August 2007 The Department for Transport today announced that NXEC Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of National Express Group, has been awarded the contract to operate services on the InterCity East Coast rail franchise. The franchise comprises of services connecting London with Scotland via Peterborough and the north of England. It will start on 09 December 2007 until 31st March 2015, with the last 17 months conditional on set performance levels being reached. £1.4bn (NPV) will be paid over the life of the franchise in premium as a contribution to DfT’s rail budget. The contract will deliver: The current (May 2007) timetable, which includes Leeds half-hourly services, until 2010. From December 2010, there is provision for up to 25 extra train services - around 14,000 seats - each weekday. Up to 40 more carriages will be brought into use to deliver increased capacity Included within this, a new London - Lincoln service will operate at 2 hourly intervals. A new London - York service will also operate at 2 hourly intervals and will call at intermediate stations Faster journeys: London - Leeds services in 2 hours, London - York in 1 hour 45 minutes, and more London - Edinburgh trains taking around 4 hours 20 minutes Better performance, so that 9 out of 10 trains run on time. NXEC is committed to reducing its delay minutes by 29% by the end of the franchise Environmental benefits, including a commitment to reduce fuel consumption per passenger kilometre by 28% over the franchise term, designate four ‘green stations’ and £400, 000 invested in reducing energy use at station and depots A simpler website that will highlight the cheapest tickets available and the expected seat availability on each train. Smartcards introduced by 2010 £7.4m to upgrade stations. Up to 2000 more car parking spaces to be provided by the end of the franchise with half of these expected within the first 2 years On board trains, Wi-Fi will be free in Standard Class and full dining services reatined on 87 weekday trains Rail Minister Tom Harris said: "We want to grow and develop our rail network. In our White Paper we set out plans to deliver increased capacity, better performance and improved connections between key towns and cities. Franchise awards are already delivering these benefits. “Passengers travelling on the East Coast Main Line will see similar enhancements. There is provision in this contract for extra services and fewer delays. NXEC will also invest in stations and on-board services.” Overall, regulated and unregulated fares together are likely to rise by RPI + 1.6% each year throughout the course of the franchise. The Government will continue to limit annual rises of regulated fares - which include season tickets and saver fares - in line with national policy, which is currently RPI+1%. As with all franchises, unregulated fares will be the responsibility of the operator. NXEC have indicated that they may wish to raise unregulated fares by an average of 2.1% above inflation each year over the course of the franchise. ENDS Notes to Editors: 1. The Net Present Value of the premium is £1.414bn. The premium profile is: Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Year ending 31st March Notes 31-Mar-08 31-Mar-09 31-Mar-10 31-Mar-11 31-Mar-12 31-Mar-13 31-Mar-14 31-Mar-15 All the figures are in £'000 (brackets represent subsidy) Franchise payments (from FA) 1 (6,742) 84,756 133,162 178,687 228,569 300,599 346,157 394,722 1,659,909 Nominal franchise payments 2 (6,742) 86,858 140,053 192,986 253,574 342,239 403,761 471,762 1,884,490 PV of nominal franchise payments 3 (6,706) 82,660 125,392 162,552 200,937 255,137 283,177 311,276 1,414,423 Note: 1 Franchise Payments are taken directly from the Franchise Agreement and represent the sum of the fixed, RPI and AEI related payment elements in 2007/08 prices. 2 Nominal Franchise Payments are determined by applying DfT's forecast of RPI and AEI to the Franchise Payments in the Franchise Agreement. 3 The Present Value (PV) of Nominal Franchise Payments are calculated using HM Treasury's real discount rate (3.5%) adjusted for inflation. 2. Revenue Share/Support: Revenue Share - If actual revenue out-turns between 102% and 106% of target revenue, then 50% of the excess between 102% and 106% will be shared with DfT. If it out-turns above 106%, then 80% of the further excess will be shared with DfT. Revenue Support - If actual revenue out-turns between 98% and 94% of target revenue, then DfT will provide support equivalent to 50% of the shortfall between 98% and 94%. If it out-turns below 94%, then DfT will provide support equivalent to 80% of the further shortfall. Revenue support arrangements only apply after the first four years of the franchise. 3. Timetable - NXEC has worked closely with Network Rail during the preparation of their bid, and will continue to work with Network Rail and the Office of the Rail Regulator to put in place extra services from December 2010, based on the conclusions of Network Rail’s East Coast Route Utilisation Strategy. The new timetable could provide: An increase in the number of weekday trains from 136 to 161, including five trains in each off-peak hour from King's Cross - two to Leeds, two to Newcastle (with half of those trains extended to Edinburgh, and some to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, as happens today), and a fifth train running in alternate hours to Lincoln and to York; An additional 14,411 seats each weekday over and above the current timetable A new two hourly direct service between London and Lincoln and a new two hourly London to York service, calling at intermediate stations, giving good connectivity whilst enabling trains between London and Leeds, York, Newcastle and Scotland can be accelerated. 4. Trains - Existing Inter-City East Coast rolling stock will be retained, with HST powercars re-engined to reduce fuel consumption. Additional services will be operated on rolling stock previously used on the West Coast Main Line DfT is in the process of procuring the next generation of intercity trains (the Inter-City Express Programme) to be introduced across the network from 2014. A pre-series batch of the new trains will be introduced on the East Coast Main Line from 2012 before production of the full fleet begins 5. Stations – NXEC will continue to manage 12 stations across the franchise, and will invest in improvements to lighting, toilet facilities, better signing, lounge and waiting facilities, seats, cycle facilities and cleaning, painting and decorating. Stations that will receive improvements include: Newcastle, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Durham, Dunbar, Darlington, Wakefield, Peterborough and York. 6. Environmental: NXEC will also: appoint an Environmental Manager with specific responsibility for coordinating environmental activity within the franchise conduct an annual environmental audit trial the installation of an electricity consumption meter to enable energy efficiency of trains to be monitored reduce waste disposal, water consumption and hazardous waste levels throughout the course of the franchise 7. Car Parking - NXEC will seek to increase car parking capacity by up to 33% over the life of the franchise with an additional 2000 spaces; half of these are dependent on a development scheme at Peterborough, but other stations for which capacity is planned include Retford, Dunbar, Newcastle, Newark Northgate, York and Wakefield Westgate 8. Catering - NXEC will provide a buffet and trolley service throughout First and Standard Class, and an at-seat service to standard class customers enabling them to order hot food which will be delivered to seat. NXEC will provide a full restaurant service on 87 train services Monday to Friday with an improved range of full meals. Currently, a full restaurant service operates on 88 train services Monday - Friday. 9. Performance - NXEC is committed to achieving 90.1% PPM by January 2010. A 29% reduction in delay minutes attributed to the TOC will be achieved by the end of the franchise 10. Delay/Repay compensation arrangements - As with recent franchise awards, a single compensation policy for all passengers will be introduced. Discounts on renewal for season tickets valid between one month and one year in compensation for poor punctuality and reliability will be replaced by compensation based on delays to individual journeys, known as Delay/Repay. Under the new system, all passengers will be entitled to claim compensation for all delays, whatever their cause. 50% of the price paid for a single-leg journey delayed by between 30 and 59 minutes; 100% of the price paid for a single-leg journey delayed by between 60 and 119 minutes; and 100% of the price paid for a return journey delayed by more than 119 minutes The changes will also start to standardise disparate compensation arrangements for single, return and weekly season ticket holders on different train operators. 11. Further details from the franchise competition are available on the DfT website http://www.dft.gov.uk Note: 1 Franchise Payments are taken directly from the Franchise Agreement and represent the sum of the fixed, RPI and AEI related payment elements in 2007/08 prices. 2 Nominal Franchise Payments are determined by applying DfT's forecast of RPI and AEI to the Franchise Payments in the Franchise Agreement. 3 The Present Value (PV) of Nominal Franchise Payments are calculated using HM Treasury's real discount rate (3.5%) adjusted for inflation. \|\|\|\|\| National Express has triumphed in the battle to run the main London-to-Scotland rail route after promising to boost capacity, cut delays and lower fuel consumption. The company fought off competition from Arriva, First Group and Virgin Trains to operate the east coast mainline. The contract, which runs from December 9 this year to March 31 2015, was awarded by the Department for Transport this morning. It was put out for tender after GNER, the current operator, admitted it could not afford to run the franchise. National Express's winning bid is worth £1.4bn - £100m more than GNER had previously agreed to pay. Adam Walker, the company's finance director, insisted this morning that National Express could afford to make those payments to the government and still make a profit on the route. He also tried to reassure passengers that fares would not rise sharply, although some fares will rise by up to 18% above the RPI measure of inflation over the life of the contract. "Our policy is to stimulate demand on the rail network. If you raise fares substantially you'll still sell tickets in the short term, but that's not the right way to run the business in the long term," Mr Walker said. National Express plans to raise unregulated fares, such as off-peak tickets, by an average of 2.1% more than the rate of inflation each year. Regulated fares, such as commuters' season tickets, will rise by an average of 1% above inflation each year. It will spend £24m on new rolling stock, letting it run an extra 25 services a day from December 2010. It has also promised to cut delays by 29% by the end of the franchise. Mr Walker said National Express would appoint an environmental officer for the route to help it hit a target of cutting fuel consumption per passenger kilometre by 28%. It has promised refunds for any customers who book a seat only to find they have to stand throughout the journey. It will also offer free wireless internet access to all passengers - currently only first class passengers are not charged for Wi-Fi. Shares in National Express rose by 17p to £11.65 following the announcement, an increase of almost 1.5%, but later fell back 2p to £11.45. They gained more than 8% yesterday amid speculation that the company would win the franchise. National Express had previously failed to win the Cross Country, London-Midland and east Midlands rail franchises, which were all awarded earlier this year.	National Express Group logo NXEC Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of National Express Group, has been awarded the contract to run the InterCity East Coast franchise and operate intercity rail services on the East Coast Main Line, a high-speed route connecting London with the north-east of England and Scotland. The company, which is to brand the service as ''National Express East Coast'', will take over the franchise from the current operator Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) from December 9, 2007. GNER's contract was initially due to run until 2015 but was terminated early by the Department for Transport after its parent company, Sea Containers Ltd, found itself in financial difficulties which meant it was unable to pay the £1.3 billion it had promised in its bid to run the service. A number of other bids were made for the franchise. These were from Arriva, FirstGroup, and a partnership of Stagecoach, Virgin, and GNER. Richard Bowker, chief executive of National Express Group, said, "We are absolutely delighted that we have won the UK’s premier intercity railway. We have won with a bid which is ambitious, deliverable and structured to generate shareholder value."
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Google Inc.'s online video service YouTube agreed to remove more than 100,000 video clips following demands by Viacom after the two companies failed to reach a distribution agreement. Viacom (Charts) said it sent a notice to YouTube on Friday morning, asking the popular video-sharing site to remove clips from Viacom-owned properties, including MTV Networks and BET. Video More video Google earned $1 billion last quarter but didn't give any specifics about YouTube's revenue when it reported results. (February 1) Play video The media company controlled by Sumner Redstone said its pirated programs on YouTube have generated about 1.2 billion video streams, based on a study from an outside consultant. "Filtering tools promised repeatedly by YouTube and Google (Charts) have not been put in place, and they continue to host and stream vast amounts of unauthorized video," Viacom said in a statement. YouTube said in a statement they would comply with Viacom's request, noting they take copyright issues very seriously. "It's unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom's shows," a YouTube spokesperson said. "We will continue to work with content partners large and small to provide them with a platform to promote their content and engage and grow their audiences." Viacom is taking a hard stance against the Internet's most popular video service, which is renowned for its quirky, viewer-contributed video clips as much as for being a repository for unauthorized television shows. "This is a negotiating tactic," UBS analyst Ben Schachter said. "We think a deal gets done... The terms have major implications for the value of content online." Viacom's move also runs counter to the strategies employed by other media companies, such as the Warner Music Group (Charts), Vivendi-owned Universal Music Group, and General Electric (Charts) controlled NBC Universal, which have all landed deals with YouTube to test the service. CBS Corp., (Charts) which spun off from Viacom, also has a deal with YouTube. In fact, CBS held a contest, in which YouTube users submitted videos they created. The winners will have their videos aired on CBS television. Hours after Viacom made its announcement, CBS said it would show the first winning video on Sunday. Universal Music, most notably, threatened to sue YouTube last year but reached a partnership with them. Its deal included taking a small stake in the company, according to several published reports. Even as some media companies have decided to experiment with YouTube, other companies including News Corp. (Charts), NBC and Viacom have held discussions to create its own online video business, sources have said. Viacom last October had requested YouTube take down some of its video clips, including those from hit shows from cable network Comedy Central, whose on-air talent joked about the site's popularity during the shows. But thousands of clips remained on the service. "YouTube and Google retain all of the revenue generated from this practice, without extending fair compensation to the people who have expended all of the effort and cost to create it," said Viacom. Viacom added, "The recent addition of YouTube-served content to Google Video Search simply compounds this issue." It was not immediately clear what percentage of YouTube's estimated 100 million views per day Viacom clips represent. Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt told analysts on Wednesday YouTube was in "various stages" of introducing technology, such a digital "fingerprinting," to identify copyrighted material. "That is an area of big research in the computer science community and also a significant investment here at Google," Schmidt said after Google's quarterly results. CBS looks for a 'Super' lift \|\|\|\|\| James Crosby, former chief executive of HBOS, resigns as deputy chairman of the Financial Services Authority after a claim that he ignored a warning that his bank was growing too fast.	Viacom Inc. Yesterday, YouTube was told by Viacom Inc. to remove over 100,000 video clips thought to possibly feature content produced by Viacom owned companies after the two failed to reach an agreement for revenue sharing. Viacom said its content posted without permission on YouTube generate about 1.2 billion video streams, based on a study from an outside consultant. Viacom owns popular American companies such as MTV, Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Nickelodeon. Many users on YouTube upload copyrighted videos without permission everyday, sometimes unknowingly. "YouTube and Google retain all of the revenue generated from this practice, without extending fair compensation to the people who have expended all of the effort and cost to create it," said Viacom in a statement. "It's unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom's shows," a YouTube spokesperson said. "We will continue to work with content partners large and small to provide them with a platform to promote their content and engage and grow their audiences." Companies such as CBS have reached deals with YouTube over using their content.
NEW YORK, July 20 (Reuters) - A New Jersey resident found what was described to her as a "missile launcher" in her Jersey City front yard on Friday, but police said the 20-year-old weapon was no longer a hazard to public safety. The weapon was found close to Newark Liberty International Airport's flight path. Indian-born Niranjana Desai, 66, said she found the 3 foot (90 cm) long weapon as she was leaving for work and immediately called police. "I was shocked," she said. "I was afraid because of what people want to do to this country." She has lived in the United States for about 25 years, she said. Desai said police told her the weapon at her home, 5 miles (8 kilometres) west of Manhattan, was a "missile launcher." Jersey City police said in a statement the object was a 20-year-old "military training device" that was "no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety." "The device ... has been turned over to United States Army officials at Fort Monmouth," the statement said. Authorities said they were working with Army officials to track the training device to determine how it came to be in Desai's front yard. \|\|\|\|\| You need the latest Flash player to view WCBSTV.com: Your Source For New York News, Weather, Sports & Traffic video content. Click here to download. Advertisement A Jersey City woman found an AT-4 missile launcher, similar to the one seen here being used by a U.S. Marine, on her front lawn. (AP photo) Niranjana Besai found a missile launcher lying in the grass by her front porch in Jersey City. Her house sits along a flight path to Newark Liberty International Airport. \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK Federal investigators are examining what appears to be an inoperative military rocket launcher tube found Friday morning on the front lawn of a Jersey City home that sits directly in the flight path of busy Newark Liberty International Airport. Jersey City Police removed the tube, and the incident is now being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The New York office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told FOX News that it appeared to be a military firing tube, and that there was no evidence of any explosive device discovered at the scene. The Associated Press reported that the tube was an inoperable military training device, and that it was given to Army officials at Fort Monmouth . Police said the device was believed to be about 20 years old, and that it posed no hazard. It may have been used for anti-tank training, police told the AP. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements \|\|\|\|\| Fast Facts Sources told WCBS it's the kind of missile launcher that could take down an aircraft. (CBS) A Jersey City woman made a shocking discovery on her lawn Friday morning when she noticed a military rocket launcher lying in the grass, reports CBS Station WCBS. Niranjana Besai was leaving her house to go to work at just after 8 a.m. when she saw the launcher on her front lawn. She immediately called police. Besai's neighbor, Joe Quinn, saw her pointing at the equipment from her front porch. When he walked over to the six-foot-long weapon, he was just as shocked. "It looked like a bazooka," he told WCBS. Quinn told WCBS News investigative reporter Scott Weinberger he originally thought the launcher was just a pipe, but after noticing it had a picture of a soldier on it, he realized it looked similar to a missile launcher he'd seen on television. Jersey City police removed the launcher. The incident is now being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI. Jersey City police could not confirm whether it was actually operable. Sources told WCBS it's the kind of missile launcher that could take down an aircraft. The area where the launcher was discovered is in or very near a flight path for Newark Liberty International Airport. © MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. \|\|\|\|\| ROCKET LAUNCHER FOUND IN N.J. ABLE TO TAKE DOWN PLANES, IN AIRPORT'S PATH Post Staff Report July 20, 2007 -- An inoperable military rocket launcher was discovered in a Jersey City woman's front yard this morning -- directly in the path of the Newark Airport, WCBS reported. Niranjana Besai saw the war-time weapon in her yard as she was leaving for work. "I read it and it [said] 'missile,'" Besai told CBS 2. "There was little 'missile' [writing] on it." She called police, who removed the launcher. Besai's house is located along the flight path for Newark Liberty International Airport. The incident is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI, the news station reported. Officials told the Star Ledger that the rocket launcher was inoperable. The FBI told the paper that the launcher came from an AT-4 anti-tank weapon, which is used to destroy or disable armored vehicles. \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK Federal investigators are examining what appears to be an inoperative military rocket launcher tube found Friday morning on the front lawn of a Jersey City home that sits directly in the flight path of busy Newark Liberty International Airport. Jersey City Police removed the tube, and the incident is now being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The New York office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told FOX News that it appeared to be a military firing tube, and that there was no evidence of any explosive device discovered at the scene. The Associated Press reported that the tube was an inoperable military training device, and that it was given to Army officials at Fort Monmouth . Police said the device was believed to be about 20 years old, and that it posed no hazard. It may have been used for anti-tank training, police told the AP. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements	Map showing location of Jersey City. Police in Jersey City, New Jersey in the United States say that they have found a 20 year old rocket launcher tube, capable of shooting down planes, on the front yard of a home that is reported to be directly in the path of Newark Liberty International Airport. Police say that the weapon was not in operating condition. Firing an AT-4 produces a large back blast, a significant problem when operating the weapon in urban environments. "I was shocked. I read it and it and there was the word missile on it. There was little 'missile' writing on it. I was afraid because of what people want to do to this country," said Niranjana Besai who was born in India and has lived in the U.S. for 25 years who discovered the weapon at about 8:00 a.m EDT (UTC-4) when she was leaving the house to go to work. According to ''Modern Firearms'', the weapon can only be used once, saying it "is a disposable, single shot, recoilless weapon" and can hit a target with a range of "up to 150 meters to use against moving targets, and about 300 meters against stationary targets." The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirms that the weapon is of military issue and has been identified as a model AT-4, primarily used as an anti-tank weapon. It is manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden. No explosive devices have been located at the scene. The ''Associated Press'' says that the weapon was made to be used during training missions and anti-tank artillery. The U.S. Army at Fort Monmouth in Oceanport, New Jersey is now in possession of the weapon. "The device has been turned over to United States Army officials at Fort Monmouth," said Jersey City police in a statement to the press which also confirmed the weapon was a U.S. military issued launcher and was "no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety." It is not known how the weapon ended up in Besai's yard. The Joint Terrorism Task Force and FBI have confiscated the weapon, before turning it over to the army, and they are investigating the incident.
May 5: First Lady Laura Bush, the administration’s most vocal opponent of the junta in Myanmar, offered the U.S. response to the cyclone that has killed more than 10,000 in Myanmar. NBC's John Yang reports. MSNBC News Services YANGON, Myanmar - A powerful cyclone killed more than 350 people and destroyed thousands of homes, state-run media said Sunday. Some dissident groups worried that the military junta running Myanmar would be reluctant to ask for international help. Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit at a delicate time for the junta, less than a week ahead of a crucial referendum on a new constitution. Should the junta be seen as failing disaster victims, voters who already blame the regime for ruining the economy and squashing democracy could take out their frustrations at the ballot box. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Some in Yangon complained the 400,000-strong military was doing little to help victims after Saturday's storm. "Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?" said a trishaw driver who refused to be identified for fear of retribution. "They should come out in full force and help clean up the areas and restore electricity." Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. Its government has been widely criticized for human rights abuses and suppression of pro-democracy parties such as the one led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for almost 12 of the past 18 years. Last September, at least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the military cracked down on protests led by Buddhist monks and democracy advocates. The Forum for Democracy in Burma and other dissident groups outside of Myanmar urged the military junta Sunday to allow aid groups to operate freely in the wake of the cyclone — something it has been reluctant to do in the past. It would be difficult for other countries to help unless they received a request from Myanmar's military rulers. "International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently required. The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone," said Naing Aung, secretary general of the Thailand-based forum. Storm leaves ‘utter war zone’ At least five regions of the impoverished Southeast Asian country have been declared disaster zones. Of the 351 people killed, at least 162 lived on Haing Gyi island off the country's southwest coast, state-run television said. Many of the others died in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta. "The Irrawaddy delta was hit extremely hard not only because of the wind and rain but because of the storm surge," said Chris Kaye, the U.N.'s acting humanitarian coordinator in Yangon. "The villages there have reportedly been completely flattened." State television reported that in the Irrawaddy's Labutta township, 75 percent of the buildings had collapsed. “Utter war zone,” one Yangon-based diplomat said in an email to Reuters in Bangkok. “Trees across all streets. Utility poles down. Hospitals devastated. Clean water scarce.” Many roofs were ripped off even sturdy buildings, suggesting damage would be severe in the shanty towns that sit on the outskirts of the sprawling river-delta city of 5 million people. “I have never seen anything like it,” one retired government worker told Reuters. “It reminded me of when Hurricane Katrina hit the United States.” No water, power in Yangon Although the sun was shining by Sunday morning, the former capital was without power and water. An Electricity Board official said it was impossible to know when services -- hit-and-miss at the best of times in one of Asia’s poorest countries -- would be restored. “It is very hard to say when we can resume supply. We still have to clear the mess,” the official, who did not want to be named, said. United Nations disaster experts said it would be days before the extent of the damage was known in a country ruled since 1962 by secretive and ruthless military regimes. The U.N. planned to send teams Monday to assess the damage, Kaye said. Initial assessment efforts have been hampered by roads clogged with debris and downed phone lines, he said. "At the moment, we have such poor opportunity for communications that I can't really tell you very much," Kaye said. Bunkered down in Naypyidaw, a new capital 240 miles to the north of Yangon, the ruling generals will almost certainly have avoided the worst of the storm. “There does not seem to be a high number of casualties but for sure there is a lot of damage to property and infrastructure,” Therje Skavdal, regional head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), said. “It’s early and it will take a few days before we get an overview of the damage,” he told Reuters in Bangkok. Another United Nations official said a formal offer of assistance had been made although the junta was yet to respond. \|\|\|\|\| Image of AFP/Getty Images Thousands were killed when cyclone Nargis tore through Burma AFP/Getty Images People walk down a flooded street in Burma's largest city Yangon AFP/Getty Images Cyclone Nargis uprooted trees and downed power lines in Yangon State media reported that 19 people died in the former capital Rangoon, 109 in Haing Gyi island, and 222 in the Irrawaddy Delta region, where the 120mph storm came ashore. A state of emergency has been declared in five regions and the death toll is expected to rise further. Reports said that 70 per cent of homes were destroyed in two towns on the delta, a densely populated and low lying coastal area which produces much of the impoverished country’s rice. On Haing Gyi island, just off the coast, 92,000 people are reported to be homeless. Meteorologists had predicted that cyclone Nargis would produce a 12-foot storm surge when it came ashore. Electricity and telephone services have been completely knocked out, roads are blocked and Rangoon airport is closed, largely cutting the country off from the outside world just days before a referendum on a contentious new constitution written by the junta. There was speculation that, with infrastructure crippled and the population struggling to provide for their basic needs, the vote may have to be postponed. A diplomat in Rangoon, a dilapidated city of five million people, described the scene in an email to Reuters. “Utter war zone,” he wrote. “Trees across all streets. Utility poles down. Hospitals devastated. Clean water scarce.” A United Nations official in the city added: “It’s a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation.” In Rangoon harbour four ships reportedly sank. The Information Ministry said the prime minister and other officials were heading to Rangoon from the regime’s isolated capital, Naypidaw, to lead the relief operation. But there was criticism of the government’s response. “Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?” asked a Rangoon resident, who refused to be identified. “They should come out in full force and help clean up the areas and restore electricity.” The disaster comes at a particularly sensitive time in Burma, as the regime prepares to push its unpopular new constitution through a referendum on Saturday. Analysts say the supposedly democratic constitution will leave most power in the hands of the army. Nevertheless, the generals’ decision to risk a popular vote at all is seen as a sign of weakness following last year’s anti-regime protests led by Buddhist monks. One of the principal causes of those protests was a dramatic increase in fuel prices. The damage caused by the storm to property, infrastructure and especially crops could have political ramifications if food prices rise dramatically.	351 people have been reported dead after a cyclone hit Burma, which is also known as Myanmar. As a result it has been declared by the Burmese government that five states are currently disaster areas. A photograph of the cyclone A diplomat in the area spoke to the ''Reuters'' news agency, giving them a description of the scene. He said that the area around him looked like a 'war zone' as a result of the cyclone. An official from the United Nations also commented on the situation. "It’s a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation,” he said. Another UN representative also spoke on the incident. He reported that "The Irrawaddy delta was hit extremely hard not only because of the wind and rain but because of the storm surge." ''The Daily Telegraph '', a UK newspaper, reported that the food price in Burma could be affected by this incident.
A volcanic eruption has just begun under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. This has been verified by local authorities in neighbouring Hvolsvöllur. Vísir reports that farms in the Fljótshlíð area and by Markarhlíð are already being evacuated. Locals in the area have confirmed that they are viewing flames and a steady stream of lava from the glacier.Eyjafjallajökull is an active central volcano. There is reportedly no recorded history of catastrophic eruptions in the area. The volcano last erupted 189 years ago and apparently caused a lot of ash fall in the area. Although speculation on the subject is pretty much useless (especially since your loving team of Grapevine reporters isn't really comprised of geologists or anything, although we scored pretty well in the subject in high school), folks are saying that besides the ash fall the greatest danger lies in glacier bursts or runs stemming from all that hot hot heat melting the glacier. There might be a bunch of water flooding the area pretty soon.ANYWAY, this is all moot speculation. What we know at the moment is that a volcanic eruption is indeed occurring under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, and that lava is really, really hot.More on this as it develops. Hey, we might even be able to get you some pictures. Stay tuned.(The photo is of Hekla, a volcano that last erupted in 1999.) \|\|\|\|\| Flights delays because of volcanic eruption in Iceland. Flights that where delayed last night have now confirmed deaparting time. Estimated departure times are following. Please note that times are local Icelandic and in brackets (local time in Boston): FI680 fer 18:30 (14:30) Estimated arrival time 23:30 FI630 fer 16:30 (12:30) Estimated arrival time 21:10 FI688 fer 18:30 (14:30) Estimated arrival time 23:30 Passengers that had onward flights to Europe have been rebooked to their destination with other airlines. Estimated arrival times for flights that left for Europe at noon are correct on the flight information pages on www. icelandair.is Estimated departure times tonight are: Original scheduled departure times are in brackets FI212 (14:15) 20:40 FI631 (17:00) 20:45 FI615 (17:00) 19:35 FI454 (16:30) 19:35 FI324 (16:55) 21:10 Please review further here Flight Status Information. \|\|\|\|\| The eruption lit up the night sky just after midnight on Sunday Several hundred people have been evacuated from their homes, as a volcano erupted in southern Iceland. The volcano near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier began to erupt shortly after midnight, leading to road closures in the area. No one was in immediate danger, but 500 people were being moved from the area, a civil protection officer said. It is almost 200 years since a volcano near Eyjafjallajoekull, 120km (75 miles) east of Reykjavik, last erupted. "We estimate that no one is in danger in the area but we have started an evacuation plan and between 500 and 600 people are being evacuated," Sigurgeir Gudmundsson of the Icelandic civil protections department told the Agence France-Presse news agency. There are fears that the volcano could cause flooding, as it causes ice to melt on the glacier above it. "Ash has already begun to fall in Fljotshlid and people in the surrounding area have reported seeing bright lights emanating from the glacier," RUV public radio said on its website. "It was a bit scary, but still amazing to see," Katrin Moller Eiriksdottir, who lives in Fljotshlid, told the BBC News website. "The ash had started falling and we couldn't leave the car. They have now closed the road but we'll see what happens in the morning." Three Icelandair flights, bound for Reykjavik from the United States, have been ordered to return to their points of origin, RUV radio reported. The last volcanic eruption in the area occurred in 1821. Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the eruption? Send your comments using the post form below. A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box 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 \|\|\|\|\| Eyjafjöll, located immediately west of Katla volcano, consists of an E-W-trending, elongated ice-covered basaltic-andesite stratovolcano with a 2.5-km-wide summit caldera. Fissure-fed lava flows occur on both the eastern and western flanks of the volcano, but are more prominent on the western side. Although the 1666-m-high volcano has erupted during historical time, it has been less active than other volcanoes of Iceland's eastern volcanic zone, and relatively few Holocene lava flows are known. The sole historical eruption of Eyjafjöll, during December 1821 to January 1823, produced intermediate-to-silicic tephra from the central caldera. \|\|\|\|\| Restoring the Flugstodir website is underway. Lets begin with some raw material, a LOT of photographs of aviation history of Iceland. They are quite disorganized and lacking descriptive text, but that will improve over time. The website was in the past, used by Isavia, the official controller of airports and aviation in Iceland. Here’s an Icelandair flight I took from Billund Denmark to Iceland. A 757. The view from back seats in the aircraft. A lovely diagram of all the routes of IcelandAir. I was in Billund airport for a few hours, before flying to Copenhagen, then Keflavik airport in Iceland. As you can see, the Billund terminal is not large. I actually missed a connection from Billund to Keflavik. IcelandAir is apparently famous for being on-time, meaning, they do not wait for delayed passengers. Here’s more pictures of the Billund terminal, taken from the taxiway. So over to Copenhagen we flew, and stayed the night. Here’s Copenhagen airport. We stayed at the Hilton hotel attached to the airport, and from the hotel, there is this view of Terminal 3. And viewed from a greater distance, you can appreciate the shape of terminal 3 is like a paper airplane shape. Airport architecture is the modern world’s best place to show off curves and flight motifs. This YouTube video of IcelandAir’s Boeing 757 is really great. There’s a fun holiday story about how I ended up going through Iceland on my way home. I was in Berlin visiting the Berlin Aviation Museum (Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow) and on the way home, the Amsterdam airport was completely fogged in, and all flights cancelled. There was a crush of people in Berlin who needed to be rebooked. The agent found a connection: Berlin Tegel airport to Billund, Billund to Keflavik, Keflavik to Edmonton. We were happy at first, actually happy anyway, even after we missed the connection, but the people in Billund were unhappy with KLM who sent people to a small airport with no hope of succeeding in a connection. I was happy because I got to visit Iceland and learn a lot about it’s aviation history during the flight, and in the airport. \|\|\|\|\| Evacuation in response to the volcanic eruption in Eyjarfjall Glacier has begun. The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management confirms that a volcanic eruption in the Eyjafjallajökull glacier has begun. The presence of volcanic ash has been confirmed in the area of Fljótshlið. The Civil Protection, in response to the eruption, has declared a local emergency and initiated the emergency response plan. The National Emergency coordination centre in Skógarhlið, Reykjavik, has been activated and is operational. Response teams have been dispatched to the area and the situation is being closely monitored. The Local Emergency operations centre has been established in Hella and the evacuation of the area around Fljótshlid has begun. People in the area should follow these instructions. People in the area of Fljótshlið and the areas to the west of the Markarfljóts should evacuate to Hvolsvöllur and Hella. Farms to the west to Ásólfsskáli should evacuate to Heimaland. The farms of Ásólfsskáli, Skálakot and Moldnúpur should evacuate to Varmahlíð. Þorvaldseyri and all farms to the east of Hrútafell should evacuate to Drangshlið. People east of Skógará should evacuate to Vík. Three Red Cross mass care centres have been opened in the villages of Hella, Hvolsvöllur and Vík. Red Cross volunteers are ready to receive people. The Red Cross helpline, 1717, is open and able to provide information about the eruption to members of the public.	A volcanic eruption started yesterday in south Iceland at or near the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The first signs of the eruption were seen between 23:00 and midnight GMT. It is still not clear where the exact location of the eruption is but it appears to be on Fimmvörðuháls. Eyjafjallajökull glacier People living in the area are being evacuated. Police have closed the roads into the area and a state of emergency has been declared. The eruption is expected to result in flooding if it is under the glacier, but fortunately it appears to between Eyjafjallajökull and another glacier, Mýrdalsjökull, reducing the danger of flooding. It is reported that the eruption can be seen as far away as from Vestmannaeyjar. So far the lava flow is viscous and thick. There is also a danger that this eruption could trigger another eruption on nearby Mt. Katla, which is an off-rift volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull. In the past, eruptions at Eyjafjallajökull have triggered eruptions at Mt. Katla. If Katla does erupt, the effect would be far more significant than that of the current eruption, as lava could melt the ice at the top of the mountain, causing the potential for massive flooding. The air carrier Icelandair has diverted flights which were destined for Iceland as a precaution, due to the risks to aircraft of flying into volcanic ash. A notice to airlines prohibits flights within 120 nautical miles of the volcano. Iceland is a volcanic island situated atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the juncture of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
DUBLIN, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Irish government is in talks to inject 4 billion euros ($5.14 billion) each into Bank of Ireland BKIR.I and Allied Irish Banks ALBK.I and to create a state-backed insurance scheme to underwrite some of their bad debts, a source familiar with discussions said on Monday. The source said the plan would be unveiled later this week as talks are still ongoing. “There is a small bit of tinkering yet to be done,” said the source, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the talks. “AIB are reluctant to take on that amount but the government feel that they (should) do.” ($1=.7783 Euro) (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter) \|\|\|\|\| Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland in €8bn bail-out by Gill Montia Story link: Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland in €8bn bail-out The Irish Government is proposing to invest up to €4 billion each in Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland. The need for the recapitalisation of the Republic’s two leading banks has been pressing for some weeks and following discussions over the weekend, both banks will now receive injections of cash plus guarantees to cover potential losses on bad debts arising from constructions projects and land deals. For their part, the banks are expected to raise a further €1 billion from shareholders in rights issues that will be underwritten by the Government. Full details of the scheme have yet to emerge but the extent of the rescue will be considerably more than the €2 billion government take-up of preference shares set out in an earlier recapitalisation proposal. Meanwhile, Anglo Irish Bank, the Republic’s third-largest bank, is in the process of being nationalised after shares in the lender plummeted recently, on the news that its chairman, Sean Fitzpatrick, had temporarily transferred loans of €87 million with Anglo Irish to another bank, before the group’s financial year end. \|\|\|\|\| THE GOVERNMENT is to invest as much as €4 billion each in AIB and Bank of Ireland as part of a bank recapitalisation plan to be agreed this week. Discussions took place over the weekend between the two banks and the Department of Finance in relation to a deal, which will include both an enhanced injection of funds and an insurance scheme whereby the State will underwrite the banks against potential losses on bad property debts. Details of the recapitalisation plan are on track to be finalised tomorrow, when a Cabinet meeting is scheduled to meet to approve the outcome of national pay negotiations, although the announcement on the bank plan may be delayed until Wednesday or later. The new State investment in AIB and Bank of Ireland is likely to be in the order of €7-8 billion, which is a significantly higher sum than the €2 billion investment by way of preference shares announced in the original recapitalisation plan in December. Under that plan the banks were told to raise a further €1 billion in additional ordinary equity from shareholders, which was to be underwritten by the Government. However, investors’ unwillingness to provide capital made it impossible to raise money from the markets. It is understood the Government now wants to inject more than €3 billion into each bank in order to avoid a situation whereby the emergence of bad debts in the future would require a further injection of State equity. Most of the investment is expected to be by way of preference shares, but an element of straight equity investment has not been ruled out. The insurance scheme will cover outstanding loans on development land on part-completed projects. The banks will write off a portion of the bad debts on these speculative property loans, with the State insuring the balance. Figures reported in the Sunday Timessuggested that this would see the State taking on €24 billion worth of risk relating to the loans. Such a scheme could act as an alternative to the touted “bad bank”, which would see bad debts move off the banks’ balance sheets and into a separate entity. Any deal agreed by the Government will have to take care not to damage Ireland’s national debt rating. Ratings agencies Moody’s and Standard Poor’s have recently threatened to downgrade Ireland’s debt rating, placing the State’s “AAA” rating on a negative outlook. The pressure on public finances will be laid bare again this week as the Government publishes exchequer returns for January. They are likely to show lower tax receipts and higher welfare spending. The two banks’ share prices fell sharply in trading a fortnight ago amid fears that they would be nationalised. A rally in prices since then was undermined by weak trading at the end of last week. Equity market movements this week will be strongly influenced by two key interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England scheduled for Thursday. The Bank of England is expected to cut rates to historic lows, but the ECB may put off such a move until March.	The government of Ireland plans to inject €4 billion each into the Bank of Ireland and the Allied Irish Bank. An insurance scheme to underwrite bad debts would also be created and the banks will attempt to raise €1 billion from shareholders. The two banks have been in need of recapitalization for several weeks. The government had previously offered €2 billion. The deal will see the government take on up to €24 billion of risk from speculative property loans by the banks. The government has already moved to nationalize the country's third largest bank, Anglo Irish.
The last time Keith Jones saw him, Eddie Griffin was smiling, upbeat and chatty. They met by chance last spring, at a Houston restaurant, and it seemed to Jones, a Rockets vice president, that Griffin the troubled former Rockets forward was optimistic. “He looked really bright-eyed,” Jones said. Rudy Tomjanovich recalls a similar encounter, in a much different environment. It was about four years ago, and Tomjanovich, the former Rockets coach, was visiting Griffin at a Houston rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse. “He was just all smiles,” Tomjanovich said. To those who cared about him, Griffin was the sort of troubled soul who always seemed to be on the cusp of turning his life around, if only he could stay on the right path. For reasons that are not yet known, the 25-year-old Griffin drove his sport utility vehicle into the side of a moving train early last Friday morning. According to the Houston police, Griffin ignored a warning signal and drove through the railroad arm. Fire consumed the vehicle and Griffin died at the scene. Investigators needed dental records to identify the body. \|\|\|\|\| Home\|Sports\|Timberwolves The talented but troubled forward, released by the Wolves in March, died in Houston, Texas, when he drove his SUV into a moving train. Former Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin was killed last week in a collision between his sport-utility vehicle and a train, the Harris County (Texas) Medical Examiner's office confirmed Tuesday. Griffin, who spent nearly three seasons with the Wolves before he was waived in March, died in the fiery crash on Friday. A Houston police report said that Griffin, 25, drove his vehicle past a railroad crossing barrier and into the moving freight train at about 1:30 a.m. Dental records had to be used to identify him. "The cause of death and manner of death, which also includes toxicology results, is pending," said Beverly Begay, chief investigator for the Harris County Medical Examiner's office. The troubled Griffin was suspended by the NBA on Jan. 12 after he violated the league's substance abuse policy. He did not play again following that five-game benching and was waived by the Wolves on March 13, late in a season in which he played only 13 games and averaged 1.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Griffin, who signed a three-year, $8.1 million contract before the 2005-06 season, played his last game for the Wolves on Dec. 13. He returned to his home in the Houston area, and former Wolves coach Dwane Casey told the Associated Press that Griffin was preparing to play in Europe this season. "He was a great young guy who came to work every day and was fun to be around," said Wolves guard Trenton Hassell, who played with Griffin for each of his three seasons in Minnesota. "It's a sad, sad thing." Wolves forward Mark Madsen said he hoped Griffin would be remembered less for his mistakes than for the gentle, likable side he showed to teammates. "There was so much more to Eddie Griffin than the negative things out there," Madsen said. "There were infinitely more positive things about him as a human being that we saw daily. "He was a lot of fun, very even-tempered, mild-mannered, consistent. This is a very emotional time." Kevin McHale, the Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations, issued an e-mail statement of condolence. "The entire Minnesota Timberwolves organization is deeply saddened by this tragic news," the statement said. "Eddie will be missed by everyone who knew him." The crash ended a life in which flashes of great promise on the court were frequently undone by bad behavior off it. Griffin, a 6-10 power forward, came to the Wolves in October 2004 after alcohol abuse, arrests, suspensions and violations of team rules marred stops in Houston and New Jersey. When he signed a one-year deal with the Wolves as a free agent, the team hoped he would start fresh. He was given a locker next to Kevin Garnett, in the hope that the Wolves star could help Griffin. After averaging 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots in 70 games in 2004-05, Griffin signed a three-year contract extension. The following season, he reverted to his old ways. Griffin crashed his car into a parked vehicle in Minneapolis in March 2006 and entered a nearby convenience store; employees said Griffin told them he was drunk. Griffin pleaded guilty to inattentive driving. The car's owner sued Griffin and the city of Minneapolis. Griffin averaged 4.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 2005-06. The seventh overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, he bolted from Seton Hall to the NBA at age 19 and soon began frustrating coaches, teammates and fans with his erratic behavior. He combined outside shooting ability with strong inside play as a rookie with Houston, but things soon unraveled. Despite his problems, many of Griffin's teammates spoke kindly of him during his time with the Wolves. "Some guys go through a lot of things," Hassell said. "All I could do was pray for him. But I can say I was never disappointed in Eddie." \|\|\|\|\| HOUSTON Former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin died last week when his sport utility vehicle collided with a freight train in a fiery crash in Houston, the Harris County medical examiner's office said Tuesday. Investigators used dental records to identify Griffin, 25, who began his tumultuous pro career with the Houston Rockets in 2001. He was waived by the Timberwolves in March. The five-year veteran and former seventh overall draft pick had battled alcohol problems since coming out of Seton Hall. He was suspended by the NBA for five games in January for violating the anti-drug program. Houston police said in a report that the SUV ignored a railroad warning and went through a barrier before striking the moving train about 1:30 a.m. Friday. The driver's body was badly burned and there was no identification. Griffin had a series of suspensions, court dates and missed practices during his first two years in the NBA with Houston and New Jersey. He spent time in the Betty Ford Center for alcohol treatment in 2003-04. Griffin signed with the Wolves as a free agent before the 2004 season, and showed enough promise as a shot-blocker and rebounder to be signed to an extension.	Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Eddie Griffin died on August 17, 2007, at age 25 due to injuries sustained in a car crash, the Harris County medical examiner's office confirmed on Tuesday. The former Minnesota Timberwolves forward, who was waived in March for violating the League's substance abuse program, ignored a railroad warning, drove his SUV through a barrier, and collided with a moving train at about 1:30 a.m., according to Houston Police. His vehicle caught fire and was soon engulfed in flames. No identification was found and the body was badly burned. For that reason, dental records were used to identify him. Griffin, who played college Basketball at Seton Hall University, played for the Houston Rockets from 2001–2003, and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2004–2007. The five-year veteran had been battling alcoholism since leaving Seton Hall. He is survived by his three-year-old daughter Amaree.
The man, Eric Traylor, who lives in the 2200 block of 13th Street, said he saw the vehicle crash through a gate at W and 13th streets. "Everybody screamed at her, 'Stop! Stop!' " One victim Traylor saw was a woman whose skin had been torn from her body as she was dragged, he said. He also saw an unconscious man bleeding from the head. Relatives spent much of the night in an anxious effort to find family members who had been taken all over the city for treatment. Andre Johnson and three relatives were on Good Hope Road SE watching the festival when the car headed toward them. Demari Robinson, who is 23 months old, was in a stroller, and Johnson swung it out of the way. Johnson was struck, and the boy was scraped. Both were being treated at hospitals late last night, according to Shirl Scales, a family member. She said another relative, a 13-year-old girl, was taken to Georgetown University Hospital, with a possible broken leg. Still another member of the family had not been located, Scales said. Unifest, which was started in 1982 by Union Temple Baptist Church as a small soul-food festival, has grown into a massive celebration that stretches for blocks along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and into side streets. The church pastor, the Rev. Willie Wilson said that one year 300,000 people attended. Staff writers Martin Weil and Robert E. Pierre contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| The woman charged with driving through a crowded Southeast Washington festival this weekend -- injuring dozens -- had been "smoking crack all day long," Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said yesterday, citing witnesses and the woman's statement to police. The driver, whom police identified as 30-year-old Tonya Bell of Oxon Hill, is charged with aggravated assault while armed. She has felony and misdemeanor arrests dating to at least 1995 and has served time in prison for charges involving cocaine. Bell suffered a sprained ankle Saturday night in an episode Mayor Adrian M. Fenty described as "one of the worst serious traffic accidents" in D.C. history. At least 40 people, including seven children, were hurt when Bell drove her station wagon through the crowd. In the midst of the mayhem, parents pushed their children aside and tossed empty strollers in her path, hoping to block her. Police on bicycles and motorbikes didn't dare use their weapons with so many people at risk. Instead, they threw two motorized scooters beneath Bell's vehicle, bringing it to a stop. Bell's expression while driving disturbed witnesses. She appeared to be laughing, they said. The incident brought a terrifying end to what had been a peaceful day of music and merriment in historic Anacostia. It occurred about 7:45 p.m. as Unifest, celebrating its 25th year, wound down for the day. Families walking home with plates of fried fish were suddenly scrambling for their lives. "It was chaos. People were just lying everywhere. There were mangled strollers, kids with broken legs. I saw a woman who was hit so bad, her whole body was twisted," said Linda Greene, who lives at 14th and W streets SE, near the crash site. "One guy was stretched out in the street, and it looked like he wasn't moving at all. You saw people with head injuries just walking the streets, bleeding." Dozens were treated at the scene, including about 35 people who were taken to eight hospitals. Five people were seriously hurt, officials said, although their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. By late yesterday, most of the injured had been released, officials said. "It looks like everyone is going to pull through," Fenty (D) said during a visit to Children's Hospital yesterday, where he met with, among others, a 4-year-old boy whose leg was broken when he was hit by the station wagon. Investigators are trying to determine exactly what happened. How fast was Bell going? There are conflicting accounts about her speed. Where was she headed? Why didn't she stop? Was she high? If so, for how long? Police are seeking answers to those questions as they await toxicology tests results. Bell, who is jailed, is to appear today in D.C. Superior Court. D.C. Council member Marion Barry said his chief of staff is trying to determine whether Bell works as a temporary employee for Barry's council office. Barry (D-Ward 8) said someone named Tonya Bell has worked in the office for several weeks. "Whether it is the same person or not, I am trying to check it out," Barry said last night. "I've asked my chief of staff to try and find out if this Miss Bell is one of several administrative aides we use from temporary agencies."	Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE in Anacostia. A car plowed into a crowded street festival in Washington, DC Saturday night, injuring up to 40 people, including at least two police officers. The scene occurred in the Anacostia region of the city, during Unifest, an annual street festival sponsored by a local church. The car, driven by 30-year-old Tonya Bell, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, had a 7-year-old child in the front seat, and was believed to have been traveling at speeds of up to 70 MPH when the incident occurred. Bell has been charged with aggravated assault while armed for the incident; the child in the vehicle was unharmed. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said the city would "do everything we can to make sure the victims get the best care." Witnesses say the car never stopped, and describe the scene as crazy and chaotic. Event goers, police, and others in the area attempted to stop the car, but say Bell was "doing this purposefully," and she was not going to stop. Fenty commented that one of the bright spots of this incident was that those who were injured are now being stabilized. Before visiting one of the victims of the incident, a 4-year-old, he said "it looks like everyone is going to pull through."
Çok vahim iddia Ne yapmak istiyor?: Hrant Dink cinayetinin azmettiricisi olarak Yasin Hayal (solda) ve O.S. (sağda) tarafından suçlanan Erhan Tuncel (sağ üstte) "Yeni bilgiler vermek istiyorum" deyince dün Tekirdağ'dan İstanbul'a getirtildi. Ancak Tuncel savcılıkta bilgi vermekten vazgeçtiğini söyleyince yeniden Tekirdağ F Tipi Cezaevi'ne gönderildi. FOTOĞRAF: GÜRSEL ESER / AA FOTOĞRAF: ERHAN SEVENLER / AA Polis şefi, McDonald's'ı bombalayan Hayal'in babasına 'O artık daha iyi yaşayacak. Bayrağı yerden Yasin gibiler kaldıracak. Bizim raporumuzla çok ceza almaz' demiş 10/05/2007 (3168 kişi okudu) TİMUR SOYKAN (Arşivi) DEMET BİLGE ERGÜN (Arşivi) İSTANBUL - Hrant Dink cinayetinin azmettiricisi olduğu iddiasıyla tutuklanan Yasin Hayal'in babası Bahattin Hayal'in, tanık sıfatıyla verdiği bir ifadede çarpıcı açıklamalarda bulunduğu ortaya çıktı. Mc Donald's bombalamasının ardından kendisini yanına çağıran Trabzon Emniyet Müdürlüğü'nden üst düzey bir yetkilinin kendisine 'Yasin bundan sonra daha iyi yaşayacak... Biz raporumuzu ona göre düzenleriz, kendisi de kurtulur' dediğini anlattığı öne sürüldü. İddiaya göre, emniyet yetkilisi de bu sözlerinin ardından cep telefonunu baba Hayal'e gösterdi. Telefonun ekranında Büyük Birlik Partisi (BBP) lideri Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu'nun resmi vardı. Dink cinayetiyle ilgili Trabzon Emniyet Müdürlüğü'nün ihmali olduğu yönündeki iddialar idari soruşturma konusu yapılırken, Emniyet'ten üst düzey bir yöneticinin adı vahim bir iddiayla yeniden gündeme geldi. Edinilen bilgilere göre, baba Hayal, Dink cinayetinden sonra savcılığa bilgi verirken, önemli iddialarda bulundu. Buna göre Mc Donald's olayından Trabzon Emniyeti'ne götürülen baba Bahattin Hayal, burada 'Bu eylemi yaptıysa Yasin öldü' dedi. Karşısındaki yetkiliyse 'Hayır Yasin bundan sonra daha iyi yaşayacak' dedi. Şaşıran Hayal, 'Nasıl olur ki?' diye sordu. Yetkiliyse "Kısa süre sonra Yasin inşallah çıkar, az bir ceza alır. Biz de raporlarımızı ona göre düzenleriz, kendisi de kurtulur" dedi. Aynı yetkili daha sonra telefonunu Hayal'e uzattı. Telefonda BBP Genel Başkanı Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu'nun fotoğrafı vardı. Polis müdürü ardından da "İlahi kelimetullah için nizamı âlem" dedi. Bu ifade BBP gibi Türk-İslamcıların sıklıkla kullandığı bir slogandı. Yine iddiaya göre, yetkili cebinden Kuran-ı Kerim çıkarıp, gösterdi 'Biz bununla hareket ediyoruz' diye konuştu. Devamında 'Bu bayrak düştüğü yerden kalkar, Yasin gibiler bu bayrağı yerden kaldıracak' dedi. Ardından da baba Hayal'e oğlunun yerini sordu. Üst düzey polis yetkilisi, baba Hayal'i Emniyet'ten uğurlarken de Yasin kurtulacak' diyerek desteğini sürdürüyordu. Baba Hayal'in bu ifadesi, oğlu Yasin Hayal'in cezaevinden savcılara gönderdiği mektuplarda da destekleniyor. Yasin mektuplarda, Mc Donald's'a bomba olayının ardından cezaevinden çıktıktan sonra üst düzey bir Emniyet yetkilisine nezaket ziyaretleri yaptığını söylüyor. Hayal, bu yetkiliden bir talimat almadığını belirtirken, mektuplarında şöyle diyor: "Bana 'suçlu insanlar gezerken, masum insanları bombaladınız', 'Müslümanız deyip şeriata sövüyorlar' gibi sözler söylüyordu. Hemfikir olduğumuz yönde imaj oluşturmaya çalışıyordu." Yasin Hayal: Bizi cesaretlendirdi İddialara göre Yasin Hayal, avukatına da kendilerini Trabzon emniyetinden bir yetkilinin cesaretlendirdiğini söylemişti. Yasin Hayal, "Bu yetkili Erhan Tuncel'e Türk bayrağının yere düştüğünü, bu bayrağı bizim kaldıracağımızı söyledi" demişti. Erhan Tuncel de cezaevinde savcılara verdiği şifahi beyanda bu iddiayı doğruladı. Yazdır \| Yolla \| Arşive Ekle \|\|\|\|\| ERHAN TUNCEL'İN 'AÇIKLAMALARINI' MİLLİYET ELE GEÇİRDİ Tuncel'le ilgili gizli belgeler imha edildi Lube Ayar 'Yasin, bombayı atarken ben de yoldan izledim' 'Temiz bir Türk gencisin, bundan sonra bize çalış' 'Hayal'i kontrol edemiyorum dedim' 'Defalarca polisi aradım ama telefonu açmadılar' 'Suikastı azmettirmedim engellemeye çalıştım' Agos Gazetesi Genel Yayın Yönetmeni Hrant Dink cinayetini azmettirdiği iddiasıyla hakkında ağırlaştırılmış müebbet hapis cezası istemiyle dava açılan eski polis muhbiri Erhan Tuncel'in, cezaevindeyken iki kez polise yaptığı açıklamalar tutanağa geçirilerek dava dosyasına konuldu.Yanında avukat olmadığı için resmi ifade olarak tanımlanamayan bu görüşmelerin ilki, 9 Emniyet görevlisinin katılımıyla 25 Ocak'ta yapıldı. 10 Şubat'taki ikinci görüşmede ise, Tekirdağ Cumhuriyet Savcısı Erhan Başaran'ın yanında 2 Emniyet amiri vardı.Polis için çalışmaya nasıl başladığını anlatan Tuncel, kendisine 'Mehmet Kurt' takma adının verildiğini ve dönemin Trabzon İstihbarat Şube Müdürü Engin Dinç'le yüz yüze görüştüğünü kaydetti. Hrant Dink'in öldürülme planıyla ilgili olarak 17-18 kez istihbarat elemanlarına bilgi verdiğini savunan Tuncel, ciddiye alınmadığını söyledi. Tuncel, Hayal'ın kendisini O.S. ile tanıştırıp Dink'in fotoğraflarını bulmasını istediğinde haber vermek için defalarca polisleri aradığını, ancak telefonlarına yanıt verilmediğini iddia etti.Dink cinayetiyle ilgili olarak bazı bilgiler vereceğini bildirdiği için dün saat 10.30'da Beşiktaş'taki İstanbul Adliyesi'ne getirilen Erhan Tuncel'in savcılara yeni bir bilgi vermediği ögrenildi. Savcılar Selim Berna Altay ve Fikret Seçen, Tuncel'le yaklaşık 20 dakika görüştü. Tuncel'in soruşturmaya ilişkin ve yeni ve farklı bir bilgi vermediği, ancak yazılı bir dilekçe sunduğu öğrenildi. Tuncel'in ayrıca Savcı Altay'a, "Mahkemede suçsuz olduğumu kanıtlayacağım" dediği öğrenildi. Kilo aldığı gözlenen Tuncel, daha sonra tutuklu bulunduğu Tekirdağ F Tipi Cezaevi'ne gönderildi. n ESRA ALUS İstanbul"Yasin Hayal'le, 2002-2003'te Nizami Alem Ocakları'nda tanıştım. Temmuz 2004'te Yasin Çeçenistan'a gitmek için yola çıktı, ama Bakü'ye kadar gidip geri döndü. 'Cihat, yurtdışında değil, bu ülkede olacak' diyordu. İki silah alıp, önce bir kiliseyi tarayacağını, sonra HSBC'yi kurşunlayıp, oradan McDonalds'a gidip içerideki müşterileri rehin alacağını ve Irak'ın işgalini herkese duyuracağını söyledi. 24 Ekim'de, benim yaptığım bombayı McDonalds'a koydu. O eylemi yaparken, ben de yolun karşısında duruyordum. Bomba patladı, ben ayrıldım. Yasin'in annesi benim adımı verdiği için 3 gün sonra polis beni yakaladı. Gözaltındayken herhangi bir bilgi vermedim ve bir gün sonra serbest kaldım."Üniversiteden hocam Hüseyin Tan beni aradı. Buluştuğumuzda yanında Emre isminde biri vardı. Emre, istihbarat görevlilerinin benimle irtibat kuracağını söyledi. Aynı gün beni arayan şahısla buluştum. İçinde iki kişinin bulunduğu otomobille Akçaabat'a gittik. Bunlar, Trabzon İstihbarat Şube Müdürlüğü'nden 'Ahmet kod' M.Z. ve Ankara'dan gelen bir şahıstı. Bana, 'Çok büyük ceza yatarsın, her şeyden haberimiz var, Yasin Hayal'in yerini söyle' dediler. Ben de tüm detayları anlattım. Yasin'i bulmak için her yere haber bıraktım. 30 Ekim'de Yasin tutuklandı, ifadesinde benden hiç bahsetmediğini öğrendim. Ahmet kod M.Z. ile buluştuğumuzda bana, 'Bundan sonra sen bir devlet görevlisisin. Kontrolümüz altındasın. Aileni araştırdık, temiz bir Türk genci olduğunu tespit ettik. Bundan sonra seni illegal olan hiçbir şeyde görmek istemiyoruz. Her konuda bize haber vereceksin, okulu bitirirsen de bizimle olacaksın. Sürekli kitap okuyacaksın, Yasin Hayal gibi gençlerin olmaması için mücadele edeceksin' dedi. Bana 'Mehmet Kurt' kod ismini verdi.Yasin Hayal, 13 Eylül 2005'te cezaevinden çıktıktan sonra Hrant Dink'i öldüreceğini söylemeye başladı. Bunu, polis M.Z.'ye haber verdim. O dönemde 9 mm bir tabanca alan Yasin, McDonalds saldırısından 6 yıl hapis cezası alınca delirdi. O akşam polislerle görüştüm ve Yasin'i artık kontrol edemediğimi söyledim. Yasin, Hrant Dink'i öldürmeye kesin karar vermişti. '6 yıl yatacağıma, adam gibi bir eylem yaparım 40 yıl yatarım' dedi. Ben bunu da emniyete bildirdim, ancak beni ciddiye almadılar. M.Z.'ye emniyete bilgi verme işini bırakmak istediğimi söyledim. O da, 'Ben sana kefil oldum, öyle kafana göre bırakamazsın' dedi. Ve beni renkli gözlü müdür yardımcısına götürdü. O da, 'Sen bizimlesin. Kendi kafanda kurduğun kurguları Yasin'in üzerine atma, eski dosyalarını çıkartır, gereğini yaparım' dedi. Daha sonra, polis M.Z. Bayburt'a tayin oldu. Yasin, Temmuz 2005'te, Dink'i bulduğu hırsız bir çocuğa vurdurtacağını söyledi. İsteği üzerine Dink'in resmini internetten buldum ve Yonca Market'e bıraktım.Trabzon İstihbarat Şube Müdürü (Engin Dinç) tanışmak için beni çağırdı. 'Çocuklardan haber var mı?' diye sordu. Ben de, Yasin'in, Hrant Dink'i, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz'a öldürteceğini söyledim. Müdür bey personeline, 'Bu çocuğa dikkat edin, bir sene yatar, bir tane iş verir, bu çok önemli' dedi. Bu günden sonra Ö. komiser benimle ilgilenmeye başladı. Fakat Temmuz 2006'da, Ö. komiser askere gitti, İstihbarat Müdürü değişti. Benimle ilgilenmesi için M.'yi görevlendirdiler. Zeynel ortadan kaybolunca, Emniyet'e bildirdim. Ciddi bir şekilde rapor veriyordum ama beni ciddiye almıyorlardı.Yasin, Kasım 2006'da, Pelitlispor'da futbol oynayan O.S. ile tanıştırdı. Yine Hrant'ın resimlerini bulmamı istedi. Haber vermek için defalarca polisleri aradım ama açmadılar. Verdikleri bir numaraya, 'İlişkim kesilmişse bu konuyu bilmek benim hakkım değil mi?' şeklinde mesaj çektim. 'Telefon arızalı, bu arada çok yoğunuz, seni arayacağız' diye cevap geldi. Kurban Bayramı'nın 4. günü, benim evimde Yasin'le tartıştık, basit bir mevzudan beni dövme noktasına geldi. Silahı bulduğunu, mermileri de benim yardımımla bulacağını söyledi. Hacı Salihoğlu'ndan alabileceğini söyledim. Duyduğuma göre de ondan almış.Tuncel, Hrant Dink'in öldürüldüğü 19 Ocak günü yaşananlarla ilgili olarak şöyle dedi: "İnternet kafeden çıkıp kırtasiyeye giderken, K. ve A. isimli istihbarat görevlileri beni arayıp, Dink eyleminin gerçekleştiğini, Yasin Hayal'i bulmamı ve konuyla alakası olup olmadığını öğrenmemi istediler. Kafeye dönüp Ersin Yolcu'ya, Yasin'in ve O.S.'nin nerede olduğunu sordum. O da bana 'Yasin birazdan gelir, O.S. de evde' dedi. Polislere, Yasin'in kafede olduğunu söyledim ama 'Eylemi biz yaptık' dediğini aktarmadım. O.S.'nin ismini daha önce bildirmediğim için, onlara herhangi bir bilgi vermedim. Polisler, gelip Yasin'i kendi gözleriyle gördüler, benim de beyanımı aldılar. 20 Ocak'ta, televizyonda O.S.'yi gördüğümde, olayı gerçekten Yasin'in yaptırdığını anladım. İstihbarattakiler, acil olarak görüşmemiz gerektiğini söyleyip beni şubeye götürdüler.Yasin Hayal, Ahmet İskender, Ersin Yolcu ve Zeynel Abidin Yavuz'un da gözaltına alındığını öğrendim. Onlarla ilgili sorular sordular, bildiğim her şeyi anlattım. Sabah 10.30'da beni bıraktılar. Gece saat 24.00'te Terörle Mücadele (TEM) ekipleri gelip beni yeniden emniyete götürdüler...Hrant Dink cinayetini ben azmettirmedim, aksine engellemeye çalıştım."Erhan Tuncel, sohbet sırasında ev arkadaşı Tuncay Uzundal hakkında ilginç iddialarda bulundu: "Benim emniyetle ilişkimi bilen tek kişi ev arkadaşım Tuncay'dır. Yasin eve gelip gittiği için o da her şeyi biliyordu.Tuncay, polisi hiç sevmiyordu. Kendisi gardiyan çocuğu olduğu için jandarmaya sıcak bakıyordu. Senin yerinde olsam jandarmaya çalışırdım, diyordu. Çok sayıda jandarma arkadaşı vardı, sürekli eve geliyorlardı.Tuncay, Yasin'le benden daha yakındı. Cinayetle ilgili Tuncay'ın benden daha fazla bilgisi var. Ben cinayet için O. S.'nin ne zaman gittiğini sorduğumda Tuncay, 'Perşembe' dedi. Ben de emniyete ihbar edip etmemek konusunda kendisine sordum. O da 'Boş ver, şimdiye kadar ne yardım ettiler' dedi."Dink suikastına ilişkin soruşturma kapsamında, İstihbarat Daire Başkanlığı'nın gönderdiği Erhan Tuncel'le ilgili 48 sayfalık raporun imha edildiği ortaya çıktı. Dava dosyasındaki belgelere göre olay şöyle gelişti:İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı, 29 Ocak'ta İstihbarat Daire Başkanlığı'na bir yazı yazarak bilgi ve belge istedi. Eski Trabzon Emniyet Müdürü ve İstihbarat Daire Başkanı Ramazan Akyürek'in imzasıyla 6 Şubat'ta savcılığa gönderilen dosyada, Tuncel'le ilgili 48 sayfa bilgi içeriyordu.Ancak Akyürek, söz konusu bilgilerin, içerikleri itibariyle hayati önemi haiz olduğunu ve hiçbir şekilde deşifre edilmemesi gerektiğini de belirterek, evrak ekinde yer alan tüm belgelerin incelendikten sonra imha edilmesini istiyordu. İhtiyaç duyulduğu takdirde belgelerin, arşivlerden her zaman temin edilebileceği notu da raporda mevcuttu. Savcılık da, istendiği zaman temin edilebileceği için belgelerin imha edilmesine karar verdi.Tuncel'den sorumlu polis memuru M.Z. ise ifadesinde, Erhan'ı, Yasin'in çevresindeki en akıllı bilgi alabilecek kişi olarak tespit ettiklerini belirterek, "Erhan, bize Yasin'in Dink'i öldürmek istediğini söyledi. Ciddiye alıp etraflıca incelemeye başladık. Yasin'in telefonunu takibe aldık.Söylentilerin ciddi olduğunu anlaşınca, durumu iki kez rapor halinde Daire Başkanlığı'na bildirdik, Erhan aracılığıyla Yasin'i eylemden vazgeçirmeye çalıştım" dedi	Hrant Dink Several Turkish daily newpapers have reported new developments in the case of Hrant Dink, who was the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos. Hirant Dink was gunned down in front of his office on February 19 in Istanbul by Ogün Samast, a 17 year old ultra-nationalist Turk. According to the Turkish daily newspaper Radikal, Bahattin Hayal told to the public prosecutor that following the killing of Hrant Dink and subsequent arrest of Hayal's son Yasin, as the mastermind behind the killing, he was taken to the Trabzon Security Services. Here he was told by a Turkish police chief that " His son (Yasin Hayal) would now live better. We would write our report accordingly. The flag could be taken from the ground by people like Yasin. He would not receive an heavy punishment with our report. God permits he would be given a light sentence." On the hand other, Yasin Hayal forwarded five petitions to the public prosecutors' Selim Berna Altay and Fikret Seçen, in February and March of this year and informed them that he was encouraged to kill Hrant Dink and given directions by Erhan Tuncel, who was a police informant. Hayal also reported that an officer-in-charge who was working at the Trabzon Security Services visited Hayal and Tuncel prior to the killing and told them that "the Turkish flag had fallen to the ground and people like Erhan and Yasin would raise the flag". In his statement to the Prosecutors, Tuncel reported the same incident and also stated that he had informed the authorities about the assassination plan but the authorities failed to take an action to prevent the killing of Hrant Dink. The Turkish Public Prosecutors believe that Erhan Tuncel planned the killing of Hrant Dink together with Yasin Hayal and knowingly misled the authorities. Milliyet, a Turkish daily newspaper reported that Erhan Tuncel in his statement to the Public prosecutors stated that he had informed the authorities 16-17 times prior to the killing. Moreover, Milliyet reported a 48 page report about Erhan Tuncel, prepared by the Security services gone missing.
Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 15 days or until you logout \|\|\|\|\| Green city planned for the desert Enlarge Image Masdar City will cost $22bn (£11.3bn), take eight years to build and be home to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will be mostly powered by solar energy and residents will move in travel pods running on magnetic tracks. Abu Dhabi has one of the world's biggest per capita carbon footprints and sceptics fear Masdar may be just a fig leaf for the oil-rich Gulf emirate. Others fear Masdar City - on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi City - may become a luxury development for the rich. The project is supported by global conservation charity, the WWF. Less power, less water The city will make use of traditional Gulf architecture to create low-energy buildings, with natural air conditioning from wind towers. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant, Masdar says. The city will need a quarter of the power required for a similar sized community, while its water needs will be 60% lower. An artist's impression of a Masdar City transport pod The city forms part of an ambitious plan to develop clean energy technologies. In January, the government of Abu Dhabi announced a $15bn five-year initiative to develop clean energy technologies, calling it "the most ambitious sustainability project ever launched by a government". As part of the plan, Abu Dhabi will become home to the world's largest hydrogen power plant. The money is being channelled through the Masdar Initiative, a company established to develop and commercialise clean energy technologies, and Abu Dhabi hopes it will lead to international joint ventures involving much more money. Abu Dhabi will invest $4bn of equity in the project and borrow some of the rest, Masdar said. "We are creating an array of financial vehicles to finance the $22bn development," Masdar chief executive officer Sultan al-Jaber told Reuters news agency. "We will monetise all carbon emission reductions... Such innovative financing has never been applied to the scale of an entire city." \|\|\|\|\| You’re looking to watch some great Telugu movies online for free? Do you want to take a look at the most popular Tollywood hits? Here is the list of the top 10 best websites to watch Telugu movies for free. There is such a nice mosaic today of much different cinematography and, thanks to the internet, everything is right here. With a little search – you can find anything. You have probably heard of Bollywood, India’s largest movie industry producing movies in such a rapid rate that legendary Hollywood can only envy. But… what about Telugu? If you ended up on this article, you probably know or heard about Telugu – which is a 3rd most widely spoken language in India. Telugu has a movie industry of its own and many hits are made and released in the Telugu language every year. The name of this industry is a derivative of Hollywood and Bollywood and they call it – Tollywood. This article will help you find places in which you can watch Tollywood movies completely free and easy. Of course, some of these websites may not be legal to watch in your country so you should pay attention to. Top 10 Telugu movie sites to watch Telugu free online movies Here is the list of top websites to watch Telugu movies for free – so pay attention! What a magical website this is! This is one of the best websites to watch Telugu movies. They are all hand-picked, with a lot of new hits finding its place in the catalog. You can see the servers are quality and the movie are rarely taken down. The website is perfectly sorted. It looks nice and it is categorized in some awesome ways. You can filter the films by a cast (if you have a favorite actor), by release date, or even composer. Besides Telugu, there are Punjabi and Bengali movies, but also Tamil and Marathi. All in all a great website and here is hoping that it will stay like that for years to come. You should use it as quick as you can and as much as you can, though! Andhra Watch is a Telugu-based website that will not only offer you a chance to watch new and old movies for free but you can download Telugu music in mp3 format, watch some new trailers and read Telugu news in English. This website doesn’t have its own player or server, but instead offers you Telugu movies uploaded on YouTube with perfect quality and mostly with English subtitles alongside it. The movies are sorted nicely and you will immediately see the quality and if there are subs in the headlines. The website will then open an embed YouTube video which is a full-length movie and you may enjoy it like any streaming service. Another free movie streaming website with a big Tollywood section and a nice collection of movies for you to watch. This is an Indian-based place where you will not only find Telugu, but also various Hindi movies and some Hollywood blockbusters too. A good perk about Pycker is that you have movie reviews and comments alongside the movie you want to watch, so you may think again before playing it! Pycker is much more than just a streaming website – it contains some gossip, news, trailers, songs and various other content coming from the world of Indian pop culture, so you may come for Telugu movies, but stay for many other things. MovieRulz has a simple, minimalistic structure of a website but is not shy of Telugu content. You will find over 100 newest Telugu movies here and before you watch them, you will probably see that another couple is being uploaded. This is a good website to watch movies, and you will be satisfied with the offer, but considering Telugu is not the primary niche, you might not be satisfied with the quantity. The quality is top, though. The Cinebay is a place you can sail into as a real pirate and stay for a while. It is completely Telugu-based so you will find various new hits and Tollywood movies that recently came out in amazing quality and ready to be watched. The movies are sorted only by genre and year, so since the database is big and not really well-sorted you may have some trouble if you don’t know exactly what you are searching for. On the other hand, if you are straight-forward, or not a picky type you will enjoy this website. The aesthetics are not the primary point but they are not really pleasing, and the content makes up for the most of it. You will find some interesting new pictures from the sets, red carpets and promotions of Tollywood blockbusters. You can read news, reviews and watch trailers that are only Telugu-related here, which is great. Movies Vala is another great Indian website that has a distinctive sort of Indian movies to show. Here you can also see some Hindi, Bengali or Punjabi movies, Bollywood hits, and Telugu movies too. Telugu section of MoviesVala has millions of visits and movies and is regularly updated with fresh content, new movie releases, etc. The old links that are broken can be reported and are refreshed easily and nicely and you can always find great things here. This website gives you an opportunity to download the movie too. So if you want, you may store it on your hard drive. Smart Talkies is a website that switched its domain from .com to .in but it is still working (albeit a bit slower). You will have a test in patience to open this website sometimes but when you do, the movies buffer quickly. It is a good alternative to the aforementioned websites, but you may have to call it into action sometimes especially if other links fail. Believe it or not, a lot of Telugu movies are free to watch and uploaded on YouTube too. If you know what you’re after, you may find full movies in great quality on YouTube and some even have subtitles of other countries (mainly English). There are some hot YouTube Telugu movie channels you can subscribe to that regularly upload new movies in brilliant quality, such as Telugu Movies (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHI0PxjdAZfVIHr04z-S4nw) that is slowly approaching one million subscribers. If you’re searching hard, you’ll probably find it here. Online Movie Watch has a respectable database of Telugu movies that came to fruition last year. Since the year 2018 many Tollywood movies that were made can be found on this site. The amount of Telugu movies on this website is unusually high and the website (being India-based) has a whole section dedicated only to Telugu. Other than that, you will here find some amazing new Hollywood blockbusters, popular Bollywood movies, etc. This website doesn’t offer as much as the previous mentioned, but you will find some of the greatest hits to see here. There is a category of Telugu movies that you can browse and the movies are of good quality. If you don’t want to watch anything specific, you will find a lot of great, random Telugu movies here. They are usually the most popular ones from the previous 2 years. Related: Conclusion That’s the list. Judging by the popularity of Telugu movies in recent years there is no doubt that in the future even more websites to watch Tollywood movies online will appear Until then, you try and browse the websites from this list, or maybe you have some of your recommendation that you may comment on and leave feedback! We would like to hear if there are more!	wind turbines and monorail-like tracks and 'pods'. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started construction of its so called 'green city' which will be named Masdar City. It is a city which is designed to have no carbon emissions, cars, or waste. It will cost $22 billion (£11 billion) and take eight years to make. It will be able to hold a population of 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will cover 1,483 acres (6.00 km²). The city was designed by Foster and Partners, a British company. “No one has ever built a zero-carbon city before. Nor one producing zero waste or fully powered by renewable energy. Masdar City will accomplish all three,” said Sultan Al Jaber. The city will have a personal electrical power supply mainly from two renewable energy sources: wind turbines and solar panels. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant and air conditioning will be provided naturally from wind towers. It is planned to save more than $2 billion in oil over the next 25 years along with creating more than 70 000 jobs. The immense project will be supported by a company created for it called 'Masdar Initiative', which will develop and commercialise clean energy technologies. It will also be supported by the WWF, a global conservation charity, and it is hoped that international joint ventures will bring in more money. Some people fear that Masdar will become a domain for the luxury development of the rich, because the city is located by Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi International Airport. Dr Al Jaber said, “We are often asked why we are setting our goal so high. Our answer is because someone must... Someone must push the envelope to create the solution that we, as a global community, so urgently require.”
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Flights across much of the UK have been grounded for a second day as volcanic ash from Iceland drifts across Europe, posing a potential threat to aircraft. Air traffic control body Nats said airspace restrictions would be lifted in most of Scotland and Northern Ireland from 1900 BST on Friday. But it extended restrictions on airspace in England and Wales until at least 0700 BST on Saturday. European controllers said some 17,000 flights had been cancelled on Friday. The partial lifting of Scottish restrictions on Friday will also cover Shetland and the Orkneys, and will also mean some North Atlantic traffic will be able to operate, Nats said. A tiny number of services are being permitted elsewhere on Friday as the ash clears, mainly in and out of Northern Ireland, western Scotland and south-west England. The disruption is major and unprecedented in Europe [but] unavoidable given the nature of the current problem Brian Flynn Eurocontrol Live: Volcanic cloud over Europe Volcanic ash reaches ground level Two planes were able to fly in and one left Manchester by lunchtime on Friday. Over the next 24 to 36 hours, prevailing winds will shift slightly to drive the central part of the ash plume further to the north toward Scandinavia, according to BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor. "However, later this weekend, they will return to a northwesterly direction and are more likely to bring the risk of ash back to the UK." Although the winds can be predicted, the crucial factor is how much ash the still-erupting volcano is pumping into the atmosphere. Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded in the UK or abroad, many unable to return home as a result of the flight cancellations. Kerry Stothart, of Maidstone, is stuck in Belgium after being redirected there on their way back from Atlanta. She said: "We are a party of 10 people including four children, one diabetic, one with ADHD and Aspergers, and a blind lady. This is an absolute nightmare. "We've had to pay £1,400 for a coach and ferry to take us back home, and that's not until 9pm." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The Norfolkline ferry service between Dover and Dunkirk said it had limited capacity for passengers both on foot and in cars on some crossings. Experts say the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud could jam aircraft engines, as has happened in previous incidents of planes flying into plumes of volcanic ash. The Health Protection Agency has stressed the ash does not pose a significant risk to public health, and Health Protection Scotland says only a low concentration of particles is expected to reach the ground. It advises that some people with respiratory problems may experience short-term effects, but there should be no serious harm. Nats initially restricted all UK airspace at 1200 BST on Thursday, but allowed some flights into Belfast, Prestwick and Glasgow airports as gaps in the cloud became apparent. Travel alternatives It said that a limited number of flights between Northern Ireland and the western isles of Scotland to and from Glasgow and Prestwick would continue until 1900 on Friday, as would North Atlantic traffic to and from Glasgow, Prestwick and Belfast. Stranded passengers have flooded other modes of travel. Eurostar trains reported a complete sell-out of its services to Brussels and Paris for the second day on Friday. "We are carrying more than 38,000 people today and all our trains are full," a spokeswoman for the company said. "We are telling potential customers without bookings not to come to St Pancras because they will not be able to travel." The Ministry of Defence says 550 military personnel are grounded in Cyprus as a result of the travel restrictions. Rail and ferry services are reporting rises in their passenger numbers, with ferry operators Stena and Fastnet saying there were significant increases in customers on services departing from Wales. Extent of Iceland volcano ash cloud The volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday night sent plumes of ash thousands of feet into the air. The cloud has spread across the UK to Europe. The spread of the ash cloud at 20-30,000ft raised concerns for air safety, forcing at least 12 countries to restrict or halt flights in their airspace. The eruptions from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano continue to pump out ash clouds sporadically, which means the disruption is set to continue. Although the cloud is too high to pose a health risk, people with breathing problems have been advised to take extra care if it falls to ground level. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT European air traffic control organisation Eurocontrol said some 60% of flights have been grounded and more than half of trans-Atlantic flights cancelled. Spokesman Brian Flynn added: "Given the fact that this volcanic ash cloud has been quite stable and moving very slowly since it started 48 hours ago, it is reasonable to assume that there will be significant disruption of European air traffic tomorrow." Restrictions on flights from Scottish airports are likely to be lifted from 1900 BST and also in Northern Ireland. Eurocontrol also say the volcanic ash cloud is extending in some places from the ground up as far as 35,000 feet The airspace of the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania is restricted as completely as in the UK Northern parts of Germany, France and Poland are also fully restricted Ryanair cancels all flights to and from northern Europe until 1300 BST on Monday. It will keep running in southern and central Europe, although flight restrictions are being imposed in Hungary and Romania The Jet2.com airline cancels all its flights on Friday and Saturday, adding additional flights for Sunday and Monday A small number of flights to and from the west are operating from airports at Dublin and Shannon in the Irish Republic and smaller airports in Sweden and Norway Polish officials will take a decision on Friday about delaying the state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash last Saturday Shares in airlines BA, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa were all down in early trading on Friday The Nats extension of restrictions for the UK was the second since Thursday evening. So far an estimated 600,000 passengers have been affected in the UK. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was "closely monitoring the situation" and would be meeting key transport officials. He also said the volcanic ash cloud is expected to cause "significant disruption" to air services for at least the next 48 hours. Although the Prince of Wales was still due to attend the funeral of the president of Poland Lech Kaczynski on Sunday, his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall has had to cancel a visit to a Polish cultural centre in London, Clarence House has said. ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB Eruption site webcam Map of Icelandic Volcanoes: Global Volcanism Program Expert Analysis: Nordic Volcanological Center The duchess was due to sign a condolence book for the late president but the disruption caused by the ash cloud meant she was unable to travel down from Scotland. Mr Flynn told the BBC a lack of wind meant the ash cloud was "progressing very slowly eastwards" and remained "very dense". Ash from the cloud was first detected at ground level on Scotland's Northern Isles on Thursday evening, and early reports from the Shetland islands said that the sky had a light yellow hue on Friday morning. The Eyjafjallajoekull eruption was the second in Iceland in less than a month. Volcanologist Thor Thordarsson said if the volcano maintained its current phase of activity, then the eruption could be over in "a few hours or even a few days" meaning the atmosphere would clear shortly afterwards. But he added: "If the eruption has a phase change and starts to produce lava... then we might be in for a much longer haul, an eruption that might last for months or even years, with a quiet period in between intermittent explosions." Have you been affected by the volcanic ash cloud? Are you stranded because of the airspace restrictions? Are you in Iceland? You can send your experiences using the form below: Send your pictures or videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 if you are in the UKor+44 7725 100 100 if you are abroad. If you have a large file you can upload it here. Read the terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box 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 \|\|\|\|\| Thousands of confused and angry passengers wandered around Britain's becalmed airports today trying in vain to find out how long the disruption caused by the ash cloud might last. Airports across the UK came to a standstill after the air traffic control company Nats decided that the climatic conditions posed a serious threat to aircraft. Heathrow normally hosts around 1,300 flights and 180,000 passengers every day, while Gatwick would expect to handle 679 flights carrying 80,000 passengers. Yesterday, only 168 flights passed through the Sussex airport. At Heathrow, travellers dragged their luggage around the terminals, many of them queuing at customer information desks in a bid to rearrange flights. Lines also formed for payphones and the internet as people attempted to contact relatives and find out more information. Many were angry that all flights had been cancelled, with some saying the Nats decision was an over-reaction. David Lees, 51, a businessman who was due to fly to Shanghai with a colleague, said the trip had been "completely disrupted" by the volcanic eruption. "We couldn't even fly from Manchester this morning so we have already had to shell out £300 for a train," he said. "It's a total nightmare, but what can you do?" There were similar scenes at Gatwick. Johann and Carrie Sikora, from Kent, had been due to fly to Verona at noon, for the wedding of two friends on Friday. She is the bridesmaid, while he is the best friend of the groom. "It's not really sunk in yet, but I'm gutted," said Johann. He was however, phlegmatic about the reason for the disruption: "If we'd missed the flight because of the traffic I'd have been have been disappointed, but this morning when I turned the TV on I couldn't believe my eyes." The couple said they would try to reach Verona by train. Airlines, insurance companies, the Civil Aviation Authority and the EU all reminded passengers of their compensation rights following cancellations. Those who were unable to fly today – and anyone in the same position tomorrow – should be offered either a refund or the option of rebooking on a new flight by their airline. If the flight was part of a package deal, and the alternative flight offered would make a big difference to a holiday, travellers should be entitled to cancel the whole deal and get a refund. However, those who have booked only a flight will not be eligible for a refund from the airline for money lost on accommodation or transport arranged at their destination. Anyone travelling on Friday is advised to check the status of their flights on the internet or contact the airline directly. The upheaval caused by the ash cloud could also have serious implications for the economy. The British Chambers of Commerce said the cancellation of thousands of flights in and out of the UK would not help the country emerge from the global economic downturn. "This is the right action to take," said David Frost, the group's director general. "However, it comes at a difficult time. Business is just recovering from deep recession and we are seeing for the first time in some years an improvement in our exports. Our recovery depends on British business searching out new overseas markets and getting cargo across the globe." Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications for VisitBritain, described the cloud as "a truly unexpected event". She said: "As for economic impact such a short-term measure would tend to balance out with some inbound visitors unable to arrive but others enjoying an extra day of our sunshine and spending in our hotels, restaurants and attractions." Despite the chaos caused by the cloud, a volcanologist stressed that it posed no threat to people's health. "Ash can cause serious health problems but the high altitude of the current plume above the UK means it is air traffic and not humans on the ground that will suffer," said Dr Dougal Jerram of Durham University's department of earth sciences. \|\|\|\|\| Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 30 days or until you logout \|\|\|\|\| by Dhruti Shah BBC News, Hatton Cross Planespotter Ken Davies normally cannot hear the birds near Heathrow The scream of plane engines is a familiar sound to people living under the Heathrow flight path but all is temporarily quiet near the west London airport. This is because flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been suspended as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south. The air traffic control service (Nats) has stopped flights entering and leaving UK airspace until 0700 BST on Friday. 'Birds singing' Planespotter Ken Davies was standing on a grassy knoll near the airport as he watched one of the final planes out of Heathrow take off at around 1215BST. With binoculars in hand, he explained how he tended to come to the same spot every few weeks. He said: "There is very little activity going on. Nothing is moving. I had originally heard the planes were going to stop an hour earlier but the last one took off just a few minutes ago. We normally see one every minute but now it's just quiet. Adesh Farmahan said he was planning to spend the day outdoors "I saw a police helicopter a while ago but other than that, not much at all." He said he had lived in the area for two years and had got used to the noise of the planes but the forced shutdown meant it was now possible to hear birdsong. For airport worker Adesh Farmahan, the unexpected peace and quiet meant he would not have to keep his windows shut. He has lived with his family in Myrtle Avenue for 24 years and much like retired Mr Davies, said he was more-or-less immune to the daily noise Heathrow produced. He said: "It is very quiet though now - normally there is a lot of hubble especially when certain larger planes come. It was worse when we had Concorde planes - they were so loud and our windows and walls used to shake. "But we now have triple glazing and we got used to it." COUNTRIES AFFECTED Airspace closed: UK Republic of Ireland Norway Partial or planned closures: Sweden (total closure by 2000 GMT) Denmark (total by 1600 GMT) Finland (northern airspace closed till 1200 GMT Friday) Belgium (total from 1430 GMT) Netherlands (being shut progressively) "In the summer, we find it more of a problem because we have to open our windows but today I am going to go out and about in the sunshine." But for a group huddled in the nearby offices of a coach company in Hatton Road, the silence came as a bit of a shock. Secretary Barbara Dilello said: "I had heard a little bit about it this morning but I didn't realise all of the planes had been stopped. "Normally we're OK but when we're on the phone, sometimes the customers say they can hear the planes as they're so loud. We've been forced to wear earplugs in the past," she said. One of her colleagues, mechanic Darren Wetherall, said he was looking forward to a bit of "peace and quiet" while working on the coaches outside. For Mina Ghasemi, a mother-of-two from Victoria who visits a friend in the Heathrow area every Thursday, the absence of the plane noise was also a welcome relief. Sitting near the bike racks at Hatton Cross station, she said the west London airport was normally too "busy and crowded with too much going on". There are no ashes, no airplanes, no nothing Maarten Mensink She said: "When I come here every week, it's always so loud with so many planes flying overhead." "I heard about the ash stopping the planes while I was on the Underground and I wasn't sure what would be happening. "But I will suggest to my friend that we spend some time outside today because it is nicer." Not far away on the East Perimeter Road, Dutch travellers Niels Teusink, Wouter van der Veer and Maarten Mensink sat outside a hotel - having booked in for the night after finding out their long-awaited trip to New York would be ending in London because of the cancellations. Mr Teusink said: "We found out we were on the last flight to get out of Amsterdam and although the boarding gate staff told us not to worry about anything, as we were landing the pilot told us we would not be able to continue." Mr van der Veer said there were queues everywhere at Heathrow but the three men were given vouchers by British Airways to pay for a hotel stay and meals. As they sat outside in the sun, Mr Mensink said it was surreal being so close to a busy airport but with "no planes flying overhead at all". He said: "There are no ashes, no airplanes, no nothing." Extent of Iceland volcano ash cloud The volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday night sent plumes of ash thousands of feet into the air. The cloud has spread across the UK to Europe. The spread of the ash cloud at 20-30,000ft raised concerns for air safety, forcing at least 12 countries to restrict or halt flights in their airspace. The eruptions from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano continue to pump out ash clouds sporadically, which means the disruption is set to continue. Although the cloud is too high to pose a health risk, people with breathing problems have been advised to take extra care if it falls to ground level. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| It's not unusual for a grizzly rocker to show up for a show covered in ash -- cigarette ash, that is -- but how about volcanic ash? According to reports from London, all British airports have been shut down today, due to drifting ash burped out by an Icelandic volcano with the fearsome name of Eyjafjallajokull. In addition to interfering with visibility, the ash, pictured above in a photo from NASA, can also clog engines. Air traffic has also been halted over Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, stranding tens of thousands of travelers -- including some musicians due to play Coachella. But don't worry, Gorillaz, PiL, Muse and the Specials are already here. "All the headliners are in the country," Goldenvoice's Paul Tollett said in a brief statement, "and we're in contact with the acts that are having travel issues based on the ash." Though Goldenvoice representatives state they are currently sorting out who's grounded outside the U.S., Pop & Hiss has confirmed that Frightened Rabbit has been affected by the closure, the biggest of its kind since 9/11. \|\|\|\|\| British rockers THE CRIBS have been forced to pull out of California's Coachella music festival this weekend - because all flights out of the U.K. have been grounded due to the ash clouds from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. The Cribs were due to fly to Los Angeles on Thursday (15Apr10) from Britain, but their plane was cancelled at the last minute and they have no way of flying to California before their scheduled slot on Friday. They are now hoping festival organisers will allow them to reschedule their gig and are so desperate to appear at Coachella, they're considering taking a ferry across the English Channel and driving hundreds of miles to Amsterdam, Holland to try and catch a flight from there.[Contact Music] BBC reports that: "Representatives for UK artists such as Muse, Gorillaz [performing with Clash members Mick Jones and Paul Simonon], Florence & The Machine, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Little Boots, all due to play this weekend, have confirmed they're already in the US and unaffected." We also know that Iceland's Jonsi is already here (and somewhat ironically, major airports in Iceland are still open). The Specials got here early too. Frightened Rabbit is stuck in the UK but hasn't canceled yet. Los Campesinos! cancelled their Culture Shock appearance for the same reason. The hazardous conditions and airport closures are expected to continue at least into tomorrow. The Cribs were scheduled to play the fest Friday before She & Him.	File:Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash 17 April 2010.png\|thumb\|right\|Approximate depiction of the estimated ash cloud at 18:00 UTC on 17 April 2010. The current forecasts are updated at London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre site (Met Office, UK). Area in which aviation was endangered by volcanic ash. Situation estimated for April 15, 2010 at 18:00 UTC. Hundreds of thousands of air travelers had their travel plans disrupted in Europe by volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Tens of thousands of air travelers were stranded when all flights into and out of the United Kingdom were grounded, as it became one of the first nations to be affected. The grounding was even more extensive than that following the September 11 attacks of 2001 when only trans-Atlantic flights were canceled. Eurocontrol released a statement saying "...most air traffic in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden is suspended." The grounding is because the volcanic ash drawn into the jet stream is of a particle size which allows it to remain aloft in the atmosphere. Ingestion of this foreign matter, because of its distribution, would lead to flame outs in all aircraft engines. The composition of the ash also means that it would first melt into glass if it were to enter the engine of an aircraft before solidifying again as it cooled. This could lead to damage to the compressors and fan blades, which would make it impossible to restart the engines, even if the aircraft were to exit the cloud. The current contingency is informed by the experience of British Airways Flight 9, which on June 24, 1982 suffered just such complete engine flame outs when it flew through the plume of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia. In that case, the flight crew after many efforts was able to restart the engines, though one failed shortly after, and the aircraft landed without casualties. The UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has stated that "restrictions will remain in place in UK controlled airspace until 1300 (UK time) tomorrow, Friday 16 April, at the earliest," and that "We will review further Met Office information and at 0230 (UK time) tomorrow we will advise the arrangements that will be in place through to 1800 (UK time) tomorrow." The NATS statement concluded "...the situation cannot be said to be improving". In addition to Northern Europe, the ash is drifting south; Berlin and Hamburg airports in Germany are closed, and airports in the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France are described as now being closed or closing. Some flights from Spain and Portugal, together with upwards of 4,000 flights across Northern Europe, have been affected, and the knock-on effect of aircraft and crews out of position could disrupt air travel worldwide for up to 72 hours. One affected group are British musicians booked to play at this weekend's Coachella Festival in California. Amongst those stranded are Frightened Rabbit, Gary Numan, The Cribs and Bad Lieutenant.
Earthquake Summary Earthquake Summary Poster Tectonic Summary The New Britain, Papua New Guinea earthquake of August 4, 2010 (22:01 GMT) occurred as a result of thrust faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Solomon Sea and South Bismarck plates, microplates involved in the accommodation of large-scale convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates in the Woodlark Basin region of the southwest Pacific. At the location of this earthquake, the Solomon Sea plate moves approximately northwards with respect to the South Bismarck plate at a velocity of roughly 120 mm/year, thrusting under the South Bismark plate at the New Britain trench and dipping to the north-northwest. The August 4, 2010 earthquake's location, depth, and focal mechanism are consistent with the earthquake having occurred as thrust faulting associated with subduction along this plate boundary. The subducting Solomon Sea plate is seismically active to depths of about 600 km beneath the island. The New Britain region experiences a high level of earthquake activity, with 16 events of magnitude 7 and larger having been recorded within 3 degrees (336 km) of this event since 1973. The region also has a history of large earthquakes occurring close together in time; of those 16 events, 12 occurred within several days-to-months of another nearby large earthquake. On July 18, 2010 two earthquakes (M6.9 and a M7.3) struck about 25 km to the southwest of the August 4, 2010 earthquake. In November 2000, three earthquakes of M7.8 or larger occurred over a two day period approximately 275 km to the northeast of the August 4, 2010 earthquake. Earthquake Information for Papua New Guinea \|\|\|\|\| The ABC Tok Pisin Service provides trusted news, analysis, features and multimedia content to keep you up-to-date with the stories that matter from Australia and across the Pacfic region. It provides an in-depth understanding of major Australian and Pacific news events, a range of voices and perspectives, as well as an understanding of life in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and other areas across the Pacific.	Shakemap of the earthquake. An earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter scale has been reported as having struck the Pacific island of New Britain, the second island in the Papua and New Guinea group. The quake, which struck at 22:01 UTC yesterday evening, hit at a depth of approximately according to the . According to a member of staff at the Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory, minor effects of the quake were felt there, more than South West of the epicenter. First reports from the area indicate that the Western parts of New Britain have no power or telecommunications. A report posted in the local language, by Radio Australia's language service, gives the general location of the quake as Southeast of Madang, and there are no initial reports of any tsunami warnings, and no reports of damage or casualties at press time.
The town of Speed in Victoria, which has a population of just 45 people, will be known as Speedkills for the month of March after locals decided to help promote safe driving. Each year hundreds of people die in accidents on Australian roads and in 2010 deaths on rural roads increased by about 25 per cent, but successive advertising campaigns by the government urging motorists to slow down have been largely unsuccessful. Speed locals hope that their unique contribution to road safety will make drivers hit the brakes. Phil Down, a local wheat and sheep farmer who is changing his name to Phil Slow Down for the month, said the aim of the name change was to encourage people to keep to the speed limit on country roads. "It's virtually on the road to somewhere else, so we've taken our quirky name and run with it to bring the attention to the campaign of trying to get people to slow down on country roads and especially through small towns," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The idea was the brainchild of the state's Transport Accident Commission (TAC). The commission approached Speed residents with a proposal that if 10,000 Facebook users supported renaming Speed to SpeedKills, the change would go ahead in return for a donation to a local charity. More than 30,000 Facebook users have since given their support to the campaign. Phil Reed, a spokesman for the TAC, said the name change could save lives. "We're trying to get people to stay within the speed limits, obey road safety rules ... realise that when they don't, people die". Speed, which lies 250 miles north of Melbourne, was originally named after a Victorian railway commissioner. \|\|\|\|\| Australian town becomes SpeedKills in safety campaign Speed is becoming SpeedKills and resident Phil Down becomes Phil Slow Down Continue reading the main story Related Stories A small town in the Australian has decided to change it name for a month in a bid to boost road safety. The town of Speed - a blink-and-you'd-miss-it town in the countryside of Victoria - will be known as SpeedKills. Speed-dwellers are hoping it will persuade drivers to slow down on country roads. Speed is hoping to become something of a global, internet sensation with the launch of this novel safety campaign. The idea was the brainchild of the Victoria Transport Accident Commission, which soon won over Speed's 45 residents. Such was their enthusiasm, that they even made a video as part of the campaign. It has already proved a hit on the social networking site, Facebook. The town of Speed has managed a name change with the help of the internet While the campaign is running, one local resident has even agreed to change his own name. Phil Down, a local wheat and sheep farmer, will become Phil Slow Down. It is hoped the idea will catch on around the world. Road safety officials in Victoria have already identified five towns in the United States called Speed which it hopes will support name changes of their own. \|\|\|\|\| Situated in Victoria, 250 miles northwest of Melbourne, Speedkills has a population of just 45 people. Seeking to promote safer driving in their own unique way, locals took action after figures revealed that deaths on rural Australian roads increased by around 25 per cent in 2010. The power of the 'book, eh? With successive government advertising campaigns urging motorists to slow down proving largely unsuccessful, Victoria's Transport Accident Commission approached Speed residents with the Facebook proposal. The organisation said the town would be renamed Speedkills in return for a donation to a local charity if 10,000 users of the social networking site backed the plan. Since the proposal was hatched, more than 30,000 Facebook users have given their support. Local wheat and sheep farmer Phil Down should be singled out for his particular dedication to the cause, mind. He's changing his name for the month too... to Phil Slow Down. More: Sili name must be changed, say villagers	The residents of , a small town in the south-east of Australia, have made the decision to modify the name of the town for one month in an attempt to improve road safety in the country. The name of the town will be adjusted to SpeedKills across next month. The idea was created by the . A campaign was launched on the social networking website Facebook, saying that if 10,000 'liked' the campaign page, the name of the town — which has a population of 45 — would be changed. 'Rename Speed' has now gone on to achieve over 33,000 likes. Previously, had used various advertising campaigns in an attempt to get motorists to reduce speed. However, these campaigns were in large part unsuccessful. In 2010, Australia experienced a 25% increase in deaths on rural roads . TAC spokesperson Phil Reed has stated that, with this new name change campaign, "we're trying to get people to stay within the speed limits, obey road safety rules" and cause motorists to "realise that when they don't, people die". One inhabitant of Speed has also made the decision to change his name during March. Phil Down, who grows wheat and raises sheep, has decided to change his name to Phil Slow Down. Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Down explained: "It's virtually on the road to somewhere else, so we've taken our quirky name and run with it to bring the attention to the campaign of trying to get people to slow down on country roads and especially through small towns".
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AP) -- A steady stream of motorists crossed the new Interstate 35W "smart bridge" as it opened early Thursday, a little more than a year after the old one collapsed into the Mississippi River and killed 13 people. iReporter Robert Stewart shot the traffic starting to flow across the I-35W bridge early Thursday. A vanguard of squad cars, fire trucks, ambulances and maintenance trucks slowly led a parade of cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses across the new bridge in downtown Minneapolis just after 5 a.m., reopening one of the busiest arteries in the Twin Cities. Many drivers honked and a few waved American flags to inaugurate the span. "It was wonderful. What a beautiful bridge. It's terrific," said Donald Brown, of Golden Valley, one of the first to make the crossing. Watch traffic begin to flow across new bridge » Brown, a retired truck driver, said he was the first motorist waiting on the ramp onto northbound I-35W to try the new bridge. He said he used to drive the old bridge 12 times a week and he was glad to have the crossing back. The old bridge fell August 1, 2007, killing more than a dozen people and injuring 145 others. The state put the replacement on the fast track, and contractors had it ready for traffic in just 11 months. "Remarkable," Brown said. "That they did it as fast as they did is unbelievable." The new $234 million bridge contains hundreds of sensors that will collect data. The purpose of the "smart bridge" technology isn't to warn of another impending disaster; it's to detect small problems before they become big ones, said Alan Phipps, design manager for the project with Figg Engineering Group Inc. of Tallahassee, Florida. "What these sensors are for, it's like going to your doctor for your health checkup," Phipps said. "It's to ensure you're maintained in top shape so you never get close to having a serious problem." The bridge was completed on budget and more than three months ahead of the December 24 deadline. That means the contractors should get a bonus close to the contract maximum of $27 million, though the actual amount hasn't been determined. There are also more visible differences between the new bridge and old. The new bridge is concrete instead of steel and is built with redundant systems so that if one part fails it won't collapse. The old bridge, finished in 1967, was called "fracture critical," which meant that a failure of any number of structural elements would bring down the entire bridge. See iReporter's photos of the bridge's debut Within the concrete of the new bridge are embedded 323 sensors that will generate a record of how it handles the stresses and strains of traffic and Minnesota's harsh climate. The data will help engineers maintain the bridge and advance the art of bridge design, Phipps said. The sensors will measure how the bridge handles loads and vibrations and how it expands and contracts as Minnesota alternates between frigid winters and steamy summers. It will also watch for corrosion from road salt. A system of sensors and cameras will feed data on traffic flow -- including speeds, accidents, stalls and other disruptions -- to a management center. Other sensors will activate an anti-icing system when necessary, and security sensors are meant to detect intruders into unauthorized areas, such as the hollow concrete box girders. Watch mayor describe mixed emotions at bridge reopening » The data will feed into computers in a control room near the bridge, Phipps said. From there, engineers at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and researchers at the University of Minnesota can download it for analysis. Catherine French, a civil engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, has worked with the developers of the system and will be among the researchers analyzing the data. The number of sensors on the bridge, and the fact that they were installed from the start, make this project stand out, she said. "It is kind of on the cutting edge," she said. The main value will be the insight the system provides for building future bridges. Engineers will be able to compare the bridge's behavior to models they've developed, she said. The National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled a hearing in November to discuss its investigation into what caused the old bridge to collapse. In January, NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker pointed to a design error in the plates that helped connect the bridge's steel beams as a "critical factor." The NTSB has also focused on the weight of construction materials that were on the bridge for a resurfacing project. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All About Minneapolis • Accidents and Disasters • U.S. National Transportation Safety Board \|\|\|\|\| Home \| Local + Metro \| The I-35W bridge collapse First light paints the 35W bridge on the the opening day with the Minneapolis skyline. Drivers and passengers waved at each other through windows and sunroofs as they cheered and snapped photos with cell phones and digital cameras. Minnesota bridges rated: An interactive map of bridges that are "structurally deficient," "functionally obsolete" or have gusset plates like those on the I-35W bridge. Ten minutes before 4 a.m. Thursday, Richard Kleinschmidt had second thoughts. His alarm clock had just gone off, and as a retiree, the north Minneapolis man didn't really have to get up if he didn't feel like it. But the new Interstate 35W bridge was calling. It was a call heard by hundreds of motorists who came for the predawn opening of the snazzy replacement for the bridge that fell last August. "It was a chance to be part of something," Kleinschmidt said. It really was something. Honking their horns and stirring up a haze of post-construction dust, drivers geared up a few minutes after 5 a.m. Kleinschmidt and some other motorcycle riders he didn't know ended up at the front of the pack at the north end of the bridge. It was a fitting picture. The American flag that he normally attached to his sailboat turned out to fit perfectly into a hole on the sidecar of his customized Suzuki. Ahead of him were large maintenance trucks from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, each with safety bumpers to keep drivers from getting ahead of the ceremony. In front of the trucks, ready to lead the way across the bridge, were vehicles from agencies that sent first responders on Aug. 1, 2007. Authorities didn't let drivers line up for the crossing until about 4:45 a.m. for fear of major backups. "On city streets they've been queuing up all night," said Lt. Mark Peterson of the State Patrol. At the signal, the two processions -- one from the south end of the bridge, one from the north -- started moving. Vehicles coming from the south were the first to make it across the 10-lane bridge, bathed in the bluish glow of its LED overhead lights. Drivers and passengers waved at each other through windows and sunroofs as they cheered and snapped photos with cell phones and digital cameras. The daily commuter "I've been excited for this," said Puneet Vedi, of New Brighton. Not excited enough to get on the road before dawn, but a bit after 8 a.m., he joined the normal rush hour and headed to his job at a small architectural office near the south end of the bridge. Since the bridge collapse, Vedi's daily detour had taken him through the University of Minnesota campus and across the Washington Avenue Bridge. That added 15 minutes to his drive each way. "I've always been fascinated by bridges and roads," Vedi said. He had checked out the bridge from various vantage points. He likes the look of the bridge and the way the open railings offer better views of downtown. The new bridge is significantly wider than the old one, so many drivers spent their first crossings figuring out which lane they needed to be in. "It seems like I've come back to Minneapolis for the first time in many years," he said. Conquered fears Lola Kjenstad said last fall that she didn't want to cross the new bridge. She had made it across the old one just before it collapsed. But after a year of getting up an hour early and spending an extra 20 minutes in the car each way between her home in East Bethel and her job as a legal secretary in downtown Minneapolis, her fears faded. "As the time grows nearer, I've said, 'Oh, for silly. You're a grown woman,'" she said. "And now I'm getting excited. I'm just so glad it's done." As she crossed the bridge Thursday morning, a twinge of superstition and nerves had her biting down on the tip of her index finger until she exited at Washington Avenue. "I ruined my manicure,'' Kjenstad said. "What I didn't anticipate was how low that right railing was going to be. You could see right over it,'' she said. "I just wish it was a little bit higher. It's very disconcerting. I don't want to look at the water." But then she laughed at what she had just said and added, "I know the bridge is safe." Watching the construction of the bridge from 40 floors up in the office tower where she works, Kjenstad was pleased with the span's clean, simple lines. "I'm so happy it's back,'' she said. "It's getting life back to normal." But it may take time getting used to it all.	North end of bridge during opening. The new Interstate 35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States was opened shortly after 5 AM today. It replaces a bridge which collapsed last year, killing 13 people. A fire engine and ambulance were first across on each side. In each direction, a line of State Highway Patrol cars was followed by a formation of Department of Transportation construction trucks. A cluster of awaiting vehicles went honking across for a few minutes, then traffic returned to the sparse levels more typical of the pre-dawn period. The September 18 opening was well ahead of the scheduled December 24 goal, earning the contractor, Flatiron-Manson, up to $19.6 million in performance bonuses. The bridge is 189 feet wide, with a main span length of 504 feet and a deck height of over 100 feet above the Mississippi River. Traffic is expected to return to previous levels of 141,000 vehicles per day on the 10 lanes. The accelerated construction (of only 11 months) was accomplished by pouring 120 concrete sections in heated pole barns, and then lifting them all into place via a crane mounted on a river barge. The bridge contains 323 electronic sensors for real-time monitoring of stresses and movement of the bridge components. It is illuminated with white light-emitting diodes.
1 hour, 14 mins ago Nick Williams scores two tries as Ulster bounce back with 32-0 win Ulster bounced back from two consecutive defeats to get their play-off ambitions back on track. 1 hour, 42 mins ago Connacht hold off Edinburgh fightback to seal five-point win The hosts trailed 14-0 at the break, but closed the gap to just a point in the second half. \|\|\|\|\| The National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) has reported a 2.4% return to end March 2005, and has continued to diversify its investments.. The Fund's value at the end of March was €12,309m. Excluding an Exchequer contribution of €330m the fund increased by €290m during the quarter. The Commission Chairman, Donal Geaney, said the Commission was proceeding with the diversification strategy of the fund's asset classes - announced in February 2005 - with the aim of increasing its return without substantially altering its risk profile. He said the Fund had increased its small cap equity exposure to 3% and had agreed to commit €125m to property investments. He said investment of cash to property funds would take place on a phased basis, as suitable market opportunities were identified. Mr Geaney said first quarter returns were driven by the Fund's European equity investments and that the performance of non European equities was aided by a minor rally in the US dollar. He said that the cash balances of the fund are significant at 10.6% and that 'this reflects the Commission's decision not to invest further moneys in bonds while yields are at or near historical lows'. The NPRF was created to provide partial funding of Ireland's pension costs from 2025.	Ireland's National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) has posted a 2.4% return for the first quarter (9.6% annualized). On March 31, the funds value stood at €12.3bn, a rise of €290m (excluding state contributions) since December 31. Donal Geaney, the fund's chairman, told the press that growth in the past quarter had been driven by the Fund's European equity investments. Mr Geaney, former Élan CEO, has pursued a policy of diversification since February of this year, with the stated aim of placing a larger amount of the funds assets in companies with small market capitalizations and in property funds. The fund was set up by the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act, 2000 to partially meet the expected rise in Irish pension costs from 2025 onwards.
Joel Creasey says Bindi Irwin caught him masturbating Perth was regaled for the first time with the story of how Creasey was caught masturbating in South Africa \|\|\|\|\| Viewed wins Melbourne Cup Andrew Garvey November 4, 2008 Viewed (rail), ridden by Blake Shinn, and Bauer, with Corey Brown in the saddle, drive for the post in today's heart-stopping Cup finish. Viewed paid more than $40 in tote betting. Photo: John Donegan Cups King Bart Cummings created yet more history when outsider Viewed, ridden by Blake Shinn, took out the $5.65 million Melbourne Cup after a photo finish at Flemington this afternoon. Viewed gave Cummings his 12th Melbourne Cup winner after winning his first with Light Fingers in 1965. The win also gave Cummings, who started training in 1953, his 250th group one victory. After racing midfield as the Aiden O'Brien-trained Alessandro Volta set a hot pace, Viewed - a 45-1 roughie on the tote - moved into the race on the turn and took over with 300 metres to travel. The Luca Cumani trained-Bauer emerged from the pack to challenge and looked set to get to him but under hard riding from Shinn, Viewed held on to win by a nose. The John Sadler-trained C'est La Guerre ran on well two lengths further back in third position. The favourite Mad Rush settled back in the field and ran on fairly without ever looking a winning chance. At the presentation, Cummings said it was great to see an Australian horse win the Melbourne Cup as the international raiders again threatened to take home the trophy. "It's great to see the Aussies succeed, not only in racing but in cricket," Cummings said, in reference to his horse edging out English horse Bauer. "But I really thought it would have been a dead heat." Where they finished: 1. Viewed 2. Bauer 3. C'est La Guerre 4. Master O'Reilly 5. Profound Beauty 6. Moatize 7. Mad Rush 8. Nom du Jeu 9. Zipping 10. Newport 11. Ice Chariot 12. Guyno 13. Littorio 14. Varevees 15. Boundless 16. Red Lord 17. Prize Lady 18. Septimus 19. Barbaricus 20. Alessandro Volta 21. Honolulu (last) Gallopin failed to finish - with Scott Spits \|\|\|\|\| Master trainer Bart Cummings has trumped the foreign invasion by the slimmest of margins to claim his 12th Melbourne Cup, with Viewed holding on to win by a nose over the fast-finishing Bauer (2nd) and New Zealand stayer C'est La Guerre (3rd). Bauer's stablemate Mad Rush was pre-race favourite in one of the strongest foreign fields to assemble for Australia's premier race, but it was the "Cups King" Cummings who produced an unlikely winner with Viewed paying a staggering $46.50 for the win and $14 for the place. Bauer paid $6.90 for the place and C'est La Guerre finished off a meaty trifecta at $8.10 for the place. The long odds among the first three made for some wild celebrations within the 100,000-plus crowd at Flemington, with game punters who backed the quinella enjoying a yield of $500.10 and a trifecta that paid $21,080. The foreign invasion promised so much, but it was only the English-trained Bauer that really produced for the international field. The six-year-old from the Luca Cumani stable came home strong with Corey Brown on board, but Viewed and 21-year-old jockey Blake Shinn withstood the challenge and held on for a narrow photo finish. "I'm just speechless," Shinn said. "The tempo of the race helped him because it helped him settle." It was another unlucky outcome for the Cumani stable, who looked to have won in the dying stages of the 2007 Cup with Purple Moon, only to be denied by the fast-finishing Efficient. But there should be little shame among Bauer's connections as it took the master class of Cummings to trump them. Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's trio - Septimus, Honolulu and Alexandra Volta - tried to break the hearts of their rivals by setting a ferocious pace. However, their challenge was over as the field entered the straight. "I thought it was all over until the last 50 yards ... then I wasn't sure," Cummings said in a humorous post-race press conference where he sat alongside Malaysian owner Dato Tan Chin Nam, who Cummings has had an association with that stretches back to the legendary Think Big that won back-to-back Melbourne Cups in 1974 and 1975, and in more recent tmes with Saintly in 1996. Reflecting on their long successful partnership, Cummings described how he first came into contact with Dato Tan Chin Nam. "He was having a drink in my bar in Adelaide many years ago … and we were playing two-up and he won (seven times) in a row and I thought I better stick with this bloke, he is lucky." Victory in the 2008 Melbourne Cup breaks a relatively long drought for the legendary 80-year-old trainer - which extends back to the 1999 Melbourne Cup when he won with Rogan Josh - and the 2008 triumph also marks his 250th Group One victory. "After four or five (Melbourne Cup victories) I thought it couldn't get any better than this, but I think it might be," Cummings added. "I’ve been very lucky to pick the horses and train them … my whole career has been a joy to be involved with. My dad was a top trainer and it has been a joy to take that on further." 2008 - Viewed1999 - Rogan Josh1996 - Saintly1991 - Let's Elope1990 - Kingston Rule1979 - Hyperno1977 - Gold and Black1975 - Think Big1974 - Think Big1967 - Red Handed1966 - Galilee1965 - Light Fingers	Bart Cummings wins his 12th Melbourne Cup with Viewed ridden by Blake Shin. Bauer, ridden by C W Brown, was second after the photo finish, with C’est La Guerre ridden by B Prebble coming third. Honolulu was the last placed horse. Cummings began training in 1953. His first Cup win was with Light Fingers in 1965. This win is his 250th group one win. Today's 148th Melbourne Cup field of 24 was reduced after the scratchings of Yellowstone and Zarita, withdrawn by its trainer Pat Hyland on Monday due to a respiratory infection. The English horse Yellowstone was scratched later in the day by a veterinarian after failing to recover from a hip injury sustained last week. The race began with Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's 3 horses Septimus (an early race favourite and $7 chance), Honolulu, and Alessandro Volta setting a cracking pace for a large part of the race before fading badly at the turn into the straight to occupy 3 of the last 5 places. From there Viewed stormed clear before Bauer pulled it back in the last 50 yards to go down by a nose, in one of the closest finishes to a Melbourne Cup in the race's history. The race was watch by an estimated 105,000 at Flemington Racecourse with many more across the country stopping to watch the race on television.
Wright killed prostitutes Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls before dumping their bodies around Ipswich. Mr Justice Gross, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, ordered 49-year-old Wright to serve the maximum sentence. He said: "This was a targeted campaign of murder. It is right you should spend your whole life in prison." 'Systematically selected' Wright sat emotionless as prosecutors asked the judge to ensure he is never allowed out of jail. The victims were working as prostitutes when they were murdered and Mr Justice Gross said Wright had targeted vulnerable women. He said: "Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did. "You killed them, stripped them and left them... why you did it may never be known." The judge said the case met the legal requirements for a whole life sentence because the murders involved a "substantial degree of pre-meditation and planning". Wright, of Ipswich, said during his trial that he had had sex with four of the five women but denied killing them. The naked bodies of the women, aged between 19 and 29, were found over a 10-day period in December 2006. The jury of nine men and three women heard Wright had "systematically selected and murdered" his victims over a six-and-a-half-week period. Five of the jurors turned up at court to see the sentence handed down. Stealing conviction Analysis by forensic science experts revealed his DNA on three of the women and fibres linking him to all five. His DNA was then matched with a profile held on a database which had been taken in 2001 for an £80 theft conviction for stealing from a Felixstowe pub. Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did Mr Justice Gross Victims' families' reaction Wright was arrested less than three weeks after the discovery of the first body, that of 25-year-old Gemma Adams, in a stream at Hintlesham. Det Ch Supt Stewart Gull, who led the investigation, said Wright's "appalling crimes" had left a community, a county and a nation "in a state of profound shock". Wright was due to be taken from Ipswich to Belmarsh Prison in south east London. He is expected to be placed on suicide watch and undergo routine psychiatric assessments. Wright is likely to serve his sentence at a high-security prison, possibly Wakefield in West Yorkshire or Whitemoor, near March, Cambridgeshire. Outstanding cases Wright's defence team said they would be considering whether there were grounds for an appeal, but said this was routine in all criminal cases. Police will now check outstanding cases in the region to see whether there could be links to Wright. In 1992, Natalie Pearman, 16, was found strangled after disappearing from the red-light area of Norwich. A year later Mandy Duncan, 26, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, vanished while working as a prostitute in Ipswich. In 2000, Kellie Pratt, 29, disappeared from the red-light area of Norwich and in 2002 Michelle Bettles, 22, was found strangled three days after disappearing from the red-light area of Norwich. Wright also worked on the QE2 in the 1980s, along with missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, 25. She disappeared after leaving her offices in Fulham, west London, in 1986 and her body has never been found. The Metropolitan Police refused to be drawn on any possible links to Wright saying: "We are not prepared to discuss who we may or may not wish to interview in connection with any on-going investigation." \|\|\|\|\| 1.30pm GMT update Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright jailed for life Steve Wright will spend the rest of his life in jail for killing five women in Suffolk in what prosecutors described as a six-week "campaign of murder". Judge Mr Justice Gross, at Ipswich crown court, ruled that Wright, a 49-year-old former forklift truck driver, should serve a whole life term and never be released. The murders of the women, all of whom worked as prostitutes in Ipswich, terrified the town and led to one of the country's biggest police investigations. "It is right you should spend your whole life in prison," the judge said. "This was a targeted campaign of murder." He told Wright a life sentence was mandatory, but that he had to decide whether or not he should be eligible for parole. "I must pass a sentence which meets the justice of the case," he added. "In my judgment, upon reflection it must be a whole life term." The judge said the case met the legal requirements for a whole life sentence because the murders involved a "substantial degree of premeditation and planning". He pointed to the "macabre" way in which Wright had arranged two of the women's bodies in a crucifix form. He said Wright had targeted vulnerable women. "Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did," he added. "You killed them, stripped them and left them ... why you did it may never be known." As Gross said he should serve a "whole life" jail term, Wright stared ahead. As he was led away to begin his sentence, he made no eye contact with anyone else in court. There was no reaction from the relatives of the murder victims, who witnessed proceedings from the public gallery. Wright's brother, David, and sister, Jeanette, sobbed throughout. They left the court hand in hand without making any comment. Following the sentencing, Wright's solicitor, Mark Haslam, said the defence team would be considering whether there were grounds for an appeal. The deputy chief constable of Suffolk, Jacqui Cheer, said of the sentence: "At the start of the inquiry we could not have asked for anything more. "It is a tribute to all the people who have been involved - not only police officers but their support teams and all the members of the public who phoned in offering information. "I've never been in the position of the families. I cannot imagine what it is like. We can only hope this brings some closure for them." A crowd of around 30 people looked on as Wright was driven away to London, and there were shouts of "scum''. Sources said he would be taken to Belmarsh prison, in south-east London, where he would undergo routine psychiatric assessments and be placed on suicide watch. It is believed he will serve his sentence at a high-security prison - possibly Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, or Whitemoor, near March, Cambridgeshire. The jury yesterday took fewer than six hours to find Wright responsible for the murders. Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, 24-year-old Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, also 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were all drug addicts who were working as prostitutes when they were picked up and murdered by Wright, a regular customer who lived in the red light district and whom several of them knew well. Their naked bodies were found dumped around the town - two in a stream and the other three in woods - over a 10-day period in December 2006. Speaking after the verdicts yesterday, the families of Nicol and Clennell called for the death penalty to be reintroduced. "While five young lives have been cruelly ended, the person responsible will be kept warm, nourished and protected," the Nicol family said in a statement. "In no way has justice been done. These crimes deserve the ultimate punishment." Robert Sadd, the crown advocate for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in Suffolk, said the conviction had been "based on science". Wright was identified because his DNA had been added to the national database following an earlier conviction for theft. His profile was stored in 2003 after he was convicted of stealing £80 while working as a hotel barman. New techniques allowing microscopic fibres to be identified also proved critical - a single black nylon fibre from the footwell of Wright's car was found in Nicol's hair, despite the fact her body had lain in water for five weeks before it was discovered. Wright's DNA was found on three of the women's bodies, while microscopic fibres from his clothing, car and home were discovered on all five. Blood belonging to two of the women was found on his reflective jacket, along with specks of blood in his car. CCTV and numberplate recognition technology had also placed his car in the red light district at the time several of the women disappeared. The court heard that Wright picked up the women while they worked in the streets around his home before killing them while they were incapacitated by heavy doses of drugs. He argued that he had had sex with the women but had not killed them, saying it was merely coincidental that forensic evidence linked him to all five. Although the jury's verdicts were decisive, prosecutors admitted yesterday they remained puzzled about the motive behind the killings. Wright's only previous conviction is for minor theft, and CPS sources yesterday said they were not aware of any evidence linking him to unsolved cases. "No doubt our police colleagues will be looking at whether this fits with anything else, but we are not aware of any other link at this stage," a source said. A number of "cold cases", including several unsolved prostitute murders, have been examined by forces across Britain since Wright's arrest. Yesterday, the father of the estate agent Suzy Lamplugh told the Guardian he had been contacted by Metropolitan police officers investigating possible connections between Wright and his daughter, who disappeared in 1986. It is known that Wright and Lamplugh were acquaintances when they worked on the QE2 in the early 80s. Cleveland police said they had not ruled out a link between Wright and the murder of Vicky Glass, a heroin addict who vanished from Middlesbrough in September 2000. Her naked body was later found in a stream in the North York Moors.	Map of the area surrounding Ipswich showing the locations where the bodies of the victims were discovered Steve Wright, yesterday convicted of the murder of five women in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, has today been sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court to life imprisonment. The bodies of the five women who worked as sex workers in Ipswich were found around the town in December 2006. The judge, Mr Justice Gross said that a "substantial degree of pre-meditation and planning" was involved meaning the requirments for a whole life sentence for Wright was met. He said, "This was a targeted campaign of murder. It is right you should spend your whole life in prison." Speaking after the sentencing, Deputy Chief Constable of Suffolk Police, Jacqui Cheer said, "At the start of the inquiry we could not have asked for anything more. It is a tribute to all the people who have been involved - not only police officers but their support teams and all the members of the public who phoned-in offering information."
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... \|\|\|\|\| Five other people were wounded in the blast in Nazran, the area's main city, Russian news agencies reported. At least one person has been killed after a bomb was detonated at a police checkpoint in the southern Russian region of Ingushetia. The state-controlled RIA news agency, quoting the Ingush interior ministry, said the dead person was a civilian. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the leader of Ingushetia, told the Interfax news agency that he had instructed authorities in the region to step up their readiness following the attack. "The atmosphere is very uneasy... It will be controlled by law enforcement agencies," he said. Southern Russia's Caucasus region has experienced a rise in the number of bombings and armed attacks recently after several years of calm that followed two separatist wars in Chechnya, Ingushetia's neighbouring region. Yevkurov and Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, have warned Dmitry Medvedev, the president, that the separatist violence is widespread and they are struggling to contain it. Last month, at least 21 people died in an attack on a police station in Ingushetia, and in June a suicide bomber almost killed the region's president. Regional leaders have claimed that the attacks are the work of Islamist separatist fighters.	Topographic map of the Caucasus. Ingushetia is located on the center right of the map.A suicide bomber killed at least one person and injured five at a police checkpoint in southern Russia on Friday, national news agencies reported. The explosion occurred in Nazran, the main city in the region of Ingushetia. Spokesman Kaloi Akhiltov said to the Associated Press news agency that a van packed with explosive material drove into the traffic checkpoint. The checkpoint post was completely destroyed, he said. According to government-controlled RIA news agency, the single casualty from the blast was a civilian. The attack has been blamed by regional authorities on Islamist separatist rebels. The Caucasus region of Russia has seen an increase in attacks recently, following a few years of relative calm after two wars with separatists in the neigbouring region of Chechnya.
Injured Buffalo Police Officer Patty Parete Returns to WNY Parete was shot in the line of duty last December, paralyzed as a result. Story Published: Oct 23, 2007 at 6:42 PM EST Oct 23, 2007 at 6:42 PM EST Watch the story 7 News has confirmed that injured Buffalo police officer Patricia Parete has returned to Western New York after she was discharged from a New Jersey hospital this morning. Parete and her partner, Officer Carl Andolina, were both shot in the line of duty last December while on routine patrol in the Chippewa District. Andolina was shot in the neck and shoulder and has since recovered. He remains on leave. Parete was shot in the neck and was seriously injured when the bullet struck her spine, leaving her paralyzed. Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gibson said he could not confirm that Parete was in Buffalo, but he had heard reports that Parete returned home after landing at Prior Aviation at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport this morning. Varner Harris, the teenager convicted of shooting Parete and Andolina, pleaded guilty to charges last month and faces 30 years in prison when he is sentenced. \|\|\|\|\| Officer Parete returns to Buffalo By T.J. Pignataro - News Staff Reporter Updated: 10/23/07 6:02 PM Patricia A. Parete, the Buffalo police officer shot at close range by a teenage suspect last December, was released today from a New Jersey rehabilitation center and returned to Buffalo. The 42-year-old Parete has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J. since the start of the year. Parete, who can now speak clearly but still has no movement in her arms or legs, was left with severe spinal injuries in the Dec. 5 shooting at West Chippewa Street and Whitney Place. She and her partner, Carl Andolina, 42, were responding to a fight call about 9 p.m. that night when they were shot. Parete was shot twice. The first bullet struck her bulletproof vest, but the second struck her in the chin, traveling through her body and lodging in her spine. Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson said at a late-afternoon news conference at Buffalo Police Headquarters that Buffalo police were awaiting official confirmation of Parete's return to Western New York. Parete remains on injured on duty leave from the police department. \|\|\|\|\| (Buffalo, NY, October 23, 2007) - - News 4 has verified that injured Buffalo Police Officer Patty Parete has returned to Western New York from a rehabilitation center in New Jersey. Sources tell Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg that Patty returned home to Western New York Tuesday morning. Officer Parete suffered a paralyzing gunshot wound in December. She and her partner Officer Carl Andolina were shot at West Chippewa and Georgia Streets in Buffalo by 19-year-old Varner Harris.	Patricia Parete, 42, a Buffalo, New York police officer who was shot two times and nearly killed by a fleeing suspect in December of 2006, has returned to her Buffalo home after being transferred to a specialized rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey to recover from her injuries. Another officer, Carl Andolina who was also responding to the scene, was also shot twice. Parate is able to speak, but still is not able to walk, or move her arms because of one of the bullets severely damaged her spinal cord. The other bullet hit her bullet proof vest and did not cause any damage. Andolina was shot once in the neck and once in the shoulder. The two officers were responding to a call at about 9:00 p.m. on December 5, that a male and female were fighting inside a Valero gas station located on West Chippewa and Elmwood Avenues in Downtown Buffalo when one of the suspects, Varner Harris, 18 and lives in Buffalo, fled police. When the officers began to chase Harris, he turned and fired several shots at the officers, wounding both of them. Despite being shot two times, Andolina still managed to give a short chase to apprehend the suspect, tackling him to the ground. Neither officer fired any shots. Both officers were shot by a .38-caliber revolver. At least 5 shots total were fired in total by the suspect. Harris was convicted for the attempted murder of the officers, and could face 30 years in prison.
The 27-year-old was a dancer with the troupe that won Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, and had recently emigrated The dance troupe Diversity has paid tribute to former member Rob Anker, after he died in a car crash at the age of 27. The British dancer was killed on Thursday morning in Canada, where he had moved to live with his fiancee Cyndi. The couple married in September last year. Anker was a member of the group that first became famous in 2009 after winning ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, beating Scottish singer Susan Boyle to the £100,000 first prize. Diversity, whose members include Ashley Banjo and Perri Kiely, tweeted on Saturday morning: Diversity (@Diversity_Tweet) A former member of our group has tragically passed away. He inspired so many with his talent and was taken far too soon. R.I.P Rob 🙏🏼💔 Essex-born Anker, who joined Diversity after their Britain’s Got Talent win, had gone on to perform with artists such as Paloma Faith and Peter Andre and appeared on TV shows including The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Take Me Out. He was also in the cast of the West End production of the Michael Jackson musical Thriller Live. Friday night’s performance of the show was dedicated to the former cast member. A Facebook post read: “He had incredible talent, great personality and was very popular amongst many. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends. News of his death came after he was named in local reports of the collision in the city of Vaughan, in the York region of Ontario province. A spokesman for Canada’s York regional police said a Chevrolet Cobalt and a Ford F550 truck collided in Major Mackenzie Drive just before 6am on Thursday. They said that the driver of the Chevrolet died from his injuries, but the other driver was unhurt. Tributes have been paid to Anker on social media: Britain's Got Talent (@BGT) We are so sorry to hear of the loss of Robert Anker, our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends, family and the whole of Diversity. Choreographer Dean Lee tweeted: D E A N L E E (@DeanAnthLee) Rob Anker. I have no words to speak after hearing of your passing. This is truly heart breaking. Thanks for the memories. Shine bright. A JustGiving page has been set up to help his family travel to Canada for the funeral, and has already passed its £5,000 target. His cousin Rochelle Hanson, who founded the page, wrote: “The family are devastated. He was an amazing and talented dancer. We would love to ensure that his family don’t worry or stress about money at this time.” A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the death of a British man in Canada. We are providing assistance to his family at this sad time.” \|\|\|\|\| Image copyright @robanker90 Robert Anker, a former member of dance group Diversity, who won Britain's Got Talent in 2009, has died in a car crash in Canada. The 27-year-old was killed when his car collided with a pick-up truck in Ontario, local media reports say. Mr Anker, who was born in Essex, moved to Canada last year and married his girlfriend, Cyndi. X-Factor choreographer Dean Lee tweeted: "This is truly heart-breaking." Skip Twitter post by @DeanAnthLee Rob Anker. I have no words to speak after hearing of your passing. This is truly heart breaking. Thanks for the memories. Shine bright. — D E A N L E E (@DeanAnthLee) July 28, 2017 Report After making his name with the 2009 Britain's Got Talent winners, Mr Anker went on to appear in videos for music stars such as Paloma Faith and Jessie J. 'Incredible talent' He also appeared in the West End show Thriller Live. In a Facebook post, the show announced that it was dedicating that evening's performance to Mr Anker's memory. "He had incredible talent, great personality and was very popular amongst many. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends," the post said. His cousin, Rochelle Hanson, has set up a JustGiving page to raise money to help family members attend his funeral in Canada. She wrote: "On 27th July 2017, Robert Anker aged 27 was involved in a fatal car accident in Canada and sadly passed away at the scene. "We are raising funds for his family to be able to cover all costs for their trip to go and arrange his funeral in Canada. "We would love to ensure that his family don't worry or stress about money at this time." York Regional Police in Canada said the crash occurred on July 27 just before 06:00 local time (11:00 BST), when a Chevy Cobalt collided with a Ford F550 pick-up truck. They said the 27-year-old driver of the Chevy died at the scene, while the driver of the truck was uninjured. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British man in Canada. We are providing assistance to his family at this sad time".	File photo of Diversity in 2009. Robert Anker, a British dancer and member of troupe when they won the 2009 season of , died in a car accident in Canada on Thursday. Anker died after a collision between his and a pick-up truck. The accident occurred in , at around 6:00 AM Thursday morning, . Anker, who moved to Canada last year, was 27 years old. confirmed the accident had occurred and the driver of the pick-up truck was not injured. A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said "We are aware of the death of a British man in Canada. We are providing assistance to his family at this sad time". Anker's cousin Rochelle Hanson set up a page, by yesterday already past its target of £5,000, to raise funds for his family to travel to the funeral in Canada. Hanson said "The family are devastated. He was an amazing and talented dancer. We would love to ensure that his family don’t worry or stress about money at this time." Diversity, Anker's former dance crew, tweeted "A former member of our group has tragically passed away. He inspired so many with his talent and was taken far too soon. R.I.P Rob." The Twitter account for Britain's Got Talent said "We are so sorry to hear of the loss of Robert Anker, our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends, family and the whole of Diversity." Dean Lee, a choreographer on talent show , tweeted, "Rob Anker. I have no words to speak after hearing of your passing. This is truly heart breaking. Thanks for the memories. Shine bright." After winning the 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent, Anker performed in music videos of singers and , and in the production of '''' in the . Anker and his girlfriend Cyndi married in September. == Sources == * *
Sevenoaks, Kent fatal shooting The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to use its own investigators to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting by police of a 37-year-old woman in Sevenoaks this morning (11 June.) At approximately 1.20 a.m., Kent Police were called to reports of a woman seen with a firearm in the vicinity of Sevenoaks High Street. Armed officers attended the location and a police firearm was discharged. First aid was given at the scene. An ambulance was called but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A firearm has been recovered. The woman has not yet been formally identified. HM Coroner has been informed. IPCC Commissioner Nicola Williams said: "I send my sympathies to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned. Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators go to the incident immediately." -ends- For further information please contact: Richard Offer, Head of Media Tel: 020 7166 3214 Fax: 020 7166 3514 Mob 07710 381890 Out of hours: 07717 851 157 Email: richard.offer@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk \|\|\|\|\| 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. \|\|\|\|\| Woman Shot Dead By Armed Police Armed police have shot dead a woman after a stand-off in a deserted department store car park. The 37-year-old was killed by officers investigating reports of a woman with a gun in the early hours. Sources have told Sky News she was a martial arts expert. Forensic experts have been combing the M & Co car park, behind the High Street in Sevenoaks, Kent, for clues. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is probing the incident, said a gun was recovered at the scene. Advertisement Witnesses described hearing shouting during a 20-minute stand-off, followed by a single gunshot at about 3am. School caretaker Kevin Taylor, 47, whose home in Buckhurst Avenue overlooks the car park, said he heard someone shout: "Drop the weapon." He added: "It was all over in about 20 minutes. As soon as the shot rang out I knew it was serious." IPCC commissioner Nicola Williams said police were first alerted at about 1.20am to a woman in the High Street area with a gun. She said: "I send my sympathies to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned." She declined to comment on reports the victim was a martial arts expert who was known to police. She said the woman was local. The woman, who has not been named, was given first aid but died at the scene. Part of the town centre, including a bus station, has been sealed off. \|\|\|\|\| Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 30 days or until you logout \|\|\|\|\| A Kent Police officer fatally shot the woman in the early hours Kent Police were called after a 37-year-old woman with a gun was seen in the centre of Sevenoaks at 0120 BST. Armed officers shot the woman, who has not been identified but was from the Sevenoaks area. She was given first aid at the scene but pronounced dead. Part of the centre of the town, including the bus station, was sealed off following the incident. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said an investigation would be carried out. Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators go to the incident immediately Nicola Williams, IPCC commissioner The victim is believed to be the first woman to have been shot dead by police for at least 27 years. Two residents in Sevenoaks told BBC News 24 that they were woken up at about 0300 BST by barking dogs and a "commotion". They then described hearing a loud bang. Officers and forensic science experts have been searching the rear car park of a department store based in Sevenoaks High Street. A firearm was recovered at the scene. IPCC commissioner Nicola Williams said: "I send my sympathies to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned. "Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators go to the incident immediately." Accidentally shot She added that it was "unusual" for a woman to be the victim, and that the shooting had not been part of a wider police investigation. Three other women have been shot by police in the last 27 years. In 1980, Gail Kinchen was accidentally shot dead by a police marksman during a siege in Birmingham. Two other women have been wounded in police shootings. Cherry Groce was left paralysed after she was accidentally shot by police in 1985 during a raid on her home in Brixton, south London. In 1997, Jane Lee was shot in Ilford, Essex, by police investigating a firearms incident. She was taken to hospital and recovered.	Map highlighting Sevenoaks, England. A woman, reported to be an expert in martial arts, has been shot dead by police in a car park behind ''M&Co'', a women's clothing shop in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. According to reports, the woman pulled a gun on police who then shot her. "I can confirm that in the early hours of this morning Kent Police fatally shot a person. This has been referred to the IPCC which has a team of investigators now at the scene," said a spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A bus station in Sevenoaks was shut down and closed off to the public while police investigated the incident. A tent was placed over the crime scene to ensure that evidence was kept intact. Regular police officers do not carry guns in the United Kingdom. Special officers are dispatched to scenes with guns only if situations become serious or dangerous.
Castro said the 10 changes among senior officials were intended to make Cuba's government more compact and functional and to work toward "perfecting" the Cuban system. Raul Castro, the Cuban president, has sacked the country's foreign and economic ministers as part of a comprehensive government reshuffle. Felipe Perez Roque who had been Havana's chief diplomat since May 1999, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez. Carlos Lage, a vice-president who had far-reaching economic powers, was also removed from his post as executive secretary of the Council of Ministers, but it was not clear whether he would stay on as one of the vice-presidents of the Council of State. He was replaced as cabinet secretary by General Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra, a former top military official. Lage had been credited with helping to save Cuba's economy by implementing economic reforms after aid from the Soviet Union ended in the early 1990s. Perez Roque was once personal secretary to Fidel Castro, Raul's brother and the former president, and a former leader of the Communist Party's youth organisation. Planned changes Raul Castro, who took over the presidency in February last year from Fidel, had said for months that he would restructure the government to make it leaner and more responsive. But Lucia Newman, Al Jazeera's Latin America editor, said: "This is an unprecedented shake up, as never before have so many government officials been replaced in one go." "It is a new direction, we're just not clear what direction Castro is planning - a return to communist orthodoxy or pragmatism? However, Castro does seem to be trying to put in position people closer to him than to his brother, Fidel." The ousting of Roque was a particular surprise to many analysts, as he was considered one of the most internationally prominent, and successful, members of Castro's government. Our correspondent adds that the move could also be a message to the US, just a month before the summit of the Americas in Trinidad where the US could be pressured over its Cuba policies, that Cuba is aiming for change. Jose Luis Rodriguez, the economy minister, Raul de la Nuez, the minister of foreign trade, and Jose Luis Gacia, the minister of economy and planning, were also removed from their posts. Georgina Barreiro Fajardo, the finance minister, and Alfredo Morales Cartaya, the labour minister, were also fired. The ministries of fishing and food were also combined as part of the changes, as were the ministries of foreign investment and foreign trade. The changes were announced by state television on Monday. \|\|\|\|\| HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- In a major shake-up the likes of which Cubans have not seen for decades, President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet, replacing longtime aides to his brother Fidel, who resigned from office a year ago, citing poor health. Cuban President Raul Castro is moving his own people into power, analysts say. Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to put his own supporters into positions of power. Among the changes: Felipe Perez Roque, the 43-year-old foreign minister, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla. Carlos Lage Davila, an economist, lost his job as Cabinet secretary, but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State. Lage, who helped guide the nation through its "special period" of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies, was replaced by Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra; Raul Castro is also commander in chief of the armed forces. "It looks like Raul putting some of his own people in," said Wayne Smith, director of the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy in Washington, who led the U.S. Interests Section in Havana during the Carter administration. Smith noted that Cuba's government underwent "quite a few shake-ups after the revolution first came in" in 1959, but said Monday's move "is the biggest shake-up that I've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years." "This is obviously a major move," concurred Vicki Huddleston, who led the Interests Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "[There is] nothing like this that I can recall since the late 1960s." She noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with both Castro brothers during a visit late in February to Havana, on what Granma described as a "work visit," and speculated that Raul Castro may have asked him then to buy in on the changes. "They really need Chavez to be on board, because without the subsidized oil from Venezuela, they're dead," Huddleston said. With the Cuban economy hamstrung by the world economy, Raul Castro may have decided it is time for him to make reforms of his own without worrying about second-guessing by his brother or his brother's allies, she said. Huddleston speculated that the changes could portend the government once again allowing private enterprise to flourish in Cuba. Communist leader Fidel Castro experimented with that during the 1990s, but pulled back. "It represents a significant step by Raul Castro to gain autonomy and, essentially, distance himself from Fidel's old gang," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. "In other words, he feels confident enough that he has an independent base of power." He said Raul Castro's moves to date have proven popular not only with his party members, but also with the general population. Still, Raul Castro should not take that support for granted, Birns said. "It may be that, if he makes too many moves, the party will feel that their privileges are being taken away, and that will make them unhappy." Otto Reich, who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs during the George W. Bush administration, said he was withholding judgment. "It's a little early to tell what this really means," he said. "Some people are saying the Fidelistas are being replaced by the Raulistas. But the other side is: Are we talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?" The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is "more compact and functional, with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out." CNN's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington in Havana, Tom Watkins and Arthur Brice contributed to this story. All About Raul Castro • Cuba \|\|\|\|\| Who's in and who's out in Cuba government shakeup Who's in and who's out in the shakeup of Cuba's government announced Monday: _FOREIGN MINISTER: Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, No. 2 in the ministry, replaces Felipe Perez Roque. _SECRETARY OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra, long Raul Castro's secretary at the defense ministry, replaces Carlos Lage. _VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: Government Vice President Ramiro Valdes Menendez takes over the functions of Otto Rivero Torres. It is unclear whether he gets the title as well. _SECRETARY OF COUNCIL OF STATE: Homero Acosta Alvarez replaces Jose Miyar Barrueco, pending ratification. _SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: Barrueco takes on this position, vacant since Rosa Elena Simeon died in 2004. _ECONOMY MINISTER: Marino Murillo Jorge, who had been minister of internal commerce, replaces Jose Luis Rodriguez Garcia. _INTERNAL COMMERCE MINISTER: Jacinto Angulo Pardo, the No. 2 in the ministry, replaces Murillo Jorge. _EXTERNAL COMMERCE AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT MINISTER: Former U.N. ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz replaces External Commerce Minister Raul de la Nuez Ramirez; Malmierca had replaced Foreign Investment Minister Marta Lomas in November. _FOOD AND FISHING MINISTER: Maria del Carmen Concepcion Gonzalez, who had been a member of the Communist Party's food industry committee, replaces Food Minister Alejandro Roca Iglesias and Fishing Minister Alfredo Lopez Valdes. _FINANCE MINISTER: Lina Pedraza Rodriguez, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party's Secretariat, replaces Georgina Barreiro Fajardo. _HEAVY INDUSTRIES MINISTER: Brig. Gen. Salvador Pardo Cruz replaces Fernando Acosta Santana. _LABOR MINISTER: Margarita Marlene Gonzalez Fernandez, a top ministry official, replaces Alfredo Morales Cartaya. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.	On Monday, Raúl Castro, the President of Cuba, announced several changes of ministers in his cabinet. This is the first major reshuffle since Raúl took over as President after his brother Fidel Castro. A total of twelve ministers were replaced. Raúl Castro in 2008. One of the highest profile changes was Carlos Lage Dávila, the executive secretary of the Council of Ministers, who was replaced by General José Amado Ricardo Guerra. According to senior research associate at the University of Miami, José Azel, Lage was responsible for rescuing the Cuban economy from the downturn that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was not announced whether Lage will continue to serve in his other position as the vice president of the Council of State of Cuba. "It looks like Raúl putting some of his own people in," said Wayne Smith, who heads the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy. Smith added that this "is the biggest shake-up that I've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years." "This is one more sign that Raúl Castro is consolidating his power," José Azel said. "He's putting his people in there." "It is a new direction, we're just not clear what direction Castro is planning — a return to communist orthodoxy or pragmatism? However, Castro does seem to be trying to put in position people closer to him than to his brother, Fidel," said Al Jazeera's Latin America editor, Lucia Newman. Among other ministers replaced were foreign minister Felipe Pérez Roque, finance minister Georgina Barreiro Fajardo, labor minister Alfredo Morales Cartaya, and economy minister Jose Luis Rodriguez.
After the win against Lazio, Joshua Kimmich was named Man of the Match. Read why here. Bayern run and a unique goalscorer Facts on a last 16 win over Lazio that was full of records In the quarter-finals for the 19th time and 19 games unbeaten - here are the most important facts... \|\|\|\|\| 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. \|\|\|\|\| BERLIN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich captain Oliver Kahn is to have surgery on his elbow that will rule him out for at least four weeks, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said on Monday. The 38-year-old aggravated an existing injury while warming up before Saturday's match against Bayer Leverkusen and was replaced by Michael Rensing, his designated successor. 'He'll be out for four to five weeks,' Hitzfeld told reporters in Munich. 'The operation will be done as soon as possible.' Rensing, one of Germany's top goalkeepers who has only played occasionally at Bayern, had an outstanding match against Leverkusen. Bayern won 1-0. \|\|\|\|\| Kahn: Elbow surgery Oliver Kahn is to undergo surgery on his elbow injury and is facing up to five weeks on the sidelines. The veteran Bayern Munich goalkeeper aggravated an existing problem during the warm-up for Saturday's Bundesliga clash against Bayer Leverkusen. Kahn was replaced by Michael Rensing for the BayArena meeting and he kept a clean sheet as the visitors won 1-0 to open up a four-point lead over Schalke at the top of the table. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld confirmed that the former Germany No.1 requires an operation, but as yet a date is still to be set for the procedure. Bayern could also be without Miroslav Klose for Thursday's Uefa Cup first round second leg with Portuguese outfit Belenenses due to a knee complaint.	Bayern Munich's #1 goalkeeper Oliver Kahn striker Miroslav Klose have been ruled out of Thursday's UEFA Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg match against Portugal's Belenenses. Lukas Podolski has been ruled available after an injury scare. Kahn and Klose join Philipp Lahm, Willy Sagnol, José Ernesto Sosa and Valérien Ismael. Oliver Kahn will require elbow surgery and will be out for five weeks. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marcell Jansen and Luca Toni didn't practice today for precautionary reasons. Michael Rensing will replace Oliver Kahn in net while it's not known what formation Ottmar Hitzfeld will use on Thursday.
Viktor Zubkov worked with Mr Putin in St Petersburg in the 1990s Viktor Zubkov, head of the federal financial monitoring service, is a relative unknown in Russian politics. The change marks a major political shake-up ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections. The lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, is set to vote on Mr Zubkov's nomination on Friday. Mr Fradkov offered to resign earlier Wednesday, citing "approaching significant political events", said Itar-Tass news agency. Mr Putin asked Mr Fradkov to stay on as acting prime minister until his replacement is confirmed. "We all have to think together how to build a structure of power so that it better corresponds to the pre-election period and prepares the country for the period after the presidential election in March," Mr Putin said in accepting Mr Fradkov's resignation. Strong platform Elections to the Duma are to be held in December. VIKTOR ZUBKOV 1941: Born in Arbat village, Sverdlovsk region 1965: Graduates from Leningrad Agricultural Institute in economics 1967-1985: Works on collective farms in Leningrad regions 1985-1991: Works in regional administration 1991-1993: Works with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg city administration 1993-2000: Works for federal tax service and tax ministry From 2001: Head of financial monitoring service Profile: Viktor Zubkov Whoever becomes the new prime minister gains a strong platform from which to campaign to replace Mr Putin, correspondents say. Russian media had been speculating that First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov - long considered a frontrunner for the presidency - could have been about to be made prime minister. Mr Ivanov worked under Mr Putin in the FSB, the internal intelligence agency, in the 1990s and the two men are believed to be close. Power struggle? Mr Zubkov's links with Mr Putin go back to the early 1990s, when he was the future president's deputy on the St Petersburg city external relations committee. But few in Russia believe that Mr Zubkov is now in the running for the presidency, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow. Instead, says our correspondent, many analysts believe he has been appointed to ensure a smooth transition between Mr Putin and his successor, whoever that might be. Mr Ivanov is one of President Putin's closest allies Dmitry Medvedev, the other first deputy prime minister, has also been seen as a possible presidential candidate. The choice of Mr Zubkov suggests a behind-the-scenes power struggle between "clans" within the Kremlin that are differentiated mainly by their degree of hostility toward the West, says the BBC's Russia analyst Steven Eke. White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the choice of leaders was a matter for the people of Russia to decide and that the US "looks forward to continuing its good relations with the Russian government". \|\|\|\|\| President Vladimir Putin dissolved Russia's government Wednesday and then quickly nominates Viktor Zubkov, a Russian Cabinet official who oversees the fight against money laundering, to be the new prime minister. Boris Gryzlov, the speaker of the State Duma, said Putin nominated Zubkov, who heads the Federal Financial Monitoring Service and who served under Putin when the two worked in the city administration of St. Petersburg in the early 1990s. Earlier Wednesday, in a major political shakeup, Putin dismissed Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and dissolved his cabinet, paving the way for Putin to name a new head of government. Most observers had expected that the new premier would be the leading contender to succeed Putin when he steps down after March elections. But Zubkov had not been even considered as a contender. A Kremlin source told FOX News that Zubkov was not Putin's choice to be the next president of Russia. The newspaper Vedomosti, citing unidentified Kremlin officials, reported that Sergei Ivanov, a first deputy prime minister and a leading contender to succeed Putin, could be appointed to replace Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Related Video Russian Turmoil • FOX Facts: Russia's Government Another first deputy prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who is a top executive at natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom, was considered the other leading contender. Under the constitution, which the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has one week to vote on a nominee for prime minister. the pres. Russian news agencies said Fradkov would serve as acting prime minister until the vote. Fradkov said he asked for the dissolution of his government because with elections approaching, Putin needed to have a free hand to make decisions, including those concerning appointments. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for Dec. 2, followed some three months later by presidential balloting. "You might be right that we must all think about how to structure the government so that it better suits the pre-election period and prepares the country for what will happen after the parliamentary and presidential elections," Putin said.	Mikhail FradkovImage Credit:Ricardo Stuckert/PR Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Fradkov has resigned, citing his reason as being "the approaching major political events in the country and a desire to give the president full freedom in making decisions, including personnel." Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated Victor Zubkov to replace him, and a new cabinet is expected to follow as well. Parliamentary elections are expected to take place in three months as the parliament has not been dissolved, and presidential elections will take place in six months.
Boat sinks in Macedonian lake, 15 drown A sightseeing boat carrying dozens of Bulgarian tourists sank Saturday in a lake on Macedonia's western border, and at least 15 people drowned, police said. The boat, called the Ilinden, sank rapidly into Lake Ohrid, police spokesman Ivo Kotevski said. Rescuers pulled 53 survivors from the water, including four who were unresponsive and were hospitalized in the town of Ohrid, he said. At least 15 bodies have been recovered from the lake — the deepest in the Balkans, located along the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. "A police diving team is on the scene, and we fear more people have drowned," Kotevski said, adding that it was still unclear exactly how many were on board. Witnesses said the boat was about 200 metres from shore when it split in two and sank unexpectedly, according to Macedonia's private A1 television. The broadcaster said the boat was carrying 50 tourists from Bulgaria among others, and had been travelling from Ohrid, on the lake's eastern shore, to the medieval Eastern Orthodox monastery complex Sveti Naum, about 29 kilometres to the south near the Albanian border. Lake Ohrid itself has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979. Kotevski said it is not clear yet why the boat sank. "This is the worst accident that has ever happened on Lake Ohrid," local police spokesman Stefan Dimoski said. Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov and four cabinet ministers were travelling to the scene. \|\|\|\|\| The Ilinden - pictured here last year - had a permit to carry 45 passengers At least 15 people have died after a sightseeing boat sank in Lake Ohrid in south-western Macedonia. The Ilinden sank about 200m from the shore - reportedly within four minutes. About 40 passengers have been rescued. The Bulgarian government says the dead were all its nationals. The captain of the boat said there was a "loud crack" before the boat sank, police say. Police have described the incident as "an enormous tragedy". Lake Ohrid is Macedonia's best known tourist resort. Earlier reports said 19 people had died and indicated that the cause could have been overcrowding, with 73 passengers on board, when the boat only had a permit for a maximum of 45. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. However, later on Saturday Macedonian officials lowered the death toll to 15 and said there had been about 57 passengers on board. In neighbouring Bulgaria, the government information office said the dead included one child. "The 23-year-old skipper and his deputy have been questioned about the incident," Macedonian police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told the Associated Press news agency. "In their first statements they said that a loud crack was heard toward the rear before the boat sunk rapidly." Cries of help In pictures: Lake disaster The tourists had been on their way to the St Naum monastery complex when the 30m (98 feet) vessel broke in two and sank at about 1100 (0900 GMT), according to witnesses. "We were in a speed boat and we saw the boat sinking. We just turned around and we saw people crying for help," an eyewitness told BBC Macedonian. "When we got there, 10 were already dead. We took seven with us, we thought we could save more but it was too late." Another witness told the BBC: "Around 1030 I went to the beach, and all of a sudden, I heard cries of 'Help! Help me, help me!' and we saw how the forward part of the boat had sunk in the water. "I have a small dinghy and with a friend we went towards the boat, then two more small boats came along. "It was lucky that there were other small boats who came along, and threw life-saving vests and took the survivors on board. Police divers are on the scene. A BBC correspondent in the region says accidents like this on Lake Ohrid are extremely rare. Macedonia's transport minister had offered his resignation. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Police officials have said that at least fifteen people have died after the sightseeing boat ''Ilinden'', with 50 Bulgarian tourists on board, sank in a lake in western Macedonia. The boat sank in Lake Ohrid, one of the deepest lakes in southeastern Europe. 53 people were rescued by emergency crews. Witness reports suggest the boat split in half at around 11.00 local time (09.00 UTC) when it was 200 metres from the shore. "A police diving team is on the scene, and we fear more people have drowned," said police spokesman Ivo Kotevski. The boat was reportedly headed from the city of Ohrid on the eastern shore of the lake to the Sveti Naum monastery, located close to the border with Albania. It is still uncertain what caused the boat to sink.
MANILA — Eleven soldiers were killed and several others were wounded Saturday in a firefight with Communist guerrillas in a province south of Manila, Philippine Army officials said. The battle in Oriental Mindoro Province was the deadliest encounter the military has had with the insurgency so far this year. Army officials said a platoon of soldiers patrolling the remote areas of Oriental Mindoro had inadvertently entered a rebel camp. “The two sides exchanged fire a few meters apart,” said Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, an army spokesman. He said that the firefight lasted for three hours, “literally to the last bullet,” and that the rebels withdrew only after military reinforcements arrived. Colonel Detoyato said seven soldiers were wounded in the fighting, while the rebels, who numbered around 60, also suffered casualties. Col. Romeo Brawner, another army spokesman in Manila, said Saturday that the soldiers had been on patrol as part of security preparations for elections in May. He said the Communists had been extorting money from politicians who ventured into rebel areas to campaign. \|\|\|\|\| 11 soldiers killed in Mindoro battle with NPA SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA—At least 11 soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by gunmen suspected to be New People’s Army rebels in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, on Saturday morning, according to military officials. It was the Army’s biggest loss in a single encounter with communist rebels this year. The soldiers were on patrol when they ran into a fortified camp of the NPA, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Romeo Brawner said. A three-hour gun battle ensued with “undetermined casualties” on the side of the rebels, he said. “The troops fought it out literally to the last bullet,” Brawner said. Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, spokesperson for the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said the ambush was staged by about 60 NPA guerrillas. More soldiers backed by helicopter gunships had been dispatched to track down the NPA insurgents, he said. The soldiers were patrolling the area as part of security measures to ensure that candidates in the May elections would be able to campaign safely, said Brawner. The NPA have been demanding payment from candidates in exchange for “permit to campaign” cards. Those who refuse to pay are attacked and sometimes killed. Maricar P. Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon and AFP	According to officials, at least eleven solders in the Philippines were killed and several others injured on Saturday after a gunfight with Communist rebels in Mindoro, a province south of the capital Manila. It was the deadliest incident between the two since the start of the year. Army officials commented that a platoon of Filipino soldiers accidentally entered the grounds of the New People's Army (NPA) rebel camp. "The two sides exchanged fire a few meters apart," remarked army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Noel Detoyato. "... The troops fought it out literally to the last bullet." He commented that the gunfight lasted for about three hours, that about sixty NPA rebels were involved in the clash, and that seven of the Filipino troops were injured. Another army spokesman, Colonel Romeo Brawner, noted that the troops were in the vicinity as part of security measures implemented for the elections in May, so that the candidates would be able to safely campaign.
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. \|\|\|\|\| '); //--> E-Mail \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters \| RSS AFX News Limited SAS Bombardier Dash 8-400s grounded; SAS sees fault model-related UPDATE (Adding Dueholm concern of model fault, warning of more flight cancellations) STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - The aviation authority for Nordic countries has decided to ground 27 Dash 8-400 aircraft belonging to Scandinavian Airlines Systems, said the authority's Denmark division. The airline earlier said the aircraft's manufacturer Bombardier recommended that all airlines ground their Dash 8-400 aircraft, after two recent emergency landings in Denmark and Lithuania. SAS group director John S Dueholm said the airline fears the fault is model-related. 'When we see two faults in such a short time, it can't be an isolated fault. We believe it must be a model-related fault,' he said. SAS AB said its Scandinavian Airlines and Wideroee units have decided to ground their entire fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft until further notice, following the accidents. 'No aircraft will be released for operations until these inspections have been carried out on all aircraft,' SAS said. One of SAS' Dash 8-400 (Q400) with flight number SK2748 from Copenhagen to Palanga (Lithuania) was involved in an accident today. 'The aircraft experienced technical difficulties and the crew decided to divert to Vilnius Airport (Lithuania) where the accident occurred at 1.36 am hour local time today,' SAS said. It said all passengers were evacuated after landing and no injuries were reported. SAS has 27 Dash 8-400 in its fleet, which are used for shorter flights. Bombardier is recommending that all Dash-8/Q400 aircraft, the world over should be grounded, if they have 10,000 landing gear cycles or more, until an inspection is carried out. Bombardier said it has delivered more than 160 Q400 aircraft to airlines around the world, of these there are currently about 60 Q400 aircraft with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles. On Sunday one of SAS' Dash-8/Q400 aircraft crashlanded at Aalborg airport in Denmark, when the plane's landing gear collapsed. SAS said that after grounding its Dash-8/400 aircraft, the airline lacks capacity, which it will try to cover by chartering aircraft from other airlines, RB-Boersen said citing a SAS news conference in Copenhagen. But there will be further cancellations in the coming days, group director Dueholm said. More than 100 SAS flights were cancelled today and SAS said it cancelled 103 flights on Wednesday within Europe and Scandanavia, and will lease aircraft from other companies to minimise the capacity losses. SAS said it has been in contact with competitor Sterling, which has offered to provide aircraft for the Copenhagen-Aalborg route. Dueholm said that he cannot comment on the economic aspects of the matter at the present time, including possible losses arising from the cancellations, nor whether there may be a compensation claim against the aircraft maker, Bombardier. 'At the moment, safety is the prime concern,' Dueholm said. 'We have not had the opportunity to look at the legal aspects of this. For the time being, SAS said it is waiting for instructions from Bombardier about correcting the fault. The aircraft maker and the local authorities in Vilnius will investigate why the starboard landing gear would not lock and collapsed on landing. 'We expect to get the instructions today, but there will be more cancellations if we don't,' Dueholm said. 150 departures have been cancelled due to the grounding of the aircraft, affecting 6,000 Danish and 3,000 Swedeish passengers every day. hans.chumakonde@thomson.com hc/ra/hc/slm/hc/gp/hjp COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. Neither the Subscriber nor AFX News warrants the completeness or accuracy of the Service or the suitability of the Service as a trading aid and neither accepts any liability for losses howsoever incurred. The content on this site, including news, quotes, data and other information, is provided by AFX News and its third party content providers for your personal information only, and neither AFX News nor its third party content providers shall be liable for any errors, inaccuracies or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. More On This Topic Companies: SAS \| BBD.A \| BBD-A.TO Article Controls E-Mail \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters del.icio.us \| Digg It! \| My Yahoo! \| Share \| RSS Related Sections Home > News & Analysis '); //--> News Headlines \| More From Forbes.com \| Special Reports Subscriptions > \|\|\|\|\| AFX News Limited SAS says grounding of Bombardier planes will cost 10-15 mln skr per day STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - SAS AB said the grounding of its entire fleet of 27 Bombardier Dash 8-400 aircraft following a recent accident, will cost it 10-15 mln skr per day. The losses will stem from lost revenue, fixed costs and negative effects related to connecting flights. SAS has now suffered two crashes related to the Dash 8's landing gear in less than a week. In the most recent incident, an SAS Dash 8-400 from Copenhagen to Palanga (Lithuania) crash-landed at Vilnius airport overnight after being diverted due to technical problems. hans.chumakonde@thomson.com hc/jlc COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. Neither the Subscriber nor AFX News warrants the completeness or accuracy of the Service or the suitability of the Service as a trading aid and neither accepts any liability for losses howsoever incurred. The content on this site, including news, quotes, data and other information, is provided by AFX News and its third party content providers for your personal information only, and neither AFX News nor its third party content providers shall be liable for any errors, inaccuracies or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. More On This Topic Subscriptions >	A file photo of an Augsburg Airways Dash 8-300, with the landing gear deployed. The second landing gear failure on a Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) de Havilland Canada Dash 8 (also known as a Bombardier Q400 following Bombardier's purchase of de Havilland Canada from Boeing) within the space of a week has prompted the grounding of many of the twin-engined turboprops. On September 9, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 1209 suffered a right landing gear failure during landing at Aalborg Airport, Denmark. A fire broke out during the crash, and five people sustained injuries. This was followed today by the similar crash of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2748 at Palanga Airport, Lithuania. No-one was injured. The accidents have resulted in Bombardier recommending the grounding of all Q400s, which have undertaken more than 60,000 flights, as a "precautionary measure". This affects leading carriers around the world, including SAS, Alaska Air 's Horizon Air subsidiary, Flybe, Japan Airlines, Austrian Airlines Group and Augsburg Airways, and covers around 60 aircraft. SAS and Horizon Air have grounded 27 and 15 aircraft respectively, while Flybe have grounded six. Another airline, Porter Airlines, which operates the type exclusively against any others, have pointed out that their aircraft have not undertaken enough flights to be affected by the measures. The landing gear are manufactured in the United States by Goodrich Corporation. One industry analyst, Cameron Doerksen, said that he felt that although the incidents and groundings obviously constitute bad publicity, he feels it would not influence the decision of a carrier considering whether to purchase Q400s. Bombardier declined 17 cents, or 2.7 percent, to C$6.23 on the Toronto Stock Exchange and SAS fell 6 kronor, or 4.8 percent, to 118 kronor in stock exchanging in Stockholm. Goodrich stock rose 19 cents to $64.96 on the New York Stock Exchange. The groundings have caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded every day. The cost to SAS alone is estimated at 10-15 million Swedish kronor per day.
Eureka! Unlocking Archimedes' ancient text Causing invisible ink to glow BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A particle accelerator is being used to reveal the long-lost writings of the Greek mathematician Archimedes, work hidden for centuries after a Christian monk wrote over it in the Middle Ages. Highly focused X-rays produced at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Menlo Park, California were used last week to begin deciphering the parts of the 174-page text that have not yet been revealed. The X-rays cause iron in the hidden ink to glow. "One of the delightful things is we don't know what it's going to say," said William Noel, head of the Archimedes Palimpsest project at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. Scholars believe the treatise was copied by a scribe in the 10th century from Archimedes' original Greek scrolls, written in the third century B.C. It was erased about 200 years later by a monk who reused the parchment for a prayer book, creating a twice-used parchment book known as a "palimpsest." In the 12th century, parchment -- scraped and dried animal skins -- was rare and costly, and Archimedes' works were in less demand. The palimpsest was bought at auction for $2 million in 1998 by an anonymous private collector who loaned it to the Baltimore museum and funded studies to reveal the text. About 80 percent of the text has been uncovered so far. "It's the only one that contains diagrams that may bear any resemblance to the diagrams Archimedes himself drew in the sand in Syracuse 2000 years ago," Noel said. Enter: the particle accelerator While reading an article on the text, Stanford physicist Uwe Bergmann realized he could use a particle accelerator to detect small amounts of iron in the ink. The electrons speeding along the circular accelerator emit X-rays that can be used to cause the iron to fluoresce or glow. "Anything which contains iron will be shown, and anything that doesn't contain iron will not be shown," Bergmann said. Bergmann normally uses the accelerator, in which electrons are pushed to near the speed of light, to study the structure of water, and how water is split to create oxygen during photosynthesis. Most of the text has been revealed by scientists at Johns Hopkins University and the Rochester Institute of Technology who used digital cameras and processing techniques as well as ultraviolet and infrared filters developed for medicine and space research. The so-called Archimedes Palimpsest includes the only copy of the treatise "Method of Mechanical Theorems," in which Archimedes explains how he used mechanical means to develop his mathematical theorems. It is also the only source in the original Greek for the treatise "On Floating Bodies," in which Archimedes deals with the physics of flotation and gravity. Three of the undeciphered pages were imaged last week, and the rest are expected to take three to four years to complete, Noel said. \|\|\|\|\| -Press Release Number: PR-SSRL-05-2 -Source: Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) / Stanford Linear Accelerator Center -Date issued: May 18, 2005 -Contact: Neil Calder, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center: 1 (650) 926-8707, neil.calder@slac.stanford.edu -Comment: Uwe Bergmann, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory: (650) 926-3048, bergmann@SLAC.Stanford.EDU Archimedes manuscript yields secrets under X-ray gaze By Heather Rock Woods For five days in May, the ancient collided with the ultra-modern at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), bringing brilliant, long-hidden ideas to light with brilliant X-ray light. A synchrotron X-ray beam at the Department of Energy facility illuminated an obscured work--erased, written over and even painted over--of ancient mathematical genius Archimedes, born 287 B.C. in Sicily. Archimedes' amazingly advanced ideas have been lost and found several times throughout the ages. Now scientists are employing modern technology--including X-ray fluorescence at SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL)--to completely read the Archimedes Palimpsest, the only source for at least two previously unknown treatises thought out by Archimedes in the third century B.C. "Synchrotron light has revolutionized our view into the sub-microscopic world and has contributed to major innovations in fields including solid-state physics, materials science, environmental sciences, structural biology and chemistry," explained Keith Hodgson, director of SSRL. "Synchrotron light is created when electrons traveling the speed of light take a curved path around a storage ring--emitting electromagnetic light in X-ray through infrared wavelengths. The resulting light beam has characteristics that make it ideal for revealing the intricate architecture and utility of many kinds of matter--in this case, the previously hidden work of one of the founding fathers of all science." Image 1. Abigail Quandt, head of book and paper conservation at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, places the palimpsest page in the X-ray beam at SSRL. Photo courtesy SLAC/Diana Rogers. Legend has it that Archimedes, upon displacing water in his tub and realizing he had found a way to measure volumes, leapt out of the bath and ran naked through the streets shouting 'Eureka!' (I have found it!). He also conceived a way to calculate pi, the mathematical equivalent of inventing the wheel. Archimedes did not just take steps toward calculus, as formerly believed; he actually created and used calculus methods, the basis for modern engineering and science. He is also credited with designing fearsome war weapons, such as claws that pulled attacking boats from the water. The palimpsest is a 1,000-year-old parchment made of goatskin containing Archimedes' work as laboriously copied down by a 10th century scribe. Two centuries later, with parchment harder to come by, the ink was erased with a weak acid (like lemon juice) and scraped off with a pumice stone, and the parchment was written on again to make a prayer book. One of the most intractable problems was seeing the original ink on four pages that had been painted over with Byzantine religious images, which turned out to be 20th century forgeries intended to increase the value of the prayer book. An X-ray system recently showed it was possible to penetrate the paintings. At SSRL, the assembled team practically jumped with excitement as the original writing beneath one painting was unveiled on the computer screens. Archimedes' hidden text deals with floating bodies and the equilibrium of planes. Image 2. One page of from the palimpsest shows the original painting and text. Credit: Image taken by the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Johns Hopkins University. Copyright resides with the owner of the Archimedes Palimpsest. Three pages of the palimpsest recently traveled to Menlo Park because SSRL staff scientist Uwe Bergmann had his own Eureka moment in 2003. From a magazine article, he learned the inks used for both the Archimedes and religious texts contained iron pigment. "I read that and I immediately thought we should be able to read the parchment with X-rays," Bergmann said. "That's what we do at SSRL--we measure iron in proteins--extremely smallconcentrations of iron." The intense synchrotron X-ray beam induces X-ray fluorescence--X-ray light tuned to a specific energy causes the remaining traces of iron ink to fluoresce. A detector catches the fluorescence and renders the 2,000-year-old thoughts of the mathematical genius readable. Like an old dot-matrix printer, the detector builds an image dot by dot, mapping out each speck of iron-containing ink. Where the two texts overlap (they are written perpendicular to each other) the iron signal is stronger , which may allow researchers to separate the two texts. "The Archimedes ink is only one to two microns thick--there's hardly anything there," said Abigail Quandt, head of book and paper conservation at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, which is leading a broad public and private effort involving experts from diverse fields to study and conserve the manuscript. "This is for broad public interest, to reveal the mind of the greatest mathematician of antiquity," said Will Noel, curator of manuscripts and rare books at the Walters Art Museum. "There's nothing more important and more romantic in the history of ancient science and currently in the history of medieval manuscripts. We're discovering new readings of Archimedes." Much of the manuscript has been read by visible or ultraviolet light during six years of painstaking analysis and restoration. For the rest, the main tools are X-ray fluorescence, optical character recognition (teaching a computer to recognize fragments of ancient Greek symbols) and multi-spectral imaging (using light of different wavelengths). Ametek-Edax of New Jersey makes an X-ray fluorescence system--which first revealed hints of text under the forged paintings--that could be installed at the museum to analyze pages that are too fragile to travel. Image 3. Detail of the same page after X-ray scanning revealed the original Greek text. Courtesy Will Noel, The Walters Art Museum. Another page studied at SSRL contains an introduction to the only copy of Archimedes' Method of Mechanical Theorems, where the genius showed how he arrived at his theorems. As ancient Greek cursive--mingled with the religious text--appeared on a screen, Stanford Classics and Philosophy Professor Reviel Netz began decoding the Archimedes text. He uses the four layers of text from the synchrotron images, which simultaneously register the scientific and religious texts from both sides of the parchment page, and multi-spectral images to build a picture of the 10th century pen strokes and rule out the curves and lines made two centuries later. "I don't think X-rays will make invisible material simply visible," Netz said. "It will add a layer of information combined with others that will enable me to read the text." An anonymous private collector who bought the palimpsest for $2 million at auction in 1998 has loaned the manuscript to the Walters Art Museum and is funding the studies. Researchers also come from RB Toth Associates, Rochester Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, ConocoPhillips and Rutgers University. The team plans to decipher the entire text, catalog and transcribe it digitally, and create an interactive DVD. They will then exhibit a few pages in 2008 before returning the irreplaceable parchment to its owner. - 30 - EDITORS LINE Photos are available on the web at http://newsphotos.stanford.edu. For photo with woman, manuscript and experimental set up, credit "SLAC/Diana Rogers." For palimpsest image, credit "Image taken by the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Johns Hopkins University. Copyright resides with the owner of the Archimedes Palimpsest." For X-ray detail of palimpsest, "Courtesy Will Noel, The Walters Art Museum." Relevant Web URLs: Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory: http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/ Stanford Linear Accelerator Center: http://www.slac.stanford.edu/ The Walters Art Museum: http://www.thewalters.org/archimedes/frame.html News Service website: http://www.stanford.edu/news/ Stanford Report (university newspaper): http://news.stanford.edu Most recent news releases from Stanford: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/html/releases.html To change contact information for these news releases: news-service@lists.stanford.edu Phone: (650) 723-2558	Scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Menlo Park, California are analyzing a 174-page text. The book had originally contained a copy of Archimedes' writings, but had been erased by a monk in the 12th century and reused as a prayer book. The particle accelerator is able to see small iron particles that were present in the original ink. The book is believed to have been originally copied from Archimedes' 3rd century BC Greek scrolls. About 80 percent of the text has been recovered, showing diagrams that may more closely resemble Archimedes' original work than has ever been seen before. The palimpsest includes "Method of Mechanical Theorems", a treatise that had been thought lost. In it, Archimedes describes his use of mechanics to establish his mathematical theorems. The palimpsest also includes the only original Greek version of "On Floating Bodies", which explains the physics of gravity and flotation. It is projected that it may take three to four years to complete imaging of the book.
Investors are concerned that financial markets will remain volatile. Asian markets have staged a tentative recovery in response to the US government rescue of insurance giant AIG, but investors remain nervous. Stocks in Tokyo, Taipei, and Seoul all rose, although share prices in Hong Kong and Australia lost ground after starting higher. The dollar also rose against major currencies. Investors are concerned that financial markets will remain unstable after the dramatic events of the past few days. AIG's bail-out follows the collapse of US investment giant Lehman Brothers, which caused share prices to plummet across the world's financial markets. Another investment bank, Merrill Lynch, has been sold off to Bank of America. Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended up 1.2% at 11,749.79, after hitting a three-year low on Tuesday. The index had earlier rose as much as 2.3%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 1.85% at 17,691.2 points after earlier rising as high 18,699.18. European markets are expected to open slightly higher amid relief that AIG wasn't allowed to go bankrupt. \|\|\|\|\| If A.I.G. had collapsed — and been unable to pay all of its insurance claims — institutional investors around the world would have been instantly forced to reappraise the value of those securities, and that in turn would have reduced their own capital and the value of their own debt. Small investors, including anyone who owned money market funds with A.I.G. securities, could have been hurt, too. And some insurance policy holders were worried, even though they have some protections. “It would have been a chain reaction,” said Uwe Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton University . “The spillover effects could have been incredible.” Financial markets, which on Monday had plunged over worries about A.I.G.’s possible collapse and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers , reacted with relief to the news of the bailout. In anticipation of a deal, stocks rose about 1 percent in the United States on Tuesday. Asian stock markets opened with strong gains on Wednesday morning, but the rally lost steam as worries returned about the extent of harm to the global financial system. Still, the move will likely start an intense political debate during the presidential election campaign over who is to blame for the financial crisis that prompted the rescue. Photo Representative Barney Frank , Democrat of Massachusetts and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke had not requested any new legislative authority for the bailout at Tuesday night’s meeting. “The secretary and the chairman of the Fed, two Bush appointees, came down here and said, ‘We’re from the government, we’re here to help them,’ ” Mr. Frank said. “I mean this is one more affirmation that the lack of regulation has caused serious problems. That the private market screwed itself up and they need the government to come help them unscrew it.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly criticized the rescue, calling the $85 billion a "staggering sum." Ms. Pelosi said the bailout was "just too enormous for the American people to guarantee." Her comments suggested that the Bush administration and the Fed would face sharp questioning in Congressional hearings. President Bush was briefed earlier in the afternoon. A major concern is that the A.I.G. rescue won’t be the last. At Tuesday night’s meeting. lawmakers asked if there was any way of knowing if this would be the final major government intervention. Mr. Bernanke and Mr. Paulson said there was not. Indeed, the markets remain worried about the financial condition of major regional banks as well as that of Washington Mutual , the nation’s largest thrift. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The decision was a remarkable turnaround by the Bush administration and Mr. Paulson, who had flatly refused over the weekend to risk taxpayer money to prevent the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the distressed sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America . Earlier this year, the government bailed out another investment bank, Bear Stearns , by engineering a sale to JPMorgan Chase that left taxpayers on the hook for up to $29 billion of bad investments by Bear Stearns. The government hoped at the time that this unusual step would both calm markets and lead to a recovery by the financial system. But critics warned at the time that it would only encourage others to seek bailouts, and the eventual costs to the government would be staggering. The decision to rescue A.I.G. came on the same day that the Fed decided to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2 percent, turning aside hopes by many on Wall Street that the Fed would try to shore up confidence by cutting rates once again. Fed and Treasury officials initially turned a cold shoulder to A.I.G. when company executives pleaded on Sunday night for the Fed to provide a $40 billion bridge loan to stave off a crippling downgrade of its credit ratings as a result of investment losses that totalled tens of billions of dollars. But government officials reluctantly backed away from their tough-minded approach after a failed attempt to line up private financing with help from JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs , which told federal officials they simply could not raise the money given both the general turmoil in credit markets and the specific fears of problems with A.I.G. The complexity of A.I.G.’s business, and the fact that it does business with thousands of companies around the globe, make its survival crucial at a time when there is stress throughout the financial system worldwide. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. “It’s the interconnectedness and the fear of the unknown,” said Roger Altman, a former Treasury official under President Bill Clinton . “The prospect of the world’s largest insurer failing, together with the interconnectedness and the uncertainty about the collateral damage — that’s why it’s scaring people so much.” Under the plan, the Fed will make a two-year loan to A.I.G. of up to $85 billion and, in return, will receive warrants that can be converted into common stock giving the government nearly 80 percent ownership of the insurer, if the existing shareholders approve. All of the company’s assets are being pledged to secure the loan. Existing stockholders have already seen the value of their stock drop more than 90 percent in the last year. Now they will suffer even more, although they will not be totally wiped out. The Fed was advised by Morgan Stanley , and A.I.G. by the Blackstone Group . Fed staffers said that they expected A.I.G. would repay the loan before it comes due in two years, either through the sales of assets or through operations. Photo Asked why Lehman was allowed to fail, but A.I.G. was not, a Fed staffer said the markets were more prepared for the failure of an investment bank. Robert B. Willumstad, who became A.I.G.’s chief executive in June, will be succeeded by Edward M. Liddy, the former chairman of the Allstate Corporation . Under the terms of his employment contract with A.I.G., Mr. Willumstad could receive an exit package worth as much as $8.7 million if his removal is determined to be “without cause,” according to an analysis by James F. Reda and Associates. A.I.G. is a sprawling empire built by Maurice R. Greenberg , who acquired hundreds of businesses all over the world until he was ousted amid an accounting scandal in 2005. Many of A.I.G.’s subsidiaries wrote insurance of various types. Others made home loans and leased aircraft. The diverse array of companies were more valuable under a single corporate parent like A.I.G., because their business cycles offset each other, giving A.I.G. a relatively smooth stream of revenue and income. Advertisement Continue reading the main story After Mr. Greenberg’s departure, A.I.G. restated its books over a five-year period and instituted conservative new accounting policies. But before the company could really rebuild itself, it became embroiled in the mortgage crisis. Some of its insurance companies ended up with mortgage-backed securities on their books, but the real trouble involved the insurance that its financial products unit offered investors for complex debt securities. Its stock tumbled faster this year as first the debt securities lost value, and then the insurance contracts, called credit default swaps , came under a cloud. The Fed’s extraordinary rescue of A.I.G. underscores how much fear remains about the destructive potential of the complex financial instruments, like credit default swaps, that brought A.I.G. to its knees. The market for such instruments has exploded in recent years, but it is almost entirely unregulated. When A.I.G. began to teeter in the last few days, it became clear that if it defaulted on its commitments under the swaps, it could set off a devastating chain reaction through the financial system. “We are witnessing a rather unique event in the history of the United States,” said Suresh Sundaresan, the Chase Manhattan Bank professor of economics and finance at Columbia University . He thought the near brush with catastrophe would bring about an acceleration of efforts within the Treasury and the Fed to put safety controls on the use of credit default swaps. “They’re going to tighten the screws and say, ‘We want some safeguards on this market,’ ” he said of the Fed and the Treasury. The swaps are not securities and are not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. And while they perform the same function as an insurance policy, they are not insurance in the conventional sense, so insurance regulators do not monitor them either. That situation set the stage for deep losses for all the countless investors and other entities that had entered into A.I.G.’s swap contracts. Of the $441 billion in credit default swaps that A.I.G. listed at midyear, more than three-quarters were held by European banks. “Suddenly banks would be holding a lot of bondlike instruments that were no longer insured,” Mr. Sundaresan said. “They would have to mark them down. And when they marked them down, they would require more capital. And then they would have to go out and raise capital in these markets, which is very difficult.” Mr. Sundaresan said that for a new market arrangement to succeed, it would have to create a clearinghouse to track swaps trading, and daily requirements to post collateral, so that a huge counterparty would not suddenly find itself having to come up with billions of dollars overnight, the way A.I.G. did.	Stock markets around the world, particularly those in the United States, have fallen dramatically today. This is due to the ongoing events in the financial world, including the bailout of large insurance firm by the US . The primary UK index, the , dropped in value by 2.36%, which is 118.40 points, to below the 5000 mark at 4907.20. The was down 2.62% at 16:08 , a slight increase from earlier today. The Dow Jones currently has a value of 10769.00 points. The index has fallen by 3.16% to 2138.14, while the Dax was 1.75% lower than the start of the day as of 16:08 UTC. The Japanese index the was one of the few to rise in value over the day. It ended up 1.2%, although this follows a large fall in the value of the index when it hit an all time low yesterday. Darren Winder, a market analyst from Cazenove, said that "I don't think anyone has got any or much confidence in market direction for more than a few days." A lot of today's activities in the market were related to the takeover of the (AIG) on Tuesday in an 85 billion loan, in exchange for a 79.9% stake in the company. The fact that AIG has thousands of divisions engaged in business across the globe sets them apart from the recent problems with other banks. AIG was built up over the last several years via the buyouts and mergers of many companies around the world, offering AIG's stockholders a diverse base of income which allowed it to steadily increase profits. In addition, the markets have also had difficulties during the past week after the refusal of the Federal Reserve to bail out , forcing the company to file for bankruptcy on Monday after (BoA) and pulled out of negotiations over the weekend.
St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated with corned beef and cabbage, soda bread and Irish beef stew and then wash it all down with a tall pint of Guinness. Those tried and true recipes are a tradition. But for those of you who really enjoy the green foods, gimmicky cocktails and desserts decorated with four leaf clovers and pots of gold, these are the recipes for you. Fulfill your Pinterest goals with these Instagram-worthy St. Patrick’s Day recipes. \|\|\|\|\| Palestinians celebrate Ramadan 2020 Smoked mackerels are seen before being sold during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians receive a portion of soup passed out to families in need on May 5 during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A man hands out meals for Palestinians to break their fast during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinian boys line up to receive a portion of soup. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians children receive soup during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians children receive soup during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians in need received soup during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A Palestinian boy showcases Chinese-made "fanous" lanterns for sale in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The lanterns are used as decoration to celebrate the start of Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians shop for the holiday, which is marked by fasting during the day. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Social distancing rules and shelter-in-place orders globally will force Muslims to celebrate Ramadan differently this year. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI The monthlong observance is among the most sacred practices. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A Palestinian baker prepares "Qatayef," traditional pancakes that are popular during holiday. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A vendor sells dried fruit. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A craftsman fashions a traditional "fanous." Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI The bright colors of a "fanous" give view to a lantern workshop. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI An overview of the empty plaza of the locked Al Aqsa Mosque compound, including the Dome of the Rock. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI More than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world are preparing for the holiest month of the year. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Ramadan is the holy month-long period when the faithful fast in a time of spiritual discipline and reflection. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Many Ramadan traditions will be altered for the pandemic, such as iftar, when the daily fast is broken, evening prayers at mosques, and Eid al-Fitr festivities at the end of the month. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI While some countries are locking down, Turkey plans to allow expatriates to return for the holy month. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI A woman walks through the Old City of Jerusalem wearing a mask. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Muslim clerics have announced the Al Aqsa Mosque will remain closed for the holy month, beginning the evening of April 23. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI A vendor wears a mask as shoppers visit his stand in preparation for Ramadan. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI	Mayra Ramirez, a 16 year old Chicago, USA student is blind. In order to graduate, she and dozens of other visually impaired students in Chicago schools are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam. "In other classes, you don't really feel different because you can do the work other people do," Ramirez said. "But in driver's ed, it does give us the feeling we're different. In a way, it brought me down, because it reminds me of something I can't do." Michael Vaughn, a spokesman for Chicago schools said, "I can't explain why up to this point no one has raised the issue and suggested a better way for visually impaired students to opt out of driver's ed." Blind students are typically told that they must take the class to graduate; although, by law, any parent can request a change in a disabled student's education plan. This law is rarely, if ever, disclosed to the students, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Thomas Cecil Gray born 11 March 1913; Prep School 1923-25; Junior House 1925-27; St Aidan's House September 1927-July 1931; novice Ampleforth Abbey 21 September-14 November 1931 - clothed as Br Thomas; University of Liverpool 1931-37; general practice 1937-41; Medical Corps 1942-44; Hon Anaesthetist to various hospitals 1940-47; Reader in Anaesthesia, The University of Liverpool 1947-59; Professor of Anaesthesia, The University of Liverpool 1959-76; Dean of Postgraduate Medical Studies 1966-70; Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1970-76; author of medical books; appointed CBE; appointed KCSG; married Marjorie Kathleen Hely (died 1978) 1937 (2 children); married Pamela Mary Corning 1979 (1 son); died 5 January 2008. Professor Cecil Gray was the pioneer of modern Anaesthetic techniques. Born in Liverpool in March 1913, he was in the Valley at Ampleforth for 8 years from 1923 to 1931. He was firstly for two years in the Prep School (1923-25), then two years in Junior House (1925-27), and then in St Aidan's House. He would have come to St Aidan's House in the second year after the foundation of the House system in 1926, being there from September 1927 to July 1931. After leaving school, he was a novice at Ampleforth, probably in September 1931 - staying for two months. There is an interview on a website [it appears to be dated 2007 and headed "The man who revolutionised anaesthetic practice"], he was asked if he was always destined for medicine, and he answered: "No, I originally intended to become a man of the cloth. I joined the order of monks at the Benedictine college of Ampleforth in Yorkshire, but after two months it became clear that this wasn't the vocation for me. I rethought my career and returned to my Liverpool home to pursue medicine" Cecil studied medicine at the University of Liverpool from 1931 to 1937, qualifying in medicine in 1937. From 1937 to 1941 he was in general practice. This was before the NHS, and Cecil was determined not to become a hospital doctor. His first job was as an assistant to a GP in a busy Liverpool practice. "I was paid only £50 a week, but I had a marvellous time and learnt so much". In 1938 he became seriously interested in anaesthetics while running my own general practice. It was common practice for GPs at that time to administer general anaesthesia to their own patients so this was his introduction to anaesthetics. He completed the diploma in anaesthesia under the instruction of Dr Robert J Minnitt, at that time the only anaesthetist in Liverpool with any real academic interest in the subject - anaesthesia was still regarded as a Cinderella specialty. In 1941 he sold his general practice to become a full time anaesthetist. In 1942 Cecil joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. "At the start of the second world war, I was training to become a full time hospital anaesthetist. I was accepted into the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1942 and sent over to north Africa, where I was an anaesthetist with a mobile neurosurgical unit. There were some desperate times where we worked through the night to treat the casualties of the battlefield, but there were also some times of great fun and camaraderie. Progress in the 20th century was unparalleled. The two world wars stimulated advancement in areas such as rehabilitation after injury, blood transfusion, anaesthesia, and chemotherapy". In 1947 Cecil returned to the University of Liverpool. He was to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and to be Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. Cecil Gray was Professor of Anaesthesia of the University of Liverpool from 1959 to 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed. " We introduced dtubocurarine hydrochloride to anaesthesia and our Liverpool technique was used for the first open heart surgery. The muscle relaxant effect of curare was so dramatic that the huge doses of anaesthesia that were used at that time to knock patients out were no longer required. The death rate before we introduced this technique was enormous. Patients died from the effects of ether or from inhaling their own vomit. I remember when we first used curare, we saw patients sitting up in bed reading The Echo shortly afterwards, and that was wonderful". Cecil Gray was appointed CBE by Her Majesty the Queen. In 1982 was honoured by the Pope with the award of KCSG (Knight Commander of St Gregory). In an interview he was asked about meeting the Pope and the Queen. He answered: " When I met Her Majesty the Queen in 1976 she was extremely gracious and kind. I was granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Pius XII in the early 1950s. I presented him with bound copies of all my publications to date. He said "For me? You have written all these? I will read them with great interest." Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. He continued to give occasional lectures at the university into his very late years. In 1937 he married Marjorie Kathleen Hely. They had a son, Dr David Gray (A56) and a daughter. Martjorie Kathleen died in 1978. In 1979 he married Pamela Mary Corning - they had one son. Cecil Gray had four grandchildren. The funeral of Cecil Gray is at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool on Saturday 26 January 2008. \|\|\|\|\| Anaesthetic pioneer dies TRIBUTES have been paid to Liverpool’s “pioneer of anaesthesia” Professor Thomas Cecil Gray CBE. Globally renowned for his work, the father-of-three died peacefully at his home last week. He was 94. After qualifying in medicine at Liverpool University in 1937, he became a GP before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. As head of anaesthesia at the university from 1959 to 1976, he pioneered the Liverpool Technique – based on unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation. A requiem mass service will be held at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Saturday. \|\|\|\|\| Thomas Cecil Gray, anaesthetist: born Liverpool 11 March 1913; Demonstrator in Anaesthesia, Liverpool University 1942, 1944-46, Reader in Anaesthesia, and Head of Department of Anaesthesia 1947-59, Professor of Anaesthesia 1959-76 (Emeritus), Dean of Postgraduate Medical Studies 1966-70, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1970-76; Editor, British Journal of Anaesthesia 1948-64; President, Anaesthesia Section, Royal Society of Medicine 1955-56; President, Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland 1957-59; Dean of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons of England 1964-67; CBE 1976; married 1937 Marjorie Hely (died 1978; one son, one daughter), 1979 Pamela Corning (one son); died Formby, Merseyside 5 January 2008. T. Cecil Gray, Professor of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University from 1959 to 1976, was one of the most influential and charismatic pioneers of this budding medical specialty in post-war Britain and abroad. Among his many achievements was the introduction of the muscle relaxant d-tubocurarine chloride, derived from the South American arrow poison curare, into general anaesthesia. It opened a vast scope of new options and possibilities for the rapid and dramatic development of surgery. This advance was based on years of research into the effects and safety of a class of drugs that are still in use today to relax the abdominal and thoracic muscles – essential for the performance of major surgery. Before the introduction of these drugs, relaxation of the muscles had to be provided by very deep anaesthesia with vapours such as ether, which caused a dangerously prolonged and unpleasant recovery. Mortality after anaesthesia was high. Gray was not the first to use relaxants in anaesthesia, but previously they had been used somewhat reluctantly, as mere supplements to the standard anaesthetic agents to provide increased relaxation of muscles as and when required by surgeons. The dose of relaxant had been very much limited by the fear that in depressing the action of the muscles of respiration, breathing would be adversely affected. However, Gray knew that anaesthetists had for several years been supporting respiration by inflating the lungs. He was able to show that by using larger doses of relaxants which completely stopped the breathing and by replacing spontaneous respiration with "manual ventilation of the lungs" the amount of drugs needed to provide sleep and freedom from the effects of reflex reaction to surgery could be greatly reduced. Patients were markedly safer during surgery and woke up almost immediately after the relaxant was reversed and the anaesthetic stopped. This turned out to be a paradigm shift and Gray's methods came to be recognised worldwide as the "Liverpool Technique". It took a decade or more of careful research, however, and the publication of several classic papers to convince anaesthetists of the advantages and safety of the new methods. Equally pioneering was Cecil Gray's contribution to postgraduate education in anaesthesia, in particular, the organisation of the first "day-release" course in Britain for junior anaesthetists preparing for their examinations. Gray's course attracted trainees to Merseyside from all over the UK, Europe, the Far East, the Middle East, Australia, Africa and India. Born in Liverpool in 1913, the only son of Thomas Gray and his wife Ethel (*ée Unwin), Thomas Cecil Gray was educated at the Benedictine college of Ampleforth in Yorkshire. On leaving school, thinking he might have a vocation, he joined the Ampleforth community as a novice monk. However, within two months, as he has recorded with characteristic good humour, it became clear to all but himself that, if he had a vocation, it was not as a man of the cloth. Thus he returned home to Liverpool, to the quiet disappointment of his mother and the unmistakable joy of his father. His education at Ampleforth having had a scientific slant, Gray then applied to read Medicine at Liverpool University. After graduating in 1937 – and engaged to be married – he joined a general practice as an assistant doctor. Early in 1939, encouraged and supported by his father, he purchased a practice in Wallasey. At that time anaesthesia in most hospitals was administered by general practitioners who, although the remuneration was minimal, welcomed the occasional part-time association with the hospitals and their personnel. Gray, quickly fascinated by anaesthesia, soon came under the influence of R.J. Minnitt, another GP, but one with an established anaesthetic practice at the Liverpool Northern Hospital. Minnitt, seemingly recognising promise and commitment, suggested that Gray should work with him for two half-days a week and thus accumulate the 500 anaesthetics – 250 for major surgery and 250 for minor surgery – required for the Diploma in Anaesthetics (DA). With the outbreak of the Second World War, Gray was rejected for service on account of the asthma which had blighted his life since childhood. On obtaining the DA in 1941, he sold his practice and became, like Minnitt, one of the few full-time anaesthetists in Liverpool. At the same time, he accepted an appointment as part-time Demonstrator in Anaesthesia at Liverpool University. However, in November 1942, feeling fit enough for service, he volunteered for another medical and within a short time was on his way by troopship to join a mobile neurosurgical unit in North Africa. In 1944 he became critically ill with bronchopneumonia and, having been treated and saved by injections of what he described as "trial samples" of crystalline penicillin, he was invalided out of active service and sent home to England. After a short convalescence, he resumed his hospital and university practice. Another hospital anaesthetist at that time, John Halton (1903-68), was on friendly terms with the officers at the American Air Force base at Burtonwood, a few miles outside Liverpool. Both he and Gray had heard of the use of the muscle relaxant curare by Harold Griffiths and others in Canada and the United States, and he persuaded his American friends to procure some for him and Gray with which to experiment. The curare was forthcoming and the eventual result of their research was the joint paper "A Milestone in Anaesthesia" presented to the Section of Anaesthesia of the Royal Society of Medicine in May 1946. In 1947, Gray was appointed full-time Reader in Anaesthesia at Liverpool and, within a few years, he had created one of the leading anaesthetic departments in the country such that, in 1959, the university rewarded him with a personal chair. Under Gray and the talented team he had enticed into the department, Liverpool attracted anaesthetists from around the world who came to learn and practice the Liverpool Technique. Many returned home to establish their own departments of anaesthesia based on the Liverpool model. Gray was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians as well as the Colleges of Anaesthesia of Australia and New Zealand and the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He received the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine in London and awards from numerous societies including several in the US. He edited several textbooks which went to many editions and was Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. In 1966, in recognition of his commitment to and concern for postgraduate education, Gray was appointed Postgraduate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Liverpool University, the first occupant of this post in Merseyside. He closed a distinguished academic career as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, 1970-76. Cecil Gray was a strong, independent and open-minded character, a proud Liverpudlian and a devout Catholic. An enthusiastic host and an entertaining guest, he had a passion for music and opera and possessed a library of books that reflected his wide, eclectic tastes. He was also an accomplished pianist. In retirement he took an active part in university affairs, regularly attended the University Court until a few years ago. He continued writing well into his eighties and in 2003 published Dr Richard Formby, a biography of the founder of the Liverpool Medical School. Martin Leuwer, Raymond Ahearn and Tony Gilbertson	Pioneer modern Anaesthetic techniques Thomas Cecil Gray, born 11 March 1913 in Liverpool, died peacefully 5 January 2008 at home in Formby. A requiem mass was held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on 26 January 2008. Born in Liverpool in 1913, educated at Ampleforth College, he qualified in medicine at The University of Liverpool in 1937. He began his career as a General Practitioner before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. He later returned to the University to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and was made Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed as a result. Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. Until recently Professor Gray continued to give occasional lectures at the university. Professor Gray was presented with a CBE by Queen Elizabeth and in 1982 was honoured by Pope John Paul II who made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. In 2007 the Liverpool Echo included him in its list of the 800 greatest Liverpudlians, as part of Liverpools 800th anniversary. Married twice. He married his first wife Marjorie Kathleen Hely in 1937 they had 2 children, she died in 1978; He married Pamela Mary Corning in 1979, they had 1 son. He had four grandchildren.
Former World Cup referee arrested in NYC NEW YORK — A former referee involved in Italy's controversial elimination from the 2002 World Cup was caught at Kennedy Airport with bags of heroin attached to his body, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Byron Moreno late Monday after he arrived in New York on a commercial flight from his native Ecuador. During a routine inspection, Moreno "became visibly nervous," according to a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn. A customs agent felt "hard objects on the defendant's stomach, back and both of his legs," the complaint said. A strip search revealed that the lumps were 10 clear plastic bags containing more than 10 pounds of heroin, it said. A judge jailed Moreno without bail on a drug smuggling charge. There was no immediate response to a message left Tuesday with his attorney. Moreno enraged Italian fans in 2002 when he ejected Francesco Totti, giving the Italian a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area 13 minutes into overtime of 2-1 loss to South Korea in the World Cup's second round. "I think Moreno already had the (heroin) in 2002, but not in his underwear, in his body," said Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who started that game. "Joking aside, when sports people get involved in drug cases it means they're scraping the bottom of the barrel. "It also means they've lost the real meaning of the sport, which is also to save kids from the street and various dangers, like drugs," Buffon said. In 2003, Ecuadorean soccer officials suspended Moreno for 20 games after a game there drew complaints about him from both teams. He resigned a short time later. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| provides the best breaking news online and our Our provides the best breaking news online and ourfootball fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again! Controversial former referee Byron Moreno, who was at the centre of the 2002 World Cup refereeing scandal, has been arrested at John F. Kennedy airport, New York, for allegedly being in possession of six kilograms of heroin.Moreno had the drug concealed in his underwear as he passed through security, according to Cre.com.ec and Rainews.The Ecuadorian is best remembered for refereeing the infamous second round game at the 2002 World Cup between co-hosts South Korea and Italy.The 2002 competition has gone down in infamy due to the huge number of refereeing mistakes that helped eliminate a string of top nations, and also ensured that Korea made it all the way to the semi-finals.During their final two group games against Croatia and Mexico, Italy had four perfectly good goals disallowed, but somehow managed to scrape through to the second round where they met South Korea. Against Guus Hiddink’s men, Moreno chalked off another valid Italy goal, a golden goal from Damiano Tommasi which would have taken them to the next round. Francesco Totti was sent off for diving when replays suggested he had lost his footing, while the Koreans - who repeatedly went unpunished for apparent foul play - were awarded a controversial penalty for a Christian Panucci tugging offence. Italy eventually lost after Ahn Jung-Hwan’s golden winner, but the match and Moreno represent a black mark in Italian sport.Moreno would later that year receive a 20 match ban after he played an extra 13 minutes of stoppage time during an Ecuadorian league match between Deportiva Universita de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club. During this time Deportiva scored twice to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory. After retuning from his suspension, Moreno was suspended again after controversially sending off three players in one match. He retired from officiating shortly after.Today's events will undoubtedly hit the headlines all over Italy.	Moreno was arrested at , a former Ecuadorian who officiated at the , has been arrested for suspected . Moreno was arrested at after he arrived on a flight from Ecuador. During a routine check, security found 10 clear bags containing nearly 10 pounds of . The drugs had been strapped to his body and concealed in his underwear. In a complaint filed in a federal court it said that during the inspection Moreno "became visibly nervous." It also said "A customs agent felt hard objects on the defendant's stomach, back and both of his legs. A strip search revealed that the lumps were 10 clear plastic bags containing more than 10 pounds of heroin". A judge jailed Moreno without bail on charges of drug smuggling. Moreno is most well remembered after he refereed the World Cup second round match between Italy and host's South Korea. Moreno had disallowed a valid Italian goal and sent off Italian striker for apparent diving. He also failed to call any attention to any of the South Korean's foul play. Moreno resigned from refereeing in 2003.
After dropping two points at home to Israel, the pressure was on Brian Kerr's men and it increased when the Faroes held them to 0-0 at half-time. But Harte's 51st minute penalty, after keeper Jakup Mikkelsen had brought down Stephen Elliott, calmed the nerves. Seven minutes later Kilbane's shot went in off home skipper Oli Johannesen. The Irish endured an uncomfortable opening 45 minutes in miserable, wet conditions and on a bumpy Torsvollur stadium pitch. Hedin Lakjuni came within a whisker of opening the scoring midway through the half, while Stephen Elliott, making his first competitive start, clipped the crossbar just before the break. The Republic got the breakthrough when Harte fired home his second goal in four days, and the 11th of his international career. Elliott did the work, winning a penalty as he was brought down by Mikkelsen, and up stepped Harte to convert his first penalty since missing a crucial one in the second round of the 2002 World Cup finals against Spain. The much-needed victory was secured when Johan Byrial Hansen headed clear an Andy Reid cross, it fell to Kilbane for a 25-yard drive which took a wicked deflection off captain Johannesen. The victory in Torshavn means the Republic of Ireland are on top of a competitive qualifying group going into the summer break. France, Switzerland and Israel are all challenging Ireland for the one automatic place in Germany 2006 with the runners-up going into a play-off. Ireland have home games against France and Switzerland to come plus the trip to Cyprus. Faroe Islands: Mikkelsen, Hansen, Danielsen, Johannesen, Olsen, Rogvi Jacobsen (Christian Hogni Jacobsen 59), Benjaminsen (Borg 80), Johnsson, Lakjuni, Jorgensen (Akselsen 80), Flotum. Subs Not Used: Horg, Frederiksberg, Knudsen, Hojsted. Booked: Lakjuni, Benjaminsen, Mikkelsen. Rep of Ireland: Given, Carr, O'Shea, Cunningham, Harte, Andy Reid, Roy Keane, Kilbane, Duff, Morrison (Doherty 80), Elliott. Subs Not Used: McCarthy, Holland, Steven Reid, Kavanagh, Kenny, Lee. Booked: Roy Keane. Goals: Harte 51 pen, Kilbane 58. Att: 4,500 Ref: Anton Guenov (Bulgaria). \|\|\|\|\| 51 mins ago Steve McClaren: Fan chants are one of the perils of being a manager Steve McClaren has insisted he will not walk about from his job as Newcastle's head coach with the club in a Barclays Premier League relegation tailspin. 1 hour, 3 mins ago Guus Hiddink thinks today's draw with Stoke signals the end of Chelsea's Champions League hopes Guus Hiddink wrote off Chelsea's chances of reaching the top four following the 1-1 draw with Stoke. 1 hour, 13 mins ago Slaven Bilic told his side to play 'less sexy' football in West Ham comeback West Ham manager Slaven Bilic admits even he did not know what to do when Dimitri Payet's last-minute winner went in to keep their Champions League dreams on track.	Having drawn with Israel twice in their last two games, the Republic of Ireland football squad have received a much needed confidence boost. They beat the Faroe Islands 2-nil away to earn the three points which takes them to the top of Group 4; one ahead of Switzerland. However the Irish have seven games played - one more than most of the other Group four members. After a fruitless first half, Ireland gained the upper hand in the 51st minute thanks to a solid penalty taken by Ian Harte. The penalty was given after the home team's keeper, Jakup Mikkelsen, brought down Stephen Elliott. The second goal came shortly after when Kevin Kilbane found the back of the net to finally settle the Irish nerves.
By Yinka Adegoke and Gabriel Madway NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple introduced a smaller version of its popular iPod Shuffle music player on Wednesday with a new feature that tells the user what song is playing. The new 4-gigabyte gadget costs $79, is half the size of the previous Shuffle, and carries up to 1,000 songs -- twice as many as the last generation of the device. All of the controls on the new Shuffle have been moved from the device to the earphone cord. The new VoiceOver feature announces songs and playlists to users in 14 different languages, according to Apple, whose shares rose 4.5 percent. The voice function is particularly useful on the Shuffle, which does not have a display screen like most iPods or other digital music players. Needham & Co analyst Charles Wolf said the new Shuffle design was appealing and called the voice function a "nice a little gimmick. It shows that Apple intends to keep that piece of the portfolio going. They're going to continue to innovate, upgrade the sub-$100 device." "It won't necessarily stimulate sales, but it clearly will keep sales of the Shuffle going forward," he said. The VoiceOver feature works by synchronizing with iTunes software, which installs a voice kit on the user's computer. VoiceOver can also tell a user how much battery life remains. "You previously couldn't have multiple playlists on the iPod Shuffle because you couldn't really switch between them as there was no way to know how you would switch," said Greg Joswiak, Apple vice president of iPod marketing, told Reuters. "So now instead of seeing, you get to hear." Although Apple does not break out Shuffle sales, Needham's Wolf estimated some 7.5 million units were sold in the December quarter, it's biggest-selling quarter. Apple sold 22.7 million iPod units overall in the period. The third generation of iPod Shuffle will be the world's tiniest music player, smaller than an AA battery. It comes in two colors, silver and black. Apple will continue to sell the second-generation version of the 1-gigabyte, 240-song Shuffle for $49. but phase out the 2-gigabyte Shuffle, which sells for $69. The iPod music player has played an important role in the revival of Apple's fortunes. The company has sold more than 200 million iPods since they launched in 2001. It launched the first Shuffle in January 2005. The refreshed Shuffle comes just a week after the company updated its line of Mac desktop computers. Apple refreshed it MacBook laptop computers last fall. Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple rose $3.97 to $92.59 in early afternoon trading on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Yinka Adegoke and Gabriel Madway; Editing by Derek Caney, Steve Orlofsky and Jeffrey Benkoe) \|\|\|\|\| It’s a new recession iPod. Apple on Wednesday rolled out the third generation of its low-end iPod shuffle, which has speech-based functions that tell users what song is playing and who is singing it. The VoiceOver technology on the $79 device, which the Cupertino company calls the world’s smallest digital music player, also recites the names of playlists, giving users a new way to navigate their music on the screenless iPod. The new shuffle, which holds up to 1,000 songs, can tell users other information as well, such as how much battery life remains. In addition to English, it can communicate in 13 other languages, including Mandarin, Japanese, Turkish, German and French. And it’s about half the size of the previous model, smaller than a AA battery. “These are exactly the kinds of products you need to come up with in the midst of a recession,” Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg said. “It’s not a stripped-down experience. It has a new cool user interface that isn’t even on the high-end iPods. Apple has worked hard not to make this a race to the bottom.” Apple launched the first of its iPod line during the last economic downturn, in 2001. The new 4-gigabyte device — which costs $10 more than the second-generation model it replaces, which had half the capacity — will give a “small boost” to the company’s bottom line, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors. The high-margin shuffle could nudge iPod sales for the current quarter from 9.5 million to 10 million, he said. Munster said the new shuffle indicates that innovative tinkering continues at Infinite Loop. “Following a disappointing Macworld, investors had been wondering what was next for Apple,” he wrote. “The shuffle is a small part of the overall story but the innovation we are seeing is encouraging for future product development.” Munster sees a possible launch of a 10-inch touch-screen tablet-type device or low-end MacBook next year. The new shuffle comes in two colors, silver and black. Apple is still selling the 1GB shuffle, which plays about 240 songs and comes in an array of colors, for $49, without any upgrades. Contact John Boudreau at jboudreau@mercurynews.com or (408) 278-3496.	A second-generation iPod Shuffle. Yesterday, Apple Computer revealed the third-generation version of its iPod Shuffle model, which introduces new features including a voice that tells the user what song is playing in their playlist through the user's headphones. Apple stated that the iPod will have 4 gigabytes of space, which is enough to hold approximately 1,000 songs, twice as much as the second-generation Shuffle. In the announcement of the device, Apple told the media that the new voice system, called "VoiceOver", will completely replace all of the button controls on the device, and will allow the user to find information about the current song, playlist, and the current battery life remaining. It will be available in 14 languages, which include English, Japanese, German, and French. The new model is also about two times smaller than the second-generation Shuffle, being described as slightly smaller than the size of a AA Battery. "You previously couldn't have multiple playlists on the iPod Shuffle because you couldn't really switch between them as there was no way to know how you would switch. So now instead of seeing, you get to hear," said Greg Joswiak, the Vice President of iPod Marketing at Apple. The new iPod was stated to be available in two colors, silver and black, and is expected to be priced at $79, $10 higher than the previous model. The current second-generation's 1 gigabyte and 2 gigabyte models will continue to be sold after the release of the device. "These are exactly the kinds of products you need to come up with in the midst of a recession. It's not a stripped-down experience. It has a new cool user interface that isn't even on the high-end iPods. Apple has worked hard not to make this a race to the bottom," said a market analyst for Jupiter Research.
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Long, undulating features on the northern plains of Mars probably are remnants of shorelines of an ocean that covered a third of the planet's surface at least 2 billion years ago, scientists said on Wednesday. The geological features, stretching thousands of miles (kilometers), were first revealed in the 1980s in Viking spacecraft images. But topographical data collected by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor in the 1990s cast doubt on whether the features truly marked a long-gone sea coast. The Global Surveyor found big, mountain-sized variations in elevation along the suspected shorelines, whereas a shoreline should be a constant elevation matching sea level. But scientists writing in the journal Nature said the movement of the Martian poles and also the planet's spin axis by roughly 2,000 miles in the past 2 billion to 3 billion years would have triggered deformation of surface features just like that seen in the suspected coastlines. "The pole moves and it warps the shorelines," planetary scientist Taylor Perron of Harvard University, the study's lead author, said in a telephone interview. "We have don't have direct confirmation that there were oceans because, of course, the water isn't there any more. But what we've done is to eliminate one of the main reasons to doubt that they were ever there." Earth's poles also have moved in the past. At some point, a big shift of mass on Mars caused its north pole to shift 50 degrees toward its present location and the planet's change in orientation changed the topography of the shorelines, said physicist Jerry Mitrovica of the University of Toronto, one of the researchers. A MARTIAN PACIFIC Continued... \|\|\|\|\| Mars Probably Once Had A Huge Ocean Science Daily UC Berkeley geophycists are providing strong evidence that Mars once had an ocean. Naysayers have argued that what appear to be ancient coastlines near the North Pole are too warped to be true seashores. The researchers claim, however, that this anomaly resulted from the tilt of Mars' spin axis 2 to 3 billion years ago, possibly because the weight of surface water made the planet tip like a weighted top. Mars with an ocean. A view of Mars as it might have appeared more than 2 billion years ago, with a low-latitude ocean filling the lowland basin that now occupies the north polar region. Topographic deformation of features that ring the basin, which are hypothesized to be shorelines formed by an ancient ocean, suggests that Mars experienced significant true polar wander -- reorientation of the planet relative to its rotation axis -- that brought the planet into its present rotational state. The margins of the ocean shown here account for the topographic deformation that would have resulted from this reorientation. Sinuous features near the top of the image are valleys carved by large floods that may have supplied the ocean water. The image was generated using Viking Orbiter images and topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. (Credit: Taylor Perron/UC Berkeley) Mars with an ocean. A view of Mars as it might have appeared more than 2 billion years ago, with a low-latitude ocean filling the lowland basin that now occupies the north polar region. Topographic deformation of features that ring the basin, which are hypothesized to be shorelines formed by an ancient ocean, suggests that Mars experienced significant true polar wander -- reorientation of the planet relative to its rotation axis -- that brought the planet into its present rotational state. The margins of the ocean shown here account for the topographic deformation that would have resulted from this reorientation. Sinuous features near the top of the image are valleys carved by large floods that may have supplied the ocean water. The image was generated using Viking Orbiter images and topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. (Credit: Taylor Perron/UC Berkeley) A paper in Nature by University of California, Berkeley, geophysicists demolishes one of the key arguments against the past presence of large oceans on Mars. Even from Earth, a large plain surrounding the planet's north pole looks like a sediment-filled ocean basin. In the 1980s, Viking spacecraft images revealed two possible ancient shorelines near the pole, each thousands of kilometers long with features like those found in Earth's coastal regions. The shorelines - Arabia and the younger Deuteronilus - date from between 2 and 4 billion years ago. In the 1990s, however, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mapped the Martian topography to a resolution of 300 meters, and found that the shoreline varies in elevation by several kilometers (more than a mile), rising and falling like a wave with several thousand kilometers from one peak to the next. Because shoreline elevations on Earth, measured relative to sea level, are typically constant, many experts rejected the notion that Mars once had oceans. UC Berkeley scientists have now discovered that these undulating Martian shorelines can be explained by the movement of Mars' spin axis, and thus its poles, by nearly 3,000 kilometers along the surface sometime within the past 2 or 3 billion years. Because spinning objects bulge at their equator, this so-called "true polar wander" could have caused shoreline elevation shifts similar to those observed on Mars. "When the spin axis moves relative to the surface, the surface deforms, and that is recorded in the shoreline," said study coauthor Michael Manga, UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science. "On planets like Mars and Earth that have an outer shell, or lithosphere, that behaves elastically, the solid surface will deform differently than the sea surface, creating a non-uniform change in the topography," added primary author Taylor Perron, a former UC Berkeley graduate student now a postdoctoral fellow in Harvard University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Perron's calculations show that the resistance of Mars' elastic crust could create several-kilometer elevation differences for features like a shoreline, in accord with topographic measurements. The Arabia shoreline varies in elevation by about 2.5 kilometers, while the Deuteronilus shoreline varies by about 0.7 kilometers. "This is a beautiful result that Taylor got. The mere fact that you can explain a good fraction of the information about the shorelines with such a simple model is just amazing. It's something I never would have guessed at the outset," said co-author Mark Richards, professor of earth and planetary science and dean of mathematical and physical sciences at UC Berkeley. Richards goes so far as to add, "This really confirms that there was an ocean on Mars." Richards pointed out that the tilt of the rotation axis of a planet actually remains fixed relative to the sun, but the crust moves relative to this axis. The question remains: What caused Mars' rotation axis to move relative to the crust" Any major shift of mass on a planet - within the mantle, or between the mantle and the crust to form a volcano, or even via impact from outer space - could cause a shift of the rotation axis because a spinning planet is most stable with its mass farthest from its spin axis. Richards has modeled true polar wander in Earth's past that was generated by the upwelling of hot mantle in the interior of the planet, which some scientists claim shifted our planet's rotation axis 90 degrees some 800 million years ago, tipping the planet on its side. Perron, Manga, Richards and their colleagues calculate that on Mars, an initial shift of 50 degrees from today's pole, equal to about 3,000 kilometers on the surface, would be sufficient to disrupt the Arabia shoreline, while a subsequent shift of 20 degrees from today's pole, or 700 kilometers, would have altered the Deuteronilus shoreline. Interestingly, today's pole and the two ancient poles lie in a straight line equidistant from the planet's biggest feature, the Tharsis rise, a bulge just north of the equator that contains Mars' most recent volcanic vent, Olympus Mons. Tharsis is the largest volcano in the solar system, and formed about 4 billion years ago, not long after Mars solidified. Dynamically, the relative positions of Tharsis and the pole path is exactly what would be expected for any mass shift on Mars that is smaller than the Tharsis rise, since the planet would reorient in a way that keeps Tharsis on the equator. "This alignment is unlikely to occur by coincidence," the team wrote. Manga has a hunch about the mass shift that precipitated the tilt of Mars' rotation axis. If a flood of water had filled the Arabia ocean about 3 billion years ago, to a depth some have calculated at up to several kilometers, that mass at the pole might have been enough to shift the pole 50 degrees to the south. Once the water disappeared, the pole could have shifted back, then shifted again by 20 degrees during the deluge that created the Deuteronilus shoreline. Because it's unclear whether the two shorelines represent separate inundations or whether one is the receded shoreline of a larger sea, an alternative scenario features the Arabia ocean receding to the Deuteronilus shoreline, shifting the pole from 50 to 20 degrees. Then, once the Arabia ocean disappears entirely, the pole returns to its current position. Richards is skeptical of this, however, pointing out that thermal convection within the hot interior of Mars could also have caused the poles to wander. "There must certainly be thermal convection in Mars now because Olympus Mons had new lava flows very recently, within the last 100 million years," he said. "But the jury's still out." Manga said, too, that the source of the water, while unknown, must have produced a deluge greater than any observed on Earth, since huge canyons are cut in the flanks of the Tharsis rise. The water may have evaporated, but it may also have sunk back into underground dikes, frozen near the surface but possibly liquid below. The study, whose coauthors include Jerry X. Mitrovica and Isamu Matsuyama, will appear in the June 14 issue of the British journal Nature. Mitrovica, who is with the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and was a visiting Miller Professor at UC Berkeley, and Matsuyama, who is with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Washington, D.C., have developed models for the effect of polar wander and internal dynamic processes on the surface deformation of Mars. 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:	Mars University of California, Berkeley scientists have published a report in ''Nature'' that says Mars was once covered by massive oceans. In the 1980's the Viking spacecraft sent back images to NASA that had shown thousands of kilometers of ancient shorelines, known as Arabia and Deuteronilus, on the north and south poles of Mars, but the Mars Global Surveyor got a closer look of the shorelines and photographed a 300 meter length of the two shorelines in the 1990's. Those images had shown that the alleged shorelines were too warped and rugged to have been created by water or an ocean. But the new study now shows that due to a tilting in the axis of Mars by nearly 3,000 kilometers over a period of 2 or 3 billion years, the shorelines might actually have to be more rugged as the water settled, creating land formations that would rise and fall during this process. "When the spin axis moves relative to the surface, the surface deforms, and that is recorded in the shoreline,"said Michael Manga, a UC Professor and a co-author of the study. "On planets like Mars and Earth that have an outer shell, or lithosphere, that behaves elastically, the solid surface will deform differently than the sea surface, creating a non-uniform change in the topography," said Taylor Perron the primary author of the study and who is now attending classes Harvard University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences to receive his postdoctoral degree. Mars is said to have an elastic crust and the study shows why the shorelines vary so much in elevation with Arabia at 2.5 kilometers and Deuteronilus at 0.7 kilometers. "This is a beautiful result that Taylor got. The mere fact that you can explain a good fraction of the information about the shorelines with such a simple model is just amazing. It's something I never would have guessed at the outset. This really confirms that there was an ocean on Mars," said Mark Richards, a professor at UC Berkley of earth and planetary science and study co-author. The study says that as little as a 50 degree shift in the Martian axis, could cause a significant change in the elevation of the shorelines of Arabia, as much as 3,000 k.m.. As little as a 20 degree shift could do the same with Deuteronilus, but with a 700 k.m. change in the shoreline elevation. It is estimated that the shorelines on Mars were created between 2 and 4 billion years ago.
Sunday's attack is Pakistan's third suicide bombing in as many days Scores of people were hurt in the blast, near the town of Dara Adam Khel. Officials say that the blast happened as the elders were discussing the security situation in the area. The town, which is 40km (25 miles) south of the city of Peshawar, was the scene of fierce clashes between troops and militants in January. At least 13 troops and 70 militants were killed after militants occupied a Japanese-built road tunnel. Correspondents say the border areas of North West Frontier Province are a hotbed of militancy and a feeding ground for the Taleban and al-Qaeda, and have seen growing violence directed at Pakistani government forces. But Islamists were beaten by secular parties in the tribal regions and in neighbouring North West Frontier Province in the recent parliamentary elections. Body parts The attack took place when tribal elders and officials had gathered for a traditional jirga, or assembly, to discuss increased Taleban activity in the area. They had just finished their discussions when the bomb went off, local official Khalid Khan told AFP news agency. Reports said a young man went up to the elders and blew himself up. "It was a huge explosion and left body parts and blood scattered on the ground," Ramin Khan, who was injured in the blast, told the Associated Press news agency. Doctors said many of the injured were in a critical condition and the death toll could rise. It is the third attack in as many days in north-west Pakistan. On Friday, a suicide bomber attacked a funeral in the troubled Swat valley, killing at least 38 people. \|\|\|\|\| At least 30 people were killed and up to 40 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a traditional tribal meeting in north-western Pakistan on Sunday, officials said. Pakistan is in the middle of a wave of violence blamed on al Qaeda-linked militants based in tribal lands on the Afghan border and there have been three suicide attacks in as many days. Over 500 people have been killed in militant related violence this year alone. A top government official in Darra Adam Kheil tribal region told Reuters the bomber detonated a device while tribal elders were holding an outdoor "jirga", or traditional meeting. "They were finalising the formation of a committee of locals to take steps against miscreants and help the government," said Kamran Zaib, a government official. "So far 30 people are confirmed killed and up to 40 wounded." Local television showed pictures of residents and authorities cleaning up the blast site, a shady clearing surrounded by tall trees with a backdrop of rugged mountains. Piles of torn clothing and bloody Muslim prayer caps were mixed up with the shattered remains of "charpoys", wood and rope daybeds. Zaib said a head and identity card found at the scene were believed to belong to the bomber. A suicide attack on a police funeral in north-west Pakistan killed at least 38 people on Friday, while on Monday the army's top medical officer was killed in a bomb attack in Rawalpindi. The escalating violence has raised concern about the stability of the nuclear armed state as it passes through a period of political transition, with doubts over how long President Pervez Musharraf can hold onto power after his allies lost a parliamentary election on February 18. Militants intensified their suicide bomb campaign after the army stormed Islamabad's Red Mosque last July to crush a militant student movement. REUTERS \|\|\|\|\| ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - At least 39 people were killed and scores more injured when a suicide bomber attacked a traditional tribal meeting in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, officials said. Pakistan is in the middle of a wave of violence blamed on al Qaeda-linked militants based in tribal lands on the Afghan border and there have been three suicide attacks in as many days. Over 500 people have been killed in militant related violence this year alone. A top government official in Darra Adam Kheil tribal region told Reuters the bomber detonated a device while tribal elders were holding an outdoor "jirga", or traditional meeting. "They were finalising the formation of a committee of locals to take steps against miscreants and help the government," said Kamran Zaib, a government official. A security official who asked not to be identified put the number of dead at 39. Local television showed pictures of residents and authorities cleaning up the blast site, a shady clearing surrounded by tall trees with a backdrop of rugged mountains. Piles of torn clothing and bloody Muslim prayer caps were mixed up with the shattered remains of "charpoys", wood and rope daybeds. "I saw three persons...all of them were not locals. The youngest one walked straight toward elders and blew himself up in the middle of them," said Naimat Khan, a witness. Continued...	A bomb in Pakistan has killed at least 40 people and injured several more. The attack took place on the outskirts of Dara Adamkhel, a town which is close to the border with Afghanistan. It has been reported that the bombing may have been a suicide attack, although that has not yet been confirmed. A Pakistani official at the scene said that "at this point, we the Pakistani government have reports of over 40 dead and scores of wounded." The Pakistani Interior Ministry spokesman said that "we the Interior Ministry are trying to get information. Initial reports suggest it was suicide attack." The bomb exploded during a jirga, or tribal meeting, regarding security in the northwestern Pakistani town. Dara Adamkhel is located about 40 km away from Peshawar, the provincial capital.
Red bib This prize is awarded at the end of each stage by a jury comprising eight specialists in cycling. A “super-combativity” prize is also awarded at the end of the last stage of the Tour. \|\|\|\|\| Contador set to win Tour - and Astana battle MONT VENTOUX, France — Alberto Contador is basking in double satisfaction: the Tour de France victory is an easy ride away, and he's pulled it off in spite of his own team — and Lance Armstrong. The 26-year-old Spaniard all but secured a second victory in cycling's main event on Saturday, by fending off challengers in the race climax on one of France's toughest climbs: Mont Ventoux. Armstrong, the seven-time champion, will be on podium for an eighth time, but he's third — not on the step he had aimed for. When he sees Contador in the yellow jersey on the Champs-Elysees, Armstrong — after not-so-subtle verbal jabs against the Spaniard during the three-week race — could very well be green. In the heat of the race, Contador had sought to play down the differences in their Kazakh Astana team, dodging or downplaying questions about "tension" that Armstrong evoked. With victory nearly certain, the Spaniard opened up a bit. "My conscience is very clear because in the end I have run two races, one on the bike and one at the team hotel," he said on Spanish broadcaster TVE after Saturday's ride. Contador knew his task at the Tour would be tricky when the Texan announced last year he was coming back from retirement to join his old mentor, Johan Bruyneel, at the Astana team. The Belgian strategist had been training Contador as his new cycling star. Once the Tour was on, and Armstrong's barbs flew, Contador counted the days and tried to focus on his racing — not on the Texan and tensions at the team dinner table. "Every day, I told myself: 'One day less'," he said at a news conference after Saturday's stage. "Now, it's all settled. Everything is better and the situation is back to normal." Armstrong and Bruyneel are very close. Contador was asked whether he thought that the team manager would have rather seen the Texan win. "That's a good question," the Spaniard said. "The preparations for the Tour were complicated. There were a lot of elements stacked against me, but instead of being worried, I took it all as an added motivator," he said. "I think I succeeded." While much has been made of Armstrong's comeback, Contador had one too: He was unable to defend his 2007 title because Astana was not invited last year over a doping scandal before he joined. With Armstrong set to lead a new Radio Shack team next year, and Bruyneel still coy about his own future, Contador's plans are still uncertain. But he knows he won't team with Armstrong again. "He wanted to win. I wanted to win. That doesn't make for a necessarily compatible situation," Contador said. "He will be surely a formidable adversary next year." With doping scandals tarnishing the Tour in recent years, suspicions linger about whether riders are clean. Contador refused to answer whether he had ever used prohibited substances. But he welcomes stepped-up anti-doping controls. "I am subjected to (anti-doping) controls 365 days a year," he said. "And I do it with goodwill, because I think it's good for cycling, for the sport I love." Sunday's final stage will be a largely ceremonial ride to Paris, and breakaway attempts among the leaders are taboo. The upshot is that an accident can prevent Contador from winning. Armstrong held off a number of attacks from his closest challengers to virtually assure himself of finishing on the podium in his first Tour since 2005. With brush fires blazing near the course route, fire trucks roared in the opposite direction of the pack on the Abeille pass, a mid-level climb late in the stage. Five spray planes doused the flames from overhead. Race officials say the riders weren't in danger. Huge crowds lined the climb up to the bald peak of Mont Ventoux, one of the most celebrated — and dreaded — cycling climbs in France. "Hell, it seems like half of America showed up and all of France. It was so packed and when you have a lot of people it blocks a lot of the wind," Armstrong said. Juan Manuel Garate of Spain won Saturday's 103.8-mile Stage 20 from Montelimar to Mont Ventoux, featuring a 13.1-mile ride up the very steep final ascent. Garate, who entered the stage more than 1 1/2 hours behind Contador in the overall standings, clocked 4 hours, 39 minutes, 21 seconds, holding off fellow breakaway rider Tony Martin of Germany by 3 seconds. Andy Schleck, who retained second overall, crossed third, 38 seconds back — in the same time as Contador. Armstrong was fifth, 41 seconds behind Garate, and Frank Schleck was sixth, 43 seconds back. Armstrong succeeded in holding off the two challengers nipping at his heels for third: Bradley Wiggins of Britain began the stage 15 seconds behind the Texan, and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg trailed him by 38. "It was kind of simple, following Wiggins and following Frank Schleck," Armstrong said. "And I had the legs for that." Contador had a comfortable margin over Andy Schleck. The 24-year-old rider from Luxembourg led at least a half-dozen attacks on the way up to the peak of the moonscape-like mountain. Overall, Contador leads Andy Schleck by 4:11, and Armstrong is 5:24 behind. Bradley Wiggins is fourth, 6:01 back, and Frank Schleck is fifth — 6:04 behind the Spaniard. Armstrong said that even when he was dominant, from 1999 to 2005, he might've had trouble beating Contador. And the Spaniard is reveling that Armstrong will be looking up to him on the podium. "It's a pity to part now," Contador said. "But maybe we will meet again sometime in the future." Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| Contador again showed why he is in pole position in this year's Tour Spain's Alberto Contador moved a step closer to victory in the Tour de France after a gruelling 17th stage, from Bourg St Maurice to Le Grand Bornand. The Astana rider survived attacks by the Schleck brothers, Frank and Andy, to cross the line second behind Frank and extend his overall lead. Andy and Frank are now second and third respectively in the overall standings with Lance Armstrong fourth. Britain's Bradley Wiggins has dropped to sixth after a seventh-place finish. Wiggins again demonstrated his improved climbing ability as the race left the Alps but his day became an exercise in damage limitation as he was dropped by Contador and the Schleck brothers on the penultimate climb of the day, the Col de Romme. 606: DEBATE Armstrong, too, was also unable to stay with the leading group, which also contained Andreas Kloden, as the Schlecks piled on the pressure. Somewhat unexpectedly, Contador launched his own attack, losing his Astana team-mate Kloden in the process and leaving himself dangerously exposed. Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel later admitted the Spaniard's move had been against his wishes. "I told him not to go, he didn't need to attack, because the Schlecks would go full gas to the finish." he said. "I said to him 'You don't have to attack to win the Tour de France today'." But, despite the best efforts of the Schleck brothers, who both ride for the Saxo Bank team, the 2007 champion never looked like losing time to his rivals. "We had nothing to lose this morning," said Frank Schleck, whose victory was the second Tour stage win of his career, following his win at Alpe d'Huez in 2006. "We staked everything on launching those attacks. It was a bit risky but at the end of the day you have to take risks to benefit." As it stands now, I think the gap on Wiggins is enough for the time trial Alberto Contador Back down the road, Wiggins was able to stick with Armstrong until the final kilometre of the last ascent of the day - the Col de la Colombiere - before a surge from the seven-time champion saw him accelerate away. Both Wiggins and Armstrong drop out of the podium positions but will look to Thursday's time trial in Annecy as a way of clawing back some of the time they have lost. Defending champion Carlos Sastre also lost more ground as he was unable to keep up with the Schlecks after launching a succession of unsuccessful attacks of his own lower down the Col de Romme. And Australia's Cadel Evans continued to suffer - the 2007 and 2008 runner-up finishing the stage 29 minutes and 43 seconds after Frank Schleck. Earlier, Thor Hushovd all but sealed victory in his battle for the green jersey with Britain's Mark Cavendish by winning both the day's intermediate sprints. Contador remains in control of the race, however, and although he denied working together with the Schlecks at the expense of Kloden and Armstrong, he admitted he was happy with the lead he holds over Wiggins ahead of the time trial. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "The Schlecks asked me to collaborate with them but I said 'no' because I had team-mates behind," said Contador. "I just decided to stay in their wheel until the finish line. As it stands now, I think the gap on Wiggins is enough for the time trial." Seven-time Tour winner Armstrong admitted he had to "bite his tongue" over Contador's tactics. But the American believes Annecy and Saturday's fearsome 21.1km climb up Mount Ventoux will ultimately decide who finishes in the top three on Sunday. "Second is still my goal, I guess it's still possible," said Armstrong. "If I don't win it's not the end of the world, but of course I would like to be on the podium in Paris. "I think we still have two big days. The time trial will shake things out, there will also be a big shake-out at Mount Ventoux." Stage 17 result: 1. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) 4 hours 53 minutes 54 seconds 2. Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana ) " 3. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) " 4. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Liquigas ) + 2 mins 18 secs 5. Lance Armstrong (U.S. / Astana ) " 6. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / Astana ) + 2 mins 27 secs 7. Bradley Wiggins (Britain / Garmin ) + 3 mins 07 secs 8. Christophe Moreau (France / Agritubel ) + 4 mins 09 secs 9. Christian Vande Velde (U.S. / Garmin ) " 10. Remi Pauriol (France / Cofidis ) + 6 mins 10 secs Selected others: 25. Carlos Sastre (Spa/Cervelo) + 7 mins 47 secs 89. Charlie Wegelius (GB/Silence-Lotto) + 29 mins 43 secs 105. David Millar (GB/Garmin) " 116. Mark Cavendish (GB/Columbia) + 35 mins 47 secs Overall standings: 1. Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana ) 72 hours 27 minutes 09 seconds 2. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) + 2 mins 26 secs 3. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) + 3 mins 25 secs 4. Lance Armstrong (U.S. / Astana ) + 3 mins 55 secs 5. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / Astana ) + 4 mins 44 secs Selected others: 6. Bradley Wiggins (GB/ Garmin ) + 4 mins 53 secs 13. Carlos Sastre (Spa/Cervelo) + 11 mins 39 secs 60. Charlie Wegelius (GB/Silence-Lotto) + 1 hr 14 mins 25 secs 75. David Millar (GB/Garmin) + 1 hr 29 mins 57 secs 141. Mark Cavendish (GB/Columbia) + 2hrs 51 mins 25 seconds Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| TOUR DE FRANCE Date: 4 July - 26 July Coverage: BBC Sport website: text commentary of each stage and streamed BBC commentary of the last 90 minutes of each stage available; commentary on selected stages on BBC 5 Live sports extra Mark Cavendish's successful sprint in St Fargeau on stage 11 of the Tour de France brought him his eighth stage victory, tying Barry Hoban's record for the most by a British rider in the world's most famous cycle race. Having won the first of two world Madison titles on the track in 2005, at the age of 19, the 'Manx Missile' switched to the road the following year and has surged through the ranks just as he does through the peloton. Cavendish was a bright prospect on his Tour de France debut, when the race started in London in 2007, and cemented his reputation last year, when he won a British record four stages before dropping out early to train for the Olympics. This year he is without rival as the fastest sprinter in the event, and has his eyes on victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, although many expect him also to win the green points jersey, often won by the best sprinter. BBC Sport takes a look at the select company of British greats he has joined. BARRY HOBAN Hoban, from Wakefield, set the current record of eight Tour de France stage wins by a Briton between 1967 and 1975 - taking eight years to do what Cavendish has managed in two. Even if Cavendish passes his mark, though, Hoban's mark of 11 completed Tours will remain a British record for a good while yet. Initially a strong climber, Hoban later established himself a sprinter, moving to Europe to turn professional in 1964. The first of his stage victories came in 1967, when the rest of the field allowed him to cross the line first, the day after the death of Tom Simpson, whose widow he later married. TOM SIMPSON Simpson, from Haswell, County Durham, was one of a group of British pioneers who rode in Europe in the 1960s. In 1962, after stage 12 of the Tour de France, he became first Brit to wear the yellow jersey as race leader and finished sixth overall, losing third spot after a crash. He became the first British world road race champion in 1965 and went on to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award - the only cyclist to do so until Sir Chris Hoy took the honour in 2008. Simpson is arguably one of only two British riders - the other being Robert Millar - to have ridden with a chance of overall victory in the Tour, rather than aiming for individual stages or secondary jerseys. Simpson died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour in 1967, a post-mortem blaming amphetamines and alcohol as well as extreme heat. Cavendish is set to pass a memorial to Simpson on the slopes of the mountain during Saturday's penultimate stage. CHRIS BOARDMAN After winning individual pursuit gold at the 1992 Olympics, Boardman turned professional and took to the road but was unable to live up to hype that billed him as a future Tour winner. His three stage successes all came in the Tour prologue - the short time trial at the beginning of each race - each of which brought a chance to wear the yellow jersey. He won the 1994 prologue in the fastest time ever recorded, suffered a crash the following year as favourite but returned to win again in 1997 and '98. Boardman always struggled to recover from his exertions quickly enough to mount a sustained challenge in stage races, which he has blamed on a low hormone profile and others on the doping culture prevalent among his rivals at the time. He retired after a successful attempt at breaking the hour record on a traditional bike in 2000 and now works as technical director for British Cycling, as well as being involved in media work. ROBERT MILLAR Scotsman Millar - who is no relation to current rider David - recorded the highest ever overall finish by a Brit in the Tour when he was fourth in 1984. A specialist climber with a wiry physique, he also won the King of the Mountains competition that year, the only time a British competitor has won a major Tour jersey. 606: DEBATE Who do you think is Britain's best Tour de France rider of all time? BBC Sport's Martin Gough Millar won three Tour stages between his debut in 1983 and 1993, and missed out on another in Guzet-Neige in 1988, when he a fellow breakaway rider mistook a policeman's signal in the run-in to the finish and took a wrong turn. After a spell in team management and journalism, he cut ties with the sport and has not been seen in public for over five years. Author Richard Moore wrote a book, In Search of Robert Millar, without ever having more than email contact. SEAN YATES Yates was known as a top domestique - a rider who supports the big names, as he did with a young Lance Armstrong on the Motorola team from 1992-96. He completed nine Tours over 12 years between 1982 and '96, with his best overall placing 45th. He was particularly good at sitting on the front of a peloton, setting a consistently high speed during the middle of a stage to prevent attacks on his team leader. Yates had his own occasional day in the sun, though, winning a Tour de France time trial stage in 1988 and wearing the yellow jersey in 1994, on the day after the race went through his native Sussex. He has since moved into team management, was an assistant on the Discovery Team - at Armstrong's invitation - from 2005 and has recently been working with Astana, although he is missing this year's race because of ill health. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Alberto Contador at the time trial of the 2007 Tour which he also won. Spaniard Alberto Contador of team Astana has won the 2009 Tour de France after crossing the line in a final time of 85:48:35 for the 21-stage grand tour. Andy Schleck from Luxembourg came in second place. Schleck, riding for Team Saxo Bank also won the ''maillot blanc'' for the young riders' classification. American Lance Armstrong of Astana claimed the final podium spot, 5:24 behind Contador. The seven-time Tour-winner returned from retirement after winning the 2005 Tour de France. Course of the 2009 Tour Winning the final stage at Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, was Mark Cavendish in a time of 4:02:18. The British cyclist won six stages this year, topping his achievement of four stage wins last year. The points classification was won by Thor Hushovd of Norway with 280. The Cervélo TestTeam rider finished ahead of Team Columbia-HTC's Cavendish, despite the latter's multiple stage wins. The King of the Mountains winner is Italian Franco Pellizotti, riding for Liquigas, who also got the additional honor of being the most aggressive rider. Team Astana, with two men on the podium, won the team classification.
Nicola Calipari's death was mourned across Italy Nicola Calipari, 51, was shot dead at a US roadblock while escorting Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who had been released by kidnappers in Iraq. Italy and the US government disputed the circumstances of his death. Italian prosecutors want a US marine, identified as Mario Lozano, to go on trial for the March 2005 killing. DIFFERING ACCOUNTS US military: Car approaches checkpoint at high speed Troops attempt to tell driver to stop with arm signals, lights and warning shots Soldiers shoot into engine Italian government: No warning signs to motorists about impending checkpoint Car not speeding and did not accelerate after warning shots Proper inquiry impossible because vehicles removed and army logs destroyed just after shooting Accounts in full Profile: Nicola Calipari Last week Mr Lozano's court-appointed lawyer, Fabrizio Cardinali, said he expected his client to be tried in absentia for murder and attempted murder. Last year Italy published a report into the shooting which conflicted with the US version of events. The report blamed the troops' stress and inexperience, and said the US authorities should have signalled that there was a checkpoint on the road. The report denied the US assertion that their military command in Baghdad was unaware of the Italian mission to secure the hostage's release, pointing out that the Italians had been allocated secure accommodation in an American-controlled area. It said that the Italian car had been travelling at 40-50km/h, while the American version said it was going at about twice that speed. The Americans insist that the car was going too fast and alarmed their soldiers. The Italian magistrates say they are concentrating on ballistic evidence from the car. They say it was hit with three rounds; the second round which killed the officer was fired, they say, as the car was slowing down. Their decision on Monday is likely to put further strain on relations between the two countries, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports from Rome. The new Italian government has already stated its intention to withdraw troops from Iraq later this year and some of the comments they have made on the Iraq situation are said to have seriously irritated senior White House officials, our correspondent adds. \|\|\|\|\| 'Perhaps you should look into it': Kayleigh McEnany dodges Obamagate question – video 'Perhaps you should look into it': Kayleigh McEnany dodges Obamagate question – video After listing issues with people in office while Obama was president, the press secretary said it was reporters' responsibility to 'answer the question' of what Obama did that was against the law	Nicola Calipari was fatally shot by U.S. troops at a checkpoint in Iraq in 2005 Italian prosecutors have asked a judge to indict a United States soldier for fatally shooting Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari at a roadblock in Iraq a year ago. The shooting occurred when Calipari was escorting the Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena on her way to Baghdad airport. When their car came under fire from U.S. Marines at a roadblock, Calipari was fatally shot while trying to shield Sgrena, who was only lightly wounded in the incident. The circumstances of the shooting are a matter of dispute between Italy and the United States. The U.S. military claims that the car was approaching the checkpoint at high speed, when the troops attempted to signal the car with light signals, aiming a green laser at the windshield and warning shots. When the car failed to slow down, the soldiers shot into the engine of the car. The Italian government claims that there were no warning signs prior to the shootings. They contest that the car was speeding and that it accelerated after the first round of fire. Moreover, they allege that a proper inquiry into the case was impossible since the vehicle was removed and army logs destroyed shortly after the incident. Italian prosecutors are arguing that the shooting was a "political murder" as Calipari was a civil servant and the shooting damaged Italy's interests. In Italy, murder suspects cannot be tried in absentia unless the murder has political connotations. It is expected to take at least two months for a judge to rule on the indictment request. The U.S. Embassy in Rome declined to comment.
The House of Commons has voted unanimously in favour of having a state funeral when the last Canadian veteran of the First World War dies. The motion, introduced by the NDP, asked the government to honour all who served in the First World War by sponsoring a state funeral. Of the 619,636 Canadians who served between 1914 and 1918, only three are still alive: Percy Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106. A state funeral is one of the highest honours a country can bestow on a person, but they're traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general. The motion was prompted by an online petition launched by the Dominion Institute, a national organization that promotes Canadian history. "We want to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who signed our petition in support of state funeral," Rudyard Griffiths, the director of the Dominion Institute, said in a statement. "By passing a motion to offer a full state funeral today the Parliament of Canada will allow a grateful nation to pay proper tribute to our last Great War veteran on his passing and honour the over 600,000 Canadians he served with under arms from 1914-1918." The Institute said that since Nov. 6, around 100,000 Canadians had signed the petition. With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| View larger image Veteran Robert Guy touches a memorial to Canadian soldiers on the legislature grounds in Toronto, Ont. (CP / Adrian Wyld) View larger image A First World War soldier places stones on a Canadian grave near Vimy, France in this June, 1917 archive photo. (CP / National Archives of Canada) View larger image First World War veterans Dwight (Percy) Wilson (left) and Lloyd Clemett participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies in the veterans wing at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on Nov. 11, 2006. (CP / Frank Gunn) NDP Leader Jack Layton speaks with Canada AM on Tuesday from CTV studios in Ottawa. Commons approves motion for state funeral CTV.ca News Staff The House of Commons voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of an NDP motion asking the government to sponsor a full state funeral when the last First World War veteran passes away. Only three surviving First World War veterans - Dwight (Percy) Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106 - are still alive. NDP Leader Jack Layton said the government should recognize that a state funeral would celebrate "the contribution of a whole generation of Canadians who served, whether overseas or here at home and their families as well." Layton told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday morning that the funeral would allow the entire country to pay tribute to all those who served during the First World War. "We won't be able to look them in the eyes anymore and thank them for their service the way we should for everyone who is willing to serve our country the way they did and our armed forces personnel still do," he said. The concept was first proposed before Remembrance Day by the Dominion Institute, which said such a funeral would help promote memories of the long-ago conflict. "We want to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who signed our petition in support of a State Funeral," Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute said in a written statement. "By passing a motion to offer a full state funeral today the Parliament of Canada will allow a grateful nation to pay proper tribute to our last Great War veteran on his passing and honour the over 600,000 Canadians he served with under arms from 1914-1918." The veterans' advancing years created a groundswell of support for the proposal to follow the example of Australia, which held a state funeral for the final survivor of the Battle of Gallipoli. By Tuesday morning, nearly 100,000 people had signed a petition on the institute's website asking that the Canadian government support the proposal. There were initial concerns that the Conservatives would not support the motion. A spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson had said the Tories wouldn't say whether they would back the motion until they saw it. A poll released on Remembrance Day found that three out of four respondents approve of a state funeral when the last First World War veteran dies. State funerals are one of the highest honours a country can bestow on a person, but they're traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general. More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War and 60,000 of those were killed. \|\|\|\|\| State funeral for last war vet wins approval Globe and Mail Update The last remaining Canadian First World War veteran will be laid to rest at a state funeral, after Ottawa voted unanimously Tuesday in favour an NDP motion to bestow the honour, which is normally reserved for former heads of government. Just three Canadian first World War veterans are believed to be still alive - the oldest being 106 years old. The full text of this article has 316 words. To continue reading this article, you will need to purchase this article. Already have a member account? Login now \|\|\|\|\| OTTAWA – NDP Leader Jack Layton celebrated another victory for veterans today as the NDP motion for a state funeral for the last Canadian WWI veteran passed unanimously in the House of Commons. “Ordinary Canadians across this country want to honour and remember the last of this Great Generation. Close to 90,000 Canadians have already signed the Dominion Institute’s petition calling for a state funeral for the last Great War veteran. With the adoption of our motion today, Canadians can collectively celebrate the sacrifice of all WWI veterans,” said Layton. The motion, introduced in the House of Commons today by NDP critic for Veterans Affairs Peter Stoffer (Sackville – Eastern Shore) states: That, in the opinion of this House, the Government of Canada should honour all who served Canada in the First World War by sponsoring a state funeral on the passing of the last Canadian veteran of this Great War. “Canada’s veterans are our greatest heroes and our country’s greatest volunteers. Offering a state funeral for the last Canadian veteran of the First World War is a fitting and symbolic tribute to recognize the great personal sacrifices of those who have served and who are currently serving our country,” said Stoffer. This victory for veterans and all Canadians comes just two weeks to the day after the NDP’s Veterans First Motion passed in the House of Commons. The Veterans First Motion ensures that Canadian Forces veterans and their families are taken care of, not just during their service days, but throughout their lives by addressing unfair deductions and restrictions on the pensions of veterans and their spouses. “Afters years of broken promises to veterans by the Liberals and opposition to pension reform from the Conservatives, the NDP is proud to ensure that veterans are getting the recognition they deserve, once and for all,” said Layton.	The approved a for the last standing World War I veteran Tuesday. Three of them are still alive, Percy Wilson, who is 105 years old, Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106. They are the last three living veterans among the 619,636 Canadians who served between 1914 and 1918. The motion, introduced by the , was favored by all party leaders. The motion was prompted by an online petition by the , a national organization which promotes Canadian history. State funerals in Canada, by tradition, are reserved for prime ministers and governors general. This bill, which is now in affect in Canada, means that state funerals are not only for prime ministers but for people who have served the country. "We want to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who signed our petition in support of state funeral," said , the director of the Dominion Institute. "By passing a motion to offer a full state funeral today the Parliament of Canada will allow a grateful nation to pay proper tribute to our last Great War veteran on his passing and honour the over 600,000 Canadians he served with under arms from 1914-1918." Australia, also held a state funeral for the final veteran of the . A State Funeral was offered for Steve Irwin in September 2006, but the offer was declined by his family's wishes. Canada is the fourth country to have a funeral honoring the last war veteran that served in any war. "We won't be able to look them in the eyes anymore and thank them for their service the way we should for everyone who is willing to serve our country the way they did and our armed forces personnel still do," NDP Leader Jack Layton said. Since November 6, around 100,000 Canadians had signed the online petition.
Slideshow ( 2 images ) DENVER (Reuters) - Western wear maker Jack A. Weil, whose distinctive snap-button shirts became as popular with celebrities as with working cowboys, has died at the age of 107, his family said on Thursday. Believed to be the oldest CEO in America, “Papa Jack” as he was known, created Rockmount shirts that featured metal snaps rather than buttons, a design that revolutionized the Western apparel industry and found a place in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution. “It’s the longest running shirt design in America -- Western or otherwise,” his grandson Steve Weil said in a statement on Thursday. Weil worked daily at his Denver-based company Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Co. until falling ill recently. “Papa Jack died at home (Wednesday) surrounded by family,” Steve Weil said. Born in Evansville, Indiana in 1901, Weil moved to Denver in 1928. In 1946, he started Rockmount in the city’s warehouse district, where it still operates. Over the decades, his shirts with the diamond-shaped snaps and jagged saw-tooth pockets became popular among politicians, actors and musicians. “I guess I was just lucky that every kid wants to be a cowboy,” he told Reuters in a 2006 interview. Among his customers were Ronald Reagan, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Nicholas Cage. More recently, Rockmount shirts were worn by the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2005 Academy Award-nominated movie, “Brokeback Mountain.” Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter lauded Weil as a “legendary Coloradan and pioneering Denver businessman (whose) legacy will live on for at least another 107 years.” \|\|\|\|\| America’s oldest CEO, Jack A. Weil, died Wednesday at the age of 107. Weil founded Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Co. in 1946 and revolutionized American fashion by originating the Western shirt. His snap-buttoned creation has been seen on everyone from cowboys to celebrities. John Travolta wore one in the movie “Urban Cowboy.” Weil, who remained involved in the day-to-day operations of his company until recently, was born March 28, 1901 in Evansville, Indiana. He began in the apparel business while still in high school, and moved to Denver in 1928. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter issued a statement in which he said: "Jack A. Weil was a legendary Coloradan and a pioneering Denver businessman. He set up shop in Lower Downtown when it was mostly a warehouse district. He was wise enough to keep Rockmount right where it is, through the hard times, and today the business attracts customers from around the world. Colorado will miss him dearly, but thanks to his family and Rockmount's unique Western fashions, his legacy will live on for at least another 107 years." Weil and his wife Bea, who died in 1990, had two children: Jack B. and Jane. Jack B. Weil died in January at the age of 79. Other survivors include five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Aug. 17 at Temple Emanuel. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Anti Defamation League, American Red Cross Denver or to a favorite charity.	, founder and CEO of Rockmount Ranch Wear died on August 13 at the age of 107 in Denver, Colorado. He was the oldest working CEO in the United States. He was also known as "Papa Jack". He was born on March 28, 1901 in , Indiana. In 1946, Weil rented a space at 1626 Wazee Street in Denver and set about trying to create a fashionable yet practical identity for the western ranchers of the region. Weil was well-known for coining the phrase "The West is not a place, it is a state of mind." He was the first person to put snaps on , patented the saw-tooth pocket design seen on many Western shirts, and was credited with inventing the . In 2001, he told Associated Press, "I learned fast you can't sell to cowboys; they have no money. You have to appeal to the cowboy in everyone and sell to them." Among his customers were , , and . More recently, Rockmount shirts were worn by the late and in the 2005 Academy Award-nominated movie, ''''. Weil's wife, Beatrice Baum, died in 1990, followed by his son Jack B. in January 2008. "I never wanted to be the richest man in the cemetery," he told his grandson and current president of the family business.
It has been four decades since Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne completed the work for which he became celebrated, but that fertile contribution to number theory has now earned him the Abel Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in mathematics. Given annually by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and named after the famous Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, the prize is worth 6 million Norwegian kroner (about US$1 million). Speaking via webcast, Deligne said he was surprised to learn that he had won the prize this morning. Despite having won major prizes before, he said, he did not spend much time wondering about when the next one would come. “The nice thing about mathematics is doing mathematics,” Deligne said. “The prizes come in addition.” The Academy has rewarded Deligne, who works at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, New Jersey, “for seminal contributions to algebraic geometry and for their transformative impact on number theory, representation theory, and related fields”. Deligne has made “many different contributions that have had a huge impact on mathematics for the past 40-50 years”, says Cambridge mathematician Timothy Gowers, who delivered the award address in Oslo today. “Usually mathematicians are either theory builders, who develop tools, or problem-solvers, who use those tools to find solutions”, says Peter Sarnak, also at the IAS. “Deligne is unusual in being both. He’s got a very special mind.” Algebraic geometry explores the geometric objects that are sets of solutions to algebraic equations — for example, a circle of radius r can be described by x2+y2=r2. In modern mathematical parlance, these shapes are called algebraic varieties. Algebraic geometry has proved to have deep connections to many areas of mathematics, particularly the properties of pure integers (number theory). This last connection is evident in the analogy between the Riemann hypothesis, which describes a relationship between prime numbers, and the so-called Weil conjectures, which were proposed by mathematician André Weil in 1949 — the subject of Deligne’s most famous result. The Weil conjectures concern the points on algebraic varieties that have integer coordinates (in the case of the circle, x and y must be whole numbers). The number of such solutions — typically, there are only finitely many — can be calculated from a formula called the zeta function. While Riemann’s hypothesis concerns the nature of the Riemann zeta function, which determines how prime numbers are distributed among all the integers, the Weil conjectures specify some of the properties of zeta functions derived from algebraic varieties. There are four of these conjectures. The first three were proved to be true in the 1960s, but the fourth and hardest — and the direct analogue of the Riemann hypothesis — was proved by Deligne in 1974. The Riemann hypothesis itself remains “the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics”, says Gowers — which is in itself an indication of the significance of Deligne’s proof. Gowers says that this proof “completed a long-standing program” in mathematics. “By solving that”, adds Sarnak, “he solved a whole lot of things at once”. For example, the solution also proved a long-standing, recalcitrant conjecture by the famous Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. In finding it, Deligne built on the work of his mentor, the German-born mathematician Alexander Grothendieck, who proved the second Weil conjecture in 1965. That work introduced a crucial concept called l-adic cohomology. The general notion of cohomology, which concerns the topological properties of spaces described by algebraic equations, was itself first developed in the 1920s and 30s, and Weil recognized that it would be needed to prove his hypotheses. Grothendieck laid the foundations for finding the right cohomology, but his student Deligne found the final proof alone — and in a different way from what Grothendieck had imagined. In 1978 Deligne’s proof won him the Fields Medal, the original ‘maths Nobel’, which can only be awarded to recipients under 40 years of age. The Abel Prize has no age limitations. Since completing the work that secured his reputation, he has applied tools such as l-adic cohomology to extend algebraic geometry and to relate it to other areas of maths. “Even if you took away his most famous result on the Weil conjectures”, says Gowers, “you would still be left with a great mathematician.” Deligne said he had not thought yet about how he would spend the money that came with his Abel Prize, but that he would like to find a way to make it useful for mathematics. “To some extent, I feel that this money belongs to mathematics, not to me.” This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on March 20, 2013. \|\|\|\|\| Mathematicians have used pictures to solve equations ever since Pythagoras cooked up his famous theorem, but it wasn't until the 20th century that the deep links between shapes and sums really came into their own with the blossoming of algebraic geometry. Now Pierre Deligne of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, who played a crucial role in linking algebraic geometry to other areas of mathematics, has won the $1 million Abel prize, awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. "I was very surprised," he said following the announcement. "I feel this money belongs to mathematics more than me, but I have no idea how to use it in a way that is useful for mathematics." Algebraic geometry turns out to have connections to important problems such as Fermat's Last Theorem. Deligne is best known for using it to prove the last, and most fiendish, of the Weil conjectures, a series of four statements proposed in 1949 by André Weil. The statements concerned polynomial equations, for example, x² - y² = 3. Such equations would normally have an infinite number of solutions, but Weil was interested in the problem of how to solve this kind of equation within number systems that have only a limited number of values, known as finite fields. Shape-shifting trick He suggested that the number of possible solutions in each finite field could be described by counting particular points on a related shape, which is done using another equation called a zeta function. (A similar equation is believed to help count the prime numbers, though whether it does is a famous unsolved problem called the Riemann hypothesis, itself worth $1 million to anyone that solves it). Weil made four statements about the zeta function: proving these true was a way to confirm that the zeta function was indeed the correct way to tackle polynomial equations within finite fields. The next decade or so saw proofs of three of the statements, but the last and most difficult remained. Mathematicians knew that finding something called a cohomology, a kind of classification system for distinguishing similar shapes, would crack the problem, but showing that a particular comohology was the one needed to probe Weil's remaining conjecture was tricky. Deligne was finally able to do so in 1974, winning him the Fields medal in 1978 – another prestigious award that is only given to mathematicians under the age of 40, every four years. "That completed one of the big stories of 20th-century mathematics," says Timothy Gowers of the University of Cambridge, who gave a presentation about Deligne's work following the Abel prize announcement and called him "one of the absolute all-time greats". The proof of the last Weil conjecture, along with much of Deligne's other work, provided mathematicians with important tools in algebraic geometry that are still yielding important results. Ngô Bảo Châu, who won the Fields medal in 2010 relied on Deligne's tools to prove an important result linking elements of algebra with number theory. "His name pops up all over the place," says Gowers. Coverage of other recent Abel prizewinners: 2012: Pattern master wins million dollar mathematics prize 2011: Exotic sphere discoverer wins mathematical Nobel 2010: Prizewinning math could reveal hidden patterns in primes If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to. Have your say Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in. email: password: Remember me Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article Subscribe now to comment.	Mirrored photo of Pierre Deligne in 2005 The awarded Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne with of 2013 for his contributions toward shaping . The award includes a 6 million (1,026,000, 793,000) prize. , a mathematician from , announced the award in Oslo yesterday. The Academy gave the award to Deligne for "seminal contributions to algebraic geometry and for their transformative impact on number theory, representation theory, and related fields". For example, in 1974, Pierre Deligne did a mathematical proof of fourth , one of properties of . This concept is related to analysis of the and the currently unsolved . During the proof of the Weil conjecture, a concept of l-adic was introduced. Pierre Deligne said, "The nice thing about mathematics is doing mathematics. The prizes come in addition".
Scorecard - Commentary - Wickets - 3D animation - Partnerships - Wagon wheels - Player v player - Over comparison - Over graphs - Career averages - Bulletin - Article index (12) - Photo index (42) ODI no. 2555 ICC World Cup - 25th Match, Super Eights West Indies v Australia 2006/07 season Played at , on 27,28 March 2007 (50-over match) Result Australia won by 103 runs Australia innings (50 overs maximum) R M B 4s 6s SR c Ramdin b Powell 7 21 9 0 0 77.77 c Samuels b Bravo 158 216 143 14 4 110.48 run out (Sarwan) 35 46 36 4 1 97.22 lbw b Bravo 41 71 47 4 0 87.23 c Ramdin b Samuels 13 22 18 1 0 72.22 b Powell 9 20 18 1 0 50.00 not out 33 45 26 3 1 126.92 not out 5 13 6 0 0 83.33 Extras (b 1, lb 9, w 8, nb 3) 21 Total (6 wickets; 50 overs) 322 Did not bat , , Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 10 2 53 2 5.30 10 0 67 0 6.70 (3w) 10 0 56 0 5.60 (2w) 4 0 29 0 7.25 (2nb) 7 0 49 2 7.00 (2w) 9 0 58 1 6.44 (1nb, 1w) West Indies innings (target: 323 runs from 50 overs) R M B 4s 6s SR c Watson b McGrath 2 37 23 0 0 8.69 lbw b Tait 5 20 12 0 0 41.66 c Ponting b Hogg 29 101 58 1 0 50.00 c Symonds b McGrath 4 9 8 1 0 50.00 lbw b Hogg 77 118 83 8 1 92.77 c Ponting b McGrath 9 13 10 1 0 90.00 c Gilchrist b Bracken 52 56 43 6 0 120.93 lbw b Hogg 9 5 7 0 1 128.57 lbw b Symonds 10 13 18 1 0 55.55 b Tait 5 10 9 0 0 55.55 not out 1 3 2 0 0 50.00 Extras (b 1, w 15) 16 Total (all out; 45.3 overs) 219 Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 9 1 25 1 2.77 (1w) 7.3 0 43 2 5.73 (7w) 8 1 31 3 3.87 7 0 31 0 4.42 10 0 56 3 5.60 (2w) 4 0 32 1 8.00 (1w) Toss West Indies, who chose to field first Points Australia 2, West Indies 0 Player of the match ML Hayden (Australia) Umpires (Pakistan) and (Pakistan) TV umpire (New Zealand) Match referee (England) Reserve umpire (South Africa) Close of play 27 Mar day 1 - Australia 322/6 ( SR Watson 33* , GB Hogg 5* , 50 ov ) 28 Mar day 2 - West Indies 219 ( 45.3 ov ) - end of match Match notes Australia innings Australia: 50 runs in 9.5 overs (62 balls), Extras 8 Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 42 balls (ML Hayden 18, RT Ponting 28, Ex 5) Drinks: Australia - 76/2 in 14.4 overs (ML Hayden 25) Power Play 3: Overs 15.1 - 20.0 Australia: 100 runs in 20.3 overs (127 balls), Extras 9 ML Hayden: 50 off 72 balls (6 x 4) 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 58 balls (ML Hayden 28, MJ Clarke 20, Ex 2) Australia: 150 runs in 27.1 overs (170 balls), Extras 13 Drinks: Australia - 174/3 in 30.5 overs (ML Hayden 78) Australia: 200 runs in 34.4 overs (216 balls), Extras 14 ML Hayden: 100 off 110 balls (8 x 4, 1 x 6) Australia: 250 runs in 44.2 overs (275 balls), Extras 15 ML Hayden: 150 off 137 balls (13 x 4, 4 x 6) 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 32 balls (ML Hayden 38, SR Watson 11, Ex 1) Rain: Australia - 286/5 in 46.2 overs (ML Hayden 153, SR Watson 11) Australia: 300 runs in 47.6 overs (298 balls), Extras 18 West Indies innings Innings Break: West Indies - 0/0 Rain: West Indies - 0/0 End Of Day: West Indies - 0/0 Reserve day used Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 Drinks: West Indies - 35/3 in 15.0 overs (RR Sarwan 11, BC Lara 8) Power Play 3: Overs 15.1 - 20.0 West Indies: 50 runs in 19.0 overs (120 balls), Extras 6 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 76 balls (RR Sarwan 15, BC Lara 34, Ex 3) West Indies: 100 runs in 26.6 overs (170 balls), Extras 8 Drinks: West Indies - 107/5 in 28.3 overs (BC Lara 49) BC Lara: 50 off 62 balls (7 x 4) West Indies: 150 runs in 34.1 overs (215 balls), Extras 10 West Indies: 200 runs in 42.4 overs (267 balls), Extras 15 D Ramdin: 50 off 41 balls (6 x 4) \|\|\|\|\| Test Match Series: Bangladesh v Australia 09-04-2006 at Fatullah, Day 5 of 5 Australia beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat Bangladesh 1st Innings 427 all out (123.3 overs) Bangladesh 2nd Innings 148 all out (50.0 overs) Australia 1st Innings 269 all out (95.2 overs) Australia 2nd Innings 310 for 7 (107.0 overs) Bangladesh 1st Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s Javed Omar lbw b J N Gillespie 27 40 6 0 Shahriar Nafees b S C G MacGill 138 189 19 0 Habibul Bashar c B Lee b S C G MacGill 76 113 11 0 Rajin Saleh c sub b S C G MacGill 67 203 6 0 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b J N Gillespie 29 28 4 0 Aftab Ahmed c M L Hayden b S C G MacGill 29 54 3 0 Khaled Mashud st A C Gilchrist b S C G MacGill 17 63 0 0 Mohammad Rafique b S C G MacGill 6 25 0 0 Mashrafe Mortaza lbw b S C G MacGill 6 23 0 0 Shahadat Hossain not out 3 9 0 0 Enamul Haque jnr c M L Hayden b S C G MacGill 0 5 0 0 Extras 11nb 2w 16lb 29 Total all out 427 Bowler O M R W B Lee 19.0 5 68 0 S R Clark 25.0 4 69 0 J N Gillespie 23.0 7 47 2 S K Warne 20.0 1 112 0 S C G MacGill 33.3 2 108 8 M J Clarke 3.0 0 7 0 Fall of wicket 51 Javed Omar 238 Habibul Bashar 265 Shahriar Nafees 295 Mohammad Ashraful 351 Aftab Ahmed 398 Khaled Mashud 416 Mohammad Rafique 417 Rajin Saleh 424 Mashrafe Mortaza 427 Enamul Haque jnr Back to top Australia 1st Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s M L Hayden lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 6 12 0 0 M E K Hussey b Mohammad Rafique 23 65 2 0 R T Ponting lbw b Shahadat Hossain 21 32 3 0 D R Martyn b Mohammad Rafique 4 11 1 0 M J Clarke b Enamul Haque jnr 19 50 2 0 A C Gilchrist c Shahadat Hossain b Mohammad Rafique 144 212 14 6 S K Warne c Khaled Mashud b Enamul Haque jnr 6 29 0 0 B Lee lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 15 51 2 0 J N Gillespie b Mohammad Rafique 26 88 2 0 S R Clark lbw b Mohammad Rafique 0 20 0 0 S C G MacGill not out 0 5 0 0 Extras 1nb 4lb 5 Total all out 269 Bowler O M R W Mashrafe Mortaza 22.0 3 56 2 Shahadat Hossain 14.0 2 48 1 Mohammad Rafique 32.2 9 62 5 Enamul Haque jnr 25.0 4 83 2 Mohammad Ashraful 1.0 0 11 0 Rajin Saleh 1.0 0 5 0 Fall of wicket 6 M L Hayden 43 R T Ponting 50 D R Martyn 61 M E K Hussey 79 M J Clarke 93 S K Warne 156 B Lee 229 J N Gillespie 268 S R Clark 269 A C Gilchrist Back to top Bangladesh 2nd Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s Javed Omar c A C Gilchrist b J N Gillespie 18 21 2 0 Shahriar Nafees b B Lee 33 38 7 0 Habibul Bashar run out 7 17 1 0 Rajin Saleh c M L Hayden b J N Gillespie 33 118 2 0 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b S R Clark 4 14 0 0 Aftab Ahmed lbw b S C G MacGill 17 56 2 0 Khaled Mashud b J N Gillespie 0 11 0 0 Mohammad Rafique lbw b S K Warne 14 18 3 0 Mashrafe Mortaza b S K Warne 0 1 0 0 Shahadat Hossain not out 1 8 0 0 Enamul Haque jnr lbw b S K Warne 0 3 0 0 Extras 4nb 10b 7lb 21 Total all out 148 Bowler O M R W B Lee 8.0 1 47 1 J N Gillespie 11.0 4 18 3 S C G MacGill 13.0 4 30 1 S R Clark 4.0 2 8 1 S K Warne 13.0 4 28 3 M J Clarke 1.0 1 0 0 Fall of wicket 48 Shahriar Nafees 58 Javed Omar 66 Habibul Bashar 77 Mohammad Ashraful 124 Aftab Ahmed 128 Khaled Mashud 147 Mohammad Rafique 147 Mashrafe Mortaza 147 Rajin Saleh 148 Enamul Haque jnr Back to top Australia 2nd Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s M L Hayden run out 72 152 8 1 M E K Hussey b Enamul Haque jnr 37 79 5 0 R T Ponting not out 118 253 13 0 D R Martyn b Mohammad Rafique 7 19 0 0 M J Clarke c Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Rafique 9 17 2 0 A C Gilchrist b Mohammad Rafique 12 18 1 0 S K Warne lbw b Mohammad Rafique 5 14 0 0 B Lee c Khaled Mashud b Mashrafe Mortaza 29 74 3 1 J N Gillespie not out 7 18 1 0 Extras 2nb 1w 4b 7lb 14 Total for 7 310 Bowler O M R W Mashrafe Mortaza 22.0 7 54 1 Shahadat Hossain 20.0 5 67 0 Mohammad Rafique 38.0 6 98 4 Enamul Haque jnr 27.0 5 80 1 Fall of wicket 64 M E K Hussey 173 M L Hayden 183 D R Martyn 205 M J Clarke 225 A C Gilchrist 231 S K Warne 277 B Lee Back to top Umpires: Aleem Dar, Nadeem Ghauri Bangladesh: Javed Omar, Shahriar Nafees, Habibul Bashar, Rajin Saleh, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Enamul Haque jnr Australia: M L Hayden, M E K Hussey, R T Ponting, D R Martyn, M J Clarke, A C Gilchrist, B Lee, S K Warne, J N Gillespie, S R Clark, S C G MacGill	Australia beat West Indies by 103 runs in the first game of the Super 8 phase in the World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. Australia posted their innings of 322, with Matthew Hayden starring, scoring the highest total of the Australian batsmen in the World Cup thus far. As the teams went for lunch, the heavens opened and rain prevented any more play. West Indies' innings therefore was delayed until the following day (28th). '''Toss: '''West Indies won, and elected to field first. Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Gilchrist, 4.1 ov), 2-76 (Ponting, 14.4 ov), 3-174 (Clarke, 30.5 ov), 4-208 (Symonds, 35.6 ov), 5-234 (Hussey, 40.5 ov), 6-297 (Hayden, 47.1 ov) ----> Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Chanderpaul, 3.5 ov), 2-16 (Gayle, 7.2 ov), 3-20 (Samuels, 9.4 ov), 4-91 (Sarwan, 25.2 ov), 5-107 (Bravo, 28.3 ov), 6-156 (Lara, 35.3 ov), 7-172 (Smith, 37.4 ov), 8-199 (Taylor, 42.4 ov), 9-217 (Ramdin, 44.2 ov), 10-219 (Powell, 45.3 ov) '''Australia:''' A C Gilchrist (wkt), M L Hayden, R T Ponting (capt), M J Clarke, A Symonds, M E K Hussey, S R Watson, G B Hogg, N W Bracken, S W Tait, G D McGrath '''West Indies:''' C H Gayle, S Chanderpaul, R R Sarwan, M N Samuels, B C Lara (capt), D J Bravo, D Ramdin (wkt), D R Smith, J E Taylor, D B Powell, C D Collymore Player of the match: M L Hayden (Australia) Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan) TV umpire: B F Bowden (New Zealand) Match referee: B C Broad (England) Reserve umpire: R E Koertzen (South Africa)
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and his wife, Jeri, arrive at the Bloomberg News party after the White House Correspondents' Dinner April 29, 2006, in Washington. (Joshua Roberts/ Getty Images) "Stripper." "Bimbo." "Permanently tan." These are just a few of the adjectives used in the media lately to describe Jeri Kehn Thompson. She's the wife of likely Republican presidential candidate and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, and one of the latest women to have characteristics associated with "trophy wives." Thompson joins the ranks of other notable women who have been referred to as trophy wives, like Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples and the late Anna Nicole Smith. But is she really a trophy wife? Though she's blond, beautiful and nearly 25 years younger than her husband, Kehn Thompson, a political media consultant who previously worked for the Senate Republican Conference and a prestigious Washington law firm, doesn't appear to fit the typical description. Can a woman be so accomplished on her own and still be considered her husband's "trophy"? ABCNEWS.com set out to figure out exactly what makes an ordinary wife into a trophy wife. The Anatomy of a Trophy Wife Some say it's youth and good looks, others argue smarts and success, and still others believe the formula for the ultimate trophy wife is a cocktail of beauty and intelligence. Many believe the term is highly sexist and demeaning toward women, but others are certain some women would do just about anything to be crowned a trophy wife. A 1989 article in Fortune magazine may have introduced the phrase, describing a trophy wife as a woman who is a "decade or two younger than her husband, sometimes several inches taller, beautiful, and very often accomplished." A man who marries for the second and third time, the article explained, was likely looking for a partner who was a lot like his first wife -- just younger, more beautiful and successful enough to have her own career (but not so much so that she steals the spotlight). But the meaning of the phrase has changed, some experts say, with more and more emphasis being placed on the success of the woman. "The idea of the trophy wife has progressed so that men want a woman who has some social equality, and it's not a dominant-submissive relationship," said Anne Kingston, author of "The Meaning of Wife." "Increasingly, it's not simply the decoration that a truly accomplished man wants, but an equal." But stereotypes still abound, and the superficial connotation associated with trophy wives is hard to avoid. "When we talk about a trophy, it doesn't matter how successful a woman is. It comes down to the decorative aspect and the idea that she's a babe," said Kingston. \|\|\|\|\| Why Broadsheet? Because it's about time Salon Daily Newsletter Get Salon in your mailbox! HTML Text Archives ← July 2007 Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 \|\|\|\|\| AS the election of 2008 approaches with its cast of contenders who bring unprecedented diversity to the quest for the White House, the voting public has been called on to ponder several questions: Is America ready for a woman to be president? What about a black man? A Mormon? Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable inquiry that is spurring debate in Internet chat rooms, on cable television and on talk radio: Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife? The question may seem sexist, even crass, but serious people — as well as Mr. Thompson’s supporters — have been wrestling with the public reaction to Jeri Kehn Thompson, whose youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blond hair present a contrast to the 64-year-old man who hopes to win the hearts of the conservative core of the Republican party. Will the so-called values voters accept this union? Mr. Thompson, who needs the support of early primary voters, is expected to formally announce his candidacy any day now. Meanwhile, much of the brouhaha around Mrs. Thompson, 40, is being stirred by photos of her in form-fitting gowns circulating on the Internet. \|\|\|\|\| Thompson star dims on abortion issue Conservatives are anxious after a family-planning group claims that he once lobbied on its behalf against the so-called gag rule. WASHINGTON — Republican political activists said Saturday that reports that Fred D. Thompson had lobbied to ease a controversial abortion restriction have cast a shadow on his effort to persuade social conservatives — a key constituency in his emerging bid for the White House — that he is an unwavering opponent of abortion. Some Republican activists urged caution in evaluating Thompson's record. Others considered it damaging for questions to arise about his position on abortion, a litmus-test issue for many social conservatives. "That would not be helpful," said Paul M. Weyrich, a conservative leader who has not endorsed a presidential candidate. Evidence that Thompson worked for a family-planning group in 1991 as part of his little-known but extensive portfolio as a part-time lobbyist underscores how much the public has yet to learn about the former senator, who is best known for acting in movies and on TV, especially his role as a district attorney on the popular show "Law & Order." The article in Saturday's Los Angeles Times cited records and the accounts of several people associated with the issue. It also said Thompson's spokesman strongly denied Thompson had performed such lobbying work. Some conservatives said the lobbying claims added to anxieties. Though the GOP has been unwavering in its opposition to abortion at least since President Reagan, the positions of its presidential front-runners appear to be less unequivocal. Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani supports abortion rights. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is a recent convert to opposing abortion rights. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) opposes abortion but has never made that a central issue in his career. "With all the people who keep changing their minds on abortion, that's got to be unsettling," Weyrich said. The result is a GOP abortion debate lacking one thing that activists on both sides of the issue long for: certitude. "People want to see clarity and consistency on this issue," said Ted Miller, spokesman for NARAL Pro-Choice America, which supports abortion rights. A big question for Thompson, who is expected to declare his candidacy in the next week or two, is whether this will disillusion Republicans who have seen him as a white knight to rescue the party from candidates unpalatable to many conservatives. "This will hurt, particularly because conservatives have been dying for a champion to be in the arena for them," said David Carney, a New Hampshire-based GOP strategist who is not aligned with any candidate. "A lot hoped he was the guy . People who really believe in the pro-life cause will not be happy." As a Tennessee senator from December 1994 to January 2003, Thompson sided with antiabortion advocates on most key issues. That record has been a big reason conservatives have looked to him as an alternative to established GOP candidates. But some critics have pointed to statements he made before becoming senator to suggest that he was sympathetic to abortion rights. Thompson has said that those statements were misconstrued and that he has become even more passionate in his abortion opposition since seeing the sonogram of his now-3-year-old daughter. In 1991, according to several people then affiliated with the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assn., he accepted an assignment from the association to lobby the White House to withdraw or relax a "gag rule" that barred abortion counseling at clinics that received federal money. The minutes of a 1991 meeting — given to The Times — say the association's president reported to the board that the association had hired him. And a Democratic colleague of Thompson's at the lobbying and law firm also recalled Thompson having worked for the association. Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo has adamantly denied that Thompson worked for the group. And the White House official whom the group was seeking to reach, then-Chief of Staff John H. Sununu, said Thompson didn't lobby him. Some Republicans argued that the account was politically motivated, noting it came from abortion-rights advocates with little affection for the GOP. Thompson's GOP rivals in the presidential contest seized on the account but declined to comment for the record. "Each day that gets closer to Fred Thompson's announcement as a candidate, we learn new information about his record and his career that shows he doesn't have the conservative credentials that primary voters are looking for," said a strategist for a rival. However, a leading backer of Romney is more forgiving. Romney is himself asking voters to pay more attention to his current abortion opposition than to his past record. Thompson "had a change of heart on the abortion issue," said James Bopp Jr., an antiabortion leader. "This story is about something that happened in 1991. He's walked through the burning embers, and there is no reason to think his change of heart was not sincere." Anne Hendershott, author of "The Politics of Abortion," said the report would probably not hurt Thompson if antiabortion activists were pragmatic and focused on where he stood now, not on the position of a group he might have worked for 16 years ago: "Fred Thompson says he is pro-life now, and that is what is important to the pro-lifers." But the account is also a reminder that, although Thompson is positioning himself to run as an anti-establishment outsider, his resume is that of a consummate Washington insider. "He wasn't the conservative firebrand some are making him out to be now," Carney said. janet.hook@latimes.com -- Times staff writer Mark Barabak contributed to this report. California and the world. Get home delivery of The Times from $1.25 a week. Subscribe now. Baseball, Barry, boos Plaschke: Bonds thinks he's getting away with the murder of baseball's integrity. \|\|\|\|\| Opinion As a politician, actor is unknown WASHINGTON -- In politics, "new" is usually good and "familiar" is usually boring. So the actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson, is creating much political buzz with his late almost-entry into the 2008 presidential sweepstakes. Barely lifting a finger, he parachuted smack into the top tier of the 10-candidate field, running third in some polls and actually tying with the front-runner, Rudy Giuliani, in one. If you are a traditional Republican, what's not to like here? During his eight years in the Senate, Thompson was certifiably conservative, but never a scary ideologue. The National Journal ranked him as the 21st most conservative Republican, putting him toward the rightish center of his party. Thompson does not plan to officially enter the race until next month, although he already has a campaign Web site, a batch of veteran political staffers and a busy fundraising operation. He has resigned from his famous, longstanding role as the gruff, savvy district attorney on "Law and Order" -- and good thing, too, considering the conflict of interest it presented. In real life, Thompson has not been a champion of enforcing the law when it came to Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, who was convicted of obstruction of justice and lying under oath. Thompson unequivocally endorses a pardon for Libby, who was part of a White House cover-up of efforts to discredit an Iraq war critic by exposing his wife as a covert CIA employee. Thompson benefits from a restlessness in the GOP, a yearning for the excitement conservative party stalwarts do not feel from the current field. But Thompson's main attraction -- and potential problem -- is that he is basically a political unknown, apart from his "Law and Order" fame. His personality is distinct, with a Southern down-home drawl that is big in the Old Confederacy but off-putting in cities elsewhere. He is an actor, and because Ronald Reagan proved that an actor can handle that biggest public role of all, ability to act has become a regular qualification for the presidency. And he is big. At 6 feet, 6 inches, he is a burly figure who towers over most people, men as well as women. That visual impact imparts stature, whether deserved or not. Ask past presidential candidates if height matters. They know it can, such as in debates. Jimmy Carter was so much shorter than Ronald Reagan that he insisted the cameras filming their 1980 debate be located at a distance. That way the height comparison would not be obvious. But Reagan was too clever for Carter. At the end of the debate, he unhooked his microphone and walked over to Carter, still rooted to the stage with his own microphone, and conspicuously bent over to him to shake his hand. A polite, politically savage gesture. When Vice President George H.W. Bush ran against Gov. Michael Dukakis in 1988, the Dukakis camp was ready with a sneaky play. At the last minute, staffers rushed onto the stage with a mound covered in the same flooring as the rest of the stage. They cut out the portion of the floor where Dukakis was to stand so that he could be on an invisible, raised platform and seem taller than he really was. A box would, of course, have addressed the same height problem. But a box would have posed an irresistible lure for prying photographers. The picture of Dukakis riding in a tank with his head barely poking up was bad enough. Thompson says he intends to run as a Washington outsider, a silly but politically potent role perfected by a long line of candidates before him, including the current president. No matter how contrived the image, it seems to work pretty well. He's an outsider only in the sense that he has not been a sitting senator since 2003. Gosh, that's all of five years ago. But he lives in posh McLean, Va., a Republican-leaning suburb of the nation's capital. He spent decades here as a lawyer-lobbyist representing big-bucks corporations such as Equitas, a company that sought to contain foreign insurers' liability for asbestos victims. As a senator, he had a reputation for being lazy. Yet it's hard slogging out there on the campaign trail, which ought to either confirm or put to rest that particular rap on him. Thompson is already the 800-pound gorilla in the GOP contest. And size matters. But size isn't everything. Remember last weekend's Belmont stakes, the last race in the Triple Crown? It was won by a filly, Rags to Riches, who beat the male Preakness winner Curlin, who was bigger but slower. There's a filly in the Democratic presidential race, too. 'Nuff said. \|\|\|\|\| BABE WIFE, 40, BOOSTS GOPER, 64 HOT RUNNING MATES THOM & JERI By IAN BISHOP Post Correspondent Loading new images... June 1, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Gruff, graying Republican Fred Thompson has a proven track record of tapping into a younger generation - starting with his wife. The 64-year-old ex-senator wowed Generation X with his movie roles in "The Hunt for Red October" and "Die Hard 2," and he won over his bombshell blonde wife, Jeri Kehn - 24 years his junior. Kehn, a former Senate staffer and Republican National Committee mouthpiece, fought hard to land her man, beating back a slew of D.C. power types to win the honor of being locked on his left arm. "I'm crazy about him," she told The Post in 2000, two years before she and Thompson married. Kehn first met Thompson in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., on July 4, 1996, and she followed him to Capitol Hill two years later, after landing a job with a fellow GOP senator. They began an on-and-off relationship. Thompson, who was 17 when he married his first wife, divorced her in 1985. From then on, he was one of Washington's most in-demand bachelors. He had been linked to country singer Lorrie Morgan and GOP fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher. "They just won't leave him alone," Kehn griped. "I can't get up to get a cocktail at a party without coming back and finding some girl sitting in my chair." Kehn previously told The Post that she won Thompson all to herself in 1999: "We were serious [that] spring, broke up in June, got back together on his birthday in August, and have been together since." Kehn scored a coup in convincing Thompson, who had won the nickname "The Tennessee Stud" during his D.C. bachelorhood, to meet her at the altar. They wed in 2002 in Naperville, Ill., where her family lives. On that sweltering June day, Kehn was radiant in a Valentino wedding gown, while a darkly clad Thompson waited in an air-conditioned car until the last moment. Only about a dozen guests were invited to the small family ceremony. To keep his nuptials largely out of the public eye, Thompson sought out Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who's now also running for president. Dodd was tapped for his wisdom because he was able to avoid publicity when he also wed a Senate staffer, according to reports. Thompson and Kehn now have two children, a 7-month-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, and live in McLean, Va., not far from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Fans of Thompson say Kehn is a sassy political pro who could help his cause in the White House - and point out that unlike Rudy Giuliani, Thompson was divorced well before he began seeing his current wife. But critics contend Kehn is a political liability: a trophy wife whose mother is four years younger than Thompson. Kehn was still in grammar school when Thompson, a Vanderbilt-educated lawyer, cut his political teeth as a GOP lawyer during Watergate. Should Thompson win the Republican presidential nomination and face off against Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kehn could find herself in a cookie-baking contest with the man she used to skewer. Appearing on Fox News Channel in 1999, Kehn sniped that Bill Clinton "is more credible as a clown than he is as a president." If Thompson wins the White House, Kehn would also join Jacqueline Kennedy as one of the youngest first ladies in U.S. history. ian.bishop@nypost.com	Fred Thompson Political analysts widely regard Fred Thompson as a potential, if not likely, candidate in the United States presidential election in 2008. Thompson is a lawyer, lobbyist, character actor and former Republican Senator for Tennessee now residing in McLean, Virginia near Washington D.C. A recent article in ''The New York Times'' (NYT) labelled his wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson as a "trophy wife" and a potential liability in the 2008 race. The NYT article described her as having "youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blonde hair" and wonders if "so-called values voters" would "accept this union." Thompson and Kehn, married in June 2002, when he was 60 years old and she 35. Television commentator and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough compared Kehn to a stripper and asked if "she works the pole." According to the ''Associated Press'', "trophy wife" originally "meant the second (or third) wife of a corporate titan, a woman who was younger, beautiful and — equally important — accomplished in her own right." ''ABC News'' says that the current definition of "trophy wife" suggests Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples and the late Anna Nicole Smith as examples. However, ''ABC News'' also questions whether Kehn fits this definition. "Though she's blond, beautiful and nearly 25 years younger than her husband, Kehn Thompson, a political media consultant who previously worked for the Senate Republican Conference and a prestigious Washington law firm, doesn't appear to fit the typical description," wrote Emily Friedman. Karen O'Connor, a political scientist and the director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, said Thompson may lose support from Republican women, a group he needs. It may also make it difficult to gain the support of the "value voters", already skeptical after the report that he lobbied for an abortion-rights group. "You have a situation where a candidate happens to have an attractive wife, therefore it’s open season for smutty thoughts and lowbrow humor, and no concern for the fact that this is a wife and mother, a professional woman?" said Mark Corallo, a former Justice Department official who is a consultant and the chief media adviser to the Thompson campaign. "One picture on the Internet and all of a sudden she’s reduced to being a bimbo?"
Sketch By Nick Assinder Political correspondent, BBC News website Sybil the cat exploring Downing Street Now there is a new, Scottish, face at the head of the Cabinet table who is loved by everyone and who has the run of the place. It must be one of the most privileged, and soon-to-be best known cats in British public life. Sybil - as in Basil and Sybil Fawlty - the black and white moggie is much loved in the home of the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. And that home is now the flat above the heart of Britain's government - 10 Downing Street - where the Darlings, including Sybil, have moved to from north of the border. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official spokesman confirmed a new cat was in residence, adding: "The prime minister and Sarah do not have a problem with it. I am sure the cat will appear at some point." And sure enough, Sybil came under immediate pressure from the media's picture desks to stage a photocall in her full, feline finery. Asked if the moggie was being given free rein in the building, the spokesman pointed out that cats were not the easiest of animals to deny access to. Insurance policy However, Sybil is unlikely to face the same fate as her predecessor, Humphrey, who had stalked the corridors of power for years after wandering in during Margaret Thatcher's reign in 1989. He was perfectly at home snoozing on the prime minister's chair at the Cabinet table and chasing mice, when he could work up the enthusiasm, but was moved out six months after Labour's 1997 general election win. Humphrey was put out to grass almost a decade ago There were all sorts of dark rumours about Cherie Blair's role in the move and she was forced to deny her dislike for the animal was to blame. Official questions were asked in the House of Commons about Humphrey's absence and health after his departure. The media were later invited to a South London property, where a healthy Humphrey was photographed, hostage-style, with copies of the day's newspapers. Finally, almost a decade later, Humphrey - named after the Whitehall mandarin Sir Humphrey from the TV series "Yes, Prime Minister" - passed peacefully away at the home of a Cabinet Office worker who had taken him in. Now Sybil has proved to be a very clever cat indeed by immediately staging the much-demanded photo call. After all, now she has made the papers and brought choruses of "aahs" around the nation, no occupant of No 10 would want anything to happen which might alienate the cat vote. \|\|\|\|\| LONDON (Reuters) - Nearly a decade since Humphrey was shown the door to No. 10 Downing Street, the prime ministerial house has a cat in residence again. Humphrey the former Downing Street cat, eyes up Moby the goldfish at his new home in a London suburb, November 24. Nearly a decade since Humphrey was shown the door to No. 10 Downing Street, the prime ministerial house has a cat in residence again. REUTERS/Str Old Sybil, named after Basil’s wife in the classic 1970s sitcom “Fawlty Towers,” has moved down from Edinburgh with Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and his family who are living in the three-bedroomed flat above No. 10. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his wife Sarah and their two sons live in the bigger flat at Number 11 Downing Street, traditionally the home of the Chancellor. Details on Sybil remain scant for the moment but she shares a thespian name with her predecessor — Humphrey was named after Sir Humphrey Appleby in the “Yes Minister” political comedy show. She also enjoys a distinct advantage over Humphrey in that she comes with the family rather than the house — which was widely believed to have been Humphrey’s ultimate undoing. Humphrey, who died in March 2006, had walked into London’s most powerful address as a stray late in Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in 1989. He lived there on and off during the John Major years as a passive Conservative ally but fell from grace after Labour’s landslide election victory in May 1997. Six months later Humphrey was gone, amid much newspaper speculation that new occupant Tony Blair’s wife Cherie was behind the move. “The Prime Minister doesn’t have a problem with it (the cat). Sarah Brown doesn’t have a problem with it,” said Brown’s spokesman Tuesday, confirming Sybil was now in residence. She is far from being the first Downing Street cat. Before Humphrey, the best known was Wilberforce who lived at No. 10 during the Edward Heath years, and who died in 1988. \|\|\|\|\| Sybil the cat moves into 10 Downing St Nearly a decade after Humphrey was shown the door at 10 Downing Street, Britain's prime ministerial house has a cat in residence again. Sybil, named after Basil Fawlty's wife in the classic 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers, arrived with Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) Alistair Darling and his family, who are living in the flat above No 10. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his wife and two sons live in the bigger flat at Number 11 Downing Street, traditionally the home of the Chancellor. Sybil enjoys an advantage over Humphrey in that she comes with the family rather than the house. Humphrey, who died in March 2006, had walked into London's most powerful address as a stray late in Margaret Thatcher's Conservative premiership in 1989. He lived there on and off during John Major's tenancy, but six months after Labour's landslide election victory in May 1997 he was gone. Newspapers speculated that new occupant Tony Blair's wife Cherie had expelled him. Brown's spokesman insisted that Sybil was welcome.	A new cat has moved into 10 Downing Street, the residence of now British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, following in the footsteps, or rather pawsteps, of previous Westminister cats "Humphery" and "Wilberforce". "Sybil", named after "Sybil Fawlty", a character in the British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'', belongs to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, who now lives in residence in a flat above 10 Downing Street (11 Downing Street) itself, having previously lived in Darling's residence in Scotland. A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "The prime minister and Sarah (wife of Brown) do not have a problem with it. I am sure the cat will appear at some point." The cats at 10 Downing Street are often referred to as the, "10 Downing Street mousers" and are given the job of getting rid of mice. There has not been a cat in residence at the house since 1997, after Tony came to power. There were several rumours that Blair's wife, Cherie, was behind the move.
THREE-PEAT! Women's Volleyball Wins Third Straight NCAA Title Nittany Lions Bounce Back to Beat Texas, 3-2, Extend Wins-Streak to 102 Straight Dec. 19, 2009 Final Stats \| Box Score \| All-Tournament Team \| Quotes \| Notes Championship Highlights \| Photo Gallery TAMPA, Fla. - The top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team made history Saturday night becoming the first team to win three consecutive national titles with a 3-2 (22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13) come-from-behind victory against No. 2 Texas (29-2). Head coach Russ Rose has now won 1,001 career matches and Penn State's winning streak extended to 102 straight matches. The last time a team rallied from a 2-0 deficit was in 2008. Stanford came back against Texas in 2008 in the NCAA National Semifinals to advance to the National Championship match. Senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) led the Nittany Lions with 21 kills, while both junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) and freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) contributed 13 kills each. The Nittany Lions had five players with double-digit digs led by junior libero Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) who posted a career-high 22. Brown made 14 saves, Hodge had 13 and junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) had 12 apiece. Junior Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) had a team-best nine total blocks and Hodge put up five. Glass dished out 53 helpers in the match and both D'Errico and Quilico had two aces each. The Nittany Lions finished the match with 61 kills on .234 hitting, while Texas had 71 kills with a .251 attack percentage. Penn State posted 57 assists, four aces, 80 digs and 14.0 total team blocks. Texas finished the night with 67 assists, five aces, 81 digs and 12.0 team blocks. Hodge, Wilson and Glass were all named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team. The trio was joined by Minnesota's Haily Cowles and Texas' Ashley Engle and Juliann Faucette. Longhorn Destinee Hooker was named the Most Outstanding Player. Texas had a slim 4-3 lead to start the match, but back-to-back kills from Wilson had the Lions ahead by one, 5-4. A UT attack error moved PSU ahead by two, 6-4, but two straight kills from Destinee Hooker allowed the Longhorns to tie it at 6-6. A Penn State attack error moved Texas ahead, 7-6, before two kills by Rachael Adams and a Texas stuff gave the Longhorns a 10-7 advantage. The Nittany Lions fought back and took over the lead thanks to two UT errors and two aces by Quilico. The Longhorns tied it up again at 11-11 and moved ahead to a 13-11 lead after a PSU error and a kill by Juliann Faucette. Penn State trailed for the next few plays until Hodge and Balza teamed up for a block and Hodge put down a monster kill to tie it at 14-14. UT worked up to a 17-15 lead stayed ahead courtesy of two kills and an ace. However, Dorton came alive and slammed two kills to bring Penn State within one, 19-18. Wilson registered a solo stuff to tie the set for the 10th time before tallying a kill to put PSU in front and sending Texas to the bench. A Glass kill and a joint block by Wilson and Dorton soon had the Lions up by three, 22-19, and Texas taking another timeout. The break slowed the Lions' momentum allowing UT to tie the set again at 22-22. Penn State called a timeout, but the Longhorns weren't affected. Hooker closed out the set for Texas with two kills for a 25-22 win. Despite kills from Wilson and Balza giving Penn State an early 2-1 lead, the Longhorns took control and worked to an 8-4 lead forcing the Nittany Lions to call an early timeout. Penn State managed to come within two, 10-8, but the Longhorns were unfazed and stampeded ahead with a 7-1 run for a 17-9 lead. Two Texas errors and a D'Errico ace put the Lions within six, 18-12, but the Longhorns continued their dominance of the second set and were back up by eight, 21-13, moments later. Penn State went on a 6-2 run to coming within four, 23-19. Balza assisted on three blocks in the Nittany Lion run. Despite a Texas ball handling error, Hooker and Jennifer Doris secured the second set for Texas, 25-20. The Nittany Lions came out on fire in the third set. Hodge opened the set with two kills and Penn State continued to dominate establishing an 8-4 lead when Texas called a timeout. The Longhorns managed a point after the timeout, but made an attack error to put the ball back in Penn State's hands. Penn State increased its lead to six, 11-5, for its largest lead of the match thus far for the Lions. However, the Longhorns recorded a kill and a block to come within three of PSU, 11-8. Two UT service errors, kills from Dorton and Brown and an ace by D'Errico had PSU back up by five, 16-11. Texas called a timeout and Penn State managed to tally another point before turning the ball over to the Longhorns. A Hooker error and a huge slam by Brown had PSU up by seven, 18-11. The Longhorns came within two courtesy of two PSU hitting errors, but the Nittany Lions managed back-to-back kills to put them in set-point position. The Longhorns managed three additional points, but Hodge put the set away with a kill, 25-23. Tied at 3-3 early in the fourth set, the Lions went on a 5-0 run to develop a five-point advantage, 8-3. UT answered back with a 9-3 run and took control of the set, 12-11. Penn State took a timeout cutting off the Longhorn run. The score tied four times before the Megan put down two consecutive kills for a 17-15 lead. A Texas timeout allowed the Longhorns to regroup and tie the set once again. Penn State maintained at least a one-point lead until a Wilson kill, a Texas error and Hodge put down after a long rally sent the match to a fifth and final set. Texas jumped out to a 3-1 lead in set five before a Dorton kill and a Texas attack error allowed the Nittany Lions to tie it up at 3-3. The two squads traded points until UT's Adams posted a kill and teamed up with Faucette for a block for a 7-5 lead against the Lions. Hodge and Wilson notched one kill each to tie the set at 7-7, but Hooker posted one of her own to put UT ahead, 8-7. After a timeout, Balza and Glass registered a joint stuff to make it 8-8. Texas continued to stay one step ahead of the Lions and had an 11-10 lead as the set seemed to be coming to a close. Dorton and Wilson posted back-to-back kills for a 12-11 edge. Dorton tallied another kill before Hooker registered an attack error to make it set-point Penn State. The Longhorns managed one final point before Hodge closed out her collegiate career with the final kill of the match for the triumph. For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey. \|\|\|\|\| Penn State runs win streak to 102 Email Share Associated Press PSU Wins Third Straight Volleyball Title PSU Wins Third Straight Volleyball Title VIDEO PLAYLIST TAMPA, Fla. -- Penn State players scurried for scissors to cut down the nets, ran for volleyballs left behind and moved quickly to secure pieces of banners around the arena. Everyone wanted a piece of history. They were the only ones who got it. Penn State became the first team to win three straight volleyball titles Saturday night, overcoming a two-set deficit to beat Texas and extend its record winning streak to 102 straight games. [+] Enlarge AP Photo/Mike Carlson Penn State celebrates its third straight NCAA title. Megan Hodge led the Nittany Lions (38-0) with 21 kills, including the final one that touched off a wild celebration at midcourt. Bench players threw towels in the air and streams of tears rolled down some players' cheeks, all huddled together hoisting the title trophy. "Blacked out," Hodge said. "I was asking everybody after the match what happened on the last play. I don't remember." Penn State's 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13 win helped it stake a claim as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, volleyball team in NCAA history. And maybe one of the best college teams ever. The winning streak is second in Division I team sports behind the Miami men's tennis program's 137 straight victories from 1957-64. "Not a lot of people have done stuff like that," Penn State coach Russ Rose said. "I got a cigar with my name on it tonight." The Nittany Lions led 22-19 in the first set and were on the brink of going ahead early. Then Texas called timeout, regrouped and rallied for six straight points to put Penn State behind, an unfamiliar position during most of its incredible run. "We were playing pretty perfect," Texas' Ashley Engle said. "I think we stunned Penn State a little bit." The Nittany Lions had only lost six sets this season entering the final match, although one of those came in the semifinals against Hawaii, before dropping the first two to Texas. They would rally gain. Penn State regained its serving prowess and cruised through the next two sets and had only a few miscues in the final set before closing out the Longhorns. There's no telling how long the streak will go. But one thing is for sure. "That's a lot of pressure on them next year," joked Hodge, an outgoing senior. Destinee Hooker had a game-high 34 kills for Texas, which was trying to claim its first volleyball title since 1988. She was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "There was nothing I wanted more than for them to win the championship," Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. "The ball bounces a funny way sometimes." The Nittany Lions were just too much. Penn State hasn't lost since falling to Stanford in September 2007. This one, the Nittany Lions will always remember. "It was the hardest fight we've had in our lives," Hodge said. "But we're so happy right now." Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| Just want to send my congratulations out to Penn State, the 2009 NCAA women's volleyball champions. It was an incredible season capped off by a completely unreal championship match. Also congratulations to Texas - who put on quite a show tonight (and throughout the season). Here are some links to coverage of the match: • Recap • Box Score • Video Highlights • NCAA Photo Gallery (Images Available for Purchase) • AP Photo Gallery • Penn State Postmatch Press Conference • Texas Postmatch Press Conference • Quotes • Notes Plus, Penn State's official athletic site, gopsusports.com, has some nice coverage of the Nittany Lions' championship. You can check that out here. While I'm thiking about it, it's never too early to look forward to next season. One thing I noticed today is that, although the four 2009 first-team All-Americans that we enjoyed seeing tonight (Hodge, Glass, Hooker and Engle) all graduate, nine of the 14 players on that first team will be back next season (which is exciting, in itself). Interestingly, out of those nine, six are in the Big Ten - so look for Penn State to be thoroughly challenged in its quest for a fourth straight championship. There are five schools that will return a pair of players who were AVCA All-Americans this year: Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford and Washington. So maybe they'll be among the favorites next season. But there's still a lot of time for things to change between now and then. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has made this women's volleyball season beyond enjoyable - particularly all the fans and readers of this blog. It certainly ended in a special way. Happy holidays and enjoy the offseason!	Erasing a two-set deficit, the Penn State University Nittany Lions came from behind in dramatic fashion to win the 2009 NCAA Division 1 women's volleyball championship over the University of Texas Longhorns, held Dec. 19 in Tampa, Florida. Members of the 2007 Penn State national champion team with U.S. President George W. Bush in 2008. Down 2-0, Penn State won the next three sets to extend their winning streak to 102 matches and in the process earning their third consecutive volleyball title. Texas' Destinee Hooker led all players with 34 kills, .316 hitting percentage and collected 17 digs. National volleyball Player of the Year Megan Hodges led the Nittany Lions with 21 kills, 13 digs and 5 blocks. The set scores were 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13. Penn State, the top-ranked team in the country, had a fairly easy route to the title game, beating all but of their opponents in straight sets. In the first and second rounds, they defeated Binghamton and the University of Pennsylvania in straight sets, before sweeping Florida and California in regional action. In the semi finals, they dropped their only set of the playoffs in a 3-1 victory over Hawaii. No. 2 Texas' route to the championship game was as easy, defeating Texas St. (3-0) and Texas Christian (3-0) in the first two rounds. In regional action, the Longhorns defeated Texas A&M (3-0) and Nebraska (3-1) to reach the semi final, where they swept Minnesota (3-0). The win was also number 1,001 for Penn State coach Russ Rose.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Conservative leader David Cameron says their first by-election gain since 1982 marks "the end of New Labour". Mr Cameron told cheering supporters in Crewe and Nantwich that Labour had run a negative, xenophobic and class war campaign that "completely backfired". He said overturning Labour's 7,000 majority "can be the start of something different and something bigger". Labour leader Gordon Brown said the result showed his task was to tackle people's concerns about rising prices. Asked if he thought he would lead Labour into the next election, Mr Brown said voters had shown they wanted him to steer the UK through "difficult economic times". 'Remarkable victory' But that view was questioned by Labour MP Graham Stringer, who called for a senior cabinet minister to launch a leadership challenge to save Labour from electoral "disaster". Tory candidate Edward Timpson won 7,860 more votes than his Labour rival - a 17.6% swing from the 2005 General Election. RESULT AT-A-GLANCE Edward Timpson Conservative: 20,539 Tamsin Dunwoody Labour: 12,679 Elizabeth Shenton Lib Dems: 6,040 Analysis: How will Brown react? Profile: Edward Timpson Mr Cameron said it had been a "remarkable victory" but said: "I know that winning a by-election and winning a general election are two different things and we've still got a huge amount of work to do." He said that it was "encouraging" that "thousands of people who have never voted Conservative before have come across and put their trust in the Conservative Party" and said the party would not let them down. He criticised Labour's "negative.. xenophobic" and "class war" campaign and said it had backfired. "I think what happened was that, for Labour, it was the end of being of being the party of aspiration, it was the end of being the party of opportunity, it was the end of New Labour, here on the streets of Crewe and Nantwich." 'On the rise' He said he wanted an end to "big, top-down, bossy, interfering government" and people wanted "something different". He pledged to build a "coalition for change in our country so we really can remove this government and give Britain a better chance". The self-proclaimed "heir to Blair" is trying to use the Crewe and Nantwich result to declare New Labour dead and at the same time he is trying to claim leadership of the Blair coalition for himself Nick Robinson BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson's blog In quotes: Crewe result The contest followed the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, who had represented Crewe and Nantwich since the seat was created in 1983. Mr Timpson, a 34-year-old barrister, took 20,539 votes. The Labour candidate, Mrs Dunwoody's daughter Tamsin Dunwoody, was second on 12,679, with Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Shenton third on 6,040. Turnout was 58.2%, high for a by-election, but was down slightly from 60% at the 2005 general election. Mr Timpson said Labour had paid the price for the decision to scrap the 10p rate of income tax and said people "are seeing us as an alternative to Labour". The by-election came weeks after Labour's poorest local election results in 40 years. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman acknowledged there were "discordant voices" among some Labour MPs. But she added: "The overwhelming majority of people in the Labour Party - and I speak to constituency chairs up and down the country ... they are fully behind Gordon Brown." Mr Cameron is expected to capitalise on the victory by calling an early by-election in Henley, the Westminster seat due to be vacated by new London Mayor Boris Johnson. 'Robust' campaign Speculation is concentrating on 26 June or 3 July as likely dates for a contest. HAVE YOUR SAY At last the country is becoming wise to this terrible Labour Government. Stuart McGregor, Glasgow During the by-election campaign Ms Dunwoody had criticised Mr Timpson's "Tory toff" background, but in the wake of defeat she said it was "robust but fun". The Liberal Democrat candidate Ms Shenton said the government had been "very wrong" to "support a budget that taxed people on ordinary incomes more than the rich". And Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said they had done well to get as large a share they did, saying that normally in by-elections the third party gets squeezed down to 3% or less. He told the BBC's Daily Politics the result had been an anti-Labour vote rather than a pro-Tory one. The Conservative Party's last by-election gain was in Mitcham and Morden, south-west London, in 1982. A survey for BBC 2's Daily Politics programme suggested that twice as many people think David Cameron would make a good prime minister, than Gordon Brown. Of those surveyed, 46% thought Mr Cameron would be the best prime minister, 23% backed Mr Brown and 7% backed Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. ComRes carried out the survey of 1,006 adults between 21 and 22 May. The full results from the Crewe and Nantwich by-election were: Edward Timpson (Con) 20,539 (49.49%, 16.93% increase on 2005 share of vote) Tamsin Dunwoody (Lab) 12,679 (30.55%, -18.29%) Elizabeth Shenton (Lib Dem) 6,040 (14.55%, -4.03%) Mike Nattrass (UKIP) 922 (2.22%) Robert Smith (Green) 359 (0.87%) David Roberts (Eng Dem) 275 (0.66%) The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony) 236 (0.57%) Mark Walklate (Ind) 217 (0.52%) Paul Thorogood (Cut Tax on Diesel and Petrol) 118 (0.28%) Gemma Garrett (Ind) 113 (0.27%) E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg made several visits to the constituency Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said his party "held its own" in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, despite coming third with 14.6% of the vote. He said his candidate Elizabeth Shenton achieved a "respectable result" in the face of "an enormous national squeeze". Mr Clegg said it was a vote against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, not in favour of a Conservative government. On Thursday the Tories overturned a 7,000 Labour majority in their first by-election gain since 1982. Conservative candidate Edward Timpson took 20,539 votes, Labour's Tamsin Dunwoody was second on 12,679, while Ms Shenton was third on 6,040. You lose some, you win some Nick Clegg Mr Clegg said: "It was a respectable result in difficult circumstances for us. "It was an enormous national squeeze this was a seat where the Conservatives had poured in quite a lot of resources over a long period of time. "They were well placed to pick up the disillusionment with Gordon Brown. It was a vote though, at the end of the day, against Gordon Brown, rather than in favour of a Conservative government in my view." He added: "You lose some, you win some. There'll be many other by-elections to come where I'm absolutely confident we'll do extremely well." 'Rather robust' Earlier the party's home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said third parties in by-elections often got squeezed to 3% or less of the vote. Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard said the Lib Dem vote had been "really rather robust" in an area where the party had always been in third place. He said a party that begins in third place "rarely does well in a by-election". RESULT AT-A-GLANCE Edward Timpson Conservative: 20,539 Tasmin Dunwoody Labour: 12,679 Elizabeth Shenton Lib Dems: 6,040 But he said the Lib Dems had not suffered "anything like the sort of squeeze" Labour and the Conservatives had done in previous by-elections. And he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Lib Dems had made gains in "traditional Labour heartlands" in St Albans, Hull and Sheffield in the recent local elections, adding: "It's the Liberal Democrats who are challenging, not the Conservatives." In her speech, Ms Shenton told the government: "You need to know that you were very wrong when you supported a budget that taxed people on ordinary incomes more than the rich. "The people who elected a Labour government did not expect it to behave like a Conservative one." Mr Timpson's victory in what had been considered a "safe" Labour seat represented a 17.6 swing from the 2005 general election - which Labour's Gwyneth Dunwoody had won with a majority of 7,078. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| LABOUR candidate Tamsin Dunwoody said that the 17.6 per cent swing that enabled the Conservatives to take Crewe and Nantwich was a 'mid-term blip'. Speaking immediately after the loss Ms Dunwoody said that a large turnout by Tory voters had played a signicant part in the result. She said: "The Conservative voters came out in force, particularly in the rural villages, in a way that we haven't seen since the 80's." "There's a global economic situation going on but we should stay united, stay strong and keep fighting. This is a mid-term blip. "This was a difficult mid-term by-election and we always knew that was going to be the case. We know the Prime Minister can lead us through this." She said she was proud of the campaign and would not change any of it although she was obviously disappointed with the result. Asked what her mother Gwyneth would have made of the loss Ms Dunwoody said she would have found the nature of the campaign quite amusing. Ms Dunwoody said: "A Conservative candidate could never have won here while my mum was alive, she carried a very strong personal vote but she would have enjoyed the knockabout nature of it." Ms Dunwoody also sounded a warning to Edward Timpson as he took on the mantle of Crewe and Nantwich MP. She said: "My mother was dedicated to this seat, she served it well as a Parliamentarian. It is an honour to serve the people of Crewe and Nantwich. Every one of us will be watching you." \|\|\|\|\| Crushing Crewe by-election defeat for Labour The Crewe and Nantwich by-election saw the Conservatives sweep to a resounding victory. Labour’s 7,000 majority in the constituency was overturned by the Tories by a margin of almost 8,000 votes. The contest followed the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody. The result, which marks the first Conservative by-election win since 1983, comes as a fresh blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown following Labour's poor showing in the May 1 local elections. Tory winner Edward Timpson conceded that the poll was probably the first time many of his voters had backed the Conservatives. "I have a message for you," he said, after the result was announced. "I am on your side and I won't let you down." Advertisement - article continues below » Mr Timpson added: "I am going to stand up for local families, local jobs and, whenever I need to, stand up to the Government on your behalf." Despite a spirited campaign by Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody - the daughter of Gwyneth - voters remained angry at the scrapping of the 10p tax rate. Mrs Dunwoody warned Mr Timpson: "It is an honour to serve the people of Crewe and Nantwich - an honour I hope you take seriously. I will be watching you." The constituency was created for the 1983 General Election, out of parts of former Labour seat Crewe and the former Tory seat of Nantwich. Result in full: Edward Timpson (C) 20,539; Tamsin Dunwoody (Lab) 12,679; Elizabeth Shenton (LD) 6,040; Mike Nattrass (UKIP) 922; Robert Smith (Green) 359; David Roberts (Eng Dem) 275; The Flying Brick (Loony) 236; Mark Walklate (ND) 217; Paul Thorogood (CTDP) 118; Gemma Garrett (ND) 113.	''Daily Politics'' poll, 46% of people think David Cameron would be the best Prime Minister The Conservative Party's Edward Timpson has won the Crewe and Nantwich by-election in the United Kingdom with a majority of 7,860 votes. This is the party's first by-election victory in 26 years and party leader David Cameron visited the constituency earlier. Labour Party candidate Tamsin Dunwoody said that the 17.6% swing was a "mid-term blip" and that the people of Crewe and Nantwich will be "watching" Mr. Timpson. However David Cameron proclaimed the result "the end of New Labour" calling the Conservatives' overturning of the 7,000 Labour majority "the start of something different and something bigger". He criticised the Labour Party's campaign in Crewe and Nantwich, which had described the Conservative candidate as a "toff", as "negative", "xenophobic" and "class war" but said he realises the differences between by-election and general election results. The newly elected Mr. Timpson said in his victory speech that "I am going to stand up for local families, local jobs and, whenever I need to, stand up to the Government on your behalf." Miss Dunwoody is confident of Gordon Brown's leadership, telling reporters earlier that "we know the Prime Minister can lead us through this." Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman also defended Mr. Brown's position, saying that "the overwhelming majority of people in the Labour Party... are fully behind Gordon Brown." Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, defended his party's third-place result as "really rather robust" and said the people's votes were anti-Labour, not pro-Conservative. The UK Independence Party are pleased with the result, claiming that it confirms the party's position as "the fourth political force in the country" and their candidate Mike Nattrass said "this has been a stepping stone for the European elections next year." ===Result===
A series of studies have said cloned meat is safe to eat The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that cloned cattle, pigs and goats produced food "as safe as the food we eat every day". The recommendation, coming after a five-year study, is a major step towards allowing food from animals onto US supermarket shelves. A public consultation period will take place before final approval is given. Opponents say a majority of US consumers are against animal cloning. No unique risks for human food consumption were identified in cattle, swine or goat clones US Food and Drug Administration Quick guide: Cloning It concluded that the cloned animals produced food products virtually indistinguishable from more traditional offerings. The agency suggested that the results meant it would be unlikely to recommend placing special labels on food from cloned animals. A final decision on labelling would not be taken until the end of the public consultation period due to begin soon, an FDA official said. 'Bad decision' Cloned animals are developed when cells are removed from a fertilised embryo and encouraged to develop into duplicate embryos with identical DNA. A sheep, Dolly, was the first animal successfully cloned, in 1996. "No unique risks for human food consumption were identified in cattle, swine or goat clones," the FDA said. It recommended no special safeguards on food produced from cloned animals. HAVE YOUR SAY If the meat is really safe as the US authorities claim, why can't they label it and allow consumers to decide? Padma Rao, Singapore Send us your comments But consumer groups were less keen on the ruling, which could see the US become the first country to allow cloned food products into the food supply. Carol Foreman, of the Consumer Federation of America, described the ruling as potentially "a very bad decision". "We are urging people to write to the FDA, to members of Congress, to urge them to tell the FDA to back off," she told the AFP news agency. Another group, the International Dairy Food Association, appeared cautious. "Animal cloning is a relatively new technology, and it's important that we have a thorough, deliberative dialogue," the group said in a statement. Previous scientific studies have come to conclusions similar to those of the FDA. \|\|\|\|\| If you are already a registered member, but do not remember your password, click here Please be aware that your browser must accept cookies in order to successfully login, so that we can identify your account.You may also need to adjust your firewall or browser security to login.	United States Food and Drug Administration announced that cloned meat and milk from specific animals was "...as safe as the food we eat every day." An FDA spokesperson also added that there where "No unique risks for human food consumption...". Coming after a lengthy study, the move is likely to meet with opposition from U.S. consumers, despite the final decision having still to be made. Consumer groups have met the announcement with caution. Carol Foreman, a spokesperson for the Consumer Federation, was quoted as calling the move "a very bad decision".
Iran opened a sabre-rattling show of military might today by firing a long-range weapon said to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking Israel and US forces in the Middle East. Revolutionary Guards tested a Shahab-3 missile at the start of 10 days of war games in a calculated rebuff to the west as it seeks to impose sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme. The UN security council’s permanent five members - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany are locked in discussions over an appropriate punishment for Iran’s refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, which many in the west suspect is a front for making atomic bombs. The war games, codenamed Operation Great Prophet 2, were announced in retaliation for US-led manoeuvres earlier this week in the strategically vital Gulf, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes. In an apparent rehearsal for an anti-Iranian embargo, allied warships practised surveillance of suspected illegal shipments of weapons parts. The US and Britain want sanctions to include a ban on components that could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. Iran denounced the manoeuvres - in which Britain also participated along with France, Italy, Australia and Bahrain - as “adventurist”. It responded yesterday by announcing a series of exercises in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and 14 provinces across the country. The head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, said Iran’s response was not intended to threaten its neighbours but as a powerful signal to its enemies. “We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message of the manoeuvres,” he said. “The first and main goal is to demonstrate the power and national determination to defend the country against possible threat.” The Shahab-3 missile fired today has an estimated range of 1,240 miles. State television said the exercises also included tests on the shorter-range Shahab-2 to take account of adjustments to install it with cluster warheads and give it the capacity to carry 1,400 bombs. Solid-fuel Zalzal missiles were also launched, as were guided missiles as well as Scud-B, Zolfaghar-73 and Z-3 weapons. It is the third set of war games Iran’s military has staged this year as it has stepped up activity in response to escalating tensions over the nuclear crisis. In April, new missiles and torpedoes were tested in what was seen as a display of Iran’s potential to disrupt oil shipments. Further tests were conducted in August, days after Iran had flouted a security council deadline to suspend uranium enrichment. \|\|\|\|\| The Shahab-3 is thought capable of striking Israel The missiles included the Shahab-3, which has a 2,000km (1,240 mile) range, and the Shahab-2, which can carry cluster bombs, the report said. Analysts say the Shahab-3 is capable of hitting Israel and US military bases in the Gulf. The missile tests come at the start of 10 days of military manoeuvres planned across the country. On Wednesday, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, said the exercises, named "Great Prophet", would take place in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and several provinces of the country. Gen Safavi said the exercises would be a show of defensive capability. One report said the missiles fired on Thursday were launched from the desert near the clerical centre of Qom, 120km (75 miles) south of Tehran. The military manoeuvres come as the UN Security Council is considering putting sanctions on Iran in response to its refusal to stop enriching uranium. Western countries fear Iran is trying to develop a nuclear bomb, but Iran maintains its nuclear programme is for entirely civilian purposes.	Iran's Revolutionary Guards began another series of military exercises on Thursday days after a United States-led naval exercise began in the Persian Gulf. Iran began the 10 days of manoeuvres in the Persian Gulf by test firing dozens of missiles, including the long-range Shahab-3 (estimated range: 2000 km or 1,240 miles), Iranian state-run television said on Thursday. Amongst other weapons tested was the Shahab-2, which Iran says can carry a cluster warhead that can deliver 1,400 bomblets at once. Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, leader of the Revolutionary Guards, said on television that Iran's military exercises were not meant to threaten neighbouring countries. "We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message of the manoeuvres," he said. "The first and main goal is to demonstrate the power and national determination to defend the country against possible threat." General Safavi said the exercises would last 10 days and would take place in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and several Iranian provinces.
The NZ Falcons played their yearly game against the touring Maffra Eagles last Saturday, going down to the champion Victorian country club by 71 points. As a spectacle it did not attain great heights due to 50% greater than average July rainfall for Auckland, most of it in the 2 weeks prior to the match. The organisers also dodged a bullet when they managed to convince local authorities not to cancel the game due to the ground condition - an issue familiar to many sports these days. With coach Rob Vanstam trying a variety of combinations from his entire 29 man squad it would be also fair to say that the result would not be a true reflection of the Kiwis' talents. Much will have been learnt by the coach as he now fine tunes the squad for the IC 2008. Maffra 13.13 (91) defeated New Zealand 3.1 (19). A full report is available here from the NZAFL website. \|\|\|\|\| Canada’s Northwind likes its chances as it enters into its final preparation for the 2008 International Cup. Speaking from Toronto, Northwind’s General Manager Martin Walter commented that the team’s management is very comfortable with where the team has been drawn. In a recent interview he commented "We have Finland up first on August 27th and we are now totally focused on that game, but at the end of the day, you have to beat them all and we believe we are capable of doing just that." This is Northwind’s 3rd International Cup tournament and, while they have not been that successful in the past, this year’s team has a new look to it. "We have a new Coach plus we have managed to get a number of strong corporate sponsorships for this year’s cup, especially from the mining industry such as companies like Foraco Drilling, Quantec Geoscience and Laramide Resources Inc, all of which have business on both sides of the Pacific" Walter said. "This has put the team into a strong financial position, and that allows us to bring the best football talent that the Ontario Australian Rules Football League and other Canadian leagues have to offer." Canada is bringing a squad of 31 players along with ten support staff that have a combination of experience and youth and are the best that AFL Canada has ever brought to Australia. Last year the newly revamped Northwind silenced a lot of critics by beating USA’s Revolution in a game in Vancouver. The Country and Australian football Canada much like Australia is a geographically vast and ethnically diverse country, with a population of around 33 million people. Canada is a grand mosaic of peoples and traditions, ranging from its indigenous First Nations bands, French and British pioneers, and more recent immigrants from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Bounded by the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans, Canada is a land of extraordinary natural beauty, with dramatic land and seascapes, and vibrant cosmopolitan cities. AFL Canada originated in 1989 in Ontario and spread to the west coast of Canada. Australian football has expanded in Canada to include 17 clubs (including a 10-team league in Ontario), a junior development program comprising 14 teams (as well as a junior national side) and a senior national side, the Canadian Northwind. Strengths and Weaknesses The Canadians' strength is definitely their size and their athletic ability. Due to their sports upbringing most Canadian players find it quite easy to adapt well to the physicality and athleticism involved in Australian Rules football. Another area of strength is Canada’s extremely disciplined backline, many of whom are seasoned footballers not only domestically but internationally as well. The major weakness for the Canadians, which may be apparent for many other teams competing in the tournament, is their lack of regular international games. The Canadian side have tried to combat this though, by competing regularly against talented All-star sides filled with Australian competing here in Canada. Not having many players that grew up playing the sport is also a drawback shared with many other nations. Players to watch With many players having experience playing in domestic leagues in Australia and a good dose of international experience, there are many players to watch for the Canadian side. Some names to look out for include Scott Flemming (who is currently playing in Australia), Aaron Falcione (who recently returned to Canada after playing in Australia this year), Tasos and George Dimacakos (the latter was invited to train with the Sydney Swans a few years back) and team captain Stefan Leyhane. Form Guide The two previous International Cups weren’t too kind to the Canadian team were they really didn’t live up to their potential. In 2002, the Northwind finished ninth with only one win out of five matches whilst in 2005 they improved their ranking finishing seventh. In their last official International game, the Canadians competed against the United States in Vancouver and defeated the Americans for the first time. Bottom Line This is a vastly improved and experienced Canadian side which is capable of beating most teams on their day. How Canada will fair in this year’s competition may all depend on their last group game against the Irish, win that and they're definitely in contention. \|\|\|\|\| Newcastle are the 2008 ARUK Northern Division Champions, having defeated Middlesbrough in the Grand Final on Saturday. Played at the Novocastrians Rugby Club in Newcastle , the Centurions proved too strong for the Hawks, running out winners 11.15 (81) to 4.13 (37). Newcastle were rocked early by injury to key on-baller and captain Matt Bradford, but steadied the ship with 3 goals apiece from Rich Mitchell and Ben Merrett. A further two goals were added by best on ground Michael Shackleton, whose telling influence around the ground was crucial in deciding the outcome. Middlesbrough battled hard but were unable to overcome the loss of star player and talisman Ben Hansen. Nevertheless the game was played in great spirit and a big thank you to Scott Hind from the Hartlepool Dockers for umpiring the match. You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video The Grand Final was followed by the league's presentation night, with the following awards being presented: 2008 Legend – Adam Ballard, Durham Swans 2008 Golden Boot – Simon Greetham, Newcastle Centurions 2008 Best & Fairest – Matt Bradford, Newcastle Centurions Appreciation plaques were also presented to club stalwarts Ben Hansen (Middlesborough), Rick Shrowder (Newcastle), Adam Ballard (Durham) and Scott Hind (Hartlepool). Plans are now being discussed for the inaugural ARUK National Championship, with the Southampton Titans taking on Newcastle for the right to be declared the ARUK National Champions. Exciting stuff so watch this space! http://www.centurionsfc.co.uk \|\|\|\|\| Papua New Guinea and Samoa face off before an International Cup match at Port Melbourne in 2005. The AFL is devoting more and more resources to promoting the game overseas. Photo: Vince Caligiuri TEACHING a group of athletes to play Australian Rules football in nine months is an immense task. Yet when that team is made up of Israelis and Palestinians, coming together to demonstrate the power of peace, the seemingly impossible cannot be discounted. Over dinner in the Deloitte boardroom tonight, business leaders, AFL representatives and board members from several clubs will pledge funds to add an 18th entrant to the field for the International Cup next August, under the banner of the Peres Peace Team. The quasi World Cup of Australian Rules, to be contested in Melbourne and Warrnambool, is a key element of the league's 150th anniversary of football celebrations. The AFL's commitment to developing the game overseas increases annually, but even the boldest plans did not include something like this. "The AFL has a proud track record in using our game to build communities in indigenous and multicultural communities here and increasingly overseas," chief executive Andrew Demetriou said. "The initial approach (regarding the International Cup) was a surprise, but we think it is a great initiative and a great way to send a strong message about the power of sport to unite communities." The idea came about when Demetriou's brother, James, visited Israel in April. While in Tel Aviv he visited the Peres Centre for Peace, a non-political, non-profit organisation established in 1996 by Israeli president Shimon Peres, which promotes peace through business, education, culture and sport. Upon returning he met with Tanya Oziel, executive director of the Peres Centre's Sydney-based Australian chapter. A self-confessed "AFL junkie", Ms Oziel jumped at the chance to forge a relationship, and her enthusiasm resulted in an invitation from the league to field a team. "If it happens it will be just amazing," Ms Oziel said. Sport is one of the Peres Peace Centre's biggest platforms, with a combined team of professional soccer players making history in June when they played a 'Peace Match' against Spanish champions Real Madrid in Israel. "It was a really bad time for Palestinian people, with all borders closed, and against that backdrop we got 400 Palestinian kids into Israel to be part of the game," Ms Oziel said. Soccer players will form the foundations of the football team, with expat Australians expected to help with coaching in Israel, and the AFL assisting with a coaching program here. Demetriou conceded the time frame was tight, but said the International Cup was more about participation than finding the next superstars of the game. "We will be doing everything we can to ensure the team representing the Peres Peace Centre is as competitive and ready to play as the emerging team from China," he said. The Pratt Foundation will get the ball rolling tonight by pledging $60,000 of the estimated $300,000 required. "It's going to be a very interesting team," said foundation chief executive Sam Lipski. "Trying to get Palestinian, Arab and Israeli kids together to play football, it's quite an achievement." The growth of the International Cup, which has been held in 2002 and 2005, has led to the creation of two divisions, with the Peres Peace Team to join China and India in the second division. \|\|\|\|\| World Footy News Event [ Add An Event ][ Back to Calendar ] August 2008 PNG play trial game at Coolangatta When: Saturday, 23/08/08 - All Day Event Type: Game Where: Coolangatta, Queensland Description: Practice match leading into the International Cup	An Australian rules Football player The International Cup is Australian rules footballs world cup. The 2008 event is being held in Melbourne to celebrate 150 years of Australian rules football. Currently the nation winning the International Cup is considered a distant second to Australia, who does not compete at the cup. This is because the difference in skill level between Australia and the next best country is quite considerate. The Australian Football League still names an All-Australian team anyway. __NOTOC__ ===Group A=== New Zealand compete after playing against a touring Maffra side, who play in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League. The match played in Auckland on August 2nd. The final result for this match was a win for the Maffra side 13 goals 13 behinds 91 to 3 goals 1 behind 19. 2005 Japanese captain Michito Sakaki was the first non-Irish internationally based player to play at AFL level. New Zealand have been grouped with Samoa, Japan and cup debutant India. ===Group B=== 2002 and 2005 runners up Papua New Guinea are set to play a trial game in Coolongatta before heading off to the cup. “Unless Mal Michael’s allowed to play, we’ve got no height” says coach Andrew Cadzow. Michaels plays for the Brisbane lions in the AFL. The Peace Team, a combined Israeli-Palistinian team, is a cup debutant. It is being sponsored by The Pratt Foundation. "It's going to be a very interesting team," said foundation chief executive Sam Lipski. "Trying to get Palestinian, Arab and Israeli kids together to play football, it's quite an achievement." Great Britain come off the AFL Great Britain Northern Grand Final between Newcastle Centurians and Middlesborough Hawks. The match being won by the Centurions 11 goals 15 behinds 81 to 4 goals 13 behinds 37. Plans are also in the works for a National Championship between The Centurions and southern Champions, the Southampton Titans. PNG, The Peace Team and Great Britain have been grouped with Narau. ===Group C=== 2005 third place getters the United States are generally considered the bench mark of this group. However the Danes enter the competition off the back of the national grand final. With the Olympics in Beijing this year, the Beijing Bombers will play a demonstration match in the Chinese capital during the games. The Bombers will supply players to the Chinese national team for the Cup. China, the USA and Denmark are joined in the group by South Africa. ===Group D=== "We have Finland up first on August 27th and we are now totally focused on that game, but at the end of the day, you have to beat them all and we believe we are capable of doing just that," Canadas General Manager Martin Walter has commented in a recent interview. The Canadians bring a mix of experience and youth to their third International Cup. They are being financially supported by Foraco Drilling, Quantec Geoscience and Laramide Resources Inc; three of Canada's multi-national mining companies. "This has put the team into a strong financial position, and that allows us to bring the best football talent that the Ontario Australian Rules Football League and other Canadian leagues have to offer," Walter says. Canada are joined by inaugural champions Ireland, Sweden and Finland.
Research in Motion Co-CEO Jim Balsillie is seen in this file photo speaking at the Toronto Board of Trade dinner on Mon., Jan. 29, 2007 in Toronto. (CP / Nathan Denette) View larger image Research in Motion President and inventor of the Blackberry, Mike Lazaridis, poses with his Order of Canada after being invested into the Order of Canada at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Oct. 6, 2006. (CP / Tom Hanson) Research In Motion and Rogers introduced the sleek, elegant and performance-driven BlackBerry 8800 on Feb. 12, 2007. (CP / CCNMATTHEWS) Balsillie out as chairman of BlackBerry maker RIM CTV.ca News Staff Research in Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie is resigning as chairman after the company, which makes the popular BlackBerry handheld device, reported over US$250 million in stock option accounting errors. "Consistent with current best practices in corporate governance, the roles of chairman and CEO are being separated,'' the firm said. "Mr. Balsillie has voluntarily stepped down from the role of chairman to allow future consideration of a non-executive chairman by the nominating committee.'' The company, based in Waterloo, Ont., said Monday that that Balsillie will stay on as director and as co-chief executive with Michael Laziridis. The errors, which were revealed after an extensive review, mean RIM will have to restate its annual financial statements for 2004, 2005, 2006 and for the first quarter of 2007. Balsillie and Laziridis have both offered to pay RIM up to $5 million each to help offset costs incurred by the review and the restatement. "RIM has agreed to accept this voluntary payment," said the firm. No deliberate wrongdoing was found in the review but the company will have to reduce the amount of previously reported earnings prior to the end of 2006 by about US$250 million. The company will also reorganize its board of directors and replace the chief financial officer. Further, top RIM managers will remain subject to a cease-trade order while financial reports are re-examined by Canadian and U.S. regulators. The company is also facing shareholder lawsuits over the company's financial reports. RIM said it doesn't expect any further material adjustments to the current or future financial years' operating results. With files from The Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| RIM trips on offering options to employees Canadian and U.S. regulators will continue to investigate Research in Motion Ltd. despite the BlackBerry maker announcing a change to its board of directors and taking a $250-million (U.S.) accounting charge because of major problems with stock option grants. James Balsillie, RIM's co-chief executive officer, admitted yesterday his company backdated stock options granted to employees. He said it was an error due to a misunderstanding of accounting rules. The admission makes RIM the first major Canadian company to get caught up in an options backdating scandal that has swept through the United States, leading to charges against some executives and forcing billions of dollars in earnings to be restated. More than 40 U.S. executives and directors have resigned or been fired after internal reviews of options backdating problems. "So did we do backdating? Yeah, we did backdating," Mr. Balsillie said in an interview. "Did we do it knowingly to line our pockets? No. Did we do it recklessly? No." RIM's special committee of the board, which conducted a seven-month internal probe of stock option practices, said yesterday no one at the company will lose his or her job over the options problems. The review found instances in which "hindsight was used" to select favourable dates to grant stock options, resulting in employees getting options that were already valuable when they were granted. Options are supposed to be granted with an exercise price equal to the company's share price, so they only become valuable in the future if the share price rises. Backdating occurs when companies look backward to pick a favourable date in the past to grant options. While RIM's special committee described a number of instances of improper options-granting practices, it said it found no "intentional misconduct" on the part of any director or employee. The company hopes to put its stock options issues in the past, but regulators say they are continuing to probe RIM's options practices. Both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission are reviewing RIM. "When a company does an internal review, that helps speed our process, but it's not a substitute for our process," one U.S. regulatory source said. "It's just a road map." Dimitri Lascaris, a lawyer acting for the Ironworkers Ontario Pension Fund, which owns 13,200 RIM shares, filed a lawsuit against the company in January. "We want a more fulsome explanation," Mr. Lascaris said yesterday. Mr. Lascaris added his client will proceed with its lawsuit despite yesterday's announcement. "We'll be paying particular attention to the question of whether the corporate governance changes disclosed today constitute meaningful reform and whether they are adequate to prevent problems of this nature in the future," he said. RIM announced a series of board and executive changes yesterday. Mr. Balsillie will remain co-CEO but will give up the title of chairman to an as-yet unnamed independent director, while chief financial officer Dennis Kavelman will leave his position to become chief operating officer. RIM also announced it has appointed two new independent directors and is searching for two others. As well, the company announced Mr. Balsillie and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis will pay $5-million each to cover the company's costs of investigating the options problems. The special committee report said all option grants, except those to the co-CEOs, were made under Mr. Balsillie's authority, and were not approved by the board as the company had previously reported. "We are responsible, Mike and I are the CEOs and we don't duck it. We put our money on the table and we stand behind it," Mr. Balsillie said. The company said its executives will also repay all the benefit they received from options that were incorrectly priced. While that amount hasn't been revealed, Mr. Balsillie said his own obligation will be "far, far less" than the $5-million he has volunteered to pay to cover the investigation costs. Ontario Securities Commission spokeswoman Wendy Dey said the commission's review is continuing, but would not comment on whether RIM negotiated its proposed governance changes with the OSC prior to yesterday's announcement. She stressed RIM's news release yesterday was "a report of RIM's own investigation -- it is RIM's own report." Mr. Balsillie said the mistake stemmed from his belief that options could be dated on the day they were promised to an executive, and said he was surprised to discover they should have been dated when they were actually approved by the board and granted. "We thought the day of the decision was when you priced it. And if the price went up $10 [by the grant date], well, guess what, that's backdating." But the special committee report does not attribute all the company's backdating problems to a mistaken belief that options were to be priced at the time they were promised to an executive or future hire. Indeed, the report says the company was "inconsistent" about when it chose a date to determine the exercise price of its options. In some cases, the report says, options were repriced after an employee joined the company to provide the employee with "better pricing. In limited cases, the company repriced options to existing executives after they were granted if the stock price decreased. The report says that after 2002, 63 per cent of options granted to existing executives contained "incorrect measurement dates" for accounting purposes.	Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) co-chief executive and chairman, Jim Balsillie, has resigned voluntarily as chairman after an internal review revealed irregularities with how the company accounted for stock options. The review was carried out over the past 7 months and indicates that, Canadian BlackBerry maker, RIM, will have to restate earnings for all of 2004, 2005, and 2006, and for the first quarter of 2007. The company will have to lower previously reported earnings by approximately US$250 million. The review committee indicated that RIM "failed to maintain adequate internal and accounting controls with respect to the issuance of options in compliance with the Company’s stock option plan, both in terms of how options were granted and documented, and the measurement date used to account for certain option grants". Although the review finds that there was no deliberate misconduct, both Balsillie and co-chief executive, Michael Lazaridis, have agreed to pay, voluntarily, up to $5 million each to compensate the company for the costs of the review and restatement. All RIM directors and C-level officers will have to pay back any monies received incorrectly as a result of the option irregularities. Balsillie will retain his positions as co-chief executive and director. In a press release, the company stated that "consistent with current best practices in corporate governance, the roles of chairman and CEO are being separated". Current RIM chief financial officer, Dennis Kavelman, will move to the position of chief operating officer. RIM is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market and is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Plant officials said the reactor automatically shut down after an instrument monitoring plant conditions transmitted wrong information to the reactor control room, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg reported Friday.One worker was injured during shutdown when he was apparently startled by the venting steam and fell, the newspaper said.A U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector said the plant was safe. Plant officials said they were concentrating their investigation on the faulty transmission.Ralph DeSantis, spokesman for AmerGen Energy, which operates TMI, told the Patriot-News the incident happened on the non-nuclear side of the plant and did not endanger employees or the public.Plant officials could not say how long the plant will remain shut down, the Patriot-News said. Thursday's shutdown was the first unscheduled shutdown at the facility since July 1997, when the plant was down for eight days. \|\|\|\|\| Sign-up to receive the weekly top stories, contest and promotion announcements every Tuesday Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Canada.com Newsletter will soon be in your inbox. \|\|\|\|\| HARRISBURG, Pa. The reactor at Three Mile Island, site of the nation's worst nuclear accident, shut down Thursday, but radiation was not released and there was no danger to the public, company and federal officials said. A faulty instrument reading triggered the automatic shutdown, officials said. It was the first shutdown of Unit 1 since 1997, said Ralph DeSantis, a spokesman for the plant's operator, AmerGen Energy Co. LLC. The unit, which opened in 1974, shut off at 1:35 p.m. and remained down Thursday evening. "It appears this was an uncomplicated, smooth shutdown,"said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. DeSantis said other power plants in the regional electricity grid would ensure that customers experienced no power failures. Workers were investigating, and it was unclear when the reactor would resume operation. The plant, about 10 miles southeast of Harrisburg, was the site of the nation's worst nuclear accident when a partial meltdown occurred in the Unit 2 reactor in March 1979. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.	Three Mile Island in 1979. A reading taken from a "faulty" instrument panel on the Unit 1 reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has caused the reactor to shut down, but officials say that there is no threat to the public as radiation has not been released into the air. A wrong reading was displayed on a control panel which triggered the reactor to automatically shut itself down. "It appears this was an uncomplicated, smooth shutdown. The company will need to take a careful and deliberate look at what went wrong," said Nuclear Regularitory Commission spokesman, Neil Sheehan. A worker at the power plant was injured while the reactor was shutting down, after being scared by steam venting from the reactor, which caused him to fall. The reactor, which first went operational in 1974, shutdown on Thursday afternoon on the "non-nuclear side of the reactor" at 1:35 p.m. EST and as of the moment remains offline, added Sheehan. This is the first time since 1997 that the reactor has shutdown. In 1979, the Unit 2 reactor suffered a partial meltdown and has remained offline since the disaster.
Spain rejects ETA ceasefire The Spanish government on Monday rejected a new ceasefire announcement by the separatist group ETA and ruled out negotiations on an independent Basque homeland, saying the militants have been decimated by arrests and are desperate to regroup and rearm. A boy walks past ETA graffiti in Mondragon, Spain on Monday. Basque rebels ETA have decided to no longer carry out armed attacks, newspaper Gara said on its website on Sunday. (Vincent West/Reuters)Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the ETA cannot be trusted after shattering a 2006 truce with a deadly car bombing. He said its statement Sunday by three hooded militants speaking in a video falls short of what Basque society and other Spaniards demand: that ETA renounce violence for good. "The word truce, as the idea of a limited peace to open a process of dialogue, is dead," Perez Rubalcaba, adding that Spain will be as tough as ever against ETA. "The Interior Ministry will keep its anti-terrorism policy intact, absolutely intact. We are not going to change that policy one bit, not a single comma," he told Spanish National Television. ETA has killed more than 825 people as it fought for an independent homeland in parts of northern Spain and southwestern France since the late 1960s. Its last deadly attack in Spain was in July 2009, when it killed two policemen with a car bomb. Nearly 240 of its members have been arrested since 2008. It is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. Perez Rubalcaba says the militant group declared the truce because it is so weak it cannot stage attacks. The ceasefire statement left several key questions unanswered. Besides silence on whether the ETA will surrender its weapons, it did not say if the truce was open-ended and permanent, like the one declared in 2006 and which led to talks with the government, or whether it would halt other activities like extorting money from business leaders or recruiting members. Nor was there any mention of whether the ceasefire could be monitored by international observers as called for Friday by two Basque parties that back independence: ETA's outlawed political wing Batasuna and a more moderate pro-independence party called Eusko Alkartasuna. Since late last year, divisions have widened between ETA and the political parties that support it. Jailed ETA veterans have also been distancing themselves from the group, and French police have cracked down, denying militants a neighbouring haven. Friday's statement marked the first time the political groups had put down in writing that they wanted ETA to work toward independence through peaceful means, rather than with violence. Perez Rubalcaba said Monday that ETA's breaking the 2006 ceasefire — with a massive car bombing at Madrid airport that left two people dead — cost the group credibility even among political supporters who seek Basque independence. The minister said ETA's new tactic is to seek new negotiations and, if in a few months or a year the government still refuses, ETA will say it has no choice but to revert to bombs or bullets. He said the ETA wants to impose its will, either through violence or dialogue "and the state is going to tell it time and time again 'no, no and no."' \|\|\|\|\| Basque separatist group Eta 'declares ceasefire' It is not clear on whether the ceasefire is permanent or temporary Armed Basque separatist group Eta says it will not "carry out armed actions" in its campaign for independence. In a video obtained exclusively by the BBC, the group said it took the decision several months ago "to put in motion a democratic process". The Basque interior minister called the statement "insufficient". Madrid has previously insisted that Eta renounce violence and disarm before any talks. Eta's violent campaign has led to more than 820 deaths over the past 40 years. It has called two ceasefires in the past, but abandoned them both. This latest announcement comes after the arrests of numerous Eta leaders and during an unprecedented period of debate within the Basque nationalist community over the future direction of policy, says the BBC's Clive Myrie in San Sebastian. Eta has been coming under increasing pressure to lay down its weapons, our correspondent adds. Under pressure It is unclear whether Eta is declaring a permanent or temporary ceasefire. In the video obtained by the BBC, three hooded Eta fighters are shown sitting behind a desk with the Eta flag pinned up behind them. Continue reading the main story Analysis It is widely accepted that Eta is weaker than ever in its 51-year history. So to many people, Eta's retrospective ceasefire will look like an attempt to disguise its weakness as a desire for peace. Some will shrug it off as irrelevant; others will dismiss it as a way to regroup and re-arm. Eta's hope must be to negotiate the legalisation of Batasuna, and achieve its aims through the ballot box. After so many years of conflict, the government may find it difficult to dismiss Eta's call for a truce, out of hand. The pull of presiding over a moment of history might prove irresistible. But it has tried that before, and failed. This latest ceasefire declaration could mark the beginning of the end of the conflict, or just another pause in the violence. The figure in the middle reads out a prepared statement defending Eta's campaign of violence, but towards the end she says the group now wants to achieve its aims by peaceful, democratic means. "Eta confirms its commitment to finding a democratic solution to the conflict," the statement says. "In its commitment to a democratic process to decide freely and democratically our future, through dialogue and negotiations, Eta is prepared today as yesterday to agree to the minimum democratic conditions necessary to put in motion a democratic process, if the Spanish government is willing," it says. It adds that Eta "took the decision several months ago not to carry out armed actions". The statement ends: "We call on all Basque citizens to continue in the struggle, each in their own field, with whatever degree of commitment they have, so that we can all cast down the wall of denial and make irreversible moves forward on the road to freedom." Eta announces that it took the decision several months ago not to carry out armed actions. Nationalist politicians in the Basque country welcomed the announcement and called on the Spanish government and the international community to respond positively. The pro-Eta party Batasuna, which has been banned since 2003 on the grounds that it is Eta's political wing, is one of two Basque nationalist parties to have called on Eta to declare "an internationally verifiable ceasefire" days earlier. Cautious reaction But Rodolfo Ares, the interior minister for the Basque region, called Eta's statement inadequate. "Any declaration that talks about the suspension of terrorist attacks - even if it is only temporary - should be considered as good news," he said. But he called Eta's declaration "ambiguous" and "absolutely insufficient", because it did not "take into account what the vast majority of Basque society demands and requires from Eta, which is that it definitively abandon terrorist activity". The Spanish government, which has been studying Eta's statement but is yet to make an official response, has said in the past that it will only negotiate with Eta if it renounces violence and disarms. The deputy editor of the Basque language newspaper, Gara, which follows the activities of Eta closely, said the Basque people had been hoping for this declaration. "I think that it's a big step and a positive step," Njaki Soto told the BBC. "I think that's it's something that the majority of the Basque society was waiting [for] or expecting and in that sense I think that it's something that no-one can say that it's negative." "It will be a long way but it's something that can bring the peace and the justice to the Basque country," he said. Barbara Duhrkop, a former Socialist MEP whose husband Enrique Casas was murdered by Eta in 1984, said the statement was a positive step but did not go far enough. "It's still insufficient because they talk about ceasefire, democratic process, but there's nothing about laying down arms and permanence. So I would be very careful, very cautious to evaluate how much worth there is in this announcement," she said. Founded in 1959, Eta has since then waged a bloody campaign for independence for the seven regions in northern Spain and south-west France that Basque separatists claim as their own. Controversial peace talks in 2006 collapsed after an Eta bomb killed two people at Madrid airport. \|\|\|\|\| Eta 'ceasefire': Excerpts The Spanish Basque separatist group Eta has announced a decision "not to carry out armed actions" in a video obtained by the BBC. Here are excerpts from their message: Much has happened since, in the face of a strategy of denial and savage annihilation of the Basque country, Eta, organising the people and taking up arms, began the struggle for freedom. Men and women who have given their best, their hopes and aspiration... ordinary citizens of different origins who have come together in the struggle. In the face of the political reform of the Franco era, bent on the denial and annihilation of the Basque country, while some decided to enter into the framework of what they call "autonomism", Eta acted responsibly, first proposing a clean democratic break and then resisting attempts at assimilation and attacks. Eta, and then the Basque left, have continued in the struggle. And the recompense has not been negligible. We are paying for this dearly: torture, prison, exile and also death. But the prize for our difficult struggle has been the survival of the Basque country and for the door to a free future to be open. We have shown that the autonomy framework is not the way to satisfy the wishes of the Basque people; it is nothing but a tool for bringing about the division and dismemberment of the Basque country. And we have overcome one by one the measures taken to neutralise the struggle for freedom. One way may be the continuation of new scenarios in the fight for Basque freedom. Therefore Eta has contributed to proposals for cooperative actions and resolutions of the conflict. In recent times, the Basque country has been at an important crossroads. The political struggle has opened up new conditions. The autonomy framework has been exhausted and the time has come for political change. The time has come to build a democratic framework for the Basque country respecting the wishes of the majority of the Basque people. The Spanish state is aware that the Basque country is at a crossroads. That the Basque country can now take the road of independence. They want to create conditions in which everything is blocked, to avoid political dialogue and to drown out the aspirations of the people in the state of exception. Basque activists and Basque citizens need to respond to this responsibly and urgently. It is time to take responsibility and take firm measures... in the articulation of the independence project, in the process of creating democratic conditions, to respond to repression and the firm defence of civil and political liberties. Political change is possible. But there is no shortcut along the way. The road to freedom must be walked a step at a time, perhaps flexibly, but the effort and struggle towards this goal is necessary. Without confrontation, it is impossible to overcome denial and stubbornness. In that direction, Eta's hand is held out always. Eta confirms its commitment to finding a democratic solution to the conflict. In its commitment to a democratic process to decide freely and democratically our future, through dialogue and negotiations, Eta is prepared today as yesterday to agree to the minimum democratic conditions necessary to put in motion a democratic process, if the Spanish government is willing. We also convey this to the international community and call on it to respond to Eta's will and commitment in order to participate in the building of a durable, just and democratic resolution to the centuries-long political struggle. Eta announces that it took the decision several months ago not to carry out armed actions. Eta wishes to reiterate to Basque political, social and trade union activists its call to act responsibly; that it is necessary to take firm steps as a people in order to reach a scenario for a democratic process; to establish a way to give the people a voice. Because the door to a real solution of the conflict will be opened when the rights of the Basque country are recognised and ratified. To conclude: We call on all Basque citizens to continue in the struggle, each in their own field, with whatever degree of commitment they have, so that we can all cast down the wall of denial and make irreversible moves forward on the road to freedom. \|\|\|\|\| Spain separatist group announces ceasefire The Basque separatist militant group ETA declared a ceasefire in a video statement issued on Sunday, suggesting it might turn to a political process in its quest for independence. The video, which appeared on Basque newspaper Gara's website and was also made available to the British broadcaster BBC, showed three masked militants making a statement in Basque. Gara accompanied the video with a transcription of the statement in Basque and Spanish. There was no immediate response from the Spanish government. "ETA makes it known that as of some months ago it took the decision to no longer employ offensive armed actions," the statement said, suggesting it is ready to pursue a "democratic process," in trying to achieve its goals. ETA is seeking an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. It is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the U.S. It has killed more than 825 people since the late 1960s. The militant group has declared ceasefires before, but none of them has led to the end of Europe's last major armed militancy. The group last announced what it called a "permanent ceasefire" in March 2006, but on Dec. 30 of the same year the organization set off a powerful car bomb at Madrid's Barajas international airport that killed two people. There was no immediate reaction from the Spanish government on the latest offer. After the Dec. 30 bombing the government said it will not negotiate with the group again. ETA's statement came days after two Basque pro-independence parties asked the group to declare "an internationally verifiable ceasefire." One of the parties, Batasuna, was outlawed by authorities in 2003 on the grounds that it was ETA's political wing. It was not clear whether the new truce offer is permanent or whether ETA is signalling it is ready for peace talks with the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba had said on Friday he was expecting a ceasefire statement from ETA. The militant group has been weakened by the arrests of several of its top leaders in Spain, France and Portugal, where a bomb-making factory was discovered and dismantled by police in February. The last time ETA struck in Spain was last July, when a blast widely blamed on the group killed two policemen in the resort island of Mallorca. But the group is suspected of having shot and killed a French police officer near Paris in March. Gara quoted an ETA statement at the time saying the shooting happened because French police had "kidnapped four ETA militants." French police said they had captured the men during a suspected car theft. \|\|\|\|\| All of Spain's political parties, except the PP, backed the Catalan demonstration, though the PSC, and many non-affiliated marchers, want symbolic recognition as a nation rather than actual separation from Spain. A similar march on the same day in the Basque city of San Sebastián only attracted a few thousand radical Basque nationalists, some of them still associated with the currently moribund but potentially still lethal ETA. The vibrancy of the peaceful Catalan movement contrasts starkly with the moribund state of the self-determination movement in Basque country, which in the early 1980s chose the route of political terrorism. Less than 10 years ago, openly pro-ETA marches could attract tens of thousands, and broader nationalist demonstrations many more. But ETA's campaign of violence hollowed out all support among moderate Spaniards, and turned off increasing numbers of Basques. Most were quietly furious when ETA decided in 2007 to again break a ceasefire. On a visit in July, I spoke to a number of people who were or had once been close to ETA. Without exception, they said that the group was finished in political terms, though a handful of diehards could continue isolated attacks for years to come. In 30 years of reporting on the region, I have never encountered this kind of consensus in these quarters. It is slowly dawning on the leaders of the radical Basque movement that the chronic ineptitude of ETA's current leadership has terminally tarnished its once heroic image among Basque youth. In a recent interview, an erstwhile hard-line leader, Rufi Etxeberria, bluntly told ETA it had to either embrace exclusively peaceful means or lose all relevance to Basque politics. A senior Spanish conservative ideologue admitted 10 years ago that for precisely this reason he feared the end of ETA more than he feared the group's terrorist campaign. No one had done a better job than ETA at discrediting the Basque nationalist cause. Perhaps Basque nationalists will be inspired by Catalonia's mass peaceful protests and thereby regain momentum. The prospect of facing majority movements for independence, organized democratically in two of its most prosperous regions, is a real nightmare for Madrid. Spanish conservatives might do well to reconsider their refusal to consider symbolic changes in national status for Catalonia and the Basque country. If symbolic reforms are denied, substantial ones are likely to follow.	Flag of the , currently an autonomous region within Spain. ETA ''(Euskadi Ta Askatasuna),'' a separatist group based out of the region of northern Spain, announced in a recorded and written message that it would end its armed campaign for independence, instead focusing on political means for achieving its goals. The Spanish government has rejected the ceasefire. In the video sent to the BBC, ETA stated that, while the autonomy framework enshrined in the Spanish constitution is "not the way to satisfy the wishes of the Basque people", the organisation was committed to finding a democratic solution to the conflict. Several analysts have suggested that this most recent ceasefire is based on ETA's tactics causing their support in the Basque region to plummet. Author Paddy Woodworth found in a recent trip to the region that the group's actions had made former supporters of the movement believe ETA was politically finished. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford said that ETA is at the weakest point in its 51-year history and that the ceasefire may just be a ploy to disguise that weakness. The group, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, have declared ceasefires several times before, which have all ended in a resumption of violence. The most recent ceasefire, in 2006, led to peace talks between the group and the Spanish government, but they were interrupted by a car-bombing at Madrid's . The bombing was frowned upon by all involved in the peace process, including other Basque separatist parties in the region. On September 6 the Spanish government rejected the ceasefire, saying that the group cannot be trusted after the last ceasefire, alleging that the group was calling the ceasefire because they were too weak to stage attacks, and asserting the ceasefire is a way for them to regroup and rearm. Interior Minister said Monday that the group would have to completely renounce violence for the government to accept the ceasefire. == Sources == * * * * *
The first sextuplets born in Canada are in fair condition, a Vancouver hospital official said Monday. Officials had confirmed earlier Monday that a woman had given birth to six babies at BC Women's Hospital, one on Saturday and five early Sunday. "Mom is resting and doing well. The babies are in fair condition, which means their vital signs are stable and within normal limits," hospital president Dr. Liz Whynot told a news conference late in the day. She said the parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, "are focusing all their energy on their new family. "While they understand there is a lot of public interest in the birth of their babies, they are feeling overwhelmed. So they're asking for their privacy to be respected." Dr. Brian Lupton, director of the hospital's neonatal unit, said the babies were born at a gestational age of 25 weeks, adding that there is an 80 per cent survival rate for babies born at that age. "The average length of stay for a 25-week gestation baby in Canada is around 100 days of neonatal intensive care," Lupton said. Other experts say the six babies could face significant health challenges and will need extensive medical support. Each weighs two pounds According to reports, the babies — four boys and two girls — each weighed two pounds. One of the babies was born naturally and the others by emergency caesarean section, reports said. Sextuplets are extremely rare. Only 160 cases have ever been documented. Experts familiar with multiple births say fertility drugs often play a role. In vitro (IVF) treatment permits eggs, usually two or three, to be fertilized outside the womb. But with drugs, a woman can have many eggs fertilized at once and it's impossible to control how many of those eggs become viable. Sextuplets born to Susan Rosenkowitz and her husband Colin on Jan. 11, 1974, in Cape Town, South Africa, were the first sextuplets known to survive their infancy. Canada's most famous multiple births were the Dionne quintuplets, delivered in May 1934 by a country doctor in a rural northern Ontario farmhouse. They became international Depression-era celebrities, their every move recorded and written about. They were the first quintuplets known to have survived infancy. With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| Six babies were born to one mom in a Vancouver hospital yesterday. "They're very tiny but all six are alive," an informed source told The Province late last night. It is believed to be the first time sextuplets have been born in Canada. The source said the four boys and two girls each weighed about 800 grams, or 1.8 pounds, and were born between 25 and 26 weeks into their mom's pregnancy. Fertility treatments cause surge in multiple births Multiple births riskier for mother, babies More Body & Health news In general, babies born after 24 to 25 weeks of gestation are mature enough to survive, although they need a prolonged period of intensive care. Babies born premature have a higher risk of blindness, hearing problems and mental retardation than babies born full term. "We used to say viability for the baby was 28 weeks," the source said. "But that's changed now. They have a good shot at survival but there's a chance some may not become fully functioning adults." The mother had been at B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Centre for several weeks because doctors wanted to keep her stable to maximize the time the babies would stay in the womb. The source said one of the babies was born naturally and the others by emergency caesarean section. A hospital spokesman would not confirm or deny the births had taken place, citing a privacy policy. The hospital was in the news a few weeks ago when rare conjoined twins were born there. They went home just before Christmas. Among multiple births, six babies are extremely rare and until now, apparently unknown in Canada. Most multiple births, including the birth of Vancouver's sextuplets, are due to the use of fertility drugs. There are just six sets of sextuplets living in the United States -- two sets in New York, and one each in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama and Kansas. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2001 that the incidence of triplets and other high-number births declined for the first time in 1999, after the rate nearly doubled between 1990 and 1998. Canada's most famous multiple births were the Dionne quintuplets, delivered by a country doctor in a rural Ontario farmhouse. They became international Depression-era celebrities, their every move recorded and written about. They were the first-ever quints known to have survived infancy. dcarrigg@png.canwest.com © (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc. \|\|\|\|\| View larger image A woman enters BC Women's Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., Sunday, January 7, 2007. (Richard Lam / CP PHOTO) Dr. Brian Lupton, chief of neo-natal care at B.C. Women's Hospital, right, speaks to reporters as Dr. Liz Whynot looks on during a news conference in Vancouver on Monday January 8, 2007 regarding the birth of sextuplets at the hospital this past weekend. (CP / Chuck Stoody) Woman gives birth to sextuplets at B.C. hospital CTV.ca News Staff A woman has delivered sextuplets at a Vancouver hospital this weekend, a rare event believed to be a Canadian first, doctors have confirmed. The four boys and two girls were delivered after just 25 weeks by C-section. Each weighs about 1.8 pounds, but a spokesperson at B.C. Women's Hospital said they are "in fair condition." The parents are Jehovah's Witnesses and do not want to speak to the media about the delivery and have requested to remain anonymous. "While they understand that there is a lot of public interest in the birth of their babies, they are feeling overwhelmed," said hospital president Dr. Liz Whynot. One of the sextuplets was delivered at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night and the rest were born Sunday morning. On average, babies born after 25 weeks gestation spend 100 days in neonatal intensive care, and about 80 per cent survive. Dr. Timothy Rowe, who heads the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of British Columbia, says the babies will likely have underdeveloped lungs and could even be blind. Lynda Haddon, a multiple birth educator, said raising sextuplets will be a daunting challenge for the parents. "There's a rollercoaster of emotions, from euphoria to fear," Haddon told CTV Newsnet. "Then there's the logistics: how are they going to fit in my car? What am I going to do with baby sitters? Am I going to have a life? How will I pay for them?" The B.C. Women's Hospital is the same one that delivered the conjoined twins of Vernon, B.C.'s Felicia Simms back in October. Her children left hospital just before Christmas. In the modern era, most multiple births have been attributed to the use of fertility drugs. Without drugs, sextuplets occur only once in several billion births. The Gilmour family of Saskatoon gave birth to quintuplets in 1999. Those children were conceived with the aid of fertility treatments. One child died in the womb, but the remaining five who were born survived despite arriving 11 weeks prematurely. The Gilmour quintuplets were reportedly only the eighth set of quintuplets in Canada since the famous Dionne quintuplets, who were born in 1934 in northern Ontario, long before the advent of today's fertility drugs. While the Dionne quintuplets were the first to have survived birth, their young lives became something of a freak show. The Ontario government seized them from their mother and put them in a special hospital where people could watch them play behind one-way glass. Their mother fought for nine years to regain custody. The three surviving women received a $4-million settlement from the Ontario government in 1998 as compensation for their early mistreatment. In 1974, sextuplets born in South Africa became the first to survive their infancy. News of the B.C. sextuplets' birth came as another sextuplet, John Van Houten of Hamilton, Mich., celebrated his third birthday. John's four brothers and sisters will have their birthdays on Jan. 16, while the youngest Van Houten sextuplet turns 3 a day later. With a report by CTV's Keri Adams and files from The Canadian Press	Canada's first sextuplets, four boys and two girls, were born on the weekend of January 6th 2007 at the B.C. Women's hospital in Vancouver. The first baby was delivered vaginally, while the following 5 had to be removed by emergency caesarean section. Dr. Liz Whynot, the Women's Hospital president said the first baby was delivered around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, with the others born early Sunday. Whynot said the parents "... understand there is a lot of public interest in the birth of their babies, they are feeling overwhelmed. So they're asking for their privacy to be respected." The children weigh about 800 grams each. The mother was reported to be in her 25th week of pregnancy and the babies will require a period of time in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit as most pregnancies last 40 weeks.
Germany have opened their FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007 campaign with a draw after the Europeans let slip a two-goal lead in their Group F meeting with Colombia at the Cheonan Sports Complex on Monday 20 August. Germany had the better of the early exchanges, but the opening goal of the match fell to the South Americans when captain Miguel Julio rose to meet a 14th-minute free kick with a powerful header. The Germans quickly recovered and began creating chances before Dennis Dowidat netted a spectacular 34th-minute equaliser, accelerating past his marker down the right and arrowing a drive into the far top corner from a tight angle. The Europeans took the lead just five minutes later after a fine passing move down the right flank, Richard Sukuta-Pasu converting a low cross to hand his side a 2-1 half-time lead. The Germans extended their advantage with a similar move shortly after the restart, Toni Kroos supplying a perfect cross for Dowidat to poke him his second of the game on 49 minutes. However, the Colombians responded magnificently and Cristian Nazarith pulled one back from a 66th-minute penalty, before the same player made the final score 3-3 with a long-range thunderbolt three minutes from time. \|\|\|\|\| Heiko Herrlich (GER), Germany coach "We knew Colombia were very dangerous at set plays, and that's how they scored their first goal. But compliments to my team for hitting back straightaway. We were in the driving seat after that and thoroughly deserved our lead. Colombia played a lot of long balls in the second half, exactly as we expected, and that's how they ended up equalising. Obviously, my lads are a shade disappointed because we've thrown it away today. But I can't fault my players, they gave everything in difficult conditions. Colombia kept clean sheets against Brazil and Argentina at the South American championships, but we've scored three against them today." Eduardo Lara (COL), Colombia coach "That was a crucial match for us. We started well, but unfortunately we fell 3-1 behind, so I'm incredibly proud of the fact we were able to turn it around. Normally, our main strength is our organisation, but unfortunately we made a few unnecessary errors in defence today, and that has to change. Cristian Nazarith was excellent today, but all my players are working very hard for our success and for the team." Nils Teixeira (GER), Germany defender "After a nervous start, we settled well. We played the better football, we had Colombia under control, and we deserved our 3-1 lead. But we dropped too deep after that, and their long-ball game paid off for them. In our remaining games, we need to keep it a little tighter at the back and not drop too deep, although there's not a lot to improve in our attacking play." Miguel Julio (COL), Colombia midfielder "The opening goal should have given us the confidence we needed, but after that we let Germany play far too much football. I'm still extremely happy with the result, because in my opinion, Germany are the strongest team in the group. Now we'll do our best to beat Trinidad and Ghana."	Cheonan, South Korea Germany have opened their 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign with a draw against Colombia in Cheonan, South Korea. The opening goal of the match came in 14th minute when Colombia captain Miguel Julio met a free kick with a header. The Germans began creating chances before Dennis Dowidat netted a 34th minute equaliser, accelerating past his marker down the right and arrowing a drive into the far top corner from a tight angle. The Europeans took the lead just five minutes later after a passing move down the right flank, Richard Sukuta-Pasu converting a low cross to hand his side a 2-1 half time lead. The Germans got their 3rd goal of the game with a similar move just after half time. Toni Kroos supplied a cross for Dowidat to poke him his second of the game during the 49th minute. Colombia tied the game with a penalty shot and a long range goal from Cristian Nazarith in the 66th minute and 88th minute respectively.

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Private guards kill Somali pirate for first time NAIROBI, Kenya — In the first killing of its kind, private security contractors shot dead a Somali pirate in a clash that left two skiffs riddled with bullet holes, officials said Wednesday. The killing raises questions over who has jurisdiction over a growing army of armed guards on merchant ships flying flags from many nations. There's currently no regulation of private security on board ships, no guidelines about who is responsible in case of an attack, and no industrywide standards, said piracy expert Roger Middleton from the British think tank Chatham House. "There's no guarantee of the quality of individuals you are going to get," said Middleton. "If you're a shipping company, that could be legally concerning. It's also concerning to everyone if you have individuals with guns and not much oversight out on the seas." The exact circumstances of Tuesday's shooting are unclear, but the European Union Naval Force said guards were on board the Panama-flagged MV Almezaan when a pirate group approached it twice. On the second approach, there was a shoot-out between the guards and the pirates. An EU Naval Force frigate was dispatched to the scene and launched a helicopter that located the pirates. Seven pirates were found, including one who died from small-caliber gunshot wounds, indicating he had been shot by the detachment onboard the Almezaan, and not by the helicopter gunship, said Cmdr. John Harbour, the EU Naval Force spokesman. The pirates had two small skiffs and a larger ship — a whaler — believed to be a mothership for food and fuel. "Once the skiffs and the whaler had been intercepted it was discovered that one of them contained a dead body that had sustained several small-caliber bullet impacts. Numerous bullet impacts were also visible on the skiffs and bullet casings as well as arms and munition of different caliber were found aboard," said a statement from the Spanish Ministry of Defense. Spanish forces aboard the warship Navarra arrested the six remaining pirates, took custody of the pirate's body and sunk the larger boat, the ministry said. Spain planned to give the body to the Somali government and transfer the suspects to Kenya or the Seychelles for prosecution if the cargo ship's crew identified the detainees as their attackers. Legal experts said there is no consensus on who is responsible for investigating the incident, and there are several possibilities: Panama, whose flag the Almezaan flies; the United Arab Emirates, where the ship's owners are based; or the nation which the security contractors come from, which has not yet been made public. "This will be scrutinized very closely," said Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the U.N.'s anti-piracy program. "There's always been concern about these (private security) companies. Who are they responsible to? ... The bottom line is somebody has been killed and someone has to give an accounting of that." So far, laws governing private security contractors have generally reacted to specific abuses rather than attempting to prevent such abuses, said Patrick Cullen, an international relations lecturer at the Barcelona-based International Politics Institute and the co-author of an upcoming book on private maritime security companies. "Regulating maritime security companies is a very gray area," he said. Violent confrontations between ships and pirates are on the rise. Crews are becoming adept at repelling attacks by pirates and many more ship owners are using private security guards. Pirates are becoming more aggressive in response, shooting firearms and firing rocket-propelled grenades at ships to try to intimidate captains into stopping. Also on Wednesday, the head of the Navy and Coastal Armed Defense in Yemen said it had foiled a piracy attempt by Somalis against a Yemeni oil tanker that was carrying large amounts of oil to the port in Aden. The navy exchanged fire with Somali pirates who had encircled the tanker in four boats, before the pirates fled, General Ruwais Ali Majoor said. The navy is still searching for them, he said. The International Maritime Bureau says 39 ships were fired off Somalia and in the Gulf of Aden in 2008, but that number increased to 114 ships by 2009. Earlier this month there were four separate shoot-outs in a single day between pirates, security guards and military personnel aboard commercial vessels. Several organizations, including the International Maritime Bureau, have expressed fears that the use of armed security contractors could encourage pirates to be more violent in their approach. In Somali waters, it is often difficult to distinguish between pirates and fishermen until the boats are very close. Maritime experts have expressed fears that jittery security guards could accidentally open fire on ordinary Somalis. Pirate attacks have not declined despite patrols by dozens of warships off the Somali coast. The amount of ocean to patrol is too vast to protect every ship and pirates have responded to the increased naval presence by moving attacks farther out to sea. Experts say piracy is just one symptom of the general collapse of law and order in the failed state of Somalia, which has not had a functioning government in 19 years. They say attacks on shipping will continue as long as there is no central government capable of taking on the well-armed and well-paid pirate gangs. Associated Press Writer Harold Heckle in Madrid and Ahmed el-Haj in Yemen contributed to this report. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| MOGADISHU (Reuters) - A suspected Somali pirate was killed during shooting between pirates and armed guards on board a Panamanian-flagged ship, a maritime official and the EU anti-piracy taskforce said on Wednesday. World The private guards protecting the MV Almezaan returned fire as they beat back two attacks by the same gang off the coast of lawless Somalia on Tuesday. Somali pirates attacked a Yemeni oil tanker off the Yemen coast on Wednesday, but the Yemeni navy foiled the assault, the defense ministry said. Navy and coast guard vessels engaged four pirate boats that had surrounded the tanker, which was carrying crude oil to the Yemeni port of Aden, and forced them to flee, a Yemeni Defense Ministry website said. Marauding sea gangs have attacked ships in the busy lanes in the Gulf of Aden that link Europe and Asia for several years, earning ransoms worth millions of dollars from vessels captured. In the attack on the MV Almezaan, a patrolling Spanish warship deployed a helicopter that fired warning shots to stop the pirates as they fled the area. Spanish troops seized six individuals, recovered one body and destroyed three pirate vessels. "The body has been transferred to Navarra," EU NAVFOR said in a statement on its website, referring to the Spanish frigate. "An investigation indicated that the individual had died from small caliber gunshot wounds," it added. The MV Almezaan was en route to the Somali capital Mogadishu, the statement said. Kenyan maritime official Andrew Mwangura confirmed the incident by telephone from the port city of Mombasa. A fleet of foreign navies are patrolling the region's waters, operating convoys and offering safe transit corridors. But they have found themselves increasingly stretched as the pirates roam further out into the Indian Ocean. Some shippers have already started to avoid the Gulf of Aden, sending vessels round the Cape of Good Hope despite the higher cost, while others have chosen to carry private guards. On Tuesday pirates seized a Turkish ship with a crew of 21 and a Bermuda-flagged reefer with a crew of 25. (Reporting by Ibrahim Mohamed and Duncan Miriri; Additional reporting by Firouz Sedarat in Dubai; Writing by Richard Lough; editing by Tim Pearce) \|\|\|\|\| PARIS — Private security guards aboard a merchant ship plying the pirate-infested waters off Somalia shot dead one of several attackers trying to seize the vessel, the European Union Naval Force in the area said Wednesday. The killing was thought to have been the first involving private contractors, the naval force said. The death could escalate the struggle between pirates and merchant shipping in the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, where cargo ships increasingly carry private security teams. Some maritime organizations believe the presence of armed contractors may make pirates adopt more aggressive tactics. The death of the attacker also raised legal questions about the accountability of private teams, a United Nations official said. The episode happened early on Tuesday when the Almezaan, a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship heading for Mogadishu, Somalia, came under attack from pirates using high-speed skiffs controlled by a mother ship, the British-based naval force said in a statement on its Web site. Twice, the pirates attacked the vessel and twice they were repulsed as a Spanish frigate, the Navarra, sped toward the scene, Cmdr. John Harbour of Britain’s Royal Navy, the spokesman for the naval force, said in a telephone interview. “Normally, the private security firms fire warning shots” to repel pirates, he said. But on Tuesday, “the pirates came for a second time firing their guns, and the security team fired back,” he said. Asked if the killing was the first by a private security team, he said, “I believe that is the case.” A helicopter from the Navarra located the pirates and fired warning shots while a team from the frigate went aboard the pirates’ boats. In one pirate skiff, which was riddled with bullets, the boarding party found three pirates and the body of a fourth who had been hit by small arms fire, Commander Harbour said. Six pirates were arrested and their ships were sunk. The spokesman said he did not know the nationalities of the private security team members. While several pirates have died in encounters with international naval forces, Arvinder Sambei, a legal consultant for the United Nations’ antipiracy program, said the role of private security operatives this time “will be scrutinized very closely,” The Associated Press reported. “There’s always been concern about these companies,” she said. “Who are they responsible to?” Ms. Sambei continued, “The bottom line is somebody has been killed and someone has to give an accounting of that.”	A private security guard, defending the Panamanian based ''MV Almezaan'', killed a Somali pirate who was attempting to hijack the ship on Tuesday. This is the first time that a private contractor has killed a pirate in the Gulf of Aden. The pirates came up to the ship with two small vessels and one large "mother-ship". As the small boats approached the ''Almezaan'', the ship's contractors opened fire, and killed one of the pirates. Then European Union and Yemeni naval vessels surrounded the pirates, who attempted to flee. They were then apprehended. The EU's Naval Force Somalia released a statement saying that "the body has been transferred to the Spanish naval ship ''Navarra'', an investigation indicated that the individual had died from small caliber gunshot wounds." The incident came after pirates captured Turkish and Bermudan ships earlier Tuesday, capturing a total of 46 people.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. A Royal Navy pilot managed to eject to safety as a jet crashed in a field near a village in Rutland. A Ministry of Defence (MoD) spokeswoman said the Harrier crashed north-east of RAF Cottesmore at about 1350 BST. She said the pilot ejected and came down using a parachute and was "alive and conscious". He is receiving treatment in hospital. Residents said the crash happened about 200yds (180m) from Ashwell. No civilian casualties were reported. A safety cordon has been put in place around the crash site. The pilot was taken to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre by air ambulance. His injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. Phil Morris, spokesman for East Midlands Ambulance Service, said: "We attended the incident along with the air ambulance. There was one casualty and that was the pilot. "He was fully conscious and alert, but had suspected spinal injuries which would be consistent with being ejected from a plane. "That is not to say that he definitely had spinal injuries. That's what the hospital will be looking into." Leicestershire Fire and Rescue Service confirmed it was called to the crash near Ashwell and 10 appliances were deployed. The aircraft was returning from a training exercise in Norfolk ahead of a four-month deployment in Afghanistan. All flying has been suspended at the airbase while investigations are carried out. Deputy Force Commander Ade Orchard, who was flying at the time of the incident, said: "His wing man who was airborne with him in another aircraft would have been helping him out all the way along. "Shortly afterwards I witnessed a flash from the vicinity of the lead aircraft, approximately 10 seconds after that a large fireball." 'Lucky escape' Vic Harrison, 73, who saw the aircraft come down, said: "I thought he didn't stand a chance, but I looked up and saw the parachute of the pilot. "I really thought he had hit the houses. It was a narrow miss - it must have been just 400 yards from our house. "It has been an exceptionally lucky escape." Craig Shepherd, 25, who was carrying out building work about half a mile (800m) from the crash site, said: "They [Harriers] had been flying over about seven or eight times during the day," he said. "We were working and heard a bang, looked up and saw the guy get out of the plane with a parachute and then just watched the plane come down to the ground and crash into a field. "It looked like the rear of the plane was on fire. We went over to the crash site and within about five minutes the fire engines arrived." An MOD spokesman said the pilot's next of kin had been informed. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| Harrier jet crashes into field, narrowly missing village houses seconds after pilot ejects An RAF pilot was in hospital this evening after he was forced to eject from his blazing Harrier jump jet seconds before it plunged into a field 600 feet from a village. As an investigation began into the loss of the latest Harrier, witnesses said it appeared the pilot had stayed with the plane until the final moments to ensure it avoided homes. He landed by parachute near the scene at Ashwell, Rutland, and is being treated at Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre for spinal injuries which are not said to be life threatening. An RAF pilot is in hospital after ejecting from his burning Harrier jet just seconds before it crashed in a village field (file picture) The £20million Harrier GR7A, which was not carrying weapons, is thought to have developed a fault minutes after leaving its base at RAF Cottesmore. It had been taking part in a training operation with several other Harriers prior to deployment to Afghanistan where the jets support British and U.S. troops battling the Taliban. One villager, James Patrick, 87, said: 'I was sitting out in the garden when I saw the aircraft coming over the trees by the church. 'It went down just past the church - and there was a thump and a huge cloud of smoke. The next thing I saw was a parachutist coming down.' The Rutland village of Ashwell, next to which the Harrier jet crashed, has a population of around 200 and is surrounded by farmland Another resident added: 'Some people saw the plane come down in a ball of flame and the pilot ejecting seconds before it hit the ground. 'The first I knew about it was when I saw the black smoke. Then we heard lots of sirens and saw helicopters flying all around the village. 'Everyone is just relieved that nobody has been hurt. I dread to think what would have happened if it had crashed into the houses.' Fellow villager, Vic Harrison, 73, said: 'I thought the pilot didn't stand a chance, but then I looked up and saw his parachute. I really thought he had hit the houses. It was a narrow miss - it must have been 400 metres from our house.' The crash is the latest involving a Harrier. Two years ago a GR9 from Cottesmore crashed near Oxford and four years earlier two Harriers were lost in separate crashes. An RAF spokeswoman confirmed the pilot ejected with a parachute and was taken to hospital after being found 'conscious' nearby. She added: 'The Harrier came down near the airfield. We had an incident team at the site with seven minutes of the ejection notice.' \|\|\|\|\| The aircraft, from RAF Cottesmore, came down on open farmland just before 1350 hours near the village of Ashwell.The pilot, from the Royal Navy, ejected prior to the crash and has been taken to hospital by air ambulance. There is no word at this time on the condition of the pilot, whose next of kin have been informed. There are no reports of casualties on the ground.At this stage it is too early to say what might have caused the incident. However, a Board of Inquiry is being convened.	Police closed roads surrounding the scene of the crash A Royal Navy pilot has safely ejected from his Harrier GR7 aircraft moments before it crashed in a field near the small village of Ashwell in the county of Rutland in England. The crash occurred at about 1350 BST today. The pilot was taken by air ambulance to Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham for treatment for spinal injuries. Local resident Vic Harrison spoke to the BBC about the incident: "I thought he didn't stand a chance, but I looked up and saw the parachute of the pilot. I really thought he had hit the houses. It was a narrow miss - it must have been just 400 yards from our house. It has been an exceptionally lucky escape." The plane, from the nearby RAF Cottesmore airbase, was on a training mission and is said not to have been carrying any weapons. ===Gallery=== Image:Harrier plane crash Ashwell, Rutland AB2.JPG\|The following day the scene was preserved under tents Image:Harrier plane crash Ashwell, Rutland AB3.JPG\|Police and military base of operations the day after the crash
Four sought in attempted attacks Police say man shot and killed in Underground not one of four LONDON, England (CNN) -- Police investigating Thursday's attempted bombings on the London transit system have released images of four men caught on closed-circuit television at the incident sites around the time the attacks were attempted. Authorities were urging the public to help find them. Earlier Friday, authorities shot and killed a man at the Stockwell Underground station. Police said the man shot was not one of the photographed four men being sought. Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair said, however, that the fatal shooting was "directly linked to the ongoing and expanding anti-terrorist operation." Police said the man had emerged from a house that was under police observation, prompting surveillance officers to follow him to the Stockwell station. It's in south London, one stop and about a mile away from Oval Station, one of the four bombing targets Thursday. "His clothing and his behavior at the station added to their suspicions," a Scotland Yard statement said. Witnesses said the man was rushing toward a subway when he was shot at around 10 a.m. (Full story) Blair said any death is "deeply regrettable," but said the man refused to obey instructions to stop. The shooting is a rarity in London, where police generally are not armed except for special response units. The latest attacks came two weeks to the day 52 people were killed in four bombings targeting the city's mass transit. As in the July 7 attacks, three subway trains and a double-decker bus were attacked, but in Thursday's case, the four homemade bombs stuffed in backpacks only "partially detonated," said Assistant Police Commissioner Andy Hayman. He noted that it was too early to determine how they went off. One person was wounded. (Full story) Meanwhile, police announced an arrest in Stockwell in connection with Thursday's bombing attempts. Police would not comment on whether the man arrested was one of the four men caught in the closed-circuit television videos. Hayman said police searched three locations Friday, one of which was in West London. Scotland Yard identified the area further saying, "in West Kilburn, W9." Police cordoned off part of Harrow Road in that area. It is not clear if one of the three locations mentioned includes the place of the arrest. Police also arrested Friday a man at a rail station in Birmingham. The Snow Hill station was evacuated and cordoned off, police said, and two suitcases were seized at the scene. Images released The first CCTV image released by police Friday showed a young man in a dark top with "New York" written on it apparently fleeing the Oval station in south London where a bomb was left on a train. The second image showed a middle-aged man with a moustache wearing a gray T-shirt with a palm tree on it standing on the top deck of the number 26 bus in Hackney, east London. The third image shows a man leaving Warren Street Underground station in central London at about 12:39 p.m. on Thursday. He was wearing dark clothes. The fourth image showed a man at Westbourne Park Underground at 12:21 p.m. He later traveled west on the Hammersmith and City line to Shepherds Bush underground where he ran off. He was wearing a dark shirt and trousers, and was later wearing a white vest. In other developments: An east London mosque on Whitechapel Road said it received a bomb threat Friday. The mosque was evacuated, while police checked the building. People were then allowed back inside. The mother of Germaine Lindsay, one of the July 7 bombers, said she grieves for the victims. Maryam McLeod told reporters on the island of Grenada she is convinced, however, that he was not involved. (Full story) \|\|\|\|\| Police at Snow Hill Police at Snow Hill Arrest In Birmingham A man has been arrested under the Terrorism Act at a railway station in Birmingham. Snow Hill station was evacuated as bomb disposal officers dealt with two suit cases the suspect was carrying. Buses have been diverted, train and tram services through the station have been suspended as British Transport Police cordoned off the area. The male was detained under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act, police said. West Midlands Police said later in a statement: "Snow Hill station has been evacuated and cordoned off. "One man has been detained under section 44 of the Terrorism Act. Two suitcases at the train station are being investigated by the army bomb squad." Advertisement Advertisement A small group of people, many of them waiting to get back to cars parked in the streets behind the station and in its car park, were gathered outside the entrance to Snow Hill. Inspector Phil Milton, from British Transport Police, told reporters later that the packages were not found to be suspicious. "The bomb disposal team have been and checked and found it to be safe," he said. Asked how the incident came to light, he revealed that the alarm was raised by an off-duty officer who saw a man and believed his behaviour to be suspect. Asked if the arrest was connected to the London bombings, the officer added: "as far as I know its wholly unconnected." The station re-opened to the public at 8.15pm. \|\|\|\|\| The arrest was made at the metro station close to the train station The man was arrested at Snow Hill metro station in the city centre on Friday. He was reportedly carrying two suitcases which were checked by explosives officers. The station was evacuated shortly after 1800 BST and reopened two hours later. A spokesman later said the incident was not suspicious. The bomb disposal team have been and checked and found it to be safe Insp Phil Milton, British Transport Police Insp Phil Milton, from British Transport Police, told reporters later that the packages were not found to be suspicious. "The bomb disposal team have been and checked and found it to be safe," he said. He revealed that the alarm was raised by an off-duty officer who saw a man and believed his behaviour to be suspect. The man, said only to be an adult who had travelled from London, was on the tram at the time. Asked if the arrest was connected to the London bombings, the officer added; "as far as I know its wholly unconnected." The arrested man has been interviewed by officers but will not charged with any offences. Part of Snow Hill station is below ground level.	Scotland Yard says the arrest took place at a residence in Stockwell, south London and was "part of the investigation into the incidents of July 21st." The man is being held at Paddington Green police station under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Officials will not comment on whether the suspect was one of the four whose pictures were released after being caught by CCTV camera's. Just after 6pm BST police arrested a man at the Snow Hill rail station in Birmingham under Section 44 of the Terrorism Act. The station was evacuated and cordoned off because of two suspicious suitcases found at the station. The suitcases were examined and later found not to contain explosives. The BBC reports that the man who was arrested will not be facing charges. Snow Hill station re-opened at around 8pm BST.
> Use our pull-down menus to find more stories -- Regions/Countries -- Africa Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa --- Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe -- Topics -- AGOA AIDS Africa on the Move Agribusiness Aid and Assistance Arms and Armies Arts Athletics Banking Book Reviews Books Business Capital Flows Children Climate Commodities Company Conflict Construction Crime Currencies Debt Ecotourism Editorials Education Energy Environment Food and Agriculture From allAfrica's Reporters Game Parks Health Healthcare and Medical Human Rights ICT Infrastructure Investment Labour Land Issues Latest Legal Affairs Malaria Manufacturing Media Migration Mining Music Music Reviews NEPAD NGO Oceans Olympics Peacekeeping Petroleum Polio Pregnancy and Childbirth Privatization Refugees Religion Science Soccer Sport Stock Markets Sustainable Development Terrorism Trade Transport Travel Tuberculosis Urban Issues Water Wildlife Women World Cup --- Central Africa Business East Africa Business North Africa Business Southern Africa Business West Africa Business --- Asia, Australia, and Africa Europe and Africa International Organisations Latin America and Africa Middle East and Africa U.S., Canada and Africa --- From AllAfrica Photo Essays Special Reports web allafrica.com Enter your search terms Submit search form OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine Zimbabwe: Mugabe Claims All Key Ministries Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article View comments President Robert Mugabe has made a bid to claim unilaterally key government ministries - including defence, foreign affairs and home affairs - in Zimbabwe's new power-sharing government. But his main opponents have rejected the move as "a giant act of madness." The Herald newspaper, an organ of Mugabe's Zanu-PF party, published a report on Saturday saying that Mugabe had allocated ministries among the three parties which signed the country's recent power-sharing agreement. The newspaper said he had formally published the allocation in Zimbabwe's government gazette. It claimed that only the ministry of finance remained the subject of dispute between the parties. But the Movement for Democratic Change of Prime Minister-designate Morgan Tsvangirai issued a statement saying Mugabe had acted unilaterally overnight on Friday night in a bid to pre-empt the intervention of former President Thabo Mbeki of South Africa, the Southern African Development Community mediator on Zimbabwe. Mbeki is due in Zimbabwe within days. MDC spokesman Nelson Chamisa said Mugabe had gazetted the ministries only hours after parties had referred the logjam over all key ministries to Mbeki. Chamisa called the Herald report's list a "wish list of ministries" which was "a product of unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous machinations by Zanu-PF." Relevant Links Southern Africa Zimbabwe He said Mugabe's move "puts the whole deal into jeopardy. Zanu-PF cannot nocturnally allocate ministries barely hours after the three principals agreed to disagree by referring the matter to the mediator..." \|\|\|\|\| President allocates ministries Herald Reporters PRESIDENT Mugabe has gazetted ministries allocated to Zanu-PF, MDC-T and MDC in terms of the power-sharing agreement signed by the three parties. Section (L) of the Functions and Powers of the President outlined in the power-sharing agreement states that the Head of State shall after consultation with the Vice Presidents, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers, allocate ministerial portfolios in accordance with the agreement. After the assignment of ministries to the parties, President Mugabe is expected to sign the necessary papers for the appointment of the Vice Presidents, Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Ministers. After their appointments, MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai and his MDC counterpart Arthur Mutambara would have three months to find seats in Parliament. The President would then receive nominations of ministerial appointees from the two MDC formations for appointment into Cabinet. Highly placed sources last night said Zanu-PF has already agreed on its line-up of ministers. In the 31-member Cabinet, Zanu-PF — which won the popular vote on March 29 — has 15 ministries, MDC-T 13 while MDC has three. The principals would assign their members in the portfolios. No appointments would, however, be made until the facilitator, former South African president Cde Thabo Mbeki, has come to assist on the outstanding ministry — Finance, which Cde Mugabe provisionally assigned to Zanu-PF, according to the Government Gazette. The assignment of ministries was done in terms of Paragraph (a) of Subsection (1) of Section 31 D of the Constitution. The ministries are as follows. 1. Defence 2. Home Affairs 3 . Foreign Affairs 4. Transport 5 . Local Government and Urban Development 6 . Mines and Mining Development 7. Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement 8. Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism 9. Higher and Tertiary Education 10. Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development 11. Justice and Legal Affairs 12 . Media, Information and Publicity 13. Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development 14. Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment MDC-T 1. Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs 2. Economic Planning and Investment Promotion 3. Energy and Power Development 4. Health and Child Welfare 5. Labour and Social Welfare 6. Water Resources Development and Management 7 . Public Service 8. Sport, Arts and Culture 9. State Enterprise and Parastatals 10 . Science and Technology Development 11. Information Communication Technology 12. Public Works 13 . National Housing and Social Amenities MDC-M 1. Regional Integration and International Co-operation 2. Education 3 . Industry and Commerce NB: Finance is still in dispute. \|\|\|\|\| > Use our pull-down menus to find more stories -- Regions/Countries -- Africa Central Africa East Africa North Africa Southern Africa West Africa --- Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea Bissau Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland São Tomé and Príncipe Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe -- Topics -- AGOA AIDS Africa on the Move Agribusiness Aid and Assistance Arms and Armies Arts Athletics Banking Book Reviews Books Business Capital Flows Children Climate Commodities Company Conflict Construction Crime Currencies Debt Ecotourism Editorials Education Energy Environment Food and Agriculture From allAfrica's Reporters Game Parks Health Healthcare and Medical Human Rights ICT Infrastructure Investment Labour Land Issues Latest Legal Affairs Malaria Manufacturing Media Migration Mining Music Music Reviews NEPAD NGO Oceans Olympics Peacekeeping Petroleum Polio Pregnancy and Childbirth Privatization Refugees Religion Science Soccer Sport Stock Markets Sustainable Development Terrorism Trade Transport Travel Tuberculosis Urban Issues Water Wildlife Women World Cup --- Central Africa Business East Africa Business North Africa Business Southern Africa Business West Africa Business --- Asia, Australia, and Africa Europe and Africa International Organisations Latin America and Africa Middle East and Africa U.S., Canada and Africa --- From AllAfrica Photo Essays Special Reports web allafrica.com Enter your search terms Submit search form OR subscribers use AllAfrica's premium search engine Zimbabwe: MDC Dismisses Zanu PF's Midnight Ambush Email This Page Print This Page Comment on this article Nelson Chamisa Harare The MDC dismisses the Zanu PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans. The Herald-published list of ministries is a product of unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous machinations by Zanu PF. In fact, it is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy. Zanu PF cannot nocturnally allocate ministries barely hours after the three principals agreed to disagree by referring the matter to the mediator after a logjam over all key ministries. Zanu PF's ploy is to pre-empt the visit of the mediator and any attempt by SADC to try and help Zimbabweans locate exit points to the current impasse. For the past week, Zanu PF has been performing its usual propaganda rituals to lull the nation into believing that there was progress. The idea was to manage and prepare the nation for this barbaric ambush. The MDC did not append its signature to a Zanu PF power-grabbing deal but to a power sharing deal. The people of Zimbabwe are aware that we entered into dialogue with a sincere desire to resolve the national crisis. This brazen power-grab as reflected in the gazetted ministries cannot in any way be a result of a genuine power-sharing agreement. Zanu PF has waylaid and mugged the people's desire to see a new government put in place which would solve the endemic problems of starvation, clean water, housing, better health care and education. The elite in Zanu PF is not interested in addressing the current challenges in the country. Instead, they are obsessed with power retention at all costs. We reject the attempt by Zanu PF to get the MDC into office but without power. We derive our legitimacy and mandate from the people of Zimbabwe, not Zanu PF who were rejected by the very same people on 29 March. It is ridiculous that after having lost the election, Zanu PF, the loser, proceeds to allocate peripheral ministries to the MDC, the winner. This act of perfidy is a negation of the spirit of rapproachment and good will that should characterize any meaningful power-sharing arrangement. The MDC believes that Mr Mugabe, who lost the election on 29 March, cannot arrogate upon himself the right to unilaterally allocate ministries outside the framework of the dialogue process. We condemn Zanu PF's undermining of efforts by SADC and the African Union in trying to resolve the challenges confronting our country. All good Zimbabweans have a duty to stand up and be counted in defending that which is good about our country and stop the Zanu PF madness. In light of the latest developments, the MDC calls on the mediator, SADC, the AU and the international community at large to help support and protect Zimbabweans against the run-away and galloping power appetite of the minority Zanu PF leadership. Hon Nelson Chamisa, MP Relevant Links Southern Africa Zimbabwe Secretary for Information and Publicity	Robert Mugabe Zanu-PF, which until recently had complete control over all Zimbabwean cabinet posts, has reassigned control of these in a process separate from the power sharing negotiations which are taking place. This move seems aimed at giving Zanu-PF, the party lead by Robert Mugabe, control of the most important government ministries. The move will not be official, however, until approved in the power sharing negotiations. The move was announced yesterday in The Herald, a newspaper run by Zanu-PF, and was criticized heavily from the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC), which is led by Morgan Tsvangirai. "The MDC dismisses the Zanu PF's unilaterally gazetted wish list of ministries, which is a betrayal of the wishes, expectations and aspirations of the majority of Zimbabweans," said the MDC in a press release. "The Herald-published list of ministries is a product of unilateral, contemptuous and outrageous machinations by Zanu PF. In fact, it is a giant act of madness which puts the whole deal into jeopardy. Zanu PF cannot nocturnally allocate ministries barely hours after the three principals agreed to disagree by referring the matter to the mediator after a logjam over all key ministries." "Zanu PF's ploy is to preempt the visit of the mediator and any attempt by SADC to try and help Zimbabweans locate exit points to the current impasse," added the press release. ===Zanu-PF allocation of ministries=== Ministry Controlling Party Defence Zanu-PF Home Affairs Zanu-PF Foreign Affairs Zanu-PF Transport Zanu-PF Local Government and Urban Development Zanu-PF Mines and Mining Development Zanu-PF Lands, Agriculture and Resettlement Zanu-PF Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism Zanu-PF Higher and Tertiary Education Zanu-PF Small and Medium Enterprises and Co-operative Development Zanu-PF Justice and Legal Affairs Zanu-PF Media, Information and Publicity Zanu-PF Women’s Affairs, Gender and Community Development Zanu-PF Youth Development, Indigenisation and Empowerment Zanu-PF Constitutional and Parliamentary Affairs MDC Economic Planning and Investment Promotion MDC Energy and Power Development MDC Health and Child Welfare MDC Labour and Social Welfare MDC Water Resources Development and Management MDC Public Service MDC Sport, Arts and Culture MDC State Enterprise and Parastatals MDC Science and Technology Development MDC Information Communication Technology MDC Public Works MDC National Housing and Social Amenities MDC Regional Integration and International Co-operation MDC Education MDC Industry and Commerce MDC Finance Not allocated
Pakistan: Pakistani troops backed by tanks and gunships cleared militant hideouts near the Afghan border, sparking gunbattles that left eight troops and 40 rebels dead, the army said Thursday. Thirty militants were also arrested in the clashes over the last 24 hours in the South Waziristan tribal district, the hideout of an insurgent commander accused of masterminding the killing of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto. Pakistani forces launched a major operation against rebel positions following days of fighting in the barren, lawless region, which the United States has identified as a key lair of Al-Qaeda and Taliban militants. "Reportedly, 40 miscreants have been killed in the last 24 hours and 30 miscreants have been apprehended, many of them injured," an army statement said. It added that eight soldiers "embraced martyrdom" while 32 others were injured in the clashes, the heaviest single-day toll in several weeks of fighting since Bhutto's assassination almost one month ago. Soldiers have cleared militants from three strongholds in Spinkai Raghazai, Nawazkot and surrounding areas of Tiarza village in the tribal area, the military said in the statement. Tanks had moved into position to protect the movement of military convoys, the statement added. Security officials said helicopter gunships were also pounding insurgent positions. Chief military spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said the clashes occurred in areas mainly controlled by the fiercely independent Mehsud tribe. Abbas said he was not aware of the whereabouts of rebel commander Baitullah Mehsud who is based in South Waziristan's mountains, and has been blamed by the Pakistan and the US Central Intelligence Agency for Bhutto's killing. "It is not known whether he was taking part in the fighting or present in those areas," Abbas said. "We have recovered a few bodies and there will be investigations about their origin," Abbas added, saying it was not clear if any of the bodies were those of foreign fighters. The latest casualty figures could not be independently verified as the rugged area where fighting is occurring is out of bounds for journalists. But hundreds of families had fled the area and there was a severe shortage of food and other essential supplies, residents told AFP by telephone. Mehsud tribesmen have refused to seek shelter in a refugee camp set up by authorities in the nearby town of Jandola and had asked family in other districts to accommodate them, local tribesman Alam Khan said. "The Mehsuds are angry that the military is bombing innocent people and that is why they have refused to take any help," Khan said. The instability in the nuclear-armed nation ahead of crucial elections on February 18 has caused concern among Islamabad's international allies, especially in Washington. Pakistan has been wracked by violence and suicide bombings since troops crushed an uprising at a hardline mosque in Islamabad last July, and the bloodshed has escalated since Bhutto's killing on December 27. A suicide bombing late Wednesday, the fourth in Pakistan this year, killed one person at a checkpost on a highway that links the separate Khyber tribal agency with Peshawar city, in the northwest. But President Pervez Musharraf used a European tour this week to dismiss fears that the country and its nuclear warheads could slip into Al-Qaeda's hands, saying there was a "zero percent chance" of a takeover by extremists. - AFP \|\|\|\|\| The Pakistani army says it killed 40 Islamic militants and arrested 30 during two days of fighting along its border with Afghanistan. The United States, meanwhile, has offered to train Pakistani security forces in their fight against the al-Qaida-linked militants. VOA's Nancy-Amelia Collins reports from Islamabad. The fighting took place in South Waziristan province late Wednesday and Thursday. The army says security forces backed by helicopters attacked suspected hideouts of militants led by the country's most wanted man, Baitullah Mehsud. In recent months, bomb attacks blamed on Mehsud's followers have claimed the lives of more than four hundred people throughout the country. Most of the violence has been aimed at the security forces, but both the United States and the Pakistani government blame Mehsud for the assassination last month of the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. The army has retaliated with raids like the one this week, and can claim some battlefield success. The military said Thursday it had cleared three districts of militants, losing eight soldiers in the fighting. But not everyone believes this is an effective way to deal with the insurgents. The tribal region is a traditionally lawless and conservative region, whose inhabitants have never trusted the central Pakistani government. The region is also now home to scores of Taliban and al-Qaida fighters who fled Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2001. Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, the former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group, is now a noted political analyst. He says the army's increased activity in the tribal areas only exacerbates the problem. "It increases the level of insurgency in that area and that is what has been happening for the last, about four years," said Durrani. "It is never a good thing, especially when you are using it [force] against your own people…This was the wrong approach." Instead, Durrani says, the government should try to resolve the conflict through existing tribal structures, and mediation by influential figures trusted by both sides. As fighting intensified in the region this week, Admiral William Fallon, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, proposed that U.S. troops help train the Pakistani security forces in their fight against the militants. Durrani says if the government agrees, it will anger many Pakistanis. "It will make it worse…There is hardly anything anyone can teach us…The environments are different," he said. "The approach may be generally the same, but the environments are different. So only we, and with the involvement of the people there, can resolve it. There is no special training required." The government has not yet replied to Admiral Fallon's offer.	The Pakistani army says it killed 40 Islamic militants and arrested 30 during two days of fighting along its border with Afghanistan. The United States, meanwhile, has offered to train Pakistani security forces in their fight against the al-Qaeda-linked militants. The fighting took place in South Waziristan province late Wednesday and Thursday. The army says security forces backed by helicopters attacked suspected hideouts of militants led by the country's most wanted man, Baitullah Mehsud. In recent months, bomb attacks blamed on Mehsud's followers have claimed the lives of more than four hundred people throughout the country. Most of the violence has been aimed at the security forces, but both the United States and the Pakistani government blame Mehsud for the assassination last month of the opposition leader and former prime minister, Benazir Bhutto. The army has retaliated with raids like the one this week, and can claim some battlefield success. The military said Thursday it had cleared three districts of militants, losing eight soldiers in the fighting. But not everyone believes this is an effective way to deal with the insurgents. The tribal region is a traditionally lawless and conservative region, whose inhabitants have been said to have never trusted the central Pakistani government. The region is also now home to scores of Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters who fled Afghanistan after the U.S.-led invasion of that country in 2001. Retired Lieutenant General Asad Durrani, the former chief of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence group, is now a noted political analyst. He says the army's increased activity in the tribal areas only exacerbates the problem. "It increases the level of insurgency in that area and that is what has been happening for the last, about four years," said Durrani. "It is never a good thing, especially when you are using it force against your own people…This was the wrong approach." Instead, Durrani says, the government should try to resolve the conflict through existing tribal structures, and mediation by influential figures trusted by both sides. As fighting intensified in the region this week, Admiral William Fallon, the head of the U.S. military's Central Command, proposed that U.S. troops help train the Pakistani security forces in their fight against the militants. Durrani said that if the government agrees, it will anger many Pakistanis. "It will make it worse…There is hardly anything anyone can teach us…The environments are different," he said. "The approach may be generally the same, but the environments are different. So only we, and with the involvement of the people there, can resolve it. There is no special training required." The government has not yet replied to Admiral Fallon's offer.
Missing Method in NewsController Error: The action displayStory.jhtml is not defined in controller NewsController Error: Create NewsController::displayStory.jhtml() in file: app/controllers/news_controller.php. Notice: If you want to customize this error message, create app/views/errors/missing_action.ctp. \|\|\|\|\| WALES SELECTS FIRST WAVE OF SWIMMERS The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales has announced the first wave of swimmers to be invited to take their seats on the Melbourne-bound plane for the 2006 Commonwealth Games (15-26 March 2006). They are: David Davies (City of Cardiff) Thomas Haffield (City of Cardiff) Julie Gould (Halesmere) Bethan Coole (Swansea) Jazmin Carlin (Tigersharks, Swindon) Rhiannon Henry (Swansea) - Élite Athlete with a Disability (EAD). There will be another opportunity to reach the qualifying standard at the second Commonwealth Games swimming qualifier – the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association Open Stage 3 Meet – to will be held at the Wales National Pool in Swansea on December 3-4. Chef de Mission for Team Wales M2006 Anne Ellis said: “I am delighted to welcome these swimmers into Team Wales. They will join a strong and determined squad who are already in the throws of preparing for the Games. 'To have reached the high qualifying standards is an achievement in itself and we are confident those selected are readily equipped to tackle the Melbourne challenge with vigour in March 2006.” Robert James, Chief Executive at Welsh Swimming, said: “I am delighted that we have such talented swimmers who have qualified at the first opportunity offered to then at the Commonwealth Trials in August. “This group have a wealth of experience to call upon. Olympic and World Championship bronze medallist David Davies (20) and our World Student Games representative, Bethan Coole (20) will be joined by Julie Gould (16), Thomas Haffield (17), and Jazmin Carlin (14) who have all represented British Swimming this year. “Bethan will be making her third Commonwealth outing - she was only 12 years old when she made her debut in the Kuala Lumpur Games in 1998. David will be making his second Games appearance following an impressive debut in Manchester in 2002.” -ends-	The Commonwealth Games Council for Wales has named the first group of swimmers in the swimming squad who will compete in the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. Among the six named is David Davies, Olympic and World Swimming Championships bronze medal winner. The current squad list is: # David Davies - City of Cardiff # Thomas Haffield - City of Cardiff # Julie Gould - Halesmere # Bethan Coole - Swansea # Jazmin Carlin - Tigersharks, Swindon # Rhiannon Henry - Swansea There will be a second chance to qualify at the Welsh Amateur Swimming Association Open Stage 3 Meet on December 3/4.
Sexual abuse has been a noted problem in indigenous communities The offenders were either placed on probation or given suspended sentences for the 2005 rape in the Aurukun settlement, in northern Queensland. In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim "probably agreed to have sex with all of you". A review of sexual abuse sentences in Aboriginal Queensland has been ordered. Sentencing seven of the accused in Cairns in October, Judge Bradley told them that the girl involved was not forced into sex, according to a report in The Australian newspaper. She placed six of the offenders, who were minors at the time of the rape, on probation for 12 months, local media said. The three other defendants were handed suspended six-month prison sentences. Judge Bradley later defended her sentencing, telling The Australian that the sentences were "appropriate" because they were the penalties sought by the prosecution. 'No excuse' But Australia's newly-elected Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has spoken out against the ruling, saying he was "appalled" by the verdict after it was revealed in the Australian press on Monday. "I am horrified by cases like this, involving sexual violence against women and children. My attitude is one of zero tolerance," he told reporters in Queensland, his home state. I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case Anna Bligh Queensland Premier "There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made," she said. Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has now announced a review of all sentences given over the last two years in the communities in the Cape York region where the case occurred. "I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case," she said. "I want to satisfy myself that the people of Cape York, and the people who live in remote indigenous communities, are receiving the same level of justice as we can expect in any other community in Queensland." The offenders came from some of the most powerful and prominent Aboriginal families in Cape York, while the victim's family had a lower status, The Australian reported. The case comes six months after a high-profile inquiry into child sex abuse in remote northern Australia said it found problems in every Aborigine community visited by researchers. That inquiry led to an intervention programme in the Northern Territory. \|\|\|\|\| System failed 10yo rape victim, Bligh admits Posted Updated Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has acknowledged that the system failed a 10-year-old girl who was gang-raped by nine males in the Cape York Indigenous community of Aurukun. Nine males pleaded guilty to the rape but escaped serving jail time. Six boys were sentenced to 12-month probation orders, with no convictions recorded, while three others aged 17, 18 and 26 were given suspended sentences. There are reports today that the girl was removed from a white foster family and sent home to the community where the attack occurred. The report, in The Australian, says the girl was in foster care because she had previously been sexually abused. The paper said she was returned to Aurukun and was then gang-raped. The paper says social workers decided to remove the girl from her non-Indigenous foster family in Cairns because to keep her there would be tantamount to "another stolen generation". Speaking to Channel Nine, Ms Bligh said an external review of the girl's case led to disciplinary action against a number of child safety officers. "When all of this happened two years ago the Government at the time identified that child safety officers had failed to protect her and that their decision making was seriously flawed," she said. "We had an external review of those decisions and the people involved were subject to dismissal and disciplinary action. "The Government did not turn a blind eye to this and we certainly took it very, very seriously. "This little girl I should say is currently in a foster care family, she is receiving medical and therapeutic assistance. "I understand that this foster care family is not in her community, she's away from Aurukun." Meanwhile, the Queensland Opposition has questioned the validity of the "kinship first" policy on the placement of Indigenous children in state care. Opposition child safety spokeswoman Jan Stuckey says the policy of first placing Indigenous children with extended family might need to be reviewed. "The priority is to put them with someone who is a member of kin," she said. "Now the same isn't so for non-Indigenous children, so you have to really wonder if that policy is working as well as a broader one, where you would say who is the best person to care for this child." Foster Care Queensland executive director Bryan Smith says safety must be the priority rather than the placement of a child within a culturally appropriate setting. "I think that's a trial for all of us ... in terms of how we go about trying to ensure that children and young people remain in their culture, however we have a drastic shortage of Indigenous foster carers throughout the state," he said. "I think there's areas where we don't get it right. "I think we've got to work closer with Indigenous communities throughout the state to try and get it right." \|\|\|\|\| THE judge who handed down non-custodial sentences to nine males who admitted raping a 10-year-old girl has previously spoken out about the challenges involved in sentencing Aboriginal offenders. At a judges conference in January, Judge Sarah Bradley said indigenous offenders needed to be given special consideration by judges because of their gross over-representation in the criminal justice system. Judge Bradley said a raft of issues, including cultural and language barriers, made it difficult for Aboriginal people to access the justice system and receive equal treatment. She also identified the advantages and limitations of indigenous community justice initiatives and said justice could often only be done after obtaining input from community leaders. "Sentencing indigenous offenders is never easy. There are times when the offending behaviour clearly warrants the imposition of severe and significant penalties," she told the Perth conference. "There are also times when a judge who has knowledge of a community, has information about the community view of the offending, the background to it and the full particulars of those involved may decide an alternative penalty is appropriate. Determining which category of case is before you can be problematic and can often only be done with input from the indigenous community itself." Judge Bradley, 51, became the first magistrate in Queensland to be appointed to a higher court in 1999. Indigenous leaders welcomed the appointment because of her involvement in programs to keep Aborigines out of the prison system, especially in the troubled Palm Island community. At the time, Judge Bradley, now president of the Australian Association of Women Judges, said it sent a message about women's roles in society. "It is important for women to be seen in positions of authority and power," she said. Prior to her appointment to the bench, Judge Bradley was a magistrate for six years. Her first job as a lawyer in 1978 was with the prosecution section of the Solicitor-General's Office. She subsequently worked for 13 years as a solicitor at four southeast Queensland law firms. The focus of the gang rape case now is whether Judge Bradley, who is also a Children's Court judge, should have accepted the recommendation of the Crown prosecutor not to impose custodial sentences. Former Supreme Court judge Angelo Vasta pointed out that while a judge should give weight to a prosecutor's recommendation he or she retained the ultimate discretion on sentencing. "They do not always accept it (a recommendation) as something which they would follow," Mr Vasta said. "They should take it into account but form their own view of the seriousness of the offence." Mr Vasta declined to comment on the case, but suggested the oldest offender, a 26-year-old, might have been lucky to avoid jail given his age. In her sentencing remarks, Judge Bradley pointed out the seriousness of their conduct rather than deliver condemnation. "I hope that all of you realise that you must not have sex with young girls," she said. And she told the 26-year-old: "You should have known a lot better." The guidelines set out by the Director of Public Prosecutions say the prosecutor must show child offenders "knew that what they were doing was seriously wrong and was deserving of punishment". Additional reporting: Michael Pelly \|\|\|\|\| 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. \|\|\|\|\| A JUDGE came under wide attack yesterday over her decision to set free nine Aboriginal males who pleaded guilty to gang-raping a 10-year-old girl - a sentence that has spurred an appeal and a review of all recent sentences for sex crimes in Cape York. The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, joined a chorus of criticism of Judge Sarah Bradley's decision on the Aurukun rapists, which he said "disgusted and appalled" him. It has emerged that Judge Bradley had ordered that no conviction be recorded against six of the offenders, who were juveniles. The other three offenders had six-month jail sentences suspended for a year. During a sentencing hearing in October Judge Bradley said: "I accept that the girl … was not forced and that she probably agreed to have sex with all of you." The Queensland Attorney-General, Kerry Shine, announced an appeal against the sentences, and a review of all sentences for sexual offences in Cape York communities in the past two years. The Queensland Premier, Anna Bligh, said she was horrified by the leniency of the sentences and was concerned it might reflect a broader trend for remote communities. "I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case. I do want to satisfy myself this is not part of a broader sentencing trend that reflects a lower standard [of justice] for those communities." Today's Australian newspaper reports that the victim in the Aurukun case is "mildly intellectually impaired". It quotes a Department of Child Safety report from last May - a month after the rape - which describes the girl having gone to a clinic seeking a pregnancy test, telling staff she was having consensual sex, and requesting condoms. It also reports the girl had been living with a white foster family before being returned to Aurukun. Her foster father and an unnamed department official are quoted saying the department feared being accused of creating "another stolen generation" if it left her with the white family. ■ The Federal Government has called a summit of Aboriginal leaders in the Northern Territory to discuss the Howard government's $1.5 billion takeover of 73 remote communities. The Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin, plans to chair the summit, which has the support of land councils, in Darwin as early as this weekend. The former Australian of the year Galarrwuy Yunupingu is invited. There is speculation that Mr Rudd may attend. In one of her first acts as minister yesterday, Ms Macklin placed a moratorium on the dismantling of the work-for-the-dole Community Development Employment Program. But she declared the Government "strongly supports" the quarantining of welfare payments to reduce cash that can be spent on alcohol, drugs and gambling. She gave the go-ahead for the quarantining of such payments in 13 more communities, including violence-torn town camps in Katherine. with Lindsay Murdoch \|\|\|\|\| Aboriginal leaders want rape case judge dismissed Posted Updated Queensland Aboriginal leaders have called for a District Court judge to be stood down after she allowed nine Indigenous males who raped a 10-year-old girl at Aurukun on Cape York to walk free. Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine is appealing against the sentences, saying they do not reflect the community's expectation of punishments for this type of offence. Six boys were sentenced to 12-month probation orders, with no convictions recorded, while three others aged 17, 18 and 26 were given suspended sentences. Mr Shine has asked the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to review all sentences for sex offences on Cape York over the past two years. "It's important to see what it does show in its relationship with other cases in other parts of Queensland," he said. "The law should be consistent in its application, whether it be at Aurukun or Clayfield, and that's what I am keen to see as a result of this review. "It might require further study thereafter, but at this stage we will see what the review comes up with." Mental health concerns Meanwhile, Queensland Children's Commissioner Elizabeth Fraser says she is worried about the mental health of the 10-year-old victim. Ms Fraser says the girl, who is now 12, will need a lot of support. "[She must have] the support and services to deal with the circumstances surrounding the offences and the help that she needs to get on with addressing the impact of that," she said. "Support to get on with her life is a critical component of what needs to happen for her for the future."	An Australian judge has handed down sentences to nine males who have admitted rape of a 10-year-old girl, none of which involve incarceration. Six of the offenders, who were minors at the time of the crime were placed on probation. The other three aged 17, 18 and 26 were given suspended sentences. In her ruling, Judge Sarah Bradley told them that the victim "was not forced and probably agreed to have sex with all of you". "I hope that all of you realise that you must not have sex with young girls," she said. She further admonished the 26-year-old: "You should have known a lot better." Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he was "disgusted and appalled" by the court's decision. "I am horrified by cases like this, involving sexual violence against women and children. My attitude is one of zero tolerance," he told reporters. Queensland Attorney-General Kerry Shine said he is appealing and "I am not prepared to just write this off as an unusual one-off case. I do want to satisfy myself this is not part of a broader sentencing trend that reflects a lower standard of justice for those communities." Both the victim and all of the defendants involved are from Australia's aboriginal population, which has played a major factor in the case. At a conference in January, Judge Bradley said: "There are also times when a judge who has knowledge of a community, has information about the community view of the offending, the background to it and the full particulars of those involved may decide an alternative penalty is appropriate. Determining which category of case is before you can be problematic and can often only be done with input from the indigenous community itself." Boni Robertson, an aboriginal activist, disagreed with the judge's decision. "There is nothing culturally, there is nothing morally, there is nothing socially and there is definitely nothing legally that would ever allow this sort of decision to be made," she said.
By Andrew Stern CHICAGO (Reuters) - The estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning actress Jennifer Hudson was arrested and will be charged with the October slayings of three of her relatives, police said on Monday. "We have obtained an arrest warrant for William Balfour. He was released to Chicago detectives," Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond said, adding that Balfour would be charged with three counts of murder. Balfour, 27, who had been married to Hudson's sister Julia, was questioned after the slayings but not charged. He was imprisoned for violating his parole on a previous attempted murder conviction, and was scheduled to have a hearing on Wednesday. Bond would not give details about what evidence led police to charge Balfour for the shooting deaths of Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, brother, Jason Hudson, 29, and 7-year-old nephew, Julian King. Donerson and Jason Hudson were found shot to death on October 24 in Donerson's South Side home. Four days later, King's body was found in a stolen sport utility vehicle parked on the city's West Side. A handgun used in the slayings was found nearby. The Chicago Tribune reported investigators had evidence that Balfour had a gun matching the weapon. After the slayings, Jennifer Hudson returned to Chicago and identified King's body at the morgue. Hudson got her start in 2005 competing on the U.S. television show "American Idol" although she failed to reach the final. She later won the role of Effie White in the 2006 film version of the stage musical "Dreamgirls" and earned a best supporting actress Oscar for her performance. Hudson has since appeared in the movie version of "Sex and the City" and "The Secret Life of Bees." (Editing by Michael Conlon and Mohammad Zargham) \|\|\|\|\| Estranged relative arrested in Hudson killings CHICAGO (AP) — Police arrested the estranged brother-in-law of Jennifer Hudson on Monday in the deaths of the entertainer's mother, brother and young nephew, taking him from a prison where he had been held on a suspected parole violation. William Balfour was arrested at Stateville Correctional Center and released to detectives as he awaited formal charges in the shooting deaths of the singer and Oscar-winning actress' relatives, said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. Until Monday, police had identified Balfour, 27, only as a "person of interest" in the investigation. He had not been charged by Monday evening, said Andy Conklin, a spokesman for the Cook County state's attorney's office. The bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were discovered Oct. 24 at the family's home on the South Side of Chicago. The body of 7-year-old Julian King was found three days later in a sport utility vehicle on the West Side. All three had been shot. Police took Balfour into custody the same day the bodies of Donerson and Hudson were discovered. After 48 hours — the longest Chicago police can hold a person without charges — Balfour was taken by the Illinois Department of Corrections on the suspected parole violation. Balfour — Julian's stepfather and the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's older sister, Julia Hudson — served seven years for a 1999 attempted murder and vehicular hijacking conviction. His mother, Michelle Davis-Balfour of Chicago, told reporters outside a police station Monday night that authorities don't have a case against her son. "If they found gun powder on his hands, you got a case; if they found a gun on him, he had a case; if they found a fingerprint on the truck that he did this, you got a case; but they don't have nothing," Davis-Balfour said. Balfour had refused to take a lie-detector test and stopped cooperating with detectives, according to a police official who was not authorized to discuss the case publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. Police have confirmed they found the gun used in the killings. The .45-caliber gun was discovered Oct. 29 in a vacant lot in the West Side neighborhood where the King's body was found a few days earlier. Bond declined to discuss any evidence Monday. But after a hearing at the prison, the chairman of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board said a woman had told authorities that a gun used in the slayings was "identical" to the gun that was recovered. At the time, board Chairman Jorge Montes said the evidence was key to a decision finding probable cause that Balfour violated his parole and should remain locked up pending a Dec. 3 hearing before a review board panel. Balfour did not have an attorney at the November hearing, and the Cook County public defender's office said at the time that nobody from the office had been assigned because he was not formally charged with a crime. No one in the public defender's office was assigned to Balfour's case late Monday, and it' was not clear whether he had other representation. Associated Press writers Sophia Tareen and Caryn Rousseau contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| (CNN) -- Chicago, Illinois, police arrested a man Monday in connection with the killing of three relatives of singer-actress Jennifer Hudson, a police spokesman said. William Balfour, here in an undated photo, is the estranged husband of Jennifer Hudson's sister, Julia. William Balfour, 27, was first detained for questioning on October 24, the day Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death. Authorities said at the time that they were holding Balfour for an unspecified parole violation. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, were found shot to death in their South Side Chicago home. The body of her nephew, 7-year-old Julian King, was found three days later in an abandoned SUV on Chicago's West Side. Police later found a handgun near the vehicle. Detectives served arrest warrants on Balfour on Monday afternoon, said Chicago police spokeswoman Monique Bond. Balfour was transferred from the Statesville Correctional Center to the custody of detectives in the case, she said, and he is awaiting formal charges on three counts of murder. Balfour is the estranged husband of the singer's sister, Julia Hudson, and the stepfather of Julian King. According to the Illinois Department of Corrections, Balfour spent nearly seven years in prison for attempted murder, vehicular hijacking and possessing a stolen vehicle. He was free on parole at the time of the shootings. Hudson won a best supporting actress Oscar for her portrayal of Effie in the film version of the Broadway musical "Dreamgirls." She competed on the third season of the singing competition "American Idol" in 2004, becoming one of the top seven contestants before being eliminated from the contest. Michele Davis-Balfour, Balfour's mother, passionately defended her son Monday to reporters. She said that at least one of the witnesses that police used to build a case against Balfour was lying. "My son did not do this. I am sick of this. They need to focus on somebody else," Davis-Balfour said. She said Balfour has an alibi: He was with one of his three girlfriends the night of the slaying. "He was with Diana that night and with Kate in the morning," she said. Balfour's attorney Josh Kutnick also said Balfour has told him that he did not commit the crimes. "He believes when the evidence comes out, he will be found not guilty," Kutnick said. CNN's Susan Roesgen contributed to this report. All About Jennifer Hudson • Chicago	Chicago, Illinois police arrested William Balfour, the estranged brother-in-law of Oscar-winning American actress and singer Jennifer Hudson, on Monday, multiple media outlets reported. Balfour is expected to be charged with three counts of murder for the slayings of three of Hudson's relatives in October. Hudson holds her Oscar. "We have obtained an arrest warrant for William Balfour. He was released to Chicago detectives," Chicago Police Department spokeswoman Monique Bond told Reuters. Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, 57, and brother, Jason Hudson, 29 were found dead in Donerson's home on October 24 and the body of Hudson's 7-year-old nephew, Julian King was found four days later in a stolen SUV. A handgun police say is tied to the case was found nearby, but Reuters reports that Bond did not comment on any evidence in the case. The Associated Press reports that police took Balfour into custody on Oct. 24 and held him for 48 before the Illinois Department of Corrections took possession of him on an alleged parole violation. Balfour previously served nearly seven years for a 1999 conviction attempted murder, vehicular hijacking, and possessing a stolen vehicle. CNN reports he was out of jail on parole at the time of the shootings. Balfour's mother, Michelle Davis-Balfour, spoke to the press Monday night, saying she thought that there was no case against her son. "If they found gun powder on his hands, you got a case; if they found a gun on him, he had a case; if they found a fingerprint on the truck that he did this, you got a case; but they don't have nothing," Davis-Balfour said, according to the Associated Press. She also said: "My son did not do this. I am sick of this. They need to focus on somebody else." Davis-Balfour also accused at least one witness of lying while providing an alibi for his son, saying he was with one of three girls friends when the killings happened. "He was with Diana that night and with Kate in the morning," she said, according to CNN. Attorney for Balfour, Josh Kutnick, told CNN that his client is innocent. "He believes when the evidence comes out, he will be found not guilty," Kutnick told CNN. Hudson became famous in 2004 when she was one of the finalists on the third season of the American hit television show ''American Idol''. She later won multiple awards for her role in the 2006 motion picture ''Dreamgirls''.
CAMERA Founded in 1982, the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America is a media-monitoring, research and membership organization devoted to promoting accurate and balanced coverage of Israel and the Middle East. CAMERA fosters rigorous reporting, while educating news consumers about Middle East issues and the role of the media. Because public opinion ultimately shapes public policy, distorted news coverage that misleads the public can be detrimental to sound policymaking. A non-partisan organization, CAMERA takes no position with regard to American or Israeli political issues or with regard to ultimate solutions to the Arab-Israeli conflict. The scope of the problem Inaccurate and distorted accounts of events in Israel and the Middle East are to be found everywhere from college radio stations to network television, from community newspapers to national magazines, and, of course, on the Internet. In recent years misinformation about the Middle East has also surfaced in fashion magazines, architectural publications, encyclopedias, professional reference works, geography textbooks, travel guides, and even dictionaries. Frequently inaccurate and skewed characterizations of Israel and of events in the Middle East may fuel anti-Israel and anti-Jewish prejudice. How CAMERA works CAMERA systematically monitors, documents, reviews and archives Middle East coverage. Staffers directly contact reporters, editors, producers and publishers concerning distorted or inaccurate coverage, offering factual information to refute errors. CAMERA members are encouraged to write letters for publication in the print media and to communicate with correspondents, anchors and network officials in the electronic media. CAMERA's combination of rigorous monitoring, research, fact-checking, careful analysis, and grassroots efforts have had a documented impact. How CAMERA members are kept informed Members receive a variety of publications, including: The CAMERA Media Report Action Alerts detailing specific media misrepresentations The CAMERA Media Directory, containing contact information for media outlets Members of CAMERA's e-mail team receive frequent Alerts and information. In addition, CAMERA staffers regularly assist members seeking specific information. CAMERA's work is frequently cited in the secular and Jewish press, and in journalism reviews. CAMERA on college campuses Increasingly, campuses have been the scene of propagandistic assaults on Israel. Distorted literature, extreme speakers and false, inflammatory images are all too common, creating harmful misperceptions of Israel. This hostile environment can be intimidating to students seeking fair and objective information on Middle East issues. CAMERA publishes a student-focused magazine, CAMERA on Campus, containing specialized information useful in countering misinformation. CAMERA also provides one-on-one assistance to students who encounter Middle East distortions in campus publications, flyers, rallies and classroom teaching. How to participate Join CAMERA. CAMERA is 501(c)(3) nonprofit and contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Join CAMERA's e-mail team and respond to Action Alerts. Call and write independently whenever possible to counter media misinformation. Distribute CAMERA publications and Action Alerts to your friends, religious groups, schools and civic organizations. To join CAMERA To join CAMERA online, click here. To contact CAMERA Call us at (617)789-3672 Send us a fax at (617)787-7853 To fill out a media complaint form and for CAMERA e-mail addresses, click here \|\|\|\|\| POLÉMICA EN ORIENTE PRÓXIMO CON WIKIPEDIA MONICA G. PRIETO BEIRUT.- El conflicto entre israelíes y palestinos también se libra en las páginas virtuales de Wikipedia. La enciclopedia más popular de Internet podría estar siendo usada para 'reescribir' la Historia de Oriente Próximo, intoxicando así a los usuarios no implicados en la disputa y captando simpatizantes mediante la difusión de información 'corregida' por uno de los bandos. La denuncia partió hace unos días del portal Electronic Intifada, gestionado por el periodista americano-palestino Ali Abunimah. En su artículo de portada, "CAMERA planea reescribir la Historia", se mostraban 'e-mails' distribuidos por CAMERA (Comité para la Precisión de la Información sobre Oriente Próximo en América, en sus siglas en inglés) en los que se pide voluntarios para editar la enciclopedia online e impedir así que los "editores anti-israelíes introduzcan todo tipo de prejuicios y errores en muchos artículos relacionados con Israel". CAMERA es una organización concebida, según su página web, para "promover la precisión y la cobertura equilibrada de Israel y Oriente Próximo", así como "educar a los consumidores de noticias sobre Oriente Próximo". Lo hace desde EEUU, muy lejos de donde ocurren las noticias y sin personal que acuda al terreno para interrogar a sus protagonistas. Su sistema es cuestionar la información de los periodistas que trabajan para medios anglosajones desde Oriente Próximo criticando los contenidos desfavorables a Israel, tachados de "imprecisos" (por ejemplo, cuando se emplean términos como 'ocupación' o 'muro') cuando no de falsos. A muchos se les acusa de asumir "el punto de vista árabe". La web de CAMERA incluye listas de informadores y medios, entre ellos Kids Discovery, National Geographic, Vogue o Marie Claire, así como la prensa informativa, con sus "imprecisiones" correspondientes. En el caso de la BBC -considerado uno de los canales más independientes del mundo- se dedican 67 artículos a denostar sus contenidos. El seguimiento de CAMERA no se limita a medios extranjeros -al diario israelí Haaretz le acusa de "extremista"- ni periodísticos: en el caso de la 3ª edición de la guía turística 'Lonely Planet' sobre 'Israel y los Territorios Palestinos', los responsables consideran que su autor asume "la versión árabe de los hechos" y que está llena de "medias verdades". 'Educando' a los lectores En su labor de 'educar' a los consumidores de noticias, sus responsables han reparado en Wikipedia, donde perciben un alto número de 'imprecisiones' originadas por la influencia de los "editores anti-israelíes". En lugar de exigir correcciones, como hacen al resto de medios, CAMERA ha emprendido una campaña para aprovechar el democrático funcionamiento de la enciclopedia 'online' -basado en la buena fe de sus colaboradores- y "corregir" contenidos. El primer 'e-mail' -titulado "CAMERA busca 10 voluntarios para enviar información a Wikipedia"- fue enviado por Gilead Ini, un "experimentado analista investigador" de CAMERA, a un grupo de suscriptores del grupo. Tras pedir máxima divulgación pero especificar que "no se difunda este mensaje a miembros de la prensa", Ini resaltaba que "Wikipedia, la inmensamente popular enciclopedia online, puede ser editada por cualquiera" aunque "la mala noticia es que eso permite que 'editores' anti-israelíes puedan introducir todo tipo de prejuicios y errores en muchos artículos relacionados con Israel". Para evitarlo, Ini pedía 10 candidatos, una cifra ampliamente superada por las respuestas según admite en su siguiente e-mail. En él explicaba cómo actuar: recomendaba registrarse como editores de Wikipedia "evitando usar un nombre de usuario que os marque como pro-israelí", realizar toda modificación tras haberse registrado en el sistema para evitar que la dirección IP del ordenador empleado quede registrado, y "evitar editar artículos relacionados con Israel durante un corto periodo de tiempo o editar más artículos no relacionados que relacionados con Israel" para no levantar sospechas. Además Ini resaltaba la importancia de evitar dar argumentos usando los términos del conflicto para no chocar con una de las premisas de Wikipedia, el punto de vista neutral, que trata de proteger la veracidad de la información. Ini también remarcaba la "utilidad de hacer amistad con otros editores ya establecidos y con los super editores, más conocidos como administradores", un punto que más tarde cobrará más importancia. 'Isra-pedia Tras crear un grupo de discusión en Google llamado Isra-pedia, otros usuarios además aportaron claves para tener éxito en su misión de "corregir" Wikipedia. Uno de ellos, apodado Zeq, presumía de llevar tres años editando Wikipedia y daba sugerencias como alejarse de los contenidos relacionados con Israel y "hacer amistad" con otros editores para escalar posiciones y ser elegidos "administradores no involucrados", capacitados para mediar en disputas por contenidos. "Aquellos que quieran tomar este camino deben estar al margen de cualquier artículo relacionado con Israel por meses hasta que interactuéis con 100 editores de Wikipedia que más tarde os votarán como administrador", explicaba Zeq. Zeq aportaba una lista de artículos de "los que hay que alejarse temporalmente" pero cuya revisión consideraba de "alta importancia", entre ellos los relacionados con el éxodo palestino y sus causas, Hamas, Hizbulá, los árabes de Israel, la Naqba (el desastre, tal como llaman los palestinos al día de la creación del Estado de Israel) y el derecho al retorno. En otro de sus 'e-mails', destacaba que "ganaremos esta guerra tras construir nuestro Ejército, equiparlo y entrenarlo. Por el momento no tenemos la gente que necesitamos con suficiente experiencia y profundo conocimiento de Wikipedia para usarla con el objetivo de articular nuestro punto de vista desde una perspectiva política". Zeq fue responsable de muchas de las modificaciones de entradas sobre el conflicto israelo palestino, como la correspondiente a Hamas o la Naqba. Desde hoy, figura como 'usuario bloqueado' por Wikipedia que, tras el artículo de Electronic Intifada, dedica una entrada al caso en la que se especifica que fueron al menos 50 los editores de CAMERA que han intentado modificar contenidos o de hecho lo han conseguido. ¿Ocurre también del lado árabe? Es posible, aunque un rápido vistazo al historial de cambios de las páginas más controvertidas sobre el conflicto de Oriente Próximo y a los autores de dichos cambios indica, gracias a las referencias personales de éstos, que buena parte son judíos. Un ejemplo: la página sobre Hamas ha sido modificada, entre otros muchos, por Avrahan (quien especifica "no estar disponible por la fiesta del Pesach" en referencia a la festividad judía), el propio Zeq, Jayjg (quien destaca entre sus intereses "las sinagogas de Nueva York"), Yonatan (nativo en inglés y en hebreo) o Telaviv1. \|\|\|\|\| Email to a friend Media Views Electronic Intifada: A Pro-Israel Group's Plan to Rewrite History on Wikipedia (4/21/08) Captured emails from workers and supporters of the anti-Palestinian media organization CAMERA show the pressure group is orchestrating a secret, long-term campaign to infiltrate the popular online encyclopedia Wikipedia to rewrite Palestinian history, pass off crude propaganda as fact, and take over Wikipedia administrative structures to ensure these changes go either undetected or unchallenged. Though hardly the first time the populist media site has come under attack, CAMERA's emails are particularly insidious in that "stealth and misrepresentation are presented as the keys to success." FAIR does not endorse every opinion expressed or vouch for facts presented here, except by ourselves. Send link suggestions to jnaureckas@fair.org. \|\|\|\|\| Entire Site Palestine - Action Items - Activism News - Art, Music & Culture - BNN - Coverage Trends - Development - Diaries: Live from Palestine - EI in the Press - Human Rights - Internet & Technology - Israel Lobby Watch - Journalists in Danger - Letters to the Media - Multimedia - Opinion/Editorial - Role of the Media - Business & Economy Lebanon - Opinion/Editorial - Diaries: Live from Lebanon - Human Rights/Development - Action & Activism Letters to EI About EI for EI Advanced Search	Seal of the United States Department of Justice ''Wikinews'' has learned that a United States Department of Justice (DOJ) IP Address has been blocked on ''Wikipedia'' after making edits to an article which were considered "vandalism". In two separate instances, the IP address from the DOJ removed information from the Wikipedia article about the organization Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), regarding an attempt by the organization to secretly gain influence on the site. The IP address has been confirmed by ''Wikinews'' to be registered and used by the DOJ located in Washington, D.C. On April 21, Electronic Intifada published a report based on leaked emails written between CAMERA and ''Wikipedia'' contributors who are allegedly planning to gain influence on the online encyclopedia. Information about CAMERA's campaign to influence Wikipedia was first added to the site's article about the organization on April 21 by user 'Bangpound', who cited the Electronic Intifada article. According to the edit history on the ''Wikipedia'' article CAMERA, the entire subsection relating to this controversy was removed by the IP address 149.101.1.130, which is hosted by 'wdcsun30.usdoj.gov' and is used by the DOJ. The IP address removed information regarding CAMERA's plan to "cooperate with prominent Wikipedia editors to promote a Zionist viewpoint and oppose pro-Arab viewpoints on Wikipedia" at least two separate times, on April 24 and April 25. The IP address belonging to the DOJ also made edits identified as vandalism to the Wikipedia articles Tracy Jordan, Roger Ebert, and James E. Akins. After several warnings on the IP address's "talk page", the IP address was blocked for four days for "repeated vandalism." Several hours prior to the DOJ edits, an IP address also from Washington D.C., 71.178.102.65, removed the same information. ''Wikinews'' can confirm the IP address is located in Washington D.C. and belongs to Verizon. Wikipedia administrators were kept apprised in an ongoing discussion about the incident at Wikipedia's Administrators' noticeboard. "The Justice employee is attempting to scrub any mention of CAMERA's activities to influence Wikipedia (now double-sourced) as seen here in this edit," said Wikipedia editor Lawrence Cohen, in an initial post to the Administrators' noticeboard. Founded in 1982, CAMERA is a pro-Israel media-monitoring and research non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts. On April 21 the Electronic Intifada, a not-for-profit online publication which covers the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict from a Palestinian perspective, published an article describing efforts by CAMERA to secretly influence Wikipedia articles. According to the article, Electronic Intifada obtained a series of emails between CAMERA and members of Wikipedia, attempting to game the encyclopedia and influence articles on the site related to Israel. Electronic Intifada quoted a March 13 email from Gilead Ini, a Senior Research Analyst at CAMERA, who enlisted volunteers to make sure articles about Israel on Wikipedia were "free of bias and error, and include necessary facts and context". In a follow-up email from March 17, Ini emphasized secrecy, telling the email list members not to "forward it to members of the news media", and wrote that "There is no need to advertise the fact that we have these group discussions." The media criticism organization Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting criticized the CAMERA emails, calling them "particularly insidious" because "stealth and misrepresentation are presented as the keys to success." Later discussions in the series of emails obtained by Electronic Intifada included advice on how to get members of CAMERA elected as Wikipedia administrators, in order to gain influence. Wikipedia user 'Zeq' posted to the list: "One or more of you who want to take this route should stay away from any Israel realted sic articles for one month until they sic interact in a positive way with 100 wikipedia sic editors who would be used later to vote you as an administrator." After the IP address belonging to the DOJ was blocked, Wikipedia editors informed the Wikimedia Foundation's Communications committee about the incident. Both ''Wikinews'' and Wikipedia are projects of the Wikimedia Foundation. In addition to the DOJ IP address, several Wikipedia users determined to be cooperating with the CAMERA campaign to influence Wikipedia had also previously been blocked by Wikipedia administrators. ''Wikinews'' requested a statement from the Department of Justice on the edits to Wikipedia, but as of this article's publication had not received a response.
A piper plays as HMS Invincible sails into port for the last time In pictures The event in Portsmouth marked HMS Invincible's 25 years of service, which includes the Falklands war in 1982. The aircraft carrier will be de-commissioned and sold in 2010. Critics are worried that Invincible's retirement has left the navy with only one aircraft carrier, HMS Illustrious, while HMS Ark Royal undergoes a refit. Mothballed Captain Neil Morisetti, Invincible's commanding officer, said the event was an opportunity to "celebrate not only her 25 years of service but also the hard work and dedication shown by members of the ship's company past and present". The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said Invincible would be gradually relieved of its crew and captain soon after the decommissioning ceremony. The crew will be given new postings and the vessel will be handed over to the MoD's Disposal and Reserve Ships Organisation where it will be mothballed until it is sold. The carrier was launched by the Queen in 1977. The Duke of York was based on board as a Sea King helicopter pilot during the Falklands war. \|\|\|\|\| ILLUSTRIOUS TO BE REDEDICATED AFTER VETERAN CARRIER TAKES A BOW With a greatly enhanced capability, strike carrier HMS Illustrious has succeeded her sister-ship HMS Invincible as Fleet Flagship and will be rededicated on August 4. The rededication ceremony, conducted at sea off Portsmouth, follows the ship’s £120-million refit and months of trials and sea training. Chief guest at the ceremony will be Commander-in-Chief Fleet, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band. Next year the third of the Navy’s carriers, HMS Ark Royal, is due to return to the Fleet after her regeneration and upgrade conducted at Rosyth. When she returns to Portsmouth the Royal Navy will have in service two of the most powerful and capable warships in its history. Meanwhile, the veteran carrier HMS Invincible, one of the oldest ships in the Fleet, will enter a state of reduced readiness. The decision to rest her from active service a few months earlier than previously planned has been taken on the basis of current operational assessments and will allow resources to be re-directed to the Service’s greater benefit. Invincible, launched in 1977 and commissioned three years later, entered Portsmouth Naval Base on August 1. Almost 250 family members of the ship’s company joined the carrier for her entry into Portsmouth, which was marked by a gun salute and fly-past. The warship will be at reduced readiness until she becomes due for disposal at the long-planned date of 2010, when the scheduled entry into service of the new generation of much larger aircraft carriers will be approaching. - Month - Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec - Year - 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 \|\|\|\|\| Conservatives have warned that the decommissioning of the Royal Navy's flagship aircraft carrier HMS Invincible will undermine the UK's maritime capability at a time of unprecedented international tension. After 25 years service, including a leading combat role in the 1982 Falklands War, the warship is to be mothballed until it can be sold off by 2010. However, Invincible's "retirement" leaves the Royal Navy with just two aircraft carriers, HMS Illustrious and HMS Ark Royal - and the latter is undergoing a full refit, and will remain unavailable for service for some time. Commenting on the latest reduction in Britain's military capability, which has left the navy relying on a single carrier, Shadow Defence Minister Gerald Howarth said: "To be downgrading our maritime capability at a time of unprecedented international tension is just unbelievable. We are now left with only two aircraft carriers and a dire situation when one of these is undergoing refit or is in dock, as is currently the case. It simply beggars belief." He told conservatives.com: "The paying off of HMS Invincible is being done on the promise that new aircraft carriers are scheduled to be available in 2012 and 2015. But it is now looking increasingly unlikely that the new carriers will be ready on time, which means that the foundation of the Government's expeditionary warfare strategy will be missing. "This is yet another capability gap wilfully created by a government determined to gamble with our Armed Forces."	The decommissioning ceremony for the former British Royal Navy flagship HMS Invincible has taken place in Portsmouth, Hampshire today. The ceremony marks the end of the aircraft carrier's 25-year career. Invincible was commissioned into the Royal Navy on 11 July 1980 and first saw service in the Falklands War in 1982. The Duke of York served aboard Invincible as a helicopter pilot. Pipers played aboard Invincible while it sailed into Portsmouth Naval Base on 1 August for the last time. A gun salute and a flypast also marked the event. Last month, Invincible undertook a UK tour to celebrate the ship's silver jubilee. In June, the carrier acted as flagship for the International Fleet Review to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) said that Invincible would be 'mothballed' for five-years in a state of reduced readiness. It is unlikely that Invincible will ever be recommissioned into the Royal Navy. The MoD said that a decision to either sell, scrap or even turn Invincible into a museum ship will be made in 2010. The decommissioning took place six-months earlier than planned and has prompted fears that the Royal Navy will be left overstretched. The move has been criticised by the opposition Conservative Party, who say that it will reduce the Royal Navy's capability at a time of "unprecedented international tension". Ark Royal is about to undergo a major refit at Rosyth, which leaves Illustrious — the Royal Navy's new Fleet Flagship — as the only aircraft carrier on active service. The three aircraft carriers are expected to be replaced by 2015 with two 65,000 tonne aircraft carriers — believed to be named HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales.
The deal includes anti-missile defences and helicopters The Pentagon has notified Congress of a proposed arms sale to Taiwan, worth $6bn (£3.7bn). The weapons, including helicopters and anti-missile defences, are part of a package first pledged by the Bush administration. Beijing considers the self-governed island a breakaway province of China and reacted angrily, saying the move would "seriously damage" its US ties. Taiwan split from China at the end of the country's civil war in 1949. Beijing has hundreds of missiles pointed at the island and has threatened in the past to use force to bring it under its control. Beijing warning The $6.7bn (£4.2bn) package does not include F-16 fighter jets, an item highly desired by Taiwan's military. PROPOSED ARMS SALE 114 Patriot missiles ($2.81bn) 60 Black Hawk helicopters ($3.1bn) Communication equipment ($340m) 2 Osprey mine-hunting ships ($105m) 12 Harpoon missiles ($37m) Source: Defense Security Co-operation Agency The notification to Congress by the Defense Security Co-operation Agency is required by law and does not mean the sale has been concluded. US lawmakers have 30 days to comment on the proposed sale, Associated Press reported. If there are no objections, it would proceed. The arms package includes 114 Patriot missiles, 60 Black Hawk helicopters and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet, the agency said in a statement. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei said the proposals would have a "serious negative impact" on co-operation between the US and China. In remarks published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, he said the Chinese government was "strongly indignant" about the arms sales. Beijing has previously warned the US not to go ahead with arms sales to Taiwan. Ties between China and the US are already strained by rows over trade and internet censorship. The DSCA said the proposed sale would support Taiwan's "continuing efforts to modernise its armed forces and enhance its defensive capability." It added: "The proposed sale will help improve the security of the recipient and assist in maintaining political stability, military balance, and economic progress in the region." The US is the leading arms supplier to Taiwan, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. \|\|\|\|\| Q: In her speech on internet freedom on January 21, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton commented on China's internet policy, accusing China of restricting internet freedom. How do you comment? A: The US attacks China's internet policy, indicating that China has been restricting internet freedom. We resolutely oppose such remarks and practices that contravene facts and undermine China-US relations. China's internet is open. China is a country with the most vibrant internet development. By the end of last year, China had 384 million internet users, 3.68 million websites and 180 million blogs. China's Constitution guarantees people's freedom of speech. It is China's consistent policy to promote the development of internet. China has its own national conditions and cultural traditions. It supervises internet according to law, which is in parallel with the international paractice. Hacking in whatever form and offence of others' privacy is prohibited by law in China. As a major victim of hacking in the world, China believes that the international community should intensify the cooperaion in jointly combating internet hacking so as to safeguard internet security and protect the privacy of citizens in accordance with law. We urge the US to respect facts and stop attacking China under the excuse of the so-called freedom of internet. We hope that the US side can work with China to earnestly implement the consensus between leaders of both countries on developing bilateral relationship in the new era by strengthening dialogue, exchanges and cooperation, respecting each other's core interest and major concerns and properly handling differences and sensitive issues so as to ensure the healthy and stable development of China-US relationship. \|\|\|\|\| Photo: GETTY The Pentagon's Defence Security Cooperation Agency has proposed to sell Taiwan 60 Black Hawk helicopters, Patriot "Advanced Capability" missile defences known as PAC-3, and mine hunters, though it did not meet Taipei's request for F-16 fighter jets. China regards self-ruled, democratic Taiwan as a wayward offshore province subject to unification with the communist-run mainland and had urged Washington not to sell more arms to the island. The move is sure to complicate already difficult relations between Washington and Beijing amid discord over trade, human rights, Internet censorship and climate change policy. Shortly after the sale was confirmed, He Yafei, China's deputy foreign minister said the sale would "seriously harm" China's national security. He added that the move would have a "serious negative impact" on cooperation between Beijing and Washington. The United States, Taiwan's main arms supplier, is mandated by law to aid Taiwan's self-defence, despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 1979. The arms package was approved in principle by George W. Bush late in his administration, prompting Beijing to temporarily suspend military relations with Washington. Gen James Jones, Mr Obama's national security adviser, indicated that the Chinese government had been fully consulted on the deal. "We all recognise that there are certain things that countries will do periodically that may not make everybody completely happy," he said. "But we are bent towards a new relationship with China as a rising power in the world, with influence on a variety of issues that go beyond the arms sales and go beyond military confrontation," he added. The arms sales announcement may contribute to a bumpy year ahead in bilateral ties. Washington and Beijing have tangled over trade, cyber hacking and censorship of Google, Tibet and human rights. Though the two powers are mutually dependent economically, China continues to irk Washington by failing to clamp down on intellectual property theft, undervaluing its current in order to make its exports cheaper and promoting import substitution measures that disadvantage foreign manufacturers. \|\|\|\|\| Angry China retaliates over US arms deal for Taiwan BEIJING — China lashed out with a raft of reprisals Saturday after Washington announced a 6.4-billion-dollar arms package for Taiwan, escalating the biggest Sino-US crisis yet under President Barack Obama. Berating the year-old Obama administration for "crude interference" in its affairs, China said it was suspending military and security contacts with the United States, and imposing sanctions on US firms involved in the Taiwan deal. The furious riposte came a day after the Pentagon approved the sale of Patriot missiles, Black Hawk helicopters, mine-hunting ships and communications equipment for Taiwan's F-16 fleet of fighter jets among other weaponry. Chinese defence ministry spokesman Huang Xueping said the reprisals reflected the "severe harm" posed by the deal with Taiwan, which Beijing says is a part of its territory and must return to the mainland fold. But US State Department spokeswoman Laura Tischler told AFP the sale "contributes to maintaining security and stability across the Taiwan Strait." Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who has overseen a marked warming in trade and political relations with China, said Beijing had nothing to fear from the sale. "It will let Taiwan feel more confident and secure so we can have more interactions with China," Ma said, according to Taiwan's Central News Agency. However, the Chinese response underscored a rapid degeneration in relations with the United States following recent strains over trade, climate change and Google's threat to quit China. Observers said China could yet go further by rejecting new UN sanctions on Iran. Hours before the announcement on Taiwan, the United States urged Beijing to help curb Iran's nuclear programme. "Cooperation between China and the US on key international and regional issues will also inevitably be affected," China's foreign ministry said. The defence ministry's Huang said the US package "runs counter" to commitments on cooperation outlined by the two governments when Obama visited China in November. "The Chinese side will never make concessions and compromise on this issue (Taiwan)," Huang told Xinhua. China refuses to rule out the use of force to reacquire Taiwan, and has hundreds of missiles deployed against the self-governing island of 23 million people, which split from the mainland in 1949. The last US arms package for Taiwan, announced under Obama's predecessor George W. Bush in 2008, also led China to cut off military relations with the United States temporarily. But this time the sanctions were more biting, and analysts said they reflected China's increased clout at a time when its economy looks set to overtake Japan's and its military budget is surging annually. The foreign ministry said China was suspending regular military exchanges and scheduled high-level talks on strategic security, arms control and non-proliferation. US arms firms would be specifically targeted, it said. In Washington, officials said the White House was committed to Taiwan's defence and denied it was picking a fight. Obama's national security advisor, former general James Jones, said the administration was being "transparent" with Beijing, which the United States recognises as the legal government for all of China. "But we are bent towards a new relationship with China as a rising power in the world, with influence on a variety of issues that go beyond the arms sales," he said. The Pentagon said it regretted Beijing's suspension of military exchanges. "We regret that the Chinese side has curtailed military-to-military and other exchanges," Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell told AFP. "We also regret Chinese action against US firms transferring defensive articles to Taiwan." Chinese Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei made an urgent official protest to the US ambassador in Beijing, Jon Huntsman, Chinese officials told AFP. In a statement to Huntsman, he urged Washington to cancel the deal, which he said constituted "crude interference in China's internal affairs that seriously endangers China's national security and damages China's peaceful reunification." Despite Washington's recognition of Beijing, Taiwan enjoys high-profile backers in the US Congress, which requires the administration to provide the island with weapons of a defensive nature. Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved. More »	left The US Department of Defense has notified Congress of a potential arms sale to Taiwan, with a value of $6 billion, that was first pledged by the Bush administration. The deal, that would include helicopters and anti-missile defences, angered China, who stated that the move would "seriously damage" US–China relations, as Beijing considers the island to be a break-away province of China, having split away after civil war in 1949. There is a stand-off between China and Taiwan. China has a large number of weapons aimed at Taiwan, and has threatened to use them in the past. Taiwan denounces this, warning that, if 1,500 missiles were not removed, relations between the two nations would deteriorate. The act of notifying Congress is a legal requirement and does not mean that the sale will go ahead. A thirty-day deadline is in place for politicians to decide on the proposition before it goes ahead. In a statement, the Pentagon listed the items being negotiated over, including 114 Patriot missiles and sixty helicopters. It will also include two minesweepers. The US is the main arms supplier for Taiwan. General James L. Jones, the National Security Advisor for the Obama administration, said that China had been fully consulted about the deal. "We all recognise that there are certain things that countries will do periodically that may not make everybody completely happy," he stated. However, he maintained that the US was "bent towards a new relationship" between themselves and China. A spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., Wang Baodong, said yesterday that the arms sale was a "gross intervention into China's internal affairs". He went on to assert that the trade "seriously endangers China's national security". Ties between the United States and China, already stretched by the recent row over internet censorship, in which Google threatened to withdraw its presence in the country, have been strained by the announcement. China maintains, according to a press release on 22 January, that the Internet in their country is "open", with the "most vibrant" sites based in China. Beijing wishes the United States to "respect each other's core interest", and to "ensure the healthy stable development" of their relationship.
The World's No.1 Science & Technology News Service ERROR Sorry there has been an error. The article you were looking for could not be found -- please try our search \|\|\|\|\| Published online: 12 December 2005; \| doi:10.1038/news051212-2 Burning oil depot plagues England's skies What are the consequences of the explosions near London? Mark Peplow A series of explosions at an oil depot just north of London has created one of the biggest industrial fires ever seen in Europe and injured 43 people. Starting at about 6:00 GMT on 11 December, a thick pall of black smoke has spread from the Buncefield oil depot in Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, for more than 120 kilometres across southern England. As the fire rages on, Nature investigates efforts to damp the blaze, and asks about the environmental and health effects of the smoke. How did it start? No one knows for sure, but police say they have no reason to suspect foul play. How serious is it? Flames and smoke rise from the Buncefield oil depot near Hemel Hempstead, England. © AP Photo/Hertfordshire Police "Any incident that you can see from space is not your average garden bonfire," says Zäl Rustom, who works for Hi-Bar UK, a pollution-response company in West Sussex. "It's major." But he adds that the fire now seems to be under control, and pipelines supplying the facility were shut off immediately after the explosions. Firefighters have 250,000 litres of foam concentrate at their disposal. This is added to water to make a thick blanket that starves a fire of oxygen. "The main problem now is the logistics of getting foam on top of the tanks," says Rustom. Roy Wilsher, Hertfordshire's chief fire officer, told a press conference on 12 December that it was impossible to say how long the blaze might burn. "We are in uncharted territory," he said. "This is the largest fire of its kind that we in the UK, and in Europe, have dealt with." What is burning? Up to 270 million litres of kerosene, diesel and gasoline, held in 20 storage tanks on the site. Half of those tanks' fires have now been extinguished. The facility is co-owned by Total and Texaco, but also used by oil companies such as BP and Shell. Much of the fuel at Buncefield is transported by train and pipeline to the nearby airports at Luton and Heathrow. What pollution is it producing? Smoke, mostly. And a research aircraft is now trying to find out more. "We're flying around the extremities of the plume as far as we can," says Steve Ball, who heads the Facility for Airborne Atmospheric Measurements, based at Cranfield University in Bedfordshire. The plane is normally used to monitor urban pollution, part of a joint project between the Met Office and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). Today it is tracking the speed and shape of the cloud. The Met Office hopes this will help its researchers to forecast the plume's path. The cloud is currently being blown southwest. Researchers hope that the plane will return tomorrow with additional equipment that can sample the gases and particles in the smoke. Carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sulphur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen are all pouring from the fire, along with tiny flecks of soot. "There will be hundreds of different molecules in there," says Met Office meteorologist Wayne Elliott. "And the smoke may continue even after the fire is out," he adds. What are the health effects? Health Protection Agency officials are advising that the smoke is likely to affect only those with existing respiratory problems, such as asthma. For those bothered by the smoke, staying indoors is the best precaution, they say. Colbeck adds that unless a person's exposure is exceedingly high, a one-off incident such as this shouldn't trigger any long-term health problems. Once the fire is out, local air quality should return to normal levels within a few days, says Ian Colbeck, an expert on the role of aerosols in the environment at the University of Essex, Colchester. What are the environmental effects? The cloud will contain pollutants known as polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), but it is unlikely that they could accumulate to a high enough concentration to cause severe environmental effects, says Dan Osborn of NERC's Centre for Ecology and Hydrology in Lancaster. "There's nothing in the cloud that isn't already in the environment," adds Osborn. The plume is also too small to have any direct effects on climate. England's rainy weather may also help to disperse the pollutants, spreading material over a wider area at lower concentration, so that toxic effects are less likely to build up. "If it does rain out, it should be less of a problem," says Osborn. England's rainy weather may also help to disperse the pollutants, spreading material over a wider area at lower concentration, so that toxic effects are less likely to build up. "If it does rain out, it should be less of a problem," says Osborn. The biggest potential difficulties could be caused by attempts to put the fire out, he adds. "When a mass of water goes into the ground, it can flush older contaminants out," Osborn says. "There has also been concern in recent years about the materials in fire-fighting foam." So the run-off mixture of foam, water and fuel will be contained within temporary reservoirs to avoid contaminations of water supplies. Top For full access to the site and the archive, subscribe here: To receive all the daily news in your inbox each week, sign up for our email alert here: To see the latest news visit our homepage Top \|\|\|\|\| Images of smoke and blasts In pictures Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has visited the scene of the blasts which injured 43 people, two seriously. The fire chief described the incident at the Buncefield fuel depot near Hemel Hempstead, after 0600 GMT, as possibly the largest in peacetime Europe. The M1 finally reopened around 2200 GMT after being closed for 12 hours. Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "The damage a fire of this intensity will cause may, or may not, leave clues for the fire investigation team." Junction 8 of the motorway, aswell as some slip roads, however, remain closed. The Highways Agency said it would review the situation on Monday morning. The fire, which police believe was an accident, could burn for another day. About 2,000 people living near the site have been evacuated, while police have advised others to keep their windows and doors closed because of fumes. Thick clouds of smoke are continuing to spread to the south-east and south-west of the site. One person admitted to Watford General Hospital in intensive care with respiratory problems has now been stabilised. Another person is in Hemel Hempstead Hospital being kept under observation. The other 41 people were treated for minor injuries and discharged. Witnesses said another two explosions followed the first at 0626 GMT and 0627 GMT at the site near junction 8. A security worker at the depot, Troy Woodland, described what happened. "I sat down and all of a sudden there was a huge orange light and a massive explosion which blew the doors through and knocked me off my chair, and the ceiling fell in," he told the BBC. Further explosions In total, 20 petrol tanks were involved, each said to hold three million gallons of fuel. Your experiences from the blast zone In pictures But Chief Con Whiteley said there was "nothing to suggest anything other than an accident". On his visit to the site Mr Prescott praised the response and offered government help but was told the emergency services were able to cope. Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "This is possibly the largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe." Fire chiefs are consulting oil industry experts about using millions of litres of foam to quell the blaze. But Mr Wilsher said they needed to know they had enough foam before they began. The BBC's Gavin Hewitt said about 100 firefighters were waiting to attack the blaze. Meanwhile samples of smoke are being taken to determine the long term effects of exposure, if any, according to Dr Jane Halpin, director of Hertfordshire Public Health. The blast was heard as far away as Holland She said: "However, what I would restate is that those people who are most at risk are those people who have inhaled the smoke." Tanker driver Paul Turner said he ran for his life after the explosion lifted him off his feet. "I just saw this great big ball of fire come up from behind the building. It was about 50 metres wide," he told the BBC. "Then there was the loudest explosion I have ever heard in my life. I got up, turned around and ran to my car and sped out of there as fast as I could." Many houses have been damaged, with some reporting feeling effects from the explosion as far away as Oxfordshire - while it was heard in a number of counties and even France and the Netherlands. School closures Eye witnesses reported buckled front doors, cracked walls and blown-out windows. Of the 2,000 people evacuated 290 people have gone to a leisure centre while 50 others have been offered bed and breakfast accommodation. HAVE YOUR SAY We heard an explosion and the whole house shook Anil Taank, Northwood, Middlesex Send us your experiences Read more of your comments Motorists have been told not to go "anywhere near the M1 from the M25 upwards". Hertfordshire police said about 70 schools in the Hemel Hempstead and St Albans areas would also be closed on Monday. At Heathrow airport some flights were forced to delay landing because of smoke, but Luton airport was operating as usual. The Buncefield depot is a major distribution terminal operated by Total and part-owned by Texaco, storing oil, petrol as well as kerosene which supplies airports across the region, including Heathrow and Luton. The country's fifth largest fuel distribution depot, it is also used by BP, Shell and British Pipeline. Police said there was no indication the explosion would cause fuel shortages and warned against panic-buying. A spokesman for Total said: "We are doing everything we can to support the emergency services and to bring the situation under control." A spokesman for the Department for Trade and Industry said it was too early to say what the effect would be on fuel supply but oil companies were getting oil from other parts of the south east and across the UK. A spokesman for the Health and Safety Executive said it would be investigating the incident. Concerned relatives can call a police casualty bureau on 0800 096 0095, or from abroad on 0207 1580125. \|\|\|\|\| Smoke and flames at the site Smoke and flames at the site Fire Crews Take On Blaze Hundreds of firefighters are preparing to tackle a raging inferno at a fuel depot ignited by a series of large explosions. Hertfordshire Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said fire crews were ready to mount "a sustained attack" on the fire using supplies of concentrated foam shipped in from round the country. The blast injured 43 people and has been described as the "largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe". The first blast near Hemel Hempstead was so powerful it rocked houses up to 40 miles away and was heard in Holland. More than 60 billion gallons of fuel erupted in a ball of flames hundreds of feet in the sky, creating an acrid cloud of smoke which is stretching for miles and moving south-eastwards. A picture sent to Sky News by a viewer A picture sent to Sky News by a viewer Most of the casualties had only minor injuries from flying glass but one person is seriously hurt and another is under observation in hospital. People near the smoke are being warned to stay inside and close all windows and doors. Authorities in the region have been handing out breathing masks. Dr Jane Haplin, of Hertfordshire Health Authority, said experts believed the smoke was largely made up of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide, which was reassuring. She said: "If there was going to be a large-scale reaction I would expect that we'd have started to see the signs of it by now and that doesn't seem to be happening." Breathing masks are needed Breathing masks are needed The first blast happened at the Buncefield depot, around 25 miles north of London, just after 6am. Two smaller blasts happened about 20 minutes later. Police have said that although the situation is now under control, they expect more blasts at the site, which stores 16 million litres of petrol, kerosene and diesel. Police have urged people not to panic-buy petrol. They say contingency plans are in place and there is "nothing to suggest" there will be a supply problem. All nine refineries in the UK are fully operational, with no problems related to the manufacture of petroleum or their distribution other than at Buncefield, an industry spokesman said. Map of the area Map of the area Houses near the depot have been evacuated and part of the M1 has been closed in both directions. Police say schools, libraries and day centres will be closed tomorrow and warned motorists to steer clear of the area. The cause of the explosions is not yet known but no third party - a plane or a terrorist - was involved. Thousands of viewers have contacted Sky News with reports it shook houses many miles away. Witnesses said buildings have been brought down and the roofs of houses were lifted by the force. One witness said he was near the site when the blasts happened and he saw a building "open up like a doll's house". Sky News Correspondent Geoff Meade heard the blast at his home and broke the news to the nation. He immediately called Sky Centre in west London, which was also shook by the explosions, and described "burning tongues" of flames in the sky. :: An emergency hotline has been set up to help anyone concerned about friends or relatives. The number is 0800 096 0095. \|\|\|\|\| UK fuel depot fire contained LONDON, England (CNN) -- British authorities say they have contained a fire raging at a fuel depot that injured 43 people, but it will take a day to burn itself out. The blast followed a series of explosions at the facility about 40 kilometers (25 miles) north of London early Sunday, lighting up the predawn sky and sparking a massive blaze. Britain has been on edge for terrorist attacks since four suicide bombers killed 52 commuters in July on London's transport system, but a police statement ruled out any attack. "All indications are, at this stage, that this was an accident," Hertfordshire Chief Constable Frank Whiteley said. "However, clearly we will keep an open mind ... until we can confirm that for certain." Forty-three people were taken to hospitals for their injuries, Whitely said, but the majority were "walking casualties." All but two have been released, he said, and those two do not have life-threatening injuries. Although firefighting units with more than 150 firefighters were on the scene, authorities said the fire may have to burn itself out. "Given the latest info on the fire, the fire is likely to continue for the next 24 hours or so," Whitely said. "It could go into days," Roy Wilsher, fire department spokesman, told reporters. He described the fire as "the largest I've seen." Wilsher said 250 million liters (more than 66 million gallons) of foam concentrate -- to be mixed with water to create flame suppressant foam -- was "on the way to us." "We're working with the oil industry experts to see if even that's enough," he said. About 20 petroleum tanks were thought to be involved in the blaze at the Buncefield Oil Depot near Hemel Hempstead, said Jane Vine, spokeswoman for Hertfordshire Fire and Rescue. "What we're really concerned about is toxic smoke from the area," Vine told CNN. "There's a heavy cloud. We don't know if it's toxic, but we're asking people in Hemel Hempstead to keep their windows and doors closed and stay inside." The smoke was drifting slowly east, Whiteley said. Residents closest to the depot were being evacuated, she said, and nearby roads, including the M1 and M10, were closed. "What we really want is for people to keep away from the area." Nearby residents left quickly, some throwing possessions in the backs of their cars. Whiteley said those with doors and windows damaged by the blasts should leave. Whitely said more explosions were possible, but they would not be as powerful as the first blasts. Hemel Hempstead residents reported hearing a loud boom about 6 a.m. local time. Two other blasts followed, British television network ITN reported, at 6:26 and 6:27 a.m. The network showed flames shooting an estimated 80 to 100 meters (up to 300 feet) in the air, along with an immense cloud of smoke blocking out the sun. Witnesses told ITN the blasts shattered windows and caused other damage at nearby homes. As the smoke spread across Hemel Hempstead, witnesses said there was a strange taste in the air. "It's a horrible feeling in the back of your throat," Andy Dicker told the network. "Very unpleasant." At least one of the blasts was enough to wake residents of west London, some 40 miles away. Video from the scene showed heavy damage to buildings at the depot and nearby roads covered in debris from the blasts. Witness Simon Heyward described to ITN seeing "what looked like fireworks shooting up into the sky." Police, he said, had cordoned off the area. Another woman said she thought the noise was an earthquake or a plane crash at the Luton Airport. "It was that kind of intense noise," she said. Texaco owns 40 percent of Buncefield, but does not operate the facility. The other 60 percent is owned by Total, according to Texaco-Chevron UK and U.S.-based Texaco. No American workers were at the site, a Texaco USA spokesman said. Although the terminal is the fifth-largest in Britain, Whiteley told reporters there should be no concern about a fuel shortage. \|\|\|\|\| EXPLOSION AT BUNCEFIELD OIL DEPOT By Susie ODea Police and other emergency services are attending the area of Buncefield Oil Depot in Hemel Hempstead this morning following reports of an explosion just after 6am. There is nothing to suggest at this stage that this is anything other than an accident although we are keeping an open mind. Contrary to rumours circulating there is also nothing to suggest that a plane is involved in this incident. The M1 motorway is closed in both directions from Junction 9 the A5 to junction 6a at the M25 interchange. The M10 motorway is also completely closed in both directions as well as some artillery roads in Hemel Hempstead. Drivers are advised to completely avoid the area and find alternative routes. As soon as we have any more information in relation to this incident we will place updates onto this site. \|\|\|\|\| Police and emergency crews raced to the scene of the blasts Fires still burn in Hemel Hempstead 11.39PM, Sun Dec 11 2005 Fires are still burning after massive explosions at an oil terminal in Hertfordshire. Two people were seriously injured among 43 reported casualties following a series of blasts which rocked the Buncefield depot near Hemel Hempstead. There were no fatalities. The force of the blasts could be heard up to 40 miles away as flames shot more than 200 feet into the sky. It has been described as the biggest explosion in peacetime Europe. Despite residents reporting they heard the sound of a plane overhead before the explosions, Hertfordshire Police Chief Constable Frank Whiteley told a news conference they are treating the incident as an accident. The first blast happened just after 6am on Sunday at the fuel terminal in Leverstock Green, Herts, close to junction 8 of the M1. The motorway was closed for around twelve hours. The depot, which holds huge stocks of various fuels, also supplies aviation fuel for Heathrow and Luton airports. Chief Constable Whiteley said: "We cannot be 100 per cent sure of the cause at this stage because we are still interviewing witnesses. But there is nothing to suggest anything other than an accident. "Those injured appear to be the people working on the site and working nearby. They suffered injuries from broken glass and that kind of thing." It is thought that the fire could burn for days but there are unlikely to be further explosions. Police from neighbouring forces in London, Essex and Bedfordshire were drafted in to help with the situation. Officers have been in contact with anti-terrorist officers who were carrying out investigations as part of the inquiry. Government officials and police made necessary security checks at other fuel terminals. Chief Constable Whiteley said police had no reason to suspect any terrorist connection to the explosion, nor were wider inquiries undertaken by the anti-terrorist branch. Mar 24: Texas oil refinery blast kills 14 Sep 17, 2004: Nigerian pipeline blast kills dozens \|\|\|\|\| Hemel oil fire will take another day to put out By Phil Crowther UPDATED 10.35pm GMT, Eye Witness Report: Sixteen hours after a series of explosions ripped apart the Buncefield fuel depot outside Hemel Hempstead, the plant continues to burn in the winter darkness. The fire is contained but a blanket of pollution is spreading across south east England. Exhausted fire services, fighting the blaze since first light today, are reforming tonight for an assault on the inferno at dawn tomorrow which will see thousands of gallons of foam per minute hurled at the flames. Earlier today, the east side of Hemel Hempstead lay shrouded in a choking brown fog, and the skyline resembled an erupting volcano. The casualty count of 43 injured, two seriously, remained stable all afternoon. In what police have described as the biggest explosion and fire of its kind since World War II, it is a miracle no one has been killed. Numerous houses near the plant have been damaged, and as the towering smoke continues to drift south over London thick fresh filth belches into a cloudless night sky. The fuel capacity of the depot is believed to be in the region of 60m gallons stored in at least 26 colossal tanks. Holding primarily petrol and kerosene, highly flammable jet engine fuel, Buncefield is a major supplier of Luton and Heathrow airports. Further explosions have not been ruled out, but they are now unlikely as emergency services fence the fire into the northern half of the plant. The initial explosions, which were felt as far afield as Surrey and Oxfordshire, shook the entire town of Hemel between 06.03am and six-thirty, smashing windows, cracking walls and bringing people running from their homes. It could burn for another 24 hours Police Local hospitals began receiving the walking wounded before 7.00am, mostly those cut by flying glass. Police have declared the explosions a major industrial accident, though Total Oil which operates the depot (alongside Texaco) has accounted for all its people on site. The M1 motorway which runs close by the depot was closed both ways between junctions 6a and 12 earlier today, but it has since reopened. advertisement Those Hemel residents determined to go out just stand and stare. People are wandering around with cameras and phones taking pictures of nothing but a solid wall of smoke. Some started panic buying at the petrol pumps. My own apartment building, which lies just three miles from the Buncefield plant, shook me awake shortly after 6.00am, and my first thought was that a train had crashed near Apsley station. Within moments, however, a colossal tower of smoke was visible from my windows over the Grand Union Canal and it was clear that disaster had struck Buncefield. "It's a brilliant day but the sun is just like a 40 watt light bulb through the smoke," said one eye witness. Though the fumes are not believed to be toxic, the air over the town tastes acrid and police are advising people to close doors and windows. Luton Airport, ten miles away, remains open. Fuel supplies to both airports will not be disrupted. A casualty information number has been set up: 0800 096 0095 \|\|\|\|\| Please try the following: If you typed the page address in the Address bar, make sure that it is spelled correctly. Open the home page, and then look for links to the information you want. Click the Back button to try another link. HTTP 404 - File not found Immediacy Content Management	Location of Hemel Hempstead within the UK A shot of the fire taken near the depot A series of large explosions have occurred close to Hemel Hempstead Hertfordshire, UK. The source of the explosions has been confirmed as the Hertfordshire Oil Storage Terminal (HOSL), Hemel Hempstead, known locally as the Buncefield complex. Up to 150 fire fighters are reported to be at the scene with 10 fire appliances and 1 specialist foamer. The first 'blast' was heard near Hemel Hempstead on Sunday 11 Dec at 6 am. Further smaller explosions followed at 6:24am , 6:26am, 6:30am. BBC News 24 reported an additional, fourth large explosion. Hertfordshire Police Constabulary are currently treating the explosion as an accident. Reports say the explosion, which registered 2.4 on the Richter scale, was heard as far away as Oxford, and Whitehall, Central London which is 60km (38 miles) away. Eyewitness statements report that the explosion was heard from at least 160km (100 miles) away and as far away as France and The Netherlands. Pilots reported noticing the blast from the North Sea and the West Country area of the UK. The M1 motorway which runs close by has been closed in both directions near the blast which is causing travel chaos as other roads become congested. Malcom Stewart, a BBC News24 eyewitness who is a tanker driver for the site has reported that the site supplies several oil companies and is a joint operation between Total UK and Texaco, it is also used by BP, Shell and the British Pipeline association. The complex is not a refinery but a storage facility for refined petroleum awaiting distribution to airports and filling stations. The eyewitness reports that the depot has approximately 20 tanks which can hold about 3 million gallons (11 million litres or 70,000 barrels) each. Another News24 eyewitness has just reported that he has seen at least 5 of these tanks on fire. Satellite image of Hemel Hempstead fuel explosion showing black smoke from the explosion near London The depot operates on a 24 hour basis and is split into 2 parts - aviation fuel and domestic fuel. A number of eyewitnesses have reported on UK news that the aviation fuel side appears to be the part of the site that has been affected. Local authorities were not immediately available for comment but there have been reports of casualties. Some reports on live television state that, "Several other neighbours said they did see a plane go into the depot." BBC News 24 were also discussing the idea a possible plane crash as the cause of the explosions. Hertfordshire police have now gone on the record to say that there is no plane involved (BBC News24). The police have issued a contact number 0800 096 0095 and asked that people do not call the emergency services in Hertfordshire directly unless it is an emergency. Buncefield Fire, taken from Dunsmore, Bucks - about 20miles away. In addition to being an oil storage depot, it is a major hub on the UK oil pipeline network with pipelines to Killingholme Lindsey Oil Refinery (LOR), Humberside (10 inch), Merseyside (10 and 12 inch), Coryton on the Thames Estuary (14 inch) and Heathrow (6 and 8 inch) and Gatwick airports radiating from it. The disaster is believed to be the worst explosion at a petrochemical plant in the UK since the Flixborough disaster of 1974. Hertfordshire's Chief Fire Officer Roy Wilsher said: "This is possibly the largest incident of its kind in peacetime Europe." A firefighting press officer said that they are stock piling foam from neighboring regions for a prolonged attach which they hope will stop the spread of the fire, however, the inferno itself will have to burn out which could take between 24 hours and a few days. Despite the authorities saying that there is no need to panic buy petrol, filling stations have had above average queues since this morning and some small garages have ran out. Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott has visited the scene. Smoke Viewed from St Albans
2015/08/21 09:28 (ATTN: ADDS more details throughout) SEOUL, Aug. 21 (Yonhap) -- North Korean leader Kim Jong-un has ordered front-line troops to have full combat readiness against South Korea as he declared a "quasi-state of war," the North's state media said Friday, raising tension after both Koreas exchanged fire across the western border. Kim convened an emergency meeting of the central military commission of the Workers' Party hours after the exchange of fire and ordered chief commanders to go to front-line troops to prepare for military operations, the North's Korean Central Television reported. "Commanders of the Korean People's Army were hastily dispatched to the front-line troops to command military operations to destroy psychological warfare tools if the enemy does not stop the propaganda broadcast within 48 hours and prepare against the enemy's possible counteractions," the broadcaster said. The exchange started when the North fired shells into a South Korean front-line military unit on Thursday afternoon, which prompted South Korean troops to counter with artillery fire. No casualties were reported. Shortly after the shelling, North Korea issued a fresh threat to take military action if South Korea does not stop its anti-Pyongyang propaganda campaign. The two Koreas have traded a war of words over the broadcasts that South Korea resumed on Aug. 10 in retaliation for a land mine attack earlier this month that left two South Korean soldiers severely injured. South Korea accused the North of planting the mines inside the demilitarized zone that separates the two Koreas, a charge denied by North Korea. North Korea has bristled at South Korea's propaganda campaign amid concern that an influx of outside information could pose a threat to its leader. North Korea has threatened to carry out "indiscriminate strikes" on South Korea unless Seoul halts the broadcasts. The North warned Thursday that it would take strong military action if the South does not end border propaganda broadcasts and dismantles the broadcast facilities "within 48 hours." South Korea has ordered its military to be on top alert, vowing to sternly deal with any North Korean provocations. The government also said it has taken measures to ensure the safety of its nationals who are temporarily staying in the North. It said it will put a partial ban on the entry of its nationals into Kaesong Industrial Complex in the North where a total of 124 South Korean smaller firms are running factories with about 54,000 North Korean workers employed. ejkim@yna.co.kr sooyeon@yna.co.kr (END) \|\|\|\|\| South Korea has fired artillery rounds towards North Korea after the dictatorship fired a projectile towards a South Korean loudspeaker that had been blaring anti-Pyongyang broadcasts, the defence ministry in Seoul has said. North Korea did not immediately respond to the shots, it said on Thursday, as tensions rose on the peninsula. South Korea said its detection equipment had spotted the trajectory of a suspected North Korean projectile, which did not appear to have damaged the loudspeaker or caused any injuries. “Our military has stepped up monitoring and is closely watching North Korean military movements,” South Korea’s defence ministry said in a statement. South Korea’s military raised its alert status to the highest level. There was no mention of the firing in North Korean state media, which does not typically make immediate comments on events. The suspected North Korean projectile landed in an area about 35 miles (56km) north of Seoul in the western part of the border zone, the defence ministry said. South Korean residents in the area were ordered to evacuate, according to the Yonhap news agency. Yonhap reported that the projectile appeared to have landed in a mountainous area near a South Korean military base in the town of Yeoncheon. South Korea’s presidential office said it had convened a meeting of the national security council. The exchange of fire was the first between the two Koreas since last October, when North Korean soldiers approached the border and did not retreat after the south fired warning shots, the South Korean defence ministry said at the time. The north’s soldiers fired back in an exchange of gunfire that lasted about 10 minutes, with no casualties. Tension between the two countries has risen since early this month when landmine explosions in the demilitarised zone wounded two South Korean soldiers. Seoul accused North Korea of laying the mines, which Pyongyang has denied. Seoul then began blasting anti-North Korean propaganda from loudspeakers on the border, resuming a tactic that both sides had halted in 2004. North Korea on Saturday demanded that the south halt the broadcasts or face military action, and on Monday began conducting its own broadcasts. Thursday’s exchange of fire came amid ongoing annual joint US and South Korean military exercises, which began on Monday and which North Korea condemns as preparations for war. The two Koreas have remained in a technical state of war since the 1950-1953 Korean War ended in a truce, not a peace treaty.	According to news agency, quoting 's main news agency (KCNA), the country's military has been placed on high alert and has been told to prepare a "quasi-state of war". The report comes after North and exchanged artillery fire yesterday. "War maniacs of the South Korean puppet military made another grave provocation to the DPRK in the central western sector of the front on Thursday afternoon. They perpetrated such reckless action as firing 36 shells at KPA civil police posts under the absurd pretext that the KPA fired one shell at the south side. Six shells of them hit the area near KPA civil police posts 542 and 543 and other 15 shells fell near KPA civil police posts 250 and 251," said KCNA. "Foolhardy provocation deserves harsh punishment," it added; and, later, " issued an order of the supreme commander of the Korean People’s Army KPA that the front-line large combined units of the KPA should enter a wartime state to be fully battle ready to launch surprise operations." Yesterday, North Korea fired artillery rounds aimed at a loudspeaker in South Korea that broadcasts anti- propaganda into the North. "Commanders of the Korean People's Army were hastily dispatched to the front-line troops to command military operations to destroy psychological warfare tools if the enemy does not stop the propaganda broadcast within 48 hours and prepare against the enemy's possible counteractions," added KCNA. No injuries or deaths were reported in the attacks from either side, but South Korea evacuated about 80 people in the town of after at least one shell landed near the area. The South retaliated by firing dozens of rounds of artillery into the north. South Korea had recently started to broadcast propaganda from loudspeakers after an 11-year lull. The broadcasts began on August 10 and South Korea says the broadcasts will continue. After the exchange of fire, North Korea stated it would attack any loudspeakers broadcasting propaganda and would respond, militarily, within 48 hours if the broadcasts do not stop. Both countries have put their militaries on high levels of alert. == Sources == * * * *
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. \|\|\|\|\| By Sarah Rainsford BBC News, Ankara Unofficial results prompted wild street celebrations by supporters Turkey's powerful military warned it would intervene to protect the republic, if required. This Sunday, 46.4% of the electorate cast their votes for the AKP across the country, proving they did not believe in any such danger. It was a resounding victory and, as the results rolled in, there was euphoria at the brand new party headquarters in the city. Hundreds of people thronged outside, waving orange and blue party flags. There was singing and dancing in the streets. Passing cars were draped in party flags too, passengers hanging out of the windows. "It is very exciting. It will be very good for Turkey," said Sadi, one of the supporters. He voted for the AKP so democratic reforms would continue, moving Turkey closer to the European Union. But the AKP has its roots in political Islam. So does this second term success mean Turkish society is becoming more religious and more introverted? Sadi disagreed. "Today nearly half of the people voted AKP, and half of all people here do not want Turkey to be an Islamic society," he explained. "I don't want that. I want more democracy." From a balcony overlooking the crowd of supporters, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Turkey's democracy had "successfully passed a test". "Our unity, democracy and republic have emerged stronger from the ballot box," he added. Dogu Ergil, a political analyst, says the AKP's victory was "a vote for stability and continuity". It was also helped significantly by a feel-good factor created by the economy doing well, and the failure of the main opposition parties to unite against the AKP. Military 'squeezed' But for many Turks, the strong AKP showing at this general election was primarily a backlash against the role of the military and secular establishment in the controversial presidential vote earlier this year - that is what sparked the entire crisis. Turkish voters give their verdict on the election result In pictures "This election sends a very clear signal to the military and the bureaucracy not to meddle," analyst Ihsan Dagi says. "In that sense, I think the result is a slap in the face for the military." Newspaper columnist Burak Bekdil agrees that Turkey's generals, who paint themselves as the protectors of the republic, will be unable to intervene any further without losing legitimacy. "The military will feel squeezed by this election - they can't act against such a large majority," he says. "That will really limit their room for manoeuvre against what they see as an Islamist threat to Turkey's constitutional regime." Presidential dilemma When it is time for the new parliament to try again to elect a president, AKP leaders will be under great pressure from the party faithful to nominate Mr Gul once again. Secularists say Abdullah Gul has a hidden Islamist agenda When he appeared with his wife at party headquarters on Sunday, the crowds shouted: "Gul for president". But Professor Ergil does not believe the party will nominate the foreign minister again. "They won't want to jeopardise their new legitimacy," he says. "There are other people they can nominate. This party is new and it's learning all the time." Like many here, Professor Ergil believes the AKP has moved to the centre of the political playing field in Turkey. That is a dramatic U-turn from its leaders' Islamist past - the reason some Turks still do not trust them. An opposition supporter, Fadik, claims the AKP are against the republic. "They are not following the path of our great leader, Ataturk - they're completely against him," she says. "Instead of moving forwards, Turkey is going backwards in every way." Another, Deniz, believes Turkey's secular society is already changing. "This high percentage vote for them is dangerous," she says. "We didn't used to see women wearing chadors on the streets before. Covered women didn't used to give you condemning looks." But the fears of people like Deniz failed to keep the AKP from power. And now they are back with a stronger mandate than ever. That could mean this whole crisis is resolved, or it could mean phase two has just begun. \|\|\|\|\| Mr Erdogan said that "democracy has passed a very important test" Mr Erdogan also said his Islamist-rooted AK Party would seek national unity and respect Turkey's secular constitution. Unofficial results gave the AK Party about 47% of the vote, prompting wild street celebrations by supporters. Opponents have warned that an AKP win could undermine Turkey's secularism. The election was called after opposition parties in parliament blocked the AK Party's nominee for the post of president, causing political deadlock. But despite his election win, Mr Erdogan will lack the two-thirds parliamentary majority to force through his presidential choice. In the capital Ankara, Mr Erdogan told jubilant supporters that the AKP victory was a triumph for democracy. He promised to "press ahead with reforms and the economic development that we have been following so far". "We will continue to work with determination to achieve our European Union goal," he said. The prime minister also vowed to continue the fight against Kurdish rebels in the east of Turkey. Fewer seats Although the AKP has been returned to power with a larger share of the vote, the presence of a third political party in the parliament means it will have fewer seats, the BBC's Pam O'Toole says. The AKP's 47% means it would get up to 341 seats in the 550-member parliament. Two opposition parties won the 10% share needed to guarantee seats in parliament - the secularist Republican People's Party (CHP) polled 20%, and the right-wing Nationalist Action Party (MHP) 14%. Estimates said the CHP would win up to 112 seats and the MHP some 70 seats, with up to 27 going to independent candidates, including pro-Kurdish politicians. 'Ringing endorsement' The election was touted as one of the most important in Turkey's history and turnout was reported to be extremely high, with many people breaking off holidays to return home to vote. The key test now, says the BBC's Sarah Rainsford in Ankara, will be who the party puts forward for president and whether or not it is willing to compromise. HAVE YOUR SAY As a secular Turk I have every confidence that Turkey has a great future in the hands of Prime Minister Erdogan and his party. Dr Hasan Ferit Boysan, London Send your reaction He is a devout Muslim and his wife wears the Islamic headscarf. It is not clear how the staunchly secularist military will react to the re-election of the AKP. During the deadlock over the presidency, the army said it was prepared to step in to defend Turkey's secular system. The current president, Ahmet Necdet Sezer, and the secularist establishment have vowed to resist what they regard as the Islamist agenda of the AKP. Mr Erdogan's government dismisses that portrayal, pointing to its record of five years of economic growth and the start of membership negotiations with the EU. And, our correspondent says, with this massive of vote of confidence in the AKP, almost half of the population have turned out to show they do not believe it is any threat to Turkey's secular system. With such a clear mandate, the AKP may be tempted to nominate Abdullah Gul again, she says, though most believe the party will look for consensus to avoid dragging the country back into chaos. \|\|\|\|\| ANKARA (Reuters) - Turkish Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan on Monday celebrated a decisive poll victory but now faces challenges over delayed presidential elections, Kurdish separatist violence and Ankara’s troubled EU bid. Turkey's ruling AK Party supporters celebrate the results of the national elections in front of the party headquarters in Ankara, July 22, 2007. REUTERS/Umit Bektas His AK Party boosted its share of the vote in Sunday’s parliamentary elections to 47 percent despite opposition efforts to portray his pro-business party, which has Islamist roots, as a Trojan horse set to turn Turkey into an Iran-style theocracy. It was a personal triumph for Erdogan, who called the poll early after the army-backed secular elite blocked his choice of an ex-Islamist ally as the next president — the first divisive issue parliament must tackle after it convenes next week. “We will resolve this matter (presidential election) without causing tensions,” Erdogan told a news conference. Financial markets rallied on a result that keeps in power the party most favorable to foreign investment, without any need for coalition wrangling, but does not make it so strong as to provoke the army, guarantor of Turkey’s secular system. The lira currency hit its highest levels against the dollar in more than two years, bonds soared and Istanbul’s stock exchange jumped five percent to a record close. Although unofficial results gave the AK Party 47 percent of the vote, up more than 12 points on 2002, a stronger nationalist opposition means it will get 340 out of 550 seats, slightly fewer than now. Parliament in one of the world’s few Muslim democracies will now feel very different, with ultra-nationalists and two dozen pro-Kurdish independents in for the first time in years. Foreign Secretary David Miliband of Britain, an ally of Turkey in the EU, said: “It’s very important that across Europe we reach out to the new government in Turkey when it is formed. A stable and secure Turkey is massively in our interests.” A U.S. State Department spokesman congratulated the Turkish people on holding what he said was a free and fair election. “I would point out that we have had a very good working relationship with Prime Minister Erdogan and his government, and that we have faith in Turkey’s secular democracy,” he said. Erdogan, controversial but popular, vowed in his victory speech to pursue political and economic reforms to join the European Union and made conciliatory noises towards his foes. COMPROMISE PRESIDENT? Turks are now watching to see if that turns into compromise over a choice of president to replace staunchly secular Ahmet Necdet Sezer, a fierce critic of the AK Party whose term is up. A crisis was sparked when the army, which ousted an Islamist predecessor of Erdogan’s party 10 years ago, rejected the candidacy of Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul as president, fearing he would erode the republic’s separation of religion and state. “The only danger at the moment is failure to reach an accord over the presidency,” said Erdal Saglam, a columnist for the top-selling Hurriyet newspaper. The prime minister said he would discuss with Gul, who was deeply disappointed at failing to secure the post earlier this year, whether he would remain the party’s candidate. Influential State Minister Besir Atalay told Reuters that Gul, who helped secure Ankara’s EU accession talks, was still the best candidate to become head of state. Erdogan must tread gingerly between supporters who hope his victory means fewer religious restrictions in public life, such as the ban on headscarves at university, and the army generals. The AK Party, which likes to compare itself with Germany’s Christian Democrats, is expected to move more to the centre of Turkish politics after more liberal-minded members won seats. Two other, secularist, parties made it into parliament — the nationalist Republican People’s Party (CHP) with 112 seats and the far-right National Movement Party (MHP) with 71. EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the government must press on with reforms required of Turkey in stalled EU entry talks. Once EU enthusiasts, Turks have grown cooler after rows over Cyprus and unpalatable domestic reforms. Slideshow (11 Images) Nationalists will resist more rights for ethnic and religious minorities as well as other reforms sought by the EU and will also press Erdogan to send troops into northern Iraq to root out Turkish Kurdish separatist rebels taking refuge there. Turkish security forces have been battling the PKK rebels since 1984 in a conflict that has cost more than 30,000 lives.	The Justice and Development Party (AKP) in Turkey secured a solid mandate in Turkish general election, held yesterday. Although Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan could celebrate getting 46.5% of the vote, more than 12% better than the last poll in 2002, his party will have to settle for slightly fewer seats in Turkey's parliament, the Grand National Assembly of Turkey. AKP will now have 340 seats versus 353 formerly. Before a cheering crowd, Erdoğan said yesterday: "We've passed an important test of democracy that is an example to the world. The people have pronounced the Justice and Development Party as the central political power in Turkey." Abdullah Gül in 2005 AKP called this election, ahead of schedule, after opposition parties boycotted the vote on AKP's presidential candidate, Abdullah Gül, and the Constitutional Court annulled the result. Speaking about the issue of the presidency, Erdoğan told a news conference: "We will resolve this matter without causing tensions." United Kingdom Foreign Secretary David Miliband, said: "It's very important that across Europe we reach out to the new government in Turkey when it is formed. A stable and secure Turkey is massively in our interests." In Washington, spokesperson Tony Snow said: "It was a free and fair election, and Turkey remains an important ally of the U.S." EU Enlargement Commissioner Olli Rehn said the government must move forward on reforms as EU entry talks have stalled. "We expect the new government will be formed swiftly. It is essential that the new government will re-launch the legal and economic reforms with full determination and concrete results," he told reporters. The Nationalist Movement Party (MHP), saw the greatest growth in support. Although in 2002, they pulled nearly 6% in support it was not enough for any seats. The 14.3% achieved in this election, got the MHP 71 seats. The general secretary of the party said it won't seek to create tensions. The Republican People's Party (CHP) was dealt the biggest setback in the election. CHP saw an erosion in support that cost them 66 seats, leaving them with 112. "The only danger at the moment is failure to reach an accord over the presidency," said election observer and columnist for Hürriyet, Erdal Saglam.
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. \|\|\|\|\| SAN DIEGO, California (CNN) -- More than a half million people had been ordered from San Diego County homes Tuesday as wildfires rage from the Mexican border to north of Los Angeles. Fire burns early Tuesday in Chula Vista, south of San Diego, in a photo from Norman Arroyo. more photos » Across Southern California, more than 1,300 homes had been reduced to ashes, officials said Tuesday. About 1,000 homes have been destroyed in San Diego County alone. A second civilian has died in the wildfires, the U.S. Forest Service said Tuesday afternoon. It provided no details. Fears grew north of Los Angeles that the winds may fan three wildfires into one monster blaze. Some officials feared there were not adequate resources available to fight such a blaze. Watch a fire official describe "utter devastation" » Those fires threaten more than 56,000 homes. In San Diego County, at least 513,000 residents had been ordered to find refuge in shelters, schools and stadiums as fires pushed into new areas Tuesday. Twelve thousand more were advised but not ordered to evacuate. The U.S. Navy ordered sailors out of barracks in the area and onto ships to make room for evacuees. A spokesman for the county's emergency effort told Sacramento TV station KCRA that the evacuations amount to "a mass migration." New evacuation orders are being added frequently to the San Diego Office of Emergency Services Web site. San Diego City Councilman Brian Maienschein is walking neighborhoods and helping compile a list of homes that have been destroyed or badly damaged. He said officials will post the list on the city's Web site soon. "People are worried," he said. "They just want to know, even if their homes are destroyed." And officials said the crisis is far from over. "It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," San Diego Fire Battalion Chief Bruce Cartelli said Tuesday. Firefighters expected no break from the winds fueling the fires until midday Thursday, said Harvey Johnson, deputy administrator for the Federal Emergency Management Agency. At least 17 wildfires have scorched about 425 square miles from north of Los Angeles to southeast of San Diego since the weekend. Three of those fires were added to the list Tuesday. Despite having 21 years experience as a firefighter, Arthur Jackson marveled at the fires he battled. "It is just amazing how this fire selects whatever it wants and burns whatever it wants," he told CNN. Despite toiling in 24-hour shifts, Jackson said he and his fellow firefighters were "holding up pretty good." What weighed heaviest on them was not so much the physical exertion, he said, but knowing they had failed to protect all of the structures. For some, the failure was more than a professional concern. "Some of the firefighters -- their own homes have burned up," he said. In an e-mail to CNN, Jonathan Gallen, a doctor in Poway, described how the fires quickly closed in on his neighborhood Monday. "My pool was completely black with soot. Like the 'Creature From the Black Lagoon' was about to walk out of there," Gallen wrote. "The soot was falling so heavily that it blocked out the sun. There was a smoke cloud above our home that seemed to stretch for miles. This was bad." National Guard troops were posted at Qualcomm Stadium, home to the NFL's San Diego Chargers, as it became a temporary home to 12,000 to 15,000 fire evacuees, according to the mayor's office in San Diego. Watch evacuees try to pass the time as they worry about their homes » Volunteers tried to keep spirits up by handing out chairs, cots, food and water. Many evacuees had red eyes from fatigue and smoke irritation. Among the volunteers was Tony Bradley, a restaurant worker by night and a magician by day. He strode through the crowd captivating youngsters by twisting balloons into the shapes of animals. "That's what I'm here for, just to make them happy, make them forget about what's going on," he said. Five of San Diego's 23 emergency shelters reached capacity Monday evening. Sean McGough and his family fled their home in El Cajon for Qualcomm early Tuesday as the flames arrived. "I looked out and saw the mountain engulfed in flames with a trail at least three miles long coming down," McGough said. "When I went to bed at midnight, nothing in the East County was any immediate threat. ... Two hours later is when we got the news we needed to get out of our homes." Impact Your World See how you can make a difference Anticipating more arrivals at the stadium, the Federal Emergency Management Agency delivered 25,000 cots early Tuesday afternoon. President Bush issued an emergency declaration Tuesday for seven California counties, clearing the way for federal disaster relief. The president will visit the area Thursday, White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said. Emergency officials asked for food and water for evacuees and told those still in their homes to cut electrical use so the power grid is not strained. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff and Federal Emergency Management Administration chief David Paulison flew to California Tuesday to get a first-hand look at relief efforts. The response has been improved because of lessons learned from the disastrous response to Hurricane Katrina, officials said. The Witch Fire consumed 164,000 acres, 500 homes and 100 commercial buildings between Sunday afternoon and early Tuesday, moving on a fast 20-mile westward path from its origins near Ramona into the more populated San Diego city limits and across Interstate 15. The Pacific coast was barely five miles west of the fire line early Tuesday. See photos of the fires » "It's probably the worst this county has ever had, well in excess of the Cedar Fire. ... It looks like it's going to get worse, and we want everybody to be prepared and understand," San Diego County Sheriff Bill Kolender said. Bush's declaration covers the same seven counties that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger cited Monday: Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura. See where fires burn across Southern California » The U.S. Marines' Camp Pendleton, north of San Diego, told only "key and essential personnel" to report to duty Tuesday. The Rice Fire is burning east of the base. At about 1 p.m. PT (4 p.m. ET), there were two fires burning on the property of Camp Pendleton. Residents of Fallbrook, adjacent to Camp Pendleton, evacuated as the Rice Fire burned 1,500 acres, destroyed 50 homes and damaged 30 more in nearby Rice Canyon. A "major natural gas line leading into" Fallbrook was ruptured Tuesday afternoon and is on fire, according to the California Highway Patrol Web site. Southeast of San Diego, the Harris Fire burned 25,000 acres. The blaze claimed the one life on Sunday and injured 17 civilians and five firefighters. Watch report of a man who fled fire in Chula Vista » Officials said they're concerned about the fire spreading to San Miguel Mountain, the site of important communications towers. Early Tuesday, a new fire was reported on the La Jolla Indian Reservation, northeast of Escondido, according to a state fire report monitored by the San Diego Union-Tribune. The fire has destroyed 40 houses, and people were being evacuated to the nearby Palomar Observatory, the report said. In northern Los Angeles County, three fires have charred nearly 93,000 acres, and fire officials said they fear the Ranch, Buckweed and Magic fires could merge. "We want to keep these fires as small as we can," said Capt. Barry Parker of the Ventura County Fire Department. If they come together, he said, "the only good thing is we would be able to share more resources." He added, "But we would rather keep the fires individually fought." The 54,000-acre Ranch Fire grew by nearly 20,000 acres overnight and is two miles away from the 1,200-acre Magic Fire. The blazes were straddling the line between Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Parker said he wasn't sure if they had enough resources. "We're using a limited amount of resources to go in and fight these fires," he said. "We've got about 600 people on the Ranch Fire; we normally would have about 1,500. "So we have to be absolutely surgical in how we plan and how we tactically use our fire equipment because we just simply don't have enough fire engines in the state of California to battle these blazes." Two fires that erupted Monday in San Bernardino County near Lake Arrowhead have destroyed at least 123 structures and charred 1,800 acres, said Loretta Benavidez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino National Forest. Several communities in the area, including Green Valley Lake, Arrowbear and Running Springs, were evacuated. Aerial views of the Lake Arrowhead fires showed more homes burning there Tuesday. E-mail to a friend CNN's Dan Simon contributed to this report. All About Wildfires \|\|\|\|\| BY CORKY SIEMASZKO DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER A firefighter lights backfires to protect the neighborhood of Bonita as fires continue to wreak destruction across Southern California. A swimming pool is coated with ash in the wealthy enclave of Rancho Santa Fe. • October 1991: Oakland hills of Alameda County in the San Francisco Bay area; 1,520 acres; 3,276 homes and apartments destroyed; 25 people killed. Cause: A flying ember from a fire believed to have been contained ignited a tree. • November 1993: Malibu area of Los Angeles County; 18,000 acres; 323 homes destroyed; three deaths. Cause: arson. It was among more than 20 that killed four people, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and consumed 193,814 acres over two weeks. • October 2003: Near San Diego; 273,000 acres; 4,847 structures destroyed; 15 deaths. Cause: Accidentally started by a hunter. It was among 15 wildfires that killed 22 people, destroyed 3,640 homes and blackened 750,000 acres of Southern California over two weeks. Some of the worst wildfires in California since the 1930s, based on deaths, destruction or acreage burned: President Bush declared a state of emergency in Southern California today as hellish firestorms stoked by Santa Ana winds forced thousands more to abandon their homes. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes," Bush said. "We send the help of the federal government." Bush, who was widely criticized for the botched federal response to Hurricane Katrina, promised help on Day 3 of the fiery cataclysm that has consumed more than 1,000 homes, burned through more than 400 square miles and turned 300,000 Californians into refugees. "We've learned from the past," California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said. "Everybody is working together." Marines newly returned from Iraq were mustered to help exhausted firefighters battle blazes that appeared to ignite out of nowhere, smeared the sky with smoke - and sent walls of flames marching across the scrub brush from the mountains to the Pacific Coast. "We are getting very strong northeast winds," Capt. Don Camp, a spokesman for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, told The Associated Press. "They are very erratic, causing us to modify our procedures." Adding to the woes were furnace-type temperatures approaching 100 degrees in San Diego and nearby Orange County. Meanwhile, Marines at Air Station Miramar in San Diego were ordered to fly their F-18 fighter jets, C-130 cargo planes and helicopters to bases elsewhere in California and Arizona to get them away from the flames. Mandatory evacuations of civilians in hardest hit San Diego County were also ordered and the freeways were clogged with cars heading north and east in search of safety. So far, the wildfires have claimed one life in San Diego County and injured 42. At least 16 of the injured were firefighters - some of whom reportedly lost their own homes while trying to save the homes of others. At Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego, up to 10,000 evacuees waited for the crisis to be over and watched the local news coverage of the fires on the stadium's television sets. Local officials pleaded for donations of blankets, board games, cots, pillows and food for the people staying there as hundreds more arrived by the hour. Many evacuees, fleeing along with their friends and neighbors, were unsure where to go for shelter. Wanda Tomkinson, 79, checked into the Doubletree in Del Mar for safety. But she and her husband and their Boston terrier had to decamp when the hotel was evacuated. Tompkinson said they hoped a family friend would be able to take them in. If not, she said, "the Lord'll take care of us." The first of the wildfires erupted on Sunday along the Mexican border and hopscotched across the parched landscape as far north as Burbank, outside Los Angeles. They did not discriminate, devouring everything from Malibu mansions to middle-class homes. Wildfires have wreaked havoc here in the past. Four years ago this month, blazes tore through Southern California, killing 22 people and destroying 3,640 homes. \|\|\|\|\| Nearly a million people have fled their homes as more than a dozen fires continue to burn in Southern California. At least two people have died. President Bush will visit California Thursday. Mike O'Sullivan reports, fire has destroyed more than 1,000 homes in San Diego, and hundreds in other parts of the state. Firefighter tries to extinguish fire at a house in San Diego, 23 Oct 2007 High gusty winds and hot, dry weather are fanning the wildfires, which have broken out from the Mexican border to Santa Barbara, north of Los Angeles. President Bush signed an emergency declaration late Monday to authorize federal aid and allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency to coordinate disaster relief efforts. Mr. Bush expressed sympathy for the people forced from their houses. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes, and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes. We send our prayers and thoughts with those who have been affected, and we send the help of the federal government, as well," he said. San Diego, in the southern-most part of the state, was hardest-hit by the fires, and National Guard troops are helping with evacuation and crowd control there. The Department of Defense has agreed to send air tankers equipped to drop water and fire retardant chemicals, but on the third day of the blazes, high winds are limiting flights in many areas. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff spoke of federal efforts on Tuesday, just before he boarded a plane to fly with other officials to California. "We have been moving cots, blankets, other supplies into the area of San Diego so that we can handle any necessity for additional sheltering capacity. We have also moved air assets to be poised to take flight when we do have the opportunity to deal with the fire, once the winds begin to die down," he said. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said that among the lessons learned from Hurricane Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, is the need for improved communications, and she said the lesson is being applied. FEMA's response was harshly criticized in the aftermath of Katrina. People forced from their homes are taking shelter in sports stadiums, community centers, fairgrounds and schools, and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders asked residents in unaffected places to keep streets clear for emergency responders and people fleeing their houses. "Please stay at home today, if you can. Stay off the freeways. Allow our emergency vehicles and people needing to evacuate to move around freely, and please stay off your cell phones," he said. Officials are also urging residents to obey mandatory evacuation orders, where they are given. Some have refused and have stayed with their homes to try and fight the fires themselves. High temperatures and strong winds are expected to continue.	On October 22, 2007, NASA satellites continued to capture remarkable new images of the wildfires raging in Southern California. Nearly 330,000 people in San Diego County, California located in the United States are being ordered to evacuate after massive wildfires started to spread and grow. As a result, U.S. President George W. Bush has declared a state of emergency in California clearing the way for federal aid assistance. "All of us across this nation are concerned for the families who have lost their homes and the many families who have been evacuated from their homes. We send the help of the federal government," said Bush in a statement to the press. This pair of images, depicting the area around Los Angeles on October 21, 2007, shows just how quickly the fires grew. Almost 1,500 houses have been burned to ashes and fires continue to threaten nearly 60,000 more. Firefighters now fear that the fires could merge into one giant blaze if the Santa Ana Winds continue sending close to if not over 500,000 people running for safety. One person has died as a result of the fires with 42 injured. 16 of those are reported to be firefighters who were battling the blazes. "It will not end ... until it reaches the ocean or the winds turn around," said San Diego County Fire Battalion Chief, Bruce Cartelli. At least 13 wildfires have burned more than 356,000 acres (142,400 hectares) in areas stretching from San Diego, near the border with Mexico, to Malibu, near Los Angeles. Air Station Miramar for the U.S. Air Force is also being evacuated with the base's planes and other military equipment being transported away from the raging fires to Arizona and places far north of the fires in California.
Bolivia's President Easily Wins Re-election Sunday's vote followed ratification of a constitutional amendment earlier in the year that allowed Mr. Morales to run for a second term. Photo: AP Exit polls in Bolivia show that leftist President Evo Morales has earned a second term after easily winning re-election on Sunday. Bolivian media report that President Morales gained at least 61 percent of the vote, 35 points ahead of his closest challenger, former governor Manfred Reyes. Mr. Morales was first elected in 2005 and is the South American country's first indigenous president. Analysts say the victory means he will likely continue leftist reforms aimed at greater government control over the economy and social spending programs for the poor. Sunday's vote followed ratification of a constitutional amendment earlier in the year that allowed Mr. Morales to run for another term. Bolivia's voters also chose a new Congress, with polls showing the president's Movement Toward Socialism party well ahead. During his first term, the leftist anti-U.S. leader nationalized key sectors of Bolivia's economy, including mining and energy. Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters. \|\|\|\|\| Morales appears to have strengthened his grip on power with a landslide victory [EPA] Morales appears to have strengthened his grip on power with a landslide victory [EPA] Morales appears to have strengthened his grip on power with a landslide victory [EPA] "This process of change has prevailed," Morales said on Sunday night from the balcony of the presidential palace in La Paz, where thousands of supporters shouted "Evo Again! Evo Again!" Evo Morales has claimed victory in Bolivia's presidential election after exit polls indicated he had easily won re-election with more than 60 per cent of the vote. Exit polls and a quick count gave Morales between 61 and 63 per cent of the vote, more than 35 percentage points ahead of his closest challenger, Manfred Reyes Villa, a former governor who picked up only 23-25 per cent. Sunday's polls also appeared to hand Morales unfettered control of congress, meaning that he will have a free hand to deepen reforms for the duration of his new five-year term. The ruling Movement Towards Socialism party succeeded in winning two-thirds of the seats in congress, including taking control of the senate from the conservative opposition, according to the exit polls. If confirmed, the win will mean Morales will have the legislative numbers to pass laws without needing to negotiate with the opposition. Official results are not expected until late Tuesday. Bolivia's first indigenous president - a former llama herder who never attended high school - has a 60 per cent approval rating, much of it from the country's indigenous majority. Since he took office in 2006, he has instituted quotas to give indigenous posts in the military and created a special school for aspiring diplomats with native backgrounds. He has also started three indigenous universities. Morales also nationalised Bolivia's oil and gas sector in a move that helped lift the country's economy out of the red and build $8bn in reserves. Criticism But he has also angered other Bolivians who have seen their landholdings decreased as part of the president's reforms. Opponents say he has failed to increase output in the oil and gas sector, stamp out corruption in the state-run energy company and develop the natural gas industry. Morales supporters celebrating their candidate's sweeping victory [AFP] Al Jazeera's Teresa Bo, reporting from the administrative capital, La Paz, said the pattern of voting, according to exit polls, indicated how divided the country still is, with the richest provinces continuing to oppose Morales. Morales received only about 40 per cent of the votes in Santa Cruz, a key province that has opposed his presidency and sought autonomy from his central government, whereas he garnered more than 70 per cent in La Paz. But Sunday's unofficial results indicate the opposition, which repeatedly challenged Morales in the early years of his presidency, is weakened even though it retains strong support in eastern regions, home to many of the country's natural resources and leading businesses. Our correspondent also reported that while there were some complaints about missing ballots and tampering of ballot papers, according to election council officials, the Organisation of American States and the EU monitors were satisfied with the conduct of the election. Morales re-election to a second term was made possible after he won a referendum that lifted the one-term limit for president. The move mirrored similar moves by other Latin American leaders including Venezuela's Hugo Chavez and Rafael Correa of Ecuador.	File photograph of Evo MoralesExit polls in Bolivia indicate that President Evo Morales has earned a second term after winning re-election on Sunday. Bolivian media report that the president gained at least 61%, 35 points ahead of his closest challenger, former governor Manfred Reyes. "This process of change has prevailed," Morales said on the balcony of his presidential residence, addressing supporters. Morales was first elected in 2005 and is the South American country's first indigenous president. Analysts say the victory means he will likely continue reforms aimed at greater government control over the economy and social spending programs for the poor. Bolivia's voters also chose a new Congress, with polls showing the president's Movement Toward Socialism party well ahead, securing about two-thirds of the seats.
Friday, January 21, 2005 SpongeBob creators accused of advancing gay agenda SpongeBob SquarePants, the popular cartoon character known the world over for his underwater antics, has recently become the target of antigay Christian groups who accuse his creators of advancing a gay agenda in America's public schools. "Does anybody here know SpongeBob?" James C. Dobson, founder of the antigay group Focus on the Family, asked guests at a Tuesday night black-tie dinner for members of Congress, according to a report by The New York Times. SpongeBob needed no introduction. In addition to his popularity among children, who watch his cartoon show, he has become a well-known camp figure among gay men, perhaps because he holds hands with his animated sidekick, Patrick, and likes to watch the imaginary television show The Adventures of Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy. Now, Dobson said, SpongeBob's creators had enlisted him in a "pro-homosexual video," in which he appeared alongside children's television colleagues like Barney and Jimmy Neutron, among many others. The makers of the video, he said, planned to mail it to thousands of elementary schools to promote a "tolerance pledge" that includes tolerance for differences of "sexual identity." The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," told the Times that Dobson's objection stems from a misunderstanding. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the 9/11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site. Rodgers suggested that Dobson and the American Family Association, the conservative Christian group that first sounded the alarm, might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth. "The fact that some people may be upset with each other peoples' lifestyles, that is OK," Rodgers said. "We are just talking about respect." Mark Barondess, the foundation's lawyer, said the critics "need medication." On Wednesday, however, Paul Batura, assistant to Dobson at Focus on the Family, said the group stood by its accusation. "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organization is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," he told the Times. "It is a classic bait and switch." \|\|\|\|\| Spongebob is popular among adult gay men Focus on the Family and other groups say the video - a remake of the Sister Sledge hit, We Are Family - is a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda. The video's makers plan to mail it to US schools in the spring to promote tolerance and diversity. They say the attack is based on a misunderstanding. The video also features children's favourites like Bob the Builder, along with characters from Sesame Street and The Muppet Show. We see the video as an insidious means by which the organisation is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids Paul Batura Focus on the Family But James Dobson, founder of right-wing Christian group Focus on the Family, singled out SpongeBob at a black-tie dinner in Washington in the run-up to President Bush's inauguration, the New York Times said. SpongeBob - who appears on the children's cable channel Nickelodeon - is seen as an icon for adult gay men in the US, apparently because he regularly holds hands with his sidekick Patrick. His creators deny that he is gay, but he is not the first such character to cause controversy. In 1999 conservatives claimed handbag-carrying Teletubby Tinky Winky, an import from the UK, was a bad role-model. 'Easy lesson' Nile Rodgers, who wrote the song and is founder of the We Are Family Foundation (WAFF) which released the new video, says it is intended to help teach children the values of co-operation and unity. "We believe that this is the essential first step to loving thy neighbour," he said. "And the fun and exciting format makes it a lesson that's easy for children to learn." But conservatives say it sees the video as a cunning attempt to promote homosexuality. They point to the fact that the WAFF is linked to a pledge being promoted by some liberal groups which includes a recognition of tolerance of sexual identity. "We see the video as an insidious means by which the organisation is manipulating and potentially brainwashing kids," Paul Batura, a spokesman for Focus on the Family, told the New York Times. Mr Rodgers said the groups may have confused his foundation with an unrelated organisation with a similar name that supports gay youth. WAFF spokesman Mark Barondeso told the newspaper that anyone who thought the video promoted homosexuality "needs to visit their doctor and get their medication increased".	Anti-gay groups accuse a music video, with over 100 children's TV heroes such as SpongeBob SquarePants, of being a vehicle for pro-gay propaganda. The video's makers say the music video - a re-recording of the Sister Sledge hit "We Are Family" - is to promote tolerance and diversity to America's children. Dr. James C. Dobson, co-founder of the pro-Family Christian Ministry Focus on the Family, singled out SpongeBob at a black-tie dinner for members of Congress in the run-up to G.W. Bush's inauguration on 2005 Jan 18, according to The New York Times. Dobson told the guests that the cartoon sponge had been enlisted in a "pro-homosexual video" that was going to be mailed to thousands of elementary schools promoting a "tolerance pledge" that included a reference to "sexual identity." The video's creator, Nile Rodgers, who wrote the disco hit "We Are Family," told The New York Times that Dobson's objection stems from a misunderstanding. Rodgers said he founded the We Are Family Foundation after the 9/11 attacks to create a music video to teach children about multiculturalism. The video has appeared on television networks, and nothing in it or its accompanying materials refers to sexual identity. The pledge, borrowed from the Southern Poverty Law Center, is not mentioned on the video and is available only on the group's Web site. Rodgers suggested that Dobson and the American Family Association might have been confused because of an unrelated Web site belonging to another group called "We Are Family," which supports gay youth.
Monday, June 05, 2006 PHOTOS STORIES The victims were herded into more than a dozen vehicles, according to witnesses and officials. It was not known who was behind the attack, but the Interior Ministry denied that police were involved. The attackers arrived at mid-morning and began randomly grabbing people in the shabby business district, where several transportation companies are based and buses pick up passengers traveling mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, Lt. Col. Falah al-Mohamedawi said. • CountryWatch: Iraq "They took all the workers from the companies and nearby shops," said Haidar Mohammed Eleibi, who works for the Swan Transportation Co. in the Salihiya area. He said his brother and a cousin were among those detained, along with merchants, passers-by and even men selling tea and sandwiches. "They did not give any reason for it," he said. "Police came afterward and did nothing." The Shiite-dominated Interior Ministry, which oversees the police and has been accused of backing militias in sectarian violence, denied its forces were behind the attack. (Story continues below) ADVERTISEMENTS Advertise Here Another transportation worker Amjad Hameed said 15 cars belonging to police rushed into the area and began randomly seizing people. "We asked them why but nobody replied," he said, adding that Iraqi forces and Americans came to the site afterward. The U.S. military said it had no information about the event. Another witness told an Iraqi television station that the gunmen blocked the roads and beat people before putting bags on the captives' heads and leading them one-by-one to the vehicles. In a similar attack on a locally owned security firm March 8, gunmen dressed as Interior Ministry commandos stormed into the al-Rawafid Security Co.'s east Baghdad headquarters and took away 50 people, many of them former military personnel from Saddam Hussein's regime. Those employees have not been heard from since. It was the latest in a series of setbacks for Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who announced a security plan late last month aimed at restoring order in Baghdad, which has been hit hardest by suicide attacks, roadside bombs and sectarian death squads. He has not released details of the plan, and violence has persisted in the capital of 5 million people, where at least eight people were killed Monday, including a Shiite school guard and two Sunni brothers who were shot to death as they were driving to college. Iraqi police also found the blindfolded and bound body of a man who had been shot in the head and chest and another body that had been shot in the head in separate locations in Baghdad. Eight other deaths were reported nationwide on Monday, a day after masked gunmen stopped two minivans carrying students north of Baghdad, ordered the passengers off, separated Shiites from Sunni Arabs, and killed the 21 Shiites "in the name of Islam," a witness said. Al-Maliki also has been frustrated in his efforts to crackdown on sectarian and militia violence in the oil-rich southern city of Basra, where attacks have been unabated despite his declaration of a state of emergency on Wednesday. And the Shiite prime minister still has not been able to reach consensus among Iraq's ethnic and sectarian parties on candidates for interior and defense minister — posts he must fill to implement his ambitious plan to take control of Iraq's security from U.S.-led forces within 18 months. Former Prime Minister Ayad Allawi's secular Iraqi List party criticized the latest delay in announcing the new ministers, insisting that "they should be national independent figures" and calling on al-Maliki to use his constitutional authority to fill the posts. The U.S. State Department also stressed the importance of filling the positions to complete al-Maliki's government of national unity, which took office just over two weeks ago. "I know that there are very active discussions under way right now to fill those positions. We think that that is important. We hope that that, in fact, occurs in the very near future," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said. "That will send an important signal to the Iraqi people that they have a full government working on their behalf, especially in those positions where you would have individuals that would be free from the taint of association with militias," he added. Elsewhere, U.S.-led forces fired artillery at the train station in the western city of Ramadi, in the volatile Anbar province, "targeting four military-aged males unloading a weapons cache," according to the U.S.-Iraqi Joint Operations Center. A hospital official, Dr. Omar al-Duleimi, said five civilians were killed and 15 wounded by American forces in Ramadi, 70 miles west of Baghdad. The Joint Operations Center said the mission had "positive effects on the target," but it denied the report that civilians were killed or injured. The influential Sunni Association of Muslim Scholars, meanwhile, warned the U.S.-backed Iraqi government against participating in any assaults against Anbar, a vast province that stretches from western Baghdad to the borders with Syria and Jordan. "Its consequences would be very dangerous for the Iraqi society and for the government," said Mohammed Bashar al-Faidi, a spokesman for the Sunni group believed to have links to insurgents, said at a news conference. Al-Maliki has said that his government was working on a plan to restore security to the provincial capital of Ramadi and that Iraqi forces would work with U.S. troops, and about 1,500 U.S. combat troops have been moved from Kuwait to the province. Separately, a 30-year-old Iraqi man accused of helping the kidnappers of British aid worker Margaret Hassan also was sentenced to life in prison on Monday, while two other suspects were acquitted, a court official said. Hassan, 59, the director of CARE international in Iraq and a citizen of Britain, Ireland and Iraq was abducted in Baghdad in October 2004. She was killed a month later and her body has never been found. In other violence Monday, according to police: — Gunmen in two cars killed a member of the Badr Brigade, the armed wing of the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, near his home in western Baghdad. — The head of the Abu Ghraib city council and his driver were killed in a drive by-shooting west of Baghdad. — Gunmen in two cars killed a local councilman and one of his guards as they were driving in Baghdad's upscale al-Mansour neighborhood. — Gunmen also raided a printing press in the downtown Baghdad neighborhood of Karradah on Monday, abducting the owner. — Police found the bodies of four men in the Tigris River in Suwayrah, 25 miles south of Baghdad. — Gunmen killed a former member of the local Baath Party and the brother of an interpreter working for British troops in Amarah, 180 miles southeast of Baghdad. Police said the gunmen may have mistaken the victim for his brother. \|\|\|\|\| ABC News Gunmen Seize at Least 50 at Iraq Bus Stops Gunmen Dressed As Police Abduct at Least 50 Travelers and Employees at Iraq Bus Stations By QAIS AL-BASHIR BAGHDAD, Iraq Jun 5, 2006 (AP) Gunmen in police uniforms raided bus stations Monday in central Baghdad, seizing at least 50 people, including drivers and passengers preparing to travel outside Iraq, an Interior Ministry official said. The attackers also grabbed people working in the area, where several travel agencies are based and buses pick up passengers traveling mostly to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon, Lt. Colonel Falah al-Mohamedawi said. The victims, including two Syrians, were herded into more than a dozen vehicles, according to witnesses. It was not known who was behind the attack. "They took all workers from the companies and nearby shops," said Haidar Mohammed Eleibi, who works for the Swan Transportation Co. in the Salihiya business district. He said his brother and a cousin were among those detained, along with merchants, passers-by and even a vendor selling tea and sandwiches. "They did not give any reason for it," he said. "Police came afterward and did nothing." Another transportation worker, Amjad Hameed, said 15 cars belonging to police rushed to the area and began randomly seizing people. "We asked them why but nobody replied," he said, adding that Iraqi forces and Americans came to the site afterward. The dramatic attack came a day after masked gunmen stopped two minivans carrying students north of Baghdad, ordered the passengers off, separated Shiites from Sunni Arabs, and killed the 21 Shiites "in the name of Islam," a witness said. Haqi Ismail, a 48-year-old electrician, told The Associated Press that the attackers ordered the Shiites to lie down, and before they opened fire, one shouted, "On behalf of Islam, today we will dig a mass grave for you. You are traitors." In predominantly Shiite southern Basra, police hunting for militants stormed a Sunni Arab mosque early Sunday, just hours after a car bombing. Nine people were killed in the ensuing firefight. The surge in attacks has dealt a blow to Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's pledge to curb sectarian violence. He also failed again to reach consensus Sunday among Iraq's ethnic and sectarian parties on candidates for interior and defense minister posts he must fill to implement his ambitious plan to take control of security from U.S.-led forces within 18 months.	On June 5, gunmen, who had posed as police officers, raided a bus station in central Baghdad and captured 50 people. Attackers raided bus stations and seized travellers and local vendors. This happened a day after 21 people were dragged off buses and killed in Diyala province. Of the 50 people, there are two Syrians and one is an Interior Ministry official. The gunmen rounded up people from the area including people from the many travel agencies that populate the area. The people were then herded into cars and taken away. "They took all the workers from the company and nearby shops," says Haidar Mohammed Eleibi, who works for the Swan Transportation Co. in the Salihiya business district. Most of the buses at the station were headed to Jordan, Syria and Lebanon.
Time Warner Inc., the world's largest media company, said computer tapes containing personal information on 600,000 current and former employees were lost. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the disappearance of a container holding 40 backup tapes, Time Warner spokeswoman Kathy McKiernan said yesterday. Data-storage company Iron Mountain Inc. discovered the loss after a driver who picked up the tapes in New York performed a scan after his delivery in New Jersey, company spokeswoman Melissa Burman said. The probe hasn't found evidence that the tapes have been accessed or misused, New York-based Time Warner said. The case is the second-largest loss of personal data after an incident involving Bank of America Corp., which in February said it lost information on about 1.2 million federal government charge-card accounts, said Marc Rotenberg, executive director at Washington-based Electronic Privacy Information Center. "This is very serious," Rotenberg said. The case "underscores the need for Congress to move aggressively to protect" private identities. Iron Mountain, the largest seller of record-management services with 200,000 customers worldwide, makes 5 million pickups and deliveries a year with a 99.99 percent accuracy rating, Burman said. This year, the company has lost four shipments of tapes, she said. In April, Iron Mountain told clients to encrypt data being sent for storage, and Time Warner said yesterday in a letter to employees posted on its Web site that "the information on the tapes is in a form that is not easily accessed." The missing tapes contain names and Social Security numbers of current and former U.S.-based employees of Time Warner and its affiliates, U.S. citizens working for the company abroad and some other workers, Larry Cockell, Time Warner's chief security officer, said in the letter. The tapes do not include data on Time Warner's customers, he said. The company currently employs 85,000 people worldwide. The Secret Service shares jurisdiction with the FBI in identity-theft cases, Secret Service spokesman Jonathan Cherry said. He said the agency is working with Time Warner and the data-storage company on the case. Time Warner's data was misplaced as privacy concerns are increasing after Reed Elsevier PLC and ChoicePoint Inc. said last month that information on more than 400,000 people may have been fraudulently accessed. London-based Reed Elsevier said it found 59 incidents over two years in which unauthorized people may have acquired information such as Social Security and driver's license numbers. Time Warner managers "deeply regret that this incident occurred," Cockell said in the letter. The company offered workers help in contacting credit-rating agencies to monitor their accounts. Time Warner has been an Iron Mountain client for 10 years and plans to stay with the company, McKiernan said. \|\|\|\|\| Sensitive data lost, Time Warner says By Tom Zeller Jr. The New York Times WEDNESDAY, MAY 4, 2005 They include current and former employees, some of their dependents and beneficiaries and individuals who have provided services for the company. Time Warner said on Monday that the data, on 40 tapes in a container the size of a cooler, disappeared more than a month ago while being shipped to a storage center. Among those affected are virtually all the 85,000 current employees of Time Warner. A companywide e-mail message about the data loss was distributed on Monday, and the company said a more detailed letter would be mailed out over the next several days. Time Warner is offering to pay for one year of credit monitoring for all affected individuals with the credit reporting agency Equifax. "We take the security of our employees' personal information extremely seriously," Larry Cockell, the chief security officer, said in a statement, "and we deeply regret that this incident occurred." The U.S. Secret Service is continuing to investigate the missing tapes, said Kathy McKiernan, a company spokeswoman, although no evidence has yet surfaced that the tapes, or any information on them, have been stolen. No customer information was involved. The tapes were being transported by Iron Mountain, a records management company that routinely handles offsite data storage for Time Warner and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. Iron Mountain, which is based in Boston, said it lost track of the bar-coded container holding the tapes after picking it up from Time Warner in Manhattan on March 22. The container was scanned and presumably placed onto an unmarked Iron Mountain truck, a spokeswoman for the company said, but it was not on the truck when it arrived at the Iron Mountain storage center in New Jersey later that day. Iron Mountain notified Time Warner immediately, and when an initial investigation by the two companies did not turn up the container, the Secret Service was called, Time Warner said. According to Melissa Burman, a spokeswoman for Iron Mountain, it was one of about 18 pickups and deliveries that the company made in New York that day. The company routinely makes about five million such transactions with customers around the world every year, with about a dozen or so such losses, on average. "It happens, unfortunately, when there are humans involved," Burman said. Iron Mountain began advising its corporate customers two weeks ago to begin encrypting the data on its backup tapes. Adding to concerns about the security of personal information, Time Warner has reported the loss of computer backup tapes containing sensitive data, including the names and Social Security numbers of about 600,000 people.They include current and former employees, some of their dependents and beneficiaries and individuals who have provided services for the company.Time Warner said on Monday that the data, on 40 tapes in a container the size of a cooler, disappeared more than a month ago while being shipped to a storage center.Among those affected are virtually all the 85,000 current employees of Time Warner. A companywide e-mail message about the data loss was distributed on Monday, and the company said a more detailed letter would be mailed out over the next several days. Time Warner is offering to pay for one year of credit monitoring for all affected individuals with the credit reporting agency Equifax."We take the security of our employees' personal information extremely seriously," Larry Cockell, the chief security officer, said in a statement, "and we deeply regret that this incident occurred."The U.S. Secret Service is continuing to investigate the missing tapes, said Kathy McKiernan, a company spokeswoman, although no evidence has yet surfaced that the tapes, or any information on them, have been stolen. No customer information was involved.The tapes were being transported by Iron Mountain, a records management company that routinely handles offsite data storage for Time Warner and dozens of other Fortune 500 companies. Iron Mountain, which is based in Boston, said it lost track of the bar-coded container holding the tapes after picking it up from Time Warner in Manhattan on March 22.The container was scanned and presumably placed onto an unmarked Iron Mountain truck, a spokeswoman for the company said, but it was not on the truck when it arrived at the Iron Mountain storage center in New Jersey later that day.Iron Mountain notified Time Warner immediately, and when an initial investigation by the two companies did not turn up the container, the Secret Service was called, Time Warner said.According to Melissa Burman, a spokeswoman for Iron Mountain, it was one of about 18 pickups and deliveries that the company made in New York that day. The company routinely makes about five million such transactions with customers around the world every year, with about a dozen or so such losses, on average. "It happens, unfortunately, when there are humans involved," Burman said.Iron Mountain began advising its corporate customers two weeks ago to begin encrypting the data on its backup tapes. \|\|\|\|\| Time Warner's personal data on 600,000 missing By Jon Swartz, USA TODAY Time Warner (TWX) on Monday said computer tapes containing Social Security and other personal information on 600,000 current and former workers are missing. The media giant said the tapes, which were placed in a truck on March 22, were lost during transport by its data-storage company, Iron Mountain. Time Warner — owner of America Online, CNN, HBO and Warner Bros. studio — said the tapes include data stretching back to 1986 with details on dependents and beneficiaries, in addition to Social Security numbers. Customers were not affected, Time Warner said. Though there is no evidence the tapes were accessed or misused, Time Warner did not rule out foul play. The Secret Service is investigating. The incident comes amid heightened security concerns about personal data that have been lost or stolen. In breaches reported publicly since February, more than 2.5 million records may have been exposed to thieves at data broker ChoicePoint, retailer DSW, news and information broker LexisNexis, the University of California at Berkeley and elsewhere. The mishaps underscore the trove of personal data floating in cyberspace and the thriving underground market for stolen IDs, law-enforcement officials and privacy experts say. Personal information has become the currency of choice for criminals because the credit system allows anyone with someone's identity information to set up lines of credit until fraud is detected, they say. "The underground economy is more than just credit cards and bank-account information," says John Watters, CEO of security firm iDefense. "They want your entire information set — passwords, Social Security number, passport, driver's license — to increase their profit potential." Nearly 10 million Americans were victims of ID theft last year, says the Better Business Bureau. That could rise as more data are available online, security experts say. About 80% of 2,000 consumers surveyed say they are concerned about ID theft online, says security firm Entrust. Time Warner is the second major company to report losing data. In February, Bank of America said it lost computer data tapes for 1.2 million federal employees, including U.S. senators. The missing tapes contain customer and account information, including some Social Security numbers, from a federal government program using Visa cards for government travel and procurement. The tapes were lost in late December, during shipment to a backup data center. Federal law-enforcement officials were notified immediately. Bank of America says there is no evidence the tapes or their content were accessed or misused.	Time Warner Inc announced that they are unable to locate a container holding 40 backup tapes. These tapes contain personal information on 600,000 current and former employees back to 1986. This information includes details on dependents and beneficiaries, in addition to Social Security numbers. Customers were not affected, Time Warner said. The U.S. Secret Service is investigating and has not found any evidence that the tapes have been misused. This loss affects most of the 85,000 current employees. The tapes were lost by Iron Mountain Inc., a data storage company, which routinely handles off-site data storage for Time Warner and many other Fortune 500 companies. Time Warner has said that the tapes would require expensive equipment to read them, and that they were encrypted.
(Adds interview with Nader)By Donna SmithWASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Consumer advocate Ralph Nader, blamed by many Democrats for their loss of the White House in the 2000 election, said on Sunday he is launching another independent campaign for the White House.Nader, who will turn 74 this week, announced his longshot presidential bid on NBC's "Meet the Press" saying that neither the Democrats nor the Republicans were addressing problems facing Americans.Nader called Washington "corporate occupied territory" that turns the government against the interests of the people. "In that context, I have decided to run for president," he said.Democrats said they do not expect Nader, who also ran as an independent in 2004, to have much of an impact."When you get into running for your third or fourth time, I don't think people will pay that much attention to it, and I wouldn't see it having any effect on the race," Virginia Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine said on "Fox News Sunday."In an interview with Reuters, Nader said he will push the candidates on a number of issues including health care and changing the tax system to shift the burden away from wage earners and put it on things like pollution, tobacco and "Wall Street speculation" and reduce taxes on wages.Nader dismissed Democratic criticism of his latest bid for the White House."For anybody who thinks that the third try is something that should be demeaned, it represents persistence, it represents never giving up the struggle for justice," Nader said. "The forces of injustice never take a holiday."Nader ran for president in 2000, when he got about 2.7 percent of the national vote as the Green Party candidate. Many Democrats blamed Nader for draining votes from Democrat Al Gore and tipping the election in favor of Republican George W. Bush. He also ran as an independent in 2004, but got only a tiny fraction of the vote.Nader said he expects to do better this time and will work to get his name on the ballot in all 50 states.Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, appearing on CNN's "Late Edition," said he thought Nader could pull votes away from the Democratic nominee."Naturally Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that maybe a few more will join in," Huckabee said.Democratic candidates Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Barack Obama criticized the independent candidate."That's really unfortunate. I remember when he did this before, it didn't turn out to well, for anyone, especially our country," she said. "I hope it's kind of a just a passing fancy that people won't take too seriously."Obama, Clinton's rival for the Democratic presidential nomination, was asked on Saturday about a Nader candidacy. "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," he said. (Additional reporting by Claudia Parsons, Jeff Mason and Nancy Waitz; Editing by David Wiessler) (To read more about the U.S. political campaign, visit Reuters "Tales from the Trail: 2008" online here \|\|\|\|\| Nader mixes up 2008 race with new White House run WASHINGTON (AFP) — Consumer champion Ralph Nader announced Sunday a fresh tilt at the White House, eight years after earning the acid hatred of Democrats for dividing the anti-Republican camp in a razor-thin vote. Denying that he was running as a "spoiler" who could hand the presidency to Republican John McCain, Nader accused both the main parties of shutting out the US public and handing the nation over to corporate interests. "Dissent is the mother of assent, and in that context I have decided to run for president," Nader, who turns 74 on Wednesday, said on the NBC program "Meet the Press." As Nader railed against the "political bigotry" of Democrats still smarting from their 2000 loss to Bush, Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton girded for a March 4 battle that could decide the former first lady's political fate. Pundits had detected a hint of farewell in Clinton's closing remarks at a debate with Obama Thursday. But the New York senator came out firing Saturday, declaring "shame" on her rival for attacking her healthcare and trade policies. A spate of reports said Clinton's advisors were eyeing the potential end of her White House campaign after the March 4 clashes in Ohio, Texas, Rhode Island and Vermont. Her campaign dismissed that as "nonsense." "I believe that we are going to do well in Ohio and Texas. I'm not even thinking about other alternatives," Clinton's communications chief Howard Wolfson said. Amid the Democratic infighting, Nader declared: "If the Democrats can't landslide the election this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down." But Nader, who rose to prominence by campaigning for auto safety in the 1960s, said he still had a message to offer for those "locked out" by the perennial Republican-Democratic duel. Whether it was the war in Iraq, the Palestinian issue, environmental threats or the power of Wall Street, "you have to ask yourself as a citizen, should we elaborate the issues the two are not talking about?" McCain was "the candidate for perpetual war," Nader added, calling for the impeachment of the "criminal recidivist regime of George Bush and (Vice President) Dick Cheney." Standing as a Green party candidate in 2000, Nader took more than 97,000 votes in Florida, outraging Democrats who said he had siphoned off enough support from former vice president Al Gore to hand victory to George W. Bush. But he won just 0.3 percent of the national vote as an independent in 2004, when he appeared on the presidential ballot in only 34 states. Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, an Obama supporter, was derisory about Nader's latest intervention. "I mean, when you get into running for your third or fourth time, I don't think people will pay that much attention to it, and I wouldn't see it having any effect on the race," he said on Fox News. New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine, a Clinton backer, agreed about Nader but said the billionaire mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, could have a "major impact" on the main parties if he runs. Bloomberg has denied he is planning a White House bid but his protests have done little to silence the media buzz surrounding the former media mogul. Obama, who is bidding to knock Clinton out of the race on March 4, said anybody had the right to run for president if they qualified. "And I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate is not going to make any difference," he told reporters Saturday. McCain meanwhile has enjoyed a bounce in support from hardline conservatives after The New York Times last week insinuated an improper relationship between the maverick Republican front-runner and a female lobbyist eight years ago. McCain received another boost Sunday with reports that Puerto Rico Republicans had awarded their 20 delegates to the Arizona senator, in an overwhelming defeat for former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. Huckabee, still in the Republican race despite trailing badly to McCain, said Nader's entry would hurt the Democrats. "So naturally Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that maybe a few more will join in," he told CNN. \|\|\|\|\| Ralph Nader announces presidential bid Posted: Sunday, February 24, 2008 10:44 AM by Mark Murray Filed Under: , From NBC's Mark Murray and NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan On Meet the Press this morning, Ralph Nader -- who won 2.7% of the popular vote in 2000 and just 0.4% four years later -- announced that he will once again be running for president this year. Yesterday, when asked about a potential Nader candidacy at his press conference, Obama said: "I think anybody has the right to vote for president if they file sufficient papers. And I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate's not going to make any difference." When reporters reminded Obama that Nader had said some not-so nice things about him, Obama replied: "He had called me and I think reached out to my campaign. My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who if you're -- don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive. He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work. Now, and by the way, I have to say that historically, he is a singular figure in American politics and has done as much as just about anybody on behalf of consumers. So in many ways, he is a heroic figure and I don't mean to diminish him, but I do think there's a sense now that um, you know if somebody's not hewn to the Ralph Nader agenda then you, you must be lacking in some way." \|\|\|\|\| Consumer advocate Ralph Nader says he is launching a campaign for president of the United States. VOA's Paula Wolfson reports, Nader cites growing discontent in the country with both Republicans and Democrats. Ralph Nader (File) Ralph Nader made it official during an appearance on national television. "I have decided to run for president," said Nader. Nader told NBC's Meet the Press that he is entering the race because neither one of the major political parties is acting in the best interest of the American people. This is his third run for the presidency. In 2000, Nader - as the candidate of the Green Party - won just less than three percent of the national vote. Many Democrats still blame him for Al Gore's loss that year, saying he siphoned off just enough liberal votes to cost Gore a very close election. Nader said he will not be deterred. "The political bigotry that is involved here is that we should not enter the electoral arena - all of us who think the country needs an infusion of freedom, democracy, choice, dissent," he said. In 2004, Nader ran as an independent and his support slipped. But Republican presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee said the Democrats still have reason to be concerned about a Nader candidacy. Mike Huckabee, 04 Jan 2008 "Well, I think it would always pull votes away from the Democrats, not the Republicans," said Huckabee. "So actually, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that a few more will join in." During an appearance on CNN's Late Edition, Huckabee was asked if there might be another third-party candidate on the right of the political spectrum. He said that is not likely to happen, adding he has no intention of doing so if frontrunner John McCain becomes the Republican Party nominee. "I think it is a suicide mission," he said. "Third-party candidates are not going to win the election. At best, they are going to take away from one of the major parties and I just do not see that happening within the conservative wing at all." Meanwhile, top Democrats are downplaying the impact a Nader campaign might have on their prospects of taking back the White House. Appearing on the Fox News Sunday television program, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine said he is more intrigued by the possibility of an independent campaign by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. "I think that would have a major impact on the outcome of the race, and I think it is unpredictable which side would hurt the most on that," said Corzine. "That is a question that is much more relevant, I think to the end game of who the next president of the United States is." Bloomberg, who was elected mayor as a Republican, recently dropped his party affiliation. And there has been speculation that he might tap his personal fortune to one day launch a presidential campaign targeting moderate and independent voters. \|\|\|\|\| WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Ralph Nader is entering the presidential race as an independent, he announced Sunday, saying it is time for a "Jeffersonian revolution." Ralph Nader is running for president as an independent. "In the last few years, big money and the closing down of Washington against citizen groups prevent us from trying to improve our country. And I want everybody to have the right and opportunity to improve their country," he told reporters after an appearance announcing his candidacy on NBC's "Meet the Press." Asked why he should be president, the longtime consumer advocate said, "Because I got things done." He cited a 40-year record, which he said includes saving "millions of lives," bringing about stricter protection for food and water and fighting corporate control over Washington. Nader's decision, which did not come as a surprise to political watchers, marks his fourth straight White House bid -- fifth if his 1992 write-in campaign is included. The two contenders for the Democratic nomination were quick to pounce. "He thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush and, eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about," Sen. Barack Obama said a town hall meeting Sunday. Watch Nader describe whom the Democrats should be "going after" » Calling Nader's move "very unfortunate," Sen. Hillary Clinton told reporters, "I remember when he ran before. It didn't turn out very well for anybody -- especially our country." "This time I hope it doesn't hurt anyone. I can't think of anybody that would vote for Sen. McCain who would vote for Ralph Nader," she said. Nader was criticized by some Democrats in 2000 for allegedly pulling away support from Democrat Al Gore and helping George Bush win the White House. Noting that he ran on the Green Party ticket that year, Clinton said Nader "prevented Al Gore from being the 'greenest' president we could have had." Nader has long rejected his portrayal as a spoiler in the presidential race. In his NBC interview Sunday, he cited the Republican Party's economic policies, the Iraq war, and other issues, saying, "If the Democrats can't landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form." But Clinton said, "Obviously, it is not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is. But, you know, it is a free country." Nader said political consultants "have really messed up Hillary Clinton's campaign." Long-shot GOP contender Mike Huckabee said Nader's entry would probably help his party. "I think it always would probably pull votes away from the Democrats and not the Republicans, so naturally, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race," Huckabee said Sunday on CNN. Nader said Thomas Jefferson believed that "when you lose your government, you've got to go into the electoral arena." "A Jeffersonian revolution is needed in this country," he said. Nader told NBC that great changes in U.S. history have come "through little parties that never won any national election." "Dissent is the mother of ascent," he said. "And in that context I've decided to run for president." Nader, who turns 74 this week, complained about the "paralysis of the government," which he said is under the control of corporate executives and lobbyists. Obama also criticized Nader earlier this weekend. "My sense is that Mr. Nader is somebody who, if you don't listen and adopt all of his policies, thinks you're not substantive," he told reporters when asked about Nader's possible candidacy. "He seems to have a pretty high opinion of his own work." Obama said Nader "is a singular figure in American politics and has done as much as just about anyone for consumers." "I don't mean to diminish that," he said. "There's a sense now that if someone's not hewing to the Ralph Nader agenda, he says they're lacking in some way." Responding to those remarks, Nader called Obama "a person of substance" and "the first liberal evangelist in a long time" who "has run a good tactical campaign." But he accused Obama of censoring "his better instincts" on divisive issues. Nader encouraged people to look at his campaign Web site, votenader.org, which he said discusses issues important to Americans that Obama and Sen. John McCain "are not addressing." E-mail to a friend All About U.S. Presidential Election • Ralph Nader	Iraq War in 2007. Political activist Ralph Nader has announced the launch of an independent campaign for President of the United States. Nader, who also ran for president in the previous three elections, made the announcement on NBC's television program ''Meet the Press''. "Dissent is the mother of ascent, and in that context I have decided to run for president," said Nader. "In the last few years, big money and the closing down of Washington against citizen groups prevent us from trying to improve our country. And I want everybody to have the right and opportunity to improve their country." In 2000, Nader ran for President as a Green Party candidate and received 2.7% of the popular vote. Many Democrats believe his campaign led to the election of Republican George W. Bush by taking away potential votes for Democrat Al Gore, especially in the state of Florida. Nader also ran in 2004 as an independent, but only garnered 0.4% of the vote. At a press conference yesterday, Democratic candidate Barack Obama doubted that a potential Nader candidacy would have the same impact as in 2000. "I think the job of the Democratic Party is to be so compelling that a few percentage of the vote going to another candidate's not going to make any difference," he said. Today, however, Obama was more disapproving of Nader. "He thought that there was no difference between Al Gore and George Bush and, eight years later, I think people realize that Ralph did not know what he was talking about," Obama told reporters. Democrat Hillary Clinton seemed more concerned about Nader's bid. "Obviously it’s not helpful to whoever our Democratic nominee is," she said. "I remember when he did this before, it didn't turn out too well for anyone, especially our country." She said Nader "prevented Al Gore from being the 'greenest' president we could have had", and she hoped his bid will be "just a passing fancy that people won't take too seriously." Nader dismissed criticism of his entry into the race, saying, "For anybody who thinks that the third try is something that should be demeaned, it represents persistence, it represents never giving up the struggle for justice." Meanwhile, Republican candidate Mike Huckabee welcomed Nader into the race, in the hopes that he will lessen the Democratic voter base. "I think it would always pull votes away from the Democrats, not the Republicans," he said. "So actually, Republicans would welcome his entry into the race and hope that a few more will join in."
Costs have become a major issue for F1 Formula One's teams and governing body the International Automobile Federation (FIA) have agreed key cost-cutting measures for the next two seasons. The packages come after Japanese manufacturer Honda pulled out of F1. The Formula One Teams Association (Fota) said as well as a package for 2010, an agreement for a cost-cutting plan for 2009 had also been reached. The details will be released on Friday after it has been approved by the FIA's World Motor Sport Council. "Agreement was reached on measures to meet all the objectives originally put forward by the FIA for 2010 and thereafter," said the FIA in a statement. "In addition to which Fota have now made proposals for very significant cost saving in 2009, while maintaining Formula One at the pinnacle of motor sport and reinforcing its appeal." Ferrari and Fota president Luca di Montezemolo added in the statement: "The unity of the teams was fundamental to meeting the goals for a new F1, but with the same DNA, as requested by the FIA." FIA chief Max Mosley had wanted the teams to use a standard engine and gearbox from 2010 to help cut their costs by up to 80%. 606: DEBATE Why not loosen the regs and allow open the sport to newcomers? Regazzoni28 While Fota is committed to dramatically cutting the operating costs of the teams, it was opposed to the idea of one manufacturer, Cosworth, providing a standard engine for all the teams. A complete "powertrain" - with an engine supplied by Cosworth and gearbox from Xtrac and Ricardo - would cost the teams an initial up-front payment of £1.68m. The teams could build their own engines to the same specification as the Cosworth, or continue to use their existing units, but on a par in terms of performance. That would be followed by a fee of £5.4m per season over the three years of the agreement, running from 2010 through to 2012. Such a figure is around 10% of what teams have spent on engines in recent years. Ferrari and Toyota have previously threatened to quit the sport if a standard engine was to be introduced. Yet all the teams are committed to dramatically reducing their operating costs, particularly in the light of Honda's pull-out. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| Renault deny parting ways with FOTA By Pablo Elizalde The Renault F1 team have denied they are planning to part ways with the Formula One Teams' Association. In a brief statement released on Wednesday morning, the French manufacturer said they are in accordance with the principles sustained by the Formula One Teams' Association. "Following speculation that appeared this morning in the Italian press, the ING Renault F1 Team would like to state that the positions of the Team and Renault are in complete accordance to those of the FOTA," said Renault in a statement. "We would like to point out that neither Mr. Briatore nor Renault have spoken to the press regarding this matter before this official press release." FOTA representatives are to meet today with FIA president Max Mosley in Monaco to analyse the proposals from the teams. Renault are believed to be one of five teams who have expressed an interest in signing a deal to use a standard engine to reduce costs. The deal, which includes a standard-specification Cosworth engine from 2010, will go ahead if four teams sign up. \|\|\|\|\| GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX GO TO NEXT STORY Mosley: Standard engine will stabilize F1 By Pablo Elizalde FIA president Max Mosley is adamant that the introduction of a standard engine in Formula One will help stabilize the sport. "We need dramatically to cut costs and get innovation back into Formula One," said Mosley, speaking at the Motor Sport Business Forum in Monaco today. "We must stabilize the system with a base engine which anyone can have and which is inexpensive, as well as a standard gearbox. "That will stabilize Formula One until we can bring in new energy-efficient engines which undoubtedly will be the future. "But I would hate anyone to think that we want Formula One to lose sight of one of its main objectives, which is to remain the pinnacle of motor racing technology. If properly managed the regulations will ensure that this continues to be the case." The sport looks likely to accept the introduction of a cheap, standard engine today, with Mosley meeting with representatives of the Formula One Teams' Association. Five teams, including Renault, are believed to be interested in singing up for the standard engine idea, which is aimed at reducing costs drastically. Today's meeting comes less than a week after Honda announced its withdrawal from Formula One. Mosley warned that, given the current financial crisis, more manufactures could follow the Japanese car maker. "Honda pulled out because of falling car sales and there is no guarantee that these falling sales, which affect all manufacturers, will not drop further," he added. "If they do then we have to prepare for other manufacturers to pull out not only from Formula One but other areas of motor sport as well. "But what is wrong with Formula One today was wrong before any of the present economic problems cropped up. Essentially it's the rules, which have become ever more restrictive compressing the work of the engineers into an ever smaller area. "As such, success in F1 today consists of optimizing every single part of the chassis to the ultimate degree and that is both extremely expensive and utterly pointless." Mosley was also critical of those teams calling for a delay or a ban to the introduction of the KERS systems next year. "We've finally found a serious engineering challenge for the teams in KERS," Mosley said. "Some manufacturers have risen to this challenge, one manufacturer has produced electric systems which will astonish people when they appear, another team is working on a completely new technology which will also astonish people. "But some leading teams, such as Ferrari, have said that they don't like KERS because it is 'too complicated'. Could you imagine the great F1 engineers like (Lotus founder, Colin) Chapman or (Cosworth co-founder, Keith) Duckworth saying 'I can't do that because it is too complicated'? "It is a symptom of a disease in F1 where incremental change becomes the whole object of the exercise and real serious innovation plays no part." Go to earlier story Go to the News Index Go to next story \|\|\|\|\| GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX GO TO NEXT STORY Standard engine set for go-ahead By Jonathan Noble Radical plans for a standard engine in Formula One look almost certain to be rubber-stamped by the FIA later this week, autosport.com has learned, with five teams including Renault believed to have expressed an interest in signing up to the deal. FIA president Max Mosley has given teams until Thursday afternoon to sign up to the option of having a standard-specification Cosworth engine from 2010. In a letter to the teams last week, he said the deal would go ahead as long as a minimum of four outfits were interested in a three-year deal - which will cost them an upfront fee of £1.68 million and an annual charge of £5.49 million. Although there has been no official confirmation from the FIA about the level of interest in the deal, with Mosley simply claiming last Friday that he had been contacted by three teams, investigations by autosport.com have revealed that half the grid are now seriously looking into it. Autosport.com understands that as well as wholly independent teams Williams and Force India having shown an interest, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso have told the FIA that they are taking the option into consideration. But the biggest surprise is that French car manufacturer Renault is believed to have told the FIA that it too is interested in the supply of standard engines. Such a move would mark a significant departure for the car maker, who have supplied engines from their Viry-Chatillon base in France since they returned to F1 in 2001. However, with Renault having long faced financial pressures from their parent company to justify their involvement in F1, the prospect of a dramatic reduction in engine budget from 2010 may be enough to quell any unease that could lead to the French car manufacturer following Honda out of the sport. Renault boss Flavio Briatore was unavailable for comment about Renault's interest in standard engines, but did say at the season-closing Brazilian Grand Prix that power units were one area where big cost savings could be made. "I think we are in a very difficult position economically, what is going on around the globe and it's a panic at the moment," he said. "Formula One is not immune from this panic. I believe our chairman and everybody is very sensitive as to what happens in Formula One as well. "Regarding the question of the engines, sure we need to cut the costs but for me, all this discussion about Formula One engines, already today, with frozen engines, theoretically there is no development. I don't understand all the time how it's surprising when people are talking about engine development etc. "Already today we have no performance (gains) from the engine. If everybody follows the rules, the engine is frozen and nobody is allowed to touch the engine. Whatever proposal we put together, we need to take into consideration this as well." The FIA has made it clear that it will not force manufacturers to run a standard engine from 2010, but Mosley said in last week's letter than any car maker's own power unit will have its performance pegged to that of the standard engine. With no performance differentiation between the different types of engines, Briatore may have felt that there was little point in Renault continuing to fund a full-scale engine programme for tens of millions of pounds, when there is a fully-competitive option for less than £6 million. Mosley is due to meet with FOTA representatives in Monaco on Wednesday to discuss the latest raft of cost-cutting ideas for implementation next year and 2010. He has already hinted that measures being proposed by the teams do not go far enough and, with an added urgency to bring budgets down in the wake of Honda's withdrawal, there could be some fraught discussions about what needs to be done. After Thursday's deadline for standard engines, the FIA World Motor Sport Council will meet on Friday, with Formula One cost cuts believed to be the main item on the agenda. It is expected that the meeting will rubber stamp any rules proposals coming out of the FOTA meeting, as well as the standard engine plans. Go to earlier story Go to the News Index Go to next story \|\|\|\|\| Sebastien Buemi led the times in testing at Jerez on Tuesday as six teams began a three-day session at the Spanish circuit. Buemi, who hopes to land a Toro Rosso race seat for 2009, was half a second quicker than Sebastien Bourdais, who in turn is looking to retain his drive with the team. Mixed weather saw morning fog give way to intermittently dry and damp conditions, before a late downpour gave the teams the chance to try out their wet-weather tyres. Buemi was among the busiest men on track, the Swiss GP2 star completing 91 laps to Bourdaiss 77 as both ran 2009 downforce levels on the STR3 in combination with slick tyres. When the rain came, Toro Rosso took the opportunity to compare this years Bridgestone rain tyre with a development version for the 2010 season. Buemi continues testing on Wednesday and Thursday, while Bourdais will hand over to Takuma Sato from Wednesday lunchtime. The McLarens of Gary Paffett and Pedro de la Rosa were next up, completing just 26 and 21 laps respectively as the team restricted their running in the changeable weather. De la Rosa concentrated on set-up work in the MP4-23A, while Paffett evaluated boost levels in the KERS-equipped MP4-23K. Wednesday will see Heikki Kovalainen back in the cockpit for the first time since the Brazilian Grand Prix. Beating Kovalainen back to the track by a single day, fellow Finn Kimi Raikkonen made his Ferrari return on Tuesday, the former champion going fifth fastest after 48 laps of set-up and engine work. He will be joined by team mate Felipe Massa on Wednesday. BMW Sauber had Nick Heidfeld (sixth) and tester Christian Klien (ninth) in action, both in interim F1.08Bs featuring some 2009 bodywork. Kliens car was also fitted with BMWs KERS device, but the Austrians schedule was curtailed after 15 laps following a precautionary engine change prompted by a suspected mechanical problem. Heidfeld, who will be joined by team mate Robert Kubica on Wednesday, managed 49 laps of set-up, suspension and aero work. After an early visit to the gravel trap, Kazuki Nakajima went on to total 58 laps as he finishes seventh fastest for Williams. Set-up and slick tyre work were the Japanese drivers main focus in the FW30B. Nico Rosberg will continue the teams programme on Wednesday. At Renault, Nelson Piquet was eighth after a mammoth 124 laps in the R28. The team evaluated 2009 set-ups and slick tyres, as well as putting mileage on their engine in preparation for next seasons three race engine rule. Wednesday will see Fernando Alonsos first winter test outing for the team. Unofficial Tuesday times from Jerez: 1. Sebastien Buemi, Toro Rosso, 1:18.742 2. Sebastien Bourdais, Toro Rosso, 1:19.288 3. Gary Paffett, McLaren, 1:20.134 4. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:20.164 5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:20.261 6. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 1:20.678 7. Kazuki Nakajima, Williams, 1:21.338 8. Nelson Piquet, Renault, 1:21.547 9. Christian Klien, BMW Sauber, 1:22.098 \|\|\|\|\| GO TO EARLIER STORY GO TO THE NEWS INDEX GO TO NEXT STORY Richards: Honda's exit a lesson for F1 By Jonathan Noble Prodrive boss David Richards believes Honda Racing's fight for survival is a lesson that Formula One must now change if it is to face the future with confidence. Honda announced last Friday that it was pulling the plug on its Formula One efforts, leaving team chiefs Nick Fry and Ross Brawn with just a few weeks to find a buyer to keep the outfit afloat. And although it is understood Richards is considering an involvement in a deal, he is well aware that the current business model for F1 teams must evolve if teams are going to be allowed to prosper. Speaking at the Autosport Awards about whether he believed there was the prospect of Brawn and Fry finding a buyer, Richards said: "I certainly hope so. "It's a great team and a great team of people, but it's a salutary lesson for the whole of F1 that things are going to have to change, and everything is going to have to come back a little bit if the whole sport is to prosper in the future - which I am sure it will do." Sources suggest that Richards has been approached by two different consortiums – believed to be from the Middle East – asking him if he would be interested in running a team funded by them. Speaking to The Daily Mail, however, Richards admitted that the current financial climate and changes that F1 are about to make, means it is far from certain he will decide to get involved. "I'm keeping an open mind," he said. "You could say that the facilities Honda have make it an attractive proposition but I disagree. The overheads are not what would be needed in an age when Formula One is cutting costs. I won't rush into anything." Go to earlier story Go to the News Index Go to next story \|\|\|\|\| Toyota insist they can reduce costs and still compete in Formula One Five of Formula One's top teams have pledged to remain in the sport. BMW Sauber, Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes, Renault and Toyota are all determined not to follow Honda by quitting F1. Honda bowed out for financial reasons, prompting motorsport boss Max Mosley to warn that cost-cutting was vital to avoid losing any of the other teams. Toyota, believed to be under pressure in the current economic crisis, said they were "committed to succeeding in Formula One and to reducing costs". That is despite the team, who considerably outperformed Honda in 2008, scoring four times as many points and finishing fifth in the constructors' championship, axeing the media launch for their 2009 car as a money-saving measure. We are contributing to activities which will achieve significant cost reductions, whilst maintaining the spirit of the sport Toyota F1 statement French team Renault, who finished in fourth with 80 points to Toyota's 56, also revealed they remained committed to the sport. But former F1 giants Williams, who limped to eighth place in 2008, have yet to make a statement. One of the few remaining independent teams, Williams have seen sponsors RBS, AT&T; and Philips suffer heavy losses in recent months. Honda withdrew from the sport on Friday, leaving their Northamptonshire-based team just weeks to find new backers or face closure. The Formula One Teams Association (Fota) met on Thursday to discuss proposals to secure the future of the sport, and said agreement had been reached on "substantial cost-cutting for 2009 and 2010" as well as "additional initiatives to improve the show". With top teams spending about £300m a year, Mosley, president of governing body the International Automobile Federation (FIA), said the sport had to cut soaring costs. Despite Mosley describing the team's cost-cutting proposals as "fiddling about", Toyota, who have one of the biggest budgets in F1, are sure they are on the right path. HOW SAFE ARE REMAINING TEAMS? BMW Sauber - secure Large budget, safe despite 25% slump in BMW sales Ferrari - very secure Future not in doubt. Huge fanbase, beating heart of F1 Force India - secure Owned by billionaire Vijay Millya, well-funded for 2009 at least McLaren - very secure Sound finances, strong core of sponsors Red Bull - secure Owned by billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz, money no object Renault - vulnerable Manufacturing losses make team vulnerable to Honda-style pull-out Toro Rosso - safe Also owned by Mateschitz - how long can he sustain two teams? Toyota - vulnerable Very large budget, car sales down, could struggle Williams - vulnerable Big losses in 2007, no car maker or billionaire backing "We are contributing to the Fota activities which will achieve significant cost reductions, whilst maintaining the spirit of the sport," a statement from the manufacturer read. "We hope Fota's proposals and activities will be given the widespread support they deserve as they provide the sound, stable base Formula One requires at this time." BMW board member Klaus Draeger, whose team won in Canada this year and finished third overall, said in a statement that Honda's decision would have no bearing on his company's involvement in F1. "F1 involvement is an integral part of the company strategy," he added. "There is no better platform than Formula One for demonstrating our brand values. "BMW, moreover, makes targeted use of the Formula One project as a technology accelerator for series production. "With the BMW Sauber F1 Team, we have from the start focused on high efficiency and have achieved our successes with a compact and powerful team. The cost-benefit ratio is commensurately positive." Norbert Haug, the head of Mercedes Motorsport which powered Briton Lewis Hamilton to his recent title victory, also revealed his team were working hard on measures to reduce costs. "Our Formula One involvement is built on financially solid foundations and is in large part financed by our sponsoring partners," he said. "Mercedes-Benz's contribution is cost-efficient, the resonance in the media and in the public which last season and Lewis Hamilton's win generated was worth many times our financial investment." He added: "This pullout is very sad. It only shows how important the cost-cutting measures are that we've been advocating for more than five years, and which have only been realised to a small degree. 606: DEBATE Could we realistically be looking at a 14-car grid in Melbourne? Sheff Hatter "Within the Formula One Teams Association, we're working very hard on measures to cut costs, and over the next two years we must achieve cuts of at least 50%." Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, chairman of Ferrari, one of the sport's strongest and most secure teams, remained positive about the sport's future. "We unanimously agreed to important short and long term measures, for 2009 and 2010," he said. "We gave a new push toward a reduction in costs especially to help the smaller teams already from the next season." Red Bull, Toro Rosso and Force India operate under a separate financial model, relying on funding from billionaire owners to finance their campaigns, and are not believed to be in difficulty. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Cosworth's 2004 Champ Car engine Formula One looks set to enter an era of standardised engines. The FIA is meeting with teams in Monte Carlo and is expected to approve the use by some teams of a standardised power unit provided by Cosworth, an automotive engineering company, from 2010 onwards. The move to a standard engine, which is common in lower tiers of open wheeled racing such as GP2, was pushed for by FIA President Max Mosley earlier this year as he aims to reduce team costs. This would not see the exclusion of manufacturer made engines, as at this time participation in the system would be voluntary and teams would be free to build licensed Cosworth engines or their own powerplants but on a performance par with the Cosworth unit. Mosley has stated that stabilising Formula One means that the FIA "...must stabilize the system with a base engine which anyone can have and which is inexpensive, as well as a standard gearbox" and has warned of future budget problems, saying that "Honda pulled out because of falling car sales and there is no guarantee that these falling sales, which affect all manufacturers, will not drop further". Ahead of the meeting of the FIA there have been rumours in the Italian press that Formula One team Renault had broken with the Formula One Teams' Association (FOTA), rumours which Renault has strongly denied. FOTA was established earlier this year by the teams to negotiate with the FIA over cost cutting measures and other changes, changes it hopes will stop the introduction of compulsory standardisation of engines and other parts on F1 cars. The FOTA's position was hard hit last week by the announcement by Honda that they were leaving F1 due to the economic crisis, a move which has caused many teams to re-assert their commitment to a future in Formula One. David Richards, whose Prodrive entry to Formula One was called off last season due to costs, highlighted what he sees as the need for fundamental changes, saying that Honda's exit was 'a salutary lesson for the whole of F1 that things are going to have to change, and everything is going to have to come back a little bit if the whole sport is to prosper in the future'. Five teams have reportedly expressed an interest in the Cosworth engines from the 2010 season, the five being all four independent teams (Williams, Force India, Red Bull Racing and Scuderia Toro Rosso) joined by manufacturer Renault. If only four teams sign up to the idea, the FIA has announced it will go ahead. Renault have been highly vocal in criticising the failure of the engine development freeze that has existed in Formula One and have, after a couple of seasons of struggling, been under pressure from their parent company to justify the continued expenditure in Formula One. Cosworth have previously been prolific engine suppliers in Formula One, their last stint was supplying engines to Williams in 2006. The talks come as many of the Formula One teams are in Jerez for part of their winter testing regime, with potential Toro Rosso driver Sebastian Buemi topping the time sheets for the first two days.
First S4C chief, ex-BBC Wales head Owen Edwards dies Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Tributes have been paid to the first chief executive of the Welsh language channel S4C, Owen Edwards, who has died at the age of 76. Mr Edwards led S4C from its pre-launch phase in 1981 to 1989 and was also controller of BBC Wales. Menna Richards, the director of BBC Wales, called his work "extraordinary". S4C chair John Walter Jones said he was a "colossus of Welsh language broadcasting" and one of the nation's "great figures". Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world” End Quote John Walter Jones S4C chair Mr Jones added: "He made an invaluable contribution to the survival of our culture and our identity as a country. "As the first director of S4C, he continued his family's unique tradition of ensuring that our culture remains dynamic in the modern era. "He built on what his father and grandfather accomplished in the field of education and with young people by ensuring that our language and culture flourish in the media. "He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world," he said. Menna Richards said his contribution to the development of the media in Wales was "unsurpassed". Ms Richards added: "S4C, BBC Radio Wales and Radio Cymru were all launched under his visionary leadership. "Owen had that rare knack of getting the very best from all those who worked with with him. "He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring," she said. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring” End Quote Menna Richards Director, BBC Cymru Wales In 2008, Mr Edwards, who lived in Cardiff, was honoured with a special award for his contribution to the media. Programme organiser His career began in the 1950s as a presenter on the Welsh programme Dewch i Mewn, produced by ITV company Granada. From 1961 to 1966 he presented Heddiw, then the BBC's daily news programme in Welsh, and was one of the journalists to report the Aberfan disaster in October 1966. Later, he influenced the development of the Welsh language media from behind the scenes, first as programme organiser and then as head of programmes at the BBC. He was appointed controller of BBC Wales in 1974 and under his leadership Radio Cymru and Radio Wales were launched. Mr Edwards was in charge at S4C from 1981 until his retirement in 1989. Mr Edwards reported in Welsh on Aberfan, when 144 people died after coal waste engulfed the village He was the son of Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of the Urdd Eisteddfod, and the grandson of the historian, author and publisher OM Edwards He was presented with the Cyfrwng award at the National Library in Aberystwyth in May 2008 by Alwyn Roberts, former chair of the BBC's Broadcasting Council for Wales and one of the first three members of the S4C Authority. Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones described Mr Edwards as a "cultural innovator," who made a "very rich contribution" to broadcasting in Wales. Continue reading the main story “ Start Quote Owen was a true Welshman of the valleys, of the countryside. He could put himself in a situation and say the right thing at the right time” End Quote R Alun Evans Broadcaster "His work as the first director of S4C after it was established was extremely important - steering the channel very cleverly through those early years," said Mr Jones. "As well as being a very successful figure in broadcasting, he was also a very kind and compassionate man." Welsh Secretary Cheryl Gillan said: "Owen was a passionate Welshman whose significant contribution to Welsh broadcasting and culture will never be forgotten". Fellow broadcaster R Alun Evans remembered Mr Edwards's "rapport" with the Welsh language audience. He paid tribute to Mr Edwards's reporting of the Aberfan disaster. "The whole world of press and broadcasting came to Aberfan because of that disaster but the one shining star in the middle of it was Owen. "He gave Welsh language broadcasting that air of significance. That we could cope, that we could say the right things." He added: "Owen was a true Welshman of the valleys, of the countryside. He could put himself in a situation and say the right thing at the right time." \|\|\|\|\| Owen Edwards, the first director of S4C, has died at the age of 76, it was announced today. Mr Edwards, who led the channel from its launch in 1981 until 1989 was today described as “a colussus of Welsh broadcasting” by the channel’s chair, John Walter Jones. He led S4C through the early pioneering years, establishing it as a channel that was at the centre of Welsh-speaking cultural life. Mr Jones said: “He was not only a colossus of Welsh-language broadcasting but one of the great figures of our nation. “He made an invaluable contribution to the survival of our culture and our identity as a country. “As the first director of S4C, he continued his family’s unique tradition of ensuring that our culture remains dynamic in the modern era. “He built on what his father and grandfather accomplished in the field of education and with young people by ensuring that our language and culture flourish in the media. He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world. “By extending our condolences to the family at this difficult time, I can state categorically that Wales will never forget his remarkable contribution.” Born and brought up in Aberystwyth, he was the son of Sir Ifan ab Owen Edwards, the founder of the Welsh-language youth movement Urdd Gobaith Cymru, and the grandson of the historian, author and publisher OM Edwards. He worked in the Welsh-language media for over 30 years and was key in the establishment of the radio services BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio Wales as well as S4C. Mr Edwards’ career in broadcasting began in the late 1950s and 1960s as presenter of Welsh-language programmes on ITV and BBC. He earned a reputation as a polished broadcaster as the anchor presenter of BBC’s Welsh-language daily news programme, Heddiw. In the 1970s, he turned to management behind the camera as the BBC’s Programme Organiser and Head of Programmes before being appointed Controller of BBC Wales in 1974. Leave your tributes to Owen Edwards in the comments below \|\|\|\|\| Owen Edwards wedi marw Ei gyfraniad i'r byd darlledu: 'Heb ei ail' Bu farw'r darlledwr Owen Edwards yn 76 oed. Roedd wedi dioddef o Glefyd Parkinson ers mwy nac 20 mlynedd. Fe oedd Prif Weithredwr cyntaf S4C ac roedd wrth y llyw rhwng 1981 ac 1989. Fe gafodd ei benodi'n Rheolwr BBC Cymru yn 1974 ac o dan ei arweiniad fe gafodd Radio Cymru a Radio Wales eu lansio. Rhwng 1961 a 1966 fe oedd cyflwynydd y rhaglen newyddion Heddiw a gohebodd am Drychineb Aberfan yn 1966. Dywedodd y Gweinidog Treftadaeth, Alun Ffred Jones, fod ei gyfraniad i fywyd diwylliannol Cymru'n gyfoethog iawn. "Roedd ei waith fel Cyfarwyddwr cyntaf S4C ar ôl ei sefydlu yn eithriadol o bwysig - yn llywio'r sianel yn fedrus iawn drwy'r blynyddoedd cynnar hynny. "... mi gymerodd o'r cyfrifoldeb hanesyddol fel Prif Weithredwr cyntaf S4C ac fe lwyddodd i osod sylfaeni cadarn ar gyfer y dyfodol." 'Arloeswr' Dywedodd fod cynnydd sylweddol yn nifer y rhaglenni Cymraeg oherwydd ei arweinyddiaeth. "Yn ogystal â bod yn ffigwr llwyddiannus iawn ym myd darlledu yng Nghymru, mi oedd hefyd yn ŵr hynaws iawn. "Fe fydd yn cael ei gofio felly gan y rheini ohonom oedd yn ddigon ffodus i'w adnabod, ac fel arloeswr diwylliannol a lwyddodd i gyfoethogi bywyd ei genedl." Roedd yn byw yng Nghaerdydd, ei deulu â'u gwreiddiau ym Meirionnydd a threuliodd ei blentyndod yn Aberystwyth. Roedd Owen Edwards, meddai Cadeirydd S4C John Walter Jones, nid yn unig yn un o gewri'r byd darlledu yng Nghymru ond "yn un o fawrion ein cenedl. "Fe wnaeth gyfraniad amhrisiadwy i barhad ein diwylliant a'n hunaniaeth fel gwlad. "Fel Cyfarwyddwr cyntaf S4C, fe barhaodd â thraddodiad unigryw ei deulu o sicrhau bod ein diwylliant yn parhau yn un deinamig yn yr oes fodern." 'Rhyfeddol' Fe adeiladodd, meddai, ar yr hyn a gyflawnodd ei dad-cu, O M Edwards, a'i dad, Syr Ifan ab Owen Edwards, ym maes addysg ac ieuenctid trwy sicrhau y gallai'r iaith a'r diwylliant ffynnu ym maes y cyfryngau. "Wrth estyn ein cydymdeimlad i'r teulu ar yr adeg anodd yma, hoffwn ddweud na fydd Cymru byth yn anghofio ei gyfraniad rhyfeddol." Dywedodd Menna Richards, Rheolwr BBC Cymru, fod ei gyfraniad i'r byd darlledu yng Nghymru "yn eithriadol ac yn un na welwyd ei debyg. Owen Edwards yn cyhoeddi dechrau S4C yn 1982 "Cafodd S4C, BBC Radio Cymru a Radio Wales oll eu lansio o dan ei arweinyddiaeth ysbrydoledig. "Roedd gan Owen y ddawn unigryw o gael y gorau o bawb oedd yn gweithio yn ei gwmni. "Roedd ei gariad at Gymru yn angerddol ac fe fydd ei gyfraniad gwerthfawr i fywyd cyhoeddus y genedl yn dysteb barhaol." Yn y pumdegau fe oedd cyflwynydd y rhaglen, Dewch i Mewn, yr oedd cwmni Granada yn ei chynhyrchu. Yn 1982 ei lais gyhoeddodd ddechrau swyddogol S4C ac am chwe blynedd fe oedd cyfarwyddwr y sianel newydd. Dywedodd y Parchedig Ddoctor R Alun Evans, oedd yn cydweithio ag Owen ar raglenni BBC Cymru: "Dyddiau oedd y rhain pan oedd pobl, pobl ddoeth iawn, yn amau a oedd yna ddawn yng Nghymru i gynnal hyd yn oed rai oriau o ddarlledu heb sôn am wasanaeth cyflawn. 'Profi' "Roedd yn rhaid i Owen ac eraill oedd o'i gwmpas brofi i'r rhai oedd yn wrthwynebus, yn Gymry Cymraeg ac yn ddi-Gymraeg, fod y ddawn yn bod. "Fe lwyddodd i wneud hynny ... ac fe ddaeth S4C drwy ei arweiniad cynnar ef yn wasanaeth credadwy. "... mi ddefnyddiodd ei holl urddas a'i gwrteisi wrth gwrdd â gwleidyddion a darlledwyr a sicrhau bod y sianel yn cael y dechrau gorau." Tad-cu Owen oedd yr arolygydd ysgolion aeth ati i sicrhau bod y Gymraeg yn cael ei dysgu mewn ysgolion. Ei dad sefydlodd Urdd Gobaith Cymru ac ysgol gynradd Gymraeg gyntaf Cymru yn Aberystwyth. Roedd yn un o saith o blant. 'Dewrder' Bu'n gohebu am drychineb Aberfan Dringodd drwy rengoedd BBC Cymru a dod yn bennaeth rhaglenni ac yna'n rheolwr yng Ngorffennaf 1974. Yn 1988 cyhoeddodd ei ymddeoliad o S4C ac roedd clefyd Parkinson, meddai, yn brif ffactor. Dywedodd ei gyfaill, Alwyn Roberts, cyn-Gadeirydd Cyngor Darlledu Cymru'r BBC ac un o aelodau cyntaf Awdurdod S4C, fod rhaid cofio sut yr oedd wedi dygymod â'r clefyd. "Mi oedd ei ddewrder a'i ddiffyg chwerwedd yn arbennig." Ar ôl gadael y sianel bu'n gadeirydd yr Eisteddfod Genedlaethol cyn camu'n araf bach o'r llwyfan cyhoeddus. Cafodd ei gyfraniad i'r byd darlledu ei gydnabod pan gafodd Wobr Arbennig BAFTA Cymru yn 1995. Yn 2008 fe gafodd Wobr Cyfrwng oherwydd ei "gyfraniad aruthrol" i ddatblygiad y cyfryngau Cymraeg. Fersiwn brintiadwy HEFYD Teyrnged i Owen am ei gyfraniad 27 Ebr 08 \| Newyddion Carreg filltir i ysgol Gymraeg 25 Medi 09 \| Newyddion CYSYLLTIADAU RHYNGRWYD: Owen Edwards yn holi un o bentrefwyr Aberfan wedi'r drychineb Cyfweliad Owen Edwards gydag S.O. Davies, AS Merthyr ym 1966 Dyw'r BBC ddim yn gyfrifol am gynnwys safleoedd rhyngrwyd allanol PRIF STRAEON NEWYDDION Owen Edwards wedi marw Damwain farwol: Arestio dyn Chwilwyr yn dod o hyd i gorff	Owen Edwards fronted the launch of station S4C in 1982 , the former director of and the first chief executive of Welsh language television station , died on Monday at the age of 76. Edwards had suffered from for over twenty years. Edwards started his career with the BBC in 1950 as a broadcaster. He worked on regional news programmes and reported on such events as the . In 1961 he began presenting ''Heddiw'' (‘Today’), the BBC's Welsh early evening news programme. He took a role behind the camera in 1966. In 1974, Edwards was made director of BBC Wales. Under his control, both and were launched. He left the post in 1981 to found S4C, a Welsh language television station. He stayed with the channel until his retirement in 1989. In 2008, Edwards was presented with a special achievement award for his contributions to media. , the current director of BBC Wales, commented on Edwards death. She said, “He was a man who truly loved Wales, and his legacy to our nation's public life is rich and enduring.” Current S4C chair said, “He managed to establish a Welsh language television service that was admired throughout the world.”
The ailing Nationals are looking for a new federal leader after an emotional Mark Vaile quit the top job in the wake of his party's poor election result. The outgoing deputy prime minister said he accepted some responsibility for the coalition's crushing defeat, but insisted the Nationals will "kick on again". Standing with his wife Wendy, Mr Vaile choked back tears when he talked about the toll his parliamentary career had taken on his family. "It's been a long 10 or 11 years for my family whilst I've been away from home and they deserve a bit of time and that's what I want to give them," said the father of three, holding back tears. Mr Vaile's resignation took colleagues by surprise and came less than 24 hours after outgoing treasurer Peter Costello announced he would not run for the Liberal Party leadership. Like Mr Costello, Mr Vaile, 51, did not endorse a possible successor and said it was time for a generational change in leadership. "We are at a point in the history of politics in Australia where I believe it is time for an opportunity for a bit of a change in the leadership of our party," he said. Possible leadership contenders include Warren Truss, Peter McGauran and Luke Hartsuyker. The Nationals had hoped to win 13 or 14 seats in parliament but look to have held on to just 10 - down from 18 in 1996. The Nationals could not hold the NSW north coast electorate of Page and in Dawson in Queensland, held by former minister De-Anne Kelly, the party suffered a swing against it of 13.4 per cent. "As the leader of my party I shoulder my share of the responsibility for the outcome on Saturday," said Mr Vaile, who will remain as the MP for Lyne. The Nationals leader, whose election stunts included skateboarding, wild pig hunting and horseback riding, maintained the party's campaign had been strong. "We fielded outstanding candidates in all the electorates that we contested across Australia." Mr Vaile rejected suggestions the party and its leadership were imploding and said they would still be a strong voice for regional Australia. He also rejected merging with the Liberal Party. "As far as amalgamation is concerned, I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future. "I have an absolute belief in the future of our party the National Party. "Can I just assure everybody living in regional Australia we are going to be there as a voice for regional Australia." Queensland Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce says Mr Vaile's decision to step down took him by surprise. "Mark has done a huge amount for our nation, he's been an extremely hard worker, he's held one of the highest offices in the land, he's been instrumental with so much to do with our trade," he told ABC radio. "I think Mark has made a decision and we all respect that - we were obviously all taken by surprise, that would go without saying." Mr Vaile worked as a jackaroo in regional New South Wales before entering federal parliament as the member for Lyne in 1993. He succeeded John Anderson as the Nationals leader in 2005 and became deputy prime minister and minister for transport and regional services in 2006. \|\|\|\|\| Outgoing Vaile resists amalgamation calls Updated Outgoing deputy prime minister Mark Vaile disagrees with the view that the Liberal and National parties should amalgamate in the wake of the weekend's election loss. Mr Vaile today announced that he will not contest the leadership or deputy's job with the Nationals, saying it is time for generational change. Veteran Liberal Wilson Tuckey says the Liberals and Nationals should join together. Mr Vaile disagrees and argues the two parties should stay in Coalition. "As far as amalgamation is concerned I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future," he said. "My belief is that regional Australia is entitled to their unique voice and that's always been given to them by the Nationals and we have had proposals in terms of amalgamation, I've argued against it then and I'll argue against it in the future." The then-Queensland Nationals leader Lawrence Springborg first suggested a merger with the Liberals after the 2004 federal election, but then prime minister John Howard rejected the proposal. Mr Springborg says it is pointless to consider whether a united party would have made a difference to Saturday's result, but now is the time to reconsider the concept. "We've lost a number of years and given everything that happened on the weekend, it'll probably compound the time that it could take to rebuild and come back," he said. "But if it was in place it would certainly make the road back a lot more clearer, a lot easier and certainly with a lot more focus." Dumping policies? Meanwhile the outgoing minister for ageing, Christopher Pyne, says renewal within the Coalition could include dumping policies it had while in government. Mr Pyne is expected to declare his interest in the deputy leadership of the Liberal Party next week, once a new leader is appointed to replace John Howard. Mr Pyne says after an election defeat the slate needs to be wiped clean. "What we need to do is think about the future and plan for the future and engage with the public about what they think is important," he said. "It includes everything, the Liberal Party is not wedded to old policies from the previous government. "The Liberal Party will continue to evolve and determine what is best for Australia into the future." Topics: liberals, federal-election-2007, government-and-politics, elections, federal-government, political-parties, vaile-mark, australia, qld First posted	The outgoing Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Mark Vaile today announced that he will resign as leader of the National party, following the Liberal/National party coalition government's defeat on Saturday. Mr Vaile took leadership of the National party after John Anderson's resignation in July, 2005. With his wife by his side, an emotional Mark Vaile said that he had considered his future in wake of the coalition's defeat and that he believed it was time for change within the National party. "Over the last couple of days and particularly as I drove to Canberra this morning with Wendy to come down and start packing up my office to make way for the incoming deputy prime minister, we reflected on a whole range of issues," he said. "We are at a point in the history of politics in Australia where we believe and I believe it is time for an opportunity for a bit of a change in the leadership of our party. I certainly don't want to stand in the way of that." Mr Vaile said that the past 11 or so years had been particularly difficult for his family. "It's been a long 10 or 11 years for my family whilst I've been away from home and they deserve a bit of time and that's what I want to give them," said Mr Vaile. Mr Vaile said he accepted some of the responsibility for the coalition's defeat on the weekend. "As the leader of my party I shoulder my share of the responsibility for the outcome on Saturday," he said. Mr Vaile also dismissed Liberal Wilson Tuckey's suggestion that the Liberals and Nationals should amalgamate. He said he continued to oppose the idea. "As far as amalgamation is concerned I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future," he said. "My belief is that regional Australia is entitled to their unique voice and that's always been given to them by the Nationals and we have had proposals in terms of amalgamation, I've argued against it then and I'll argue against it in the future." Mr Vaile will continue to serve the remainder of his term for his constituency of Lyne on the backbench.
James Ibori has already been acquitted of multiple corruption charges One of Nigeria's most influential and wealthy politicians, James Ibori, has been arrested in Dubai. The former governor of oil-rich Delta state is accused of stealing funds worth $290m (£196m) by Nigeria's EFCC anti-corruption agency. Last month, police were attacked by Mr Ibori's supporters while trying to arrest him in his home town. For years, he has denied corruption allegations but is also wanted by police in the UK. He is a senior figure in Nigeria's ruling People's Democratic Party (PDP) and played a key role in the 2007 presidential election victory of Umaru Yar'Adua, who died last week. New charges Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) head Farida Waziri told the BBC that Mr Ibori had been arrested on Wednesday following the intervention of the international police agency Interpol. He is currently in custody but it is not clear whether he will face extradition to Nigeria or the UK. "We are consulting on the next line of action, whether the Metropolitan Police will want him to stand trial there in London. We also have a case here pending against him," Mrs Waziri said, reports Reuters news agency. She also said that the EFCC wanted to press new charges against him, without giving any details. In 2007 a UK court froze assets allegedly belonging to him worth $35m (£21m). His annual salary was less than $25,000. He had already left the UK when his assets were seized. He was first arrested in Nigeria in December 2007. Two years later, a court in Asaba cleared him of 170 charges of corruption, saying there was no clear evidence to convict, sparking the anger of the EFCC. Under Nigeria's federal system, state governors enjoy wide powers. Those running oil-rich states have budgets larger than those of some African countries. They enjoy immunity from prosecution while in power, but several have faced corruption charges since leaving office after the last election in 2007. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| James Ibori, a wealthy and influential former Nigerian state governor, has been arrested in Dubai as part of British efforts to secure his extradition on charges of alleged money-laundering. Mr Ibori, a leading backer of Umaru Yar’Adua, the late president, has fought constant legal battles since his eight years as governor of the oil-rich Delta State ended in 2007. London’s Metropolitan Police said Mr Ibori has been arrested in Dubai on Wednesday at the UK force’s request “on suspicion of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud”. “The UK authorities are seeking extradition,” the police told the Financial Times. Mr Ibori has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing. His spokesman said he had been detained by agents who came to his Dubai hotel on Wednesday saying they worked for Interpol. He was bailed by a Dubai court on Thursday, the spokesman said, adding that Mr Ibori regarded himself as the victim of “persecution”. In August 2007, the UK froze assets relating to Mr Ibori worth $35m, more than 100 times his annual salary as a governor. Later that year, he was held in connection with charges that he allegedly stole $85m during his governorship. A Nigerian court threw out all 170 counts against him in December. But last month, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Nigeria’s main anti-corruption agency, said it wanted to question Mr Ibori over allegations that $290m was looted from state government coffers during his tenure. After gangs in Mr Ibori’s home state confronted police seeking to detain him, his spokesman denied that he had gone into hiding. But Wednesday’s arrest confirmed suggestions that he left Nigeria for Dubai, where he was believed to own property. In a country where political battles are regularly fought through the courts, Mr Ibori’s changing fortunes have been linked to the death of his ally, Mr Yar’Adua. Mr Ibori is no friend of Goodluck Jonathan, who has succeeded Mr Yar’Adua as president. Mr Jonathan has vowed to reinvigorate an anti-corruption campaign, which had trailed off under his predecessor, during the remaining months of his term before national elections due by the middle of next year. The Metropolitan police said Mr Ibori was expected to stand trial, but no date could be set pending the extradition proceedings.	, a former Nigerian governor, has been arrested in Dubai on corruption charges. Ibori was the governor of from 1999 until 2007. He has been accused of stealing US$290m (£196m). As well as being wanted by Nigeria's anti-corruption agency and by law enforcement agencies in the United Kingdom. London's released a statement saying that Ibori had been arrested at the United Kingdom's request on suspicion of money-laundering and conspiracy to defraud. The Met added that they are seeking extradition though the EFCC are reported to have requested his extradition to Nigeria. Ibori's UK assets were frozen in 2007. They amounted around US$35m while Ibori's annual salary only amounted to US$25,000. He had already returned to Nigeria when his assets were frozen prior to his arrest in Nigeria in December 2007. Ibori was cleared of all 170 charges by an court in 2009 which found that there was no evidence to convict him. Police attempted to arrest him again in Nigeria last month but were attacked by Ibori's supporters. The former governor has been a senior figure in for many years. He played a big part in getting elected as president.
A senior Foreign Ministry official has confirmed that the Mauritania authorities have given Israeli Ambassador Miki Arbel and his staff about 48 hours to leave the embassy building. At this stage it is unclear whether the Mauritanian authorities removed the barriers around the embassy, but Jerusalem is preparing for the evacuation and for the staff's return to Israel. (Roni Sofer) \|\|\|\|\| NOUAKCHOTT (Reuters) - Staff left the Israeli embassy in the Mauritanian capital Nouakchott Friday, a Reuters witness said. Diplomatic relations between Mauritania, one of only three Arab countries to have full ties with the Jewish state, have been strained since Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip in late December. Earlier Friday, Gulf TV broadcaster Al-Arabiya said Mauritania had given the Israeli ambassador 48 hours to leave the country. In January, Mauritania recalled its ambassador to Israel for consultation, a step an adviser to the northwest African country's government described as a "first step" to cutting ties. (Reporting by Hachem Sidi Salem; Editing by Daniel Magnowski) \|\|\|\|\| By Hachem Sidi Salem and Vincent Fertey Mauritania has ordered staff at Israel's embassy to leave the country within 48 hours after freezing ties with the Jewish state over its invasion of Gaza, a senior Mauritanian official said on Friday. Diplomatic relations between Mauritania, one of only three Arab countries to have full ties with the Jewish state, have been strained since Israel launched a military offensive in the Gaza Strip in December. "The Mauritanian authorities have given staff at the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott 48 hours to leave the country," the official said. Another official close to Mauritanian military ruler General Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz said the decision to expel the Israeli diplomats followed the decision in January to freeze relations with the state. "This is the logical consequence of the freezing of relations between Israel and Mauritania ... there is nothing new," said the official, who declined to be identified. "This was expected. After General Aziz took the decision at the Doha summit, an envoy from the Mauritanian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the ambassador of Israel to leave the country," the official said. Staff were seen leaving the embassy in Nouakchott. Abdel Aziz announced the decision to freeze relations at a summit of Arab nations in Doha, Qatar, in January. Qatar said at the time that it would freeze its own relations with Israel, which are at a lower level than full diplomatic ties. An Israeli Foreign Ministry official who also declined to be identified said Israel had not been officially informed by Mauritania of plans to expel its ambassador. "We don't know what is happening there exactly. We are still checking. They did not tell us they intend to expel our ambassador," he said. He added that the timing of the decision could be linked to a planned visit to Nouakchott by Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi. "Maybe they are just showing they're tough," the official said. (Additional reporting by Joseph Nasr in Jerusalem; writing by Daniel Magnowski; editing by Alistair Thomson)	In response to the Israeli offensive into the Gaza Strip in December 2008 and the early part of 2009, the African country of Mauritania has cut diplomatic ties with Israel and expelled the Israeli diplomats in the country. They have been ordered to leave the country in no more than 48 hours. As a result of the expulsion, the Israeli government has closed their embassy in Nouakchott and staff could be seen leaving the building. Military personnel were also seen dismantling security features around the embassy and the guards have been ordered to stand down. "The Mauritanian authorities have given staff at the Israeli embassy in Nouakchott 48 hours to leave the country. After General Aziz took the decision at the Doha summit, an envoy from the Mauritanian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to the ambassador of Israel to leave the country," said an unnamed Mauritanian official. The official also adds that the country's decision to cut ties with Israel was made in January, during an Arabic nation summit in Qatar. Despite the decision, Israeli officials said they were not aware of the expulsions. "We don't know what is happening there exactly. We are still checking. They did not tell us they intend to expel our ambassador," said an Israeli official. The official also said that the expulsions could be a show of power ahead of the visit of Muammar Gaddafi, the president of Libya. "Maybe they are just showing they're tough."
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. \|\|\|\|\| Israel's prime minister has announced a 10-month suspension to the construction of new settlement houses in the occupied West Bank. Binyamin Netanyahu told a news conference on Wednesday that he declared the limited halt "out of broad national interests with the aim of encouraging negotiations with our Palestinian neighbours". "When the period of freeze ends my government will return to the previous policy of building in Judea and Samaria," Netanyahu said, using the Jewish names for the occupied West Bank. The Israeli proposal excludes areas of the West Bank that Israel annexed to its Jerusalem municipality after occupying the territory in the 1967 Middle East war and building projects already under way. Al Jazeera's Jacky Rowland, reporting from Jerusalem, said that the suspension would only apply to "new residential permits and new residential starts". "We are only talking about housing here. This freeze does not apply to public buildings such as schools or police stations or whatever, and it also means any existing building permits that have been granted they will go ahead," she said. "Any construction which has already begun, any construction sites where the cement mixers are already whirring and the cranes are at work they will continue." Palestinian rejection A spokesman for Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, earlier dismissed the Israeli plan after details of it were outlined in a statement from Netanyahu's office. "Any return to negotiations must be on the basis of a complete settlement freeze, and in Jerusalem foremost," Nabil Abu Rdainah said. Referring to Jerusalem in Wednesday's news conference, Netanyahu said: "My position it is well known, I do not impose any restriction on building in Jerusalem." The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority, led by Abbas, has refused to return to peace talks with the Israelis until Netanyahu orders a complete to all settlement building work in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Before Netanyahu's news conference, Ehud Barak, the Israeli defence minister, told the security cabinet that the proposal was an attempt to "keep open a window to the resumption of the negotiation process" with the Palestinians. "Israel is strong and determined, but time is not necessarily on our side, and it is important to move towards two states for two people, through agreement. All other options are much worse," he said. Washington has been pressing Israel to freeze settlement construction in order to allow the talks, which have been on hold since Israel launched its 22-day offensive in the Gaza Strip last year, resume. Mixed US reaction George Mitchell, the US special envoy to the Middle East, called the 10-month suspension "significant". "It falls short of a full settlement freeze, but it is more than any Israeli government has done before," he said. "It falls short of a full settlement freeze, but it is more than any Israeli government has done before" George Mitchell, US special Middle East envoy "As President Obama has said many times, we believe that a two-state solution to the conflict is the best way to realise the shared goal of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security. "That's why we have urged the Palestinians to expand and improve their security efforts. And it's why we've urged Israel to stop settlement activity." The Palestinians and the US had previously dismissed an Israeli proposal that would have seen a halt to new settlement construction, but allow what Israel calls "natural growth" to provide for settlers as their population rose. Al Jazeera's Nour Odeh, reporting from the West Bank town of Ramallah, said that Washington's apparent softening on the issue in recent weeks had "deeply disappointed the Palestinian public and the Palestinian president". "There was a lot of hope attached to this Obama presidency," she said. "A lot of people really believed his statements and his promises that the Obama administration would be balanced and that it would really seek a firm start to a political process that would lead to Palestinian statehood within two years. "Now most Palestinians, if not all, feel let down." About 500,000 Jews live in the West Bank and annexed areas around Jerusalem alongside 2.7 million Palestinians. Palestinians say the settlements deny them the possibility of a viable state by cutting off Palestinian areas from each other. \|\|\|\|\| A Palestinain construction worker shown at the site of a new housing development in the West Bank Jewish settlement of Maaleh Adumim, near Jerusalem, Wednesday. Israel's prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, proposed a 10-month freeze on new West Bank settlement construction. Israel settlement freeze: Benjamin Netanyahu promises 10-month halt, angering allies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a 10-month Israel settlement freeze on Wednesday in a bid to restart stalled peace talks. The move angered some of his domestic allies. In an attempt to jump-start Middle East peace talks, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Wednesday for a c. Israel's security cabinet, one of the gatekeeping bodies on major policy decisions, approved the freeze with an 11-1 vote. "We have been told by our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps towards peace, the Arab world and the Palestinians will follow,'' Netanyahu said after winning the security cabinet's approval. "Well, the government of Israel has taken a very big step towards peace today, and I hope the Palestinian and the Arab world will work with us to forge a new beginning for our children and theirs." Netanyahu indicated that such an announcement would be forthcoming following his last meeting with US President Barack Obama, who has been trying to push Israel towards a settlement freeze almost since taking office. The move was immediately met with criticism from several corners. Several members of Netanyahu's cabinet belonging to Shas – a conservative, ultra-Orthodox party – boycotted Wednesday's crucial cabinet meetings in a sign of their disagreement. Settlers and their political supporters said Netanyahu was going too far, while Palestinians said he had not gone far enough. "I think it's a complete crumbling of Netanyahu's position and is contrary to all of his electoral promises," Danny Dayan, chairman of the main settler lobby, told the Monitor. "He promised an end to unilateral steps, and here we see him after only a few months in office giving up, even though there is no reciprocity from the Palestinians." Dayan said that Netanyahu could expect strong opposition to the move and that settlements would continue to experience so-called natural growth regardless. "We are 300,000 citizens, living in 150 communities," he says. "It is impossible to freeze us. I don't how it will happen, but we will break this freeze." The freeze proposal would suspend construction permits for new residences and the start of new residential construction for 10 months. Netanyahu's office said that the freeze does not include natural growth – characterized mainly as the product of young people who grew up in the settlements wanting to build homes for families of their own. Nor does it include East Jerusalem, which Israel annexed in 1980. While Israel now declares Jerusalem its united and eternal capital, Palestinians view it as the seat of their future state. "The exclusion of Jerusalem is a very serious problem for us," said Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad in comments to reporters Wednesday. "What has changed to make something that was not acceptable a week or 10 days ago [acceptable] now?" The diplomatic tug-of-war over a settlement freeze has raged since September, when Mr. Obama tried to get Netanyahu to agree to stop the growth of Israeli building in the West Bank ahead of a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly. But Netanyahu deflected the pressure to make such a commitment, suggesting a temporary slowdown instead – and giving his stamp of approval for 3,000 new homes to be built. The Palestinian leadership has consistently said that it will not return to negotiations unless there is a full settlement freeze. \|\|\|\|\| Israeli PM Declares Settlement Freeze Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu declares moratorium on construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in what he says is a bid to restart the stalled peace process Photo: AP Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday declared a moratorium on construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, in what he says is a bid to restart the stalled peace process. Palestinians have criticized the plan in part because it does not include a halt to building in East Jerusalem. After meeting with his security cabinet, Prime Minister Netanyahu announced that Israel will not issue new permits for construction in settlements in the West Bank for 10 months. He called it an important step toward peace. AP "This is a far-reaching and painful step. We authorized it because of our deep desire to move forward toward peace," he said. "We hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach an historic peace agreement that will finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," he said. Even before the official announcement, the Palestinians rejected Israel's move because it does not include East Jerusalem, which the Palestinians claim as the capital of their future state. Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordanian control, following Israel's victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The Jewish state annexed that part of the city in a move that was not recognized by the international community. Earlier this week, on a visit to Argentina, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stepped up his campaign to put international pressure on Israel to stop building on lands that Palestinians claim as their own. Mr. Abbas urged President Barack Obama and leaders of other nations that support Israel to press the Jewish state to end its construction of settlements on occupied lands. Mr. Netanyahu has in the past offered to restrain settlement growth, but Wednesday's announcement was the first time he set a clear timeframe. The Israeli leader said his plan will allow for what his government calls "natural growth," which includes completing settlement construction that is already underway. The building of schools and places of worship that will enable settlers to live what Mr. Netanyahu describes as "normal lives" will also continue. On the issue of Jerusalem, he said there will be no change to Israel's existing policy. "Regarding Jerusalem, our sovereign capital, our position is well-known. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," he said. Palestinians say the settlements - home to about 300,000 Israelis - hinder the establishment of a viable Palestinian state. Israel had continued to expand settlements in defiance of U.S. calls for it to exercise restraint. On Wednesday, Washington praised Mr. Netanyahu's announcement. \|\|\|\|\| Israel tonight proposed a 10-month partial halt to settlement building on the occupied West Bank as a prelude to restarting peace talks, but Palestinian officials were quick to dismiss it as unacceptable. Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said the offer was a policy of "restraint" that was in Israel's national interest. "This is a far-reaching and painful step. We authorise it because of our deep desire to move forward towards peace," he said in a televised press conference. He wanted a "historic peace agreement to finally end the conflict". It did not seem likely to bring the two sides together. Even before it was publicly announced, Palestinian officials said only a full halt to all settlement building – in line with Israel's obligations under the 2003 US road map – would allow peace talks to restart for the first time in a year. Netanyahu's offer does not include east Jerusalem, which Israel captured in 1967 and is now home to more than 200,000 Jewish settlers. It also does not include what are thought to be around 3,000 homes where work has already begun or where permits for work have been issued, and nor does it include any public buildings such as schools or synagogues. Israel proposed "a 10-month suspension of new residential construction permits and new residential construction starts in Judea and Samaria", the government said, using the Israeli term for the West Bank. Netanyahu talked of roadblocks that had been taken down and "bureaucratic obstacles" removed to allow Palestinian economic development. He insisted the Palestinians still needed to recognise Israel as a "Jewish state". "Israel today has taken a far-reaching step towards peace. It is time for the Palestinians to do the same," he said. Salam Fayyad, the Palestinian prime minister, said any offer that did not include east Jerusalem was a non-starter. "The exclusion of east Jerusalem is a very, very serious problem for us," he said. The Palestinians wanted a peace process to begin again, but only in the right circumstances. "We are not looking for the resumption of the process just for the sake of it, for it to falter a week or two down the road," he said. There appears to be general agreement among senior Palestinian leaders that talks should not restart without a full settlement freeze. At the start of this year the US administration pressed Israel for a complete halt to settlement building. In recent months Netanyahu's government has felt confident that it had resisted American pressure. Washington has scaled back its demands, asking instead merely for Israeli "restraint". That was such a profound disappointment for the Palestinians that this month Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president elected on a platform of winning independence through negotiations, announced he did not want to run for re-election and criticised the lack of support from Washington. Nearly two decades of talks have failed to bring the Palestinians their independent state. The occupation continues and the number of Israeli settlers has grown to nearly 500,000 in east Jerusalem and the West Bank, even though settlement on occupied land is illegal. \|\|\|\|\| Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Wednesday evening that Israel would impose a 10-month freeze on construction in West Bank settlements, saying the move was a bid to restart stalled peace talks with the Palestinians. "I hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach a historic peace agreement that would finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," Netanyahu said at a special press conference he held shortly after the security cabinet approved the moratorium. He added: "We have been told by many of our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps toward peace, the Palestinians and Arab states would respond." Advertisement Settlement building has been a key sticking point in U.S. efforts to restart Middle East peace talks; the Palestinians say they will not return to the negotiating table without a complete halt to construction. During the press conference, Netanyahu said the "far-reaching and painful" move would not be implemented in predominantly Arab East Jerusalem, which is viewed by Israel as a separate issue to be discussed in a final status agreement with the Palestinians. "We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," the premier said. The freeze applies only to new construction, meaning housing already underway will continue. Also, Netanyahu said, only new homes are included. "We will not halt existing construction and we will continue to build synagogues, schools, kindergartens and public buildings essential for normal life in the settlements," he said. Netanyahu concluded with an appeal to the Palestinians to enter into a new round of peace talks. "Now is the time to begin negotiations, now is the time to move forward towards peace," he said. "Israel today has taken a far-reaching step toward peace, it is time for the Palestinians to do the same." He added: "Israel's government has made an important step toward peace today, let us make peace together." Netanyahu: Settlement freeze will prove Israel really wants peace At the cabinet vote, National Infrastructure Minister Uzi Landau (Yisrael Beiteinu) was the only minister to oppose the move. Shortly before the cabinet session, Netanyahu said the freeze would prove that Israel genuinely seeks to reach peace with the Palestinians. "In the international circumstances that have been created, this step will advance Israel's broad international interests. This is not a simple step, nor an easy one; but it has many more advantages than disadvantages," Netanyahu told his aides. He added: "It will enable us to show the world this simple truth: The Government of Israel wants to enter into negotiations with the Palestinians, is taking practical steps to enter into negotiations and is very serious in its intention to advance peace." At least one key Security Cabinet member, Defense Minister Ehud Barak, came out in favor of the proposal. "Its aim is to open a window for renewing negotiations with the Palestinians," he said. "I hope that the Yesha [council of settlements] leadership, which is patriotic, responsible and serious, will understand the need for the decision at this time," Barak added. "The understandings with the United States are of the utmost importance with regard to negotiations, and guarantees of security and its military supremacy." An official statement from the Prime Minister's Office on Wednesday said Netanyahu would seek approval for the moratorium from his cabinet in order to boost peace prospects. "As part of our efforts to give impetus to peace talks with the Palestinian Authority and promote Israel's comprehensive national interests, the prime minister will ask the security cabinet to approve a temporary suspension on construction permits for new residences and the [actual] start of new residential construction for a period of ten months," the statement said. The move is not unexpected; Netanyahu announced several days ago that he intended to declare a settlement freeze for 10 months. Israel began building in the West Bank in 1967, following the capture of the territory from Jordan during the Six-Day War. Today, more than a quarter of million Israelis live in West Bank settlements. The freeze will also not apply to construction that has already been authorized or to work on public buildings conducive to normal life in the territories.	The prime minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu, told a news conference earlier today that there will be a ten-month stop in the construction of new settlement housing in the West Bank. The Israeli cabinet approved the move by a margin of eleven to one. File photo of Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu."We have been told by our friends that once Israel takes the first meaningful steps towards peace, the Arab world and the Palestinians will follow," said Netanyahu following the cabinet's endorsement of the move. "Well, the government of Israel has taken a very big step towards peace today, and I hope the Palestinian and the Arab world will work with us to forge a new beginning for our children and theirs." The freeze was made "out of broad national interests with the aim of encouraging negotiations with our Palestinian neighbours," he continued. "When the period of freeze ends my government will return to the previous policy of building in Judea and Samaria the Jewish name for the West Bank." "This is a far-reaching and painful step ... We hope that this decision will help launch meaningful negotiations to reach an historic peace agreement that will finally end the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians," Netanyahu later said. Under the plan, construction permits for new residential buildings would be put on hold for ten months. The government said that "natural growth" — characterised by the construction of homes by young people, who were raised in the settlements and want to build houses for their own families — would be exempt from the freeze. Parts of the West Bank that Israel annexed to the Jerusalem municipality would also be excluded from the freeze. The building of schools and places of worship, which will enable settlers to live what Netanyahu described as "normal lives", will also continue. "We will not halt existing construction and we will continue to build synagogues, schools, kindergartens and public buildings essential for normal life in the settlements," he commented. The prime minister added that there would be no change to Israel's existing policy on the issue of Jerusalem. "Regarding Jerusalem, our sovereign capital, our position is well-known. We do not put any restrictions on building in our sovereign capital," he said. Several members of the Israeli cabinet expressed their disapproval at the proposal, with the conservative, ultra-Orthodox Shas party boycotting the cabinet meetings. "I think it's a complete crumbling of Netanyahu's position and is contrary to all of his electoral promises. He promised an end to unilateral steps, and here we see him after only a few months in office giving up, even though there is no reciprocity from the Palestinians," said the head of the main settler lobby, Danny Dayan, to the Christian Science Monitor. We are 300,000 citizens, living in 150 communities. It is impossible to freeze us. I don't how it will happen, but we will break this freeze." Many Palestinians also criticised the proposal, mainly because East Jerusalem was not included in the settlement freeze. Nabil Abu Rudeineh, a Palestinian spokesman, said to the Wafa news agency that Palestine “rejects returning to peace talks without the complete cessation of settlement activities in the West Bank and Jerusalem.” Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad also rejected the plan. "The exclusion of east Jerusalem is a very, very serious problem for us. We are not looking for the resumption of the process just for the sake of it, for it to falter a week or two down the road," Israel captured East Jerusalem from Jordanian control, following Israel's victory in the 1967 Arab-Israeli War. The Jewish state annexed that part of the city in a move that was not recognized by the international community. Earlier this week, on a visit to Argentina, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas stepped up his campaign to put international pressure on Israel to stop building on lands that Palestinians say are their own. Abbas urged US president Barack Obama, as well as leaders of other nations that support Israel, to press the Jewish state to end its construction of settlements on occupied lands. Netanyahu has in the past offered to restrain settlement growth, but today's announcement was the first time that he set a clear timeframe.
Haulage magnate Edward Stobart dies, aged 56 Edward Stobart (r) sold the firm to his brother in 2004 Continue reading the main story Related Stories Haulage magnate Edward Stobart, who built up the Eddie Stobart lorry empire and ran it for more than 30 years, has died at the age of 56. He suffered what were described as "heart problems" on Wednesday and died this morning in hospital in Coventry. He took the business started by his father Eddie and built it into the best known haulage company in the UK. Mr Stobart sold the firm to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler in 2004. In the 1970s Eddie Stobart took the company from a local firm delivering fertiliser into a road transport and warehousing company. Drivers wore collars and ties, which was unusual at the time, and were also instructed to wave back and honk their horn when signalled by a passer-by. By the 1990s the distinctive trucks, with each cabin bearing a woman's name, were a common sight on motorways across the UK and Europe. 'Massive loss' The firm even set up its own fan club, which now has more than 25,000 members. During the Kosovo crisis Eddie Stobart trucks delivered supplies to British forces based in neighbouring Macedonia. When the company was sold in 2004 Eddie Stobart moved to the Midlands and took over a firm which built lorry trailers but that failed in 2009. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Ann Preston, chair of haulage company, Preston's of Potto, paid tribute to what she described as a "very, very kind man". "He was very passionate about road transport," she said. "From a young boy he didn't want to do anything else. "He's a massive loss, he's definitely the most iconic figure that has ever been in this industry." The Stobart Group said in a statement: "Our thoughts are with Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time." The Stobart Members' Club said in a statement: "The club's members will certainly have fond memories of the man who started the phenomenon off, created the iconic Eddie Stobart brand and made it cool to spot lorries. "Stobart Spotting will continue and the legacy of Edward Stobart will live on." \|\|\|\|\| LONDON, March 31 \| LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) - Edward Stobart, who turned the family trucking company into one of Britain's best-known brands as his distinctive green and white lorries thundered along the country's motorways, has died at the age of 56. The company said in a statement: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart, son of Eddie Stobart, passed away at 8.10 a.m. this morning at University Hospital Coventry, after heart problems yesterday." Although not involved with today's Stobart Group, Edward was managing director of Eddie Stobart Ltd for over 30 years, a business started by his father Eddie. He sold the company to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler in 2004. William Stobart continues the family involvement in his role as chief operating officer of the group. What began in the 1950s as an agricultural business in Cumbria, northern England, turned into haulage company Eddie Stobart Ltd in the 1970s, eventually passing to Edward. Once named after female singers, the trucks and their smartly dressed drivers are an integral feature of the British trunk road network, the subject of a million counting and I-Spy games on long car journeys. Such is the cult status of the firm that it has its own fan club and dedicated army of "Stobart spotters" who keep tabs on the fleet of nearly 2,000 trucks. (Reporting by Steve Addison; Editing by Keith Weir) \|\|\|\|\| Haulage magnate Edward Stobart, who ran the Eddie Stobart lorry empire for more than three decades, has died at the age of 56. Stobart was managing director of Eddie Stobart Ltd, a business started by his father Eddie in the 1950s. Eddie Stobart is now in his 80s. He died on Thursday morning at University hospital, Coventry, after suffering from heart problems. Stobart is credited with having built up the brand. He first became involved in the company towards the end of the 1960s, and oversaw its growth from a regional supplier in Cumbria to a giant of the haulage industry, with a cult following. From beginnings in agriculture and then as a road haulage company, the company has expanded into rail and air transport, as well as logistics management and warehousing. But haulage operations continue, with the distinctive trucks operating throughout Europe. The individually named trucks attracted an "Eddie spotting" fanbase, which subsequently led to an official fan club and a merchandising operation selling Stobart-branded goods. The fan club has more than 25,000 members. In 2004, Stobart sold the company to his brother William and business partner Andrew Tinkler. The Stobart Group said: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart has passed away. Our thoughts are with Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time."	Edward Stobart, famed for his construction of the truck empire and being its for over thirty years, has died at the age of 56. In a statement, the Stobart Group commented: "It is with great sadness and regret that Stobart Group shares the news that Edward Stobart, son of Eddie Stobart, passed away at 8:10 AM this morning at , after heart problems yesterday." When Eddie Stobart — Edward's father, who is aged over eighty — created the company during the 1950s in in northern England, it originally involved itself in the business of agriculture. In the 1970s, the business was given the name Eddie Stobart Limited and became a haulage service. Eddie Stobart then handed over the company to his son. The enterprise subsequently became the most popular of that industry within the United Kingdom, according to ''''; it extended to include transportation by air and railways, as well as warehousing and management of . Due to the that they had achieved via a of 'Stobart spotters', which involves the observation of their company's uniquely named vehicles, the Stobart Group decided to create an official followers' group, which now has in excess of twenty-five thousand members. Eddie Stobart-branded merchandise has also been released. William Stobert — the brother of Edward Stobart — and Andrew Tinkler purchased the business from Edward in 2004. Edward subsequently relocated to the and took over what was to become an unsuccessful building firm in 2009. Edward Stobart experienced his death in , England at 0810 (0710 ) on Thursday. The Stobart Group have expressed their condolences to "Edward's wife Mandy, his children and family at this difficult time." Haulage firm Preston's of Potto's chairwoman Ann Preston described Edward as "the most iconic figure that has ever been in this industry" and that the death of a man who "was very passionate about road transport" and "didn't want to do anything else" since he was a child was "a massive loss". The Stobart Members' Club have stated: "The club's members will certainly have fond memories of the man who started the phenomenon off, created the iconic Eddie Stobart brand and made it cool to spot lorries. Stobart Spotting will continue and the legacy of Edward Stobart will live on."
Pope Francis arrives for a prayer at Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore basilica early on his first full day as the head of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo: AFP/Getty Images) Story Highlights Installation Mass for Pope Francis is set for Tuesday Vice President Biden will lead U.S. delegation to Rome for ceremony Francis hasn't warmed to Popemobile just yet VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis could have been excused for sleeping in Thursday, a day after shocking the world with a series of pontiff firsts: a Jesuit from Latin America who chose a name honoring St. Francis of Assisi. But the newly elected leader of the world's 1.2 billion Catholics had a quick dinner with his fellow 114 cardinal-electors Wednesday night in order to rise early Thursday and pray for 30 minutes at Rome's Santa Maria Maggiore church. Outside, a crowd of around 150 faithful cheered. Vatican officials confirmed Thursday that Pope Francis' official installation Mass will take place Tuesday at St. Peter's Square. The White House said Vice President Biden, who is Catholic, will lead a U.S. delegation to Rome for the installation ceremony. At a Vatican press conference, details also emerged about the new pope's humble approach to his new position. After appearing on the balcony, Francis declined to use a private car with the license plate SCV1 - Vatican City 1 - to return to the cardinals' dormitory. "He said, 'I'll take the bus (that shuttled the cardinals to the Sistine Chapel), since that's the way I came here,'" said spokesman Rev. Thomas Rosica. Pope Francis then went to pay pick up his belongings and pay his bill at the clerical hotel he stayed at before the conclave, "because he wanted to be sure to give a positive example to his fellow cardinals," Rosica said. "We'll get used to a new way of doing things," said Rosica, referring to the casual style with which the new pope buzzed around Rome, greeting well-wishers at each stop. "The security forces are here to work with the style of whoever is the new pope. Remember John Paul II, and how many rules he broke doing things his way with his own style." Later Thursday, the pope will celebrate Mass inside the Sistine Chapel with the 114 other cardinals who participated in the conclave. Francis will stay on for a few days at a VIP apartment in the same Casa Santa Marta residence that hosted all the cardinals during the conclave. "It features a number of rooms (as compared to the simple one he stayed in as cardinal), which he will need for papal audiences," Rosica said. Pope Francis also will go to the official residence and take off the papal seals on the doors - which prevented anyone from entering after Pope Benedict XVI left the premises - so work can officially begin on refurbishing it for the new pope. Another significant item on the pope's to-do list is a visit with Benedict, the first pope emeritus in 600 years, who has been staying at the Vatican's fabled summer retreat, Castel Gandolfo, since his historic resignation last month. Pope Francis puts flowers on the altar inside St. Mary Major Basilica, in Rome, on Thursday. (Photo: AP/L'Osservatore Romano) Rosica said Francis will visit with the man he succeeded "some time in the coming days," and not Thursday as had originally been suggested. The two men did speak Wednesday night by phone after the election. On Wednesday, throngs jamming St. Peter's Square roared with joy as Argentine Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires, stepped onto the balcony as the new pope. "Brothers and sisters, good evening," he said to wild cheers. "You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome." The crowd grew silent as Francis, 76, recited the Lord's Prayer and a Hail Mary. He asked the crowd to pray for him before he blessed them. "Let us pray for the whole world," he said. Moments later, the official Twitter account for the pope tweeted: "Habemus Papam Franciscum" — We have Pope Francis. It was retweeted more than 55,000 times in less than two hours. Hours later, the Vatican updated the Holy See website with the first official portrait of the new pontiff and the Latin phrase announcing his selection. Besides English and Latin, the site is available in Spanish, Italian, French, Portuguese and German. KEY FACTS: Meet Pope Francis COLUMN: Why evangelicals should care about new pope: Column Francis' papacy is one of firsts: He is the first Jesuit, the first non-European in modern times and first Latin American pope. He also is the first to take the name Francis, for the saint devoted to the poor. The Vatican's lead spokesman, Rev. Federico Lombardi, who like Pope Francis is a Jesuit, expressed surprise at Wednesday's choice. "We're (Jesuits) not used to seeking office like this, so I was stunned at what happened yesterday as I saw my brother come out on the loggia," said Lombardi. "It's a great calling, but a calling none of us aspired to. It's a call of extreme service. The idea of a Jesuit priest is very strange, I wasn't prepared psychologically. We are used to serving, not being the ones in charge. But I see it as a special compliment." Bergoglio reportedly received the second-most votes after Joseph Ratzinger — Pope Benedict XVI — in the 2005 papal election. Despite being Argentina's top church official, Bergoglio never lived in the ornate church mansion in Buenos Aires, preferring a simple bed in a downtown room heated by a small stove. For years, he took public transportation around the city and cooked his own meals. It's been widely reported that he had a lung removed as a teen, but Vatican spokesman Rosica said Pope Francis "did not have a lung removed," but had an operation as a young man due to an infection. The cardinals took five ballots over two days to reach their decision by the required two-thirds majority. The first vote took place late Tuesday. Two morning votes Wednesday brought similar results — black smoke from the Sistine Chapel's chimney that meant no decision on a new pope had been reached. Late Wednesday, the smoke was finally white and Vatican bells pealed. President Obama offered "warm wishes" to the new pope. "As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years — that in each other we see the face of God," Obama said in a statement. James O'Rourke, a management professor at the University of Notre Dame, a Roman Catholic school in South Bend, Ind., said Francis will need a strategic vision, team-building and financial skills and what he calls "charismatic empathy." Many North American Catholics want a greater role for women in the church, O'Rourke said, while many Europeans oppose such a move. Catholics in Latin America want more vibrant parishes and the fast-growing Catholic population in Africa needs more priests, he said. Fittingly, Bergoglio's new namesake, St. Francis, is famous for his vision of a talking crucifix telling him, "Francis, rebuild my church." Contributing: Cathy Lynn Grossman, Katharine Lackey, David Jackson; Judy Keen and Lisa Tucker \|\|\|\|\| New Pope: Jorge Mario Bergoglio to be known as Pope Francis Pope Francis Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been named as the new Pope ARGENTINIAN Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio has been elected the new Pope. He will be known as Pope Francis. Pope Francis is 76. He is the first Jesuit to be elected Pope and the first to hail from Latin America. He is the first non-European pontiff in 1000 years. He will be known simply as Pope Francis, not Pope Francis I. "It will become Francis I after we have a Francis II," Vatican spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi said. Bells rang across St Peter's Square this morning as white smoke billowed from atop the Sistine Chapel signaling the Catholic Church and its 1.2 billion followers had a new pope. After four inconclusive ballots, the crowd of several tens of thousands of onlookers who had been standing in incessant rain in the Vatican’s square for most of the day cheered in wild jubilation at the news Argentinian cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio had been elected to become the 266th pope. "Viva il Papa," was chanted by the crowd over and over until one hour after the smoke Pope Francis appeared on the balcony to be greeted by a deafening roar. It was a massive surprise to most whom had expected that after such a quick voting process, Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola and his close connection to the Vatican would be the obvious choice. Instead the 115 of the world Catholic cardinals went, with a minimum two thirds majority, for the Argentinian who has spent his entire career at home in Buenos Aires and who reportedly came unofficial second in 2005 papal elections to the eventual pope then Benedict XVI. In his first words after the election he said it seemed his brother cardinals had "gone to the end of the world" to choose him. "You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome," he said. Standing on the balcony to address the crowd, Pope Francis asked the faithful to pray for him as he thanked former pope Benedict, who dramatically stepped down last month to prompt the election, for all he had done and called for brotherhood in the church. He then blessed the city and "all men and women of goodwill". Who is Pope Francis? Handing the pontiff’s cap to a Latin American, a region with the world’s largest share of Catholics, will be the first step in reviving the church and giving its power base to where the masses live. Pope Francis was recognised widely within the broader church for his self-effacing humility as well as leadership and was credited with modernising the church in Argentina which had been one of the most conservative. Pope Francis joined the Jesuit Order in 1958, where he studied philosophy, literature and psychology. He became a priest in 1969 and became a professor of theology. He was promoted through the ranks of the Jesuits and became Cardinal in 2001. Pope Francis is known as a doctrinal conservative and a believer in social justice. His reputation for humility has been supported by his simple lifestyle. As Cardinal of the Catholic Church in Argentina, he passed on the right to have a chauffeured limousine and instead used public transport. Instead of a bishop's palace, he lived in a small apartment. He also reportedly cooked his own meals. Francis has also shown a keen political sensibility as well as the kind of self-effacing humility that fellow cardinals value highly, according to his official biographer, Sergio Rubin. He showed that humility today, saying that before he blessed the crowd he wanted their prayers for him and bowed his head. "Good night, and have a good rest," he said before going back into the palace. Video tour of the conclave in 60 seconds A sped up version of Vatican TV's recreation of the passage the cardinals will take as they arrive at the conclave to elect the next pope. Rough Cut (no reporter narration). White smoke pope elected The white smoke emitted at 7.06pm local time (5.06am AEDT), was at first only small leading to some initial confusion but then it billowed strongly in the rain, it was unmistakable, to the triumphant cheers and delight and flag waving from the throng. And if there was still doubt the bells of St Peter’s Basilica rang out. Across Rome, bars and restaurants were broadcasting the news live and the cheers and applause could be heard everywhere. Then something of a stampede an half an hour after the news as thousands more Italians flocked to the square on news it was an Italian who had been elected. In traditional pomp an Italian military band marched with the Swiss Guards carrying the flag with the Pope’s seal to the front of the Vatican, shielded from the masses by wooden fences erected earlier in the day. They crowds cheered again when the doors to the loggia opened, and again when Cardinal Bergoglio's name was announced. "I can't explain how happy I am right now," said Ben Canete, a 32-year-old Filipino, jumping up and down in excitement. Earlier in the day, black smoke was emitted from arguably the most watched roof in the world signifying consensus based on 77 votes from 115 ballots had not been achieved during the second and third ballot. Vatican spokesman Frederico Lombardi said the delay did not necessarily mean there were "divisions or conflicts" saying selection simply took time. Who was Saint Francis? Francis, the name the new pope has chosen, is a much-beloved Italian saint who is identified with peace, poverty and a simple lifestyle. This is the first pontiff to adopt the name of Francis, the rich young man from Assisi who renounced wealth and founded the Franciscan order of friars in 1290. The choice could foretell the pope's priorities in striving to bring a sense of serenity to the troubled church. St. Francis is said to have been called by God to repair a church in ruins. Choosing the name of one of Italy's patron saints also ties the new pope to Italy, the homeland of all popes of the last few centuries until 1978. \|\|\|\|\| UK welcomes election of new Pope Francis Pope Francis I is the first to hail from Latin America British politicians and religious leaders have welcomed the election of Jorge Bergoglio, the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, as the new Pope. David Cameron said it was a "momentous day" for Catholics around the world. Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, said the election was a moment of "great joy". And the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, said he looked forward to working with Pope Francis. Cardinal Bergoglio was elected pontiff on the fifth ballot on Wednesday in the papal conclave in Rome. The 76-year old is the first pontiff to come from Latin America and his election follows the retirement of Pope Benedict XVI last month. No 10 said it was "a momentous day for the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world". 'Inspired choice' The Catholic Church in England and Wales issued a statement welcoming the election of Pope Francis. "On behalf of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, I wish to express my great joy at the news of the election of Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J. [Socius Jesu - ie a member of the Jesuits] as the 265th Successor of St Peter and Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church," Archbishop Nichols said. "As he begins his new Apostolic ministry, as the Bishop of Rome and Shepherd of the universal Church, Pope Francis I may be assured of the prayers and loving support of the Catholic community throughout England and Wales." Archbishop Nichols expressed his "great joy" at the election. His predecessor Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor said it was an "inspired choice" and the Church was "very blessed". Describing Pope Francis as a "humble, spiritual and very intelligent" man with an instinctive feel for the poor, Cardinal Murphy O'Connor said his election "may have been a surprise" but it was an "inspired choice". "He will bring a new kind of style of to the Catholic Church," he said. "His own simplicity of life will be a great example to the whole world." The election of a Pope from Latin America, he added, reflected the fact that the Catholic Church "was a global Church in a way that it has never been before" and "this man understands that". Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow, president of the Bishops' Conference of Scotland, said he was "surprised that the conclave was so quick. It took hardly any longer than the election of Benedict XVI. "Given the pre-Conclave situation, and the absence of a single dominant figure, I can only see this quick result as God's work. "As soon as I heard I went into my chapel and offered a grateful and joyful prayer of thanksgiving." 'Bonds of understanding' Archbishop Welby, the Anglican primate of All England, said the choice of a new pontiff was of "great significance to Christians everywhere, not least Anglicans". "We wish Pope Francis every blessing in the enormous responsibilities that he has assumed on behalf of Roman Catholics around the world. Archbishop Tartaglia said he could only see the speedy result as God's work "We have long since recognized and often reaffirmed that our churches hold a special place for one another. I look forward to meeting Pope Francis, and to walking and working together to build on the consistent legacy of our predecessors." He added: "Pope Francis is well known as a compassionate pastor of real stature who has served the poor in Latin America, and whose simplicity and holiness of life is remarkable. He is an evangelist, sharing the love of Christ which he himself knows." Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond offered Pope Francis his "warmest congratulations". "I wish him well in his time in the Papacy, and his first message as Pope - urging greater bonds of understanding and co-operation among peoples and nations - is one that should resonate around the globe." \|\|\|\|\| 2013-03-13 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) It’s official: white smoke pouring out of the Sistine Chapel chimney signals that we have a new Pope! The billowing white smoke began spilling out of the chimney at approximately 7:06 p.m. local time, indicating the Cardinals had reached consensus on a candidate in the second round of balloting Wednesday afternoon. This means that at least two thirds, or 77 of the 115 cardinals gathered in conclave since Tuesday afternoon are united in their support for the candidate who has now become the 265successor of St Peter.As the cheering crowds wait eagerly in St Peter’s Square, the new pontiff is changing into the traditional white vestments in what is called the Room of Tears. After that, he returns to the Sistine Chapel where each of the Cardinal electors kneels to offer a sign of homage and obedience to their new Holy Father.Following that ritual, the new Pope will move to the Pauline Chapel to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament. Shortly after that, the senior cardinal deacon, French Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran will appear between the red curtains of the central balcony on St Peter’s Basilica to proclaim the famous Latin words ‘Habemus Papam’, revealing the identity of the new pontiff and the name that he has chosen.A moment later, the Pope will come out onto that balcony to greet the crowds and to give his first 'Urbi et Orbi' blessing to the city of Rome and to the world.Stay tuned to our live Vatican Radio webcast: Waiting for the Pope on YouTube.com/vaticanradio or click on the LIVE WAITING FOR THE ELECTION OF THE POPE button below.Don’t forget you can also join in our conversation wherever you are in the world on : www.facebook.com/VaticanRadioEnglishWe look forward to hearing your thoughts, your hopes and your questions in the comments section! \|\|\|\|\| Rome conclave: New Pope chosen by cardinals Bells rang as the white smoke poured out White smoke billowing from the Sistine Chapel chimney has announced to the world that cardinals gathered inside have elected a new Pope to head the Catholic Church. Crowds in St Peter's Square cheered and bells rang out as the smoke appeared. The name of the new Pope is expected to be announced shortly. He will replace Pope Benedict XVI, who stepped down last month saying he was no longer strong enough to lead the Church. The 115 cardinals have been in isolation since Tuesday afternoon, and held four inconclusive votes before electing a Pope. Before the conclave began, there was no clear frontrunner to replace Benedict. \|\|\|\|\| Congregations: for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments; for the Clergy; for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ; Pontifical Council for the Family; Pontifical Commission for Latin America. 2013-03-13 Vatican Radio(Vatican Radio) The man elected to be the 265th Successor of Saint Peter in the conclave, is Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, S.J., Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite. He was born on 17 December 1936 in Buenos Aires. He was ordained for the Jesuits on 13 December 1969 during his theological studies at the Theological Faculty of San Miguel.He was novice master in San Miguel, where he also taught theology. He was Provincial for Argentina (1973-1979) and rector of the Philosophical and Theological Faculty of San Miguel (1980-1986). After completing his doctoral dissertation in Germany, he served as a confessor and spiritual director in Córdoba.On 20 May 1992 he was appointed titular Bishop of Auca and Auxiliary of Buenos Aires, receiving episcopal consecration on 27 June. On 3 June 1997 was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Buenos Aires and succeeded Cardinal Antonio Quarracino on 28 February 1998. He is also Ordinary for Eastern-rite faithful in Argentina who lack an Ordinary of their own rite.Adjunct Relator General of the 10Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, October 2001.He served as President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 8 November 2005 until 8 November 2011.Created and proclaimed Cardinal by the Bl. John Paul II in the consistory of 21 February 2001, of the Title of S. Roberto Bellarmino (St. Robert Bellarmine).Member of: \|\|\|\|\| President Obama's statement on the new pope: "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy. "As a champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us, he carries forth the message of love and compassion that has inspired the world for more than two thousand years -- that in each other we see the face of God. "As the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world, and alongside millions of Hispanic Americans, those of us in the United States share the joy of this historic day. "Just as I appreciated our work with Pope Benedict XVI, I look forward to working with His Holiness to advance peace, security and dignity for our fellow human beings, regardless of their faith. "We join with people around the world in offering our prayers for the Holy Father as he begins the sacred work of leading the Catholic Church in our modern world." Other Washington lawmakers also congratulated Pope Francis. \|\|\|\|\| The scene at the Vatican as Pope Francis emerges on the balcony at St. Peter's Basilica. (Photo: Johannes Eisele, AFP/Getty Images) Story Highlights Lawmakers react to election of new pope on Twitter Congress shares joy with Catholics around the world New pope is first from Argentina WASHINGTON — For one day at least, the election of a new pope has brought together members of Congress regardless of party or religion. Their good wishes about Pope Francis — the former Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, archbishop of Buenos Aires — spilled out on Capitol Hill via news releases and Twitter feeds. Some House Republicans heard about the new pope from President Obama, who announced the news during their closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill, according to Rep. Michael Grimm, R-N.Y. STORY: Cardinal from Argentina elected pope The election of a pontiff with so many historic firsts to his credit even raised the possibility that the fractious Congress might learn a thing or two from the Vatican conclave as it deals with the federal budget. "I'm looking for a little white smoke out of the Capitol here by the end of the summer," said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, as he emerged from a Senate Budget Committee hearing. Sen. Angus King of Maine, an independent, joked that the Vatican might become a model for Congress to get its work done — by locking lawmakers in a room "with 500-year-old plumbing" and not letting anyone leave until a decision is made. At a news conference, House Speaker John Boehner — the highest ranking Catholic in Congress — offered his congratulations to the first pontiff from South America. "I'm happy that they were able to come to a choice as quickly as they did," said Boehner, R-Ohio. "I think that reaching out beyond the traditional continent of our church is another big step in the right direction of our church." Boehner later said in a statement that he was inspired that the new pope is named Francis for "the saint who lived a simple life of humility and charity" and who set "an example for how to make God's love visible to all, especially those in despair or pain." Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, who is Catholic, said on Twitter that he is hopeful Pope Francis "guides the Catholic Church in a direction underscored by greater inclusion and equality in the world." Another Catholic, GOP Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida, essentially live-tweeted the announcement to his 353,521 followers once the white smoke was seen at the Vatican. He began with the Latin phrase "habemus papam," which signals the election of a new pope. MORE: President Obama sends best wishes Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Americans offer to Pope Francis good wishes of "health, happiness and strength in facing up to the responsibilities and the burdens of his office." On his Twitter feed, Sen. Charles Schumer of New York said he is "hopeful that Pope Francis will help foster peace and spirituality across the globe." Schumer, the No. 3 Democratic leader, is Jewish. Bergoglio is the first pope from Argentina, which sparked at least one reference to a scandal by an American politician. Scott English, former chief of staff to ex-South Carolina governor Mark Sanford, tweeted, "See, nobody complains when the College of Cardinals goes to Argentina." That is an indirect reference to Sanford's extramarital affair with an Argentine journalist, who is the fiancée of the congressional candidate. (Contributing: Alan Gomez, Jackie Kucinich) \|\|\|\|\| Newly elected Pope Francis I appears on the central balcony of St Peter’s Basilica on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. Argentinian Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected as the 266th Pontiff and will lead the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics. (Photo by Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images) VATICAN CITY (CBSNewYork/AP) — He was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, is the son of Italian immigrants and on Wednesday, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio became the leader of world’s estimated 1.2 billion Catholics. Bergoglio, now known as Pope Francis, was elected pope after receiving a two-thirds majority from the 115 cardinals on the fifth ballot vote during the second day of the papal conclave. “Let’s begin this long road from the Bishop of Rome to the people. Let us all behave with love and charity. Let us pray always not just for ourselves, but for others, for everyone in the word,” Bergoglio said to the massive crowd gathered in St. Peters Square. EXTRA: Pope Francis Speech Text PHOTOS: Papal Conclave Day 1 \| Papal Conclave Day 2 \| Cardinals Elect New Pope The new pope is known as a humble man who denied himself the luxuries that previous Buenos Aires cardinals enjoyed. He will also have a special connection to the almost half-billion Catholics who live in Latin America. “There was a real human touch there, and I think he’s really going to connect with people,” said the Rev. Andrew Small, OMI, of Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. As CBS 2’s Jessica Schneider reported, Small visited the then-cardinal at his Buenos Aires residence several years ago, and was astonished at how the now-pontiff welcomed him. “There’s no one else in the house. He’s answering his own door. They didn’t show us into a nice little lounge, where you wait until the grand man comes in,” Small said. “He was just incredibly down to earth.” Bergoglio’s demeanor came from his humble upbringing. Bergoglio is one of five children and as a child suffered a respiratory illness that left him with just one lung. Bergoglio is known in his native city’s archdiocese for his simplicity, CBS 2′s Schneider reported. Prior to his election, Bergoglio didn’t live in the archbishop palace, but rather in an apartment, where he cooked his own meals. His vestments are also simple. Case in point, on Wednesday he came out in a white cassock instead of the red cape and papal stoll. He even chose to wear his own, simple cross — devoid of diamond and jewels — as he stood on the balcony taking in the incredible scene below. “He’s lived those 76 turbulent years on little buses and bikes and convents, in dusty lanes all across Latin America,” Small said. “I think he’s going to transform the papacy in a real way.” Bergoglio often rode the bus to work and regularly visited the slums that ring Argentina’s capital. He considers social outreach, rather than doctrinal battles, to be the essential business of the Church. “His way shows very much that he wants to approach people, listen to people, ask their blessing,” said the Rev. Luke Sweeney of the New York Archdiocese. The new pope reportedly got the second most votes after Joseph Ratzinger in the 2005 papal election to replace Pope John Paul II. Pope Francis isn’t just a departure in terms of geography, but also in ideology. He is the first pope from the Jesuit order. He was ordained as a Jesuit priest in 1969 and was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 2001. CBS News papal consultant Monsignor Anthony Figueiredo said Bergoglio “did not want to be pope.” “This man did not expect to be pope,” Figueiredo said, adding that Bergoglio’s selection is an “incredibly courageous choice.” CBS News reported that Bergoglio is not a favorite of the Vatican curia. “This man now has a clear mandate from 115 cardinals to come in and clear out the curia,” Monsignor Figueiredo said. The new pope once accused fellow church leaders of hypocrisy and forgetting that Jesus Christ bathed lepers and ate with prostitutes. “Jesus teaches us another way: Go out. Go out and share your testimony. Go out and interact with your brothers. Go out and share. Go out and ask. Become the Word in body as well as spirit,” Bergoglio told Argentina’s priests last year. Bergoglio’s legacy as cardinal includes his efforts to repair the reputation of a church that lost many followers by failing to openly challenge Argentina’s murderous 1976-83 dictatorship. He also worked to recover the church’s traditional political influence in society, but his outspoken criticism of President Cristina Kirchner couldn’t stop her from imposing socially liberal measures that are anathema to the Church, from gay marriage and adoption to free contraceptives for all. Elected on the fifth ballot, Francis was chosen in one of the fastest conclaves in years, remarkable given there was no clear front-runner going into the vote and that the Church had been in turmoil following the upheaval unleashed by Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise resignation. By comparison, Benedict was elected on the fourth ballot in 2005, but he was also the clear front-runner going into the vote. Pope John Paul II was elected on the eighth ballot in 1978 to become the first non-Italian pope in 455 years. Share your thoughts in the comments section below… (TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.) \|\|\|\|\| DPA / Zuma The debate within the Argentine Senate would take 15 hours, going deep into the night and into the early hours of the morning. Outside, demonstrators on both sides of the issue stood their ground fervently: one side, pious and reciting the rosary with passion; the other, proudly gay and chanting slogans about equality. In the end, the legislators of the South American nation passed a law on Thursday, July 15, that made Argentina the 10th country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage. By a vote of 33 to 27, they gave homosexual couples the same inheritance and adoption rights as heterosexual ones. Against the intense and sustained opposition of the church, President Cristina Fernández staked her political reputation on passing the law, deepening her often bitter feud with the country's Catholic hierarchy. "I am very satisfied. It has been a positive vote," said the President in Shanghai, where she is on an official tour of China. "This is a positive step that defends the right of a minority." Her Cabinet chief Aníbal Fernández was slightly more effusive, posting on Twitter, "Same-sex marriage is law in Argentina. Don't worry, be happy." Argentina has been a longtime gay-friendly tourist destination, rivaling Rio de Janeiro. Nevertheless, the debate had been fierce, pitting Fernández's government against the Catholic Church's organized marches and verbal attacks on the bill as "a plan to destroy God's plan," in the words of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, Archbishop of Buenos Aires. "This is no mere legislative bill. It is a move by the father of lies to confuse and deceive the children of God," Bergoglio declared last week as the legislative debate approached its climax. The President responded with harsh words of her own, saying the Cardinal's statement was "really reminiscent of the times of the Inquisition." (See Mexico City's revolutionary first gay marriage.) Fernández and her husband (and predecessor in the presidency) Nestor Kirchner have been at loggerheads with the church in Argentina before, with Catholic prelates taking issue with the adminstration's failures to deal with corruption and poverty. Earlier this month, Fernández broke a long-held presidential tradition by missing the Te Deum Mass for Argentina's Independence Day celebrations on July 9, a clear snub to Catholic officials. Though Argentina guarantees religious freedom, Roman Catholicism enjoys the constitutional designation of official religion. Abortion remains illegal in the country. (See a timeline on the history of gay rights around the world.) As for the former President, he voted for the bill in the lower house, where he is a member. "Argentina must leave discriminatory and Dark Age visions behind," said Kirchner. Although a recent poll showed that 60% of Argentines favor same-sex marriages, representatives of the country's Catholic majority as much as 90% of the populace have been vocal in their opposition. Some 60,000 people converged on the Congress building in downtown Buenos Aires carrying orange flags, the symbol of opposition to the bill, the evening before the vote, in a march organized by the Catholic Church in alliance with Evangelical groups. "We won't vote for politicians who vote for the marriage of homosexuals," declared a statement prepared by march organizers. Argentina's Synod of Bishops thundered similarly: "This is not a private matter or a matter of religious choice, this is a reality rooted in the very nature of humanity, which is male and female." And Cardinal Bergoglio, in a fresh declaration, prophesied that "if approved, this law would be a real and dire anthropological throwback." (Comment on this story.) For her part, Fernández says the proposed law "recognizes a pre-existent reality" and "the rights of minorities." But while most Argentines and now the country's laws agree with her, many political observers see the legislation as just another instance of the battle between the Kirchners and the country's bishops. "Kirchner's epic vision of politics and his need to turn every issue into a mortal combat have driven him to seek the defeat of Bergoglio and the church," said Joaquin Morales Sola, a columnist and Kirchner critic at the conservative daily La Nacion. "Kirchner doesn't care about the gay community," said opposition leader Elisa Carrio of the Coalicion Civica party. "Kirchner is using the gay-marriage issue to take on Bergoglio." Same-sex marriage has previously been legalized in Holland, Belgium, Spain, Canada, South Africa, Norway, Sweden, Portugal and Iceland. Argentina, in joining the group, becomes the first Latin American nation to legalize such marriages. Mexico City approved same-sex marriages in late 2009, its law going into force this year, although those unions are not recognized in the rest of Mexico. Brazil recognizes some same-sex unions on the basis of what would be called common law in the U.S. and other countries; such common-law couples receive most of the government benefits heterosexual couples have, including insurance, inheritance and pension. Both Mexico and Brazil are predominantly Catholic countries, though neither has designated Roman Catholicism its official religion. Like Brazil, Argentina has been at the forefront of gay rights in the region. In 2002, Buenos Aires became the first Latin American city to legalize civil unions for gay and lesbian couples, giving them most of the rights enjoyed by heterosexuals, excluding adoption and inheritance rights. Those were granted by the new national marriage law. Since December 2009, gay marriages have taken place across the country following court rulings that denounced as unconstitutional the country's Civil Code prohibition against same-sex marriages. For all the talk that it was a pawn in the Kirchners' confrontation with the Catholic Church, Argentina's gay community celebrated the passage of the law outside the Congress building in the early hours of this morning. "Nondiscrimination, equality and democracy have won," said Maria Rachid, head of the Argentine Federation of Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals. "It is legitimate for part of society to disagree, but it is not right for them to impose themselves on the whole of society." See TIME's Pictures of the Week. See the Cartoons of the Week.	Jorge Mario Bergoglio in 2012 The Roman Catholic Church has elected Archbishop of Buenos Aires as the new pope. He is to take the and take over from the recently retired Benedict XVI. White smoke rose from the Sistine Chapel chimney at 7:06pm (Rome time) yesterday, signifying that the conclave had elected a new pope after four unsuccessful attempts. Following his election, he appeared at a balcony in to greet crowds of onlookers. Introducing himself in St. Peter's Square, Francis was jovial: "Brothers and sisters, good evening. You know that the work of the conclave is to give a bishop to Rome. It seems as if my brother cardinals went to find him from the end of the earth. Thank you for the welcome." He went on to say: "Let's begin this long road from the Bishop of Rome to the people. Let us all behave with love and charity. Let us pray always not just for ourselves, but for others, for everyone in the word". Born in Buenos Aires on December 17, 1936 and now aged 76, the new pope became a bishop in 1992, and was elevated to cardinal in 2001 by Pope John Paul II. As a child, he lost a lung due to an infection. He is the first Jesuit pope and the first from the Americas. He was the President of the Bishops' Conference of Argentina from 2005 to 2011. US President Barack Obama made a statement about the election of the new pope: "On behalf of the American people, Michelle and I offer our warm wishes to His Holiness Pope Francis as he ascends to the Chair of Saint Peter and begins his papacy." Obama's statement noted the new pope was a "champion of the poor and the most vulnerable among us", and "as the first pope from the Americas, his selection also speaks to the strength and vitality of a region that is increasingly shaping our world". US House Speaker John Boehner also pointed out the new pope came from the Americas: "I think that reaching out beyond the traditional continent of our church is another big step in the right direction of our church." British Prime Minister David Cameron said that the papal election was "a momentous day for the 1.2 billion Catholics around the world". The , , said the election of a new Pope was of "great significance to Christians everywhere, not least Anglicans". He went on to describe the new pope: "Pope Francis is well known as a compassionate pastor of real stature who has served the poor in Latin America, and whose simplicity and holiness of life is remarkable. He is an evangelist, sharing the love of Christ which he himself knows." In Argentina, he was outspoken against socially liberal policies including the provision of free contraception and gay marriage. Bergoglio said plans to legalize gay marriage in Argentina were "a plan to destroy God's plan" and "a move by the father of lies to confuse and deceive the children of God". Vatican spokesman said Francis would be known as Pope Francis; "It will become Francis I after we have a Francis II".
July 23: The death toll is rising after three bombs exploded at an Egyptian resort town early Saturday. NBC’s Tom Aspell reports from Sharm el-Sheik. SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt - Egypt's president vowed on Saturday to hunt down terrorists who unleashed a rapid series of car bombs and another blast in this Egyptian Red Sea resort, devastating a luxury hotel and a coffee shop and killing at least 88 people. The early morning attacks, Egypt's deadliest terror hit ever, came just two days after the latest strikes in London and sent an already jittery world reeling again. At least 119 people were also wounded, Egypt's Interior Ministry said. With an al-Qaida-linked group claiming responsibility, Egypt tightened security at other busy tourist sites like the Pyramids and Luxor, and the government and British tourist agencies sent large aircraft to the Sinai to fly home now-nervous tourists. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak flew into Sharm el-Sheik and inspected the scene at the Ghazala hotel. Heavily armed security forces guarded him throughout. "This cowardly, criminal act is aimed at undermining Egypt's security and stability and harming its people and its guests," Mubarak said later during a live nationally televised broadcast. "This will only increase our determination in chasing terrorism." Rescue effort ends Rescue workers gave up the search for more dead or survivors at the Ghazala Gardens hotel, where a car bomb blast flattened the reception area. A few body parts were still being found, but emergency personnel said they did not expect major increases in the death toll. Egyptian police detained at least 20 people, including local Bedouin tribesmen, for questioning but were not currently suspected of involvement in the blasts, said security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because of the investigation was ongoing. The men were detained near the scene of the bombings. Pope Benedict XVI was among world political and religious leaders deploring the attacks, calling them "senseless acts." He appealed to terrorists to renounce violence. Coordinated blasts The attacks appeared well coordinated. Two massive car bombs, possibly by suicide attackers, went off simultaneously at 1:15 a.m. just more than 2 miles apart. One car was packed with 660 pounds of explosives and slammed into the reception of the Ghazala Gardens in Sharm's Naama Bay, the main strip of hotels, officials said. The second bomb weighed about 440 pounds and exploded in a nearby area called the Old Market, frequented mainly by Egyptians working in the town's resorts. A third bomb, believed hidden in a sack, detonated around the same time near a beachside walkway where tourists often stroll at night. A total of 88 people were confirmed dead, said Dr. Saeed Abdel Fattah, manager of the Sharm el-Sheik International Hospital where the victims were taken. Among the dead were two Britons, two Germans and an Italian, he added, and Czech officials said one Czech tourist was also killed. Claims of responsibility There were conflicting claims of responsibility. Several hours after the attacks, a group claiming ties to al-Qaida issued a claim on an Islamic web site. The group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, al-Qaida, in Syria and Egypt, was one of two extremist groups that also claimed responsibility for October bombings at the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan that killed 34. The group also claimed responsibility for a Cairo bombing in late April. Hours later, a previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Warriors of Egypt faxed a statement to newspapers discounting the al-Qaida claim and saying it carried out Saturday's attack. It listed the names of five people it said were the bombers. The authenticity of the statements could not be immediately verified. A top Egyptian official said there are some indications the latest bombings were linked to last fall's Taba explosions. "We have some clues, especially about the car that was exploded in the Old Market, and investigators are pursuing," said Interior Minister Habib al-Adli. He called it "an ugly act of terrorism." Rate this story Low High • advertisement \|\|\|\|\| SHARM EL SHEIK, Egypt, July 23 - The death toll from three bombs at this Red Sea resort rose sharply on Saturday. The Egyptian authorities said at least 90 people had been killed in an attack strikingly similar to one that tore apart resorts farther up the coast of the Sinai Peninsula nine months ago. The latest attack, the worst in Egypt, ripped through an upscale hotel, a local market and a parking lot beginning shortly after 1 a.m., a synchronized series of blasts that witnesses and the authorities said had occurred about five minutes apart. Citing police officials, Reuters reported that 35 people had been arrested here Saturday, though it was not clear if they were suspected of close ties to the bombers or whether it was part of a general roundup. Several hours after the bombings an extremist group claimed responsibility on an Islamic Web site. The group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades of Al Qaeda in Syria and Egypt, also claimed to have carried out a similar series of bombings that killed 34 people last October at and near the resort town of Taba. Within hours, a second group, which identified itself as the Holy Warriors of Egypt, claimed responsibility in a fax to newspapers and gave the names of five people it identified as the bombers. Neither claim could be verified. \|\|\|\|\| Tourists, Egyptians rally to protest attacks CTV.ca News Staff About 1,000 foreign tourists and local Egyptians marched Sunday to protest attacks that turned a peaceful paradise into terror hell. They chanted anti-terror slogans in English, Arabic, German and Italian on the streets of the shattered Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheik. Signs in English read "we are against terrorism." Six thousand tourists did fly out in the first 24 hours after the bombings struck early Saturday morning, killing 88. But many others stayed, insisting they would stick to their holidays -- much to the relief of shopkeepers. "The purpose of terrorism is they think we will run (but) the answer is no," said Franz Weinlich, a German doctor. "I don't like to dance to the music of terrorism." Officials also adopted an "out of sight, out of mind" policy, putting shrouds up at the three bombing sites to obscure some of the grim work being done there. While some worked on finding and identifying victims, Egyptian police hunted for three suspected bombers who are believed to have escaped the attacks. Security officials said a fourth attacker apparently blew himself up in the bombing of the hotel. Security forces have detained 70 people following the bomb blasts that killed at least 88 people. The roundups came after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to hunt down the terrorists. But none of the people detained have yet been accused of involvement in Egypt's deadliest-ever terror attack, officials said. The police investigation appeared to be similar to the one that followed last October's attacks at the Sinai resorts of Tabas and Ras Shitan, when 3,000 people were detained. Some 200 of those people are believed to still be in custody. Egypt's interior minister has said investigators are probing whether there are links with the 2004 blasts in Sinai. Local investigators are examining the possibility that foreigners carried out the latest attacks that killed dozens and injured at least 119. Most of those killed were Egyptians, but there were at least seven Westerners among the dead. Officials say the attacks didn't kill or injure any Canadians. The three near-simultaneous blasts came within minutes of each other, targeting crowded areas, shortly after 1 a.m. local time. The bombings, believed to be Egypt's deadliest terror attack ever, renewed fears of a campaign by militants to cripple the economy by targeting tourists. "This cowardly, criminal act is aimed at undermining Egypt's security and stability and harming its people and its guests," Mubarak said Saturday. "This will only increase our determination in chasing terrorism." On Saturday, there were conflicting claims of responsibility. One group, the Abdullah Azzam Brigades of al Qaeda in Syria and Egypt, claimed responsibility for October bombings at the Egyptian resorts of Taba and Ras Shitan that killed 34. The group also claimed responsibility for a Cairo bombing in late April. A previously unknown group calling itself the Holy Warriors of Egypt also faxed a statement to newspapers saying they carried out the attacks. "Although the groups claiming responsibility are all different in name and different in reason for carrying out the attacks, it does suggest that there is a wider network at play here, and often their actions are difficult for governments and security forces to track or to anticipate," CTV Middle East Bureau Chief Janis Mackey Frayer said. Cairo incident Meanwhile, an explosive detonated as a man carried it from a tourist bazaar near the Pyramids of Giza on Sunday, Egyptian police said. The blast came amid heightened fears of attacks following Saturday's bombings. Investigators were looking into whether the man was taking the explosive to the nearby tourist area of Kerdassa, a bazaar of souvenir shops near the pyramids, an official said. Police think the man was carrying the device in a sack, when it seemingly accidentally went off in the neighbourhood of Kufr Tuhurmus. No other injuries were reported. The official said injuries suffered by the man, identified as Sami Gamal Ahmad, meant he couldn't be questioned yet. Earlier reports suggested the blast went off in a residence. The Interior Ministry put out a statement saying the explosion hit the ground-floor apartment, where "leftover" explosive material may have been stored. With a report from CTV's Janis Mackey Frayer \|\|\|\|\| Authorities sweep Sinai in bombing probe Attacks may be tied to October strike in another Red Sea resort RELATED SPECIAL REPORT YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS Egypt Terror attacks or or Create Your Own SHARM EL-SHEIKH, Egypt (CNN) -- Egyptian security forces on Sunday were sweeping the Sinai peninsula and rounding up Bedouins as part of their investigation into three bombings that killed 84 people and wounded more than 200 in the Red Sea resort city of Sharm el-Sheikh. The cleanup continued, meanwhile, from suicide car bomb blasts at the Ghazala Garden Hotel and the city's Old Market, as well as an explosive device that detonated at a beachfront parking lot and shuttle stop frequented by tourists. The blasts all occurred at about 1:15 a.m. Saturday -- an Egyptian national holiday commemorating the 1952 bloodless revolution which brought a group of army officers to power after deposing King Farouk. Sixty of those who died were Egyptians, and at least eight were foreigners, including an Italian man on his honeymoon, a tourist from the Czech Republic, two from Britain and one American. Although the city's airport was crowded and traffic on the roads was heavy as tourists left the county late Saturday and Sunday, more busloads of tourists were arriving, CNN's John Vause reported. Egyptian officials are worried the bombings could harm the country's $6 billion tourism industry. Two groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks -- the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, in a statement posted on an Islamic Web site, and another from a group called the Holy Warriors of Egypt, who faxed statements to news outlets. CNN could not authenticate either of those claims. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades, however, are believed to be behind last year's October attack on the Taba Hilton and nearby camping ground. The series of bombs killed 34 people, and one suspect from those bombings is still sought by authorities. (Full story) Egypt's interior minister said Saturday the Taba bombings and the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings could be linked. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who toured the area Saturday to survey the damage and visited some of the victims, said in a national address Saturday night that the incident will only strengthen Egypt's determination to fight terrorism. Mubarak said the attacks will embolden Egypt's effort to fight terror. "Terrorism is still approaching us from time to time with its ugly face," he said. "It is a blind terrorism which is expanding all over the world, terrorizing people and targeting them everywhere." The three blasts are believed to have been two suicide car bombs and a planted bomb. It was Egypt's deadliest bombing in recent years. One suicide car bomb killed 17 Egyptian workers in a coffee shop at the city's Old Market, authorities said. The other suicide car bomber struck the Ghazala Garden Hotel, speeding past a security checkpoint and ramming the hotel's reception area before exploding. The hotel lobby area collapsed, along with its roof. Video footage showed the Old Market area littered with broken glass and debris. The third bombing -- an explosive device left in a bag -- killed six tourists at a beachfront parking lot and shuttle stop frequented by tourists, about two miles from the hotel. Witness felt building tremble An employee at the Ghazala Hotel said she heard a huge explosion and felt the building tremble. Guests were being transferred to other hotels, and police cordoned off the area, she said. (Full story) Video from Nile TV showed men at one site carrying body bags to emergency vehicles, and other bodies lying amid debris on bloody ground, covered by sheets or blankets. "We are trying to comfort those touched by those explosions," el-Maghrabi said. "These groups, those criminal groups, will never be able to steal the right of people to move and travel. This is very unfortunate." One husband and wife were awakened by the blasts. "My wife and I were asleep and, basically, I just woke up because our house is made out of glass doors, and simply the glass started shaking really hard," said Ahmed Mansour, who lives in Sharm el-Sheikh, 7 kilometers (4 miles) from Naama Bay. "I personally just thought it was an earthquake. ... Fifteen minutes later, I started to get phone calls from, basically, people asking us if we were all right," Mansour said. Egypt had been operating under heightened security in recent days, Interior Minister al-Adli said, because of the bomb attacks in London. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. Home Page Get up-to-the minute news from CNN CNN.com gives you the latest stories and video from the around the world, with in-depth coverage of U.S. news, politics, entertainment, health, crime, tech and more. ALL AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE DC FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY \|\|\|\|\| Advertisement A group citing ties to al-Qaida claimed responsibility for the bombings, according to a statement posted on an Islamic Web site. The group, calling itself the Abdullah Azzam Brigades, al-Qaida, in Syria and Egypt, said that its "holy warriors targeted the Ghazala Gardens hotel and the Old Market in Sharm el-Sheikh." "We reaffirm that this operation was in response to the crimes committed by the forces of international evil, which are spilling the blood of Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Chechny." Interior Minister el-Adli had earlier on pinned the attack on Islamic militants. "This is an ugly act of terrorism," el-Adli said in a statement carried on the government news agency. "It has nothing to do with Islam, they are only acting under the slogan of Islam. Reports indicated Egyptian security forces operating in Sinai later on Saturday arrested some 35 suspects believed to be connected to the bombing attacks. The majority of the suspects rounded up in relation to the attacks were local Bedouin. The bombings appeared well coordinated. Two car bombs, possibly suicide attackers, went off simultaneously at 1:15 A.M. some 4 kilometers apart. A third bomb, believed hidden in a sack, detonated around the same time near a beachside walkway where tourists often stroll at night. At least 200 people were wounded and at least eight foreigners were among the dead. Officials said that the victims included British, Russian, Dutch, Kuwaitis, Saudis, Qataris and Egyptians. "Many of the injuries are very serious and they are in critical condition," said a doctor at Sharm el-Sheikh International Hospital, who asked not to be named. The Foreign Ministry reported one Israeli Arab woman was lightly injured in the blasts and was being treated in the International Hospital. Saneh Hussein from the Wadi Ara village of Musmus in northern Israel was released from hospital on Saturday afternoon. Representatives of the Israeli embassy in Cairo were making their way to the site of the attacks to determine if any other Israeli nationals were injured in the blasts. A string of three car bombs Police said the explosions were caused by three car bombs in Sharm el-Sheikh and the nearby resort of Naama Bay. One blast went off in the driveway of the Ghazala Gardens hotel, a 176-room four-star resort on the main strip of hotels in Naama Bay, said the governor of South Sinai province, Mustafa Afifi. El-Adli later said that the bombers had shot dead the security guard at the entrance to the hotel before detonating the bomb. The reception hall of the luxury Ghazala Gardens hotel collapsed into a pancaked pile of concrete, sending terrified guests fleeing for safety, according to an Associated Press reporter at the scene. Rescue workers hours later said they feared more victims may be buried under the rubble. A second car bomb exploded in a parking area near the Movenpick Hotel, also in Naama Bay, said a receptionist there who declined to identify himself. The third detonated at a minibus parking lot in the Old Market, an area about four kilometers away, killing 17 people. A security official in the Cairo operations control room monitoring the crisis said he believed most of these casualties were Egyptians sitting at a nearby outdoor coffee shop. Three minibuses were set ablaze, though it was not clear if they were carrying passengers, the official said. "The [Ghazala] hotel was completely burned down, destroyed," said Amal Mustafa, 28, an Egyptian who was visiting Sharm with her family and who drove by the Ghazala Gardens. Naama Bay has dozens of luxury hotels popular with divers and holidaymakers from Europe. Khaled Sakran, a Sharm resident, said he saw the first blast from the Old Market. "I saw the saw the fire in the sky," he said. "Right after, I saw a light in the sky and heard another explosion, coming from Naama Bay." Although the explosions took place after 1 A.M., the bazaars would have been busy with holidaymakers at this time of year because the daytime is so hot, residents said. Ahmed Fawzi, an Egyptian lawyer visiting Naama Bay on business, told Reuters that one of the explosions ripped the door of his office off its hinges. A resident living 10 km from Sharm el-Sheikh said the explosions had shaken the windows of his house. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has a holiday villa in the Golf Hotel, close to the Movenpick. Situation roon inundates with calls The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem has set up an emergency situation room, which is in contact with the embassy in Cairo in an effort to establish if any Israelis are among the casualties. The situation room has been inundated with calls from concerned Israelis who have family members in Sinai. Click here for a chronology of attacks on tourist targets in Egypt. In the run up to the Shavuot holiday several months ago, the counter-terrorism unit at the Prime Minister's Office issued a recommendation against travelling to Sinai, due to fresh intelligence it had received regarding preparations to carry out attacks. Israel's security agencies have been closely following events in the Sinai Peninsula and also recently upgraded the situation in Sinai to "very sensitive." In October 2004, more than 30 people were killed, including Israelis, in explosions in Sinai resorts. Jerusalem situation room: 02 - 530 3155	Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak vowed to hunt down the terrorists. A new explosive detonated on Sunday near the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt police said. It was reportedly carried by a man from a tourist bazaar. The man allegedly was carrying the bomb in a sack. It might accidentally have exploded in the area of Kufr Tuhurmus. No other injuries were reported except to the bomber himself, Sami Gamal Ahmad, who was too badly injured to be questioned. The man may have been taking the explosive to the tourist area of Kerdassa, where souvenir shops are located in a bazaar near the pyramids, said an official. Egyptian security forces have detained 70 suspects in a sweep to find the perpetrators in Saturday's early morning bombings that killed 88 and left hundreds injured. The police investigation of the bombings has targeted a smaller number of people than the October 2004 roundup that followed attacks in the Sinai resorts of Tabas and Ras Shitan. 3,000 people were detained for questioning in those bombings. According to Canadian ''CTV'', 200 of those people are believed to still be in custody. A massive manhunt was undertaken in the Sinai Peninsula to identity whether it was foreigners who executed the attack. One security official speaking on the condition of anonymity told an ''Al Jazeera'' reporter that the bombers "did not appear to be locals." But the ''New York Times'' reported that Bedouin leaders were arriving at the local police headquarters, possibly over concerns that many of the suspects picked up in the prior bombing in the region were, by human rights group accounts, Bedouin. Among the dead, officials said victims included British, Russian, Dutch, Kuwaitis, Saudis, Qataris, Czech Republic, U.S., and native Egyptians. Sixty were identified as Egyptians, and at least eight were foreigners. Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said, "The whole world is getting very disturbed. The frequency of attacks seems to be mounting." Badawi chairs the 57-nation Organization of the Islamic Conference. Resort hotels are being abandoned by tourists. At the nearest international airport, hundreds are reported trying to get flights out. Three bombs erupted in the Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh just after 1am. At the Ghazala Gardens hotel, work is underway to clear the destroyed reception lobby where emergency teams have gavin up the search for survivors. A car with 660 pounds of explosives drove into the hotel's driveway and detonated in an apparent suicide attack. The day of the bombings is marked as an Egyptian national holiday that commemorates the bloodless coup by a group of army officers that brought them to power after deposing King Farouk in 1952. Egypt has been the victim of 15 tourist attacks since October 1992.
For the second time in just over a year, the dice are silent in the gaming world. News has reached us that Dave Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, passed away last night at the age of 61. While not as famous as Gary Gygax, who passed away in March of last year, Arneson was a driving force behind D&D's creation and his contribution to the world of adventure gaming should not be underestimated. It was Arneson's spark that transformed Gygax's game Chainmail into the first edition of D&D, and begat everything that followed. Arneson had to fight to get credit for his contributions, filing multiple lawsuits (later resolved out-of-court) against Gygax over crediting and royalties. He nonetheless did return to TSR in the mid-'80s to work with Gygax again. Following that, he began a second career as an educator, working in several schools with a particular focus on how to use gaming as an instructional tool. Arneson suffered a stroke in 2002 and was soon after diagnosed with cancer. He finally lost his battle with cancer last night, surrounded by his family, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Gamers everywhere owe him a certain debt of gratitude for his work. He will be sorely missed. \|\|\|\|\| Dave Arneson, born in 1947, an American game designer, teacher and entrepreneur and the co-creator of the seminal Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, passed away on Tuesday, April 7, after a long battle with cancer. He is survived by his wife and daughter. Arneson was introduced to table-top wargaming in the early '60s by his parents, who bought him a copy of Avalon Hill's Gettysburg game. In college at the University of Minnesota, he met other wargamers and began both modifying existing games and designing his own. He attended the second official Gencon and there met a similarly youthful Gary Gygax. Gygax had published a set of 1:1 scale miniatures rules called Chainmail, which became the bare bones of an ongoing campaign that Arneson ran for friends called Blackmoor. In 1974, Arneson and Gygax wrote up the rules they had evolved for their fantasy role-playing campaigns, creating the game Dungeons & Dragons. After failing to get any mainstream publishers interested, they created a company, TSR, and published the book themselves using investment money provided by one of Gygax's friends. The book became a hit, first in the wargaming community and then in the mainstream. Dungeons & Dragons not only created a new type of gaming, role-playing, but laid the foundation for the entire hobby gaming industry. Arneson left TSR in 1979 and filed a lawsuit against the company. As a part of the ultimate settlement of that suit, neither Arneson nor Gygax ever spoke about what drove them apart, although Arneson would later return to TSR when Gygax was briefly president of the company again in the mid-'80s. They were on good terms at the time of Gygax's death last year. In his post-D&D;/TSR life, Arneson founded a computer game company 4D Interactive Systems, which is still in business. He did computer consulting. In the late '90s, he became a teacher at Full Sail, a private university that teaches media and computer careers. He suffered a stroke in 2002, but kept teaching until 2008. Throughout these years he continued to work on his original Blackmoor role-playing campaign, publishing it in various paper forms and also creating an online role-playing community. He is a member of Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design Hall of Fame. Grognardia editor James Maliszewski received the following note from Dave Arneson's family: \|\|\|\|\| Dave Arneson, the man who first created the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game alongside Gary Gygax, passed Tuesday night, his family announced via email. It may not directly relate to the world of electronic videogames, but it's impossible to ignore the influence Arneson's work has had on the gaming developers we all hold so dear. Not only did D&D force gamers to think creatively and reason their way to safety, it's also the single greatest source of high fantasy creatures and ideas since Lord of the Rings author J.R.R. Tolkien. I attempted to come up with any fantasy title that doesn't somehow lift from D&D, and after 20 minutes of contemplation, I'm still drawing a blank. Sadly, this news follows the passing of Gary Gygax in 2008. We offer our greatest condolences to Arneson's family and loved ones, and would like to thank the man for making the world a much more interesting place during his time here. Correction: Gary Gygax passed away in March of 2008, not 2009. We apologize for any confusion. Image: Wikimedia Commons See Also: \|\|\|\|\| Gamer with deep St. Paul ties created an enduring role-playing adventure David Arneson, a co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, the best-selling and best-known role-playing game of all time. Dave Arneson was a master dreamer. His daughter thought every girl grew up with dragons and fairies. His father couldn't figure out why the college kids in his St. Paul basement weren't raiding the liquor cabinet. But Arneson — who in 1974 co-created Dungeons & Dragons, the best-known and best-selling role-playing game of all time — molded fantasy in such a way that many lament him as the "unsung hero" of the gaming industry. After a falling-out with DD co-creator Gary Gygax and the company that published their work, Arneson went on to other careers: co-founding two other companies, moving to teaching — and finally, after being diagnosed with cancer, returning to St. Paul, where he died Tuesday at the David Arneson, co-creator of Dungeons & Dragons, in 1979, as he promoted another role-playing game. ((Pioneer Press File Photo)) age of 61. The creative process began in the early 1970s on a ping-pong table in the basement of his parents' Highland Park home. There, a core group of 10 or so high-school and college-age kids developed their own mental playground, taking board games and first altering the rules, then creating their own. Arneson was the first to introduce the group to a fantasy setting, telling his friends to imagine that he had disappeared on a flight from Norway to the United States, returning from a family visit. The friends play-acted a scenario where they flew out to search for him. They found a cave in Iceland, entered — and on the other side was the land where Dungeons & Dragons was born. The group was promptly attacked by a group Advertisement of trolls. "We quickly decided that we should retire those (real life-based) characters and start new ones because the game was awful deadly," said Ross Maker, of St. Paul, one of the gamers in the group. Another member of the group, Dave Wesely, of St. Paul, remembers returning from the military to find his old friends fiddling with dice in a basement. "I'm an Army lieutenant and leader of men, and not a college student and I'm trying to take myself seriously. Here they're playing with elves and dwarves and such ... I'm thinking I'm never going to tell anybody I was in this game." Arneson's daughter, Malia Weinhagen, remembered venturing down to the basement on many occasions, drawn by the pretty dice. "Any house I ever lived in with him always had a basement devoted to gaming. I thought everyone grew up with dragons and fairies. It was quite a shock in elementary school when I found out I was not the norm," she said. That first campaign, known as Blackmoor, was one of Dungeons & Dragons' first fantasy settings. There would be dozens more — and dozens of games like it. While Gygax is often seen as DD's rules guru, focusing on such things as tables and dice, Arneson is often credited with creating the "role playing" elements of the game. "Dice and maps and figures and complicated rule books are a crutch. The game doesn't need them — but the market does," Arneson said in 1992. In an era when dozens of gaming companies were starting and failing, the two teamed up under the auspices of Lake Geneva, Wis.-based Tactical Studies Rules Inc., and after a rocky start, started a product in 1974 that would soon become world-renowned. "We had no advertising or anything like that,'' Arneson said in 1992. "We sold 500 sets in three months, invested the earnings to make 1,000 more, sold them, invested the earnings to make 5,000 more. And so on.'' But a few years later, Arneson was ousted from the company, which had taken on additional investors. It was a painful time, many note, for Arneson — who sued the company over royalties. They settled out of court. Gygax and Arneson's split remains a topic of heated debate in gaming circles. "We never reconciled," Arneson told the Pioneer Press when Gygax died last year. "We were polite, but things never came together that way." "We had fun," he added. "A lot of fun." In 1978, Arneson joined three partners to establish 4D Interactive Systems, a St. Paul company originally created to design games. But when the company turned largely to programming — first for games, and then, to make additional money, for medical devices — Arneson left for more creative endeavors. He started his own fantasy company, Adventure Games, fueled by funds from the lawsuit. The company folded a few years later, and Arneson moved around, finally settling on teaching in the late 1990s. He ended up at Full Sail University in a suburb of Orlando, Fla., teaching a class on game design. In June, diagnosed with cancer, he returned to St. Paul. Over the past several months, Arneson got together weekly in St. Paul with his old gaming crew. His last hours with them were over a brand new board game he enjoyed titled "Memoire 44." "You get so busy and so distracted with everyday living, but my dad never forgot about passion and having fun," his daughter said. As for Arneson's old Blackmoor campaign: "We've kept it alive. Sometimes once a year. I'm still playing the dwarf that I started with," Maker said. After more than 30 years, the dwarf is still a measly 10th level, he said. "You gotta work for it in Dave's campaign." Born in Minneapolis in 1947, Arneson graduated from Central High School in St. Paul and went on to get his bachelor's in history from the University of Minnesota. There will be a memorial from 4 to 8 p.m. April 20 at Bradshaw Funeral Home, 678 S. Snelling Ave., St Paul. Services will follow April 21 at Immanuel Lutheran Church, 104 S. Snelling Ave., St. Paul. Tad Vezner can be reached at 651-228-5461. \|\|\|\|\| D&D; Co-creator Dave Arneson Dies at 61 Wired.com is reporting that Dave Arneson, co-creator of, has passed away at 61 . Arneson, a veteran wargamer and member of the International Federation of Wargamers, met Gary Gygax in Wisconsin in 1970, when they collaborated on several games together before beginning work on what would become. While the basic format of the game was derived from Gygax's owngame, it was Arneson who was most responsible for creating the nuts and bolts of the original role-playing game, including the invention of the all-important hit point.The success of the company was somewhat bittersweet to Arneson, who had to fight for proper credit on the game and filed a number of lawsuits against Gygax and TSR that were later settled out of court. The two patched up their differences in the mid-1980s and did work together again. In later years he published an open d20 version of his original Blackmoor D&D; setting, in addition to a full-time gig teaching computer documentation at Full Sail university in Florida. He had a stroke in 2002 and was later diagnosed with cancer.GameSpy had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Arneson for our 30th Anniversary Dungeons & Dragons celebration in 2004 . At that time, we asked Mr. Arneson how he would like to be remembered. He responded with typical Arneson humor: "The world in general? That I was a good grandpa -- that's a good one... I don't know, 'Father of role-playing games?' I got a sign that says that somewhere."This one hits me hard. Writing the History of Dungeons & Dragons and the 30th Anniversary celebration stories remains one of my proudest achievements at GameSpy and I remember it fondly for my chance to interview Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. I only got to speak with him that one time but he struck me as a good-natured man who was proud of what he had accomplished with, well past any bitterness over the difficulties it caused him and content with the way his life had turned out. For me and anyone who calls themselves a gamer, our debt to Dave is incalculable and I thank him for all the fun he's given me over the years. Rest in peace Dave, and give my regards to the outer planes! \|\|\|\|\| From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Dave Arneson is the co-author, with Gary Gygax, of the original 1970s role playing game Dungeons & Dragons and an important figure in the history of role playing games. Arneson's Blackmoor, published by Tactical Studies Rules (TSR), was one of the first published role playing game campaign settings and has the distinction of being the longest continuously played fantasy role playing campaign at 25 years and counting. A version of his world, The First Fantasy Campaign, was published in the late 1970s by Judges' Guild. In the early 1980s Arneson established his own game company, Adventure Games, which produced the miniature games Johnny Reb and Harpoon. Arneson had a cameo in the 2001 Dungeons & Dragons movie as a mage. In 2002 he suffered a stroke. He is now working as a game designer, reviewer, video historian and lecturer. He is something of a recluse. Zeitgeist Games, where Arneson works, is producing an updated d20 system version of Blackmoor to be published by Goodman Games. External Links \|\|\|\|\| Page 1 of 3 » Jump to page Go Author Topic: From the Arneson Family - Updated (Read 2,310 times) arnesonfamily Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Posts: 1 Karma: 2 From the Arneson Family - Updated « Thread Started on Apr 7, 2009, 4:43pm » Quote: (originally posted 4:43pm Tuesday, April 7th) As of this writing, Dave is still with us. We have moved him into a facility where we can focus on keeping him comfortable. We have been and will continue to watch the forums and blogs and are passing along everyone's thoughts and prayers. Right now our focus is on getting Dave into the best possible position to maintain his comfort and his dignity. We will update the community as we can. We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and ask that you continue to send Dave your support in whatever form that means to you. An address has been established to receive messages to Dave. Dave Arneson 1043 Grand Avenue Box #257 St. Paul, MN 55105 Shortly after 11pm on Tuesday, April 7th, Dave Arneson passed away. He was comfortable and with family at the time and his passing was peaceful. The Arneson family would like to thank everyone for their support over the last few days, and for the support the entire community has shown Dave over the years. We are in the process of making final arrangements and will provide additional details as we work them out. We will continue to receive cards and letters in Dave's honor. We are planning to hold a public visitation so that anyone wishing to say their goodbye in person has the opportunity to do so. Cards and letters can continue to be sent: Dave Arneson 1043 Grand Avenue Box #257 St. Paul, MN 55105 Visitation will be on April 20th Time: yet to be determined Address: Bradshaw Funeral Home 687 Snelling Avenue South St. Paul, MN 55105 « Last Edit: Apr 8, 2009, 5:41pm by arnesonfamily » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged jamesm Level 7 Enchanter member is offline Fight On! Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 546 Location: Grand Duchy of Grognardia Karma: 22 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #1 on Apr 7, 2009, 4:52pm » I can't begin to say how pleased I am to hear this. I had been told by someone who is close to Dave that he had passed away. I am both glad that this is not the case, even as I am embarrassed that my source was mistaken. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged James Maliszewski, Writer and Sleep-Deprived Dad Grognardia Zulgyan Level 9 Sorcerer member is offline Thank you EGG! Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,091 Location: Argentina Karma: 40 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #2 on Apr 7, 2009, 5:09pm » This is good news. I hope and pray for his betterment. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged havard Level 3 Conjurer member is offline Skandaharian Jarl Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 86 Location: Norway, Europe Karma: 5 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #3 on Apr 7, 2009, 5:20pm » Thank you for sharing this information. My thoughts are with both you and Dave in this difficult time. Havard Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Visit my Blackmoor Website: http://www.blackmoor.mystara.us/ chgowiz Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Chgowiz Joined: Dec 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 136 Location: Northern Chicago Suburbs, IL Karma: 6 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #6 on Apr 7, 2009, 5:41pm » The thoughts and prayers of myself and my family are with your family. We hope that David is comfortable and resting well and knows that he is cared for by a great many. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged -- Chgowiz If you're in the dark, beware the grue! Chgowiz's Old Guy RPG Blog - Sharing the fun of original edition D&D;, one game at a time. lizc Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Female Posts: 1 Karma: 0 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #7 on Apr 7, 2009, 8:20pm » As a former student of Dave's, I can only wish the best for him and the family at this time. I hope he is comfortable at the hospice and they are treating him well. Liz Canacari Link to Post - Back to Top Logged oltekos Level 6 Magician Defender vs Spam member is offline "I think you'd better let Elfstar take care of things - you're getting out of control..." Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 400 Location: S.W. Florida (U.S.A.) Karma: 9 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #8 on Apr 7, 2009, 9:13pm » I'm so happy to hear that Dave is still with us. My fiancee & I hope for all the best in this trying time for him, his family, & his friends. « Last Edit: Apr 7, 2009, 9:13pm by oltekos » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Thank You Dave & Gary--For Everything. L.W.S. invoker Level 1 Medium member is offline I'm only human Living in this beautiful mess! Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 13 Location: Holt, Michigan Karma: 1 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #9 on Apr 7, 2009, 10:02pm » We will keep you in our prayers! Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Ever feel like someone is watching you? It's me! melan Level 5 Thaumaturgist member is offline Evil Scientist Joined: Jul 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 219 Location: Civitas Quinqueecclesiensis Karma: 13 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #10 on Apr 8, 2009, 12:17am » Here is to Dave, and everything he has given us - I wish him and his family the best that is possible. Celebrate the man, his life and his work. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged "D&D; is the ultimate right wing wet dream. A bunch of guys who are better than your average joe set out into the middle of nowhere where they murder and kill everything they come across in order to stockpile gold and elaborate magical bling. There are no taxes, no state and any poor people that get in your way get their village burned to the ground. It's like Ayn Rand on PCP." - Mr. Analytical thegreyelf Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Joined: Jul 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 136 Karma: 3 Re: From the Arneson Family « Reply #11 on Apr 8, 2009, 7:34am » Well, I'm glad to hear he hasn't passed yet, but hospice care generally means he's very close to the end. Hopefully they're keeping him as comfortable as possible, and he has a peaceful and painless passing. Here's to Dave. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Jason Vey, The Grey Elf President, Elf Lair Games http://www.lulu.com/elflairgames http://elflairgames.proboards107.com/ chgowiz Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Chgowiz Joined: Dec 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 136 Location: Northern Chicago Suburbs, IL Karma: 6 Re: From the Arneson Family - Updated « Reply #12 on Apr 8, 2009, 7:29pm » My condolences to the Arneson family - it's good that he passed with family. He leaves behind many of us who appreciate him. If there's anything that we can do, as a community, please let us know. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged -- Chgowiz If you're in the dark, beware the grue! Chgowiz's Old Guy RPG Blog - Sharing the fun of original edition D&D;, one game at a time. Fandomaniac Level 3 Conjurer member is offline I've come here to chew bubblegum and roll d20's and I'm all out of bubblegum. Joined: Nov 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 84 Location: Long Island, NY Karma: 4 Re: From the Arneson Family - Updated « Reply #14 on Apr 8, 2009, 7:40pm » My deepest condolences to Dave's family. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged --Rob C. Long Island Gamer & Fandomaniac \|\|\|\|\| Page 1 of 4 » Jump to page Go Author Topic: Dave Arneson health update (Read 5,735 times) Finarvyn Administrator Dungeon Master member is offline Joined: Jun 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,630 Location: Near Chicago Karma: 52 Dave Arneson health update « Thread Started on Apr 5, 2009, 12:06pm » I got this message yesterday from Bob (Robert the Bald) Meyer regarding the health of Dave Arneson. As everyone knows, Dave is co-creator of our favorite hobby game and has been a frequent poster here. Quote: David's cancer has unexpectedly worsened just this week, to the point that he is in the hospital. He is heavily sedated and not doing well. He is not expected to live for more than a couple days, if that long. This one came in today. Bobís original plan was to hold off on an announcement, but I convinced him that it would be nice to get the information out right away. My hope is that Bob can track down an address so folks here can send cards and flowers to demonstrate to Dave just what he has meant to our community. Quote: I will see what I can do about getting an address, and will post this on your forum. Clearly, this is devastating to Daveís family as well as his gaming friends. Updates will be posted here as I get them. EDIT: Update as of 4/8/09 for anyone who has not found the] other thread. Apr 7, 2009, 4:43pm, arnesonfamily wrote: As of this writing, Dave is still with us. We have moved him into a facility where we can focus on keeping him comfortable. We have been and will continue to watch the forums and blogs and are passing along everyone's thoughts and prayers. Right now our focus is on getting Dave into the best possible position to maintain his comfort and his dignity. We will update the community as we can. We want to thank everyone for your thoughts and prayers and ask that you continue to send Dave your support in whatever form that means to you. An address has been established to receive messages to Dave. Dave Arneson 1043 Grand Avenue Box #257 St. Paul, MN 55105 Please do not call or visit! The family has asked that all contact be in the form of posts on forums such as this one or by sending cards to the address listed above. « Last Edit: Yesterday at 7:26am by Finarvyn » Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Finarvyn Earl of Stone Creek, C&C; Society Amber Diceless OD&D; Player Since 1975 "The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own." - Gary Gygax "Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!" - Dave Arneson ptingler Level 2 Seer member is offline Joined: Jun 2008 Posts: 38 Karma: 3 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #1 on Apr 5, 2009, 12:20pm » My thoughts are with Dave and his family. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged dubeers Level 4 Theurgist member is offline 20? No problem. Joined: Oct 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 178 Karma: 8 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #2 on Apr 5, 2009, 1:53pm » This is sad news. My prayers are with Dave and his family during this trying time. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged I'm Everywhere RandallS Level 2 Seer member is offline Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 42 Location: Waco, TX Karma: 1 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #4 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:20pm » This is not good news. Dave and his family will be in my prayers. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged RetroRoleplaying [Blog - Forum - Microlite74] -- Out Of Print & Out Of Style Tabletop Roleplaying Games Random Level 5 Thaumaturgist member is offline Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 208 Karma: 6 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #5 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:28pm » Thanks, Dave! May he do better than expected. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged havard Level 3 Conjurer member is offline Skandaharian Jarl Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 86 Location: Norway, Europe Karma: 5 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #6 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:46pm » I was hoping...wishing it would never come to this Havard Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Visit my Blackmoor Website: http://www.blackmoor.mystara.us/ Zulgyan Level 9 Sorcerer member is offline Thank you EGG! Joined: Oct 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 1,090 Location: Argentina Karma: 40 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #7 on Apr 5, 2009, 2:55pm » My best wishes for Dave and his family. I'll have them in my prayers. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged codeman123 Level 4 Theurgist member is offline Zarano Van Gaiagore Joined: Jun 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 130 Location: Nashville, TN Karma: 3 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #8 on Apr 5, 2009, 4:55pm » Horrible news... i hope Mr. Arneson will make it though.. my thoughts go out to him and his family.. been a sad past year or so for the gaming community.. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged It's not that i'm lazy it's that i just don't care.. My OD&D; Blog.. http://nostalgiagamin.blogspot.com/ cadriel Level 3 Conjurer member is offline Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 62 Karma: 5 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #9 on Apr 5, 2009, 5:42pm » It would be a tremendous tragedy to lose Dave so soon after losing Gary. All by best hopes and thoughts go to him and his family. I hope he pulls through. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Semper Initiativus Unum - OD&D; blog oldgeezer Level 3 Conjurer Original Blackmoor Participant member is offline Joined: Jul 2007 Posts: 70 Karma: 9 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #10 on Apr 5, 2009, 5:55pm » I will keep Dave in my prayers. OG (Michael Mornard) Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Known elsewhere as Gronan of Simmerya malandar Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3 Karma: 0 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #11 on Apr 5, 2009, 6:32pm » Oh this is sad news. I found this site through this news, not the best way to find a site and make my first post but here I am. I have had many years of fun with D&D; and other games from TSR. and I met Dave and talked a bit with him at Gen-Con in 2007 and enjoyed talking to him quite a bit. I am not very religious, but may all the gods with any power in this world Help Dave recover from this to live on many more years. Malandar D&D; player since 1984 Link to Post - Back to Top Logged robertthebald Level 1 Medium member is offline Joined: Dec 2007 Gender: Male Posts: 21 Location: Twin Cities, Minnesota Karma: 7 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #12 on Apr 5, 2009, 7:19pm » I made the mistake of releasing the information about David before I checked with his daughter. She does not want anyone trying to visit David or sending him anything. I have just talked to her and explained what I had done, and she said that it is okay for it to be on this forum. She understands how people feel about her father. Greg's post was in response to an e-mail I had sent to him. It is just fine to keep this post up, and I apologize to everyone(especially Greg) for my mistake. I did visit David with some of his other friends and it went very well. He was able to participate in the conversation easily, and we ended up staying with him for a couple hours before he tired too much. I think this should be the last update I should provide until afterwards. Once again my profound apologies to everyone. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged Robert the Bald Original Blackmoor Participant James Mishler Level 1 Medium member is offline Joined: May 2008 Gender: Male Posts: 20 Location: Iola, WI Karma: 6 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #13 on Apr 5, 2009, 8:35pm » Well... crap. My apologies for promulgating it further from OD&D; Discussion. I will see what I can do about deleting the other posts I have made, but it is a little late, as many folks have seen and already responded to them. If I can't delete them (and as all have been responded to, I likely can't), I will pass on the request that there be no attempts to contact him. I know what that can be like, having gone through it with Bob Bledsaw... Link to Post - Back to Top Logged James James Mishler President, Adventure Games Publishing PO Box 185 Iola, WI 54945 james@adventuregamespubs.com www.adventuregamespubs.com http://jamesmishler.blogspot.com malandar Level 0 Flunky member is offline Joined: Apr 2009 Gender: Male Posts: 3 Karma: 0 Re: Dave Arneson health update « Reply #14 on Apr 5, 2009, 9:22pm » Apr 5, 2009, 8:35pm, James Mishler wrote: Well... crap. My apologies for promulgating it further from OD&D; Discussion. I will see what I can do about deleting the other posts I have made, but it is a little late, as many folks have seen and already responded to them. If I can't delete them (and as all have been responded to, I likely can't), I will pass on the request that there be no attempts to contact him. I know what that can be like, having gone through it with Bob Bledsaw... Why delete the posts ? Personally I think people should know about his condition so that they can wish him well even if it is just to do so in this thread. (not saying that everyone should know where he is though) I understand that his daughter doesn't want any real contact that is understandable he needs his rest and doesn't need to deal with loads of people visiting or sending who knows what to him. Robertthebald... Please if you see him again soon let him know that people here are thinking of him and wishing him well. I know I am even though I am new to this forum. Link to Post - Back to Top Logged	Dave Arneson. Dave Arneson, co-creator of the first roleplaying game, ''Dungeons and Dragons'', died on Tuesday of cancer, at the age of 61. A close friend of Arneson, Bob Meyer, reported on April 5 that he had taken a turn for the worse and was admitted to a hospital. Family later confirmed that he was in a facility "where we can focus on keeping him comfortable." Reported at that time, the doctor indicated that he had days to live. The Academy of Adventure Gaming Arts and Design in 1984 inducted Arneson into their Hall of Fame. Pyramid Magazine in 1999 named him as one of The Millennium's Most Influential Persons, "at least in the realm of adventure gaming". Arneson started out as a wargamer including naval games. He soon developed some for his personal use due to the major publishers' slow release of games. With David Wesley and the other members of the Midwest Military Simulation Association, Arneson developed the basis of modern role-playing games with individual miniatures representing one person and having non-military objectives. Arneson attended the University of Minnesota as a history student. He was a founder, along with Gary Gygax, of the Castle & Crusade Society as a medieval miniature chapter of the International Federation of Wargamers. With Gygax in 1972, he authored ''Don't Give Up the Ship!'', a naval wargame. Arneson's ''Blackmoor'' was the first role-playing game, a genre in which players describe their characters in thorough detail and can attempt almost any action the character plausibly could. Ernest Gary Gygax, then a close friend of Arneson, worked with him during 1972–73 to develop the extensive set of rules (in this case three volumes) that such a game requires. This became the first edition of ''Dungeons & Dragons''. With his experience with David Wesley, Arneson tried it with fantasy miniatures free style calling his game, ''Blackmoor''. He then latched on Gygax's ''Chainmail'' miniature game and Fantasy supplement for resolution of battles. He showed Gygax what he was doing. Gygax got involved and started preparing a set of rules to supplement ''Chainmail''. They shopped the game, ''Dungeons & Dragons'', around to various gaming companies but got turned down. Gygax started a business partnership, Tactical Studies Rules, to publish the game in 1974. The game launched a whole new category in gaming. Although not involved with rulebooks for later editions of ''D&D'', Arneson did create adventure modules for later editions.
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Canada’s government backed away from a legal confrontation on Thursday by promising to obey a law obliging it to lay out how Ottawa will meet targets for cuts in greenhouse gas emissions dictated by the Kyoto protocol. But Prime Minister Stephen Harper, whose Conservatives had earlier promised to ignore the measure, said the proposed law was so badly constructed that it would have no effect on his policies. The environment -- a topic the opposition sees as the Conservatives’ weak spot -- is set to be a key issue in the next federal election, which some political observers and insiders say could be called in the next few months. The House of Commons adopted the bill on Wednesday in the latest clash over green issues between opposition legislators and the minority government, which says Canada cannot meet its Kyoto targets. The Kyoto bill must now go the Senate, Parliament’s upper house, for approval before formally coming into force. The Senate is dominated by members of the opposition Liberal party and officials said the law could be adopted in April or May. The Conservatives describe the bill as “a toothless tiger” because it does not provide any money to implement the cuts called for by Kyoto. “If and when that becomes law, the government would respect it. I’ll just point out ... that the bill has no plan of action in it, the bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to have a plan of action,” Harper told Parliament. The opposition Liberals said Ottawa could be sued if it carried out earlier threats to ignore the law and they attacked what they said was Harper’s contempt for Parliament. “Is the prime minister of Canada now going to decide which laws he’s going to respect and which laws he’s going to break?” asked Pablo Rodriguez, the Liberal legislator who drew up the draft legislation. “Is he going to throw the foundations of our democracy to the grounds and close Parliament? Is he going to say ‘Democracy is finished, long live the dictatorship’?” he asked Parliament after Harper had spoken. The law would give the Conservatives 60 days to come up with a plan to meet the cuts laid out by Kyoto -- reductions that Harper says would paralyze the Canadian economy. Canada is the largest exporter of energy to the United States. Environment Minister John Baird said he was more interested in pushing ahead with the government’s own clean air plan that was unveiled last September. The plan -- which did not call for binding emissions cuts until 2020 at the earliest -- was savaged by critics and is now being rewritten by a special parliamentary committee. Kyoto obliges Canada to cut emissions of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming by 6 percent from 1990 levels by 2012. Emissions are currently 27 percent above 1990 levels. The environment is also a challenging issue for the Liberals because they were in power from 1993 to early 2006 -- a period when emissions surged. The party’s record on green issues is under attack both from the Conservatives and the left-leaning New Democrats, who are eager to pick off soft Liberal votes in the next election. \|\|\|\|\| Thu, February 15, 2007 Harper will respect Kyoto bill Dismisses it as meaningless By CP OTTAWA Prime Minister Stephen Harper says hell respect the Kyoto climate-change legislation forced through by the opposition, but he dismissed the bill as a toothless measure. The legislation, which gives the government 60 days to come up with a plan to meet Canadas obligations under the Kyoto Protocol, was passed by the opposition parties Wednesday over the strong objections of Harper and his minority Conservatives. The Tories have rejected the Kyoto targets a six per cent emissions drop from 1990 levels by 2012 calling them unattainable and destructive to the economy. The prime minister said Thursday that he would respect the law, but in the next breath downplayed the legislation as useless. Of course, if and when that becomes law, the government would respect it, Harper said. I would point out that the bill has no plan of action in it. The bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to actually have a plan of action. The prime minister says the government will bring in a national system regulations to control both greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution in a way that will preserve jobs and the economy. The Tories repeatedly tried to kill the bill, attempting procedural measures to have it declared invalid up until the day of the final vote in the Commons. It was finally adopted in a 161-113 vote. Constitutional experts have warned that the government has no choice but to respect the legislation if it is passed by the Senate. The Liberals have said it would amount to a virtual coup detat if Harper were to ignore the law. Next story: Bureaucrat charged in income trust probe	The Conservative Canadian government have decided to obey the Kyoto bill which was a forced decision by the opposition Liberals. Prior to this decision, the Liberal opposition party said the government could be sued if they would ignore the law. "If and when that becomes law, the government would respect it. I'll just point out ... that the bill has no plan of action in it, the bill gives the government no authority to spend any money to have a plan of action," Canadian PM Stephen Harper told the House on Thursday. "Of course, if and when that becomes law, the government would respect it." The bill will be sent to the Senate of Canada for approval before it is actually made law. The legislation will only give the government 60 days to come up with a plan that meets with the Kyoto Protocol. Kyoto wants to drop 6% of greenhouse gas emissions starting from 1990 to 2012. The Conservatives say it is bad for the Canadian economy. Political experts are now saying that a federal election could come as soon as spring 2007. The Conservatives were elected on the 23 of January in 2006.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — New York Magazine issued an apology to its readers Tuesday morning, December 16, acknowledging the editors were “duped” by the teen stock trader rumored to have made $72 million. “Our fact-checking process was obviously inadequate; we take full responsibility and we should have known better. New York apologizes to our readers,” the note read. The note was added to the profile of 17-year-old Mohammed Islam, featured as part of the magazine’s “Reasons to love New York” issue. It was the second editor’s note in 24 hours. The first came late Monday night after the New York Observer ran an interview with Islam in which he admitted to making the story up. The initial story of Islam made immediate waves. The New York Post featured it on its front page on Sunday and it was shared widely on Facebook. Commentators quickly questioned whether Islam could have truly made $72 million. The writer of the story, Jessica Pressler, told CNNMoney that Islam’s net worth had been fact-checked, and the story said that Islam had confirmed his net worth to be in the “high eight figures.” Pressler told CNNMoney that the teen appeared to have “an obscene amount of money in his account.” The Washington Post reported the flaws in that fact-checking process. It cited an anonymous “source close to the Islam family” who said that the 17-year-old “created some bullsh*t thing on the computer with blacked out numbers. He said she could look at it for 10 seconds, and pulled it away.” Pressler, who is heading to Bloomberg News in the new year to cover the “culture of wealth and money,” told CNNMoney that her piece was “skeptical enough.” Bloomberg declined to comment on the matter. Pressler faulted the original headline: “A Stuyvesant senior made $72 million trading stocks on his lunch break.” She told CNNMoney she didn’t write it and said it was “glib.” Islam took issue with New York Magazine in an interview with CNBC. “The way we were portrayed is not who we are,” he said. New York Magazine originally defended the piece. It noted that the “story itself does not specify an amount.” The revised headline, which says that Islam “made millions picking stocks,” is still inaccurate. The story was still featured prominently on New York Magazine’s website late Monday, hours after the Observer interview was published. A spokeswoman for New York Magazine did not say whether the story will be retracted completely. \|\|\|\|\| Nokia to Buy Navteq for $8.1 Billion Nokia has agreed to buy digital map supplier Navteq for $8.1 billion in cash as it seeks to expand its cellphone-based navigation offerings, the companies announced Monday. Nokia, the world’s largest cellphone maker, said it will acquire Navteq for $78 a share, which is only 3 cents above Navteq’s closing share price on Friday. But Navteq’s stock has risen sharply in recent weeks amid rumors that it was a takeover target. Once rumor became reality, investors seemed a bit disappointed. Navteq’s shares fell about 1.7 percent in early trading Monday. Navteq’s major customers are automakers and auto suppliers, who license its databases for dashboard navigation systems. Some had theorized that Google could be interested in buying Navteq; others suggested that a private equity firm might be circling the company. In the end, it was Nokia of Finland that struck a deal. Monday’s sale price reflects a 34 percent premium over Navteq’s share price a month ago, Nokia said Monday. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2008. Nokia and its competitors are looking for new sources of revenue, and mapping technology has become an increasingly popular feature. Nokia sees the Navteq deal as a way to accelerate its mobile map-related offerings. “By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market,” Nokia chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said in a press release. A snarkier assessment the deal came from a MarketWatch commentary, which served up this headline: “Nokia bets men will spend anything to avoid asking directions.” Go to Article from The New York Times » Go to Nokia Press Release via PR Newswire » Go to Article from MarketWatch » \|\|\|\|\| Espoo, Finland - Nokia announced on Monday that it will acquire Navteq, a provider of digital map information used in car, mobile and Internet-based applications, in a deal valued at $8.1 billion. Founded in 1985, Chicago-based Navteq has 3,000 employees and generated 2006 revenues of $582 million. "Location based services are one of the cornerstones of Nokia's Internet services strategy," said Nokia president and CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. "By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market." Related Links: http://www.nokia.com/A4136001?newsid=1157198 http://www.navteq.com	Nokia, the mobile phone manufacturer based in Nokia, Finland, has negotiated the takeover of Chicago, United States Geographic Information Systems software development company Navteq for US$8.1 billion. Nokia are paying $78 per share in Navteq, who employs 3,000 people and operates 168 offices spread across 20 countries. Nokia, meanwhile, is the world's largest mobile phone manufacturer. The price comes in at only three cents a share more than current stock market prices, but these prices have recently risen steeply after rumours surfaced that the company may be subject to a takeover deal. However, share prices fell 1.7% after the deal was confirmed as fact. “Location based services are one of the cornerstones of Nokia's Internet services strategy. By joining forces with Navteq, we will be able to bring context and geographical information to a number of our Internet services with accelerated time to market,” said a statement by Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo, Nokia's chief executive. Meanwhile, MarketWatch had a slightly different take on events, using the headline “Nokia bets men will spend anything to avoid asking directions.”
(CNN) -- NASA scientists revealed Friday a first-of-its-kind image from space showing reflecting sunlight from a lake on Saturn's largest moon, Titan. It's the first visual "smoking gun" evidence of liquid on the northern hemisphere of the moon, scientists said, and the first-ever photo from another world showing a "specular reflection" -- which is reflection of light from an extremely smooth surface and in this case, a liquid one. "This is the first time outside Earth we've seen specular reflection from another liquid from another body," said Ralf Jaumann, a scientist analyzing data from the Cassini unmanned space probe. Jaumann said he was surprised when he first saw the photos transmitting from Cassini, orbiting Saturn about a billion miles from Earth. "It was great because if you look at photos of planets, you mostly see nothing is happening. But in two hours we saw a glint of light getting brighter." Titan's similarities to Earth have attracted NASA's attention for decades. It's the only body besides our own in the solar system that is believed to have liquid on its surface. Like Earth, Titan has an atmosphere which is mostly nitrogen. Experts believe the presence of liquid on a planet or moon improves the chances that some kind of life could develop there. The photo comes from the spacecraft Cassini, which has been searching for this kind of reflection since it began circling Saturn in 2004. Scientists with the University of Arizona were able to use previous data from Cassini to learn details about the reflection's location on Titan. The glint appears to be coming from the southern edge of a lake called Kraken Mare -- a massive body of methane that covers about 150,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers). That's larger than the Caspian Sea, which is the largest lake on Earth. The hunt for the specular reflection took five years, NASA said, because the moon's northern half had been shrouded in winter darkness. "Next, we want to find out more about Titan's liquid," said Jaumann. "Do we have some kind of weather there? Do we have changes with seasons? Does it rain? How does the liquid methane run across the surface?" But Jaumann sounded a note of caution regarding the prospect of life in this case. "The temperature on Titan's surface is something like minus-180 degrees Celsius," he said. "That means it's very cold. But you never know." The project is based out of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California. This is not the first evidence of liquid on Titan. In 2008, project members used infrared technology to discover a large lake in the moon's southern hemisphere. But this recent discovery is a sure sign that liquid exists on the moon's northern half. That region is believed to include larger basins that could hold more liquid. \|\|\|\|\| SAN FRANCISCO — A glint of light from a large lake confirms the presence of surface liquid in Titan’s northern hemisphere. This image, released Thursday here at the American Geophysical Union meeting, was captured on July 8, using the Cassini spacecraft’s visual and infrared mapping spectrometer. “This one image communicates so much about Titan — thick atmosphere, surface lakes and an otherworldliness,” said Cassini project scientist Bob Pappalardo, of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a press release. “It’s an unsettling combination of strangeness yet similarity to Earth.” Titan, Saturn’s largest moon, has a dense nitrogenous atmosphere and is the only place, other than earth, containing stable pools of liquid on its surface. In 2008, Cassini confirmed liquid methane lakes in Titan’s southern hemisphere using infrared data. Cassini has been looking for this mystical glint since reaching Saturn in 2004, but winter had shrouded the northern half of Titan. The sun began shining on this area, which contains more lakes than the southern hemisphere, in August 2009 during the moon’s spring equinox. The glint comes from the southern shoreline of the sprawling Kraken Mare lake, which covers about 400,000 square kilometers of Titan’s surface. The image proves the lake has been stable for at least three years, indicating that Titan cycles liquid methane to its surface, said Ralf Jaumann, Cassini team member at the German Aerospace Center in Berlin, Germany. “These results remind us how unique Titan is in the solar system,” Jaumann said in a press release. “But they also show us that liquid has a universal power to shape geological surfaces in the same way, no matter what the liquid is.” Image: NASA/JPL/University of Arizona/DLR See Also: \|\|\|\|\| By Jonathan Amos Science correspondent, BBC News, San Francisco Ligeia Mare covers about 100,000 sq km in Titan's high north A daring proposal to try to put a "boat" down on a sea of Saturn's moon Titan is about to be submitted to Nasa. The scientific team behind the idea is targeting Ligeia Mare, a vast body of liquid methane sited in the high north of Saturn's largest moon. The concept will be suggested to the US space agency for one of its future mission opportunities that will test a novel power system. It would be the first exploration of a planetary sea beyond Earth. "It is something that would really capture the imagination," said Dr Ellen Stofan, from Proxemy Research, who leads the study team. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "The story of human exploration on Earth has been one of navigation and seafaring, and the idea that we could explore for the first time an extraterrestrial sea I think would be mind-blowing for most people," she told BBC News. Dr Stofan, who is also an honorary professor at University College London, has been describing her group's idea here at the American Geophysical Union's (AGU) Fall Meeting, the world's largest annual gathering of Earth scientists. Low cost The Cassini mission currently in orbit around Saturn has confirmed the haze-shrouded moon Titan to be an extraordinary place. Great lakes exist on its surface, fed by rivers that wash down valleys whenever it rains. TITAN MARE EXPLORER (TiME) A Nasa Discovery Class proposal, powered by ASRG technology Simple mission concept would hope to be low cost -	The historic image shows a telltale bright reflection NASA have revealed that a flyby of its probe Cassini past Titan, a moon of Saturn, has produced a historic image: the first photograph showing liquid on a world other than our own. The picture shows a "specular reflection" from an extremely smooth surface, in this case a liquid. Cassini has been trying to spot one since arriving in 2004, and in 2008 used infrared data to prove that there were liquid methane lakes down there. The northern hemisphere has only been visible since August 2009, as before then it was covered by winter weather. Most of Titan's lakes are in the north. "This one image communicates so much about Titan — thick atmosphere, surface lakes and an otherworldliness. It’s an unsettling combination of strangeness yet similarity to Earth," said Bob Pappalardo, a Cassini scientist with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Titan's atmosphere is, like Earth's, mainly nitrogen, but temperatures on the icy world are around -180°C. This reduces the prospect of life, although the presence of liquid does increase the likelihood. The lake seen in the photograph is called Kraken Mare, and at 150,000 square miles (400,000 square kilometers), it isn't the largest basin on north Titan, but it is bigger than the Earth's biggest lake, the Caspian Sea. Ralf Jaumann, another Cassini scientist, spoke of the team's hopes for the future. "Next, we want to find out more about Titan's liquid. Do we have some kind of weather there? Do we have changes with seasons? Does it rain? How does the liquid methane run across the surface?" A team of scientists are due to propose to NASA that the agency drop a boat into a Titan lake, with Kraken Mare and the similarly sized Ligeia Mare being hot candidates. The Titan Mare Explorer (TiME) is projected to be relatively low-cost at US$400 million and would investigate the composition, density and shape of a Titan lake. If launched in 2016 it could arrive in 2023 and spend several years floating on the moon. However, several other projects are also keen to get themselves the next opportunity NASA is offering for the launch of a new project other than its own.
The Dow Jones industrial average plummeted 344.65 points on Thursday on a confluence of poor news about the economy, although investors could not pin the drop on any overriding reason. Reports showed that retail sales were weak last month, just as more Americans filed for unemployment benefits. Anxiety lingered about a global slowdown. Fears of another financial crisis refused to go away. None of the news came as a shock to Wall Street. So what pushed the Standard & Poor’s 500-stock index down 3 percent, its worst daily performance in three months? “Boy, it’s hard to say,” Douglas M. Peta, a market strategist at J.& W. Seligman, said after the market’s close. “All of us were scratching our heads. Why today?” \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Labor market worries boosted Treasury prices Thursday after a spike in weekly unemployment claims. The benchmark 10-year note rose 19/32 to 103 2/32, while its yield fell to 3.62% from 3.7% late Wednesday. Prices and yields move in opposite directions. The 30-year bond rose 29/32 to 103 28/32, with its yield falling to 4.27% from 4.32%. The 2-year note rose 5/32 to 100 12/32. Its yield fell to 2.17% from 2.26%. Bonds also rose Wednesday after the Federal Reserve said slow U.S. economic activity could continue into next year. Job weakness: Investors bought Treasurys after the Labor Department said applications for unemployment benefits jumped by 15,000 last week to 444,000. Economists polled by Briefing.com had expected the number of new claims to fall to 420,000. Economic weakness often prompts investors to shift their money out of the more volatile stock market and corporate bonds into the safety of Treasurys, which are backed by the U.S. government. The Dow Jones index fell more than 300 points during Thursday trading after the report's release and news of sluggish retail sales. More indications of labor market breakdowns are expected Friday, when the Labor Department releases its monthly jobs report. Economists expect the government to report an eighth straight month of job reductions. Taming inflation: Bond investors were also paying close attention to signals that inflation was being brought under control. Falling inflation drives up the value of Treasurys. On the open market, the dollar rose versus the 15-nation euro, following a decline in oil prices and signs of weakness in the European economy. Oil and the dollar have had an inverse relationship over the past several months as investors bought crude and other commodities to hedge against inflation. But in the past month and a half, oil prices have fallen sharply from an all-time high set in July. Oil prices settled down $1.46 a barrel at the end of Thursday trading. "The consensus view is that inflation has peaked, and that's certainly helped by the falling commodity prices," said Wan-Chong Kung, senior fund manager at First American Funds. The dollar has also been getting a boost from signs of weakness overseas. European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet expressed concern Thursday about both inflation of the euro and slowing economic growth. In the United States, signs of higher productivity and lower wages helped quell fears of runaway dollar inflation as well. The productivity of American workers climbed 4.3% in the second quarter, the Labor Department reported Thursday, much larger than expected. At the same time labor costs fell 0.5%. \|\|\|\|\| Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 in New York. Wall Street plunged Thursday, sending the Dow Jones industrials down more than 340 points as retailers and the Labor Department added to the mountain of dismal economic news that has all but dashed investors' hopes for a late-year recovery. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer) Stocks plummet after retail, unemployment data NEW YORK (AP) — Dejected investors sent stocks plunging Thursday, hurtling the Dow Jones industrials down more than 340 points after retailers and the government added to a mountain of bad economic news and devastated hopes for a late-year recovery. The market was already nervous as it waited for the government to release its August employment report on Friday. So news from the nation's major retailers that shoppers curtailed their spending last month due to higher gas and food prices came as a heavy blow. Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the world's largest retailer, beat expectations because of its big discounts, but many teen retailers and luxury chains did poorly, a sign that consumers are spending mostly on essentials and putting discretionary buying on hold. Meanwhile, the Labor Department said new applications for unemployment insurance rose by 15,000 last week from the previous week. That broadly missed expectations for a fourth-straight week of declines, heightening worries that the average American — already feeling the effects of the weak housing market — will have even less means to spend. Furthermore, if the job market keeps deteriorating, it is tough for Wall Street to see a rebound in sight for the economy's biggest culprit: the tumbling housing market. "You have to have a paycheck to pay that mortgage," said Craig Peckham, market strategist at Jefferies & Co. The numbers released Thursday were a sign that despite some upbeat reports over the past month, the economy remains deeply troubled. Investors are not expecting any promising news in the August jobs report, particularly after the ADP National Employment Report said that private sector employment decreased in August by 33,000. Economists are predicting the government will report the eighth straight monthly payrolls drop, and a rise in the unemployment rate. The market was so disheartened that it showed little reaction when the Institute for Supply Management said the service sector grew unexpectedly in August for the first time in three months as new orders increased and inflation moderated. The August reading of 50.6 was higher than the 50.0 expected, and the reading of 49.2 in July; but the sector's edging above the threshold between contraction and expansion was hardly a sign of a robust economy. An economic recovery appears to be far off to investors — and with the Dow down more than 15 percent for the year so far, they don't appear to be holding out for a significant upturn in stocks, either. "We're seeing nothing but sellers," said Ted Oberhaus, director of equity trading at Lord, Abbett & Co. "In a bear market, you sort of really don't need an excuse to sell." The Dow fell 344.65, or 2.99 percent, to 11,188.23. It was the worst drop for the blue-chip index since June 26, when it fell more than 358 points, or 3.03 percent. Broader indexes also tumbled. The Standard & Poor's 500 index fell 38.15, or 2.99 percent, to 1,236.83, and the Nasdaq composite index dropped 74.69, or 3.20 percent, to 2,259.04. All three indexes moved back into bear market territory, defined as a 20 percent drop from a recent peak. The indexes were at highs, including a record 14,198.09 for the Dow. As investors fled stocks, they turned to the safety of government bonds, sending Treasury prices higher. The yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note, which moves opposite its price, fell to 3.63 percent from 3.70 percent late Wednesday. Not even another drop in oil could console investors. After the government reported a lower-than-expected drop in U.S. gasoline and crude supplies, light sweet crude fell $1.46 to settle at $107.89 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. Crude is about $30 below its July 11 high of $147.27. Gold prices also slid Thursday. Toll Brothers Inc. CEO Robert Toll said he is seeing signs the housing market is stabilizing, but Ara Hovnanian — CEO of Hovnanian Enterprises Inc. — said he sees no evidence yet of a market bottom. The stock market appeared to agree with the latter sentiment on Thursday, sending homebuilder stocks sharply lower. Toll Brothers performed better than its peers, even after posting a third-quarter loss; its shares rose 27 cents to $25.07. But shares of Hovnanian, which on Wednesday reported a quarterly loss, sank $1.35, or 17.4 percent, to $6.40. Pulte Homes Inc. fell 86 cents, or 5.8 percent, to $12.05, and KB Home fell $1.22, or 5.7 percent, to $20.11. The financial sector performed poorly on Thursday as well, particular after bond fund manager Bill Gross wrote in a commentary on his firm's Web site that the U.S. Treasury needs to provide funding to mortgage financiers Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Freddie shares fell 30 cents, or 5.6 percent, to $5.08, and Fannie shares fell 65 cents, or 8.9 percent, to $6.67. The biggest decliners among the 30 Dow components were three financial stocks: Bank of America Corp., which fell $2.36, or 7.2 percent, to $30.60; Citigroup Inc., which fell $1.31, or 6.7 percent, to $28.30; and American International Group Inc., which fell $1.36, or 6 percent, to $21.22. Wal-Mart's stock ended down only a penny at $59.78, after it said sales of groceries and back-to-school products helped its August same-store sales rise 3 percent, above expectations. But the discount chain's success was seen as the corollary of a cash-strapped consumer, and other retailers fell. JCPenney Co. fell $2.07, or 5 percent, to $39.57, while Gap Inc. fell 83 cents, or 4.2 percent, to $19.14. Wall Street found no solace in tumbling oil prices — if anything, the drop in commodities weakened the market further by sending the stocks of energy and mining companies lower. The Russell 2000 index of smaller companies fell 23.29, or 3.14 percent, to 718.62. Declining issues outpaced advancers by about 5 to 1 on the New York Stock Exchange, where volume came to 1.30 billion shares. Overseas, the Bank of England and European Central Bank left their benchmark interest rates unchanged — a move analysts expected, as both regions face rising inflation and slowing economic growth. The ECB also decided to make it more expensive for banks to borrow from the central bank against risky assets — another worry weighing on investors' minds, Jefferies' Peckham said. Britain's FTSE 100 fell 2.50 percent, Germany's DAX index fell 2.91 percent, and France's CAC-40 shed 3.22 percent. Japan's Nikkei stock closed down 1.04 percent.	The Dow Jones Industrial Average, a stock market index used to gauge the performance of American stock exchanges, fell 344.65 at the close of trading Thursday. Wall Street The exact reason for the drop is unknown, with different news agencies pointing to different causes. ''The New York Times'' cites a rise in unemployment numbers released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor and a fall in retail sales released by several large corporations. According to the Associated Press, the number of people claiming weekly unemployment benefits rose 15,000 last week to 444,000, which, according to ''The New York Times'' is near a five-year high. “This morning’s employment numbers continue to indicate that the labor sector remains soft at best and looks to continue to shed jobs throughout the remainder of the year,” Joseph Brusuelas, chief economist at Merk Investments, said in a statement to ''The New York Times''. One major corporation that posted a gain in sales was Wal-Mart, with a 3 percent boost, which resulted in a one penny loss in their stock. Fellow retailer Target posted a sales loss. Shares of energy companies ExxonMobil and Chevron fell by 1.5 and 3 percent, respectively. The other two major American stock indices fell too. The S&P 500 fell 2.99 percent while the Nasdaq composite index fell 3.20 percent. The Dow's 344.65-point fall left the index at 11,188.23, a 2.99 percent decrease from the close of trading Wednesday. According to ''The New York Times'', the drop is the largest since June of this year, but an expected announcement Friday of August unemployment data could cause the index to rise. ''The New York Times'' and the Associated Press both report that the number of jobs in the service sector rose in August according to research done by the Institute for Supply Management. This is the first rise in the number of jobs in several months. CNNMoney.com points to the rise in the price of Treasury bonds as a reaction to data released Wednesday that the American economy would continue to be slow in 2009.
Ozzy Osbourne has lashed out at illegal downloaders, blaming them for the poor sales of his new album Black Rain. The heavy rock icon claims he is "suffering terribly" from the effects of internet piracy, and his financial woes are such that he has been forced to perform 90 concerts in an effort to recoup his losses. He tells Australia's Herald Sun newspaper, "If they don't find something to stop (this), people won't be able to make records. There won't be any new bands. How are they going to survive?" Osbourne admits he's struggling to complete a grueling world tour he felt committed to after his new release took a hit in the record stores. And he refuses to heed his manager/wife Sharon's advice and "just stand there" onstage. He adds, "I ain't getting any younger. Sharon says to me 'Just stand there.' I can't just f---ing stand there! I'm a moving target. People would aim their can of beer at my head!" \|\|\|\|\| Entertainment News - Music, movie, Entertainment COOPER TO PERFORM HANGING TRICK AT CONCERT Print article Refer to a friend Movie & Entertainment News provided by World Entertainment News Network (www.wenn.com) 2007-11-02 17:39:02 - Rock legend ALICE COOPER will perform his infamous 'hanging' stunt on his upcoming tour - almost 20 years after a near fatal attempt. Cooper, 59, has not performed the trick since 1988 when the gallows collapsed and the singer fell through the stage at London's Wembley Arena . But the star is desperate to perform the stunt for his fans at his world tour - and promises more danger. He says, "I haven't done the hanging in a long, long time and I forgot how difficult it was . And I've decided to make it more dangerous this time . Instead of just doing the hanging, I said, 'Why don't we hang Alice in the straightjacket?'" "(When I fell) it was like getting a left hook from (boxer) Roberto Duran . As soon as I felt the noose on my neck, I threw my head back . I got a nice rope burn but, if I'd gone the other way, it would have been a different story." (PAW/WNTSU/LR&LJ) THE THINGS THEY SAY: "What is that? Is it like Kabbalah?" BRITNEY SPEARS is perplexed when asked about the Eastern religion Hinduism . Disclaimer: The International Movie, Film, TV, Music, Hollywood, Showbiz, Entertainment & People News are owned by WENN.com and published by PR-inside.com. If you have any questions regarding information in this article please contact Wenn.com. PR-inside can not assist or help you giving information about this Movie, Film, TV, Music, Hollywood, Showbiz, Entertainment or People News articles. \|\|\|\|\| Home & Away: 4482: Martha puts herself in danger. Friday, 18:00 on Five. Hollyoaks: 2159: Rhys is forced to accept Beth as part of the family. Friday, 18:30 on Channel 4. Coronation Street: Steve throws Liz with a 50th party. Friday, 19:30 on ITV1. EastEnders: Ronnie and Jack go head-to-head. Friday, 20:00 on BBC One. Emmerdale: Donna passes her interview. Sunday, 19:00 on ITV1. Holby City: 'The Apprentice'. Tuesday, 20:00 on BBC One. \|\|\|\|\| Posted On: Thursday, November 1, 2007 06:08 MDT Post to del.icio.us Post to reddit Post to Furl Post to Technorati Post to Blinklist Rock legend ALICE COOPER has blamed OZZY OSBOURNE's reality TV show for ruining the BLACK SABBATH star's career. Cooper, 59, feels reality TV show The Osbournes destroyed all of the mystique surrounding the star and left fans disappointed with an unexpected insight into the rocker's life. He says, "Most fans thought he lived in a big, dark castle with skeletons in the cellar. "When that show aired they knew he was just some guy who potters around his Beverly Hills mansion. It was meant to be some kind of comedy but the audience was laughing at Ozzy, not with him. "And as a close friend, that made me very sad."	Alice Cooper pictured without his famous stage makeup in 2006. Solo American hard shock rock artist Alice Cooper has commented that ''The Osbournes'', a reality TV show starring heavy metal vocalist Ozzy Osbourne, ruined the career of the Black Sabbath frontman. Cooper said he felt that by allowing daily life in his house to be broadcast to the world, he destroyed the mystery that had previously surrounded him. "Most fans thought he lived in a big, dark castle with skeletons in the cellar." said Cooper. "When that show aired they knew he was just some guy who potters around his Beverly Hills mansion. "It was meant to be some kind of comedy but the audience was laughing at Ozzy, not with him. And as a close friend, that made me very sad." Ozzy Osbourne performing live in 2007. Meanwhile, both artists have related news this week. Finnish solo symphonic power metal soprano Tarja Turunen, most famous as the former Nightwish frontwoman, has released a 30-second preview of her cover version of Alice Cooper's top ten hit ''Poison'', which will feature on her upcoming album ''My Winter Storm''. Cooper himself has stated that during an upcoming tour he will replicate a mock hanging for the first time after a near-fatal accident performing the same stunt in 1988, only this time he will also be wearing a straightjacket. Meanwhile, Ozzy has blamed illegal music downloads for poor sales of his latest album ''Black Rain'', saying that the low sales have forced him into a 90-gig world tour that he has admitted he can barely cope with.
Advertisement Three persons, including the owner of a cyber cafe, were taken into custody on Friday after top government officials received e-mails saying that attempts would be made on the lives of President Kalam and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Several senior officials, including the Home Secretary and DGP received the e-mail sent from a single ID. The mail, which originated from a Kochi village, contained references to Mohammed Afzal Guru, who is facing execution for the 2001 Parliament attack, and PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani, who is being held in connection with the Coimbatore blasts. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who hurriedly convened a meeting of top officials, including the DGP, chief secretary and the Home Secretary in Thiruvananthapuram, said there was no reason to panic. The content of the message was that there was an immediate threat to the life of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is slated to visit the place on November 1, and a similar threat to President APJ Abdul Kalam, state police chief Raman Srivastava said after the meeting. There is no change in the Prime Minister's visit, but security would be further stepped up. The investigation in the case would be directly supervised by Srivastava and Central intelligence agencies have been informed of the matter. Though police has some clues, the details, including the e-mail ID from which the message was sent, could not be disclosed as it would affect the investigation, Srivastava said. The involvement of any particular outfit has not been established but surveillance of organisations like the banned SIMI has been stepped up, officials said. According to officials, the e-mail was sent to most district police heads and other senior police officials simultaneously. They said a "serious investigation" had already begun and the help of cyber experts would be sought, if necessary, to track down the source of the message. The officials said the e-mail could possibly be part of efforts to divert the attention of police and security personnel. Meanwhile, those taken into custody are being interrogated by a police team. The Prime Minister is scheduled to arrive in Thiruvananthapuram for the inauguration of the golden jubilee celebrations of the state's formation on November one. \|\|\|\|\| Sleuths of the Intelligence Bureau and Kerala police are carrying out countrywide raids to the catch the person who sent the threatening e-mail to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh. Three persons, including the owner of the cybercafe from where the e-mail was sent, have already been taken into custody. "We are not leaving anything to chance. We are on the job to nab the sender of the e-mail," a senior intelligence official told rediff.com on Friday evening. But another intelligence officer said that though the IB is not taking the threat lightly and every possible angle is being looked into, the Kerala police has gone overboard in telling the media about it and the media in turn has exaggerated the incident. "Such incidents are dealt in absolute secrecy so that no panic is created among the general public," the official said. Union Home minister Shivraj Patil and other senior ministers in the home ministry and top officials of the Prime Minister's Office and home ministry are being kept in the loop about the latest developments. Dr Singh would visit Kerala on November 1 despite the e-mailed threat to his life, the Prime Minister's Office said in New Delhi. Three persons were arrested by the Kerala police after an e-mail was received by the Prime Minister's Office from a cyber cafe in Kochi saying that there would be a threat to the prime minister's life during his visit to Kerala. This includes two boys who were customers and had used the cyber cafe between 9 and 9.30 on Friday morning and the owner of the cafe who is a woman. Several senior officials, including the home secretary and DGP received the e-mail sent from the same ID on Thursday. It contained references to Mohammed Afzal Guru, facing execution for the 2001 Parliament attack, and PDP leader Abdul Nasser Madani, who is being held in connection with the Coimbatore blasts. State Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, who hurriedly convened a meeting in Thiruvananthapuram of top officials including the DGP, chief secretary and home secretary, said there was no reason to panic but the government had taken serious note of the matter. Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan said his government was viewing the e-mail issue "very seriously". He said the state police chief was looking into the matter and senior police officials would keep him constantly informed about the progress of investigations in the matter. Asked if any foreign hand was suspected in the matter, Achuthanandan said police are looking into all aspects.	The Kerala police have received an email threatening Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his trip to the state. Singh is scheduled to visit Kerala on November 1 to mark the Golden Jubilee of the state's formation. Three persons have been taken into custody by the Kerala police after an e-mail was received by the Prime Minister's Office from a cyber cafe in Kochi. This includes two boys who were using the cyber cafe between 9 and 9.30 on Friday morning and the woman owner of the cafe. Top police sources said the message was sent to Director General of Police Raman Srivastava and the Home Secretary Sri Prakash Jaiswal. Taking serious note of the e-mail, Kerala police are interrogating the accused persons suspecting they had played a prank. After this incident, the authorities are on high alert. This threat can have serious connotations considering the arrest of 2 Al-badr militants from down south. Sources said, according to a senior official of Prime minister's office, "As of now there is no change in the prime minister's trip but his security is being constantly under review and a decision could be taken keeping in the mind threat perception".
Japan's moon base project faces funding hurdle TOKYO, Japan (Reuters) -- Boosted by a return to success for its satellite launch program and needled by China's achievements, Japan's space agency wants to put a manned space station on the moon, though it may struggle to raise funds. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) unveiled a long-term vision on Wednesday that included a drawing showing how Japanese astronauts and robots might look working together on the moon in 2025. The plan, presented to a Science Ministry committee, comes amid relief for the agency after the success of its latest satellite launch in February, 15 months after an embarrassing rocket failure that resulted in the loss of two spy satellites intended for scrutinizing secretive North Korea. The fiasco was doubly humiliating for Japan as it came weeks after China put a man in space, a feat that Japan, despite its reputation for technical prowess, has never attempted. JAXA says it would need a hefty increase in budget and personnel to carry out its proposals, which may be hard to secure given Japan's 751 trillion yen ($6,937 billion) national debt. "As scientists, we want to experiment with everything, including manned flight, if we can get the money," said Taketoshi Hibiya of the aerospace engineering department at Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology. "Unfortunately, the country's budget is in a bad way at the moment." JAXA said it needs 250-280 billion yen a year to move forward with its plans, against last year's budget of 179 billion yen. The agency said in its plan that satellite surveys of the moon should be carried out within the next 10 years to enable Japan to decide whether to try to develop the moon. A moon base project might be a good way to catch the public imagination and boost support for Japan's space program, aerospace professor Hibiya said, but he was dubious about its practical value. "If you are hoping to exploit energy resources for example, the question is whether you gain more energy than you expend getting to the moon and back," he said. China's state media say it has abandoned plans to send astronauts to the moon for financial reasons. Other items on JAXA's long-term agenda include creating an aircraft capable of traveling at five times the speed of sound. \|\|\|\|\| Officials: At least three businesses damaged in late-night fire No one was inside at the time and no injuries were reported in the blaze, fire and police officials said. 7:23 AM LI pizza chain opens new location in Oyster Bay It's the smallest location to date, but the menu remains nearly as big. Georgia massage parlor shootings leave 8 dead; man captured Shootings at two massage parlors in Atlanta and one in the suburbs have left eight people dead, many of them women of Asian descent, authorities said. 7:42 AM Assembly hires NYC firm for Cuomo impeachment probe Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie says Davis, Polk and Wardell is a "top-flight firm" with nearly 1,000 attorneys. 19 m ago Papers: Thomas Valva was bruised, had hair missing, walked with limp The new details of Thomas' physical condition were laid out in court documents filed in response to requests from defendants Michael Valva and Angela Pollina to have evidence in the case thrown out. Report: Cuomo staff prepared letter attacking credibility of accuser The New York Times said the governor was involved in preparing the letter after a former aide accused him of sexual harassment. The letter was never sent. \|\|\|\|\| TOKYO, April 6 (Xinhuanet) -- The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency has compiled a long-term space exploration program, which calls for launching a domestically designed manned spacecraft to the moon within the next 20 years, JAXA officials said Wednesday. Under the program, JAXA will complete a rocket for human spaceflight within 10 years based on the technologies being developed for the domestically made H-2A rocket. The government-affiliated agency will then design a reusable manned space vehicle by 2025 that incorporates the same technologies as an unmanned transfer vehicle used for ferrying cargo to international space stations which is under development now. The exploration program is the first JAXA has compiled, and it will require a significant increase in budgetary allocations. The plan also sees the start of construction of an international manned space station 20 years from now using Japanese robot technologies. Japan successfully launched its seventh H-2A rocket in late February after a setback in November 2003 when an H-2A rocket failed to launch. Enditem \|\|\|\|\| There's light-speed travel in 'Star Wars' and 'Star Trek.' Is it possible? Spaceships zipping at the speed of light or faster are a staple of science fiction. Think of the Millennium Falcon in the "Star Wars" movies and the starship Enterprise in "Star Trek." Such travel sounds like fanciful speculation. But is it? \|\|\|\|\| Russia Stands Ready for Manned Flights to Mars Manned space missions to the Moon may resume in 2015-2020, Anatoly Perminov, head of the Federal Space Agency of Russia (Roskosmos) announced Wednesday. Man-controlled flights to Mars will begin in 2030. The U.S. space program requires that starting from 2020 the Moon is to become a nesting place for flights to other planets, including Mars. To this effect, manned space missions to the Moon will resume in 2015. Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan are pressing ahead with the space programs focused on the Moon/Mars flights. At first, it is necessary to master space assembly. Then, flights to the Moon and Mars could be planned, Perminov pointed out. Federal Space Agency launches in 2006 the simulation stage of its Mars-500 project, which financing started in March of 2005. The project is carried on in line with the national space program of arranging manned missions to Mars and sets forth assembly of a spaceship that will simulate space environment. Starting from 2006, six volunteers, from 35 to 55 years old, perhaps from different countries, will be confined to a module spaceship 500 days long. The experts will study response of a human body and equipment operation in conditions close to the Mars flight. Though the Agency's press service declines to disclose the project budget, the sources say 18,268.63 million rubles will be allocated for the federal space program in 2005 from the 25,156.40-million ruble budget of the Agency. The Agency studies all chances to apply nuclear facilities in the Mars flights. Perminov said some projects are existing, including the project of Russian scientist Evgeny Velikhov. Such units were created and put in operation, but the projects were terminated due to the lack of funds. Still, there are research institutes in Russia that proceed with developing similar facilities, Perminov pointed out. Perminov also called for the 29.7-percent increase in financing Russia’s space industry in 2006 compared to 24 billion rubles planned for that purpose. The funds are needed to commission 26 space vehicles finished by 80 percent-90 percent to-date. The U.S. space program requires that starting from 2020 the Moon is to become a nesting place for flights to other planets, including Mars. To this effect, manned space missions to the Moon will resume in 2015.Russia, the United States, Canada and Japan are pressing ahead with the space programs focused on the Moon/Mars flights. At first, it is necessary to master space assembly. Then, flights to the Moon and Mars could be planned, Perminov pointed out.Federal Space Agency launches in 2006 the simulation stage of its Mars-500 project, which financing started in March of 2005. The project is carried on in line with the national space program of arranging manned missions to Mars and sets forth assembly of a spaceship that will simulate space environment.Starting from 2006, six volunteers, from 35 to 55 years old, perhaps from different countries, will be confined to a module spaceship 500 days long. The experts will study response of a human body and equipment operation in conditions close to the Mars flight.Though the Agency's press service declines to disclose the project budget, the sources say 18,268.63 million rubles will be allocated for the federal space program in 2005 from the 25,156.40-million ruble budget of the Agency.The Agency studies all chances to apply nuclear facilities in the Mars flights. Perminov said some projects are existing, including the project of Russian scientist Evgeny Velikhov. Such units were created and put in operation, but the projects were terminated due to the lack of funds. Still, there are research institutes in Russia that proceed with developing similar facilities, Perminov pointed out.Perminov also called for the 29.7-percent increase in financing Russia’s space industry in 2006 compared to 24 billion rubles planned for that purpose. The funds are needed to commission 26 space vehicles finished by 80 percent-90 percent to-date. by www.kommersant.com \|\|\|\|\| China will, after completing unmanned lunar probe, launch manned exploration at proper opportune and will build a moon base with other countries. This is learned at a symposium on technological innovation in space flight the promotion of the development of the industry. According to Luan Enjie, chief commander of the moon probe program, human's moon exploration is composed of three stages: probe, landing and stationing. Now China is at the first stage, that is unmanned landing on the moon. China's moon probe is divided into three steps: a moon-orbiting probe, an exploration based on landing vehicles and returning with samples brought back to the earth. Luan said, the scientific goal of China's moon probe is to draw a "portrait" of the moon. The objective at the first stage is to launch a moon-orbiting satellite by the year 2007, which is aimed to obtain three-dimensional images of the moon surface, ascertain the distribution of the 14 elements and substances on the moon, probe the depth of the lunar soil and the space of 40, 000 to 400, 000 kilometers between the earth and the moon. Ruan held that He3, a rare but important resource on the earth, may be found through the moon probe, which is conducive to solving the energy problem on the earth. He added that preparations for virtual moon observatory are under way in China. By People's Daily Online	'''April 6, 2005''' Japan said it would decide within 10 years whether it would pursue its moon program on its own, or if it would team up with other nations. Japan announced on Wednesday a program to send astronauts to the moon by 2025. The plan calls for the establishment of a moon base that would be operated by Japanese astronauts and robots. "Until now, the question has been, 'Can Japan develop its own manned spaceship?' We will know the answer in another 10 years," JAXA Chairman Keiji Tachikawa told the ''Associated Press''. The plan includes the development of robots and nanotechnology, and calls for the design of a space vehicle to carry passengers and cargo to the moon. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) asked for a budget increase to about US$2.6 billion a year to fund the program. Aerospace professor Taketoshi Hibiya, who works at the Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Technology, questioned the value of going to the moon. No country has sent a manned mission to the moon since the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s. "If you are hoping to exploit energy resources for example, the question is whether you gain more energy than you expend getting to the moon and back," Hibiya told ''Reuters''. "As scientists, we want to experiment with everything, including manned flight, if we can get the money," he said. "Unfortunately, the country's budget is in a bad way at the moment." Japan is running a national debt of 751 trillion yen (US$6.94 trillion). Japan said it would decide within 10 years whether it would pursue its moon program on its own, or if it would team up with other nations. No country has sent a manned mission to the moon since the Apollo program of the 1960s and 1970s. China and Russia are both planning moon programs of their own. China plans to send a satellite to the moon in 2007. Russia has a plan to send personnel to the moon sometime between 2015-2020 as part of a larger program to one day send a mission to Mars. JAXA's next mission will survey the moon with the ''SELENE'' probe. The mission was scheduled to launch this year, but has been delayed for unknown reasons.
Reporter: Meng Qingsheng 丨 CCTV.com 06-07-2016 06:02 BJT To Guangyuan in southwest China's Sichuan Province, where a tourist boat carrying 18 people capsized on June 4th. Four people were rescued on the same day, but one of them died after being taken to hospital. On Monday, one of the 14 missing bodies was found. The search and rescue operation for the 14 missing boat passengers continued a day after the boat was located. Around noon time, a missing body was found and lifted out of water. Two days after the accident, the first missing body has been found by rescuers. It’s a middle aged man. So far, two people have been confirmed dead. And 13 others are still missing. Victims' families and local villagers witnessed the moment. The city mayor has promised an intensified search and rescue operation. "We have decided to intensify the search. Since a body was found, it's quite possible that someone else would come up," said Zou Zijing, Mayor of Guangyua City, Sichuan. A robot capable of underwater operation has arrived at the site to speed up the rescue, and help lift the capsized boat. "The underwater robot will examine the area where the boat has been found. It'll also examine the boat itself to check how many people still remain there. And then we will decide the next step. To save the missing people is our priority from the very beginning," said Zou. The water level on this lake is now gradually going down as a dam starts to discharge water. Along with all measures available, it's aimed at paving the way to conclude this most tragic event on this lake in two decades. \|\|\|\|\| Authorities on Sunday launched an investigation into a deadly boat accident in southwest Chinese province of Sichuan on Saturday, as 14 people including at least six children remained missing. The tourist boat, the Shuanglong, was carrying 18 people on a three-hour tour at Bailong Lake in the city of Guangyuan Saturday noon. The boat capsized at about 2:40 p.m, minutes before it was about to reach its destination, Xinhua reporters learnt. Three adult men survived, and one rescued child was announced dead after emergency treatment failed. A total of 14 people, mostly young parents with their children, were missing. The tragedy befell on five families who were enjoying a weekend excursion on the lake, a popular tourist site. Boat operator Zhou Piqiang, his wife and four-year-old son are also among the missing. A spokesperson of Blue Sky rescue team said on Sunday noon that they found the capsized boat about 65 meters under the water with the help of underwater video cameras, but no sign of life was detected. The State Administration of Work Safety has sent a work team to the site of the accident. Source; Xinhua \|\|\|\|\| You are here: Home One child is confirmed dead and 14 others listed as missing after a pleasure boat capsized in southwest China's Sichuan on Saturday. Rescuers search for the missing passengers on a pleasure boat that capsized in southwest China's Sichuan on Saturday. [Photo: Sichuan Daily] The child is one of 4 people who have been pulled from Bailong Lake in the city of Guangyuan. The other 3 managed to survive, and are still being treated in hospital. A search for those still missing is still underway. The boat itself was equipped to hold at least 40-people, but was only carrying 18 when it capsized. Authorities say strong gales pushed the ship over. \|\|\|\|\| Child killed, 14 missing after leisure boat capsizes in China A child was killed and 14 other people went missing today after a leisure boat capsized in a lake in southwest China, authorities said. The child was one of the four people who were pulled from the Bailong Lake in Guangyuan City of Sichuan Province after the 40-seater boat carrying 18 people capsizedamid strong gales at 2:50 pm (local time), the Guangyuan city committee of the Communist Party of China said in a statement. It said the child did not respond to emergency treatment and died at a local hospital, state-run Xinhua news agency reported. The document did not give the name, age or gender of the child. It said the other three survivors are out of danger but are still being treated. The search for the missing is going on. An investigation has been launched, the report said. A child was killed and 14 other people went missing today after a leisure boat capsized in a lake in southwest China, authorities said. The child was one of the four people who were pulled from the Bailong Lake in Guangyuan City of Sichuan Province after the 40-seater boat carrying 18 people capsizedamid strong gales at 2:50 pm (local time), the Guangyuan city committee of the of said in a statement. It said the child did not respond to emergency treatment and died at a local hospital, state-run Xinhua agency reported. The document did not give the name, age or gender of the child. It said the other three survivors are out of danger but are still being treated. The search for the missing is going on. An investigation has been launched, the report said. Press Trust of India \|\|\|\|\| A leisure boat capsized on a large lake in southwestern China during strong winds, killing one child and leaving another 14 people missing, local authorities said. The incident happened Saturday afternoon in Sichuan province on Bailong Lake, a man-made lake that translates as "White Dragon" and has an area of more than 60 square kilometers (20 square miles). The lake is surrounded by mountains and a tourist attraction. An online statement from the news office of Guangyuan city government said late Saturday that the boat was carrying 18 people and the three survivors were receiving treatment. The child was pulled out from the water and given emergency treatment, but died at a hospital. The search for the missing continues.	Location of Sichuan province in China On Saturday, local authorities said a child died and three were being treated after a capsized at Bailong Lake in , , China at 14:50 local time (0650 ). At about noon on Monday a search and rescue team found the body of a middle-aged male passenger; thirteen other people were still missing. According to officials, strong winds caused the accident. The boat had been running a three-hour tour and the accident happened several minutes before its finish. Officials on Saturday said the child was taken to hospital and pronounced dead there. On Sunday, a Blue Sky rescue team spokesman said underwater video cameras located the boat at around 65 (around 215 ) depth, with no signs of survivors. The search for the remaining then-fourteen people was ongoing. Five families had been on board, and the boat operator, his wife, and his son. The vessel was prepared for up to forty passengers. == Sources == * * * * *
(01-25) 10:41 PST NOVATO -- A Novato teenager has been arrested in Tennessee for allegedly plotting to hijack a plane from Los Angeles, authorities said Friday. The 16-year-old was not identified because of his age. He was being held at Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville, and a spokesman for the U.S. attorney's office in that city confirmed that the office is reviewing the case. The boy was a passenger on Southwest Airlines Flight 284, which took off Tuesday from Los Angeles and landed in Nashville. He was found with handcuffs, duct tape and yarn in his bag, authorities said. The teenager was calm during the flight and didn't make any attempt to hijack the aircraft, authorities said. But FBI spokesman George Bolds characterized the items as "suspicious" and said the boy had told FBI officials that he had planned to commandeer the aircraft. The FBI also had said Thursday that a search of his home revealed a "mock cockpit." Nashville prosecutor Jon Seaborg said what was found in the home was "a photograph of the inside of a small aircraft, something you'd find in a bookstore." Nashville-area prosecutors and court officials said the teen pleaded guilty Friday to a "delinquent act," but they refused to provide other details. A juvenile court judge ordered the boy sent back to California for disposition of that charge and other charges pending against him. Novato police Sgt. Jay Demski said the boy's parents had reported him missing about 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. "Subsequently, after his arrest in Nashville, we have been cooperating with Nashville airport police and the FBI," Demski said. Chronicle staff writer Marisa Lagos contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Teen Arrested on Flight May Be Suicidal NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Authorities believe a teen accused of plotting to hijack a plane was suicidal, and a judge was scheduled to decide Friday whether to keep him in custody. The 16-year-old, who has not been identified by authorities, was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight Tuesday night at Nashville International Airport. He was being held at a juvenile detention facility. FBI spokesman George Bolds told The Associated Press the teen had handcuffs, rope and duct tape in his bag, and was believed to be traveling alone. The teen was calm during the flight from Los Angeles and made no apparent attempt to commandeer the plane, Bolds said. He could not comment further on the teen's mental condition because he is a minor. Authorities searched the boy's home in California and found a mock cockpit, he said. Juvenile Court Administrator Tim Adgent said a hearing scheduled Friday afternoon would determine whether the teen should remain in custody or "if there other avenues for his release." A message left with the juvenile public defender's office was not immediately returned. The boy is currently facing only state charges. Nashville District Attorney General spokeswoman Susan Niland would not release the nature of the charges because the suspect is a minor. Federal prosecutors were still reviewing the case and had not filed any charges as of Friday morning, said David Boling, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Middle Tennessee. The FBI dismissed broadcast reports Thursday night that the teen was planning to crash the plane into a "Hannah Montana" concert in Lafayette, La. Associated Press Writer Antonio Gonzalez contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| Your account has been frozen . For your available options click the below button. To read this article in full you must be registered with the site. Teen arrested over US plane hijack attempt US: A teenage passenger has been arrested in Tennessee for plotting to hijack a plane from Los Angeles to Nashville. The 16-year-old boy from California was removed from Southwest Airlines Flight 284 on Tuesday night and found with "suspicious" items. "His plan had a low probability of success," an FBI agent said. New Zealand: Japan's whaling fleet was heading for New Zealand-controlled waters in Antarctica, in breach of an agreement to remain in Australian waters, a minister said today. The full article contains 89 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.	Southwest airliner (file photo). A 16-year-old male from Novato, California has been arrested in Tennessee over allegations he intended to hijack a commercial passenger airliner in the United States. The boy, who was unnamed due to his age, was a passenger on board Southwest Airlines Flight 284 from Los Angeles to Nashville on Tuesday, with his parents reporting him missing at 11:30 am the same day. Although he remained calm throughout the flight and made no hijacking attempt, authorities report he had handcuffs, duct tape and yarn inside the aircraft cabin with him. Although his arrest was only made public on Friday, it is reported that he was detained immediately on reaching Nashville International Airport. George Bolds, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) said that the items were "suspicious" and that the boy had informed the FBI he had indeed intended to hijack the aircraft. An FBI agent told reporters that he felt the plot was ill-conceived, saying "His plan had a low probability of success." The FBI also conducted a search of his home on Thursday, finding in his room "a photograph of the inside of a small aircraft, something you'd find in a bookstore." Subsequent to his arrest he pled guilty on Friday to a "delinquent act," according to local officials. A juvenile court judge ordered him to be returned to California for continued perusal of that charge as well as others set to be made. He is currently in Davidson County Juvenile Detention Center in Nashville. Authorities believe that the teen was suicidal, but the FBI dismissed earlier reports alleging that he intended to crash the airliner into a Hannah Montana concert in Lafayette, Louisiana.
Joren Van der Sloot, the 22-year-old Dutch native long suspected of killing Natalee Holloway, was charged today with the murder of Stephany Flores. Now prison officials tell The Daily Beast that he lied about the timing of the crime, that contrary to earlier reports, he wasn't high the night of it — and that he'll be locked in solitary confinement for months to come, "for his own safety." Dutchman tells Peruvian police he knows location of Natalee Holloway's body. Van der Sloot is finally, officially, going down. On Friday, he was formally charged with first-degree murder and robbery in the death of 21-year-old Peruvian student Stephany Flores, whom he confessed to killing earlier this week. The Peruvian judge who condemned him to one of Lima's most notorious prisons to await trial added that the murder had been committed with "ferocity and great cruelty." An extraordinary scene unfolded outside Lima's Palace of Justice as Van der Sloot heard the judge's order. Crowds of indignant onlookers flanked the rear entrance of the imposing colonial building as a decoy van marked "AMBULANCE" stopped outside the door. Van der Sloot, clearly identifiable by his height and close-cropped haircut, was the last of 11 suspects police manhandled into the entrance. Onlookers shouted "murderer!" and threw rotten vegetables at him from behind police lining the gap between the van and the door. After van der Sloot was loaded back into the van to be transported to Lima's Miguel Castro Castro prison, Police General Cesar Guardia told The Daily Beast that most of what the accused murderer had confessed were blatant lies. "His toxicological report shows no signs that he had ingested any kind of drug," Guardia said, countering van der Sloot's perhaps strategic claim that he was high on marijuana when he killed Flores—in Peru, felony crimes committed under the influence of drugs can be treated with leniency in the courts. Guardia also told The Daily Beast that van der Sloot lied about the timing of the murder. Earlier in the week, he told investigators that he had gone out to buy coffee for himself and Flores, and killed her when he returned to the room after finding the young woman on his computer. In fact, according to Guardia, hotel surveillance cameras show that van der Sloot faked his early-morning coffee run. Instead, he left the room with two empty paper cups and then summoned a member of the hotel staff to open his door, lying that he had forgotten his key. \|\|\|\|\| Peruvian judge orders Joran Van der Sloot held on murder charges A Peruvian judge today ordered Joran van der Sloot held on murder charges in the death of a Lima student, the Associated Press reports. Judge Juan Buendia issued the order before dawn,, instructing penal authorities to place the Dutchman in a penitentiary pending trial for allegedly killing Stephany Flores in Peru. Van der Sloot also remains the lone suspect in the 2005 disappearance in Aruba of Alabama teen Natalee Holloway. Police in Peru say the 22-year-old Dutchman told them he knows the location of Holloway's body. (Posted by Doug Stanglin) \|\|\|\|\| Weeks after the FBI monitored the payment of $15,000 to Joran van der Sloot by an alleged extortion victim, the Dutch playboy took a seat at a poker table in a Peruvian casino where he would meet the woman whose battered body would later be found in his blood smeared hotel room. U.S. authorities told ABCNews.com that they launched an extortion investigation of van der Sloot six weeks ago, before Stephany Flores Ramirez, 21, was found beaten and stabbed to death last week. Play U.S. investigators said they did not issue a warrant for his arrest until this week because they lacked sufficient evidence. The federal extortion investigation began in late April, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Birmingham said. On May 10, $15,000 was wired to a Netherlands bank by someone in Mountain Brook, Ala., allegedly in exchange for a promise by van der Sloot to provide information about what happened to Natalee Holloway and the whereabouts of her remains. Play Van der Sloot had for five years been the prime suspect in the disappearance on Holloway, a high school student from Mountain Brook who vanished in Aruba on May 30, 2005. Van der Sloot, a Dutch national who lives in Aruba, was arrested Thursday in Chile and was extradited today to Peru to face murder charges in Flores' death. He told authorities he met Flores, but denied killing her. For several weeks van der Sloot had been on the radar of American officials who, in a criminal complaint released Thursday, said he planned to extort $250,000 from the unidentified victim. When asked why van der Sloot was not arrested following the initial alleged payment, authorities told ABC News.com there was not "sufficient evidence to support the charge." A criminal complaint alleging the extortion was, however, filed Thursday, just days after Flores was found dead and van der Sloot had fled to Chile. Authorities said their charges were not the result of the Peru death. "This was completely separate and before the girl was killed in Peru," said Peggy Sanford, spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Birmingham. "This investigation had been going on. It was a complete coincidence and tragedy that the other woman was murdered." The complaint does not name the person whom van der Sloot was trying to extort, by providing information about Holloway's death, but Sanford suggested, van der Sloot had initiated contact by approaching the alleged victim. "He extorted, or attempted to extort someone, an individual, in exchange for the location of Natalee Holloway's remains and information about her death. Mr. van der Sloot made efforts to extort someone and get money," said Sanford. U.S. law enforcement, however, may never get to try van der Sloot for the alleged extortion scam. He arrived in Peru today under armed guard. Famed criminal defense lawyer Roy Black told ABC's "Good Morning America" that, "The murder case in Peru takes precedence over" the extortion charges, and that the chances of van der Sloot getting extradited to Alabama "are zero." "He's going to get a very long sentence in Peru," Black said. "By the time he gets out of jail, if he ever does, this would be a footnote in history." The lawyer said, however, that the Holloway disappearance could be used "as evidence of proof in Peru," and the Holloway family may ask a Peru court "for a longer sentence because of Natalee's murder." Joran van der Sloot Gambled With His Alleged Victim "If they have enough proof that he committed the crime in Peru, maybe, just maybe that might help to get him to confess in Natalee's case. It just might crack him," a Holloway family lawyer, Vinda de Souza, told the Associated Press. A spokeswoman for Holloway's mother, Beth Twitty, issued a statement saying she "extends her deepest sympathy" to the Flores family "and prays for swift and sure justice." "What breaks everybody's heart is this guy had something to do with Natalee and could have been stopped five years ago," Natalee Holloway's aunt Marcia Twitty told ABC News.com. Van der Sloot was grabbed while riding in a taxi near the coastal resort city of Vina Del Mar. Police quickly recognized him despite the fact that his hair had been cut short and dyed red. Peru's Interior Minister Octavio Salazar Miranda said, "We're confident this young man will pay for his crimes." New details have emerged about the night that Flores died. Van der Sloot and Flores, who was an avid gambler, were playing poker in a Lima casino late Saturday night and Flores was winning big, police said. Investigators said van der Sloot invited Flores to his room at the Miraflores Hotel Tac to celebrate her winnings. A hotel employee later told police that she heard the couple arguing. Hours later, Flores was dead. ABC News has learned that her body was not discovered for another four days because van der Sloot had prepaid his room for 14 days and instructed the hotel's front desk not to allow anyone into his room, including the cleaning staff. Flores' father, Ricardo Flores, is a well known politician and former race car driver in Peru. He was burying his daughter at the same time that van der Sloot was being arrested in Chile. He said that his daughter's death had driven stake through the family's heart. "It's not just about my daughter," he said. "There's a matter pending in Aruba and we don't know how many more remain unpunished." "I think God used my daughter as an element so that another soul could rest in peace, so that the parents of this girl can rest in peace too, knowing that somewhere in the world justice was made for the killing of their daughter," Flores said. "This man cannot continue to be out in the world killing people. This man needs to pay for his crimes," he said. "Joran was able to laugh at the crime he committed in Aruba," the father said. "But in Peru he will not be able to laugh."	22-year-old Dutch native was charged yesterday with the murder of Peruvian Stephany Flores. Stephany Tatiana Flores Ramírez, the 21-year-old daughter of a former Peruvian presidential candidate, was found beaten to death in Van der Sloot's hotel room on May 30, 2010. The two appeared to have met only hours before while playing poker at a nearby . Flores was found four days later by an employee of the Hotel Tac in the of Lima. Van der Sloot had previously requested that no hotel staff enter his room. As Flores was being buried by her family, Van der Sloot was arrested in Chile after trying to escape from Peru. Van der Sloot, who lives in Aruba, was extradited to Peru on June 4. At first, he told police there that, while he had met Flores, he had not killed her, but late last week, he confessed to murdering her. Van der Sloot claimed that he only killed Flores after he found her looking through personal files on his computer. Joran van der Sloot is the only suspect in the 2005 disappearance of Alabama teenager during her school trip on . Holloway was last seen on May 30, 2005, exactly five years before Flores' death. Van der Sloot, however, was never charged in connection with the disappearance. Van der Sloot will be held in for the next few months "for his own safety."
'Here we shoot to kill' Marietie Louw-Carstens Polokwane - Seven armed men were shot dead by police in a hail of bullets at a security company's cash depot on Sunday morning, after police received a tip-off about the planned robbery. After the shootout, more than 30 shells lay scattered at the Protea Coin security group's cash depot in an industrial area of Polokwane. The bloodied bodies of four of the armed men lay outside the entrance, while three other bodies lay inside the building. No members of the police or the public were injured in the shootout, and no money was stolen. 'This is a warning' On Sunday the Polokwane police were ordered by Bheki Cele, national chief of police, to refrain from revealing information about the incident. Cele said in an official statement that the police had simply reacted to a distress call. However, Beeld has heard from more than one source that the police had received a tip-off on Saturday night, and a special task force was given the order to "get ready". In the statement Cele says: "Our Saps members have prevailed yet again. They were ready to strike in the early morning hours. "People often forget that it might just as well have been members of the police force who were shot and killed," said Cele. "This is a warning. Anyone who attempts to challenge the police will lose." "With the festive season upon us, we are bound to see more people try their luck. But we are ready ensure that our people are not held to ransom by criminals and violent thugs." A detective believed to have been involved in the shootout, told Beeld at the scene: "The thugs must know this is Limpopo. Here we shoot to kill." The police opened fire on the men with heavy calibre firearms and pistols. Three 9mm pistols were found in the robbers' possession. Angle grinders The seven men struck at the cash depot on Sunday morning at about 00:30. Security cameras and lights at the building's main entrance were shot out. Apparently the men had been wearing gloves and balaclavas, and had angle grinders with them. Some of the building's burglar bars were sawn off, and there was evidence of tampering with the alarm system. The Protea Coin group's Petrus van Niekerk said security guards, who had been hiding in another part of the building, phoned the police when they heard the shots as the men were destroying the cameras. "The police reacted in a flash," said Van Niekerk. People who live across the road from the depot, on the corner of Nikkel and Sapphire streets, said they had hidden under their beds during the shootout. Hardwick Ramogale said: "It sounded like 100 shots." 'It felt like we were in Baghdad' A friend of his said he peeked through a window, "but every time a shot went off, I fell to the floor. It felt like we were in Baghdad." Saps spokespeople and members in Limpopo have been forbidden from talking about the incident. All inquiries were referred to Cele's office. Van Niekerk said they are very grateful that the robbery was foiled, and that no Saps members or security guards were injured. The company has already launched an independent investigation into the incident. Members of the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) were at the scene, and are investigating the shootout. - Beeld \|\|\|\|\| Nov 8, 2009 10:27 PM \| By SIPHO MASONDO Current Font Size: Cele's statement follows the police shooting and killing of seven armed robbers, who were trying to plunder a Coin Security depot in Nirvana, Polokwane, early morning. Cele said: "There will be no mercy to criminals who don't mind putting other people's lives in [danger] because of their selfish reasons. We send a stern warning to those who think they can go shopping with money without having to work for it. The police will be out there and will respond." Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi said operational and crime intelligence police received information that a break-in was in progress at a Coin Security cash depot. "The criminals, who were wearing balaclavas, were already inside and had tampered with the alarm when the police arrived. They also had cut a burglar window leading to the main vault. "After realising that they were in trouble, the robbers started firing at the police," Zondi said. When all was done, seven robbers lay dead, Zondi said, adding that Cele had commended the police for their swift response. No police were injured. Zondi said experience had taught the police that during periods leading towards the festive season there is a general spike in criminal activity, including heists, attempted heists, fraud and mall robberies. "They become prevalent during the festive season," he said, adding that, although police are on high alert during this time, their duty was to protect the citizenry all year round. Last month Cape Town police shot dead four robbers who attacked a Coin Security cash van in Kuilsrivier. During August, robbers launched a blitz on shopping malls, hitting among others, the San Ridge shopping centre in Midrand, Gallo Manor shopping centre in Sandton, and the Irene Village Mall near Centurion. \|\|\|\|\| Page not found It appears that you've lost your way either through an outdated link or a typo on the page you were trying to reach. Please feel free to return to the EWN home page or use the search box below to find the information you were looking for.	According to local police, seven armed men were shot to death by South African police early on Sunday at the Protea Coin security group's cash depot in Polokwane. The men reportedly arrived at the cash depot shortly after midnight, and shot out the lights of the building's main entrance and security cameras. They were reportedly dressed in balaclavas and gloves, and the burglar alarms had apparently been tampered with. Petrus van Niekerk, from the Protea Coin group, said that security guards in another part of the building heard shots being fired, presumably as the intruders were blasting out the lights and security camera. "The police reacted in a flash," he noted. "The criminals, who were wearing balaclavas, were already inside and had tampered with the alarm when the police arrived. They also had cut a burglar window leading to the main vault. After realising that they were in trouble, the robbers started firing at the police," said police spokesman Musa Zondi. Police returned fire, killing all of the intruders, according to Zondi. He added that none of the police officers or any passerby were injured, and no money from the cash depot was stolen. Three firearms and burglar's tools were later recovered. Werner Vermaak, a spokesman for the ER24 ambulance company, said that paramedics, after arriving at the depot, had proclaimed all of the intruders dead at the scene, from gunshot wounds. “Seven people have been fatally wounded and no one else was injured in this incident,” he said, as quoted by Eyewitness News. In an official statement, national chief of police Bheki Cele said that security officials had responded to a distress call. "Our SAPS South African Police Service members have prevailed yet again. They were ready to strike in the early morning hours. People often forget that it might just as well have been members of the police force who were shot and killed," said he. "This is a warning. Anyone who attempts to challenge the police will lose." "With the festive season upon us, we are bound to see more people trying their luck. But we are ready ensure that our people are not held to ransom by criminals and violent thugs," the police chief continued. He praised the police for what he called their "swift and efficient action". The Beeld newspaper, however, said that they received information that the police might have received a tip-off the night before the incident, in which a special task force was told to "get ready".
By Liz Seward The teeth have gorilla-like characteristics, say researchers The 10 million-year-old fossils belong to an animal that has been named Chororapithecus abyssinicus by an Ethiopian-Japanese team. This new species could be a direct ancestor of living African great apes, say the researchers. The finds from the Afar rift, in eastern Ethiopia, raise questions on current theories of human evolution. The researchers say the fossils from Ethiopia probably belonged to an ape from the gorilla family. Evolutionary divide Based on genetic evidence, gorillas and humans were thought to have split away from a common ancestor about eight million years ago. The 10-million-year age of the fossils led the research team to suggest that the split must have happened earlier than 10.5 million years ago. If correct, molecular and DNA studies will need to be revisited. The fossils were found at a site in eastern Ethiopia's Afar rift They carried out cutting-edge 3D analysis of the molar tooth's structure and found that both gorillas and the new species had a unique specialisation for eating fibrous foodstuffs such as stems and leaves. "It's a subtle distinction, but we've compared it with everything we could think of," said Dr Suwa from the University of Tokyo and a member of the research team. "And it does show some telling signs of gorilla-like molar structure. If it's not a gorilla relative, then it's something very similar to what an early gorilla must have looked like." Vegetarian tastes Gorillas are unique among modern and fossil large-bodied apes in having molars that are specialised for shredding fibrous vegetation. The reason for this is that large-bodied gorillas depend on stems and leaves as an important part of their diet. Not everyone agrees with the team's conclusions, however. Professor Peter Andrews, from London's Natural History Museum, commented: "It is stretching the evidence to base a time scale for the evolution of the great apes on this new fossil." Professor Andrews believes the structures found on the teeth could be related to the diet of the animal. He added: "These structures appear on at least three independent lineages of apes, including gorillas, and they could relate to a dietary shift rather than indicating a new genetic trait." Fossil record What is not in doubt is that the find itself is impressive. "The ancestry of humans is increasingly well known, but the fossil evidence for the evolution of our closest living relatives, the great apes, is almost non-existent," Professor Andrews explained. "It is really exciting therefore to find a fossil ape from this time period - about 10 million years ago - since there is only one other fossil ape known from this time, the more complete Samburupithecus." The find also supports data that suggests Africa was the origin of both humans and modern African apes. The teeth were discovered in a region that is about 170km (110 miles) east of Addis Ababa. In an area of the Oromiya National Regional State, there are exposed patches of sediments that are 10 to 11 million years old, putting them in the Miocene Epoch. Hence, they are known as Miocene Chorora Formation. The name of the ape is taken from the geological formation Chorora and the former name of Ethiopia, Abyssinia. \|\|\|\|\| New Fossil Ape May Shake Human Family Tree Editor's note: The original headline for this story—"New Fossil Ape May Shatter Human Evolution Theory"—has been changed to more clearly reflect the implications of the discovery. Fossil teeth found in Ethiopia might represent a previously unknown species of great ape that lived in Africa ten million years ago, paleontologists report. The find not only fills an important gap in the fossil record, the Japanese and Ethiopian team says, but could also demolish a working theory of human evolution. The teeth—eight molars and a canine—come from Ethiopia's fossil-rich Afar region, a valley made famous by the 1974 discovery of the early human ancestor known as Lucy. (What was Lucy?) For years scientists have been unable to find fossils of direct ancestors of modern great apes in Africa dating back to between 8 million and 14 million years ago. But the fossil record of great apes—including gorillas, chimpanzees, and bonobos—is abundant in Asia and Europe during this time (see related pictures of an ancient great ape found in Spain). Experts had speculated that the common ancestor of all apes and humans had left Africa and split off into separate species. Among the new species was the ancestor of African apes and humans, which returned to Africa sometime around seven million years ago. Molecular analyses of fossils from Europe and later African species seemed to back up this hypothesis. The recent fossil discovery, however, means that ancient gorilla-like apes lived in Africa as far back as ten million years ago. "Based on this fossil, that means the split is much earlier than has been anticipated by the molecular evidence," said Berhane Asfaw, a study co-author at the Rift Valley Research Service in the Ethiopian capital of Adis Abeba (Addis Ababa). "That means everything has to be put back." Diet Clues	Researchers say that new, ten million-year-old fossils found in Ethiopia, prove that the theory that humans may have evolved from a species of great apes eight million years ago, may not be true, but that humans may have split from apes as long as 10.5 million years ago. At least nine fossilized teeth, one canine tooth and eight molars, of a previously unknown species of apes found in Africa were discovered by a team of researchers from Ethiopia and Japan who then compared the 3-D make up of the teeth to other fossils that date back as far as 8 million years and found that the fossils are likely a "direct ancestor" of apes currently living in Africa and that the new ape fossils were that of a species of gorilla who ate mostly plants high in fiber. Current fossils and research say that the evolutionary split from apes to humans occurred at least eight million years ago. The new fossils say that the split may have happened as long as 10.5 million years ago. "Based on this fossil, that means the split is much earlier than has been anticipated by the molecular evidence. That means everything has to be put back," said researcher at the Rift Valley Research Service in Ethiopia and a co-author of the study, Berhane Asfaw. Despite the finds, other researchers are not convinced that the findings are correct. "It is stretching the evidence to base a time scale for the evolution of the great apes on this new fossil. These structures appear on at least three independent lineages of apes, including gorillas, and they could relate to a dietary shift rather than indicating a new genetic trait," said a Professor at the London Natural History Museum in the United Kingdom, Peter Andrews who also added, "but the fossil evidence for the evolution of our closest living relatives, the great apes, is almost non-existent. Researchers have named the newly discovered species ''Cororapithecus abyssinicus'' whose remains were found in the Afar Region of Ethiopia, the same place where the remains of Lucy were discovered in 1974.
SYDNEY - Thousands of Australians were evacuated from their homes, several people had to be rescued and a couple was feared swept from a causeway as flooding hit northern NSW and Queensland's Gold Coast today. One of the areas worst affected by the heavy rain was the northern NSW town of Lismore, where about 3000 residents were told to evacuate their homes to escape rising floodwaters. Authorities in northern NSW also had to rescue several people trapped by rising water, while several motorists on the Gold Coast called for help after becoming stranded in their cars. Rescuers were today searching for a man and a woman believed to have been swept from a causeway across a creek at Coomera on the Gold Coast. A police spokeswoman said the couple was reported missing about midnight, and two hours later a call was received from a driver saying water was pouring into their car on the causeway, the spokeswoman said. "The mobile then cut out," she said. There was no immediate sign of a let-up in the conditions, with authorities on the Gold Coast warning conditions were worsening and flood warnings issued around major river systems in northern NSW. In Lismore, the Wilson River was expected to peak later today, but residents were evacuated this morning as a precaution, State Emergency Service (SES) spokesman Steve Delaney said. Residents were being sent to an evacuation centre at Southern Cross University, or being told to move to the second storeys of their homes. "The Director General of the State Emergency Service has authorised a full evacuation of the city," Mr Delaney said. He said authorities had revised the number of people evacuated in Lismore to 3000, down from an earlier estimate of 6000. Earlier today, more than 75 elderly residents at a nursing home in Benora, on the Queensland border, were evacuated and about 50 people at a Lismore caravan park were moved to higher ground. Several people also had to be rescued as heavy rain swamped the region, including a 50-year-old man plucked to safety by rescuers in a front-end loader. The storm system brought more than 100mm in 24 hours to areas across the border in NSW, including Coffs Harbour, Grafton and Lismore. Downstream of Lismore, moderate to major flooding was forecast for later today around the Richmond River at Coraki, Bungawalbyn and Woodburn. Minor flooding was also forecast for the Brunswick River at Mullumbimby and Bellinger River through Bellingen. Last night, residents in Yamba and Byron Bay were using sandbags to prevent rain entering their houses as flash flooding hit the towns. The Bureau of Meteorology forecast more rain for NSW today with flash flooding warnings for the Northern Rivers, mid-north coast and the Northern Tablelands. In south-east Queensland, the SES said most suburbs on the Gold Coast were flooded this morning. Gold Coast SES controller Peter Lanell said conditions were worsening. Even SES support crews being called in from Brisbane were becoming stranded in some areas. "My relief crews coming in to back me up are now getting stranded and they can't get through," he told the Nine Network. The SES had this morning received about 500 calls for help after strong winds and falling trees caused widespread damage on the Gold Coast. SES volunteers were manning road blocks to stop motorists from braving the worst of the flooding, and people were being advised to stay inside and not to travel. Jeff Callaghan, a severe weather expert with the Bureau of Meteorology, said the southern end of the Gold Coast had recorded falls of 368mm in the past 24 hours. Brisbane has also been swamped with heavy rain, with bayside suburbs near Manly copping the heaviest of the falls. "And there's more to come," Mr Callaghan said. - AAP \|\|\|\|\| The Australian doesn't play nicely with your current browser. Please take a moment to upgrade to the latest version. \|\|\|\|\| From drought to deluge - wide areas of NSW and Queensland have been swamped by torrential rain that forced thousands from their homes and left two people missing, feared drowned. A young couple was believed swept away on the Gold Coast as up to half a metre of rain turned roads into rivers, stranding motorists and flooding cars and homes. In northern NSW, 3,000 people were told to evacuate their homes as Lismore prayed a new levee would save the town centre from inundation. Elsewhere, record rains forced flights to be cancelled or delayed and prompted flood warnings for major rivers from mid-north NSW to southern Queensland. More rain has been forecast for parts of NSW and Queensland, bringing hope for many parched areas, before clearing. On the Gold Coast, more than 400 millimetres of rain was dumped in around 24 hours, exceeding the amount that fell before devastating floods in 1974. Carrara recorded a massive 590mm over 36 hours. A Counter Disaster and Rescue Services spokeswoman said 67 people were evacuated from their homes, while many apartment basement car parks were flooded. Motorists were trapped in cars, homes were damaged and the major Gold Coast shopping centre Pacific Fair was closed down. Meanwhile, a search is continuing for a man aged 25 and woman, 21, feared swept from a causeway into the Coomera River. The search was launched after a call was received about 2am from a driver saying water was pouring into their car on the causeway, a police spokeswoman said. "The mobile then cut out," she said. People were warned to stay at home as few Gold Coast suburbs escaped the flooding. There were also calls for help from water-damaged homes in Brisbane, Ipswich and Beaudesert. "We haven't seen anything like this since the 1974 floods - there have been landslides and people's phones aren't working," said Gold Coast City Council spokeswoman Daphne McDonald. Flooding shut down the Gold Coast Airport at Coolangatta and subsequent flight delays were felt in Sydney too. "The runway is flooded and so are the taxiways - it is too dangerous for any aircraft and we are not allowing any landings," an airport spokeswoman said. Across the border in NSW, the town of Lismore was the worst hit, with more than 500mm of rain falling in parts of the catchment. As the Wilson River that flows through Lismore began rising, the State Emergency Service told 3,000 residents to leave their homes for evacuation centres. Authorities had predicted the river would peak at 10.4 metres, just centimetres below the top of a new, 11-metre-high, $19 million levee built to protect the town centre. But authorities have downgraded their flood warnings and it appeared Lismore would escape the worst of the flooding. "There are no concerns about the levee," said SES spokesman Steve Delaney. Lismore's worst flood was in the 1950s, when the river reached 13 metres. "What we've got at the moment is only a one-in-10-year flood," said SES Director General, Brigadier Philip McNamara. NSW Premier Bob Carr is expected to visit the area to review rescue measures and any damage. Flood warnings were also issued for major rivers in northern NSW, including the Tweed, Richmond, Lower Clarence, Brunswick and Bellinger rivers. At Tweed Heads, authorities said the 382mm of rain that fell in 24 hours was a record. But the weather bureau said the rain was likely to clear along the northern NSW coast. The downpour brought hope to many drought-affected areas, but only time will tell whether it's enough. But in a cruel blow for some, heavy rain washed away some recently planted crops.	6,000 residents of in have been told to evacuate their homes. A couple is missing on the in Queensland. State Emergency Services (SES) workers are currently preparing to evacuate a number of nursing homes in the suburbs of and . The (BOM) have said that South East Queensland has recorded rainfalls of 368mm in the last 24 hours and that the Gold Coast suburb of has been averaging 80mm per hour for at least two hours. The Coolangatta airport was closed due to flooding. Further south the city of Lismore has been inundated. A recently constructed levy has held back the waters of the , protecting the town's central business district.
Associated Press Columbine Evacuated After Bomb Threat Columbine High School, the site of the nation's deadliest school shooting eight years ago, was evacuated Thursday after a bomb threat was called in, authorities said. Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said students were taken to a nearby park while bomb squads and dogs searched the school. School officials called off classes for the rest of the day. Kelley said she believed more than one threat was called in Thursday beginning at 9:30 a.m. She did not know whether the caller made reference to the April 20, 1999, attack by students Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. "Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there," Kelley said. "But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine." Columbine has about 1,850 students, said Marlene Desmond, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Schools. The school is in the Denver suburb of Littleton. It was at least the 10th threat of violence against the school or its students since the 1999 killings and at least the second time a threat has prompted the school to send students home. At least six people, most of them from other states, have been arrested on charges of making telephone or email threats involving the school. Copyright 2006 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed More On This Topic Subscriptions > \|\|\|\|\| Students were moved to a nearby school where their parents were able to pick them up, a police spokesman said. There were several hundred pupils in the Colorado school at the time. A bomb squad and police dogs searched the building but officials said there was no evidence at this point to support the threat. More than one bomb threat was made by telephone to officials on Thursday morning but it is unclear whether any reference to the 1999 attack was made by the caller. "Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there," said Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley. "But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine." In 1999, two pupils at the school shot dead 12 fellow students and a teacher before killing themselves. \|\|\|\|\| LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Columbine High School in Colorado, scene of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history, was evacuated on Thursday after a bomb threat. "All we know at this point is that there is a bomb threat and that the school has been evacuated," a Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman said. Columbine High School students Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold killed 13 people at the school on April 20, 1999, before killing themselves. \|\|\|\|\| The school in 1999 The school in 1999 Columbine High Bomb Alert Columbine High School in Colorado, where 15 people died in a mass shooting in 1999, was evacuated following bomb threats. About 1,700 students and teachers fled the site but no bomb was found. Bomb squads conducted several sweeps of the school with bomb-sniffing dogs but found no evidence of explosives. A Jefferson County Sheriff spokesman said he did not know the nature of the threats because the caller did not speak to police. Another spokeswoman, Jacki Kelley, said the school had been evacuated immediately and the 1,700 students had been excused for the day. "I am not in the position to be specific but some of the content (of the call) was disturbing," Ms Kelley said. She said Columbine gets numerous threats but that the school was evacuated because of the nature of the latest calls. Columbine made international headlines in April 20, 1999, when two students shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. \|\|\|\|\| LITTLETON, Colo. Columbine High School was evacuated Thursday after officials received at least one call about a bomb threat, authorities said. Jefferson County Sheriff's spokeswoman Jacki Kelley said students were being taken to a nearby park while bomb squads and dogs searched the school. Eight years ago, Columbine was the site of the nation's deadliest school massacre when two students opened fire on their classmates. School officials said Columbine would be closed for the rest of the day. Kelley said she believed more than one threat was called in Thursday beginning at 9:30 a.m. She did not know whether the caller made reference to the April 20, 1999, attack by Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. "Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there," Kelley said. "But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine." Columbine has about 1,850 students, said Marlene Desmond, spokeswoman for Jefferson County Schools. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements The threat was being handled the same as other threats elsewhere, Kelley said. \|\|\|\|\| Your Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update Get the very latest news and health information on the coronavirus pandemic delivered to your inbox daily.	Columbine High School HOPE Library. Reports say that an evacuation has taken place at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado after a bomb threat was phoned into the school. "All we know at this point is that there is a bomb threat and that the school has been evacuated. Most of the threats that have been associated to that school made reference to past events that occurred there. But a bomb threat to a school is as serious at any school as it is at Columbine," said Jacki Kelley, spokeswoman for the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office. Kelley added that all people evacuated from the school were initially sent to a park near the school, and that more than one threat was made against the school. Columbine High School. Kelley also added that the threats began at about 9:30am local time (4:30 PM UTC). According to Reuters, police have found no evidence of explosives at the scene. However, the bomb squad is still searching and bomb-sniffing dogs are also being used to search the school. According to Marlene Desmond, spokesperson for Jefferson County Schools, there are over 1,850 students at the high school. The entire school was evacuated upon receipt of the bomb threat. In 1999, the school was the scene of a massacre when Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, both students at the school, shot and killed 13 people before taking their own lives. This is the 10th in a series of threats the school faced since then, and is the second time the threats caused the school to evacuate and send students home. In an exclusive interview Jim Shires, Public Information Officer for the Jefferson County Sheriff told ''Wikinews'' that it is unknown if this incident was referenced in the current bomb threat. "We won't know more until we speak with the people who actually took the call," Shires said. He added that the school would be closed for the remainder of the day while the investigation continues. ==Sources== * * * * * *
IndyStar.com Metro & State We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. LOCAL NEWS ALERTS Get breaking local news as it happens from The Indianapolis Star. Enter your phone number below: ( ) - Modify existing alerts 4INFO \| Get this tool Bud Wolf Chevrolet Chat Live with our Internet Sales Manager, Mark Danner, Now! Bud Wolf Chevrolet Offers Great Deals and a Great Buying Experience! Chat Live with our Internet Sales Manager, Mark Danner, Now! Bud Wolf Chevrolet Offers Great Deals and a Great Buying Experience! Tom Wood Ford Tom Wood Ford offers great deals on New and Pre-Owned vehicles in Indianapolis. Call or Stop in Today! Tom Wood Ford offers great deals on New and Pre-Owned vehicles in Indianapolis. Call or Stop in Today! Tom Wood Lexus Lexus Certified Pre-Owned includes 3 Year or 100,000 Total Vehicle Mileage Warranty. Click Here! Lexus Certified Pre-Owned includes 3 Year or 100,000 Total Vehicle Mileage Warranty. Click Here! View all Top Car Deals We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. We're sorry The article link is not valid or the article has expired from the system. \|\|\|\|\| POSTED: 1:56 pm EDT August 29, 2007 Health officials in Indiana are reporting two more cases of the West Nile virus. The two new cases bring a total of four that have been reported recently. One case was reported in nearby Randolph County, which is near Winchester. The other three cases were reported in northwest Indiana in Lake County. Copyright 2007 by WHIOTV.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. There were 60 cases of West Nile virus reported in Indiana last year. Five of those cases resulted in death.	Mosquito biting a human. According to city health officials in Hammond, Indiana, there have been two more cases of West Nile virus reported in humans. West Nile virus.West Nile virus' (WNV) is a virus of the family ''Flaviviridae''; part of the Japanese encephalitis (JE) antigenic complex of viruses, it is found in both tropical and temperate regions. It mainly infects birds, but is known to infect humans, horses, dogs, cats, bats, chipmunks, skunks, squirrels, and domestic rabbits. The main route of human infection is through the bite of an infected mosquito. The two victims are former chief of police, Frank DuPey and a 67-year-old Hammond resident. Currently both patients are hospitalized with acute disease, according to Hammond Health Officer-Administrator Rodrigo Panares.
Credit: AP Photo/Disney, Todd Anderson In the never ending quest to get movie fans to completely re-buy their entire home-video collections, (some of us for the third time), it has been announced that all six live action Star Wars films will at long last be released on Blu-Ray in one massive box set, due for release in the fall of 2011. This news was given to thousands of fans at the "Star Wars Celebration V" convention in Orlando, Florida by George Lucas himself, in rollicking presentation moderated by Jon Stewart. In what was the main event for convention, Stewart asked Lucas questions submitted by the fan community online, and one the most frequently asked questions involved the series' release on the HD format. With a sly smile, Lucas said "I wish I could say it was coming out this year" paused dramatically "But it's not, it's coming out next year" as the crowd went wild. StarWars.com reports that along with all six films with the best possible picture and audio quality, the set will include many special features and bonus footage. Fans were treated to glimpses of the bonus material including a long-thought-lost deleted scene from "Return of the Jedi" in which Luke Skywalker assembles his new green lightsaber prior to venturing to Jabba the Hutt's palace. After finishing the weapon he hides it inside R2-D2 for use later. This scene was completely finished with effects and all before it was cut from the final version, making it a special rarity. Mark Hamill appeared on stage to present the clip. In an interview given to the New York Times, Lucas said that the first three Star Wars FIlms in the set will be the "Special Edition Releases" that were shown theatrically in 1997. He also acknowledged that the wait for this set has been a little long, as they were waiting for the format to take hold. The wait may have made sense, as of now there are almost 19.4 million Blu-Ray players in the United States. George Lucas also surprised Stewart when R2-D2 brought him his own Star Wars action figure. The toy featured two interchangeable heads, one representing a clean shaven, and the other a goateed Stewart, much to the pleasure of the fans. Can't get enough of Motion/Captured? Don't miss a post with daily HitFix Blog Alerts. Sign up now. Don't miss out. Add Motion/Captured to your iGoogle, My Yahoo or My MSN experience by clicking here. Not part of the HitFix Nation yet? Take 90 seconds and sign up today. \|\|\|\|\| MEMBERS ONLINE Currently no members online. You are an anonymous user. You can register for free by clicking here Lost password? Get new password User name Password Remember me \|\|\|\|\| "Star Wars Celebratio..." This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Lucasfilm Ltd. Sorry about that. \|\|\|\|\| Lucasfilm Ltd. Though nearly 35 years of “Star Wars” fandom have yielded all kinds of memorabilia inspired by George Lucas’s outer-space epic, including light saber lookalikes and wearable replicas of Princess Leia’s slave costume, one holy grail has lately eluded fans: a video version of the “Star Wars” films that takes the fullest advantage of their top-of-the-line home theater systems. That’s a Death Star-sized void that Lucasfilm plans to fill shortly. On Saturday, the studio is to announce that it will release all six live-action “Star Wars” features on Blu-ray DVD in fall 2011. A boxed set containing the Blu-ray versions of the movies, spanning from 1977’s “Star Wars” through the final 2005 prequel, “Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith,” will mark the first time the films have been offered in a high-definition home format, and will include documentary features and previously unseen footage. Given Mr. Lucas’s exacting standards for film presentations (he founded the THX company) and Lucasfilm’s embrace of digital movie technology (digital projection was used for the theatrical release of all three “Star Wars” prequels, and the last two prequels were shot digitally), many fans expected that high-definition versions of the “Star Wars” features would soon follow. But in a telephone interview, Mr. Lucas said he had been waiting to see if the Blu-ray format would be widely accepted by home viewers. “We’ve been wanting to do it as soon as we possibly could, but we just wanted to do it when enough people would be able to buy it and see it,” Mr. Lucas said on Friday from the Star Wars Celebration V convention in Orlando, Fla. When the original “Star Wars” movies were released on VHS in the early 1980s (along with other short-lived home video formats), Mr. Lucas said sales were slow to take off at first. “We came out with ‘Star Wars’ right at the beginning of VHS,” he said, “and we sold 300,000 copies.” Within a few years, he added, “They were selling 1 million, 2 million, 10 million. So we learned from that experience that if you’re too early in the marketplace, there’s just not enough demand for it.” In the case of Blu-ray, at least the potential for galactic-scale sales exists: a recent report by the media firm DEG: The Digital Entertainment Group said that nearly 2 million Blu-ray players were sold in the first half of 2010, an increase of 103 percent over last year, for a total of 19.4 million such devices in the U.S. Mr. Lucas said the versions of the first three “Star Wars” films – “Star Wars,” “The Empire Strikes Back” and “Return of the Jedi” – included in the Blu-ray boxed set will be the special-edition releases that were shown theatrically in 1997 and digitally restored for a 2004 standard-definition DVD boxed set. Perhaps bracing for the reactions of fans who decried some of the changes made to the special-edition films – like, say, an exchange of gunfire between Han Solo and a certain green-skinned bounty hunter – Mr. Lucas said that to release the original versions of these films on Blu-ray was “kind of an oxymoron because the quality of the original is not very good.” “You have to go through and do a whole restoration on it, and you have to do that digitally,” he added. “It’s a very, very expensive process to do it. So when we did the transfer to digital, we only transferred really the upgraded version.” And while some viewers might want the “Star Wars” Blu-ray release in time for this year’s Life Day – that is, the Wookiee holiday that roughly coincides with the start of the holiday shopping season – Mr. Lucas said a 2011 release was the earliest possible date. (The boxed set will be distributed by Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment; Lucasfilm did not give pricing information or indicate if the films will also be sold individually.) That, he said, was partly due to continuing work on the additional Blu-ray features, and partly to factors beyond his control. “We’ve been working on them for quite a while,” Mr. Lucas said, “but still, there are pipelines. Unfortunately, the recent releases get priority over what we call the classic versions of things.”	Lucas in 2009. After years of rumours personally announced at Convention in Orlando the worldwide release of the Star Wars Saga on in autumn 2011. All six films will be released as a box-set with high video- and audio-quality and containing additional features. Specific details have not been mentioned, but a "deleted scene" was shown at the convention, where Luke Skywalker assembles a . "Blu-ray is the absolute best way to experience Star Wars at home – in pristine high definition,” said George Lucas, creator of the Star Wars Saga. “The films have never looked or sounded better." According to '''', George Lucas said that they wanted to wait with the Blu-ray Disc release until market penetration was high enough, because they learned from the 1980s VHS release that an early release on a new home-video system can negatively influence sale figures. ''Wikinews'' learned yesterday that have issued copyright claims to YouTube regarding videos related to the convention and the deleted scene that is now slated for release. As a result, YouTube has removed at least two videos showing this content.
The transport group was awarded the contract to run the East Coast Main Line franchise by the Department for Transport after a bidding war. National Express beat off opposition from Arriva, First Group and a joint venture between Virgin Trains and Stagecoach to win the contract. The group will take over the operation from troubled GNER in December. The new franchise, covering the arterial North-South rail route, will be called National Express East Coast. It links London with Scotland, calling at Peterborough, Leeds, Doncaster, York, Newcastle, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness. The whole deal is very good news, not only for passengers but for the taxpayer Transport Minister Tom Harris It was put out to tender last year after the US parent firm of British rail firm GNER was struck by financial troubles and could not afford to pay the £1.3bn it had promised the government for the right to run the service. Extra services "The whole deal is very good news, not only for passengers but for the taxpayer," said Transport Minister Tom Harris, speaking to the BBC. Under the terms of the deal, National Express has agreed to pay the Treasury £1.4bn to operate the franchise until the end of March 2015. The group, which also operates the Gatwick and Stansted Express and the inter-city services between Yorkshire, the east Midlands and London through Midland Mainline, has also pledged to invest in extra services, stations and on-board services. National Express said it would inject £7.4m to upgrade stations, including the creation of 2,000 extra car park spaces, over the course of the seven-and-a-half years. It also said that from December 2010, the number of weekday trains could rise from 136 to 161 and a new London-to-Lincoln service would also be added. The company will spend £400,000 in reducing energy use at stations and train depots. GNER had joined forces with Virgin Trains and Stagecoach in their joint bid for the contract, in the hope it would retain a stake. GNER's chief executive Jonathan Metcalfe said: "Naturally, we are disappointed that our joint bid was unsuccessful, but we now have to look to the future and work with the successful bidder to create an even bigger and better railway. "The needs of our passengers will always come first." \|\|\|\|\| National Express awarded contract for growth on InterCity East Coast Stock Market statement For immediate release: 0700hrs 14th August 2007 The Department for Transport today announced that NXEC Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of National Express Group, has been awarded the contract to operate services on the InterCity East Coast rail franchise. The franchise comprises of services connecting London with Scotland via Peterborough and the north of England. It will start on 09 December 2007 until 31st March 2015, with the last 17 months conditional on set performance levels being reached. £1.4bn (NPV) will be paid over the life of the franchise in premium as a contribution to DfT’s rail budget. The contract will deliver: The current (May 2007) timetable, which includes Leeds half-hourly services, until 2010. From December 2010, there is provision for up to 25 extra train services - around 14,000 seats - each weekday. Up to 40 more carriages will be brought into use to deliver increased capacity Included within this, a new London - Lincoln service will operate at 2 hourly intervals. A new London - York service will also operate at 2 hourly intervals and will call at intermediate stations Faster journeys: London - Leeds services in 2 hours, London - York in 1 hour 45 minutes, and more London - Edinburgh trains taking around 4 hours 20 minutes Better performance, so that 9 out of 10 trains run on time. NXEC is committed to reducing its delay minutes by 29% by the end of the franchise Environmental benefits, including a commitment to reduce fuel consumption per passenger kilometre by 28% over the franchise term, designate four ‘green stations’ and £400, 000 invested in reducing energy use at station and depots A simpler website that will highlight the cheapest tickets available and the expected seat availability on each train. Smartcards introduced by 2010 £7.4m to upgrade stations. Up to 2000 more car parking spaces to be provided by the end of the franchise with half of these expected within the first 2 years On board trains, Wi-Fi will be free in Standard Class and full dining services reatined on 87 weekday trains Rail Minister Tom Harris said: "We want to grow and develop our rail network. In our White Paper we set out plans to deliver increased capacity, better performance and improved connections between key towns and cities. Franchise awards are already delivering these benefits. “Passengers travelling on the East Coast Main Line will see similar enhancements. There is provision in this contract for extra services and fewer delays. NXEC will also invest in stations and on-board services.” Overall, regulated and unregulated fares together are likely to rise by RPI + 1.6% each year throughout the course of the franchise. The Government will continue to limit annual rises of regulated fares - which include season tickets and saver fares - in line with national policy, which is currently RPI+1%. As with all franchises, unregulated fares will be the responsibility of the operator. NXEC have indicated that they may wish to raise unregulated fares by an average of 2.1% above inflation each year over the course of the franchise. ENDS Notes to Editors: 1. The Net Present Value of the premium is £1.414bn. The premium profile is: Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Total Year ending 31st March Notes 31-Mar-08 31-Mar-09 31-Mar-10 31-Mar-11 31-Mar-12 31-Mar-13 31-Mar-14 31-Mar-15 All the figures are in £'000 (brackets represent subsidy) Franchise payments (from FA) 1 (6,742) 84,756 133,162 178,687 228,569 300,599 346,157 394,722 1,659,909 Nominal franchise payments 2 (6,742) 86,858 140,053 192,986 253,574 342,239 403,761 471,762 1,884,490 PV of nominal franchise payments 3 (6,706) 82,660 125,392 162,552 200,937 255,137 283,177 311,276 1,414,423 Note: 1 Franchise Payments are taken directly from the Franchise Agreement and represent the sum of the fixed, RPI and AEI related payment elements in 2007/08 prices. 2 Nominal Franchise Payments are determined by applying DfT's forecast of RPI and AEI to the Franchise Payments in the Franchise Agreement. 3 The Present Value (PV) of Nominal Franchise Payments are calculated using HM Treasury's real discount rate (3.5%) adjusted for inflation. 2. Revenue Share/Support: Revenue Share - If actual revenue out-turns between 102% and 106% of target revenue, then 50% of the excess between 102% and 106% will be shared with DfT. If it out-turns above 106%, then 80% of the further excess will be shared with DfT. Revenue Support - If actual revenue out-turns between 98% and 94% of target revenue, then DfT will provide support equivalent to 50% of the shortfall between 98% and 94%. If it out-turns below 94%, then DfT will provide support equivalent to 80% of the further shortfall. Revenue support arrangements only apply after the first four years of the franchise. 3. Timetable - NXEC has worked closely with Network Rail during the preparation of their bid, and will continue to work with Network Rail and the Office of the Rail Regulator to put in place extra services from December 2010, based on the conclusions of Network Rail’s East Coast Route Utilisation Strategy. The new timetable could provide: An increase in the number of weekday trains from 136 to 161, including five trains in each off-peak hour from King's Cross - two to Leeds, two to Newcastle (with half of those trains extended to Edinburgh, and some to Glasgow, Aberdeen and Inverness, as happens today), and a fifth train running in alternate hours to Lincoln and to York; An additional 14,411 seats each weekday over and above the current timetable A new two hourly direct service between London and Lincoln and a new two hourly London to York service, calling at intermediate stations, giving good connectivity whilst enabling trains between London and Leeds, York, Newcastle and Scotland can be accelerated. 4. Trains - Existing Inter-City East Coast rolling stock will be retained, with HST powercars re-engined to reduce fuel consumption. Additional services will be operated on rolling stock previously used on the West Coast Main Line DfT is in the process of procuring the next generation of intercity trains (the Inter-City Express Programme) to be introduced across the network from 2014. A pre-series batch of the new trains will be introduced on the East Coast Main Line from 2012 before production of the full fleet begins 5. Stations – NXEC will continue to manage 12 stations across the franchise, and will invest in improvements to lighting, toilet facilities, better signing, lounge and waiting facilities, seats, cycle facilities and cleaning, painting and decorating. Stations that will receive improvements include: Newcastle, Grantham, Retford, Doncaster, Durham, Dunbar, Darlington, Wakefield, Peterborough and York. 6. Environmental: NXEC will also: appoint an Environmental Manager with specific responsibility for coordinating environmental activity within the franchise conduct an annual environmental audit trial the installation of an electricity consumption meter to enable energy efficiency of trains to be monitored reduce waste disposal, water consumption and hazardous waste levels throughout the course of the franchise 7. Car Parking - NXEC will seek to increase car parking capacity by up to 33% over the life of the franchise with an additional 2000 spaces; half of these are dependent on a development scheme at Peterborough, but other stations for which capacity is planned include Retford, Dunbar, Newcastle, Newark Northgate, York and Wakefield Westgate 8. Catering - NXEC will provide a buffet and trolley service throughout First and Standard Class, and an at-seat service to standard class customers enabling them to order hot food which will be delivered to seat. NXEC will provide a full restaurant service on 87 train services Monday to Friday with an improved range of full meals. Currently, a full restaurant service operates on 88 train services Monday - Friday. 9. Performance - NXEC is committed to achieving 90.1% PPM by January 2010. A 29% reduction in delay minutes attributed to the TOC will be achieved by the end of the franchise 10. Delay/Repay compensation arrangements - As with recent franchise awards, a single compensation policy for all passengers will be introduced. Discounts on renewal for season tickets valid between one month and one year in compensation for poor punctuality and reliability will be replaced by compensation based on delays to individual journeys, known as Delay/Repay. Under the new system, all passengers will be entitled to claim compensation for all delays, whatever their cause. 50% of the price paid for a single-leg journey delayed by between 30 and 59 minutes; 100% of the price paid for a single-leg journey delayed by between 60 and 119 minutes; and 100% of the price paid for a return journey delayed by more than 119 minutes The changes will also start to standardise disparate compensation arrangements for single, return and weekly season ticket holders on different train operators. 11. Further details from the franchise competition are available on the DfT website http://www.dft.gov.uk Note: 1 Franchise Payments are taken directly from the Franchise Agreement and represent the sum of the fixed, RPI and AEI related payment elements in 2007/08 prices. 2 Nominal Franchise Payments are determined by applying DfT's forecast of RPI and AEI to the Franchise Payments in the Franchise Agreement. 3 The Present Value (PV) of Nominal Franchise Payments are calculated using HM Treasury's real discount rate (3.5%) adjusted for inflation. \|\|\|\|\| National Express has triumphed in the battle to run the main London-to-Scotland rail route after promising to boost capacity, cut delays and lower fuel consumption. The company fought off competition from Arriva, First Group and Virgin Trains to operate the east coast mainline. The contract, which runs from December 9 this year to March 31 2015, was awarded by the Department for Transport this morning. It was put out for tender after GNER, the current operator, admitted it could not afford to run the franchise. National Express's winning bid is worth £1.4bn - £100m more than GNER had previously agreed to pay. Adam Walker, the company's finance director, insisted this morning that National Express could afford to make those payments to the government and still make a profit on the route. He also tried to reassure passengers that fares would not rise sharply, although some fares will rise by up to 18% above the RPI measure of inflation over the life of the contract. "Our policy is to stimulate demand on the rail network. If you raise fares substantially you'll still sell tickets in the short term, but that's not the right way to run the business in the long term," Mr Walker said. National Express plans to raise unregulated fares, such as off-peak tickets, by an average of 2.1% more than the rate of inflation each year. Regulated fares, such as commuters' season tickets, will rise by an average of 1% above inflation each year. It will spend £24m on new rolling stock, letting it run an extra 25 services a day from December 2010. It has also promised to cut delays by 29% by the end of the franchise. Mr Walker said National Express would appoint an environmental officer for the route to help it hit a target of cutting fuel consumption per passenger kilometre by 28%. It has promised refunds for any customers who book a seat only to find they have to stand throughout the journey. It will also offer free wireless internet access to all passengers - currently only first class passengers are not charged for Wi-Fi. Shares in National Express rose by 17p to £11.65 following the announcement, an increase of almost 1.5%, but later fell back 2p to £11.45. They gained more than 8% yesterday amid speculation that the company would win the franchise. National Express had previously failed to win the Cross Country, London-Midland and east Midlands rail franchises, which were all awarded earlier this year.	National Express Group logo NXEC Trains Ltd, a subsidiary of National Express Group, has been awarded the contract to run the InterCity East Coast franchise and operate intercity rail services on the East Coast Main Line, a high-speed route connecting London with the north-east of England and Scotland. The company, which is to brand the service as ''National Express East Coast'', will take over the franchise from the current operator Great North Eastern Railway (GNER) from December 9, 2007. GNER's contract was initially due to run until 2015 but was terminated early by the Department for Transport after its parent company, Sea Containers Ltd, found itself in financial difficulties which meant it was unable to pay the £1.3 billion it had promised in its bid to run the service. A number of other bids were made for the franchise. These were from Arriva, FirstGroup, and a partnership of Stagecoach, Virgin, and GNER. Richard Bowker, chief executive of National Express Group, said, "We are absolutely delighted that we have won the UK’s premier intercity railway. We have won with a bid which is ambitious, deliverable and structured to generate shareholder value."
NEW YORK (Reuters) -- Google Inc.'s online video service YouTube agreed to remove more than 100,000 video clips following demands by Viacom after the two companies failed to reach a distribution agreement. Viacom (Charts) said it sent a notice to YouTube on Friday morning, asking the popular video-sharing site to remove clips from Viacom-owned properties, including MTV Networks and BET. Video More video Google earned $1 billion last quarter but didn't give any specifics about YouTube's revenue when it reported results. (February 1) Play video The media company controlled by Sumner Redstone said its pirated programs on YouTube have generated about 1.2 billion video streams, based on a study from an outside consultant. "Filtering tools promised repeatedly by YouTube and Google (Charts) have not been put in place, and they continue to host and stream vast amounts of unauthorized video," Viacom said in a statement. YouTube said in a statement they would comply with Viacom's request, noting they take copyright issues very seriously. "It's unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom's shows," a YouTube spokesperson said. "We will continue to work with content partners large and small to provide them with a platform to promote their content and engage and grow their audiences." Viacom is taking a hard stance against the Internet's most popular video service, which is renowned for its quirky, viewer-contributed video clips as much as for being a repository for unauthorized television shows. "This is a negotiating tactic," UBS analyst Ben Schachter said. "We think a deal gets done... The terms have major implications for the value of content online." Viacom's move also runs counter to the strategies employed by other media companies, such as the Warner Music Group (Charts), Vivendi-owned Universal Music Group, and General Electric (Charts) controlled NBC Universal, which have all landed deals with YouTube to test the service. CBS Corp., (Charts) which spun off from Viacom, also has a deal with YouTube. In fact, CBS held a contest, in which YouTube users submitted videos they created. The winners will have their videos aired on CBS television. Hours after Viacom made its announcement, CBS said it would show the first winning video on Sunday. Universal Music, most notably, threatened to sue YouTube last year but reached a partnership with them. Its deal included taking a small stake in the company, according to several published reports. Even as some media companies have decided to experiment with YouTube, other companies including News Corp. (Charts), NBC and Viacom have held discussions to create its own online video business, sources have said. Viacom last October had requested YouTube take down some of its video clips, including those from hit shows from cable network Comedy Central, whose on-air talent joked about the site's popularity during the shows. But thousands of clips remained on the service. "YouTube and Google retain all of the revenue generated from this practice, without extending fair compensation to the people who have expended all of the effort and cost to create it," said Viacom. Viacom added, "The recent addition of YouTube-served content to Google Video Search simply compounds this issue." It was not immediately clear what percentage of YouTube's estimated 100 million views per day Viacom clips represent. Google Chief Executive Eric Schmidt told analysts on Wednesday YouTube was in "various stages" of introducing technology, such a digital "fingerprinting," to identify copyrighted material. "That is an area of big research in the computer science community and also a significant investment here at Google," Schmidt said after Google's quarterly results. CBS looks for a 'Super' lift \|\|\|\|\| James Crosby, former chief executive of HBOS, resigns as deputy chairman of the Financial Services Authority after a claim that he ignored a warning that his bank was growing too fast.	Viacom Inc. Yesterday, YouTube was told by Viacom Inc. to remove over 100,000 video clips thought to possibly feature content produced by Viacom owned companies after the two failed to reach an agreement for revenue sharing. Viacom said its content posted without permission on YouTube generate about 1.2 billion video streams, based on a study from an outside consultant. Viacom owns popular American companies such as MTV, Black Entertainment Television (BET) and Nickelodeon. Many users on YouTube upload copyrighted videos without permission everyday, sometimes unknowingly. "YouTube and Google retain all of the revenue generated from this practice, without extending fair compensation to the people who have expended all of the effort and cost to create it," said Viacom in a statement. "It's unfortunate that Viacom will no longer be able to benefit from YouTube's passionate audience which has helped to promote many of Viacom's shows," a YouTube spokesperson said. "We will continue to work with content partners large and small to provide them with a platform to promote their content and engage and grow their audiences." Companies such as CBS have reached deals with YouTube over using their content.
NEW YORK, July 20 (Reuters) - A New Jersey resident found what was described to her as a "missile launcher" in her Jersey City front yard on Friday, but police said the 20-year-old weapon was no longer a hazard to public safety. The weapon was found close to Newark Liberty International Airport's flight path. Indian-born Niranjana Desai, 66, said she found the 3 foot (90 cm) long weapon as she was leaving for work and immediately called police. "I was shocked," she said. "I was afraid because of what people want to do to this country." She has lived in the United States for about 25 years, she said. Desai said police told her the weapon at her home, 5 miles (8 kilometres) west of Manhattan, was a "missile launcher." Jersey City police said in a statement the object was a 20-year-old "military training device" that was "no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety." "The device ... has been turned over to United States Army officials at Fort Monmouth," the statement said. Authorities said they were working with Army officials to track the training device to determine how it came to be in Desai's front yard. \|\|\|\|\| You need the latest Flash player to view WCBSTV.com: Your Source For New York News, Weather, Sports & Traffic video content. Click here to download. Advertisement A Jersey City woman found an AT-4 missile launcher, similar to the one seen here being used by a U.S. Marine, on her front lawn. (AP photo) Niranjana Besai found a missile launcher lying in the grass by her front porch in Jersey City. Her house sits along a flight path to Newark Liberty International Airport. \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK Federal investigators are examining what appears to be an inoperative military rocket launcher tube found Friday morning on the front lawn of a Jersey City home that sits directly in the flight path of busy Newark Liberty International Airport. Jersey City Police removed the tube, and the incident is now being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The New York office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told FOX News that it appeared to be a military firing tube, and that there was no evidence of any explosive device discovered at the scene. The Associated Press reported that the tube was an inoperable military training device, and that it was given to Army officials at Fort Monmouth . Police said the device was believed to be about 20 years old, and that it posed no hazard. It may have been used for anti-tank training, police told the AP. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements \|\|\|\|\| Fast Facts Sources told WCBS it's the kind of missile launcher that could take down an aircraft. (CBS) A Jersey City woman made a shocking discovery on her lawn Friday morning when she noticed a military rocket launcher lying in the grass, reports CBS Station WCBS. Niranjana Besai was leaving her house to go to work at just after 8 a.m. when she saw the launcher on her front lawn. She immediately called police. Besai's neighbor, Joe Quinn, saw her pointing at the equipment from her front porch. When he walked over to the six-foot-long weapon, he was just as shocked. "It looked like a bazooka," he told WCBS. Quinn told WCBS News investigative reporter Scott Weinberger he originally thought the launcher was just a pipe, but after noticing it had a picture of a soldier on it, he realized it looked similar to a missile launcher he'd seen on television. Jersey City police removed the launcher. The incident is now being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI. Jersey City police could not confirm whether it was actually operable. Sources told WCBS it's the kind of missile launcher that could take down an aircraft. The area where the launcher was discovered is in or very near a flight path for Newark Liberty International Airport. © MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. \|\|\|\|\| ROCKET LAUNCHER FOUND IN N.J. ABLE TO TAKE DOWN PLANES, IN AIRPORT'S PATH Post Staff Report July 20, 2007 -- An inoperable military rocket launcher was discovered in a Jersey City woman's front yard this morning -- directly in the path of the Newark Airport, WCBS reported. Niranjana Besai saw the war-time weapon in her yard as she was leaving for work. "I read it and it [said] 'missile,'" Besai told CBS 2. "There was little 'missile' [writing] on it." She called police, who removed the launcher. Besai's house is located along the flight path for Newark Liberty International Airport. The incident is being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the FBI, the news station reported. Officials told the Star Ledger that the rocket launcher was inoperable. The FBI told the paper that the launcher came from an AT-4 anti-tank weapon, which is used to destroy or disable armored vehicles. \|\|\|\|\| NEW YORK Federal investigators are examining what appears to be an inoperative military rocket launcher tube found Friday morning on the front lawn of a Jersey City home that sits directly in the flight path of busy Newark Liberty International Airport. Jersey City Police removed the tube, and the incident is now being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The New York office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms told FOX News that it appeared to be a military firing tube, and that there was no evidence of any explosive device discovered at the scene. The Associated Press reported that the tube was an inoperable military training device, and that it was given to Army officials at Fort Monmouth . Police said the device was believed to be about 20 years old, and that it posed no hazard. It may have been used for anti-tank training, police told the AP. (Story continues below) Advertise Here Advertisements Advertisements	Map showing location of Jersey City. Police in Jersey City, New Jersey in the United States say that they have found a 20 year old rocket launcher tube, capable of shooting down planes, on the front yard of a home that is reported to be directly in the path of Newark Liberty International Airport. Police say that the weapon was not in operating condition. Firing an AT-4 produces a large back blast, a significant problem when operating the weapon in urban environments. "I was shocked. I read it and it and there was the word missile on it. There was little 'missile' writing on it. I was afraid because of what people want to do to this country," said Niranjana Besai who was born in India and has lived in the U.S. for 25 years who discovered the weapon at about 8:00 a.m EDT (UTC-4) when she was leaving the house to go to work. According to ''Modern Firearms'', the weapon can only be used once, saying it "is a disposable, single shot, recoilless weapon" and can hit a target with a range of "up to 150 meters to use against moving targets, and about 300 meters against stationary targets." The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives confirms that the weapon is of military issue and has been identified as a model AT-4, primarily used as an anti-tank weapon. It is manufactured by Saab Bofors Dynamics in Sweden. No explosive devices have been located at the scene. The ''Associated Press'' says that the weapon was made to be used during training missions and anti-tank artillery. The U.S. Army at Fort Monmouth in Oceanport, New Jersey is now in possession of the weapon. "The device has been turned over to United States Army officials at Fort Monmouth," said Jersey City police in a statement to the press which also confirmed the weapon was a U.S. military issued launcher and was "no longer operable and not considered to be a hazard to public safety." It is not known how the weapon ended up in Besai's yard. The Joint Terrorism Task Force and FBI have confiscated the weapon, before turning it over to the army, and they are investigating the incident.
May 5: First Lady Laura Bush, the administration’s most vocal opponent of the junta in Myanmar, offered the U.S. response to the cyclone that has killed more than 10,000 in Myanmar. NBC's John Yang reports. MSNBC News Services YANGON, Myanmar - A powerful cyclone killed more than 350 people and destroyed thousands of homes, state-run media said Sunday. Some dissident groups worried that the military junta running Myanmar would be reluctant to ask for international help. Tropical Cyclone Nargis hit at a delicate time for the junta, less than a week ahead of a crucial referendum on a new constitution. Should the junta be seen as failing disaster victims, voters who already blame the regime for ruining the economy and squashing democracy could take out their frustrations at the ballot box. Story continues below ↓ advertisement advertisement Some in Yangon complained the 400,000-strong military was doing little to help victims after Saturday's storm. "Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?" said a trishaw driver who refused to be identified for fear of retribution. "They should come out in full force and help clean up the areas and restore electricity." Myanmar, also known as Burma, has been under military rule since 1962. Its government has been widely criticized for human rights abuses and suppression of pro-democracy parties such as the one led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been under house arrest for almost 12 of the past 18 years. Last September, at least 31 people were killed and thousands more were detained when the military cracked down on protests led by Buddhist monks and democracy advocates. The Forum for Democracy in Burma and other dissident groups outside of Myanmar urged the military junta Sunday to allow aid groups to operate freely in the wake of the cyclone — something it has been reluctant to do in the past. It would be difficult for other countries to help unless they received a request from Myanmar's military rulers. "International expertise in dealing with natural disasters is urgently required. The military regime is ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath of the cyclone," said Naing Aung, secretary general of the Thailand-based forum. Storm leaves ‘utter war zone’ At least five regions of the impoverished Southeast Asian country have been declared disaster zones. Of the 351 people killed, at least 162 lived on Haing Gyi island off the country's southwest coast, state-run television said. Many of the others died in the low-lying Irrawaddy delta. "The Irrawaddy delta was hit extremely hard not only because of the wind and rain but because of the storm surge," said Chris Kaye, the U.N.'s acting humanitarian coordinator in Yangon. "The villages there have reportedly been completely flattened." State television reported that in the Irrawaddy's Labutta township, 75 percent of the buildings had collapsed. “Utter war zone,” one Yangon-based diplomat said in an email to Reuters in Bangkok. “Trees across all streets. Utility poles down. Hospitals devastated. Clean water scarce.” Many roofs were ripped off even sturdy buildings, suggesting damage would be severe in the shanty towns that sit on the outskirts of the sprawling river-delta city of 5 million people. “I have never seen anything like it,” one retired government worker told Reuters. “It reminded me of when Hurricane Katrina hit the United States.” No water, power in Yangon Although the sun was shining by Sunday morning, the former capital was without power and water. An Electricity Board official said it was impossible to know when services -- hit-and-miss at the best of times in one of Asia’s poorest countries -- would be restored. “It is very hard to say when we can resume supply. We still have to clear the mess,” the official, who did not want to be named, said. United Nations disaster experts said it would be days before the extent of the damage was known in a country ruled since 1962 by secretive and ruthless military regimes. The U.N. planned to send teams Monday to assess the damage, Kaye said. Initial assessment efforts have been hampered by roads clogged with debris and downed phone lines, he said. "At the moment, we have such poor opportunity for communications that I can't really tell you very much," Kaye said. Bunkered down in Naypyidaw, a new capital 240 miles to the north of Yangon, the ruling generals will almost certainly have avoided the worst of the storm. “There does not seem to be a high number of casualties but for sure there is a lot of damage to property and infrastructure,” Therje Skavdal, regional head of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA), said. “It’s early and it will take a few days before we get an overview of the damage,” he told Reuters in Bangkok. Another United Nations official said a formal offer of assistance had been made although the junta was yet to respond. \|\|\|\|\| Image of AFP/Getty Images Thousands were killed when cyclone Nargis tore through Burma AFP/Getty Images People walk down a flooded street in Burma's largest city Yangon AFP/Getty Images Cyclone Nargis uprooted trees and downed power lines in Yangon State media reported that 19 people died in the former capital Rangoon, 109 in Haing Gyi island, and 222 in the Irrawaddy Delta region, where the 120mph storm came ashore. A state of emergency has been declared in five regions and the death toll is expected to rise further. Reports said that 70 per cent of homes were destroyed in two towns on the delta, a densely populated and low lying coastal area which produces much of the impoverished country’s rice. On Haing Gyi island, just off the coast, 92,000 people are reported to be homeless. Meteorologists had predicted that cyclone Nargis would produce a 12-foot storm surge when it came ashore. Electricity and telephone services have been completely knocked out, roads are blocked and Rangoon airport is closed, largely cutting the country off from the outside world just days before a referendum on a contentious new constitution written by the junta. There was speculation that, with infrastructure crippled and the population struggling to provide for their basic needs, the vote may have to be postponed. A diplomat in Rangoon, a dilapidated city of five million people, described the scene in an email to Reuters. “Utter war zone,” he wrote. “Trees across all streets. Utility poles down. Hospitals devastated. Clean water scarce.” A United Nations official in the city added: “It’s a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation.” In Rangoon harbour four ships reportedly sank. The Information Ministry said the prime minister and other officials were heading to Rangoon from the regime’s isolated capital, Naypidaw, to lead the relief operation. But there was criticism of the government’s response. “Where are all those uniformed people who are always ready to beat civilians?” asked a Rangoon resident, who refused to be identified. “They should come out in full force and help clean up the areas and restore electricity.” The disaster comes at a particularly sensitive time in Burma, as the regime prepares to push its unpopular new constitution through a referendum on Saturday. Analysts say the supposedly democratic constitution will leave most power in the hands of the army. Nevertheless, the generals’ decision to risk a popular vote at all is seen as a sign of weakness following last year’s anti-regime protests led by Buddhist monks. One of the principal causes of those protests was a dramatic increase in fuel prices. The damage caused by the storm to property, infrastructure and especially crops could have political ramifications if food prices rise dramatically.	351 people have been reported dead after a cyclone hit Burma, which is also known as Myanmar. As a result it has been declared by the Burmese government that five states are currently disaster areas. A photograph of the cyclone A diplomat in the area spoke to the ''Reuters'' news agency, giving them a description of the scene. He said that the area around him looked like a 'war zone' as a result of the cyclone. An official from the United Nations also commented on the situation. "It’s a bad situation. Almost all the houses are smashed. People are in a terrible situation,” he said. Another UN representative also spoke on the incident. He reported that "The Irrawaddy delta was hit extremely hard not only because of the wind and rain but because of the storm surge." ''The Daily Telegraph '', a UK newspaper, reported that the food price in Burma could be affected by this incident.
A volcanic eruption has just begun under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. This has been verified by local authorities in neighbouring Hvolsvöllur. Vísir reports that farms in the Fljótshlíð area and by Markarhlíð are already being evacuated. Locals in the area have confirmed that they are viewing flames and a steady stream of lava from the glacier.Eyjafjallajökull is an active central volcano. There is reportedly no recorded history of catastrophic eruptions in the area. The volcano last erupted 189 years ago and apparently caused a lot of ash fall in the area. Although speculation on the subject is pretty much useless (especially since your loving team of Grapevine reporters isn't really comprised of geologists or anything, although we scored pretty well in the subject in high school), folks are saying that besides the ash fall the greatest danger lies in glacier bursts or runs stemming from all that hot hot heat melting the glacier. There might be a bunch of water flooding the area pretty soon.ANYWAY, this is all moot speculation. What we know at the moment is that a volcanic eruption is indeed occurring under the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, and that lava is really, really hot.More on this as it develops. Hey, we might even be able to get you some pictures. Stay tuned.(The photo is of Hekla, a volcano that last erupted in 1999.) \|\|\|\|\| Flights delays because of volcanic eruption in Iceland. Flights that where delayed last night have now confirmed deaparting time. Estimated departure times are following. Please note that times are local Icelandic and in brackets (local time in Boston): FI680 fer 18:30 (14:30) Estimated arrival time 23:30 FI630 fer 16:30 (12:30) Estimated arrival time 21:10 FI688 fer 18:30 (14:30) Estimated arrival time 23:30 Passengers that had onward flights to Europe have been rebooked to their destination with other airlines. Estimated arrival times for flights that left for Europe at noon are correct on the flight information pages on www. icelandair.is Estimated departure times tonight are: Original scheduled departure times are in brackets FI212 (14:15) 20:40 FI631 (17:00) 20:45 FI615 (17:00) 19:35 FI454 (16:30) 19:35 FI324 (16:55) 21:10 Please review further here Flight Status Information. \|\|\|\|\| The eruption lit up the night sky just after midnight on Sunday Several hundred people have been evacuated from their homes, as a volcano erupted in southern Iceland. The volcano near the Eyjafjallajoekull glacier began to erupt shortly after midnight, leading to road closures in the area. No one was in immediate danger, but 500 people were being moved from the area, a civil protection officer said. It is almost 200 years since a volcano near Eyjafjallajoekull, 120km (75 miles) east of Reykjavik, last erupted. "We estimate that no one is in danger in the area but we have started an evacuation plan and between 500 and 600 people are being evacuated," Sigurgeir Gudmundsson of the Icelandic civil protections department told the Agence France-Presse news agency. There are fears that the volcano could cause flooding, as it causes ice to melt on the glacier above it. "Ash has already begun to fall in Fljotshlid and people in the surrounding area have reported seeing bright lights emanating from the glacier," RUV public radio said on its website. "It was a bit scary, but still amazing to see," Katrin Moller Eiriksdottir, who lives in Fljotshlid, told the BBC News website. "The ash had started falling and we couldn't leave the car. They have now closed the road but we'll see what happens in the morning." Three Icelandair flights, bound for Reykjavik from the United States, have been ordered to return to their points of origin, RUV radio reported. The last volcanic eruption in the area occurred in 1821. Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the eruption? Send your comments using the post form below. A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box 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 \|\|\|\|\| Eyjafjöll, located immediately west of Katla volcano, consists of an E-W-trending, elongated ice-covered basaltic-andesite stratovolcano with a 2.5-km-wide summit caldera. Fissure-fed lava flows occur on both the eastern and western flanks of the volcano, but are more prominent on the western side. Although the 1666-m-high volcano has erupted during historical time, it has been less active than other volcanoes of Iceland's eastern volcanic zone, and relatively few Holocene lava flows are known. The sole historical eruption of Eyjafjöll, during December 1821 to January 1823, produced intermediate-to-silicic tephra from the central caldera. \|\|\|\|\| Restoring the Flugstodir website is underway. Lets begin with some raw material, a LOT of photographs of aviation history of Iceland. They are quite disorganized and lacking descriptive text, but that will improve over time. The website was in the past, used by Isavia, the official controller of airports and aviation in Iceland. Here’s an Icelandair flight I took from Billund Denmark to Iceland. A 757. The view from back seats in the aircraft. A lovely diagram of all the routes of IcelandAir. I was in Billund airport for a few hours, before flying to Copenhagen, then Keflavik airport in Iceland. As you can see, the Billund terminal is not large. I actually missed a connection from Billund to Keflavik. IcelandAir is apparently famous for being on-time, meaning, they do not wait for delayed passengers. Here’s more pictures of the Billund terminal, taken from the taxiway. So over to Copenhagen we flew, and stayed the night. Here’s Copenhagen airport. We stayed at the Hilton hotel attached to the airport, and from the hotel, there is this view of Terminal 3. And viewed from a greater distance, you can appreciate the shape of terminal 3 is like a paper airplane shape. Airport architecture is the modern world’s best place to show off curves and flight motifs. This YouTube video of IcelandAir’s Boeing 757 is really great. There’s a fun holiday story about how I ended up going through Iceland on my way home. I was in Berlin visiting the Berlin Aviation Museum (Militärhistorisches Museum Flugplatz Berlin-Gatow) and on the way home, the Amsterdam airport was completely fogged in, and all flights cancelled. There was a crush of people in Berlin who needed to be rebooked. The agent found a connection: Berlin Tegel airport to Billund, Billund to Keflavik, Keflavik to Edmonton. We were happy at first, actually happy anyway, even after we missed the connection, but the people in Billund were unhappy with KLM who sent people to a small airport with no hope of succeeding in a connection. I was happy because I got to visit Iceland and learn a lot about it’s aviation history during the flight, and in the airport. \|\|\|\|\| Evacuation in response to the volcanic eruption in Eyjarfjall Glacier has begun. The Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management confirms that a volcanic eruption in the Eyjafjallajökull glacier has begun. The presence of volcanic ash has been confirmed in the area of Fljótshlið. The Civil Protection, in response to the eruption, has declared a local emergency and initiated the emergency response plan. The National Emergency coordination centre in Skógarhlið, Reykjavik, has been activated and is operational. Response teams have been dispatched to the area and the situation is being closely monitored. The Local Emergency operations centre has been established in Hella and the evacuation of the area around Fljótshlid has begun. People in the area should follow these instructions. People in the area of Fljótshlið and the areas to the west of the Markarfljóts should evacuate to Hvolsvöllur and Hella. Farms to the west to Ásólfsskáli should evacuate to Heimaland. The farms of Ásólfsskáli, Skálakot and Moldnúpur should evacuate to Varmahlíð. Þorvaldseyri and all farms to the east of Hrútafell should evacuate to Drangshlið. People east of Skógará should evacuate to Vík. Three Red Cross mass care centres have been opened in the villages of Hella, Hvolsvöllur and Vík. Red Cross volunteers are ready to receive people. The Red Cross helpline, 1717, is open and able to provide information about the eruption to members of the public.	A volcanic eruption started yesterday in south Iceland at or near the Eyjafjallajökull glacier. The first signs of the eruption were seen between 23:00 and midnight GMT. It is still not clear where the exact location of the eruption is but it appears to be on Fimmvörðuháls. Eyjafjallajökull glacier People living in the area are being evacuated. Police have closed the roads into the area and a state of emergency has been declared. The eruption is expected to result in flooding if it is under the glacier, but fortunately it appears to between Eyjafjallajökull and another glacier, Mýrdalsjökull, reducing the danger of flooding. It is reported that the eruption can be seen as far away as from Vestmannaeyjar. So far the lava flow is viscous and thick. There is also a danger that this eruption could trigger another eruption on nearby Mt. Katla, which is an off-rift volcano beneath Mýrdalsjökull. In the past, eruptions at Eyjafjallajökull have triggered eruptions at Mt. Katla. If Katla does erupt, the effect would be far more significant than that of the current eruption, as lava could melt the ice at the top of the mountain, causing the potential for massive flooding. The air carrier Icelandair has diverted flights which were destined for Iceland as a precaution, due to the risks to aircraft of flying into volcanic ash. A notice to airlines prohibits flights within 120 nautical miles of the volcano. Iceland is a volcanic island situated atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge at the juncture of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.
DUBLIN, Feb 2 (Reuters) - The Irish government is in talks to inject 4 billion euros ($5.14 billion) each into Bank of Ireland BKIR.I and Allied Irish Banks ALBK.I and to create a state-backed insurance scheme to underwrite some of their bad debts, a source familiar with discussions said on Monday. The source said the plan would be unveiled later this week as talks are still ongoing. “There is a small bit of tinkering yet to be done,” said the source, who declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the talks. “AIB are reluctant to take on that amount but the government feel that they (should) do.” ($1=.7783 Euro) (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter) \|\|\|\|\| Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland in €8bn bail-out by Gill Montia Story link: Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland in €8bn bail-out The Irish Government is proposing to invest up to €4 billion each in Allied Irish Bank and Bank of Ireland. The need for the recapitalisation of the Republic’s two leading banks has been pressing for some weeks and following discussions over the weekend, both banks will now receive injections of cash plus guarantees to cover potential losses on bad debts arising from constructions projects and land deals. For their part, the banks are expected to raise a further €1 billion from shareholders in rights issues that will be underwritten by the Government. Full details of the scheme have yet to emerge but the extent of the rescue will be considerably more than the €2 billion government take-up of preference shares set out in an earlier recapitalisation proposal. Meanwhile, Anglo Irish Bank, the Republic’s third-largest bank, is in the process of being nationalised after shares in the lender plummeted recently, on the news that its chairman, Sean Fitzpatrick, had temporarily transferred loans of €87 million with Anglo Irish to another bank, before the group’s financial year end. \|\|\|\|\| THE GOVERNMENT is to invest as much as €4 billion each in AIB and Bank of Ireland as part of a bank recapitalisation plan to be agreed this week. Discussions took place over the weekend between the two banks and the Department of Finance in relation to a deal, which will include both an enhanced injection of funds and an insurance scheme whereby the State will underwrite the banks against potential losses on bad property debts. Details of the recapitalisation plan are on track to be finalised tomorrow, when a Cabinet meeting is scheduled to meet to approve the outcome of national pay negotiations, although the announcement on the bank plan may be delayed until Wednesday or later. The new State investment in AIB and Bank of Ireland is likely to be in the order of €7-8 billion, which is a significantly higher sum than the €2 billion investment by way of preference shares announced in the original recapitalisation plan in December. Under that plan the banks were told to raise a further €1 billion in additional ordinary equity from shareholders, which was to be underwritten by the Government. However, investors’ unwillingness to provide capital made it impossible to raise money from the markets. It is understood the Government now wants to inject more than €3 billion into each bank in order to avoid a situation whereby the emergence of bad debts in the future would require a further injection of State equity. Most of the investment is expected to be by way of preference shares, but an element of straight equity investment has not been ruled out. The insurance scheme will cover outstanding loans on development land on part-completed projects. The banks will write off a portion of the bad debts on these speculative property loans, with the State insuring the balance. Figures reported in the Sunday Timessuggested that this would see the State taking on €24 billion worth of risk relating to the loans. Such a scheme could act as an alternative to the touted “bad bank”, which would see bad debts move off the banks’ balance sheets and into a separate entity. Any deal agreed by the Government will have to take care not to damage Ireland’s national debt rating. Ratings agencies Moody’s and Standard Poor’s have recently threatened to downgrade Ireland’s debt rating, placing the State’s “AAA” rating on a negative outlook. The pressure on public finances will be laid bare again this week as the Government publishes exchequer returns for January. They are likely to show lower tax receipts and higher welfare spending. The two banks’ share prices fell sharply in trading a fortnight ago amid fears that they would be nationalised. A rally in prices since then was undermined by weak trading at the end of last week. Equity market movements this week will be strongly influenced by two key interest rate decisions from the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England scheduled for Thursday. The Bank of England is expected to cut rates to historic lows, but the ECB may put off such a move until March.	The government of Ireland plans to inject €4 billion each into the Bank of Ireland and the Allied Irish Bank. An insurance scheme to underwrite bad debts would also be created and the banks will attempt to raise €1 billion from shareholders. The two banks have been in need of recapitalization for several weeks. The government had previously offered €2 billion. The deal will see the government take on up to €24 billion of risk from speculative property loans by the banks. The government has already moved to nationalize the country's third largest bank, Anglo Irish.
The last time Keith Jones saw him, Eddie Griffin was smiling, upbeat and chatty. They met by chance last spring, at a Houston restaurant, and it seemed to Jones, a Rockets vice president, that Griffin the troubled former Rockets forward was optimistic. “He looked really bright-eyed,” Jones said. Rudy Tomjanovich recalls a similar encounter, in a much different environment. It was about four years ago, and Tomjanovich, the former Rockets coach, was visiting Griffin at a Houston rehabilitation center for alcohol abuse. “He was just all smiles,” Tomjanovich said. To those who cared about him, Griffin was the sort of troubled soul who always seemed to be on the cusp of turning his life around, if only he could stay on the right path. For reasons that are not yet known, the 25-year-old Griffin drove his sport utility vehicle into the side of a moving train early last Friday morning. According to the Houston police, Griffin ignored a warning signal and drove through the railroad arm. Fire consumed the vehicle and Griffin died at the scene. Investigators needed dental records to identify the body. \|\|\|\|\| Home\|Sports\|Timberwolves The talented but troubled forward, released by the Wolves in March, died in Houston, Texas, when he drove his SUV into a moving train. Former Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin was killed last week in a collision between his sport-utility vehicle and a train, the Harris County (Texas) Medical Examiner's office confirmed Tuesday. Griffin, who spent nearly three seasons with the Wolves before he was waived in March, died in the fiery crash on Friday. A Houston police report said that Griffin, 25, drove his vehicle past a railroad crossing barrier and into the moving freight train at about 1:30 a.m. Dental records had to be used to identify him. "The cause of death and manner of death, which also includes toxicology results, is pending," said Beverly Begay, chief investigator for the Harris County Medical Examiner's office. The troubled Griffin was suspended by the NBA on Jan. 12 after he violated the league's substance abuse policy. He did not play again following that five-game benching and was waived by the Wolves on March 13, late in a season in which he played only 13 games and averaged 1.4 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. Griffin, who signed a three-year, $8.1 million contract before the 2005-06 season, played his last game for the Wolves on Dec. 13. He returned to his home in the Houston area, and former Wolves coach Dwane Casey told the Associated Press that Griffin was preparing to play in Europe this season. "He was a great young guy who came to work every day and was fun to be around," said Wolves guard Trenton Hassell, who played with Griffin for each of his three seasons in Minnesota. "It's a sad, sad thing." Wolves forward Mark Madsen said he hoped Griffin would be remembered less for his mistakes than for the gentle, likable side he showed to teammates. "There was so much more to Eddie Griffin than the negative things out there," Madsen said. "There were infinitely more positive things about him as a human being that we saw daily. "He was a lot of fun, very even-tempered, mild-mannered, consistent. This is a very emotional time." Kevin McHale, the Timberwolves vice president of basketball operations, issued an e-mail statement of condolence. "The entire Minnesota Timberwolves organization is deeply saddened by this tragic news," the statement said. "Eddie will be missed by everyone who knew him." The crash ended a life in which flashes of great promise on the court were frequently undone by bad behavior off it. Griffin, a 6-10 power forward, came to the Wolves in October 2004 after alcohol abuse, arrests, suspensions and violations of team rules marred stops in Houston and New Jersey. When he signed a one-year deal with the Wolves as a free agent, the team hoped he would start fresh. He was given a locker next to Kevin Garnett, in the hope that the Wolves star could help Griffin. After averaging 7.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots in 70 games in 2004-05, Griffin signed a three-year contract extension. The following season, he reverted to his old ways. Griffin crashed his car into a parked vehicle in Minneapolis in March 2006 and entered a nearby convenience store; employees said Griffin told them he was drunk. Griffin pleaded guilty to inattentive driving. The car's owner sued Griffin and the city of Minneapolis. Griffin averaged 4.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 blocks in 2005-06. The seventh overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, he bolted from Seton Hall to the NBA at age 19 and soon began frustrating coaches, teammates and fans with his erratic behavior. He combined outside shooting ability with strong inside play as a rookie with Houston, but things soon unraveled. Despite his problems, many of Griffin's teammates spoke kindly of him during his time with the Wolves. "Some guys go through a lot of things," Hassell said. "All I could do was pray for him. But I can say I was never disappointed in Eddie." \|\|\|\|\| HOUSTON Former Minnesota Timberwolves forward Eddie Griffin died last week when his sport utility vehicle collided with a freight train in a fiery crash in Houston, the Harris County medical examiner's office said Tuesday. Investigators used dental records to identify Griffin, 25, who began his tumultuous pro career with the Houston Rockets in 2001. He was waived by the Timberwolves in March. The five-year veteran and former seventh overall draft pick had battled alcohol problems since coming out of Seton Hall. He was suspended by the NBA for five games in January for violating the anti-drug program. Houston police said in a report that the SUV ignored a railroad warning and went through a barrier before striking the moving train about 1:30 a.m. Friday. The driver's body was badly burned and there was no identification. Griffin had a series of suspensions, court dates and missed practices during his first two years in the NBA with Houston and New Jersey. He spent time in the Betty Ford Center for alcohol treatment in 2003-04. Griffin signed with the Wolves as a free agent before the 2004 season, and showed enough promise as a shot-blocker and rebounder to be signed to an extension.	Former National Basketball Association (NBA) player Eddie Griffin died on August 17, 2007, at age 25 due to injuries sustained in a car crash, the Harris County medical examiner's office confirmed on Tuesday. The former Minnesota Timberwolves forward, who was waived in March for violating the League's substance abuse program, ignored a railroad warning, drove his SUV through a barrier, and collided with a moving train at about 1:30 a.m., according to Houston Police. His vehicle caught fire and was soon engulfed in flames. No identification was found and the body was badly burned. For that reason, dental records were used to identify him. Griffin, who played college Basketball at Seton Hall University, played for the Houston Rockets from 2001–2003, and the Minnesota Timberwolves from 2004–2007. The five-year veteran had been battling alcoholism since leaving Seton Hall. He is survived by his three-year-old daughter Amaree.
The man, Eric Traylor, who lives in the 2200 block of 13th Street, said he saw the vehicle crash through a gate at W and 13th streets. "Everybody screamed at her, 'Stop! Stop!' " One victim Traylor saw was a woman whose skin had been torn from her body as she was dragged, he said. He also saw an unconscious man bleeding from the head. Relatives spent much of the night in an anxious effort to find family members who had been taken all over the city for treatment. Andre Johnson and three relatives were on Good Hope Road SE watching the festival when the car headed toward them. Demari Robinson, who is 23 months old, was in a stroller, and Johnson swung it out of the way. Johnson was struck, and the boy was scraped. Both were being treated at hospitals late last night, according to Shirl Scales, a family member. She said another relative, a 13-year-old girl, was taken to Georgetown University Hospital, with a possible broken leg. Still another member of the family had not been located, Scales said. Unifest, which was started in 1982 by Union Temple Baptist Church as a small soul-food festival, has grown into a massive celebration that stretches for blocks along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue and into side streets. The church pastor, the Rev. Willie Wilson said that one year 300,000 people attended. Staff writers Martin Weil and Robert E. Pierre contributed to this report. \|\|\|\|\| The woman charged with driving through a crowded Southeast Washington festival this weekend -- injuring dozens -- had been "smoking crack all day long," Police Chief Cathy L. Lanier said yesterday, citing witnesses and the woman's statement to police. The driver, whom police identified as 30-year-old Tonya Bell of Oxon Hill, is charged with aggravated assault while armed. She has felony and misdemeanor arrests dating to at least 1995 and has served time in prison for charges involving cocaine. Bell suffered a sprained ankle Saturday night in an episode Mayor Adrian M. Fenty described as "one of the worst serious traffic accidents" in D.C. history. At least 40 people, including seven children, were hurt when Bell drove her station wagon through the crowd. In the midst of the mayhem, parents pushed their children aside and tossed empty strollers in her path, hoping to block her. Police on bicycles and motorbikes didn't dare use their weapons with so many people at risk. Instead, they threw two motorized scooters beneath Bell's vehicle, bringing it to a stop. Bell's expression while driving disturbed witnesses. She appeared to be laughing, they said. The incident brought a terrifying end to what had been a peaceful day of music and merriment in historic Anacostia. It occurred about 7:45 p.m. as Unifest, celebrating its 25th year, wound down for the day. Families walking home with plates of fried fish were suddenly scrambling for their lives. "It was chaos. People were just lying everywhere. There were mangled strollers, kids with broken legs. I saw a woman who was hit so bad, her whole body was twisted," said Linda Greene, who lives at 14th and W streets SE, near the crash site. "One guy was stretched out in the street, and it looked like he wasn't moving at all. You saw people with head injuries just walking the streets, bleeding." Dozens were treated at the scene, including about 35 people who were taken to eight hospitals. Five people were seriously hurt, officials said, although their injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. By late yesterday, most of the injured had been released, officials said. "It looks like everyone is going to pull through," Fenty (D) said during a visit to Children's Hospital yesterday, where he met with, among others, a 4-year-old boy whose leg was broken when he was hit by the station wagon. Investigators are trying to determine exactly what happened. How fast was Bell going? There are conflicting accounts about her speed. Where was she headed? Why didn't she stop? Was she high? If so, for how long? Police are seeking answers to those questions as they await toxicology tests results. Bell, who is jailed, is to appear today in D.C. Superior Court. D.C. Council member Marion Barry said his chief of staff is trying to determine whether Bell works as a temporary employee for Barry's council office. Barry (D-Ward 8) said someone named Tonya Bell has worked in the office for several weeks. "Whether it is the same person or not, I am trying to check it out," Barry said last night. "I've asked my chief of staff to try and find out if this Miss Bell is one of several administrative aides we use from temporary agencies."	Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE in Anacostia. A car plowed into a crowded street festival in Washington, DC Saturday night, injuring up to 40 people, including at least two police officers. The scene occurred in the Anacostia region of the city, during Unifest, an annual street festival sponsored by a local church. The car, driven by 30-year-old Tonya Bell, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, had a 7-year-old child in the front seat, and was believed to have been traveling at speeds of up to 70 MPH when the incident occurred. Bell has been charged with aggravated assault while armed for the incident; the child in the vehicle was unharmed. Mayor Adrian M. Fenty said the city would "do everything we can to make sure the victims get the best care." Witnesses say the car never stopped, and describe the scene as crazy and chaotic. Event goers, police, and others in the area attempted to stop the car, but say Bell was "doing this purposefully," and she was not going to stop. Fenty commented that one of the bright spots of this incident was that those who were injured are now being stabilized. Before visiting one of the victims of the incident, a 4-year-old, he said "it looks like everyone is going to pull through."
Çok vahim iddia Ne yapmak istiyor?: Hrant Dink cinayetinin azmettiricisi olarak Yasin Hayal (solda) ve O.S. (sağda) tarafından suçlanan Erhan Tuncel (sağ üstte) "Yeni bilgiler vermek istiyorum" deyince dün Tekirdağ'dan İstanbul'a getirtildi. Ancak Tuncel savcılıkta bilgi vermekten vazgeçtiğini söyleyince yeniden Tekirdağ F Tipi Cezaevi'ne gönderildi. FOTOĞRAF: GÜRSEL ESER / AA FOTOĞRAF: ERHAN SEVENLER / AA Polis şefi, McDonald's'ı bombalayan Hayal'in babasına 'O artık daha iyi yaşayacak. Bayrağı yerden Yasin gibiler kaldıracak. Bizim raporumuzla çok ceza almaz' demiş 10/05/2007 (3168 kişi okudu) TİMUR SOYKAN (Arşivi) DEMET BİLGE ERGÜN (Arşivi) İSTANBUL - Hrant Dink cinayetinin azmettiricisi olduğu iddiasıyla tutuklanan Yasin Hayal'in babası Bahattin Hayal'in, tanık sıfatıyla verdiği bir ifadede çarpıcı açıklamalarda bulunduğu ortaya çıktı. Mc Donald's bombalamasının ardından kendisini yanına çağıran Trabzon Emniyet Müdürlüğü'nden üst düzey bir yetkilinin kendisine 'Yasin bundan sonra daha iyi yaşayacak... Biz raporumuzu ona göre düzenleriz, kendisi de kurtulur' dediğini anlattığı öne sürüldü. İddiaya göre, emniyet yetkilisi de bu sözlerinin ardından cep telefonunu baba Hayal'e gösterdi. Telefonun ekranında Büyük Birlik Partisi (BBP) lideri Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu'nun resmi vardı. Dink cinayetiyle ilgili Trabzon Emniyet Müdürlüğü'nün ihmali olduğu yönündeki iddialar idari soruşturma konusu yapılırken, Emniyet'ten üst düzey bir yöneticinin adı vahim bir iddiayla yeniden gündeme geldi. Edinilen bilgilere göre, baba Hayal, Dink cinayetinden sonra savcılığa bilgi verirken, önemli iddialarda bulundu. Buna göre Mc Donald's olayından Trabzon Emniyeti'ne götürülen baba Bahattin Hayal, burada 'Bu eylemi yaptıysa Yasin öldü' dedi. Karşısındaki yetkiliyse 'Hayır Yasin bundan sonra daha iyi yaşayacak' dedi. Şaşıran Hayal, 'Nasıl olur ki?' diye sordu. Yetkiliyse "Kısa süre sonra Yasin inşallah çıkar, az bir ceza alır. Biz de raporlarımızı ona göre düzenleriz, kendisi de kurtulur" dedi. Aynı yetkili daha sonra telefonunu Hayal'e uzattı. Telefonda BBP Genel Başkanı Muhsin Yazıcıoğlu'nun fotoğrafı vardı. Polis müdürü ardından da "İlahi kelimetullah için nizamı âlem" dedi. Bu ifade BBP gibi Türk-İslamcıların sıklıkla kullandığı bir slogandı. Yine iddiaya göre, yetkili cebinden Kuran-ı Kerim çıkarıp, gösterdi 'Biz bununla hareket ediyoruz' diye konuştu. Devamında 'Bu bayrak düştüğü yerden kalkar, Yasin gibiler bu bayrağı yerden kaldıracak' dedi. Ardından da baba Hayal'e oğlunun yerini sordu. Üst düzey polis yetkilisi, baba Hayal'i Emniyet'ten uğurlarken de Yasin kurtulacak' diyerek desteğini sürdürüyordu. Baba Hayal'in bu ifadesi, oğlu Yasin Hayal'in cezaevinden savcılara gönderdiği mektuplarda da destekleniyor. Yasin mektuplarda, Mc Donald's'a bomba olayının ardından cezaevinden çıktıktan sonra üst düzey bir Emniyet yetkilisine nezaket ziyaretleri yaptığını söylüyor. Hayal, bu yetkiliden bir talimat almadığını belirtirken, mektuplarında şöyle diyor: "Bana 'suçlu insanlar gezerken, masum insanları bombaladınız', 'Müslümanız deyip şeriata sövüyorlar' gibi sözler söylüyordu. Hemfikir olduğumuz yönde imaj oluşturmaya çalışıyordu." Yasin Hayal: Bizi cesaretlendirdi İddialara göre Yasin Hayal, avukatına da kendilerini Trabzon emniyetinden bir yetkilinin cesaretlendirdiğini söylemişti. Yasin Hayal, "Bu yetkili Erhan Tuncel'e Türk bayrağının yere düştüğünü, bu bayrağı bizim kaldıracağımızı söyledi" demişti. Erhan Tuncel de cezaevinde savcılara verdiği şifahi beyanda bu iddiayı doğruladı. Yazdır \| Yolla \| Arşive Ekle \|\|\|\|\| ERHAN TUNCEL'İN 'AÇIKLAMALARINI' MİLLİYET ELE GEÇİRDİ Tuncel'le ilgili gizli belgeler imha edildi Lube Ayar 'Yasin, bombayı atarken ben de yoldan izledim' 'Temiz bir Türk gencisin, bundan sonra bize çalış' 'Hayal'i kontrol edemiyorum dedim' 'Defalarca polisi aradım ama telefonu açmadılar' 'Suikastı azmettirmedim engellemeye çalıştım' Agos Gazetesi Genel Yayın Yönetmeni Hrant Dink cinayetini azmettirdiği iddiasıyla hakkında ağırlaştırılmış müebbet hapis cezası istemiyle dava açılan eski polis muhbiri Erhan Tuncel'in, cezaevindeyken iki kez polise yaptığı açıklamalar tutanağa geçirilerek dava dosyasına konuldu.Yanında avukat olmadığı için resmi ifade olarak tanımlanamayan bu görüşmelerin ilki, 9 Emniyet görevlisinin katılımıyla 25 Ocak'ta yapıldı. 10 Şubat'taki ikinci görüşmede ise, Tekirdağ Cumhuriyet Savcısı Erhan Başaran'ın yanında 2 Emniyet amiri vardı.Polis için çalışmaya nasıl başladığını anlatan Tuncel, kendisine 'Mehmet Kurt' takma adının verildiğini ve dönemin Trabzon İstihbarat Şube Müdürü Engin Dinç'le yüz yüze görüştüğünü kaydetti. Hrant Dink'in öldürülme planıyla ilgili olarak 17-18 kez istihbarat elemanlarına bilgi verdiğini savunan Tuncel, ciddiye alınmadığını söyledi. Tuncel, Hayal'ın kendisini O.S. ile tanıştırıp Dink'in fotoğraflarını bulmasını istediğinde haber vermek için defalarca polisleri aradığını, ancak telefonlarına yanıt verilmediğini iddia etti.Dink cinayetiyle ilgili olarak bazı bilgiler vereceğini bildirdiği için dün saat 10.30'da Beşiktaş'taki İstanbul Adliyesi'ne getirilen Erhan Tuncel'in savcılara yeni bir bilgi vermediği ögrenildi. Savcılar Selim Berna Altay ve Fikret Seçen, Tuncel'le yaklaşık 20 dakika görüştü. Tuncel'in soruşturmaya ilişkin ve yeni ve farklı bir bilgi vermediği, ancak yazılı bir dilekçe sunduğu öğrenildi. Tuncel'in ayrıca Savcı Altay'a, "Mahkemede suçsuz olduğumu kanıtlayacağım" dediği öğrenildi. Kilo aldığı gözlenen Tuncel, daha sonra tutuklu bulunduğu Tekirdağ F Tipi Cezaevi'ne gönderildi. n ESRA ALUS İstanbul"Yasin Hayal'le, 2002-2003'te Nizami Alem Ocakları'nda tanıştım. Temmuz 2004'te Yasin Çeçenistan'a gitmek için yola çıktı, ama Bakü'ye kadar gidip geri döndü. 'Cihat, yurtdışında değil, bu ülkede olacak' diyordu. İki silah alıp, önce bir kiliseyi tarayacağını, sonra HSBC'yi kurşunlayıp, oradan McDonalds'a gidip içerideki müşterileri rehin alacağını ve Irak'ın işgalini herkese duyuracağını söyledi. 24 Ekim'de, benim yaptığım bombayı McDonalds'a koydu. O eylemi yaparken, ben de yolun karşısında duruyordum. Bomba patladı, ben ayrıldım. Yasin'in annesi benim adımı verdiği için 3 gün sonra polis beni yakaladı. Gözaltındayken herhangi bir bilgi vermedim ve bir gün sonra serbest kaldım."Üniversiteden hocam Hüseyin Tan beni aradı. Buluştuğumuzda yanında Emre isminde biri vardı. Emre, istihbarat görevlilerinin benimle irtibat kuracağını söyledi. Aynı gün beni arayan şahısla buluştum. İçinde iki kişinin bulunduğu otomobille Akçaabat'a gittik. Bunlar, Trabzon İstihbarat Şube Müdürlüğü'nden 'Ahmet kod' M.Z. ve Ankara'dan gelen bir şahıstı. Bana, 'Çok büyük ceza yatarsın, her şeyden haberimiz var, Yasin Hayal'in yerini söyle' dediler. Ben de tüm detayları anlattım. Yasin'i bulmak için her yere haber bıraktım. 30 Ekim'de Yasin tutuklandı, ifadesinde benden hiç bahsetmediğini öğrendim. Ahmet kod M.Z. ile buluştuğumuzda bana, 'Bundan sonra sen bir devlet görevlisisin. Kontrolümüz altındasın. Aileni araştırdık, temiz bir Türk genci olduğunu tespit ettik. Bundan sonra seni illegal olan hiçbir şeyde görmek istemiyoruz. Her konuda bize haber vereceksin, okulu bitirirsen de bizimle olacaksın. Sürekli kitap okuyacaksın, Yasin Hayal gibi gençlerin olmaması için mücadele edeceksin' dedi. Bana 'Mehmet Kurt' kod ismini verdi.Yasin Hayal, 13 Eylül 2005'te cezaevinden çıktıktan sonra Hrant Dink'i öldüreceğini söylemeye başladı. Bunu, polis M.Z.'ye haber verdim. O dönemde 9 mm bir tabanca alan Yasin, McDonalds saldırısından 6 yıl hapis cezası alınca delirdi. O akşam polislerle görüştüm ve Yasin'i artık kontrol edemediğimi söyledim. Yasin, Hrant Dink'i öldürmeye kesin karar vermişti. '6 yıl yatacağıma, adam gibi bir eylem yaparım 40 yıl yatarım' dedi. Ben bunu da emniyete bildirdim, ancak beni ciddiye almadılar. M.Z.'ye emniyete bilgi verme işini bırakmak istediğimi söyledim. O da, 'Ben sana kefil oldum, öyle kafana göre bırakamazsın' dedi. Ve beni renkli gözlü müdür yardımcısına götürdü. O da, 'Sen bizimlesin. Kendi kafanda kurduğun kurguları Yasin'in üzerine atma, eski dosyalarını çıkartır, gereğini yaparım' dedi. Daha sonra, polis M.Z. Bayburt'a tayin oldu. Yasin, Temmuz 2005'te, Dink'i bulduğu hırsız bir çocuğa vurdurtacağını söyledi. İsteği üzerine Dink'in resmini internetten buldum ve Yonca Market'e bıraktım.Trabzon İstihbarat Şube Müdürü (Engin Dinç) tanışmak için beni çağırdı. 'Çocuklardan haber var mı?' diye sordu. Ben de, Yasin'in, Hrant Dink'i, Zeynel Abidin Yavuz'a öldürteceğini söyledim. Müdür bey personeline, 'Bu çocuğa dikkat edin, bir sene yatar, bir tane iş verir, bu çok önemli' dedi. Bu günden sonra Ö. komiser benimle ilgilenmeye başladı. Fakat Temmuz 2006'da, Ö. komiser askere gitti, İstihbarat Müdürü değişti. Benimle ilgilenmesi için M.'yi görevlendirdiler. Zeynel ortadan kaybolunca, Emniyet'e bildirdim. Ciddi bir şekilde rapor veriyordum ama beni ciddiye almıyorlardı.Yasin, Kasım 2006'da, Pelitlispor'da futbol oynayan O.S. ile tanıştırdı. Yine Hrant'ın resimlerini bulmamı istedi. Haber vermek için defalarca polisleri aradım ama açmadılar. Verdikleri bir numaraya, 'İlişkim kesilmişse bu konuyu bilmek benim hakkım değil mi?' şeklinde mesaj çektim. 'Telefon arızalı, bu arada çok yoğunuz, seni arayacağız' diye cevap geldi. Kurban Bayramı'nın 4. günü, benim evimde Yasin'le tartıştık, basit bir mevzudan beni dövme noktasına geldi. Silahı bulduğunu, mermileri de benim yardımımla bulacağını söyledi. Hacı Salihoğlu'ndan alabileceğini söyledim. Duyduğuma göre de ondan almış.Tuncel, Hrant Dink'in öldürüldüğü 19 Ocak günü yaşananlarla ilgili olarak şöyle dedi: "İnternet kafeden çıkıp kırtasiyeye giderken, K. ve A. isimli istihbarat görevlileri beni arayıp, Dink eyleminin gerçekleştiğini, Yasin Hayal'i bulmamı ve konuyla alakası olup olmadığını öğrenmemi istediler. Kafeye dönüp Ersin Yolcu'ya, Yasin'in ve O.S.'nin nerede olduğunu sordum. O da bana 'Yasin birazdan gelir, O.S. de evde' dedi. Polislere, Yasin'in kafede olduğunu söyledim ama 'Eylemi biz yaptık' dediğini aktarmadım. O.S.'nin ismini daha önce bildirmediğim için, onlara herhangi bir bilgi vermedim. Polisler, gelip Yasin'i kendi gözleriyle gördüler, benim de beyanımı aldılar. 20 Ocak'ta, televizyonda O.S.'yi gördüğümde, olayı gerçekten Yasin'in yaptırdığını anladım. İstihbarattakiler, acil olarak görüşmemiz gerektiğini söyleyip beni şubeye götürdüler.Yasin Hayal, Ahmet İskender, Ersin Yolcu ve Zeynel Abidin Yavuz'un da gözaltına alındığını öğrendim. Onlarla ilgili sorular sordular, bildiğim her şeyi anlattım. Sabah 10.30'da beni bıraktılar. Gece saat 24.00'te Terörle Mücadele (TEM) ekipleri gelip beni yeniden emniyete götürdüler...Hrant Dink cinayetini ben azmettirmedim, aksine engellemeye çalıştım."Erhan Tuncel, sohbet sırasında ev arkadaşı Tuncay Uzundal hakkında ilginç iddialarda bulundu: "Benim emniyetle ilişkimi bilen tek kişi ev arkadaşım Tuncay'dır. Yasin eve gelip gittiği için o da her şeyi biliyordu.Tuncay, polisi hiç sevmiyordu. Kendisi gardiyan çocuğu olduğu için jandarmaya sıcak bakıyordu. Senin yerinde olsam jandarmaya çalışırdım, diyordu. Çok sayıda jandarma arkadaşı vardı, sürekli eve geliyorlardı.Tuncay, Yasin'le benden daha yakındı. Cinayetle ilgili Tuncay'ın benden daha fazla bilgisi var. Ben cinayet için O. S.'nin ne zaman gittiğini sorduğumda Tuncay, 'Perşembe' dedi. Ben de emniyete ihbar edip etmemek konusunda kendisine sordum. O da 'Boş ver, şimdiye kadar ne yardım ettiler' dedi."Dink suikastına ilişkin soruşturma kapsamında, İstihbarat Daire Başkanlığı'nın gönderdiği Erhan Tuncel'le ilgili 48 sayfalık raporun imha edildiği ortaya çıktı. Dava dosyasındaki belgelere göre olay şöyle gelişti:İstanbul Cumhuriyet Başsavcılığı, 29 Ocak'ta İstihbarat Daire Başkanlığı'na bir yazı yazarak bilgi ve belge istedi. Eski Trabzon Emniyet Müdürü ve İstihbarat Daire Başkanı Ramazan Akyürek'in imzasıyla 6 Şubat'ta savcılığa gönderilen dosyada, Tuncel'le ilgili 48 sayfa bilgi içeriyordu.Ancak Akyürek, söz konusu bilgilerin, içerikleri itibariyle hayati önemi haiz olduğunu ve hiçbir şekilde deşifre edilmemesi gerektiğini de belirterek, evrak ekinde yer alan tüm belgelerin incelendikten sonra imha edilmesini istiyordu. İhtiyaç duyulduğu takdirde belgelerin, arşivlerden her zaman temin edilebileceği notu da raporda mevcuttu. Savcılık da, istendiği zaman temin edilebileceği için belgelerin imha edilmesine karar verdi.Tuncel'den sorumlu polis memuru M.Z. ise ifadesinde, Erhan'ı, Yasin'in çevresindeki en akıllı bilgi alabilecek kişi olarak tespit ettiklerini belirterek, "Erhan, bize Yasin'in Dink'i öldürmek istediğini söyledi. Ciddiye alıp etraflıca incelemeye başladık. Yasin'in telefonunu takibe aldık.Söylentilerin ciddi olduğunu anlaşınca, durumu iki kez rapor halinde Daire Başkanlığı'na bildirdik, Erhan aracılığıyla Yasin'i eylemden vazgeçirmeye çalıştım" dedi	Hrant Dink Several Turkish daily newpapers have reported new developments in the case of Hrant Dink, who was the editor-in-chief of the bilingual Turkish-Armenian newspaper Agos. Hirant Dink was gunned down in front of his office on February 19 in Istanbul by Ogün Samast, a 17 year old ultra-nationalist Turk. According to the Turkish daily newspaper Radikal, Bahattin Hayal told to the public prosecutor that following the killing of Hrant Dink and subsequent arrest of Hayal's son Yasin, as the mastermind behind the killing, he was taken to the Trabzon Security Services. Here he was told by a Turkish police chief that " His son (Yasin Hayal) would now live better. We would write our report accordingly. The flag could be taken from the ground by people like Yasin. He would not receive an heavy punishment with our report. God permits he would be given a light sentence." On the hand other, Yasin Hayal forwarded five petitions to the public prosecutors' Selim Berna Altay and Fikret Seçen, in February and March of this year and informed them that he was encouraged to kill Hrant Dink and given directions by Erhan Tuncel, who was a police informant. Hayal also reported that an officer-in-charge who was working at the Trabzon Security Services visited Hayal and Tuncel prior to the killing and told them that "the Turkish flag had fallen to the ground and people like Erhan and Yasin would raise the flag". In his statement to the Prosecutors, Tuncel reported the same incident and also stated that he had informed the authorities about the assassination plan but the authorities failed to take an action to prevent the killing of Hrant Dink. The Turkish Public Prosecutors believe that Erhan Tuncel planned the killing of Hrant Dink together with Yasin Hayal and knowingly misled the authorities. Milliyet, a Turkish daily newspaper reported that Erhan Tuncel in his statement to the Public prosecutors stated that he had informed the authorities 16-17 times prior to the killing. Moreover, Milliyet reported a 48 page report about Erhan Tuncel, prepared by the Security services gone missing.
Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 15 days or until you logout \|\|\|\|\| Green city planned for the desert Enlarge Image Masdar City will cost $22bn (£11.3bn), take eight years to build and be home to 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will be mostly powered by solar energy and residents will move in travel pods running on magnetic tracks. Abu Dhabi has one of the world's biggest per capita carbon footprints and sceptics fear Masdar may be just a fig leaf for the oil-rich Gulf emirate. Others fear Masdar City - on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi City - may become a luxury development for the rich. The project is supported by global conservation charity, the WWF. Less power, less water The city will make use of traditional Gulf architecture to create low-energy buildings, with natural air conditioning from wind towers. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant, Masdar says. The city will need a quarter of the power required for a similar sized community, while its water needs will be 60% lower. An artist's impression of a Masdar City transport pod The city forms part of an ambitious plan to develop clean energy technologies. In January, the government of Abu Dhabi announced a $15bn five-year initiative to develop clean energy technologies, calling it "the most ambitious sustainability project ever launched by a government". As part of the plan, Abu Dhabi will become home to the world's largest hydrogen power plant. The money is being channelled through the Masdar Initiative, a company established to develop and commercialise clean energy technologies, and Abu Dhabi hopes it will lead to international joint ventures involving much more money. Abu Dhabi will invest $4bn of equity in the project and borrow some of the rest, Masdar said. "We are creating an array of financial vehicles to finance the $22bn development," Masdar chief executive officer Sultan al-Jaber told Reuters news agency. "We will monetise all carbon emission reductions... Such innovative financing has never been applied to the scale of an entire city." \|\|\|\|\| You’re looking to watch some great Telugu movies online for free? Do you want to take a look at the most popular Tollywood hits? Here is the list of the top 10 best websites to watch Telugu movies for free. There is such a nice mosaic today of much different cinematography and, thanks to the internet, everything is right here. With a little search – you can find anything. You have probably heard of Bollywood, India’s largest movie industry producing movies in such a rapid rate that legendary Hollywood can only envy. But… what about Telugu? If you ended up on this article, you probably know or heard about Telugu – which is a 3rd most widely spoken language in India. Telugu has a movie industry of its own and many hits are made and released in the Telugu language every year. The name of this industry is a derivative of Hollywood and Bollywood and they call it – Tollywood. This article will help you find places in which you can watch Tollywood movies completely free and easy. Of course, some of these websites may not be legal to watch in your country so you should pay attention to. Top 10 Telugu movie sites to watch Telugu free online movies Here is the list of top websites to watch Telugu movies for free – so pay attention! What a magical website this is! This is one of the best websites to watch Telugu movies. They are all hand-picked, with a lot of new hits finding its place in the catalog. You can see the servers are quality and the movie are rarely taken down. The website is perfectly sorted. It looks nice and it is categorized in some awesome ways. You can filter the films by a cast (if you have a favorite actor), by release date, or even composer. Besides Telugu, there are Punjabi and Bengali movies, but also Tamil and Marathi. All in all a great website and here is hoping that it will stay like that for years to come. You should use it as quick as you can and as much as you can, though! Andhra Watch is a Telugu-based website that will not only offer you a chance to watch new and old movies for free but you can download Telugu music in mp3 format, watch some new trailers and read Telugu news in English. This website doesn’t have its own player or server, but instead offers you Telugu movies uploaded on YouTube with perfect quality and mostly with English subtitles alongside it. The movies are sorted nicely and you will immediately see the quality and if there are subs in the headlines. The website will then open an embed YouTube video which is a full-length movie and you may enjoy it like any streaming service. Another free movie streaming website with a big Tollywood section and a nice collection of movies for you to watch. This is an Indian-based place where you will not only find Telugu, but also various Hindi movies and some Hollywood blockbusters too. A good perk about Pycker is that you have movie reviews and comments alongside the movie you want to watch, so you may think again before playing it! Pycker is much more than just a streaming website – it contains some gossip, news, trailers, songs and various other content coming from the world of Indian pop culture, so you may come for Telugu movies, but stay for many other things. MovieRulz has a simple, minimalistic structure of a website but is not shy of Telugu content. You will find over 100 newest Telugu movies here and before you watch them, you will probably see that another couple is being uploaded. This is a good website to watch movies, and you will be satisfied with the offer, but considering Telugu is not the primary niche, you might not be satisfied with the quantity. The quality is top, though. The Cinebay is a place you can sail into as a real pirate and stay for a while. It is completely Telugu-based so you will find various new hits and Tollywood movies that recently came out in amazing quality and ready to be watched. The movies are sorted only by genre and year, so since the database is big and not really well-sorted you may have some trouble if you don’t know exactly what you are searching for. On the other hand, if you are straight-forward, or not a picky type you will enjoy this website. The aesthetics are not the primary point but they are not really pleasing, and the content makes up for the most of it. You will find some interesting new pictures from the sets, red carpets and promotions of Tollywood blockbusters. You can read news, reviews and watch trailers that are only Telugu-related here, which is great. Movies Vala is another great Indian website that has a distinctive sort of Indian movies to show. Here you can also see some Hindi, Bengali or Punjabi movies, Bollywood hits, and Telugu movies too. Telugu section of MoviesVala has millions of visits and movies and is regularly updated with fresh content, new movie releases, etc. The old links that are broken can be reported and are refreshed easily and nicely and you can always find great things here. This website gives you an opportunity to download the movie too. So if you want, you may store it on your hard drive. Smart Talkies is a website that switched its domain from .com to .in but it is still working (albeit a bit slower). You will have a test in patience to open this website sometimes but when you do, the movies buffer quickly. It is a good alternative to the aforementioned websites, but you may have to call it into action sometimes especially if other links fail. Believe it or not, a lot of Telugu movies are free to watch and uploaded on YouTube too. If you know what you’re after, you may find full movies in great quality on YouTube and some even have subtitles of other countries (mainly English). There are some hot YouTube Telugu movie channels you can subscribe to that regularly upload new movies in brilliant quality, such as Telugu Movies (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHI0PxjdAZfVIHr04z-S4nw) that is slowly approaching one million subscribers. If you’re searching hard, you’ll probably find it here. Online Movie Watch has a respectable database of Telugu movies that came to fruition last year. Since the year 2018 many Tollywood movies that were made can be found on this site. The amount of Telugu movies on this website is unusually high and the website (being India-based) has a whole section dedicated only to Telugu. Other than that, you will here find some amazing new Hollywood blockbusters, popular Bollywood movies, etc. This website doesn’t offer as much as the previous mentioned, but you will find some of the greatest hits to see here. There is a category of Telugu movies that you can browse and the movies are of good quality. If you don’t want to watch anything specific, you will find a lot of great, random Telugu movies here. They are usually the most popular ones from the previous 2 years. Related: Conclusion That’s the list. Judging by the popularity of Telugu movies in recent years there is no doubt that in the future even more websites to watch Tollywood movies online will appear Until then, you try and browse the websites from this list, or maybe you have some of your recommendation that you may comment on and leave feedback! We would like to hear if there are more!	wind turbines and monorail-like tracks and 'pods'. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has started construction of its so called 'green city' which will be named Masdar City. It is a city which is designed to have no carbon emissions, cars, or waste. It will cost $22 billion (£11 billion) and take eight years to make. It will be able to hold a population of 50,000 people and 1,500 businesses. The city will cover 1,483 acres (6.00 km²). The city was designed by Foster and Partners, a British company. “No one has ever built a zero-carbon city before. Nor one producing zero waste or fully powered by renewable energy. Masdar City will accomplish all three,” said Sultan Al Jaber. The city will have a personal electrical power supply mainly from two renewable energy sources: wind turbines and solar panels. Water will be provided through a solar-powered desalination plant and air conditioning will be provided naturally from wind towers. It is planned to save more than $2 billion in oil over the next 25 years along with creating more than 70 000 jobs. The immense project will be supported by a company created for it called 'Masdar Initiative', which will develop and commercialise clean energy technologies. It will also be supported by the WWF, a global conservation charity, and it is hoped that international joint ventures will bring in more money. Some people fear that Masdar will become a domain for the luxury development of the rich, because the city is located by Abu Dhabi and Abu Dhabi International Airport. Dr Al Jaber said, “We are often asked why we are setting our goal so high. Our answer is because someone must... Someone must push the envelope to create the solution that we, as a global community, so urgently require.”
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Advertisement Flights across much of the UK have been grounded for a second day as volcanic ash from Iceland drifts across Europe, posing a potential threat to aircraft. Air traffic control body Nats said airspace restrictions would be lifted in most of Scotland and Northern Ireland from 1900 BST on Friday. But it extended restrictions on airspace in England and Wales until at least 0700 BST on Saturday. European controllers said some 17,000 flights had been cancelled on Friday. The partial lifting of Scottish restrictions on Friday will also cover Shetland and the Orkneys, and will also mean some North Atlantic traffic will be able to operate, Nats said. A tiny number of services are being permitted elsewhere on Friday as the ash clears, mainly in and out of Northern Ireland, western Scotland and south-west England. The disruption is major and unprecedented in Europe [but] unavoidable given the nature of the current problem Brian Flynn Eurocontrol Live: Volcanic cloud over Europe Volcanic ash reaches ground level Two planes were able to fly in and one left Manchester by lunchtime on Friday. Over the next 24 to 36 hours, prevailing winds will shift slightly to drive the central part of the ash plume further to the north toward Scandinavia, according to BBC weather forecaster Matt Taylor. "However, later this weekend, they will return to a northwesterly direction and are more likely to bring the risk of ash back to the UK." Although the winds can be predicted, the crucial factor is how much ash the still-erupting volcano is pumping into the atmosphere. Hundreds of thousands of people have been stranded in the UK or abroad, many unable to return home as a result of the flight cancellations. Kerry Stothart, of Maidstone, is stuck in Belgium after being redirected there on their way back from Atlanta. She said: "We are a party of 10 people including four children, one diabetic, one with ADHD and Aspergers, and a blind lady. This is an absolute nightmare. "We've had to pay £1,400 for a coach and ferry to take us back home, and that's not until 9pm." Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. The Norfolkline ferry service between Dover and Dunkirk said it had limited capacity for passengers both on foot and in cars on some crossings. Experts say the tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the ash cloud could jam aircraft engines, as has happened in previous incidents of planes flying into plumes of volcanic ash. The Health Protection Agency has stressed the ash does not pose a significant risk to public health, and Health Protection Scotland says only a low concentration of particles is expected to reach the ground. It advises that some people with respiratory problems may experience short-term effects, but there should be no serious harm. Nats initially restricted all UK airspace at 1200 BST on Thursday, but allowed some flights into Belfast, Prestwick and Glasgow airports as gaps in the cloud became apparent. Travel alternatives It said that a limited number of flights between Northern Ireland and the western isles of Scotland to and from Glasgow and Prestwick would continue until 1900 on Friday, as would North Atlantic traffic to and from Glasgow, Prestwick and Belfast. Stranded passengers have flooded other modes of travel. Eurostar trains reported a complete sell-out of its services to Brussels and Paris for the second day on Friday. "We are carrying more than 38,000 people today and all our trains are full," a spokeswoman for the company said. "We are telling potential customers without bookings not to come to St Pancras because they will not be able to travel." The Ministry of Defence says 550 military personnel are grounded in Cyprus as a result of the travel restrictions. Rail and ferry services are reporting rises in their passenger numbers, with ferry operators Stena and Fastnet saying there were significant increases in customers on services departing from Wales. Extent of Iceland volcano ash cloud The volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday night sent plumes of ash thousands of feet into the air. The cloud has spread across the UK to Europe. The spread of the ash cloud at 20-30,000ft raised concerns for air safety, forcing at least 12 countries to restrict or halt flights in their airspace. The eruptions from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano continue to pump out ash clouds sporadically, which means the disruption is set to continue. Although the cloud is too high to pose a health risk, people with breathing problems have been advised to take extra care if it falls to ground level. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT European air traffic control organisation Eurocontrol said some 60% of flights have been grounded and more than half of trans-Atlantic flights cancelled. Spokesman Brian Flynn added: "Given the fact that this volcanic ash cloud has been quite stable and moving very slowly since it started 48 hours ago, it is reasonable to assume that there will be significant disruption of European air traffic tomorrow." Restrictions on flights from Scottish airports are likely to be lifted from 1900 BST and also in Northern Ireland. Eurocontrol also say the volcanic ash cloud is extending in some places from the ground up as far as 35,000 feet The airspace of the Netherlands, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, the Czech Republic and Lithuania is restricted as completely as in the UK Northern parts of Germany, France and Poland are also fully restricted Ryanair cancels all flights to and from northern Europe until 1300 BST on Monday. It will keep running in southern and central Europe, although flight restrictions are being imposed in Hungary and Romania The Jet2.com airline cancels all its flights on Friday and Saturday, adding additional flights for Sunday and Monday A small number of flights to and from the west are operating from airports at Dublin and Shannon in the Irish Republic and smaller airports in Sweden and Norway Polish officials will take a decision on Friday about delaying the state funeral of Polish President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in a plane crash last Saturday Shares in airlines BA, Air France, KLM and Lufthansa were all down in early trading on Friday The Nats extension of restrictions for the UK was the second since Thursday evening. So far an estimated 600,000 passengers have been affected in the UK. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis said he was "closely monitoring the situation" and would be meeting key transport officials. He also said the volcanic ash cloud is expected to cause "significant disruption" to air services for at least the next 48 hours. Although the Prince of Wales was still due to attend the funeral of the president of Poland Lech Kaczynski on Sunday, his wife, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall has had to cancel a visit to a Polish cultural centre in London, Clarence House has said. ELSEWHERE ON THE WEB Eruption site webcam Map of Icelandic Volcanoes: Global Volcanism Program Expert Analysis: Nordic Volcanological Center The duchess was due to sign a condolence book for the late president but the disruption caused by the ash cloud meant she was unable to travel down from Scotland. Mr Flynn told the BBC a lack of wind meant the ash cloud was "progressing very slowly eastwards" and remained "very dense". Ash from the cloud was first detected at ground level on Scotland's Northern Isles on Thursday evening, and early reports from the Shetland islands said that the sky had a light yellow hue on Friday morning. The Eyjafjallajoekull eruption was the second in Iceland in less than a month. Volcanologist Thor Thordarsson said if the volcano maintained its current phase of activity, then the eruption could be over in "a few hours or even a few days" meaning the atmosphere would clear shortly afterwards. But he added: "If the eruption has a phase change and starts to produce lava... then we might be in for a much longer haul, an eruption that might last for months or even years, with a quiet period in between intermittent explosions." Have you been affected by the volcanic ash cloud? Are you stranded because of the airspace restrictions? Are you in Iceland? You can send your experiences using the form below: Send your pictures or videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to 61124 if you are in the UKor+44 7725 100 100 if you are abroad. If you have a large file you can upload it here. Read the terms and conditions At no time should you endanger yourself or others, take any unnecessary risks or infringe any laws. A selection of your comments may be published, displaying your name and location unless you state otherwise in the box 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 \|\|\|\|\| Thousands of confused and angry passengers wandered around Britain's becalmed airports today trying in vain to find out how long the disruption caused by the ash cloud might last. Airports across the UK came to a standstill after the air traffic control company Nats decided that the climatic conditions posed a serious threat to aircraft. Heathrow normally hosts around 1,300 flights and 180,000 passengers every day, while Gatwick would expect to handle 679 flights carrying 80,000 passengers. Yesterday, only 168 flights passed through the Sussex airport. At Heathrow, travellers dragged their luggage around the terminals, many of them queuing at customer information desks in a bid to rearrange flights. Lines also formed for payphones and the internet as people attempted to contact relatives and find out more information. Many were angry that all flights had been cancelled, with some saying the Nats decision was an over-reaction. David Lees, 51, a businessman who was due to fly to Shanghai with a colleague, said the trip had been "completely disrupted" by the volcanic eruption. "We couldn't even fly from Manchester this morning so we have already had to shell out £300 for a train," he said. "It's a total nightmare, but what can you do?" There were similar scenes at Gatwick. Johann and Carrie Sikora, from Kent, had been due to fly to Verona at noon, for the wedding of two friends on Friday. She is the bridesmaid, while he is the best friend of the groom. "It's not really sunk in yet, but I'm gutted," said Johann. He was however, phlegmatic about the reason for the disruption: "If we'd missed the flight because of the traffic I'd have been have been disappointed, but this morning when I turned the TV on I couldn't believe my eyes." The couple said they would try to reach Verona by train. Airlines, insurance companies, the Civil Aviation Authority and the EU all reminded passengers of their compensation rights following cancellations. Those who were unable to fly today – and anyone in the same position tomorrow – should be offered either a refund or the option of rebooking on a new flight by their airline. If the flight was part of a package deal, and the alternative flight offered would make a big difference to a holiday, travellers should be entitled to cancel the whole deal and get a refund. However, those who have booked only a flight will not be eligible for a refund from the airline for money lost on accommodation or transport arranged at their destination. Anyone travelling on Friday is advised to check the status of their flights on the internet or contact the airline directly. The upheaval caused by the ash cloud could also have serious implications for the economy. The British Chambers of Commerce said the cancellation of thousands of flights in and out of the UK would not help the country emerge from the global economic downturn. "This is the right action to take," said David Frost, the group's director general. "However, it comes at a difficult time. Business is just recovering from deep recession and we are seeing for the first time in some years an improvement in our exports. Our recovery depends on British business searching out new overseas markets and getting cargo across the globe." Patricia Yates, director of strategy and communications for VisitBritain, described the cloud as "a truly unexpected event". She said: "As for economic impact such a short-term measure would tend to balance out with some inbound visitors unable to arrive but others enjoying an extra day of our sunshine and spending in our hotels, restaurants and attractions." Despite the chaos caused by the cloud, a volcanologist stressed that it posed no threat to people's health. "Ash can cause serious health problems but the high altitude of the current plume above the UK means it is air traffic and not humans on the ground that will suffer," said Dr Dougal Jerram of Durham University's department of earth sciences. \|\|\|\|\| Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 30 days or until you logout \|\|\|\|\| by Dhruti Shah BBC News, Hatton Cross Planespotter Ken Davies normally cannot hear the birds near Heathrow The scream of plane engines is a familiar sound to people living under the Heathrow flight path but all is temporarily quiet near the west London airport. This is because flights in and out of the UK and several other European countries have been suspended as ash from a volcanic eruption in Iceland moves south. The air traffic control service (Nats) has stopped flights entering and leaving UK airspace until 0700 BST on Friday. 'Birds singing' Planespotter Ken Davies was standing on a grassy knoll near the airport as he watched one of the final planes out of Heathrow take off at around 1215BST. With binoculars in hand, he explained how he tended to come to the same spot every few weeks. He said: "There is very little activity going on. Nothing is moving. I had originally heard the planes were going to stop an hour earlier but the last one took off just a few minutes ago. We normally see one every minute but now it's just quiet. Adesh Farmahan said he was planning to spend the day outdoors "I saw a police helicopter a while ago but other than that, not much at all." He said he had lived in the area for two years and had got used to the noise of the planes but the forced shutdown meant it was now possible to hear birdsong. For airport worker Adesh Farmahan, the unexpected peace and quiet meant he would not have to keep his windows shut. He has lived with his family in Myrtle Avenue for 24 years and much like retired Mr Davies, said he was more-or-less immune to the daily noise Heathrow produced. He said: "It is very quiet though now - normally there is a lot of hubble especially when certain larger planes come. It was worse when we had Concorde planes - they were so loud and our windows and walls used to shake. "But we now have triple glazing and we got used to it." COUNTRIES AFFECTED Airspace closed: UK Republic of Ireland Norway Partial or planned closures: Sweden (total closure by 2000 GMT) Denmark (total by 1600 GMT) Finland (northern airspace closed till 1200 GMT Friday) Belgium (total from 1430 GMT) Netherlands (being shut progressively) "In the summer, we find it more of a problem because we have to open our windows but today I am going to go out and about in the sunshine." But for a group huddled in the nearby offices of a coach company in Hatton Road, the silence came as a bit of a shock. Secretary Barbara Dilello said: "I had heard a little bit about it this morning but I didn't realise all of the planes had been stopped. "Normally we're OK but when we're on the phone, sometimes the customers say they can hear the planes as they're so loud. We've been forced to wear earplugs in the past," she said. One of her colleagues, mechanic Darren Wetherall, said he was looking forward to a bit of "peace and quiet" while working on the coaches outside. For Mina Ghasemi, a mother-of-two from Victoria who visits a friend in the Heathrow area every Thursday, the absence of the plane noise was also a welcome relief. Sitting near the bike racks at Hatton Cross station, she said the west London airport was normally too "busy and crowded with too much going on". There are no ashes, no airplanes, no nothing Maarten Mensink She said: "When I come here every week, it's always so loud with so many planes flying overhead." "I heard about the ash stopping the planes while I was on the Underground and I wasn't sure what would be happening. "But I will suggest to my friend that we spend some time outside today because it is nicer." Not far away on the East Perimeter Road, Dutch travellers Niels Teusink, Wouter van der Veer and Maarten Mensink sat outside a hotel - having booked in for the night after finding out their long-awaited trip to New York would be ending in London because of the cancellations. Mr Teusink said: "We found out we were on the last flight to get out of Amsterdam and although the boarding gate staff told us not to worry about anything, as we were landing the pilot told us we would not be able to continue." Mr van der Veer said there were queues everywhere at Heathrow but the three men were given vouchers by British Airways to pay for a hotel stay and meals. As they sat outside in the sun, Mr Mensink said it was surreal being so close to a busy airport but with "no planes flying overhead at all". He said: "There are no ashes, no airplanes, no nothing." Extent of Iceland volcano ash cloud The volcanic eruption in Iceland on Wednesday night sent plumes of ash thousands of feet into the air. The cloud has spread across the UK to Europe. The spread of the ash cloud at 20-30,000ft raised concerns for air safety, forcing at least 12 countries to restrict or halt flights in their airspace. The eruptions from the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano continue to pump out ash clouds sporadically, which means the disruption is set to continue. Although the cloud is too high to pose a health risk, people with breathing problems have been advised to take extra care if it falls to ground level. BACK {current} of {total} NEXT Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| It's not unusual for a grizzly rocker to show up for a show covered in ash -- cigarette ash, that is -- but how about volcanic ash? According to reports from London, all British airports have been shut down today, due to drifting ash burped out by an Icelandic volcano with the fearsome name of Eyjafjallajokull. In addition to interfering with visibility, the ash, pictured above in a photo from NASA, can also clog engines. Air traffic has also been halted over Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland, stranding tens of thousands of travelers -- including some musicians due to play Coachella. But don't worry, Gorillaz, PiL, Muse and the Specials are already here. "All the headliners are in the country," Goldenvoice's Paul Tollett said in a brief statement, "and we're in contact with the acts that are having travel issues based on the ash." Though Goldenvoice representatives state they are currently sorting out who's grounded outside the U.S., Pop & Hiss has confirmed that Frightened Rabbit has been affected by the closure, the biggest of its kind since 9/11. \|\|\|\|\| British rockers THE CRIBS have been forced to pull out of California's Coachella music festival this weekend - because all flights out of the U.K. have been grounded due to the ash clouds from a volcanic eruption in Iceland. The Cribs were due to fly to Los Angeles on Thursday (15Apr10) from Britain, but their plane was cancelled at the last minute and they have no way of flying to California before their scheduled slot on Friday. They are now hoping festival organisers will allow them to reschedule their gig and are so desperate to appear at Coachella, they're considering taking a ferry across the English Channel and driving hundreds of miles to Amsterdam, Holland to try and catch a flight from there.[Contact Music] BBC reports that: "Representatives for UK artists such as Muse, Gorillaz [performing with Clash members Mick Jones and Paul Simonon], Florence & The Machine, Radiohead's Thom Yorke and Little Boots, all due to play this weekend, have confirmed they're already in the US and unaffected." We also know that Iceland's Jonsi is already here (and somewhat ironically, major airports in Iceland are still open). The Specials got here early too. Frightened Rabbit is stuck in the UK but hasn't canceled yet. Los Campesinos! cancelled their Culture Shock appearance for the same reason. The hazardous conditions and airport closures are expected to continue at least into tomorrow. The Cribs were scheduled to play the fest Friday before She & Him.	File:Eyjafjallajökull volcanic ash 17 April 2010.png\|thumb\|right\|Approximate depiction of the estimated ash cloud at 18:00 UTC on 17 April 2010. The current forecasts are updated at London Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre site (Met Office, UK). Area in which aviation was endangered by volcanic ash. Situation estimated for April 15, 2010 at 18:00 UTC. Hundreds of thousands of air travelers had their travel plans disrupted in Europe by volcanic ash from the Eyjafjallajökull eruption. Tens of thousands of air travelers were stranded when all flights into and out of the United Kingdom were grounded, as it became one of the first nations to be affected. The grounding was even more extensive than that following the September 11 attacks of 2001 when only trans-Atlantic flights were canceled. Eurocontrol released a statement saying "...most air traffic in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Norway and Sweden is suspended." The grounding is because the volcanic ash drawn into the jet stream is of a particle size which allows it to remain aloft in the atmosphere. Ingestion of this foreign matter, because of its distribution, would lead to flame outs in all aircraft engines. The composition of the ash also means that it would first melt into glass if it were to enter the engine of an aircraft before solidifying again as it cooled. This could lead to damage to the compressors and fan blades, which would make it impossible to restart the engines, even if the aircraft were to exit the cloud. The current contingency is informed by the experience of British Airways Flight 9, which on June 24, 1982 suffered just such complete engine flame outs when it flew through the plume of Mount Galunggung in Indonesia. In that case, the flight crew after many efforts was able to restart the engines, though one failed shortly after, and the aircraft landed without casualties. The UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has stated that "restrictions will remain in place in UK controlled airspace until 1300 (UK time) tomorrow, Friday 16 April, at the earliest," and that "We will review further Met Office information and at 0230 (UK time) tomorrow we will advise the arrangements that will be in place through to 1800 (UK time) tomorrow." The NATS statement concluded "...the situation cannot be said to be improving". In addition to Northern Europe, the ash is drifting south; Berlin and Hamburg airports in Germany are closed, and airports in the Netherlands, Belgium and Northern France are described as now being closed or closing. Some flights from Spain and Portugal, together with upwards of 4,000 flights across Northern Europe, have been affected, and the knock-on effect of aircraft and crews out of position could disrupt air travel worldwide for up to 72 hours. One affected group are British musicians booked to play at this weekend's Coachella Festival in California. Amongst those stranded are Frightened Rabbit, Gary Numan, The Cribs and Bad Lieutenant.
Earthquake Summary Earthquake Summary Poster Tectonic Summary The New Britain, Papua New Guinea earthquake of August 4, 2010 (22:01 GMT) occurred as a result of thrust faulting on or near the plate boundary between the Solomon Sea and South Bismarck plates, microplates involved in the accommodation of large-scale convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates in the Woodlark Basin region of the southwest Pacific. At the location of this earthquake, the Solomon Sea plate moves approximately northwards with respect to the South Bismarck plate at a velocity of roughly 120 mm/year, thrusting under the South Bismark plate at the New Britain trench and dipping to the north-northwest. The August 4, 2010 earthquake's location, depth, and focal mechanism are consistent with the earthquake having occurred as thrust faulting associated with subduction along this plate boundary. The subducting Solomon Sea plate is seismically active to depths of about 600 km beneath the island. The New Britain region experiences a high level of earthquake activity, with 16 events of magnitude 7 and larger having been recorded within 3 degrees (336 km) of this event since 1973. The region also has a history of large earthquakes occurring close together in time; of those 16 events, 12 occurred within several days-to-months of another nearby large earthquake. On July 18, 2010 two earthquakes (M6.9 and a M7.3) struck about 25 km to the southwest of the August 4, 2010 earthquake. In November 2000, three earthquakes of M7.8 or larger occurred over a two day period approximately 275 km to the northeast of the August 4, 2010 earthquake. Earthquake Information for Papua New Guinea \|\|\|\|\| The ABC Tok Pisin Service provides trusted news, analysis, features and multimedia content to keep you up-to-date with the stories that matter from Australia and across the Pacfic region. It provides an in-depth understanding of major Australian and Pacific news events, a range of voices and perspectives, as well as an understanding of life in Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Vanuatu and other areas across the Pacific.	Shakemap of the earthquake. An earthquake of 7.0 on the Richter scale has been reported as having struck the Pacific island of New Britain, the second island in the Papua and New Guinea group. The quake, which struck at 22:01 UTC yesterday evening, hit at a depth of approximately according to the . According to a member of staff at the Port Moresby Geophysical Observatory, minor effects of the quake were felt there, more than South West of the epicenter. First reports from the area indicate that the Western parts of New Britain have no power or telecommunications. A report posted in the local language, by Radio Australia's language service, gives the general location of the quake as Southeast of Madang, and there are no initial reports of any tsunami warnings, and no reports of damage or casualties at press time.
The town of Speed in Victoria, which has a population of just 45 people, will be known as Speedkills for the month of March after locals decided to help promote safe driving. Each year hundreds of people die in accidents on Australian roads and in 2010 deaths on rural roads increased by about 25 per cent, but successive advertising campaigns by the government urging motorists to slow down have been largely unsuccessful. Speed locals hope that their unique contribution to road safety will make drivers hit the brakes. Phil Down, a local wheat and sheep farmer who is changing his name to Phil Slow Down for the month, said the aim of the name change was to encourage people to keep to the speed limit on country roads. "It's virtually on the road to somewhere else, so we've taken our quirky name and run with it to bring the attention to the campaign of trying to get people to slow down on country roads and especially through small towns," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The idea was the brainchild of the state's Transport Accident Commission (TAC). The commission approached Speed residents with a proposal that if 10,000 Facebook users supported renaming Speed to SpeedKills, the change would go ahead in return for a donation to a local charity. More than 30,000 Facebook users have since given their support to the campaign. Phil Reed, a spokesman for the TAC, said the name change could save lives. "We're trying to get people to stay within the speed limits, obey road safety rules ... realise that when they don't, people die". Speed, which lies 250 miles north of Melbourne, was originally named after a Victorian railway commissioner. \|\|\|\|\| Australian town becomes SpeedKills in safety campaign Speed is becoming SpeedKills and resident Phil Down becomes Phil Slow Down Continue reading the main story Related Stories A small town in the Australian has decided to change it name for a month in a bid to boost road safety. The town of Speed - a blink-and-you'd-miss-it town in the countryside of Victoria - will be known as SpeedKills. Speed-dwellers are hoping it will persuade drivers to slow down on country roads. Speed is hoping to become something of a global, internet sensation with the launch of this novel safety campaign. The idea was the brainchild of the Victoria Transport Accident Commission, which soon won over Speed's 45 residents. Such was their enthusiasm, that they even made a video as part of the campaign. It has already proved a hit on the social networking site, Facebook. The town of Speed has managed a name change with the help of the internet While the campaign is running, one local resident has even agreed to change his own name. Phil Down, a local wheat and sheep farmer, will become Phil Slow Down. It is hoped the idea will catch on around the world. Road safety officials in Victoria have already identified five towns in the United States called Speed which it hopes will support name changes of their own. \|\|\|\|\| Situated in Victoria, 250 miles northwest of Melbourne, Speedkills has a population of just 45 people. Seeking to promote safer driving in their own unique way, locals took action after figures revealed that deaths on rural Australian roads increased by around 25 per cent in 2010. The power of the 'book, eh? With successive government advertising campaigns urging motorists to slow down proving largely unsuccessful, Victoria's Transport Accident Commission approached Speed residents with the Facebook proposal. The organisation said the town would be renamed Speedkills in return for a donation to a local charity if 10,000 users of the social networking site backed the plan. Since the proposal was hatched, more than 30,000 Facebook users have given their support. Local wheat and sheep farmer Phil Down should be singled out for his particular dedication to the cause, mind. He's changing his name for the month too... to Phil Slow Down. More: Sili name must be changed, say villagers	The residents of , a small town in the south-east of Australia, have made the decision to modify the name of the town for one month in an attempt to improve road safety in the country. The name of the town will be adjusted to SpeedKills across next month. The idea was created by the . A campaign was launched on the social networking website Facebook, saying that if 10,000 'liked' the campaign page, the name of the town — which has a population of 45 — would be changed. 'Rename Speed' has now gone on to achieve over 33,000 likes. Previously, had used various advertising campaigns in an attempt to get motorists to reduce speed. However, these campaigns were in large part unsuccessful. In 2010, Australia experienced a 25% increase in deaths on rural roads . TAC spokesperson Phil Reed has stated that, with this new name change campaign, "we're trying to get people to stay within the speed limits, obey road safety rules" and cause motorists to "realise that when they don't, people die". One inhabitant of Speed has also made the decision to change his name during March. Phil Down, who grows wheat and raises sheep, has decided to change his name to Phil Slow Down. Speaking to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Down explained: "It's virtually on the road to somewhere else, so we've taken our quirky name and run with it to bring the attention to the campaign of trying to get people to slow down on country roads and especially through small towns".
MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota (AP) -- A steady stream of motorists crossed the new Interstate 35W "smart bridge" as it opened early Thursday, a little more than a year after the old one collapsed into the Mississippi River and killed 13 people. iReporter Robert Stewart shot the traffic starting to flow across the I-35W bridge early Thursday. A vanguard of squad cars, fire trucks, ambulances and maintenance trucks slowly led a parade of cars, motorcycles, trucks and buses across the new bridge in downtown Minneapolis just after 5 a.m., reopening one of the busiest arteries in the Twin Cities. Many drivers honked and a few waved American flags to inaugurate the span. "It was wonderful. What a beautiful bridge. It's terrific," said Donald Brown, of Golden Valley, one of the first to make the crossing. Watch traffic begin to flow across new bridge » Brown, a retired truck driver, said he was the first motorist waiting on the ramp onto northbound I-35W to try the new bridge. He said he used to drive the old bridge 12 times a week and he was glad to have the crossing back. The old bridge fell August 1, 2007, killing more than a dozen people and injuring 145 others. The state put the replacement on the fast track, and contractors had it ready for traffic in just 11 months. "Remarkable," Brown said. "That they did it as fast as they did is unbelievable." The new $234 million bridge contains hundreds of sensors that will collect data. The purpose of the "smart bridge" technology isn't to warn of another impending disaster; it's to detect small problems before they become big ones, said Alan Phipps, design manager for the project with Figg Engineering Group Inc. of Tallahassee, Florida. "What these sensors are for, it's like going to your doctor for your health checkup," Phipps said. "It's to ensure you're maintained in top shape so you never get close to having a serious problem." The bridge was completed on budget and more than three months ahead of the December 24 deadline. That means the contractors should get a bonus close to the contract maximum of $27 million, though the actual amount hasn't been determined. There are also more visible differences between the new bridge and old. The new bridge is concrete instead of steel and is built with redundant systems so that if one part fails it won't collapse. The old bridge, finished in 1967, was called "fracture critical," which meant that a failure of any number of structural elements would bring down the entire bridge. See iReporter's photos of the bridge's debut Within the concrete of the new bridge are embedded 323 sensors that will generate a record of how it handles the stresses and strains of traffic and Minnesota's harsh climate. The data will help engineers maintain the bridge and advance the art of bridge design, Phipps said. The sensors will measure how the bridge handles loads and vibrations and how it expands and contracts as Minnesota alternates between frigid winters and steamy summers. It will also watch for corrosion from road salt. A system of sensors and cameras will feed data on traffic flow -- including speeds, accidents, stalls and other disruptions -- to a management center. Other sensors will activate an anti-icing system when necessary, and security sensors are meant to detect intruders into unauthorized areas, such as the hollow concrete box girders. Watch mayor describe mixed emotions at bridge reopening » The data will feed into computers in a control room near the bridge, Phipps said. From there, engineers at the Minnesota Department of Transportation and researchers at the University of Minnesota can download it for analysis. Catherine French, a civil engineering professor at the University of Minnesota, has worked with the developers of the system and will be among the researchers analyzing the data. The number of sensors on the bridge, and the fact that they were installed from the start, make this project stand out, she said. "It is kind of on the cutting edge," she said. The main value will be the insight the system provides for building future bridges. Engineers will be able to compare the bridge's behavior to models they've developed, she said. The National Transportation Safety Board has scheduled a hearing in November to discuss its investigation into what caused the old bridge to collapse. In January, NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker pointed to a design error in the plates that helped connect the bridge's steel beams as a "critical factor." The NTSB has also focused on the weight of construction materials that were on the bridge for a resurfacing project. Copyright 2008 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. All About Minneapolis • Accidents and Disasters • U.S. National Transportation Safety Board \|\|\|\|\| Home \| Local + Metro \| The I-35W bridge collapse First light paints the 35W bridge on the the opening day with the Minneapolis skyline. Drivers and passengers waved at each other through windows and sunroofs as they cheered and snapped photos with cell phones and digital cameras. Minnesota bridges rated: An interactive map of bridges that are "structurally deficient," "functionally obsolete" or have gusset plates like those on the I-35W bridge. Ten minutes before 4 a.m. Thursday, Richard Kleinschmidt had second thoughts. His alarm clock had just gone off, and as a retiree, the north Minneapolis man didn't really have to get up if he didn't feel like it. But the new Interstate 35W bridge was calling. It was a call heard by hundreds of motorists who came for the predawn opening of the snazzy replacement for the bridge that fell last August. "It was a chance to be part of something," Kleinschmidt said. It really was something. Honking their horns and stirring up a haze of post-construction dust, drivers geared up a few minutes after 5 a.m. Kleinschmidt and some other motorcycle riders he didn't know ended up at the front of the pack at the north end of the bridge. It was a fitting picture. The American flag that he normally attached to his sailboat turned out to fit perfectly into a hole on the sidecar of his customized Suzuki. Ahead of him were large maintenance trucks from the Minnesota Department of Transportation, each with safety bumpers to keep drivers from getting ahead of the ceremony. In front of the trucks, ready to lead the way across the bridge, were vehicles from agencies that sent first responders on Aug. 1, 2007. Authorities didn't let drivers line up for the crossing until about 4:45 a.m. for fear of major backups. "On city streets they've been queuing up all night," said Lt. Mark Peterson of the State Patrol. At the signal, the two processions -- one from the south end of the bridge, one from the north -- started moving. Vehicles coming from the south were the first to make it across the 10-lane bridge, bathed in the bluish glow of its LED overhead lights. Drivers and passengers waved at each other through windows and sunroofs as they cheered and snapped photos with cell phones and digital cameras. The daily commuter "I've been excited for this," said Puneet Vedi, of New Brighton. Not excited enough to get on the road before dawn, but a bit after 8 a.m., he joined the normal rush hour and headed to his job at a small architectural office near the south end of the bridge. Since the bridge collapse, Vedi's daily detour had taken him through the University of Minnesota campus and across the Washington Avenue Bridge. That added 15 minutes to his drive each way. "I've always been fascinated by bridges and roads," Vedi said. He had checked out the bridge from various vantage points. He likes the look of the bridge and the way the open railings offer better views of downtown. The new bridge is significantly wider than the old one, so many drivers spent their first crossings figuring out which lane they needed to be in. "It seems like I've come back to Minneapolis for the first time in many years," he said. Conquered fears Lola Kjenstad said last fall that she didn't want to cross the new bridge. She had made it across the old one just before it collapsed. But after a year of getting up an hour early and spending an extra 20 minutes in the car each way between her home in East Bethel and her job as a legal secretary in downtown Minneapolis, her fears faded. "As the time grows nearer, I've said, 'Oh, for silly. You're a grown woman,'" she said. "And now I'm getting excited. I'm just so glad it's done." As she crossed the bridge Thursday morning, a twinge of superstition and nerves had her biting down on the tip of her index finger until she exited at Washington Avenue. "I ruined my manicure,'' Kjenstad said. "What I didn't anticipate was how low that right railing was going to be. You could see right over it,'' she said. "I just wish it was a little bit higher. It's very disconcerting. I don't want to look at the water." But then she laughed at what she had just said and added, "I know the bridge is safe." Watching the construction of the bridge from 40 floors up in the office tower where she works, Kjenstad was pleased with the span's clean, simple lines. "I'm so happy it's back,'' she said. "It's getting life back to normal." But it may take time getting used to it all.	North end of bridge during opening. The new Interstate 35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States was opened shortly after 5 AM today. It replaces a bridge which collapsed last year, killing 13 people. A fire engine and ambulance were first across on each side. In each direction, a line of State Highway Patrol cars was followed by a formation of Department of Transportation construction trucks. A cluster of awaiting vehicles went honking across for a few minutes, then traffic returned to the sparse levels more typical of the pre-dawn period. The September 18 opening was well ahead of the scheduled December 24 goal, earning the contractor, Flatiron-Manson, up to $19.6 million in performance bonuses. The bridge is 189 feet wide, with a main span length of 504 feet and a deck height of over 100 feet above the Mississippi River. Traffic is expected to return to previous levels of 141,000 vehicles per day on the 10 lanes. The accelerated construction (of only 11 months) was accomplished by pouring 120 concrete sections in heated pole barns, and then lifting them all into place via a crane mounted on a river barge. The bridge contains 323 electronic sensors for real-time monitoring of stresses and movement of the bridge components. It is illuminated with white light-emitting diodes.
1 hour, 14 mins ago Nick Williams scores two tries as Ulster bounce back with 32-0 win Ulster bounced back from two consecutive defeats to get their play-off ambitions back on track. 1 hour, 42 mins ago Connacht hold off Edinburgh fightback to seal five-point win The hosts trailed 14-0 at the break, but closed the gap to just a point in the second half. \|\|\|\|\| The National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) has reported a 2.4% return to end March 2005, and has continued to diversify its investments.. The Fund's value at the end of March was €12,309m. Excluding an Exchequer contribution of €330m the fund increased by €290m during the quarter. The Commission Chairman, Donal Geaney, said the Commission was proceeding with the diversification strategy of the fund's asset classes - announced in February 2005 - with the aim of increasing its return without substantially altering its risk profile. He said the Fund had increased its small cap equity exposure to 3% and had agreed to commit €125m to property investments. He said investment of cash to property funds would take place on a phased basis, as suitable market opportunities were identified. Mr Geaney said first quarter returns were driven by the Fund's European equity investments and that the performance of non European equities was aided by a minor rally in the US dollar. He said that the cash balances of the fund are significant at 10.6% and that 'this reflects the Commission's decision not to invest further moneys in bonds while yields are at or near historical lows'. The NPRF was created to provide partial funding of Ireland's pension costs from 2025.	Ireland's National Pensions Reserve Fund (NPRF) has posted a 2.4% return for the first quarter (9.6% annualized). On March 31, the funds value stood at €12.3bn, a rise of €290m (excluding state contributions) since December 31. Donal Geaney, the fund's chairman, told the press that growth in the past quarter had been driven by the Fund's European equity investments. Mr Geaney, former Élan CEO, has pursued a policy of diversification since February of this year, with the stated aim of placing a larger amount of the funds assets in companies with small market capitalizations and in property funds. The fund was set up by the National Pensions Reserve Fund Act, 2000 to partially meet the expected rise in Irish pension costs from 2025 onwards.
Joel Creasey says Bindi Irwin caught him masturbating Perth was regaled for the first time with the story of how Creasey was caught masturbating in South Africa \|\|\|\|\| Viewed wins Melbourne Cup Andrew Garvey November 4, 2008 Viewed (rail), ridden by Blake Shinn, and Bauer, with Corey Brown in the saddle, drive for the post in today's heart-stopping Cup finish. Viewed paid more than $40 in tote betting. Photo: John Donegan Cups King Bart Cummings created yet more history when outsider Viewed, ridden by Blake Shinn, took out the $5.65 million Melbourne Cup after a photo finish at Flemington this afternoon. Viewed gave Cummings his 12th Melbourne Cup winner after winning his first with Light Fingers in 1965. The win also gave Cummings, who started training in 1953, his 250th group one victory. After racing midfield as the Aiden O'Brien-trained Alessandro Volta set a hot pace, Viewed - a 45-1 roughie on the tote - moved into the race on the turn and took over with 300 metres to travel. The Luca Cumani trained-Bauer emerged from the pack to challenge and looked set to get to him but under hard riding from Shinn, Viewed held on to win by a nose. The John Sadler-trained C'est La Guerre ran on well two lengths further back in third position. The favourite Mad Rush settled back in the field and ran on fairly without ever looking a winning chance. At the presentation, Cummings said it was great to see an Australian horse win the Melbourne Cup as the international raiders again threatened to take home the trophy. "It's great to see the Aussies succeed, not only in racing but in cricket," Cummings said, in reference to his horse edging out English horse Bauer. "But I really thought it would have been a dead heat." Where they finished: 1. Viewed 2. Bauer 3. C'est La Guerre 4. Master O'Reilly 5. Profound Beauty 6. Moatize 7. Mad Rush 8. Nom du Jeu 9. Zipping 10. Newport 11. Ice Chariot 12. Guyno 13. Littorio 14. Varevees 15. Boundless 16. Red Lord 17. Prize Lady 18. Septimus 19. Barbaricus 20. Alessandro Volta 21. Honolulu (last) Gallopin failed to finish - with Scott Spits \|\|\|\|\| Master trainer Bart Cummings has trumped the foreign invasion by the slimmest of margins to claim his 12th Melbourne Cup, with Viewed holding on to win by a nose over the fast-finishing Bauer (2nd) and New Zealand stayer C'est La Guerre (3rd). Bauer's stablemate Mad Rush was pre-race favourite in one of the strongest foreign fields to assemble for Australia's premier race, but it was the "Cups King" Cummings who produced an unlikely winner with Viewed paying a staggering $46.50 for the win and $14 for the place. Bauer paid $6.90 for the place and C'est La Guerre finished off a meaty trifecta at $8.10 for the place. The long odds among the first three made for some wild celebrations within the 100,000-plus crowd at Flemington, with game punters who backed the quinella enjoying a yield of $500.10 and a trifecta that paid $21,080. The foreign invasion promised so much, but it was only the English-trained Bauer that really produced for the international field. The six-year-old from the Luca Cumani stable came home strong with Corey Brown on board, but Viewed and 21-year-old jockey Blake Shinn withstood the challenge and held on for a narrow photo finish. "I'm just speechless," Shinn said. "The tempo of the race helped him because it helped him settle." It was another unlucky outcome for the Cumani stable, who looked to have won in the dying stages of the 2007 Cup with Purple Moon, only to be denied by the fast-finishing Efficient. But there should be little shame among Bauer's connections as it took the master class of Cummings to trump them. Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's trio - Septimus, Honolulu and Alexandra Volta - tried to break the hearts of their rivals by setting a ferocious pace. However, their challenge was over as the field entered the straight. "I thought it was all over until the last 50 yards ... then I wasn't sure," Cummings said in a humorous post-race press conference where he sat alongside Malaysian owner Dato Tan Chin Nam, who Cummings has had an association with that stretches back to the legendary Think Big that won back-to-back Melbourne Cups in 1974 and 1975, and in more recent tmes with Saintly in 1996. Reflecting on their long successful partnership, Cummings described how he first came into contact with Dato Tan Chin Nam. "He was having a drink in my bar in Adelaide many years ago … and we were playing two-up and he won (seven times) in a row and I thought I better stick with this bloke, he is lucky." Victory in the 2008 Melbourne Cup breaks a relatively long drought for the legendary 80-year-old trainer - which extends back to the 1999 Melbourne Cup when he won with Rogan Josh - and the 2008 triumph also marks his 250th Group One victory. "After four or five (Melbourne Cup victories) I thought it couldn't get any better than this, but I think it might be," Cummings added. "I’ve been very lucky to pick the horses and train them … my whole career has been a joy to be involved with. My dad was a top trainer and it has been a joy to take that on further." 2008 - Viewed1999 - Rogan Josh1996 - Saintly1991 - Let's Elope1990 - Kingston Rule1979 - Hyperno1977 - Gold and Black1975 - Think Big1974 - Think Big1967 - Red Handed1966 - Galilee1965 - Light Fingers	Bart Cummings wins his 12th Melbourne Cup with Viewed ridden by Blake Shin. Bauer, ridden by C W Brown, was second after the photo finish, with C’est La Guerre ridden by B Prebble coming third. Honolulu was the last placed horse. Cummings began training in 1953. His first Cup win was with Light Fingers in 1965. This win is his 250th group one win. Today's 148th Melbourne Cup field of 24 was reduced after the scratchings of Yellowstone and Zarita, withdrawn by its trainer Pat Hyland on Monday due to a respiratory infection. The English horse Yellowstone was scratched later in the day by a veterinarian after failing to recover from a hip injury sustained last week. The race began with Irish trainer Aidan O'Brien's 3 horses Septimus (an early race favourite and $7 chance), Honolulu, and Alessandro Volta setting a cracking pace for a large part of the race before fading badly at the turn into the straight to occupy 3 of the last 5 places. From there Viewed stormed clear before Bauer pulled it back in the last 50 yards to go down by a nose, in one of the closest finishes to a Melbourne Cup in the race's history. The race was watch by an estimated 105,000 at Flemington Racecourse with many more across the country stopping to watch the race on television.
Wright killed prostitutes Gemma Adams, Tania Nicol, Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell and Annette Nicholls before dumping their bodies around Ipswich. Mr Justice Gross, sitting at Ipswich Crown Court, ordered 49-year-old Wright to serve the maximum sentence. He said: "This was a targeted campaign of murder. It is right you should spend your whole life in prison." 'Systematically selected' Wright sat emotionless as prosecutors asked the judge to ensure he is never allowed out of jail. The victims were working as prostitutes when they were murdered and Mr Justice Gross said Wright had targeted vulnerable women. He said: "Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did. "You killed them, stripped them and left them... why you did it may never be known." The judge said the case met the legal requirements for a whole life sentence because the murders involved a "substantial degree of pre-meditation and planning". Wright, of Ipswich, said during his trial that he had had sex with four of the five women but denied killing them. The naked bodies of the women, aged between 19 and 29, were found over a 10-day period in December 2006. The jury of nine men and three women heard Wright had "systematically selected and murdered" his victims over a six-and-a-half-week period. Five of the jurors turned up at court to see the sentence handed down. Stealing conviction Analysis by forensic science experts revealed his DNA on three of the women and fibres linking him to all five. His DNA was then matched with a profile held on a database which had been taken in 2001 for an £80 theft conviction for stealing from a Felixstowe pub. Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did Mr Justice Gross Victims' families' reaction Wright was arrested less than three weeks after the discovery of the first body, that of 25-year-old Gemma Adams, in a stream at Hintlesham. Det Ch Supt Stewart Gull, who led the investigation, said Wright's "appalling crimes" had left a community, a county and a nation "in a state of profound shock". Wright was due to be taken from Ipswich to Belmarsh Prison in south east London. He is expected to be placed on suicide watch and undergo routine psychiatric assessments. Wright is likely to serve his sentence at a high-security prison, possibly Wakefield in West Yorkshire or Whitemoor, near March, Cambridgeshire. Outstanding cases Wright's defence team said they would be considering whether there were grounds for an appeal, but said this was routine in all criminal cases. Police will now check outstanding cases in the region to see whether there could be links to Wright. In 1992, Natalie Pearman, 16, was found strangled after disappearing from the red-light area of Norwich. A year later Mandy Duncan, 26, of Woodbridge, Suffolk, vanished while working as a prostitute in Ipswich. In 2000, Kellie Pratt, 29, disappeared from the red-light area of Norwich and in 2002 Michelle Bettles, 22, was found strangled three days after disappearing from the red-light area of Norwich. Wright also worked on the QE2 in the 1980s, along with missing estate agent Suzy Lamplugh, 25. She disappeared after leaving her offices in Fulham, west London, in 1986 and her body has never been found. The Metropolitan Police refused to be drawn on any possible links to Wright saying: "We are not prepared to discuss who we may or may not wish to interview in connection with any on-going investigation." \|\|\|\|\| 1.30pm GMT update Suffolk serial killer Steve Wright jailed for life Steve Wright will spend the rest of his life in jail for killing five women in Suffolk in what prosecutors described as a six-week "campaign of murder". Judge Mr Justice Gross, at Ipswich crown court, ruled that Wright, a 49-year-old former forklift truck driver, should serve a whole life term and never be released. The murders of the women, all of whom worked as prostitutes in Ipswich, terrified the town and led to one of the country's biggest police investigations. "It is right you should spend your whole life in prison," the judge said. "This was a targeted campaign of murder." He told Wright a life sentence was mandatory, but that he had to decide whether or not he should be eligible for parole. "I must pass a sentence which meets the justice of the case," he added. "In my judgment, upon reflection it must be a whole life term." The judge said the case met the legal requirements for a whole life sentence because the murders involved a "substantial degree of premeditation and planning". He pointed to the "macabre" way in which Wright had arranged two of the women's bodies in a crucifix form. He said Wright had targeted vulnerable women. "Drugs and prostitution meant they were at risk. But neither drugs nor prostitution killed them. You did," he added. "You killed them, stripped them and left them ... why you did it may never be known." As Gross said he should serve a "whole life" jail term, Wright stared ahead. As he was led away to begin his sentence, he made no eye contact with anyone else in court. There was no reaction from the relatives of the murder victims, who witnessed proceedings from the public gallery. Wright's brother, David, and sister, Jeanette, sobbed throughout. They left the court hand in hand without making any comment. Following the sentencing, Wright's solicitor, Mark Haslam, said the defence team would be considering whether there were grounds for an appeal. The deputy chief constable of Suffolk, Jacqui Cheer, said of the sentence: "At the start of the inquiry we could not have asked for anything more. "It is a tribute to all the people who have been involved - not only police officers but their support teams and all the members of the public who phoned in offering information. "I've never been in the position of the families. I cannot imagine what it is like. We can only hope this brings some closure for them." A crowd of around 30 people looked on as Wright was driven away to London, and there were shouts of "scum''. Sources said he would be taken to Belmarsh prison, in south-east London, where he would undergo routine psychiatric assessments and be placed on suicide watch. It is believed he will serve his sentence at a high-security prison - possibly Wakefield, in West Yorkshire, or Whitemoor, near March, Cambridgeshire. The jury yesterday took fewer than six hours to find Wright responsible for the murders. Tania Nicol, 19, Gemma Adams, 25, 24-year-old Anneli Alderton, Paula Clennell, also 24, and Annette Nicholls, 29, were all drug addicts who were working as prostitutes when they were picked up and murdered by Wright, a regular customer who lived in the red light district and whom several of them knew well. Their naked bodies were found dumped around the town - two in a stream and the other three in woods - over a 10-day period in December 2006. Speaking after the verdicts yesterday, the families of Nicol and Clennell called for the death penalty to be reintroduced. "While five young lives have been cruelly ended, the person responsible will be kept warm, nourished and protected," the Nicol family said in a statement. "In no way has justice been done. These crimes deserve the ultimate punishment." Robert Sadd, the crown advocate for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) in Suffolk, said the conviction had been "based on science". Wright was identified because his DNA had been added to the national database following an earlier conviction for theft. His profile was stored in 2003 after he was convicted of stealing £80 while working as a hotel barman. New techniques allowing microscopic fibres to be identified also proved critical - a single black nylon fibre from the footwell of Wright's car was found in Nicol's hair, despite the fact her body had lain in water for five weeks before it was discovered. Wright's DNA was found on three of the women's bodies, while microscopic fibres from his clothing, car and home were discovered on all five. Blood belonging to two of the women was found on his reflective jacket, along with specks of blood in his car. CCTV and numberplate recognition technology had also placed his car in the red light district at the time several of the women disappeared. The court heard that Wright picked up the women while they worked in the streets around his home before killing them while they were incapacitated by heavy doses of drugs. He argued that he had had sex with the women but had not killed them, saying it was merely coincidental that forensic evidence linked him to all five. Although the jury's verdicts were decisive, prosecutors admitted yesterday they remained puzzled about the motive behind the killings. Wright's only previous conviction is for minor theft, and CPS sources yesterday said they were not aware of any evidence linking him to unsolved cases. "No doubt our police colleagues will be looking at whether this fits with anything else, but we are not aware of any other link at this stage," a source said. A number of "cold cases", including several unsolved prostitute murders, have been examined by forces across Britain since Wright's arrest. Yesterday, the father of the estate agent Suzy Lamplugh told the Guardian he had been contacted by Metropolitan police officers investigating possible connections between Wright and his daughter, who disappeared in 1986. It is known that Wright and Lamplugh were acquaintances when they worked on the QE2 in the early 80s. Cleveland police said they had not ruled out a link between Wright and the murder of Vicky Glass, a heroin addict who vanished from Middlesbrough in September 2000. Her naked body was later found in a stream in the North York Moors.	Map of the area surrounding Ipswich showing the locations where the bodies of the victims were discovered Steve Wright, yesterday convicted of the murder of five women in Ipswich, Suffolk, England, has today been sentenced at Ipswich Crown Court to life imprisonment. The bodies of the five women who worked as sex workers in Ipswich were found around the town in December 2006. The judge, Mr Justice Gross said that a "substantial degree of pre-meditation and planning" was involved meaning the requirments for a whole life sentence for Wright was met. He said, "This was a targeted campaign of murder. It is right you should spend your whole life in prison." Speaking after the sentencing, Deputy Chief Constable of Suffolk Police, Jacqui Cheer said, "At the start of the inquiry we could not have asked for anything more. It is a tribute to all the people who have been involved - not only police officers but their support teams and all the members of the public who phoned-in offering information."
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... \|\|\|\|\| Five other people were wounded in the blast in Nazran, the area's main city, Russian news agencies reported. At least one person has been killed after a bomb was detonated at a police checkpoint in the southern Russian region of Ingushetia. The state-controlled RIA news agency, quoting the Ingush interior ministry, said the dead person was a civilian. Yunus-Bek Yevkurov, the leader of Ingushetia, told the Interfax news agency that he had instructed authorities in the region to step up their readiness following the attack. "The atmosphere is very uneasy... It will be controlled by law enforcement agencies," he said. Southern Russia's Caucasus region has experienced a rise in the number of bombings and armed attacks recently after several years of calm that followed two separatist wars in Chechnya, Ingushetia's neighbouring region. Yevkurov and Ramzan Kadyrov, the Kremlin-backed leader of Chechnya, have warned Dmitry Medvedev, the president, that the separatist violence is widespread and they are struggling to contain it. Last month, at least 21 people died in an attack on a police station in Ingushetia, and in June a suicide bomber almost killed the region's president. Regional leaders have claimed that the attacks are the work of Islamist separatist fighters.	Topographic map of the Caucasus. Ingushetia is located on the center right of the map.A suicide bomber killed at least one person and injured five at a police checkpoint in southern Russia on Friday, national news agencies reported. The explosion occurred in Nazran, the main city in the region of Ingushetia. Spokesman Kaloi Akhiltov said to the Associated Press news agency that a van packed with explosive material drove into the traffic checkpoint. The checkpoint post was completely destroyed, he said. According to government-controlled RIA news agency, the single casualty from the blast was a civilian. The attack has been blamed by regional authorities on Islamist separatist rebels. The Caucasus region of Russia has seen an increase in attacks recently, following a few years of relative calm after two wars with separatists in the neigbouring region of Chechnya.
Injured Buffalo Police Officer Patty Parete Returns to WNY Parete was shot in the line of duty last December, paralyzed as a result. Story Published: Oct 23, 2007 at 6:42 PM EST Oct 23, 2007 at 6:42 PM EST Watch the story 7 News has confirmed that injured Buffalo police officer Patricia Parete has returned to Western New York after she was discharged from a New Jersey hospital this morning. Parete and her partner, Officer Carl Andolina, were both shot in the line of duty last December while on routine patrol in the Chippewa District. Andolina was shot in the neck and shoulder and has since recovered. He remains on leave. Parete was shot in the neck and was seriously injured when the bullet struck her spine, leaving her paralyzed. Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gibson said he could not confirm that Parete was in Buffalo, but he had heard reports that Parete returned home after landing at Prior Aviation at the Buffalo-Niagara International Airport this morning. Varner Harris, the teenager convicted of shooting Parete and Andolina, pleaded guilty to charges last month and faces 30 years in prison when he is sentenced. \|\|\|\|\| Officer Parete returns to Buffalo By T.J. Pignataro - News Staff Reporter Updated: 10/23/07 6:02 PM Patricia A. Parete, the Buffalo police officer shot at close range by a teenage suspect last December, was released today from a New Jersey rehabilitation center and returned to Buffalo. The 42-year-old Parete has been undergoing rehabilitation at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, N.J. since the start of the year. Parete, who can now speak clearly but still has no movement in her arms or legs, was left with severe spinal injuries in the Dec. 5 shooting at West Chippewa Street and Whitney Place. She and her partner, Carl Andolina, 42, were responding to a fight call about 9 p.m. that night when they were shot. Parete was shot twice. The first bullet struck her bulletproof vest, but the second struck her in the chin, traveling through her body and lodging in her spine. Buffalo Police Commissioner H. McCarthy Gipson said at a late-afternoon news conference at Buffalo Police Headquarters that Buffalo police were awaiting official confirmation of Parete's return to Western New York. Parete remains on injured on duty leave from the police department. \|\|\|\|\| (Buffalo, NY, October 23, 2007) - - News 4 has verified that injured Buffalo Police Officer Patty Parete has returned to Western New York from a rehabilitation center in New Jersey. Sources tell Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg that Patty returned home to Western New York Tuesday morning. Officer Parete suffered a paralyzing gunshot wound in December. She and her partner Officer Carl Andolina were shot at West Chippewa and Georgia Streets in Buffalo by 19-year-old Varner Harris.	Patricia Parete, 42, a Buffalo, New York police officer who was shot two times and nearly killed by a fleeing suspect in December of 2006, has returned to her Buffalo home after being transferred to a specialized rehabilitation hospital in New Jersey to recover from her injuries. Another officer, Carl Andolina who was also responding to the scene, was also shot twice. Parate is able to speak, but still is not able to walk, or move her arms because of one of the bullets severely damaged her spinal cord. The other bullet hit her bullet proof vest and did not cause any damage. Andolina was shot once in the neck and once in the shoulder. The two officers were responding to a call at about 9:00 p.m. on December 5, that a male and female were fighting inside a Valero gas station located on West Chippewa and Elmwood Avenues in Downtown Buffalo when one of the suspects, Varner Harris, 18 and lives in Buffalo, fled police. When the officers began to chase Harris, he turned and fired several shots at the officers, wounding both of them. Despite being shot two times, Andolina still managed to give a short chase to apprehend the suspect, tackling him to the ground. Neither officer fired any shots. Both officers were shot by a .38-caliber revolver. At least 5 shots total were fired in total by the suspect. Harris was convicted for the attempted murder of the officers, and could face 30 years in prison.
The 27-year-old was a dancer with the troupe that won Britain’s Got Talent in 2009, and had recently emigrated The dance troupe Diversity has paid tribute to former member Rob Anker, after he died in a car crash at the age of 27. The British dancer was killed on Thursday morning in Canada, where he had moved to live with his fiancee Cyndi. The couple married in September last year. Anker was a member of the group that first became famous in 2009 after winning ITV’s Britain’s Got Talent, beating Scottish singer Susan Boyle to the £100,000 first prize. Diversity, whose members include Ashley Banjo and Perri Kiely, tweeted on Saturday morning: Diversity (@Diversity_Tweet) A former member of our group has tragically passed away. He inspired so many with his talent and was taken far too soon. R.I.P Rob 🙏🏼💔 Essex-born Anker, who joined Diversity after their Britain’s Got Talent win, had gone on to perform with artists such as Paloma Faith and Peter Andre and appeared on TV shows including The X Factor, Strictly Come Dancing and Take Me Out. He was also in the cast of the West End production of the Michael Jackson musical Thriller Live. Friday night’s performance of the show was dedicated to the former cast member. A Facebook post read: “He had incredible talent, great personality and was very popular amongst many. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends. News of his death came after he was named in local reports of the collision in the city of Vaughan, in the York region of Ontario province. A spokesman for Canada’s York regional police said a Chevrolet Cobalt and a Ford F550 truck collided in Major Mackenzie Drive just before 6am on Thursday. They said that the driver of the Chevrolet died from his injuries, but the other driver was unhurt. Tributes have been paid to Anker on social media: Britain's Got Talent (@BGT) We are so sorry to hear of the loss of Robert Anker, our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends, family and the whole of Diversity. Choreographer Dean Lee tweeted: D E A N L E E (@DeanAnthLee) Rob Anker. I have no words to speak after hearing of your passing. This is truly heart breaking. Thanks for the memories. Shine bright. A JustGiving page has been set up to help his family travel to Canada for the funeral, and has already passed its £5,000 target. His cousin Rochelle Hanson, who founded the page, wrote: “The family are devastated. He was an amazing and talented dancer. We would love to ensure that his family don’t worry or stress about money at this time.” A Foreign Office spokesman said: “We are aware of the death of a British man in Canada. We are providing assistance to his family at this sad time.” \|\|\|\|\| Image copyright @robanker90 Robert Anker, a former member of dance group Diversity, who won Britain's Got Talent in 2009, has died in a car crash in Canada. The 27-year-old was killed when his car collided with a pick-up truck in Ontario, local media reports say. Mr Anker, who was born in Essex, moved to Canada last year and married his girlfriend, Cyndi. X-Factor choreographer Dean Lee tweeted: "This is truly heart-breaking." Skip Twitter post by @DeanAnthLee Rob Anker. I have no words to speak after hearing of your passing. This is truly heart breaking. Thanks for the memories. Shine bright. — D E A N L E E (@DeanAnthLee) July 28, 2017 Report After making his name with the 2009 Britain's Got Talent winners, Mr Anker went on to appear in videos for music stars such as Paloma Faith and Jessie J. 'Incredible talent' He also appeared in the West End show Thriller Live. In a Facebook post, the show announced that it was dedicating that evening's performance to Mr Anker's memory. "He had incredible talent, great personality and was very popular amongst many. We send our deepest condolences to his family and friends," the post said. His cousin, Rochelle Hanson, has set up a JustGiving page to raise money to help family members attend his funeral in Canada. She wrote: "On 27th July 2017, Robert Anker aged 27 was involved in a fatal car accident in Canada and sadly passed away at the scene. "We are raising funds for his family to be able to cover all costs for their trip to go and arrange his funeral in Canada. "We would love to ensure that his family don't worry or stress about money at this time." York Regional Police in Canada said the crash occurred on July 27 just before 06:00 local time (11:00 BST), when a Chevy Cobalt collided with a Ford F550 pick-up truck. They said the 27-year-old driver of the Chevy died at the scene, while the driver of the truck was uninjured. A Foreign Office spokesman said: "We are aware of the death of a British man in Canada. We are providing assistance to his family at this sad time".	File photo of Diversity in 2009. Robert Anker, a British dancer and member of troupe when they won the 2009 season of , died in a car accident in Canada on Thursday. Anker died after a collision between his and a pick-up truck. The accident occurred in , at around 6:00 AM Thursday morning, . Anker, who moved to Canada last year, was 27 years old. confirmed the accident had occurred and the driver of the pick-up truck was not injured. A spokesman for the British Foreign Office said "We are aware of the death of a British man in Canada. We are providing assistance to his family at this sad time". Anker's cousin Rochelle Hanson set up a page, by yesterday already past its target of £5,000, to raise funds for his family to travel to the funeral in Canada. Hanson said "The family are devastated. He was an amazing and talented dancer. We would love to ensure that his family don’t worry or stress about money at this time." Diversity, Anker's former dance crew, tweeted "A former member of our group has tragically passed away. He inspired so many with his talent and was taken far too soon. R.I.P Rob." The Twitter account for Britain's Got Talent said "We are so sorry to hear of the loss of Robert Anker, our thoughts and condolences go out to his friends, family and the whole of Diversity." Dean Lee, a choreographer on talent show , tweeted, "Rob Anker. I have no words to speak after hearing of your passing. This is truly heart breaking. Thanks for the memories. Shine bright." After winning the 2009 series of Britain's Got Talent, Anker performed in music videos of singers and , and in the production of '''' in the . Anker and his girlfriend Cyndi married in September. == Sources == * *
Sevenoaks, Kent fatal shooting The Independent Police Complaints Commission is to use its own investigators to inquire into the circumstances surrounding the fatal shooting by police of a 37-year-old woman in Sevenoaks this morning (11 June.) At approximately 1.20 a.m., Kent Police were called to reports of a woman seen with a firearm in the vicinity of Sevenoaks High Street. Armed officers attended the location and a police firearm was discharged. First aid was given at the scene. An ambulance was called but the woman was pronounced dead at the scene. A firearm has been recovered. The woman has not yet been formally identified. HM Coroner has been informed. IPCC Commissioner Nicola Williams said: "I send my sympathies to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned. Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators go to the incident immediately." -ends- For further information please contact: Richard Offer, Head of Media Tel: 020 7166 3214 Fax: 020 7166 3514 Mob 07710 381890 Out of hours: 07717 851 157 Email: richard.offer@ipcc.gsi.gov.uk \|\|\|\|\| 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. \|\|\|\|\| Woman Shot Dead By Armed Police Armed police have shot dead a woman after a stand-off in a deserted department store car park. The 37-year-old was killed by officers investigating reports of a woman with a gun in the early hours. Sources have told Sky News she was a martial arts expert. Forensic experts have been combing the M & Co car park, behind the High Street in Sevenoaks, Kent, for clues. The Independent Police Complaints Commission, which is probing the incident, said a gun was recovered at the scene. Advertisement Witnesses described hearing shouting during a 20-minute stand-off, followed by a single gunshot at about 3am. School caretaker Kevin Taylor, 47, whose home in Buckhurst Avenue overlooks the car park, said he heard someone shout: "Drop the weapon." He added: "It was all over in about 20 minutes. As soon as the shot rang out I knew it was serious." IPCC commissioner Nicola Williams said police were first alerted at about 1.20am to a woman in the High Street area with a gun. She said: "I send my sympathies to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned." She declined to comment on reports the victim was a martial arts expert who was known to police. She said the woman was local. The woman, who has not been named, was given first aid but died at the scene. Part of the town centre, including a bus station, has been sealed off. \|\|\|\|\| Login Enter your details below to login If you are an existing member of The Times and The Sunday Times enjoying the full benefits of thetimes.co.uk, then simply enter your Times+ login details below and press 'Enter' Enter your details to login Email address Password Keep me logged in information Keeps you logged in for a rolling 30 days or until you logout \|\|\|\|\| A Kent Police officer fatally shot the woman in the early hours Kent Police were called after a 37-year-old woman with a gun was seen in the centre of Sevenoaks at 0120 BST. Armed officers shot the woman, who has not been identified but was from the Sevenoaks area. She was given first aid at the scene but pronounced dead. Part of the centre of the town, including the bus station, was sealed off following the incident. The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said an investigation would be carried out. Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators go to the incident immediately Nicola Williams, IPCC commissioner The victim is believed to be the first woman to have been shot dead by police for at least 27 years. Two residents in Sevenoaks told BBC News 24 that they were woken up at about 0300 BST by barking dogs and a "commotion". They then described hearing a loud bang. Officers and forensic science experts have been searching the rear car park of a department store based in Sevenoaks High Street. A firearm was recovered at the scene. IPCC commissioner Nicola Williams said: "I send my sympathies to the woman's family and friends and also the police officers concerned. "Whenever there is a fatal shooting by police our independent investigators go to the incident immediately." Accidentally shot She added that it was "unusual" for a woman to be the victim, and that the shooting had not been part of a wider police investigation. Three other women have been shot by police in the last 27 years. In 1980, Gail Kinchen was accidentally shot dead by a police marksman during a siege in Birmingham. Two other women have been wounded in police shootings. Cherry Groce was left paralysed after she was accidentally shot by police in 1985 during a raid on her home in Brixton, south London. In 1997, Jane Lee was shot in Ilford, Essex, by police investigating a firearms incident. She was taken to hospital and recovered.	Map highlighting Sevenoaks, England. A woman, reported to be an expert in martial arts, has been shot dead by police in a car park behind ''M&Co'', a women's clothing shop in Sevenoaks, Kent, England. According to reports, the woman pulled a gun on police who then shot her. "I can confirm that in the early hours of this morning Kent Police fatally shot a person. This has been referred to the IPCC which has a team of investigators now at the scene," said a spokesman for the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC). A bus station in Sevenoaks was shut down and closed off to the public while police investigated the incident. A tent was placed over the crime scene to ensure that evidence was kept intact. Regular police officers do not carry guns in the United Kingdom. Special officers are dispatched to scenes with guns only if situations become serious or dangerous.
Castro said the 10 changes among senior officials were intended to make Cuba's government more compact and functional and to work toward "perfecting" the Cuban system. Raul Castro, the Cuban president, has sacked the country's foreign and economic ministers as part of a comprehensive government reshuffle. Felipe Perez Roque who had been Havana's chief diplomat since May 1999, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez. Carlos Lage, a vice-president who had far-reaching economic powers, was also removed from his post as executive secretary of the Council of Ministers, but it was not clear whether he would stay on as one of the vice-presidents of the Council of State. He was replaced as cabinet secretary by General Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra, a former top military official. Lage had been credited with helping to save Cuba's economy by implementing economic reforms after aid from the Soviet Union ended in the early 1990s. Perez Roque was once personal secretary to Fidel Castro, Raul's brother and the former president, and a former leader of the Communist Party's youth organisation. Planned changes Raul Castro, who took over the presidency in February last year from Fidel, had said for months that he would restructure the government to make it leaner and more responsive. But Lucia Newman, Al Jazeera's Latin America editor, said: "This is an unprecedented shake up, as never before have so many government officials been replaced in one go." "It is a new direction, we're just not clear what direction Castro is planning - a return to communist orthodoxy or pragmatism? However, Castro does seem to be trying to put in position people closer to him than to his brother, Fidel." The ousting of Roque was a particular surprise to many analysts, as he was considered one of the most internationally prominent, and successful, members of Castro's government. Our correspondent adds that the move could also be a message to the US, just a month before the summit of the Americas in Trinidad where the US could be pressured over its Cuba policies, that Cuba is aiming for change. Jose Luis Rodriguez, the economy minister, Raul de la Nuez, the minister of foreign trade, and Jose Luis Gacia, the minister of economy and planning, were also removed from their posts. Georgina Barreiro Fajardo, the finance minister, and Alfredo Morales Cartaya, the labour minister, were also fired. The ministries of fishing and food were also combined as part of the changes, as were the ministries of foreign investment and foreign trade. The changes were announced by state television on Monday. \|\|\|\|\| HAVANA, Cuba (CNN) -- In a major shake-up the likes of which Cubans have not seen for decades, President Raul Castro on Monday reorganized his Cabinet, replacing longtime aides to his brother Fidel, who resigned from office a year ago, citing poor health. Cuban President Raul Castro is moving his own people into power, analysts say. Some analysts said the changes appear to be an attempt by Raul Castro to put his own supporters into positions of power. Among the changes: Felipe Perez Roque, the 43-year-old foreign minister, was replaced by his deputy, Bruno Rodriguez Aprilla. Carlos Lage Davila, an economist, lost his job as Cabinet secretary, but no mention was made of removing him from his other post as vice president of the Council of State. Lage, who helped guide the nation through its "special period" of dire economic times in the aftermath of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the loss of billions in subsidies, was replaced by Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra; Raul Castro is also commander in chief of the armed forces. "It looks like Raul putting some of his own people in," said Wayne Smith, director of the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy in Washington, who led the U.S. Interests Section in Havana during the Carter administration. Smith noted that Cuba's government underwent "quite a few shake-ups after the revolution first came in" in 1959, but said Monday's move "is the biggest shake-up that I've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years." "This is obviously a major move," concurred Vicki Huddleston, who led the Interests Section during the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, and is a visiting scholar at the Brookings Institution in Washington. "[There is] nothing like this that I can recall since the late 1960s." She noted that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez met with both Castro brothers during a visit late in February to Havana, on what Granma described as a "work visit," and speculated that Raul Castro may have asked him then to buy in on the changes. "They really need Chavez to be on board, because without the subsidized oil from Venezuela, they're dead," Huddleston said. With the Cuban economy hamstrung by the world economy, Raul Castro may have decided it is time for him to make reforms of his own without worrying about second-guessing by his brother or his brother's allies, she said. Huddleston speculated that the changes could portend the government once again allowing private enterprise to flourish in Cuba. Communist leader Fidel Castro experimented with that during the 1990s, but pulled back. "It represents a significant step by Raul Castro to gain autonomy and, essentially, distance himself from Fidel's old gang," said Larry Birns, director of the Council on Hemispheric Affairs. "In other words, he feels confident enough that he has an independent base of power." He said Raul Castro's moves to date have proven popular not only with his party members, but also with the general population. Still, Raul Castro should not take that support for granted, Birns said. "It may be that, if he makes too many moves, the party will feel that their privileges are being taken away, and that will make them unhappy." Otto Reich, who served as assistant secretary of state for Western Hemisphere affairs during the George W. Bush administration, said he was withholding judgment. "It's a little early to tell what this really means," he said. "Some people are saying the Fidelistas are being replaced by the Raulistas. But the other side is: Are we talking about rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?" The state-run newspaper Granma published an official notice from the State Council that said the changes were intended to form a structure that is "more compact and functional, with fewer organisms of the central administration of the state and a better distribution of the functions that they carry out." CNN's Morgan Neill and Shasta Darlington in Havana, Tom Watkins and Arthur Brice contributed to this story. All About Raul Castro • Cuba \|\|\|\|\| Who's in and who's out in Cuba government shakeup Who's in and who's out in the shakeup of Cuba's government announced Monday: _FOREIGN MINISTER: Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla, No. 2 in the ministry, replaces Felipe Perez Roque. _SECRETARY OF COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: Brig. Gen. Jose Amado Ricardo Guerra, long Raul Castro's secretary at the defense ministry, replaces Carlos Lage. _VICE PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS: Government Vice President Ramiro Valdes Menendez takes over the functions of Otto Rivero Torres. It is unclear whether he gets the title as well. _SECRETARY OF COUNCIL OF STATE: Homero Acosta Alvarez replaces Jose Miyar Barrueco, pending ratification. _SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTER: Barrueco takes on this position, vacant since Rosa Elena Simeon died in 2004. _ECONOMY MINISTER: Marino Murillo Jorge, who had been minister of internal commerce, replaces Jose Luis Rodriguez Garcia. _INTERNAL COMMERCE MINISTER: Jacinto Angulo Pardo, the No. 2 in the ministry, replaces Murillo Jorge. _EXTERNAL COMMERCE AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT MINISTER: Former U.N. ambassador Rodrigo Malmierca Diaz replaces External Commerce Minister Raul de la Nuez Ramirez; Malmierca had replaced Foreign Investment Minister Marta Lomas in November. _FOOD AND FISHING MINISTER: Maria del Carmen Concepcion Gonzalez, who had been a member of the Communist Party's food industry committee, replaces Food Minister Alejandro Roca Iglesias and Fishing Minister Alfredo Lopez Valdes. _FINANCE MINISTER: Lina Pedraza Rodriguez, a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party's Secretariat, replaces Georgina Barreiro Fajardo. _HEAVY INDUSTRIES MINISTER: Brig. Gen. Salvador Pardo Cruz replaces Fernando Acosta Santana. _LABOR MINISTER: Margarita Marlene Gonzalez Fernandez, a top ministry official, replaces Alfredo Morales Cartaya. Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.	On Monday, Raúl Castro, the President of Cuba, announced several changes of ministers in his cabinet. This is the first major reshuffle since Raúl took over as President after his brother Fidel Castro. A total of twelve ministers were replaced. Raúl Castro in 2008. One of the highest profile changes was Carlos Lage Dávila, the executive secretary of the Council of Ministers, who was replaced by General José Amado Ricardo Guerra. According to senior research associate at the University of Miami, José Azel, Lage was responsible for rescuing the Cuban economy from the downturn that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was not announced whether Lage will continue to serve in his other position as the vice president of the Council of State of Cuba. "It looks like Raúl putting some of his own people in," said Wayne Smith, who heads the Cuba program at the Center for International Policy. Smith added that this "is the biggest shake-up that I've seen in a very long time ... for the last 30 or 40 years." "This is one more sign that Raúl Castro is consolidating his power," José Azel said. "He's putting his people in there." "It is a new direction, we're just not clear what direction Castro is planning — a return to communist orthodoxy or pragmatism? However, Castro does seem to be trying to put in position people closer to him than to his brother, Fidel," said Al Jazeera's Latin America editor, Lucia Newman. Among other ministers replaced were foreign minister Felipe Pérez Roque, finance minister Georgina Barreiro Fajardo, labor minister Alfredo Morales Cartaya, and economy minister Jose Luis Rodriguez.
After the win against Lazio, Joshua Kimmich was named Man of the Match. Read why here. Bayern run and a unique goalscorer Facts on a last 16 win over Lazio that was full of records In the quarter-finals for the 19th time and 19 games unbeaten - here are the most important facts... \|\|\|\|\| 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. \|\|\|\|\| BERLIN, Oct 1 (Reuters) - Bayern Munich captain Oliver Kahn is to have surgery on his elbow that will rule him out for at least four weeks, coach Ottmar Hitzfeld said on Monday. The 38-year-old aggravated an existing injury while warming up before Saturday's match against Bayer Leverkusen and was replaced by Michael Rensing, his designated successor. 'He'll be out for four to five weeks,' Hitzfeld told reporters in Munich. 'The operation will be done as soon as possible.' Rensing, one of Germany's top goalkeepers who has only played occasionally at Bayern, had an outstanding match against Leverkusen. Bayern won 1-0. \|\|\|\|\| Kahn: Elbow surgery Oliver Kahn is to undergo surgery on his elbow injury and is facing up to five weeks on the sidelines. The veteran Bayern Munich goalkeeper aggravated an existing problem during the warm-up for Saturday's Bundesliga clash against Bayer Leverkusen. Kahn was replaced by Michael Rensing for the BayArena meeting and he kept a clean sheet as the visitors won 1-0 to open up a four-point lead over Schalke at the top of the table. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld confirmed that the former Germany No.1 requires an operation, but as yet a date is still to be set for the procedure. Bayern could also be without Miroslav Klose for Thursday's Uefa Cup first round second leg with Portuguese outfit Belenenses due to a knee complaint.	Bayern Munich's #1 goalkeeper Oliver Kahn striker Miroslav Klose have been ruled out of Thursday's UEFA Cup 1st Round 2nd Leg match against Portugal's Belenenses. Lukas Podolski has been ruled available after an injury scare. Kahn and Klose join Philipp Lahm, Willy Sagnol, José Ernesto Sosa and Valérien Ismael. Oliver Kahn will require elbow surgery and will be out for five weeks. Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marcell Jansen and Luca Toni didn't practice today for precautionary reasons. Michael Rensing will replace Oliver Kahn in net while it's not known what formation Ottmar Hitzfeld will use on Thursday.
Viktor Zubkov worked with Mr Putin in St Petersburg in the 1990s Viktor Zubkov, head of the federal financial monitoring service, is a relative unknown in Russian politics. The change marks a major political shake-up ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections. The lower house of the Russian parliament, the Duma, is set to vote on Mr Zubkov's nomination on Friday. Mr Fradkov offered to resign earlier Wednesday, citing "approaching significant political events", said Itar-Tass news agency. Mr Putin asked Mr Fradkov to stay on as acting prime minister until his replacement is confirmed. "We all have to think together how to build a structure of power so that it better corresponds to the pre-election period and prepares the country for the period after the presidential election in March," Mr Putin said in accepting Mr Fradkov's resignation. Strong platform Elections to the Duma are to be held in December. VIKTOR ZUBKOV 1941: Born in Arbat village, Sverdlovsk region 1965: Graduates from Leningrad Agricultural Institute in economics 1967-1985: Works on collective farms in Leningrad regions 1985-1991: Works in regional administration 1991-1993: Works with Vladimir Putin in St Petersburg city administration 1993-2000: Works for federal tax service and tax ministry From 2001: Head of financial monitoring service Profile: Viktor Zubkov Whoever becomes the new prime minister gains a strong platform from which to campaign to replace Mr Putin, correspondents say. Russian media had been speculating that First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov - long considered a frontrunner for the presidency - could have been about to be made prime minister. Mr Ivanov worked under Mr Putin in the FSB, the internal intelligence agency, in the 1990s and the two men are believed to be close. Power struggle? Mr Zubkov's links with Mr Putin go back to the early 1990s, when he was the future president's deputy on the St Petersburg city external relations committee. But few in Russia believe that Mr Zubkov is now in the running for the presidency, says the BBC's Rupert Wingfield-Hayes in Moscow. Instead, says our correspondent, many analysts believe he has been appointed to ensure a smooth transition between Mr Putin and his successor, whoever that might be. Mr Ivanov is one of President Putin's closest allies Dmitry Medvedev, the other first deputy prime minister, has also been seen as a possible presidential candidate. The choice of Mr Zubkov suggests a behind-the-scenes power struggle between "clans" within the Kremlin that are differentiated mainly by their degree of hostility toward the West, says the BBC's Russia analyst Steven Eke. White House National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe said the choice of leaders was a matter for the people of Russia to decide and that the US "looks forward to continuing its good relations with the Russian government". \|\|\|\|\| President Vladimir Putin dissolved Russia's government Wednesday and then quickly nominates Viktor Zubkov, a Russian Cabinet official who oversees the fight against money laundering, to be the new prime minister. Boris Gryzlov, the speaker of the State Duma, said Putin nominated Zubkov, who heads the Federal Financial Monitoring Service and who served under Putin when the two worked in the city administration of St. Petersburg in the early 1990s. Earlier Wednesday, in a major political shakeup, Putin dismissed Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov and dissolved his cabinet, paving the way for Putin to name a new head of government. Most observers had expected that the new premier would be the leading contender to succeed Putin when he steps down after March elections. But Zubkov had not been even considered as a contender. A Kremlin source told FOX News that Zubkov was not Putin's choice to be the next president of Russia. The newspaper Vedomosti, citing unidentified Kremlin officials, reported that Sergei Ivanov, a first deputy prime minister and a leading contender to succeed Putin, could be appointed to replace Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov. Related Video Russian Turmoil • FOX Facts: Russia's Government Another first deputy prime minister, Dmitry Medvedev, who is a top executive at natural gas monopoly OAO Gazprom, was considered the other leading contender. Under the constitution, which the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has one week to vote on a nominee for prime minister. the pres. Russian news agencies said Fradkov would serve as acting prime minister until the vote. Fradkov said he asked for the dissolution of his government because with elections approaching, Putin needed to have a free hand to make decisions, including those concerning appointments. Parliamentary elections are scheduled for Dec. 2, followed some three months later by presidential balloting. "You might be right that we must all think about how to structure the government so that it better suits the pre-election period and prepares the country for what will happen after the parliamentary and presidential elections," Putin said.	Mikhail FradkovImage Credit:Ricardo Stuckert/PR Prime Minister of Russia Mikhail Fradkov has resigned, citing his reason as being "the approaching major political events in the country and a desire to give the president full freedom in making decisions, including personnel." Russian President Vladimir Putin has nominated Victor Zubkov to replace him, and a new cabinet is expected to follow as well. Parliamentary elections are expected to take place in three months as the parliament has not been dissolved, and presidential elections will take place in six months.
Boat sinks in Macedonian lake, 15 drown A sightseeing boat carrying dozens of Bulgarian tourists sank Saturday in a lake on Macedonia's western border, and at least 15 people drowned, police said. The boat, called the Ilinden, sank rapidly into Lake Ohrid, police spokesman Ivo Kotevski said. Rescuers pulled 53 survivors from the water, including four who were unresponsive and were hospitalized in the town of Ohrid, he said. At least 15 bodies have been recovered from the lake — the deepest in the Balkans, located along the mountainous border between Macedonia and Albania. "A police diving team is on the scene, and we fear more people have drowned," Kotevski said, adding that it was still unclear exactly how many were on board. Witnesses said the boat was about 200 metres from shore when it split in two and sank unexpectedly, according to Macedonia's private A1 television. The broadcaster said the boat was carrying 50 tourists from Bulgaria among others, and had been travelling from Ohrid, on the lake's eastern shore, to the medieval Eastern Orthodox monastery complex Sveti Naum, about 29 kilometres to the south near the Albanian border. Lake Ohrid itself has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 1979. Kotevski said it is not clear yet why the boat sank. "This is the worst accident that has ever happened on Lake Ohrid," local police spokesman Stefan Dimoski said. Macedonian President Gjorgje Ivanov and four cabinet ministers were travelling to the scene. \|\|\|\|\| The Ilinden - pictured here last year - had a permit to carry 45 passengers At least 15 people have died after a sightseeing boat sank in Lake Ohrid in south-western Macedonia. The Ilinden sank about 200m from the shore - reportedly within four minutes. About 40 passengers have been rescued. The Bulgarian government says the dead were all its nationals. The captain of the boat said there was a "loud crack" before the boat sank, police say. Police have described the incident as "an enormous tragedy". Lake Ohrid is Macedonia's best known tourist resort. Earlier reports said 19 people had died and indicated that the cause could have been overcrowding, with 73 passengers on board, when the boat only had a permit for a maximum of 45. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. However, later on Saturday Macedonian officials lowered the death toll to 15 and said there had been about 57 passengers on board. In neighbouring Bulgaria, the government information office said the dead included one child. "The 23-year-old skipper and his deputy have been questioned about the incident," Macedonian police spokesman Ivo Kotevski told the Associated Press news agency. "In their first statements they said that a loud crack was heard toward the rear before the boat sunk rapidly." Cries of help In pictures: Lake disaster The tourists had been on their way to the St Naum monastery complex when the 30m (98 feet) vessel broke in two and sank at about 1100 (0900 GMT), according to witnesses. "We were in a speed boat and we saw the boat sinking. We just turned around and we saw people crying for help," an eyewitness told BBC Macedonian. "When we got there, 10 were already dead. We took seven with us, we thought we could save more but it was too late." Another witness told the BBC: "Around 1030 I went to the beach, and all of a sudden, I heard cries of 'Help! Help me, help me!' and we saw how the forward part of the boat had sunk in the water. "I have a small dinghy and with a friend we went towards the boat, then two more small boats came along. "It was lucky that there were other small boats who came along, and threw life-saving vests and took the survivors on board. Police divers are on the scene. A BBC correspondent in the region says accidents like this on Lake Ohrid are extremely rare. Macedonia's transport minister had offered his resignation. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Police officials have said that at least fifteen people have died after the sightseeing boat ''Ilinden'', with 50 Bulgarian tourists on board, sank in a lake in western Macedonia. The boat sank in Lake Ohrid, one of the deepest lakes in southeastern Europe. 53 people were rescued by emergency crews. Witness reports suggest the boat split in half at around 11.00 local time (09.00 UTC) when it was 200 metres from the shore. "A police diving team is on the scene, and we fear more people have drowned," said police spokesman Ivo Kotevski. The boat was reportedly headed from the city of Ohrid on the eastern shore of the lake to the Sveti Naum monastery, located close to the border with Albania. It is still uncertain what caused the boat to sink.
MANILA — Eleven soldiers were killed and several others were wounded Saturday in a firefight with Communist guerrillas in a province south of Manila, Philippine Army officials said. The battle in Oriental Mindoro Province was the deadliest encounter the military has had with the insurgency so far this year. Army officials said a platoon of soldiers patrolling the remote areas of Oriental Mindoro had inadvertently entered a rebel camp. “The two sides exchanged fire a few meters apart,” said Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, an army spokesman. He said that the firefight lasted for three hours, “literally to the last bullet,” and that the rebels withdrew only after military reinforcements arrived. Colonel Detoyato said seven soldiers were wounded in the fighting, while the rebels, who numbered around 60, also suffered casualties. Col. Romeo Brawner, another army spokesman in Manila, said Saturday that the soldiers had been on patrol as part of security preparations for elections in May. He said the Communists had been extorting money from politicians who ventured into rebel areas to campaign. \|\|\|\|\| 11 soldiers killed in Mindoro battle with NPA SAN PEDRO, LAGUNA—At least 11 soldiers were killed and three others wounded in an ambush by gunmen suspected to be New People’s Army rebels in Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, on Saturday morning, according to military officials. It was the Army’s biggest loss in a single encounter with communist rebels this year. The soldiers were on patrol when they ran into a fortified camp of the NPA, Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Col. Romeo Brawner said. A three-hour gun battle ensued with “undetermined casualties” on the side of the rebels, he said. “The troops fought it out literally to the last bullet,” Brawner said. Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, spokesperson for the Army’s 2nd Infantry Division, said the ambush was staged by about 60 NPA guerrillas. More soldiers backed by helicopter gunships had been dispatched to track down the NPA insurgents, he said. The soldiers were patrolling the area as part of security measures to ensure that candidates in the May elections would be able to campaign safely, said Brawner. The NPA have been demanding payment from candidates in exchange for “permit to campaign” cards. Those who refuse to pay are attacked and sometimes killed. Maricar P. Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon and AFP	According to officials, at least eleven solders in the Philippines were killed and several others injured on Saturday after a gunfight with Communist rebels in Mindoro, a province south of the capital Manila. It was the deadliest incident between the two since the start of the year. Army officials commented that a platoon of Filipino soldiers accidentally entered the grounds of the New People's Army (NPA) rebel camp. "The two sides exchanged fire a few meters apart," remarked army spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Noel Detoyato. "... The troops fought it out literally to the last bullet." He commented that the gunfight lasted for about three hours, that about sixty NPA rebels were involved in the clash, and that seven of the Filipino troops were injured. Another army spokesman, Colonel Romeo Brawner, noted that the troops were in the vicinity as part of security measures implemented for the elections in May, so that the candidates would be able to safely campaign.
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. \|\|\|\|\| '); //--> E-Mail \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters \| RSS AFX News Limited SAS Bombardier Dash 8-400s grounded; SAS sees fault model-related UPDATE (Adding Dueholm concern of model fault, warning of more flight cancellations) STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - The aviation authority for Nordic countries has decided to ground 27 Dash 8-400 aircraft belonging to Scandinavian Airlines Systems, said the authority's Denmark division. The airline earlier said the aircraft's manufacturer Bombardier recommended that all airlines ground their Dash 8-400 aircraft, after two recent emergency landings in Denmark and Lithuania. SAS group director John S Dueholm said the airline fears the fault is model-related. 'When we see two faults in such a short time, it can't be an isolated fault. We believe it must be a model-related fault,' he said. SAS AB said its Scandinavian Airlines and Wideroee units have decided to ground their entire fleet of Dash 8-400 aircraft until further notice, following the accidents. 'No aircraft will be released for operations until these inspections have been carried out on all aircraft,' SAS said. One of SAS' Dash 8-400 (Q400) with flight number SK2748 from Copenhagen to Palanga (Lithuania) was involved in an accident today. 'The aircraft experienced technical difficulties and the crew decided to divert to Vilnius Airport (Lithuania) where the accident occurred at 1.36 am hour local time today,' SAS said. It said all passengers were evacuated after landing and no injuries were reported. SAS has 27 Dash 8-400 in its fleet, which are used for shorter flights. Bombardier is recommending that all Dash-8/Q400 aircraft, the world over should be grounded, if they have 10,000 landing gear cycles or more, until an inspection is carried out. Bombardier said it has delivered more than 160 Q400 aircraft to airlines around the world, of these there are currently about 60 Q400 aircraft with more than 10,000 landing gear cycles. On Sunday one of SAS' Dash-8/Q400 aircraft crashlanded at Aalborg airport in Denmark, when the plane's landing gear collapsed. SAS said that after grounding its Dash-8/400 aircraft, the airline lacks capacity, which it will try to cover by chartering aircraft from other airlines, RB-Boersen said citing a SAS news conference in Copenhagen. But there will be further cancellations in the coming days, group director Dueholm said. More than 100 SAS flights were cancelled today and SAS said it cancelled 103 flights on Wednesday within Europe and Scandanavia, and will lease aircraft from other companies to minimise the capacity losses. SAS said it has been in contact with competitor Sterling, which has offered to provide aircraft for the Copenhagen-Aalborg route. Dueholm said that he cannot comment on the economic aspects of the matter at the present time, including possible losses arising from the cancellations, nor whether there may be a compensation claim against the aircraft maker, Bombardier. 'At the moment, safety is the prime concern,' Dueholm said. 'We have not had the opportunity to look at the legal aspects of this. For the time being, SAS said it is waiting for instructions from Bombardier about correcting the fault. The aircraft maker and the local authorities in Vilnius will investigate why the starboard landing gear would not lock and collapsed on landing. 'We expect to get the instructions today, but there will be more cancellations if we don't,' Dueholm said. 150 departures have been cancelled due to the grounding of the aircraft, affecting 6,000 Danish and 3,000 Swedeish passengers every day. hans.chumakonde@thomson.com hc/ra/hc/slm/hc/gp/hjp COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. Neither the Subscriber nor AFX News warrants the completeness or accuracy of the Service or the suitability of the Service as a trading aid and neither accepts any liability for losses howsoever incurred. The content on this site, including news, quotes, data and other information, is provided by AFX News and its third party content providers for your personal information only, and neither AFX News nor its third party content providers shall be liable for any errors, inaccuracies or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. More On This Topic Companies: SAS \| BBD.A \| BBD-A.TO Article Controls E-Mail \| Comments \| E-Mail Newsletters del.icio.us \| Digg It! \| My Yahoo! \| Share \| RSS Related Sections Home > News & Analysis '); //--> News Headlines \| More From Forbes.com \| Special Reports Subscriptions > \|\|\|\|\| AFX News Limited SAS says grounding of Bombardier planes will cost 10-15 mln skr per day STOCKHOLM (Thomson Financial) - SAS AB said the grounding of its entire fleet of 27 Bombardier Dash 8-400 aircraft following a recent accident, will cost it 10-15 mln skr per day. The losses will stem from lost revenue, fixed costs and negative effects related to connecting flights. SAS has now suffered two crashes related to the Dash 8's landing gear in less than a week. In the most recent incident, an SAS Dash 8-400 from Copenhagen to Palanga (Lithuania) crash-landed at Vilnius airport overnight after being diverted due to technical problems. hans.chumakonde@thomson.com hc/jlc COPYRIGHT Copyright AFX News Limited 2007. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of AFX News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of AFX News. Neither the Subscriber nor AFX News warrants the completeness or accuracy of the Service or the suitability of the Service as a trading aid and neither accepts any liability for losses howsoever incurred. The content on this site, including news, quotes, data and other information, is provided by AFX News and its third party content providers for your personal information only, and neither AFX News nor its third party content providers shall be liable for any errors, inaccuracies or delays in content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon. More On This Topic Subscriptions >	A file photo of an Augsburg Airways Dash 8-300, with the landing gear deployed. The second landing gear failure on a Scandinavian Airlines System (SAS) de Havilland Canada Dash 8 (also known as a Bombardier Q400 following Bombardier's purchase of de Havilland Canada from Boeing) within the space of a week has prompted the grounding of many of the twin-engined turboprops. On September 9, Scandinavian Airlines Flight 1209 suffered a right landing gear failure during landing at Aalborg Airport, Denmark. A fire broke out during the crash, and five people sustained injuries. This was followed today by the similar crash of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 2748 at Palanga Airport, Lithuania. No-one was injured. The accidents have resulted in Bombardier recommending the grounding of all Q400s, which have undertaken more than 60,000 flights, as a "precautionary measure". This affects leading carriers around the world, including SAS, Alaska Air 's Horizon Air subsidiary, Flybe, Japan Airlines, Austrian Airlines Group and Augsburg Airways, and covers around 60 aircraft. SAS and Horizon Air have grounded 27 and 15 aircraft respectively, while Flybe have grounded six. Another airline, Porter Airlines, which operates the type exclusively against any others, have pointed out that their aircraft have not undertaken enough flights to be affected by the measures. The landing gear are manufactured in the United States by Goodrich Corporation. One industry analyst, Cameron Doerksen, said that he felt that although the incidents and groundings obviously constitute bad publicity, he feels it would not influence the decision of a carrier considering whether to purchase Q400s. Bombardier declined 17 cents, or 2.7 percent, to C$6.23 on the Toronto Stock Exchange and SAS fell 6 kronor, or 4.8 percent, to 118 kronor in stock exchanging in Stockholm. Goodrich stock rose 19 cents to $64.96 on the New York Stock Exchange. The groundings have caused hundreds of flights to be cancelled, leaving thousands of passengers stranded every day. The cost to SAS alone is estimated at 10-15 million Swedish kronor per day.
Eureka! Unlocking Archimedes' ancient text Causing invisible ink to glow BALTIMORE, Maryland (AP) -- A particle accelerator is being used to reveal the long-lost writings of the Greek mathematician Archimedes, work hidden for centuries after a Christian monk wrote over it in the Middle Ages. Highly focused X-rays produced at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Menlo Park, California were used last week to begin deciphering the parts of the 174-page text that have not yet been revealed. The X-rays cause iron in the hidden ink to glow. "One of the delightful things is we don't know what it's going to say," said William Noel, head of the Archimedes Palimpsest project at the Walters Art Gallery in Baltimore. Scholars believe the treatise was copied by a scribe in the 10th century from Archimedes' original Greek scrolls, written in the third century B.C. It was erased about 200 years later by a monk who reused the parchment for a prayer book, creating a twice-used parchment book known as a "palimpsest." In the 12th century, parchment -- scraped and dried animal skins -- was rare and costly, and Archimedes' works were in less demand. The palimpsest was bought at auction for $2 million in 1998 by an anonymous private collector who loaned it to the Baltimore museum and funded studies to reveal the text. About 80 percent of the text has been uncovered so far. "It's the only one that contains diagrams that may bear any resemblance to the diagrams Archimedes himself drew in the sand in Syracuse 2000 years ago," Noel said. Enter: the particle accelerator While reading an article on the text, Stanford physicist Uwe Bergmann realized he could use a particle accelerator to detect small amounts of iron in the ink. The electrons speeding along the circular accelerator emit X-rays that can be used to cause the iron to fluoresce or glow. "Anything which contains iron will be shown, and anything that doesn't contain iron will not be shown," Bergmann said. Bergmann normally uses the accelerator, in which electrons are pushed to near the speed of light, to study the structure of water, and how water is split to create oxygen during photosynthesis. Most of the text has been revealed by scientists at Johns Hopkins University and the Rochester Institute of Technology who used digital cameras and processing techniques as well as ultraviolet and infrared filters developed for medicine and space research. The so-called Archimedes Palimpsest includes the only copy of the treatise "Method of Mechanical Theorems," in which Archimedes explains how he used mechanical means to develop his mathematical theorems. It is also the only source in the original Greek for the treatise "On Floating Bodies," in which Archimedes deals with the physics of flotation and gravity. Three of the undeciphered pages were imaged last week, and the rest are expected to take three to four years to complete, Noel said. \|\|\|\|\| -Press Release Number: PR-SSRL-05-2 -Source: Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL) / Stanford Linear Accelerator Center -Date issued: May 18, 2005 -Contact: Neil Calder, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center: 1 (650) 926-8707, neil.calder@slac.stanford.edu -Comment: Uwe Bergmann, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory: (650) 926-3048, bergmann@SLAC.Stanford.EDU Archimedes manuscript yields secrets under X-ray gaze By Heather Rock Woods For five days in May, the ancient collided with the ultra-modern at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC), bringing brilliant, long-hidden ideas to light with brilliant X-ray light. A synchrotron X-ray beam at the Department of Energy facility illuminated an obscured work--erased, written over and even painted over--of ancient mathematical genius Archimedes, born 287 B.C. in Sicily. Archimedes' amazingly advanced ideas have been lost and found several times throughout the ages. Now scientists are employing modern technology--including X-ray fluorescence at SLAC's Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory (SSRL)--to completely read the Archimedes Palimpsest, the only source for at least two previously unknown treatises thought out by Archimedes in the third century B.C. "Synchrotron light has revolutionized our view into the sub-microscopic world and has contributed to major innovations in fields including solid-state physics, materials science, environmental sciences, structural biology and chemistry," explained Keith Hodgson, director of SSRL. "Synchrotron light is created when electrons traveling the speed of light take a curved path around a storage ring--emitting electromagnetic light in X-ray through infrared wavelengths. The resulting light beam has characteristics that make it ideal for revealing the intricate architecture and utility of many kinds of matter--in this case, the previously hidden work of one of the founding fathers of all science." Image 1. Abigail Quandt, head of book and paper conservation at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, places the palimpsest page in the X-ray beam at SSRL. Photo courtesy SLAC/Diana Rogers. Legend has it that Archimedes, upon displacing water in his tub and realizing he had found a way to measure volumes, leapt out of the bath and ran naked through the streets shouting 'Eureka!' (I have found it!). He also conceived a way to calculate pi, the mathematical equivalent of inventing the wheel. Archimedes did not just take steps toward calculus, as formerly believed; he actually created and used calculus methods, the basis for modern engineering and science. He is also credited with designing fearsome war weapons, such as claws that pulled attacking boats from the water. The palimpsest is a 1,000-year-old parchment made of goatskin containing Archimedes' work as laboriously copied down by a 10th century scribe. Two centuries later, with parchment harder to come by, the ink was erased with a weak acid (like lemon juice) and scraped off with a pumice stone, and the parchment was written on again to make a prayer book. One of the most intractable problems was seeing the original ink on four pages that had been painted over with Byzantine religious images, which turned out to be 20th century forgeries intended to increase the value of the prayer book. An X-ray system recently showed it was possible to penetrate the paintings. At SSRL, the assembled team practically jumped with excitement as the original writing beneath one painting was unveiled on the computer screens. Archimedes' hidden text deals with floating bodies and the equilibrium of planes. Image 2. One page of from the palimpsest shows the original painting and text. Credit: Image taken by the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Johns Hopkins University. Copyright resides with the owner of the Archimedes Palimpsest. Three pages of the palimpsest recently traveled to Menlo Park because SSRL staff scientist Uwe Bergmann had his own Eureka moment in 2003. From a magazine article, he learned the inks used for both the Archimedes and religious texts contained iron pigment. "I read that and I immediately thought we should be able to read the parchment with X-rays," Bergmann said. "That's what we do at SSRL--we measure iron in proteins--extremely smallconcentrations of iron." The intense synchrotron X-ray beam induces X-ray fluorescence--X-ray light tuned to a specific energy causes the remaining traces of iron ink to fluoresce. A detector catches the fluorescence and renders the 2,000-year-old thoughts of the mathematical genius readable. Like an old dot-matrix printer, the detector builds an image dot by dot, mapping out each speck of iron-containing ink. Where the two texts overlap (they are written perpendicular to each other) the iron signal is stronger , which may allow researchers to separate the two texts. "The Archimedes ink is only one to two microns thick--there's hardly anything there," said Abigail Quandt, head of book and paper conservation at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore, which is leading a broad public and private effort involving experts from diverse fields to study and conserve the manuscript. "This is for broad public interest, to reveal the mind of the greatest mathematician of antiquity," said Will Noel, curator of manuscripts and rare books at the Walters Art Museum. "There's nothing more important and more romantic in the history of ancient science and currently in the history of medieval manuscripts. We're discovering new readings of Archimedes." Much of the manuscript has been read by visible or ultraviolet light during six years of painstaking analysis and restoration. For the rest, the main tools are X-ray fluorescence, optical character recognition (teaching a computer to recognize fragments of ancient Greek symbols) and multi-spectral imaging (using light of different wavelengths). Ametek-Edax of New Jersey makes an X-ray fluorescence system--which first revealed hints of text under the forged paintings--that could be installed at the museum to analyze pages that are too fragile to travel. Image 3. Detail of the same page after X-ray scanning revealed the original Greek text. Courtesy Will Noel, The Walters Art Museum. Another page studied at SSRL contains an introduction to the only copy of Archimedes' Method of Mechanical Theorems, where the genius showed how he arrived at his theorems. As ancient Greek cursive--mingled with the religious text--appeared on a screen, Stanford Classics and Philosophy Professor Reviel Netz began decoding the Archimedes text. He uses the four layers of text from the synchrotron images, which simultaneously register the scientific and religious texts from both sides of the parchment page, and multi-spectral images to build a picture of the 10th century pen strokes and rule out the curves and lines made two centuries later. "I don't think X-rays will make invisible material simply visible," Netz said. "It will add a layer of information combined with others that will enable me to read the text." An anonymous private collector who bought the palimpsest for $2 million at auction in 1998 has loaned the manuscript to the Walters Art Museum and is funding the studies. Researchers also come from RB Toth Associates, Rochester Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, ConocoPhillips and Rutgers University. The team plans to decipher the entire text, catalog and transcribe it digitally, and create an interactive DVD. They will then exhibit a few pages in 2008 before returning the irreplaceable parchment to its owner. - 30 - EDITORS LINE Photos are available on the web at http://newsphotos.stanford.edu. For photo with woman, manuscript and experimental set up, credit "SLAC/Diana Rogers." For palimpsest image, credit "Image taken by the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Johns Hopkins University. Copyright resides with the owner of the Archimedes Palimpsest." For X-ray detail of palimpsest, "Courtesy Will Noel, The Walters Art Museum." Relevant Web URLs: Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory: http://www-ssrl.slac.stanford.edu/ Stanford Linear Accelerator Center: http://www.slac.stanford.edu/ The Walters Art Museum: http://www.thewalters.org/archimedes/frame.html News Service website: http://www.stanford.edu/news/ Stanford Report (university newspaper): http://news.stanford.edu Most recent news releases from Stanford: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/news/html/releases.html To change contact information for these news releases: news-service@lists.stanford.edu Phone: (650) 723-2558	Scientists at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center in Menlo Park, California are analyzing a 174-page text. The book had originally contained a copy of Archimedes' writings, but had been erased by a monk in the 12th century and reused as a prayer book. The particle accelerator is able to see small iron particles that were present in the original ink. The book is believed to have been originally copied from Archimedes' 3rd century BC Greek scrolls. About 80 percent of the text has been recovered, showing diagrams that may more closely resemble Archimedes' original work than has ever been seen before. The palimpsest includes "Method of Mechanical Theorems", a treatise that had been thought lost. In it, Archimedes describes his use of mechanics to establish his mathematical theorems. The palimpsest also includes the only original Greek version of "On Floating Bodies", which explains the physics of gravity and flotation. It is projected that it may take three to four years to complete imaging of the book.
Investors are concerned that financial markets will remain volatile. Asian markets have staged a tentative recovery in response to the US government rescue of insurance giant AIG, but investors remain nervous. Stocks in Tokyo, Taipei, and Seoul all rose, although share prices in Hong Kong and Australia lost ground after starting higher. The dollar also rose against major currencies. Investors are concerned that financial markets will remain unstable after the dramatic events of the past few days. AIG's bail-out follows the collapse of US investment giant Lehman Brothers, which caused share prices to plummet across the world's financial markets. Another investment bank, Merrill Lynch, has been sold off to Bank of America. Japan's Nikkei 225 index ended up 1.2% at 11,749.79, after hitting a three-year low on Tuesday. The index had earlier rose as much as 2.3%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index was down 1.85% at 17,691.2 points after earlier rising as high 18,699.18. European markets are expected to open slightly higher amid relief that AIG wasn't allowed to go bankrupt. \|\|\|\|\| If A.I.G. had collapsed — and been unable to pay all of its insurance claims — institutional investors around the world would have been instantly forced to reappraise the value of those securities, and that in turn would have reduced their own capital and the value of their own debt. Small investors, including anyone who owned money market funds with A.I.G. securities, could have been hurt, too. And some insurance policy holders were worried, even though they have some protections. “It would have been a chain reaction,” said Uwe Reinhardt, a professor of economics at Princeton University . “The spillover effects could have been incredible.” Financial markets, which on Monday had plunged over worries about A.I.G.’s possible collapse and the bankruptcy of Lehman Brothers , reacted with relief to the news of the bailout. In anticipation of a deal, stocks rose about 1 percent in the United States on Tuesday. Asian stock markets opened with strong gains on Wednesday morning, but the rally lost steam as worries returned about the extent of harm to the global financial system. Still, the move will likely start an intense political debate during the presidential election campaign over who is to blame for the financial crisis that prompted the rescue. Photo Representative Barney Frank , Democrat of Massachusetts and chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, said Mr. Paulson and Mr. Bernanke had not requested any new legislative authority for the bailout at Tuesday night’s meeting. “The secretary and the chairman of the Fed, two Bush appointees, came down here and said, ‘We’re from the government, we’re here to help them,’ ” Mr. Frank said. “I mean this is one more affirmation that the lack of regulation has caused serious problems. That the private market screwed itself up and they need the government to come help them unscrew it.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quickly criticized the rescue, calling the $85 billion a "staggering sum." Ms. Pelosi said the bailout was "just too enormous for the American people to guarantee." Her comments suggested that the Bush administration and the Fed would face sharp questioning in Congressional hearings. President Bush was briefed earlier in the afternoon. A major concern is that the A.I.G. rescue won’t be the last. At Tuesday night’s meeting. lawmakers asked if there was any way of knowing if this would be the final major government intervention. Mr. Bernanke and Mr. Paulson said there was not. Indeed, the markets remain worried about the financial condition of major regional banks as well as that of Washington Mutual , the nation’s largest thrift. Advertisement Continue reading the main story The decision was a remarkable turnaround by the Bush administration and Mr. Paulson, who had flatly refused over the weekend to risk taxpayer money to prevent the collapse of Lehman Brothers or the distressed sale of Merrill Lynch to Bank of America . Earlier this year, the government bailed out another investment bank, Bear Stearns , by engineering a sale to JPMorgan Chase that left taxpayers on the hook for up to $29 billion of bad investments by Bear Stearns. The government hoped at the time that this unusual step would both calm markets and lead to a recovery by the financial system. But critics warned at the time that it would only encourage others to seek bailouts, and the eventual costs to the government would be staggering. The decision to rescue A.I.G. came on the same day that the Fed decided to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 2 percent, turning aside hopes by many on Wall Street that the Fed would try to shore up confidence by cutting rates once again. Fed and Treasury officials initially turned a cold shoulder to A.I.G. when company executives pleaded on Sunday night for the Fed to provide a $40 billion bridge loan to stave off a crippling downgrade of its credit ratings as a result of investment losses that totalled tens of billions of dollars. But government officials reluctantly backed away from their tough-minded approach after a failed attempt to line up private financing with help from JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs , which told federal officials they simply could not raise the money given both the general turmoil in credit markets and the specific fears of problems with A.I.G. The complexity of A.I.G.’s business, and the fact that it does business with thousands of companies around the globe, make its survival crucial at a time when there is stress throughout the financial system worldwide. Newsletter Sign Up Continue reading the main story Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up You agree to receive occasional updates and special offers for The New York Times's products and services. Thank you for subscribing. An error has occurred. Please try again later. View all New York Times newsletters. “It’s the interconnectedness and the fear of the unknown,” said Roger Altman, a former Treasury official under President Bill Clinton . “The prospect of the world’s largest insurer failing, together with the interconnectedness and the uncertainty about the collateral damage — that’s why it’s scaring people so much.” Under the plan, the Fed will make a two-year loan to A.I.G. of up to $85 billion and, in return, will receive warrants that can be converted into common stock giving the government nearly 80 percent ownership of the insurer, if the existing shareholders approve. All of the company’s assets are being pledged to secure the loan. Existing stockholders have already seen the value of their stock drop more than 90 percent in the last year. Now they will suffer even more, although they will not be totally wiped out. The Fed was advised by Morgan Stanley , and A.I.G. by the Blackstone Group . Fed staffers said that they expected A.I.G. would repay the loan before it comes due in two years, either through the sales of assets or through operations. Photo Asked why Lehman was allowed to fail, but A.I.G. was not, a Fed staffer said the markets were more prepared for the failure of an investment bank. Robert B. Willumstad, who became A.I.G.’s chief executive in June, will be succeeded by Edward M. Liddy, the former chairman of the Allstate Corporation . Under the terms of his employment contract with A.I.G., Mr. Willumstad could receive an exit package worth as much as $8.7 million if his removal is determined to be “without cause,” according to an analysis by James F. Reda and Associates. A.I.G. is a sprawling empire built by Maurice R. Greenberg , who acquired hundreds of businesses all over the world until he was ousted amid an accounting scandal in 2005. Many of A.I.G.’s subsidiaries wrote insurance of various types. Others made home loans and leased aircraft. The diverse array of companies were more valuable under a single corporate parent like A.I.G., because their business cycles offset each other, giving A.I.G. a relatively smooth stream of revenue and income. Advertisement Continue reading the main story After Mr. Greenberg’s departure, A.I.G. restated its books over a five-year period and instituted conservative new accounting policies. But before the company could really rebuild itself, it became embroiled in the mortgage crisis. Some of its insurance companies ended up with mortgage-backed securities on their books, but the real trouble involved the insurance that its financial products unit offered investors for complex debt securities. Its stock tumbled faster this year as first the debt securities lost value, and then the insurance contracts, called credit default swaps , came under a cloud. The Fed’s extraordinary rescue of A.I.G. underscores how much fear remains about the destructive potential of the complex financial instruments, like credit default swaps, that brought A.I.G. to its knees. The market for such instruments has exploded in recent years, but it is almost entirely unregulated. When A.I.G. began to teeter in the last few days, it became clear that if it defaulted on its commitments under the swaps, it could set off a devastating chain reaction through the financial system. “We are witnessing a rather unique event in the history of the United States,” said Suresh Sundaresan, the Chase Manhattan Bank professor of economics and finance at Columbia University . He thought the near brush with catastrophe would bring about an acceleration of efforts within the Treasury and the Fed to put safety controls on the use of credit default swaps. “They’re going to tighten the screws and say, ‘We want some safeguards on this market,’ ” he said of the Fed and the Treasury. The swaps are not securities and are not regulated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. And while they perform the same function as an insurance policy, they are not insurance in the conventional sense, so insurance regulators do not monitor them either. That situation set the stage for deep losses for all the countless investors and other entities that had entered into A.I.G.’s swap contracts. Of the $441 billion in credit default swaps that A.I.G. listed at midyear, more than three-quarters were held by European banks. “Suddenly banks would be holding a lot of bondlike instruments that were no longer insured,” Mr. Sundaresan said. “They would have to mark them down. And when they marked them down, they would require more capital. And then they would have to go out and raise capital in these markets, which is very difficult.” Mr. Sundaresan said that for a new market arrangement to succeed, it would have to create a clearinghouse to track swaps trading, and daily requirements to post collateral, so that a huge counterparty would not suddenly find itself having to come up with billions of dollars overnight, the way A.I.G. did.	Stock markets around the world, particularly those in the United States, have fallen dramatically today. This is due to the ongoing events in the financial world, including the bailout of large insurance firm by the US . The primary UK index, the , dropped in value by 2.36%, which is 118.40 points, to below the 5000 mark at 4907.20. The was down 2.62% at 16:08 , a slight increase from earlier today. The Dow Jones currently has a value of 10769.00 points. The index has fallen by 3.16% to 2138.14, while the Dax was 1.75% lower than the start of the day as of 16:08 UTC. The Japanese index the was one of the few to rise in value over the day. It ended up 1.2%, although this follows a large fall in the value of the index when it hit an all time low yesterday. Darren Winder, a market analyst from Cazenove, said that "I don't think anyone has got any or much confidence in market direction for more than a few days." A lot of today's activities in the market were related to the takeover of the (AIG) on Tuesday in an 85 billion loan, in exchange for a 79.9% stake in the company. The fact that AIG has thousands of divisions engaged in business across the globe sets them apart from the recent problems with other banks. AIG was built up over the last several years via the buyouts and mergers of many companies around the world, offering AIG's stockholders a diverse base of income which allowed it to steadily increase profits. In addition, the markets have also had difficulties during the past week after the refusal of the Federal Reserve to bail out , forcing the company to file for bankruptcy on Monday after (BoA) and pulled out of negotiations over the weekend.
St. Patrick’s Day is often celebrated with corned beef and cabbage, soda bread and Irish beef stew and then wash it all down with a tall pint of Guinness. Those tried and true recipes are a tradition. But for those of you who really enjoy the green foods, gimmicky cocktails and desserts decorated with four leaf clovers and pots of gold, these are the recipes for you. Fulfill your Pinterest goals with these Instagram-worthy St. Patrick’s Day recipes. \|\|\|\|\| Palestinians celebrate Ramadan 2020 Smoked mackerels are seen before being sold during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians receive a portion of soup passed out to families in need on May 5 during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A man hands out meals for Palestinians to break their fast during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinian boys line up to receive a portion of soup. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians children receive soup during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians children receive soup during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians in need received soup during Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A Palestinian boy showcases Chinese-made "fanous" lanterns for sale in Khan Yunis in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday. The lanterns are used as decoration to celebrate the start of Ramadan. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Palestinians shop for the holiday, which is marked by fasting during the day. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI Social distancing rules and shelter-in-place orders globally will force Muslims to celebrate Ramadan differently this year. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI The monthlong observance is among the most sacred practices. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A Palestinian baker prepares "Qatayef," traditional pancakes that are popular during holiday. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A vendor sells dried fruit. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI A craftsman fashions a traditional "fanous." Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI The bright colors of a "fanous" give view to a lantern workshop. Photo by Ismael Mohamad/UPI An overview of the empty plaza of the locked Al Aqsa Mosque compound, including the Dome of the Rock. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI More than 1.8 billion Muslims around the world are preparing for the holiest month of the year. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Ramadan is the holy month-long period when the faithful fast in a time of spiritual discipline and reflection. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Many Ramadan traditions will be altered for the pandemic, such as iftar, when the daily fast is broken, evening prayers at mosques, and Eid al-Fitr festivities at the end of the month. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI While some countries are locking down, Turkey plans to allow expatriates to return for the holy month. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI A woman walks through the Old City of Jerusalem wearing a mask. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI Muslim clerics have announced the Al Aqsa Mosque will remain closed for the holy month, beginning the evening of April 23. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI A vendor wears a mask as shoppers visit his stand in preparation for Ramadan. Photo by Debbie Hill/UPI	Mayra Ramirez, a 16 year old Chicago, USA student is blind. In order to graduate, she and dozens of other visually impaired students in Chicago schools are required to pass a written rules-of-the-road exam. "In other classes, you don't really feel different because you can do the work other people do," Ramirez said. "But in driver's ed, it does give us the feeling we're different. In a way, it brought me down, because it reminds me of something I can't do." Michael Vaughn, a spokesman for Chicago schools said, "I can't explain why up to this point no one has raised the issue and suggested a better way for visually impaired students to opt out of driver's ed." Blind students are typically told that they must take the class to graduate; although, by law, any parent can request a change in a disabled student's education plan. This law is rarely, if ever, disclosed to the students, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Thomas Cecil Gray born 11 March 1913; Prep School 1923-25; Junior House 1925-27; St Aidan's House September 1927-July 1931; novice Ampleforth Abbey 21 September-14 November 1931 - clothed as Br Thomas; University of Liverpool 1931-37; general practice 1937-41; Medical Corps 1942-44; Hon Anaesthetist to various hospitals 1940-47; Reader in Anaesthesia, The University of Liverpool 1947-59; Professor of Anaesthesia, The University of Liverpool 1959-76; Dean of Postgraduate Medical Studies 1966-70; Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1970-76; author of medical books; appointed CBE; appointed KCSG; married Marjorie Kathleen Hely (died 1978) 1937 (2 children); married Pamela Mary Corning 1979 (1 son); died 5 January 2008. Professor Cecil Gray was the pioneer of modern Anaesthetic techniques. Born in Liverpool in March 1913, he was in the Valley at Ampleforth for 8 years from 1923 to 1931. He was firstly for two years in the Prep School (1923-25), then two years in Junior House (1925-27), and then in St Aidan's House. He would have come to St Aidan's House in the second year after the foundation of the House system in 1926, being there from September 1927 to July 1931. After leaving school, he was a novice at Ampleforth, probably in September 1931 - staying for two months. There is an interview on a website [it appears to be dated 2007 and headed "The man who revolutionised anaesthetic practice"], he was asked if he was always destined for medicine, and he answered: "No, I originally intended to become a man of the cloth. I joined the order of monks at the Benedictine college of Ampleforth in Yorkshire, but after two months it became clear that this wasn't the vocation for me. I rethought my career and returned to my Liverpool home to pursue medicine" Cecil studied medicine at the University of Liverpool from 1931 to 1937, qualifying in medicine in 1937. From 1937 to 1941 he was in general practice. This was before the NHS, and Cecil was determined not to become a hospital doctor. His first job was as an assistant to a GP in a busy Liverpool practice. "I was paid only £50 a week, but I had a marvellous time and learnt so much". In 1938 he became seriously interested in anaesthetics while running my own general practice. It was common practice for GPs at that time to administer general anaesthesia to their own patients so this was his introduction to anaesthetics. He completed the diploma in anaesthesia under the instruction of Dr Robert J Minnitt, at that time the only anaesthetist in Liverpool with any real academic interest in the subject - anaesthesia was still regarded as a Cinderella specialty. In 1941 he sold his general practice to become a full time anaesthetist. In 1942 Cecil joined the Royal Army Medical Corps. "At the start of the second world war, I was training to become a full time hospital anaesthetist. I was accepted into the Royal Army Medical Corps in 1942 and sent over to north Africa, where I was an anaesthetist with a mobile neurosurgical unit. There were some desperate times where we worked through the night to treat the casualties of the battlefield, but there were also some times of great fun and camaraderie. Progress in the 20th century was unparalleled. The two world wars stimulated advancement in areas such as rehabilitation after injury, blood transfusion, anaesthesia, and chemotherapy". In 1947 Cecil returned to the University of Liverpool. He was to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and to be Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. Cecil Gray was Professor of Anaesthesia of the University of Liverpool from 1959 to 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed. " We introduced dtubocurarine hydrochloride to anaesthesia and our Liverpool technique was used for the first open heart surgery. The muscle relaxant effect of curare was so dramatic that the huge doses of anaesthesia that were used at that time to knock patients out were no longer required. The death rate before we introduced this technique was enormous. Patients died from the effects of ether or from inhaling their own vomit. I remember when we first used curare, we saw patients sitting up in bed reading The Echo shortly afterwards, and that was wonderful". Cecil Gray was appointed CBE by Her Majesty the Queen. In 1982 was honoured by the Pope with the award of KCSG (Knight Commander of St Gregory). In an interview he was asked about meeting the Pope and the Queen. He answered: " When I met Her Majesty the Queen in 1976 she was extremely gracious and kind. I was granted an audience with His Holiness Pope Pius XII in the early 1950s. I presented him with bound copies of all my publications to date. He said "For me? You have written all these? I will read them with great interest." Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. He continued to give occasional lectures at the university into his very late years. In 1937 he married Marjorie Kathleen Hely. They had a son, Dr David Gray (A56) and a daughter. Martjorie Kathleen died in 1978. In 1979 he married Pamela Mary Corning - they had one son. Cecil Gray had four grandchildren. The funeral of Cecil Gray is at the Cathedral of Christ the King in Liverpool on Saturday 26 January 2008. \|\|\|\|\| Anaesthetic pioneer dies TRIBUTES have been paid to Liverpool’s “pioneer of anaesthesia” Professor Thomas Cecil Gray CBE. Globally renowned for his work, the father-of-three died peacefully at his home last week. He was 94. After qualifying in medicine at Liverpool University in 1937, he became a GP before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. As head of anaesthesia at the university from 1959 to 1976, he pioneered the Liverpool Technique – based on unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation. A requiem mass service will be held at the Metropolitan Cathedral on Saturday. \|\|\|\|\| Thomas Cecil Gray, anaesthetist: born Liverpool 11 March 1913; Demonstrator in Anaesthesia, Liverpool University 1942, 1944-46, Reader in Anaesthesia, and Head of Department of Anaesthesia 1947-59, Professor of Anaesthesia 1959-76 (Emeritus), Dean of Postgraduate Medical Studies 1966-70, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine 1970-76; Editor, British Journal of Anaesthesia 1948-64; President, Anaesthesia Section, Royal Society of Medicine 1955-56; President, Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland 1957-59; Dean of the Faculty of Anaesthetists, Royal College of Surgeons of England 1964-67; CBE 1976; married 1937 Marjorie Hely (died 1978; one son, one daughter), 1979 Pamela Corning (one son); died Formby, Merseyside 5 January 2008. T. Cecil Gray, Professor of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University from 1959 to 1976, was one of the most influential and charismatic pioneers of this budding medical specialty in post-war Britain and abroad. Among his many achievements was the introduction of the muscle relaxant d-tubocurarine chloride, derived from the South American arrow poison curare, into general anaesthesia. It opened a vast scope of new options and possibilities for the rapid and dramatic development of surgery. This advance was based on years of research into the effects and safety of a class of drugs that are still in use today to relax the abdominal and thoracic muscles – essential for the performance of major surgery. Before the introduction of these drugs, relaxation of the muscles had to be provided by very deep anaesthesia with vapours such as ether, which caused a dangerously prolonged and unpleasant recovery. Mortality after anaesthesia was high. Gray was not the first to use relaxants in anaesthesia, but previously they had been used somewhat reluctantly, as mere supplements to the standard anaesthetic agents to provide increased relaxation of muscles as and when required by surgeons. The dose of relaxant had been very much limited by the fear that in depressing the action of the muscles of respiration, breathing would be adversely affected. However, Gray knew that anaesthetists had for several years been supporting respiration by inflating the lungs. He was able to show that by using larger doses of relaxants which completely stopped the breathing and by replacing spontaneous respiration with "manual ventilation of the lungs" the amount of drugs needed to provide sleep and freedom from the effects of reflex reaction to surgery could be greatly reduced. Patients were markedly safer during surgery and woke up almost immediately after the relaxant was reversed and the anaesthetic stopped. This turned out to be a paradigm shift and Gray's methods came to be recognised worldwide as the "Liverpool Technique". It took a decade or more of careful research, however, and the publication of several classic papers to convince anaesthetists of the advantages and safety of the new methods. Equally pioneering was Cecil Gray's contribution to postgraduate education in anaesthesia, in particular, the organisation of the first "day-release" course in Britain for junior anaesthetists preparing for their examinations. Gray's course attracted trainees to Merseyside from all over the UK, Europe, the Far East, the Middle East, Australia, Africa and India. Born in Liverpool in 1913, the only son of Thomas Gray and his wife Ethel (*ée Unwin), Thomas Cecil Gray was educated at the Benedictine college of Ampleforth in Yorkshire. On leaving school, thinking he might have a vocation, he joined the Ampleforth community as a novice monk. However, within two months, as he has recorded with characteristic good humour, it became clear to all but himself that, if he had a vocation, it was not as a man of the cloth. Thus he returned home to Liverpool, to the quiet disappointment of his mother and the unmistakable joy of his father. His education at Ampleforth having had a scientific slant, Gray then applied to read Medicine at Liverpool University. After graduating in 1937 – and engaged to be married – he joined a general practice as an assistant doctor. Early in 1939, encouraged and supported by his father, he purchased a practice in Wallasey. At that time anaesthesia in most hospitals was administered by general practitioners who, although the remuneration was minimal, welcomed the occasional part-time association with the hospitals and their personnel. Gray, quickly fascinated by anaesthesia, soon came under the influence of R.J. Minnitt, another GP, but one with an established anaesthetic practice at the Liverpool Northern Hospital. Minnitt, seemingly recognising promise and commitment, suggested that Gray should work with him for two half-days a week and thus accumulate the 500 anaesthetics – 250 for major surgery and 250 for minor surgery – required for the Diploma in Anaesthetics (DA). With the outbreak of the Second World War, Gray was rejected for service on account of the asthma which had blighted his life since childhood. On obtaining the DA in 1941, he sold his practice and became, like Minnitt, one of the few full-time anaesthetists in Liverpool. At the same time, he accepted an appointment as part-time Demonstrator in Anaesthesia at Liverpool University. However, in November 1942, feeling fit enough for service, he volunteered for another medical and within a short time was on his way by troopship to join a mobile neurosurgical unit in North Africa. In 1944 he became critically ill with bronchopneumonia and, having been treated and saved by injections of what he described as "trial samples" of crystalline penicillin, he was invalided out of active service and sent home to England. After a short convalescence, he resumed his hospital and university practice. Another hospital anaesthetist at that time, John Halton (1903-68), was on friendly terms with the officers at the American Air Force base at Burtonwood, a few miles outside Liverpool. Both he and Gray had heard of the use of the muscle relaxant curare by Harold Griffiths and others in Canada and the United States, and he persuaded his American friends to procure some for him and Gray with which to experiment. The curare was forthcoming and the eventual result of their research was the joint paper "A Milestone in Anaesthesia" presented to the Section of Anaesthesia of the Royal Society of Medicine in May 1946. In 1947, Gray was appointed full-time Reader in Anaesthesia at Liverpool and, within a few years, he had created one of the leading anaesthetic departments in the country such that, in 1959, the university rewarded him with a personal chair. Under Gray and the talented team he had enticed into the department, Liverpool attracted anaesthetists from around the world who came to learn and practice the Liverpool Technique. Many returned home to establish their own departments of anaesthesia based on the Liverpool model. Gray was elected a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the Royal College of Physicians as well as the Colleges of Anaesthesia of Australia and New Zealand and the Faculty of Anaesthetists of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. He received the Gold Medal of the Royal Society of Medicine in London and awards from numerous societies including several in the US. He edited several textbooks which went to many editions and was Editor in Chief of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. In 1966, in recognition of his commitment to and concern for postgraduate education, Gray was appointed Postgraduate Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Liverpool University, the first occupant of this post in Merseyside. He closed a distinguished academic career as Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, 1970-76. Cecil Gray was a strong, independent and open-minded character, a proud Liverpudlian and a devout Catholic. An enthusiastic host and an entertaining guest, he had a passion for music and opera and possessed a library of books that reflected his wide, eclectic tastes. He was also an accomplished pianist. In retirement he took an active part in university affairs, regularly attended the University Court until a few years ago. He continued writing well into his eighties and in 2003 published Dr Richard Formby, a biography of the founder of the Liverpool Medical School. Martin Leuwer, Raymond Ahearn and Tony Gilbertson	Pioneer modern Anaesthetic techniques Thomas Cecil Gray, born 11 March 1913 in Liverpool, died peacefully 5 January 2008 at home in Formby. A requiem mass was held at Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral on 26 January 2008. Born in Liverpool in 1913, educated at Ampleforth College, he qualified in medicine at The University of Liverpool in 1937. He began his career as a General Practitioner before joining the Royal Army Medical Corps. He later returned to the University to become Head of the Department of Anaesthesia and was made Dean of the Faculty of Medicine in 1970, retiring in 1976. As Senior Lecturer he established the Department of Anaesthesia at Liverpool University, the ‘Liverpool technique’, based on the triad of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation, was developed as a result. Professor Gray was the editor of the British Journal of Anaesthesia from 1948 to 1964. Until recently Professor Gray continued to give occasional lectures at the university. Professor Gray was presented with a CBE by Queen Elizabeth and in 1982 was honoured by Pope John Paul II who made him a Commander of the Order of St. Gregory the Great. In 2007 the Liverpool Echo included him in its list of the 800 greatest Liverpudlians, as part of Liverpools 800th anniversary. Married twice. He married his first wife Marjorie Kathleen Hely in 1937 they had 2 children, she died in 1978; He married Pamela Mary Corning in 1979, they had 1 son. He had four grandchildren.
Former World Cup referee arrested in NYC NEW YORK — A former referee involved in Italy's controversial elimination from the 2002 World Cup was caught at Kennedy Airport with bags of heroin attached to his body, federal prosecutors said Tuesday. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Byron Moreno late Monday after he arrived in New York on a commercial flight from his native Ecuador. During a routine inspection, Moreno "became visibly nervous," according to a complaint filed in federal court in Brooklyn. A customs agent felt "hard objects on the defendant's stomach, back and both of his legs," the complaint said. A strip search revealed that the lumps were 10 clear plastic bags containing more than 10 pounds of heroin, it said. A judge jailed Moreno without bail on a drug smuggling charge. There was no immediate response to a message left Tuesday with his attorney. Moreno enraged Italian fans in 2002 when he ejected Francesco Totti, giving the Italian a second yellow card for an alleged dive in the penalty area 13 minutes into overtime of 2-1 loss to South Korea in the World Cup's second round. "I think Moreno already had the (heroin) in 2002, but not in his underwear, in his body," said Azzurri goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon, who started that game. "Joking aside, when sports people get involved in drug cases it means they're scraping the bottom of the barrel. "It also means they've lost the real meaning of the sport, which is also to save kids from the street and various dangers, like drugs," Buffon said. In 2003, Ecuadorean soccer officials suspended Moreno for 20 games after a game there drew complaints about him from both teams. He resigned a short time later. Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| provides the best breaking news online and our Our provides the best breaking news online and ourfootball fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again! Controversial former referee Byron Moreno, who was at the centre of the 2002 World Cup refereeing scandal, has been arrested at John F. Kennedy airport, New York, for allegedly being in possession of six kilograms of heroin.Moreno had the drug concealed in his underwear as he passed through security, according to Cre.com.ec and Rainews.The Ecuadorian is best remembered for refereeing the infamous second round game at the 2002 World Cup between co-hosts South Korea and Italy.The 2002 competition has gone down in infamy due to the huge number of refereeing mistakes that helped eliminate a string of top nations, and also ensured that Korea made it all the way to the semi-finals.During their final two group games against Croatia and Mexico, Italy had four perfectly good goals disallowed, but somehow managed to scrape through to the second round where they met South Korea. Against Guus Hiddink’s men, Moreno chalked off another valid Italy goal, a golden goal from Damiano Tommasi which would have taken them to the next round. Francesco Totti was sent off for diving when replays suggested he had lost his footing, while the Koreans - who repeatedly went unpunished for apparent foul play - were awarded a controversial penalty for a Christian Panucci tugging offence. Italy eventually lost after Ahn Jung-Hwan’s golden winner, but the match and Moreno represent a black mark in Italian sport.Moreno would later that year receive a 20 match ban after he played an extra 13 minutes of stoppage time during an Ecuadorian league match between Deportiva Universita de Quito and Barcelona Sporting Club. During this time Deportiva scored twice to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 victory. After retuning from his suspension, Moreno was suspended again after controversially sending off three players in one match. He retired from officiating shortly after.Today's events will undoubtedly hit the headlines all over Italy.	Moreno was arrested at , a former Ecuadorian who officiated at the , has been arrested for suspected . Moreno was arrested at after he arrived on a flight from Ecuador. During a routine check, security found 10 clear bags containing nearly 10 pounds of . The drugs had been strapped to his body and concealed in his underwear. In a complaint filed in a federal court it said that during the inspection Moreno "became visibly nervous." It also said "A customs agent felt hard objects on the defendant's stomach, back and both of his legs. A strip search revealed that the lumps were 10 clear plastic bags containing more than 10 pounds of heroin". A judge jailed Moreno without bail on charges of drug smuggling. Moreno is most well remembered after he refereed the World Cup second round match between Italy and host's South Korea. Moreno had disallowed a valid Italian goal and sent off Italian striker for apparent diving. He also failed to call any attention to any of the South Korean's foul play. Moreno resigned from refereeing in 2003.
After dropping two points at home to Israel, the pressure was on Brian Kerr's men and it increased when the Faroes held them to 0-0 at half-time. But Harte's 51st minute penalty, after keeper Jakup Mikkelsen had brought down Stephen Elliott, calmed the nerves. Seven minutes later Kilbane's shot went in off home skipper Oli Johannesen. The Irish endured an uncomfortable opening 45 minutes in miserable, wet conditions and on a bumpy Torsvollur stadium pitch. Hedin Lakjuni came within a whisker of opening the scoring midway through the half, while Stephen Elliott, making his first competitive start, clipped the crossbar just before the break. The Republic got the breakthrough when Harte fired home his second goal in four days, and the 11th of his international career. Elliott did the work, winning a penalty as he was brought down by Mikkelsen, and up stepped Harte to convert his first penalty since missing a crucial one in the second round of the 2002 World Cup finals against Spain. The much-needed victory was secured when Johan Byrial Hansen headed clear an Andy Reid cross, it fell to Kilbane for a 25-yard drive which took a wicked deflection off captain Johannesen. The victory in Torshavn means the Republic of Ireland are on top of a competitive qualifying group going into the summer break. France, Switzerland and Israel are all challenging Ireland for the one automatic place in Germany 2006 with the runners-up going into a play-off. Ireland have home games against France and Switzerland to come plus the trip to Cyprus. Faroe Islands: Mikkelsen, Hansen, Danielsen, Johannesen, Olsen, Rogvi Jacobsen (Christian Hogni Jacobsen 59), Benjaminsen (Borg 80), Johnsson, Lakjuni, Jorgensen (Akselsen 80), Flotum. Subs Not Used: Horg, Frederiksberg, Knudsen, Hojsted. Booked: Lakjuni, Benjaminsen, Mikkelsen. Rep of Ireland: Given, Carr, O'Shea, Cunningham, Harte, Andy Reid, Roy Keane, Kilbane, Duff, Morrison (Doherty 80), Elliott. Subs Not Used: McCarthy, Holland, Steven Reid, Kavanagh, Kenny, Lee. Booked: Roy Keane. Goals: Harte 51 pen, Kilbane 58. Att: 4,500 Ref: Anton Guenov (Bulgaria). \|\|\|\|\| 51 mins ago Steve McClaren: Fan chants are one of the perils of being a manager Steve McClaren has insisted he will not walk about from his job as Newcastle's head coach with the club in a Barclays Premier League relegation tailspin. 1 hour, 3 mins ago Guus Hiddink thinks today's draw with Stoke signals the end of Chelsea's Champions League hopes Guus Hiddink wrote off Chelsea's chances of reaching the top four following the 1-1 draw with Stoke. 1 hour, 13 mins ago Slaven Bilic told his side to play 'less sexy' football in West Ham comeback West Ham manager Slaven Bilic admits even he did not know what to do when Dimitri Payet's last-minute winner went in to keep their Champions League dreams on track.	Having drawn with Israel twice in their last two games, the Republic of Ireland football squad have received a much needed confidence boost. They beat the Faroe Islands 2-nil away to earn the three points which takes them to the top of Group 4; one ahead of Switzerland. However the Irish have seven games played - one more than most of the other Group four members. After a fruitless first half, Ireland gained the upper hand in the 51st minute thanks to a solid penalty taken by Ian Harte. The penalty was given after the home team's keeper, Jakup Mikkelsen, brought down Stephen Elliott. The second goal came shortly after when Kevin Kilbane found the back of the net to finally settle the Irish nerves.
By Yinka Adegoke and Gabriel Madway NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple introduced a smaller version of its popular iPod Shuffle music player on Wednesday with a new feature that tells the user what song is playing. The new 4-gigabyte gadget costs $79, is half the size of the previous Shuffle, and carries up to 1,000 songs -- twice as many as the last generation of the device. All of the controls on the new Shuffle have been moved from the device to the earphone cord. The new VoiceOver feature announces songs and playlists to users in 14 different languages, according to Apple, whose shares rose 4.5 percent. The voice function is particularly useful on the Shuffle, which does not have a display screen like most iPods or other digital music players. Needham & Co analyst Charles Wolf said the new Shuffle design was appealing and called the voice function a "nice a little gimmick. It shows that Apple intends to keep that piece of the portfolio going. They're going to continue to innovate, upgrade the sub-$100 device." "It won't necessarily stimulate sales, but it clearly will keep sales of the Shuffle going forward," he said. The VoiceOver feature works by synchronizing with iTunes software, which installs a voice kit on the user's computer. VoiceOver can also tell a user how much battery life remains. "You previously couldn't have multiple playlists on the iPod Shuffle because you couldn't really switch between them as there was no way to know how you would switch," said Greg Joswiak, Apple vice president of iPod marketing, told Reuters. "So now instead of seeing, you get to hear." Although Apple does not break out Shuffle sales, Needham's Wolf estimated some 7.5 million units were sold in the December quarter, it's biggest-selling quarter. Apple sold 22.7 million iPod units overall in the period. The third generation of iPod Shuffle will be the world's tiniest music player, smaller than an AA battery. It comes in two colors, silver and black. Apple will continue to sell the second-generation version of the 1-gigabyte, 240-song Shuffle for $49. but phase out the 2-gigabyte Shuffle, which sells for $69. The iPod music player has played an important role in the revival of Apple's fortunes. The company has sold more than 200 million iPods since they launched in 2001. It launched the first Shuffle in January 2005. The refreshed Shuffle comes just a week after the company updated its line of Mac desktop computers. Apple refreshed it MacBook laptop computers last fall. Shares of Cupertino, California-based Apple rose $3.97 to $92.59 in early afternoon trading on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Yinka Adegoke and Gabriel Madway; Editing by Derek Caney, Steve Orlofsky and Jeffrey Benkoe) \|\|\|\|\| It’s a new recession iPod. Apple on Wednesday rolled out the third generation of its low-end iPod shuffle, which has speech-based functions that tell users what song is playing and who is singing it. The VoiceOver technology on the $79 device, which the Cupertino company calls the world’s smallest digital music player, also recites the names of playlists, giving users a new way to navigate their music on the screenless iPod. The new shuffle, which holds up to 1,000 songs, can tell users other information as well, such as how much battery life remains. In addition to English, it can communicate in 13 other languages, including Mandarin, Japanese, Turkish, German and French. And it’s about half the size of the previous model, smaller than a AA battery. “These are exactly the kinds of products you need to come up with in the midst of a recession,” Interpret analyst Michael Gartenberg said. “It’s not a stripped-down experience. It has a new cool user interface that isn’t even on the high-end iPods. Apple has worked hard not to make this a race to the bottom.” Apple launched the first of its iPod line during the last economic downturn, in 2001. The new 4-gigabyte device — which costs $10 more than the second-generation model it replaces, which had half the capacity — will give a “small boost” to the company’s bottom line, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said in a note to investors. The high-margin shuffle could nudge iPod sales for the current quarter from 9.5 million to 10 million, he said. Munster said the new shuffle indicates that innovative tinkering continues at Infinite Loop. “Following a disappointing Macworld, investors had been wondering what was next for Apple,” he wrote. “The shuffle is a small part of the overall story but the innovation we are seeing is encouraging for future product development.” Munster sees a possible launch of a 10-inch touch-screen tablet-type device or low-end MacBook next year. The new shuffle comes in two colors, silver and black. Apple is still selling the 1GB shuffle, which plays about 240 songs and comes in an array of colors, for $49, without any upgrades. Contact John Boudreau at jboudreau@mercurynews.com or (408) 278-3496.	A second-generation iPod Shuffle. Yesterday, Apple Computer revealed the third-generation version of its iPod Shuffle model, which introduces new features including a voice that tells the user what song is playing in their playlist through the user's headphones. Apple stated that the iPod will have 4 gigabytes of space, which is enough to hold approximately 1,000 songs, twice as much as the second-generation Shuffle. In the announcement of the device, Apple told the media that the new voice system, called "VoiceOver", will completely replace all of the button controls on the device, and will allow the user to find information about the current song, playlist, and the current battery life remaining. It will be available in 14 languages, which include English, Japanese, German, and French. The new model is also about two times smaller than the second-generation Shuffle, being described as slightly smaller than the size of a AA Battery. "You previously couldn't have multiple playlists on the iPod Shuffle because you couldn't really switch between them as there was no way to know how you would switch. So now instead of seeing, you get to hear," said Greg Joswiak, the Vice President of iPod Marketing at Apple. The new iPod was stated to be available in two colors, silver and black, and is expected to be priced at $79, $10 higher than the previous model. The current second-generation's 1 gigabyte and 2 gigabyte models will continue to be sold after the release of the device. "These are exactly the kinds of products you need to come up with in the midst of a recession. It's not a stripped-down experience. It has a new cool user interface that isn't even on the high-end iPods. Apple has worked hard not to make this a race to the bottom," said a market analyst for Jupiter Research.
By Will Dunham WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Long, undulating features on the northern plains of Mars probably are remnants of shorelines of an ocean that covered a third of the planet's surface at least 2 billion years ago, scientists said on Wednesday. The geological features, stretching thousands of miles (kilometers), were first revealed in the 1980s in Viking spacecraft images. But topographical data collected by NASA's Mars Global Surveyor in the 1990s cast doubt on whether the features truly marked a long-gone sea coast. The Global Surveyor found big, mountain-sized variations in elevation along the suspected shorelines, whereas a shoreline should be a constant elevation matching sea level. But scientists writing in the journal Nature said the movement of the Martian poles and also the planet's spin axis by roughly 2,000 miles in the past 2 billion to 3 billion years would have triggered deformation of surface features just like that seen in the suspected coastlines. "The pole moves and it warps the shorelines," planetary scientist Taylor Perron of Harvard University, the study's lead author, said in a telephone interview. "We have don't have direct confirmation that there were oceans because, of course, the water isn't there any more. But what we've done is to eliminate one of the main reasons to doubt that they were ever there." Earth's poles also have moved in the past. At some point, a big shift of mass on Mars caused its north pole to shift 50 degrees toward its present location and the planet's change in orientation changed the topography of the shorelines, said physicist Jerry Mitrovica of the University of Toronto, one of the researchers. A MARTIAN PACIFIC Continued... \|\|\|\|\| Mars Probably Once Had A Huge Ocean Science Daily UC Berkeley geophycists are providing strong evidence that Mars once had an ocean. Naysayers have argued that what appear to be ancient coastlines near the North Pole are too warped to be true seashores. The researchers claim, however, that this anomaly resulted from the tilt of Mars' spin axis 2 to 3 billion years ago, possibly because the weight of surface water made the planet tip like a weighted top. Mars with an ocean. A view of Mars as it might have appeared more than 2 billion years ago, with a low-latitude ocean filling the lowland basin that now occupies the north polar region. Topographic deformation of features that ring the basin, which are hypothesized to be shorelines formed by an ancient ocean, suggests that Mars experienced significant true polar wander -- reorientation of the planet relative to its rotation axis -- that brought the planet into its present rotational state. The margins of the ocean shown here account for the topographic deformation that would have resulted from this reorientation. Sinuous features near the top of the image are valleys carved by large floods that may have supplied the ocean water. The image was generated using Viking Orbiter images and topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. (Credit: Taylor Perron/UC Berkeley) Mars with an ocean. A view of Mars as it might have appeared more than 2 billion years ago, with a low-latitude ocean filling the lowland basin that now occupies the north polar region. Topographic deformation of features that ring the basin, which are hypothesized to be shorelines formed by an ancient ocean, suggests that Mars experienced significant true polar wander -- reorientation of the planet relative to its rotation axis -- that brought the planet into its present rotational state. The margins of the ocean shown here account for the topographic deformation that would have resulted from this reorientation. Sinuous features near the top of the image are valleys carved by large floods that may have supplied the ocean water. The image was generated using Viking Orbiter images and topographic data from the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter on board the Mars Global Surveyor spacecraft. (Credit: Taylor Perron/UC Berkeley) A paper in Nature by University of California, Berkeley, geophysicists demolishes one of the key arguments against the past presence of large oceans on Mars. Even from Earth, a large plain surrounding the planet's north pole looks like a sediment-filled ocean basin. In the 1980s, Viking spacecraft images revealed two possible ancient shorelines near the pole, each thousands of kilometers long with features like those found in Earth's coastal regions. The shorelines - Arabia and the younger Deuteronilus - date from between 2 and 4 billion years ago. In the 1990s, however, NASA's Mars Global Surveyor mapped the Martian topography to a resolution of 300 meters, and found that the shoreline varies in elevation by several kilometers (more than a mile), rising and falling like a wave with several thousand kilometers from one peak to the next. Because shoreline elevations on Earth, measured relative to sea level, are typically constant, many experts rejected the notion that Mars once had oceans. UC Berkeley scientists have now discovered that these undulating Martian shorelines can be explained by the movement of Mars' spin axis, and thus its poles, by nearly 3,000 kilometers along the surface sometime within the past 2 or 3 billion years. Because spinning objects bulge at their equator, this so-called "true polar wander" could have caused shoreline elevation shifts similar to those observed on Mars. "When the spin axis moves relative to the surface, the surface deforms, and that is recorded in the shoreline," said study coauthor Michael Manga, UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science. "On planets like Mars and Earth that have an outer shell, or lithosphere, that behaves elastically, the solid surface will deform differently than the sea surface, creating a non-uniform change in the topography," added primary author Taylor Perron, a former UC Berkeley graduate student now a postdoctoral fellow in Harvard University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. Perron's calculations show that the resistance of Mars' elastic crust could create several-kilometer elevation differences for features like a shoreline, in accord with topographic measurements. The Arabia shoreline varies in elevation by about 2.5 kilometers, while the Deuteronilus shoreline varies by about 0.7 kilometers. "This is a beautiful result that Taylor got. The mere fact that you can explain a good fraction of the information about the shorelines with such a simple model is just amazing. It's something I never would have guessed at the outset," said co-author Mark Richards, professor of earth and planetary science and dean of mathematical and physical sciences at UC Berkeley. Richards goes so far as to add, "This really confirms that there was an ocean on Mars." Richards pointed out that the tilt of the rotation axis of a planet actually remains fixed relative to the sun, but the crust moves relative to this axis. The question remains: What caused Mars' rotation axis to move relative to the crust" Any major shift of mass on a planet - within the mantle, or between the mantle and the crust to form a volcano, or even via impact from outer space - could cause a shift of the rotation axis because a spinning planet is most stable with its mass farthest from its spin axis. Richards has modeled true polar wander in Earth's past that was generated by the upwelling of hot mantle in the interior of the planet, which some scientists claim shifted our planet's rotation axis 90 degrees some 800 million years ago, tipping the planet on its side. Perron, Manga, Richards and their colleagues calculate that on Mars, an initial shift of 50 degrees from today's pole, equal to about 3,000 kilometers on the surface, would be sufficient to disrupt the Arabia shoreline, while a subsequent shift of 20 degrees from today's pole, or 700 kilometers, would have altered the Deuteronilus shoreline. Interestingly, today's pole and the two ancient poles lie in a straight line equidistant from the planet's biggest feature, the Tharsis rise, a bulge just north of the equator that contains Mars' most recent volcanic vent, Olympus Mons. Tharsis is the largest volcano in the solar system, and formed about 4 billion years ago, not long after Mars solidified. Dynamically, the relative positions of Tharsis and the pole path is exactly what would be expected for any mass shift on Mars that is smaller than the Tharsis rise, since the planet would reorient in a way that keeps Tharsis on the equator. "This alignment is unlikely to occur by coincidence," the team wrote. Manga has a hunch about the mass shift that precipitated the tilt of Mars' rotation axis. If a flood of water had filled the Arabia ocean about 3 billion years ago, to a depth some have calculated at up to several kilometers, that mass at the pole might have been enough to shift the pole 50 degrees to the south. Once the water disappeared, the pole could have shifted back, then shifted again by 20 degrees during the deluge that created the Deuteronilus shoreline. Because it's unclear whether the two shorelines represent separate inundations or whether one is the receded shoreline of a larger sea, an alternative scenario features the Arabia ocean receding to the Deuteronilus shoreline, shifting the pole from 50 to 20 degrees. Then, once the Arabia ocean disappears entirely, the pole returns to its current position. Richards is skeptical of this, however, pointing out that thermal convection within the hot interior of Mars could also have caused the poles to wander. "There must certainly be thermal convection in Mars now because Olympus Mons had new lava flows very recently, within the last 100 million years," he said. "But the jury's still out." Manga said, too, that the source of the water, while unknown, must have produced a deluge greater than any observed on Earth, since huge canyons are cut in the flanks of the Tharsis rise. The water may have evaporated, but it may also have sunk back into underground dikes, frozen near the surface but possibly liquid below. The study, whose coauthors include Jerry X. Mitrovica and Isamu Matsuyama, will appear in the June 14 issue of the British journal Nature. Mitrovica, who is with the Department of Physics at the University of Toronto in Ontario, Canada, and was a visiting Miller Professor at UC Berkeley, and Matsuyama, who is with the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Institution of Washington in Washington, D.C., have developed models for the effect of polar wander and internal dynamic processes on the surface deformation of Mars. 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:	Mars University of California, Berkeley scientists have published a report in ''Nature'' that says Mars was once covered by massive oceans. In the 1980's the Viking spacecraft sent back images to NASA that had shown thousands of kilometers of ancient shorelines, known as Arabia and Deuteronilus, on the north and south poles of Mars, but the Mars Global Surveyor got a closer look of the shorelines and photographed a 300 meter length of the two shorelines in the 1990's. Those images had shown that the alleged shorelines were too warped and rugged to have been created by water or an ocean. But the new study now shows that due to a tilting in the axis of Mars by nearly 3,000 kilometers over a period of 2 or 3 billion years, the shorelines might actually have to be more rugged as the water settled, creating land formations that would rise and fall during this process. "When the spin axis moves relative to the surface, the surface deforms, and that is recorded in the shoreline,"said Michael Manga, a UC Professor and a co-author of the study. "On planets like Mars and Earth that have an outer shell, or lithosphere, that behaves elastically, the solid surface will deform differently than the sea surface, creating a non-uniform change in the topography," said Taylor Perron the primary author of the study and who is now attending classes Harvard University's Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences to receive his postdoctoral degree. Mars is said to have an elastic crust and the study shows why the shorelines vary so much in elevation with Arabia at 2.5 kilometers and Deuteronilus at 0.7 kilometers. "This is a beautiful result that Taylor got. The mere fact that you can explain a good fraction of the information about the shorelines with such a simple model is just amazing. It's something I never would have guessed at the outset. This really confirms that there was an ocean on Mars," said Mark Richards, a professor at UC Berkley of earth and planetary science and study co-author. The study says that as little as a 50 degree shift in the Martian axis, could cause a significant change in the elevation of the shorelines of Arabia, as much as 3,000 k.m.. As little as a 20 degree shift could do the same with Deuteronilus, but with a 700 k.m. change in the shoreline elevation. It is estimated that the shorelines on Mars were created between 2 and 4 billion years ago.
Sunday's attack is Pakistan's third suicide bombing in as many days Scores of people were hurt in the blast, near the town of Dara Adam Khel. Officials say that the blast happened as the elders were discussing the security situation in the area. The town, which is 40km (25 miles) south of the city of Peshawar, was the scene of fierce clashes between troops and militants in January. At least 13 troops and 70 militants were killed after militants occupied a Japanese-built road tunnel. Correspondents say the border areas of North West Frontier Province are a hotbed of militancy and a feeding ground for the Taleban and al-Qaeda, and have seen growing violence directed at Pakistani government forces. But Islamists were beaten by secular parties in the tribal regions and in neighbouring North West Frontier Province in the recent parliamentary elections. Body parts The attack took place when tribal elders and officials had gathered for a traditional jirga, or assembly, to discuss increased Taleban activity in the area. They had just finished their discussions when the bomb went off, local official Khalid Khan told AFP news agency. Reports said a young man went up to the elders and blew himself up. "It was a huge explosion and left body parts and blood scattered on the ground," Ramin Khan, who was injured in the blast, told the Associated Press news agency. Doctors said many of the injured were in a critical condition and the death toll could rise. It is the third attack in as many days in north-west Pakistan. On Friday, a suicide bomber attacked a funeral in the troubled Swat valley, killing at least 38 people. \|\|\|\|\| At least 30 people were killed and up to 40 injured when a suicide bomber attacked a traditional tribal meeting in north-western Pakistan on Sunday, officials said. Pakistan is in the middle of a wave of violence blamed on al Qaeda-linked militants based in tribal lands on the Afghan border and there have been three suicide attacks in as many days. Over 500 people have been killed in militant related violence this year alone. A top government official in Darra Adam Kheil tribal region told Reuters the bomber detonated a device while tribal elders were holding an outdoor "jirga", or traditional meeting. "They were finalising the formation of a committee of locals to take steps against miscreants and help the government," said Kamran Zaib, a government official. "So far 30 people are confirmed killed and up to 40 wounded." Local television showed pictures of residents and authorities cleaning up the blast site, a shady clearing surrounded by tall trees with a backdrop of rugged mountains. Piles of torn clothing and bloody Muslim prayer caps were mixed up with the shattered remains of "charpoys", wood and rope daybeds. Zaib said a head and identity card found at the scene were believed to belong to the bomber. A suicide attack on a police funeral in north-west Pakistan killed at least 38 people on Friday, while on Monday the army's top medical officer was killed in a bomb attack in Rawalpindi. The escalating violence has raised concern about the stability of the nuclear armed state as it passes through a period of political transition, with doubts over how long President Pervez Musharraf can hold onto power after his allies lost a parliamentary election on February 18. Militants intensified their suicide bomb campaign after the army stormed Islamabad's Red Mosque last July to crush a militant student movement. REUTERS \|\|\|\|\| ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - At least 39 people were killed and scores more injured when a suicide bomber attacked a traditional tribal meeting in northwestern Pakistan on Sunday, officials said. Pakistan is in the middle of a wave of violence blamed on al Qaeda-linked militants based in tribal lands on the Afghan border and there have been three suicide attacks in as many days. Over 500 people have been killed in militant related violence this year alone. A top government official in Darra Adam Kheil tribal region told Reuters the bomber detonated a device while tribal elders were holding an outdoor "jirga", or traditional meeting. "They were finalising the formation of a committee of locals to take steps against miscreants and help the government," said Kamran Zaib, a government official. A security official who asked not to be identified put the number of dead at 39. Local television showed pictures of residents and authorities cleaning up the blast site, a shady clearing surrounded by tall trees with a backdrop of rugged mountains. Piles of torn clothing and bloody Muslim prayer caps were mixed up with the shattered remains of "charpoys", wood and rope daybeds. "I saw three persons...all of them were not locals. The youngest one walked straight toward elders and blew himself up in the middle of them," said Naimat Khan, a witness. Continued...	A bomb in Pakistan has killed at least 40 people and injured several more. The attack took place on the outskirts of Dara Adamkhel, a town which is close to the border with Afghanistan. It has been reported that the bombing may have been a suicide attack, although that has not yet been confirmed. A Pakistani official at the scene said that "at this point, we the Pakistani government have reports of over 40 dead and scores of wounded." The Pakistani Interior Ministry spokesman said that "we the Interior Ministry are trying to get information. Initial reports suggest it was suicide attack." The bomb exploded during a jirga, or tribal meeting, regarding security in the northwestern Pakistani town. Dara Adamkhel is located about 40 km away from Peshawar, the provincial capital.
Red bib This prize is awarded at the end of each stage by a jury comprising eight specialists in cycling. A “super-combativity” prize is also awarded at the end of the last stage of the Tour. \|\|\|\|\| Contador set to win Tour - and Astana battle MONT VENTOUX, France — Alberto Contador is basking in double satisfaction: the Tour de France victory is an easy ride away, and he's pulled it off in spite of his own team — and Lance Armstrong. The 26-year-old Spaniard all but secured a second victory in cycling's main event on Saturday, by fending off challengers in the race climax on one of France's toughest climbs: Mont Ventoux. Armstrong, the seven-time champion, will be on podium for an eighth time, but he's third — not on the step he had aimed for. When he sees Contador in the yellow jersey on the Champs-Elysees, Armstrong — after not-so-subtle verbal jabs against the Spaniard during the three-week race — could very well be green. In the heat of the race, Contador had sought to play down the differences in their Kazakh Astana team, dodging or downplaying questions about "tension" that Armstrong evoked. With victory nearly certain, the Spaniard opened up a bit. "My conscience is very clear because in the end I have run two races, one on the bike and one at the team hotel," he said on Spanish broadcaster TVE after Saturday's ride. Contador knew his task at the Tour would be tricky when the Texan announced last year he was coming back from retirement to join his old mentor, Johan Bruyneel, at the Astana team. The Belgian strategist had been training Contador as his new cycling star. Once the Tour was on, and Armstrong's barbs flew, Contador counted the days and tried to focus on his racing — not on the Texan and tensions at the team dinner table. "Every day, I told myself: 'One day less'," he said at a news conference after Saturday's stage. "Now, it's all settled. Everything is better and the situation is back to normal." Armstrong and Bruyneel are very close. Contador was asked whether he thought that the team manager would have rather seen the Texan win. "That's a good question," the Spaniard said. "The preparations for the Tour were complicated. There were a lot of elements stacked against me, but instead of being worried, I took it all as an added motivator," he said. "I think I succeeded." While much has been made of Armstrong's comeback, Contador had one too: He was unable to defend his 2007 title because Astana was not invited last year over a doping scandal before he joined. With Armstrong set to lead a new Radio Shack team next year, and Bruyneel still coy about his own future, Contador's plans are still uncertain. But he knows he won't team with Armstrong again. "He wanted to win. I wanted to win. That doesn't make for a necessarily compatible situation," Contador said. "He will be surely a formidable adversary next year." With doping scandals tarnishing the Tour in recent years, suspicions linger about whether riders are clean. Contador refused to answer whether he had ever used prohibited substances. But he welcomes stepped-up anti-doping controls. "I am subjected to (anti-doping) controls 365 days a year," he said. "And I do it with goodwill, because I think it's good for cycling, for the sport I love." Sunday's final stage will be a largely ceremonial ride to Paris, and breakaway attempts among the leaders are taboo. The upshot is that an accident can prevent Contador from winning. Armstrong held off a number of attacks from his closest challengers to virtually assure himself of finishing on the podium in his first Tour since 2005. With brush fires blazing near the course route, fire trucks roared in the opposite direction of the pack on the Abeille pass, a mid-level climb late in the stage. Five spray planes doused the flames from overhead. Race officials say the riders weren't in danger. Huge crowds lined the climb up to the bald peak of Mont Ventoux, one of the most celebrated — and dreaded — cycling climbs in France. "Hell, it seems like half of America showed up and all of France. It was so packed and when you have a lot of people it blocks a lot of the wind," Armstrong said. Juan Manuel Garate of Spain won Saturday's 103.8-mile Stage 20 from Montelimar to Mont Ventoux, featuring a 13.1-mile ride up the very steep final ascent. Garate, who entered the stage more than 1 1/2 hours behind Contador in the overall standings, clocked 4 hours, 39 minutes, 21 seconds, holding off fellow breakaway rider Tony Martin of Germany by 3 seconds. Andy Schleck, who retained second overall, crossed third, 38 seconds back — in the same time as Contador. Armstrong was fifth, 41 seconds behind Garate, and Frank Schleck was sixth, 43 seconds back. Armstrong succeeded in holding off the two challengers nipping at his heels for third: Bradley Wiggins of Britain began the stage 15 seconds behind the Texan, and Frank Schleck of Luxembourg trailed him by 38. "It was kind of simple, following Wiggins and following Frank Schleck," Armstrong said. "And I had the legs for that." Contador had a comfortable margin over Andy Schleck. The 24-year-old rider from Luxembourg led at least a half-dozen attacks on the way up to the peak of the moonscape-like mountain. Overall, Contador leads Andy Schleck by 4:11, and Armstrong is 5:24 behind. Bradley Wiggins is fourth, 6:01 back, and Frank Schleck is fifth — 6:04 behind the Spaniard. Armstrong said that even when he was dominant, from 1999 to 2005, he might've had trouble beating Contador. And the Spaniard is reveling that Armstrong will be looking up to him on the podium. "It's a pity to part now," Contador said. "But maybe we will meet again sometime in the future." Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. \|\|\|\|\| Contador again showed why he is in pole position in this year's Tour Spain's Alberto Contador moved a step closer to victory in the Tour de France after a gruelling 17th stage, from Bourg St Maurice to Le Grand Bornand. The Astana rider survived attacks by the Schleck brothers, Frank and Andy, to cross the line second behind Frank and extend his overall lead. Andy and Frank are now second and third respectively in the overall standings with Lance Armstrong fourth. Britain's Bradley Wiggins has dropped to sixth after a seventh-place finish. Wiggins again demonstrated his improved climbing ability as the race left the Alps but his day became an exercise in damage limitation as he was dropped by Contador and the Schleck brothers on the penultimate climb of the day, the Col de Romme. 606: DEBATE Armstrong, too, was also unable to stay with the leading group, which also contained Andreas Kloden, as the Schlecks piled on the pressure. Somewhat unexpectedly, Contador launched his own attack, losing his Astana team-mate Kloden in the process and leaving himself dangerously exposed. Astana team boss Johan Bruyneel later admitted the Spaniard's move had been against his wishes. "I told him not to go, he didn't need to attack, because the Schlecks would go full gas to the finish." he said. "I said to him 'You don't have to attack to win the Tour de France today'." But, despite the best efforts of the Schleck brothers, who both ride for the Saxo Bank team, the 2007 champion never looked like losing time to his rivals. "We had nothing to lose this morning," said Frank Schleck, whose victory was the second Tour stage win of his career, following his win at Alpe d'Huez in 2006. "We staked everything on launching those attacks. It was a bit risky but at the end of the day you have to take risks to benefit." As it stands now, I think the gap on Wiggins is enough for the time trial Alberto Contador Back down the road, Wiggins was able to stick with Armstrong until the final kilometre of the last ascent of the day - the Col de la Colombiere - before a surge from the seven-time champion saw him accelerate away. Both Wiggins and Armstrong drop out of the podium positions but will look to Thursday's time trial in Annecy as a way of clawing back some of the time they have lost. Defending champion Carlos Sastre also lost more ground as he was unable to keep up with the Schlecks after launching a succession of unsuccessful attacks of his own lower down the Col de Romme. And Australia's Cadel Evans continued to suffer - the 2007 and 2008 runner-up finishing the stage 29 minutes and 43 seconds after Frank Schleck. Earlier, Thor Hushovd all but sealed victory in his battle for the green jersey with Britain's Mark Cavendish by winning both the day's intermediate sprints. Contador remains in control of the race, however, and although he denied working together with the Schlecks at the expense of Kloden and Armstrong, he admitted he was happy with the lead he holds over Wiggins ahead of the time trial. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. "The Schlecks asked me to collaborate with them but I said 'no' because I had team-mates behind," said Contador. "I just decided to stay in their wheel until the finish line. As it stands now, I think the gap on Wiggins is enough for the time trial." Seven-time Tour winner Armstrong admitted he had to "bite his tongue" over Contador's tactics. But the American believes Annecy and Saturday's fearsome 21.1km climb up Mount Ventoux will ultimately decide who finishes in the top three on Sunday. "Second is still my goal, I guess it's still possible," said Armstrong. "If I don't win it's not the end of the world, but of course I would like to be on the podium in Paris. "I think we still have two big days. The time trial will shake things out, there will also be a big shake-out at Mount Ventoux." Stage 17 result: 1. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) 4 hours 53 minutes 54 seconds 2. Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana ) " 3. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) " 4. Vincenzo Nibali (Italy / Liquigas ) + 2 mins 18 secs 5. Lance Armstrong (U.S. / Astana ) " 6. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / Astana ) + 2 mins 27 secs 7. Bradley Wiggins (Britain / Garmin ) + 3 mins 07 secs 8. Christophe Moreau (France / Agritubel ) + 4 mins 09 secs 9. Christian Vande Velde (U.S. / Garmin ) " 10. Remi Pauriol (France / Cofidis ) + 6 mins 10 secs Selected others: 25. Carlos Sastre (Spa/Cervelo) + 7 mins 47 secs 89. Charlie Wegelius (GB/Silence-Lotto) + 29 mins 43 secs 105. David Millar (GB/Garmin) " 116. Mark Cavendish (GB/Columbia) + 35 mins 47 secs Overall standings: 1. Alberto Contador (Spain / Astana ) 72 hours 27 minutes 09 seconds 2. Andy Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) + 2 mins 26 secs 3. Frank Schleck (Luxembourg / Saxo Bank ) + 3 mins 25 secs 4. Lance Armstrong (U.S. / Astana ) + 3 mins 55 secs 5. Andreas Kloeden (Germany / Astana ) + 4 mins 44 secs Selected others: 6. Bradley Wiggins (GB/ Garmin ) + 4 mins 53 secs 13. Carlos Sastre (Spa/Cervelo) + 11 mins 39 secs 60. Charlie Wegelius (GB/Silence-Lotto) + 1 hr 14 mins 25 secs 75. David Millar (GB/Garmin) + 1 hr 29 mins 57 secs 141. Mark Cavendish (GB/Columbia) + 2hrs 51 mins 25 seconds Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version \|\|\|\|\| TOUR DE FRANCE Date: 4 July - 26 July Coverage: BBC Sport website: text commentary of each stage and streamed BBC commentary of the last 90 minutes of each stage available; commentary on selected stages on BBC 5 Live sports extra Mark Cavendish's successful sprint in St Fargeau on stage 11 of the Tour de France brought him his eighth stage victory, tying Barry Hoban's record for the most by a British rider in the world's most famous cycle race. Having won the first of two world Madison titles on the track in 2005, at the age of 19, the 'Manx Missile' switched to the road the following year and has surged through the ranks just as he does through the peloton. Cavendish was a bright prospect on his Tour de France debut, when the race started in London in 2007, and cemented his reputation last year, when he won a British record four stages before dropping out early to train for the Olympics. This year he is without rival as the fastest sprinter in the event, and has his eyes on victory on the Champs-Elysees in Paris, although many expect him also to win the green points jersey, often won by the best sprinter. BBC Sport takes a look at the select company of British greats he has joined. BARRY HOBAN Hoban, from Wakefield, set the current record of eight Tour de France stage wins by a Briton between 1967 and 1975 - taking eight years to do what Cavendish has managed in two. Even if Cavendish passes his mark, though, Hoban's mark of 11 completed Tours will remain a British record for a good while yet. Initially a strong climber, Hoban later established himself a sprinter, moving to Europe to turn professional in 1964. The first of his stage victories came in 1967, when the rest of the field allowed him to cross the line first, the day after the death of Tom Simpson, whose widow he later married. TOM SIMPSON Simpson, from Haswell, County Durham, was one of a group of British pioneers who rode in Europe in the 1960s. In 1962, after stage 12 of the Tour de France, he became first Brit to wear the yellow jersey as race leader and finished sixth overall, losing third spot after a crash. He became the first British world road race champion in 1965 and went on to win the BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award - the only cyclist to do so until Sir Chris Hoy took the honour in 2008. Simpson is arguably one of only two British riders - the other being Robert Millar - to have ridden with a chance of overall victory in the Tour, rather than aiming for individual stages or secondary jerseys. Simpson died of exhaustion on the slopes of Mont Ventoux during the 13th stage of the Tour in 1967, a post-mortem blaming amphetamines and alcohol as well as extreme heat. Cavendish is set to pass a memorial to Simpson on the slopes of the mountain during Saturday's penultimate stage. CHRIS BOARDMAN After winning individual pursuit gold at the 1992 Olympics, Boardman turned professional and took to the road but was unable to live up to hype that billed him as a future Tour winner. His three stage successes all came in the Tour prologue - the short time trial at the beginning of each race - each of which brought a chance to wear the yellow jersey. He won the 1994 prologue in the fastest time ever recorded, suffered a crash the following year as favourite but returned to win again in 1997 and '98. Boardman always struggled to recover from his exertions quickly enough to mount a sustained challenge in stage races, which he has blamed on a low hormone profile and others on the doping culture prevalent among his rivals at the time. He retired after a successful attempt at breaking the hour record on a traditional bike in 2000 and now works as technical director for British Cycling, as well as being involved in media work. ROBERT MILLAR Scotsman Millar - who is no relation to current rider David - recorded the highest ever overall finish by a Brit in the Tour when he was fourth in 1984. A specialist climber with a wiry physique, he also won the King of the Mountains competition that year, the only time a British competitor has won a major Tour jersey. 606: DEBATE Who do you think is Britain's best Tour de France rider of all time? BBC Sport's Martin Gough Millar won three Tour stages between his debut in 1983 and 1993, and missed out on another in Guzet-Neige in 1988, when he a fellow breakaway rider mistook a policeman's signal in the run-in to the finish and took a wrong turn. After a spell in team management and journalism, he cut ties with the sport and has not been seen in public for over five years. Author Richard Moore wrote a book, In Search of Robert Millar, without ever having more than email contact. SEAN YATES Yates was known as a top domestique - a rider who supports the big names, as he did with a young Lance Armstrong on the Motorola team from 1992-96. He completed nine Tours over 12 years between 1982 and '96, with his best overall placing 45th. He was particularly good at sitting on the front of a peloton, setting a consistently high speed during the middle of a stage to prevent attacks on his team leader. Yates had his own occasional day in the sun, though, winning a Tour de France time trial stage in 1988 and wearing the yellow jersey in 1994, on the day after the race went through his native Sussex. He has since moved into team management, was an assistant on the Discovery Team - at Armstrong's invitation - from 2005 and has recently been working with Astana, although he is missing this year's race because of ill health. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version	Alberto Contador at the time trial of the 2007 Tour which he also won. Spaniard Alberto Contador of team Astana has won the 2009 Tour de France after crossing the line in a final time of 85:48:35 for the 21-stage grand tour. Andy Schleck from Luxembourg came in second place. Schleck, riding for Team Saxo Bank also won the ''maillot blanc'' for the young riders' classification. American Lance Armstrong of Astana claimed the final podium spot, 5:24 behind Contador. The seven-time Tour-winner returned from retirement after winning the 2005 Tour de France. Course of the 2009 Tour Winning the final stage at Champs-Élysées in Paris, France, was Mark Cavendish in a time of 4:02:18. The British cyclist won six stages this year, topping his achievement of four stage wins last year. The points classification was won by Thor Hushovd of Norway with 280. The Cervélo TestTeam rider finished ahead of Team Columbia-HTC's Cavendish, despite the latter's multiple stage wins. The King of the Mountains winner is Italian Franco Pellizotti, riding for Liquigas, who also got the additional honor of being the most aggressive rider. Team Astana, with two men on the podium, won the team classification.
Nicola Calipari's death was mourned across Italy Nicola Calipari, 51, was shot dead at a US roadblock while escorting Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena, who had been released by kidnappers in Iraq. Italy and the US government disputed the circumstances of his death. Italian prosecutors want a US marine, identified as Mario Lozano, to go on trial for the March 2005 killing. DIFFERING ACCOUNTS US military: Car approaches checkpoint at high speed Troops attempt to tell driver to stop with arm signals, lights and warning shots Soldiers shoot into engine Italian government: No warning signs to motorists about impending checkpoint Car not speeding and did not accelerate after warning shots Proper inquiry impossible because vehicles removed and army logs destroyed just after shooting Accounts in full Profile: Nicola Calipari Last week Mr Lozano's court-appointed lawyer, Fabrizio Cardinali, said he expected his client to be tried in absentia for murder and attempted murder. Last year Italy published a report into the shooting which conflicted with the US version of events. The report blamed the troops' stress and inexperience, and said the US authorities should have signalled that there was a checkpoint on the road. The report denied the US assertion that their military command in Baghdad was unaware of the Italian mission to secure the hostage's release, pointing out that the Italians had been allocated secure accommodation in an American-controlled area. It said that the Italian car had been travelling at 40-50km/h, while the American version said it was going at about twice that speed. The Americans insist that the car was going too fast and alarmed their soldiers. The Italian magistrates say they are concentrating on ballistic evidence from the car. They say it was hit with three rounds; the second round which killed the officer was fired, they say, as the car was slowing down. Their decision on Monday is likely to put further strain on relations between the two countries, the BBC's Christian Fraser reports from Rome. The new Italian government has already stated its intention to withdraw troops from Iraq later this year and some of the comments they have made on the Iraq situation are said to have seriously irritated senior White House officials, our correspondent adds. \|\|\|\|\| 'Perhaps you should look into it': Kayleigh McEnany dodges Obamagate question – video 'Perhaps you should look into it': Kayleigh McEnany dodges Obamagate question – video After listing issues with people in office while Obama was president, the press secretary said it was reporters' responsibility to 'answer the question' of what Obama did that was against the law	Nicola Calipari was fatally shot by U.S. troops at a checkpoint in Iraq in 2005 Italian prosecutors have asked a judge to indict a United States soldier for fatally shooting Italian intelligence officer Nicola Calipari at a roadblock in Iraq a year ago. The shooting occurred when Calipari was escorting the Italian journalist Giuliana Sgrena on her way to Baghdad airport. When their car came under fire from U.S. Marines at a roadblock, Calipari was fatally shot while trying to shield Sgrena, who was only lightly wounded in the incident. The circumstances of the shooting are a matter of dispute between Italy and the United States. The U.S. military claims that the car was approaching the checkpoint at high speed, when the troops attempted to signal the car with light signals, aiming a green laser at the windshield and warning shots. When the car failed to slow down, the soldiers shot into the engine of the car. The Italian government claims that there were no warning signs prior to the shootings. They contest that the car was speeding and that it accelerated after the first round of fire. Moreover, they allege that a proper inquiry into the case was impossible since the vehicle was removed and army logs destroyed shortly after the incident. Italian prosecutors are arguing that the shooting was a "political murder" as Calipari was a civil servant and the shooting damaged Italy's interests. In Italy, murder suspects cannot be tried in absentia unless the murder has political connotations. It is expected to take at least two months for a judge to rule on the indictment request. The U.S. Embassy in Rome declined to comment.
The House of Commons has voted unanimously in favour of having a state funeral when the last Canadian veteran of the First World War dies. The motion, introduced by the NDP, asked the government to honour all who served in the First World War by sponsoring a state funeral. Of the 619,636 Canadians who served between 1914 and 1918, only three are still alive: Percy Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106. A state funeral is one of the highest honours a country can bestow on a person, but they're traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general. The motion was prompted by an online petition launched by the Dominion Institute, a national organization that promotes Canadian history. "We want to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who signed our petition in support of state funeral," Rudyard Griffiths, the director of the Dominion Institute, said in a statement. "By passing a motion to offer a full state funeral today the Parliament of Canada will allow a grateful nation to pay proper tribute to our last Great War veteran on his passing and honour the over 600,000 Canadians he served with under arms from 1914-1918." The Institute said that since Nov. 6, around 100,000 Canadians had signed the petition. With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| View larger image Veteran Robert Guy touches a memorial to Canadian soldiers on the legislature grounds in Toronto, Ont. (CP / Adrian Wyld) View larger image A First World War soldier places stones on a Canadian grave near Vimy, France in this June, 1917 archive photo. (CP / National Archives of Canada) View larger image First World War veterans Dwight (Percy) Wilson (left) and Lloyd Clemett participate in Remembrance Day ceremonies in the veterans wing at Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto on Nov. 11, 2006. (CP / Frank Gunn) NDP Leader Jack Layton speaks with Canada AM on Tuesday from CTV studios in Ottawa. Commons approves motion for state funeral CTV.ca News Staff The House of Commons voted unanimously Tuesday in favor of an NDP motion asking the government to sponsor a full state funeral when the last First World War veteran passes away. Only three surviving First World War veterans - Dwight (Percy) Wilson, 105, and Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106 - are still alive. NDP Leader Jack Layton said the government should recognize that a state funeral would celebrate "the contribution of a whole generation of Canadians who served, whether overseas or here at home and their families as well." Layton told CTV's Canada AM on Tuesday morning that the funeral would allow the entire country to pay tribute to all those who served during the First World War. "We won't be able to look them in the eyes anymore and thank them for their service the way we should for everyone who is willing to serve our country the way they did and our armed forces personnel still do," he said. The concept was first proposed before Remembrance Day by the Dominion Institute, which said such a funeral would help promote memories of the long-ago conflict. "We want to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who signed our petition in support of a State Funeral," Rudyard Griffiths, executive director of the Dominion Institute said in a written statement. "By passing a motion to offer a full state funeral today the Parliament of Canada will allow a grateful nation to pay proper tribute to our last Great War veteran on his passing and honour the over 600,000 Canadians he served with under arms from 1914-1918." The veterans' advancing years created a groundswell of support for the proposal to follow the example of Australia, which held a state funeral for the final survivor of the Battle of Gallipoli. By Tuesday morning, nearly 100,000 people had signed a petition on the institute's website asking that the Canadian government support the proposal. There were initial concerns that the Conservatives would not support the motion. A spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson had said the Tories wouldn't say whether they would back the motion until they saw it. A poll released on Remembrance Day found that three out of four respondents approve of a state funeral when the last First World War veteran dies. State funerals are one of the highest honours a country can bestow on a person, but they're traditionally reserved for prime ministers and governors general. More than 600,000 Canadians served in the First World War and 60,000 of those were killed. \|\|\|\|\| State funeral for last war vet wins approval Globe and Mail Update The last remaining Canadian First World War veteran will be laid to rest at a state funeral, after Ottawa voted unanimously Tuesday in favour an NDP motion to bestow the honour, which is normally reserved for former heads of government. Just three Canadian first World War veterans are believed to be still alive - the oldest being 106 years old. The full text of this article has 316 words. To continue reading this article, you will need to purchase this article. Already have a member account? Login now \|\|\|\|\| OTTAWA – NDP Leader Jack Layton celebrated another victory for veterans today as the NDP motion for a state funeral for the last Canadian WWI veteran passed unanimously in the House of Commons. “Ordinary Canadians across this country want to honour and remember the last of this Great Generation. Close to 90,000 Canadians have already signed the Dominion Institute’s petition calling for a state funeral for the last Great War veteran. With the adoption of our motion today, Canadians can collectively celebrate the sacrifice of all WWI veterans,” said Layton. The motion, introduced in the House of Commons today by NDP critic for Veterans Affairs Peter Stoffer (Sackville – Eastern Shore) states: That, in the opinion of this House, the Government of Canada should honour all who served Canada in the First World War by sponsoring a state funeral on the passing of the last Canadian veteran of this Great War. “Canada’s veterans are our greatest heroes and our country’s greatest volunteers. Offering a state funeral for the last Canadian veteran of the First World War is a fitting and symbolic tribute to recognize the great personal sacrifices of those who have served and who are currently serving our country,” said Stoffer. This victory for veterans and all Canadians comes just two weeks to the day after the NDP’s Veterans First Motion passed in the House of Commons. The Veterans First Motion ensures that Canadian Forces veterans and their families are taken care of, not just during their service days, but throughout their lives by addressing unfair deductions and restrictions on the pensions of veterans and their spouses. “Afters years of broken promises to veterans by the Liberals and opposition to pension reform from the Conservatives, the NDP is proud to ensure that veterans are getting the recognition they deserve, once and for all,” said Layton.	The approved a for the last standing World War I veteran Tuesday. Three of them are still alive, Percy Wilson, who is 105 years old, Lloyd Clemett and John Babcock, both 106. They are the last three living veterans among the 619,636 Canadians who served between 1914 and 1918. The motion, introduced by the , was favored by all party leaders. The motion was prompted by an online petition by the , a national organization which promotes Canadian history. State funerals in Canada, by tradition, are reserved for prime ministers and governors general. This bill, which is now in affect in Canada, means that state funerals are not only for prime ministers but for people who have served the country. "We want to thank the tens of thousands of Canadians who signed our petition in support of state funeral," said , the director of the Dominion Institute. "By passing a motion to offer a full state funeral today the Parliament of Canada will allow a grateful nation to pay proper tribute to our last Great War veteran on his passing and honour the over 600,000 Canadians he served with under arms from 1914-1918." Australia, also held a state funeral for the final veteran of the . A State Funeral was offered for Steve Irwin in September 2006, but the offer was declined by his family's wishes. Canada is the fourth country to have a funeral honoring the last war veteran that served in any war. "We won't be able to look them in the eyes anymore and thank them for their service the way we should for everyone who is willing to serve our country the way they did and our armed forces personnel still do," NDP Leader Jack Layton said. Since November 6, around 100,000 Canadians had signed the online petition.
Slideshow ( 2 images ) DENVER (Reuters) - Western wear maker Jack A. Weil, whose distinctive snap-button shirts became as popular with celebrities as with working cowboys, has died at the age of 107, his family said on Thursday. Believed to be the oldest CEO in America, “Papa Jack” as he was known, created Rockmount shirts that featured metal snaps rather than buttons, a design that revolutionized the Western apparel industry and found a place in the permanent collection of the Smithsonian Institution. “It’s the longest running shirt design in America -- Western or otherwise,” his grandson Steve Weil said in a statement on Thursday. Weil worked daily at his Denver-based company Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Co. until falling ill recently. “Papa Jack died at home (Wednesday) surrounded by family,” Steve Weil said. Born in Evansville, Indiana in 1901, Weil moved to Denver in 1928. In 1946, he started Rockmount in the city’s warehouse district, where it still operates. Over the decades, his shirts with the diamond-shaped snaps and jagged saw-tooth pockets became popular among politicians, actors and musicians. “I guess I was just lucky that every kid wants to be a cowboy,” he told Reuters in a 2006 interview. Among his customers were Ronald Reagan, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton and Nicholas Cage. More recently, Rockmount shirts were worn by the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in the 2005 Academy Award-nominated movie, “Brokeback Mountain.” Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter lauded Weil as a “legendary Coloradan and pioneering Denver businessman (whose) legacy will live on for at least another 107 years.” \|\|\|\|\| America’s oldest CEO, Jack A. Weil, died Wednesday at the age of 107. Weil founded Rockmount Ranch Wear Manufacturing Co. in 1946 and revolutionized American fashion by originating the Western shirt. His snap-buttoned creation has been seen on everyone from cowboys to celebrities. John Travolta wore one in the movie “Urban Cowboy.” Weil, who remained involved in the day-to-day operations of his company until recently, was born March 28, 1901 in Evansville, Indiana. He began in the apparel business while still in high school, and moved to Denver in 1928. Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter issued a statement in which he said: "Jack A. Weil was a legendary Coloradan and a pioneering Denver businessman. He set up shop in Lower Downtown when it was mostly a warehouse district. He was wise enough to keep Rockmount right where it is, through the hard times, and today the business attracts customers from around the world. Colorado will miss him dearly, but thanks to his family and Rockmount's unique Western fashions, his legacy will live on for at least another 107 years." Weil and his wife Bea, who died in 1990, had two children: Jack B. and Jane. Jack B. Weil died in January at the age of 79. Other survivors include five grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held Aug. 17 at Temple Emanuel. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to the Anti Defamation League, American Red Cross Denver or to a favorite charity.	, founder and CEO of Rockmount Ranch Wear died on August 13 at the age of 107 in Denver, Colorado. He was the oldest working CEO in the United States. He was also known as "Papa Jack". He was born on March 28, 1901 in , Indiana. In 1946, Weil rented a space at 1626 Wazee Street in Denver and set about trying to create a fashionable yet practical identity for the western ranchers of the region. Weil was well-known for coining the phrase "The West is not a place, it is a state of mind." He was the first person to put snaps on , patented the saw-tooth pocket design seen on many Western shirts, and was credited with inventing the . In 2001, he told Associated Press, "I learned fast you can't sell to cowboys; they have no money. You have to appeal to the cowboy in everyone and sell to them." Among his customers were , , and . More recently, Rockmount shirts were worn by the late and in the 2005 Academy Award-nominated movie, ''''. Weil's wife, Beatrice Baum, died in 1990, followed by his son Jack B. in January 2008. "I never wanted to be the richest man in the cemetery," he told his grandson and current president of the family business.
It has been four decades since Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne completed the work for which he became celebrated, but that fertile contribution to number theory has now earned him the Abel Prize, one of the most prestigious awards in mathematics. Given annually by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and named after the famous Norwegian mathematician Niels Henrik Abel, the prize is worth 6 million Norwegian kroner (about US$1 million). Speaking via webcast, Deligne said he was surprised to learn that he had won the prize this morning. Despite having won major prizes before, he said, he did not spend much time wondering about when the next one would come. “The nice thing about mathematics is doing mathematics,” Deligne said. “The prizes come in addition.” The Academy has rewarded Deligne, who works at the Institute for Advanced Study (IAS) in Princeton, New Jersey, “for seminal contributions to algebraic geometry and for their transformative impact on number theory, representation theory, and related fields”. Deligne has made “many different contributions that have had a huge impact on mathematics for the past 40-50 years”, says Cambridge mathematician Timothy Gowers, who delivered the award address in Oslo today. “Usually mathematicians are either theory builders, who develop tools, or problem-solvers, who use those tools to find solutions”, says Peter Sarnak, also at the IAS. “Deligne is unusual in being both. He’s got a very special mind.” Algebraic geometry explores the geometric objects that are sets of solutions to algebraic equations — for example, a circle of radius r can be described by x2+y2=r2. In modern mathematical parlance, these shapes are called algebraic varieties. Algebraic geometry has proved to have deep connections to many areas of mathematics, particularly the properties of pure integers (number theory). This last connection is evident in the analogy between the Riemann hypothesis, which describes a relationship between prime numbers, and the so-called Weil conjectures, which were proposed by mathematician André Weil in 1949 — the subject of Deligne’s most famous result. The Weil conjectures concern the points on algebraic varieties that have integer coordinates (in the case of the circle, x and y must be whole numbers). The number of such solutions — typically, there are only finitely many — can be calculated from a formula called the zeta function. While Riemann’s hypothesis concerns the nature of the Riemann zeta function, which determines how prime numbers are distributed among all the integers, the Weil conjectures specify some of the properties of zeta functions derived from algebraic varieties. There are four of these conjectures. The first three were proved to be true in the 1960s, but the fourth and hardest — and the direct analogue of the Riemann hypothesis — was proved by Deligne in 1974. The Riemann hypothesis itself remains “the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics”, says Gowers — which is in itself an indication of the significance of Deligne’s proof. Gowers says that this proof “completed a long-standing program” in mathematics. “By solving that”, adds Sarnak, “he solved a whole lot of things at once”. For example, the solution also proved a long-standing, recalcitrant conjecture by the famous Indian mathematician Srinivasa Ramanujan. In finding it, Deligne built on the work of his mentor, the German-born mathematician Alexander Grothendieck, who proved the second Weil conjecture in 1965. That work introduced a crucial concept called l-adic cohomology. The general notion of cohomology, which concerns the topological properties of spaces described by algebraic equations, was itself first developed in the 1920s and 30s, and Weil recognized that it would be needed to prove his hypotheses. Grothendieck laid the foundations for finding the right cohomology, but his student Deligne found the final proof alone — and in a different way from what Grothendieck had imagined. In 1978 Deligne’s proof won him the Fields Medal, the original ‘maths Nobel’, which can only be awarded to recipients under 40 years of age. The Abel Prize has no age limitations. Since completing the work that secured his reputation, he has applied tools such as l-adic cohomology to extend algebraic geometry and to relate it to other areas of maths. “Even if you took away his most famous result on the Weil conjectures”, says Gowers, “you would still be left with a great mathematician.” Deligne said he had not thought yet about how he would spend the money that came with his Abel Prize, but that he would like to find a way to make it useful for mathematics. “To some extent, I feel that this money belongs to mathematics, not to me.” This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on March 20, 2013. \|\|\|\|\| Mathematicians have used pictures to solve equations ever since Pythagoras cooked up his famous theorem, but it wasn't until the 20th century that the deep links between shapes and sums really came into their own with the blossoming of algebraic geometry. Now Pierre Deligne of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, New Jersey, who played a crucial role in linking algebraic geometry to other areas of mathematics, has won the $1 million Abel prize, awarded by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters. "I was very surprised," he said following the announcement. "I feel this money belongs to mathematics more than me, but I have no idea how to use it in a way that is useful for mathematics." Algebraic geometry turns out to have connections to important problems such as Fermat's Last Theorem. Deligne is best known for using it to prove the last, and most fiendish, of the Weil conjectures, a series of four statements proposed in 1949 by André Weil. The statements concerned polynomial equations, for example, x² - y² = 3. Such equations would normally have an infinite number of solutions, but Weil was interested in the problem of how to solve this kind of equation within number systems that have only a limited number of values, known as finite fields. Shape-shifting trick He suggested that the number of possible solutions in each finite field could be described by counting particular points on a related shape, which is done using another equation called a zeta function. (A similar equation is believed to help count the prime numbers, though whether it does is a famous unsolved problem called the Riemann hypothesis, itself worth $1 million to anyone that solves it). Weil made four statements about the zeta function: proving these true was a way to confirm that the zeta function was indeed the correct way to tackle polynomial equations within finite fields. The next decade or so saw proofs of three of the statements, but the last and most difficult remained. Mathematicians knew that finding something called a cohomology, a kind of classification system for distinguishing similar shapes, would crack the problem, but showing that a particular comohology was the one needed to probe Weil's remaining conjecture was tricky. Deligne was finally able to do so in 1974, winning him the Fields medal in 1978 – another prestigious award that is only given to mathematicians under the age of 40, every four years. "That completed one of the big stories of 20th-century mathematics," says Timothy Gowers of the University of Cambridge, who gave a presentation about Deligne's work following the Abel prize announcement and called him "one of the absolute all-time greats". The proof of the last Weil conjecture, along with much of Deligne's other work, provided mathematicians with important tools in algebraic geometry that are still yielding important results. Ngô Bảo Châu, who won the Fields medal in 2010 relied on Deligne's tools to prove an important result linking elements of algebra with number theory. "His name pops up all over the place," says Gowers. Coverage of other recent Abel prizewinners: 2012: Pattern master wins million dollar mathematics prize 2011: Exotic sphere discoverer wins mathematical Nobel 2010: Prizewinning math could reveal hidden patterns in primes If you would like to reuse any content from New Scientist, either in print or online, please contact the syndication department first for permission. New Scientist does not own rights to photos, but there are a variety of licensing options available for use of articles and graphics we own the copyright to. Have your say Only subscribers may leave comments on this article. Please log in. email: password: Remember me Only personal subscribers may leave comments on this article Subscribe now to comment.	Mirrored photo of Pierre Deligne in 2005 The awarded Belgian mathematician Pierre Deligne with of 2013 for his contributions toward shaping . The award includes a 6 million (1,026,000, 793,000) prize. , a mathematician from , announced the award in Oslo yesterday. The Academy gave the award to Deligne for "seminal contributions to algebraic geometry and for their transformative impact on number theory, representation theory, and related fields". For example, in 1974, Pierre Deligne did a mathematical proof of fourth , one of properties of . This concept is related to analysis of the and the currently unsolved . During the proof of the Weil conjecture, a concept of l-adic was introduced. Pierre Deligne said, "The nice thing about mathematics is doing mathematics. The prizes come in addition".
Scorecard - Commentary - Wickets - 3D animation - Partnerships - Wagon wheels - Player v player - Over comparison - Over graphs - Career averages - Bulletin - Article index (12) - Photo index (42) ODI no. 2555 ICC World Cup - 25th Match, Super Eights West Indies v Australia 2006/07 season Played at , on 27,28 March 2007 (50-over match) Result Australia won by 103 runs Australia innings (50 overs maximum) R M B 4s 6s SR c Ramdin b Powell 7 21 9 0 0 77.77 c Samuels b Bravo 158 216 143 14 4 110.48 run out (Sarwan) 35 46 36 4 1 97.22 lbw b Bravo 41 71 47 4 0 87.23 c Ramdin b Samuels 13 22 18 1 0 72.22 b Powell 9 20 18 1 0 50.00 not out 33 45 26 3 1 126.92 not out 5 13 6 0 0 83.33 Extras (b 1, lb 9, w 8, nb 3) 21 Total (6 wickets; 50 overs) 322 Did not bat , , Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 10 2 53 2 5.30 10 0 67 0 6.70 (3w) 10 0 56 0 5.60 (2w) 4 0 29 0 7.25 (2nb) 7 0 49 2 7.00 (2w) 9 0 58 1 6.44 (1nb, 1w) West Indies innings (target: 323 runs from 50 overs) R M B 4s 6s SR c Watson b McGrath 2 37 23 0 0 8.69 lbw b Tait 5 20 12 0 0 41.66 c Ponting b Hogg 29 101 58 1 0 50.00 c Symonds b McGrath 4 9 8 1 0 50.00 lbw b Hogg 77 118 83 8 1 92.77 c Ponting b McGrath 9 13 10 1 0 90.00 c Gilchrist b Bracken 52 56 43 6 0 120.93 lbw b Hogg 9 5 7 0 1 128.57 lbw b Symonds 10 13 18 1 0 55.55 b Tait 5 10 9 0 0 55.55 not out 1 3 2 0 0 50.00 Extras (b 1, w 15) 16 Total (all out; 45.3 overs) 219 Fall of wickets Bowling O M R W Econ 9 1 25 1 2.77 (1w) 7.3 0 43 2 5.73 (7w) 8 1 31 3 3.87 7 0 31 0 4.42 10 0 56 3 5.60 (2w) 4 0 32 1 8.00 (1w) Toss West Indies, who chose to field first Points Australia 2, West Indies 0 Player of the match ML Hayden (Australia) Umpires (Pakistan) and (Pakistan) TV umpire (New Zealand) Match referee (England) Reserve umpire (South Africa) Close of play 27 Mar day 1 - Australia 322/6 ( SR Watson 33* , GB Hogg 5* , 50 ov ) 28 Mar day 2 - West Indies 219 ( 45.3 ov ) - end of match Match notes Australia innings Australia: 50 runs in 9.5 overs (62 balls), Extras 8 Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 2nd Wicket: 50 runs in 42 balls (ML Hayden 18, RT Ponting 28, Ex 5) Drinks: Australia - 76/2 in 14.4 overs (ML Hayden 25) Power Play 3: Overs 15.1 - 20.0 Australia: 100 runs in 20.3 overs (127 balls), Extras 9 ML Hayden: 50 off 72 balls (6 x 4) 3rd Wicket: 50 runs in 58 balls (ML Hayden 28, MJ Clarke 20, Ex 2) Australia: 150 runs in 27.1 overs (170 balls), Extras 13 Drinks: Australia - 174/3 in 30.5 overs (ML Hayden 78) Australia: 200 runs in 34.4 overs (216 balls), Extras 14 ML Hayden: 100 off 110 balls (8 x 4, 1 x 6) Australia: 250 runs in 44.2 overs (275 balls), Extras 15 ML Hayden: 150 off 137 balls (13 x 4, 4 x 6) 6th Wicket: 50 runs in 32 balls (ML Hayden 38, SR Watson 11, Ex 1) Rain: Australia - 286/5 in 46.2 overs (ML Hayden 153, SR Watson 11) Australia: 300 runs in 47.6 overs (298 balls), Extras 18 West Indies innings Innings Break: West Indies - 0/0 Rain: West Indies - 0/0 End Of Day: West Indies - 0/0 Reserve day used Power Play 2: Overs 10.1 - 15.0 Drinks: West Indies - 35/3 in 15.0 overs (RR Sarwan 11, BC Lara 8) Power Play 3: Overs 15.1 - 20.0 West Indies: 50 runs in 19.0 overs (120 balls), Extras 6 4th Wicket: 50 runs in 76 balls (RR Sarwan 15, BC Lara 34, Ex 3) West Indies: 100 runs in 26.6 overs (170 balls), Extras 8 Drinks: West Indies - 107/5 in 28.3 overs (BC Lara 49) BC Lara: 50 off 62 balls (7 x 4) West Indies: 150 runs in 34.1 overs (215 balls), Extras 10 West Indies: 200 runs in 42.4 overs (267 balls), Extras 15 D Ramdin: 50 off 41 balls (6 x 4) \|\|\|\|\| Test Match Series: Bangladesh v Australia 09-04-2006 at Fatullah, Day 5 of 5 Australia beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat Bangladesh 1st Innings 427 all out (123.3 overs) Bangladesh 2nd Innings 148 all out (50.0 overs) Australia 1st Innings 269 all out (95.2 overs) Australia 2nd Innings 310 for 7 (107.0 overs) Bangladesh 1st Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s Javed Omar lbw b J N Gillespie 27 40 6 0 Shahriar Nafees b S C G MacGill 138 189 19 0 Habibul Bashar c B Lee b S C G MacGill 76 113 11 0 Rajin Saleh c sub b S C G MacGill 67 203 6 0 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b J N Gillespie 29 28 4 0 Aftab Ahmed c M L Hayden b S C G MacGill 29 54 3 0 Khaled Mashud st A C Gilchrist b S C G MacGill 17 63 0 0 Mohammad Rafique b S C G MacGill 6 25 0 0 Mashrafe Mortaza lbw b S C G MacGill 6 23 0 0 Shahadat Hossain not out 3 9 0 0 Enamul Haque jnr c M L Hayden b S C G MacGill 0 5 0 0 Extras 11nb 2w 16lb 29 Total all out 427 Bowler O M R W B Lee 19.0 5 68 0 S R Clark 25.0 4 69 0 J N Gillespie 23.0 7 47 2 S K Warne 20.0 1 112 0 S C G MacGill 33.3 2 108 8 M J Clarke 3.0 0 7 0 Fall of wicket 51 Javed Omar 238 Habibul Bashar 265 Shahriar Nafees 295 Mohammad Ashraful 351 Aftab Ahmed 398 Khaled Mashud 416 Mohammad Rafique 417 Rajin Saleh 424 Mashrafe Mortaza 427 Enamul Haque jnr Back to top Australia 1st Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s M L Hayden lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 6 12 0 0 M E K Hussey b Mohammad Rafique 23 65 2 0 R T Ponting lbw b Shahadat Hossain 21 32 3 0 D R Martyn b Mohammad Rafique 4 11 1 0 M J Clarke b Enamul Haque jnr 19 50 2 0 A C Gilchrist c Shahadat Hossain b Mohammad Rafique 144 212 14 6 S K Warne c Khaled Mashud b Enamul Haque jnr 6 29 0 0 B Lee lbw b Mashrafe Mortaza 15 51 2 0 J N Gillespie b Mohammad Rafique 26 88 2 0 S R Clark lbw b Mohammad Rafique 0 20 0 0 S C G MacGill not out 0 5 0 0 Extras 1nb 4lb 5 Total all out 269 Bowler O M R W Mashrafe Mortaza 22.0 3 56 2 Shahadat Hossain 14.0 2 48 1 Mohammad Rafique 32.2 9 62 5 Enamul Haque jnr 25.0 4 83 2 Mohammad Ashraful 1.0 0 11 0 Rajin Saleh 1.0 0 5 0 Fall of wicket 6 M L Hayden 43 R T Ponting 50 D R Martyn 61 M E K Hussey 79 M J Clarke 93 S K Warne 156 B Lee 229 J N Gillespie 268 S R Clark 269 A C Gilchrist Back to top Bangladesh 2nd Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s Javed Omar c A C Gilchrist b J N Gillespie 18 21 2 0 Shahriar Nafees b B Lee 33 38 7 0 Habibul Bashar run out 7 17 1 0 Rajin Saleh c M L Hayden b J N Gillespie 33 118 2 0 Mohammad Ashraful lbw b S R Clark 4 14 0 0 Aftab Ahmed lbw b S C G MacGill 17 56 2 0 Khaled Mashud b J N Gillespie 0 11 0 0 Mohammad Rafique lbw b S K Warne 14 18 3 0 Mashrafe Mortaza b S K Warne 0 1 0 0 Shahadat Hossain not out 1 8 0 0 Enamul Haque jnr lbw b S K Warne 0 3 0 0 Extras 4nb 10b 7lb 21 Total all out 148 Bowler O M R W B Lee 8.0 1 47 1 J N Gillespie 11.0 4 18 3 S C G MacGill 13.0 4 30 1 S R Clark 4.0 2 8 1 S K Warne 13.0 4 28 3 M J Clarke 1.0 1 0 0 Fall of wicket 48 Shahriar Nafees 58 Javed Omar 66 Habibul Bashar 77 Mohammad Ashraful 124 Aftab Ahmed 128 Khaled Mashud 147 Mohammad Rafique 147 Mashrafe Mortaza 147 Rajin Saleh 148 Enamul Haque jnr Back to top Australia 2nd Innings Runs Balls 4s 6s M L Hayden run out 72 152 8 1 M E K Hussey b Enamul Haque jnr 37 79 5 0 R T Ponting not out 118 253 13 0 D R Martyn b Mohammad Rafique 7 19 0 0 M J Clarke c Khaled Mashud b Mohammad Rafique 9 17 2 0 A C Gilchrist b Mohammad Rafique 12 18 1 0 S K Warne lbw b Mohammad Rafique 5 14 0 0 B Lee c Khaled Mashud b Mashrafe Mortaza 29 74 3 1 J N Gillespie not out 7 18 1 0 Extras 2nb 1w 4b 7lb 14 Total for 7 310 Bowler O M R W Mashrafe Mortaza 22.0 7 54 1 Shahadat Hossain 20.0 5 67 0 Mohammad Rafique 38.0 6 98 4 Enamul Haque jnr 27.0 5 80 1 Fall of wicket 64 M E K Hussey 173 M L Hayden 183 D R Martyn 205 M J Clarke 225 A C Gilchrist 231 S K Warne 277 B Lee Back to top Umpires: Aleem Dar, Nadeem Ghauri Bangladesh: Javed Omar, Shahriar Nafees, Habibul Bashar, Rajin Saleh, Mohammad Ashraful, Aftab Ahmed, Khaled Mashud, Mohammad Rafique, Mashrafe Mortaza, Shahadat Hossain, Enamul Haque jnr Australia: M L Hayden, M E K Hussey, R T Ponting, D R Martyn, M J Clarke, A C Gilchrist, B Lee, S K Warne, J N Gillespie, S R Clark, S C G MacGill	Australia beat West Indies by 103 runs in the first game of the Super 8 phase in the World Cup at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium, North Sound, Antigua and Barbuda. Australia posted their innings of 322, with Matthew Hayden starring, scoring the highest total of the Australian batsmen in the World Cup thus far. As the teams went for lunch, the heavens opened and rain prevented any more play. West Indies' innings therefore was delayed until the following day (28th). '''Toss: '''West Indies won, and elected to field first. Fall of wickets: 1-10 (Gilchrist, 4.1 ov), 2-76 (Ponting, 14.4 ov), 3-174 (Clarke, 30.5 ov), 4-208 (Symonds, 35.6 ov), 5-234 (Hussey, 40.5 ov), 6-297 (Hayden, 47.1 ov) ----> Fall of wickets: 1-11 (Chanderpaul, 3.5 ov), 2-16 (Gayle, 7.2 ov), 3-20 (Samuels, 9.4 ov), 4-91 (Sarwan, 25.2 ov), 5-107 (Bravo, 28.3 ov), 6-156 (Lara, 35.3 ov), 7-172 (Smith, 37.4 ov), 8-199 (Taylor, 42.4 ov), 9-217 (Ramdin, 44.2 ov), 10-219 (Powell, 45.3 ov) '''Australia:''' A C Gilchrist (wkt), M L Hayden, R T Ponting (capt), M J Clarke, A Symonds, M E K Hussey, S R Watson, G B Hogg, N W Bracken, S W Tait, G D McGrath '''West Indies:''' C H Gayle, S Chanderpaul, R R Sarwan, M N Samuels, B C Lara (capt), D J Bravo, D Ramdin (wkt), D R Smith, J E Taylor, D B Powell, C D Collymore Player of the match: M L Hayden (Australia) Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Asad Rauf (Pakistan) TV umpire: B F Bowden (New Zealand) Match referee: B C Broad (England) Reserve umpire: R E Koertzen (South Africa)
Former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson and his wife, Jeri, arrive at the Bloomberg News party after the White House Correspondents' Dinner April 29, 2006, in Washington. (Joshua Roberts/ Getty Images) "Stripper." "Bimbo." "Permanently tan." These are just a few of the adjectives used in the media lately to describe Jeri Kehn Thompson. She's the wife of likely Republican presidential candidate and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson, and one of the latest women to have characteristics associated with "trophy wives." Thompson joins the ranks of other notable women who have been referred to as trophy wives, like Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples and the late Anna Nicole Smith. But is she really a trophy wife? Though she's blond, beautiful and nearly 25 years younger than her husband, Kehn Thompson, a political media consultant who previously worked for the Senate Republican Conference and a prestigious Washington law firm, doesn't appear to fit the typical description. Can a woman be so accomplished on her own and still be considered her husband's "trophy"? ABCNEWS.com set out to figure out exactly what makes an ordinary wife into a trophy wife. The Anatomy of a Trophy Wife Some say it's youth and good looks, others argue smarts and success, and still others believe the formula for the ultimate trophy wife is a cocktail of beauty and intelligence. Many believe the term is highly sexist and demeaning toward women, but others are certain some women would do just about anything to be crowned a trophy wife. A 1989 article in Fortune magazine may have introduced the phrase, describing a trophy wife as a woman who is a "decade or two younger than her husband, sometimes several inches taller, beautiful, and very often accomplished." A man who marries for the second and third time, the article explained, was likely looking for a partner who was a lot like his first wife -- just younger, more beautiful and successful enough to have her own career (but not so much so that she steals the spotlight). But the meaning of the phrase has changed, some experts say, with more and more emphasis being placed on the success of the woman. "The idea of the trophy wife has progressed so that men want a woman who has some social equality, and it's not a dominant-submissive relationship," said Anne Kingston, author of "The Meaning of Wife." "Increasingly, it's not simply the decoration that a truly accomplished man wants, but an equal." But stereotypes still abound, and the superficial connotation associated with trophy wives is hard to avoid. "When we talk about a trophy, it doesn't matter how successful a woman is. It comes down to the decorative aspect and the idea that she's a babe," said Kingston. \|\|\|\|\| Why Broadsheet? Because it's about time Salon Daily Newsletter Get Salon in your mailbox! HTML Text Archives ← July 2007 Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 \|\|\|\|\| AS the election of 2008 approaches with its cast of contenders who bring unprecedented diversity to the quest for the White House, the voting public has been called on to ponder several questions: Is America ready for a woman to be president? What about a black man? A Mormon? Now, with the possible candidacy of Fred D. Thompson, the grandfatherly actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, whose second wife is almost a quarter-century his junior, comes a less palatable inquiry that is spurring debate in Internet chat rooms, on cable television and on talk radio: Is America ready for a president with a trophy wife? The question may seem sexist, even crass, but serious people — as well as Mr. Thompson’s supporters — have been wrestling with the public reaction to Jeri Kehn Thompson, whose youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blond hair present a contrast to the 64-year-old man who hopes to win the hearts of the conservative core of the Republican party. Will the so-called values voters accept this union? Mr. Thompson, who needs the support of early primary voters, is expected to formally announce his candidacy any day now. Meanwhile, much of the brouhaha around Mrs. Thompson, 40, is being stirred by photos of her in form-fitting gowns circulating on the Internet. \|\|\|\|\| Thompson star dims on abortion issue Conservatives are anxious after a family-planning group claims that he once lobbied on its behalf against the so-called gag rule. WASHINGTON — Republican political activists said Saturday that reports that Fred D. Thompson had lobbied to ease a controversial abortion restriction have cast a shadow on his effort to persuade social conservatives — a key constituency in his emerging bid for the White House — that he is an unwavering opponent of abortion. Some Republican activists urged caution in evaluating Thompson's record. Others considered it damaging for questions to arise about his position on abortion, a litmus-test issue for many social conservatives. "That would not be helpful," said Paul M. Weyrich, a conservative leader who has not endorsed a presidential candidate. Evidence that Thompson worked for a family-planning group in 1991 as part of his little-known but extensive portfolio as a part-time lobbyist underscores how much the public has yet to learn about the former senator, who is best known for acting in movies and on TV, especially his role as a district attorney on the popular show "Law & Order." The article in Saturday's Los Angeles Times cited records and the accounts of several people associated with the issue. It also said Thompson's spokesman strongly denied Thompson had performed such lobbying work. Some conservatives said the lobbying claims added to anxieties. Though the GOP has been unwavering in its opposition to abortion at least since President Reagan, the positions of its presidential front-runners appear to be less unequivocal. Former New York Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani supports abortion rights. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney is a recent convert to opposing abortion rights. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) opposes abortion but has never made that a central issue in his career. "With all the people who keep changing their minds on abortion, that's got to be unsettling," Weyrich said. The result is a GOP abortion debate lacking one thing that activists on both sides of the issue long for: certitude. "People want to see clarity and consistency on this issue," said Ted Miller, spokesman for NARAL Pro-Choice America, which supports abortion rights. A big question for Thompson, who is expected to declare his candidacy in the next week or two, is whether this will disillusion Republicans who have seen him as a white knight to rescue the party from candidates unpalatable to many conservatives. "This will hurt, particularly because conservatives have been dying for a champion to be in the arena for them," said David Carney, a New Hampshire-based GOP strategist who is not aligned with any candidate. "A lot hoped he was the guy . People who really believe in the pro-life cause will not be happy." As a Tennessee senator from December 1994 to January 2003, Thompson sided with antiabortion advocates on most key issues. That record has been a big reason conservatives have looked to him as an alternative to established GOP candidates. But some critics have pointed to statements he made before becoming senator to suggest that he was sympathetic to abortion rights. Thompson has said that those statements were misconstrued and that he has become even more passionate in his abortion opposition since seeing the sonogram of his now-3-year-old daughter. In 1991, according to several people then affiliated with the National Family Planning and Reproductive Health Assn., he accepted an assignment from the association to lobby the White House to withdraw or relax a "gag rule" that barred abortion counseling at clinics that received federal money. The minutes of a 1991 meeting — given to The Times — say the association's president reported to the board that the association had hired him. And a Democratic colleague of Thompson's at the lobbying and law firm also recalled Thompson having worked for the association. Thompson spokesman Mark Corallo has adamantly denied that Thompson worked for the group. And the White House official whom the group was seeking to reach, then-Chief of Staff John H. Sununu, said Thompson didn't lobby him. Some Republicans argued that the account was politically motivated, noting it came from abortion-rights advocates with little affection for the GOP. Thompson's GOP rivals in the presidential contest seized on the account but declined to comment for the record. "Each day that gets closer to Fred Thompson's announcement as a candidate, we learn new information about his record and his career that shows he doesn't have the conservative credentials that primary voters are looking for," said a strategist for a rival. However, a leading backer of Romney is more forgiving. Romney is himself asking voters to pay more attention to his current abortion opposition than to his past record. Thompson "had a change of heart on the abortion issue," said James Bopp Jr., an antiabortion leader. "This story is about something that happened in 1991. He's walked through the burning embers, and there is no reason to think his change of heart was not sincere." Anne Hendershott, author of "The Politics of Abortion," said the report would probably not hurt Thompson if antiabortion activists were pragmatic and focused on where he stood now, not on the position of a group he might have worked for 16 years ago: "Fred Thompson says he is pro-life now, and that is what is important to the pro-lifers." But the account is also a reminder that, although Thompson is positioning himself to run as an anti-establishment outsider, his resume is that of a consummate Washington insider. "He wasn't the conservative firebrand some are making him out to be now," Carney said. janet.hook@latimes.com -- Times staff writer Mark Barabak contributed to this report. California and the world. Get home delivery of The Times from $1.25 a week. Subscribe now. Baseball, Barry, boos Plaschke: Bonds thinks he's getting away with the murder of baseball's integrity. \|\|\|\|\| Opinion As a politician, actor is unknown WASHINGTON -- In politics, "new" is usually good and "familiar" is usually boring. So the actor and former Republican senator from Tennessee, Fred Thompson, is creating much political buzz with his late almost-entry into the 2008 presidential sweepstakes. Barely lifting a finger, he parachuted smack into the top tier of the 10-candidate field, running third in some polls and actually tying with the front-runner, Rudy Giuliani, in one. If you are a traditional Republican, what's not to like here? During his eight years in the Senate, Thompson was certifiably conservative, but never a scary ideologue. The National Journal ranked him as the 21st most conservative Republican, putting him toward the rightish center of his party. Thompson does not plan to officially enter the race until next month, although he already has a campaign Web site, a batch of veteran political staffers and a busy fundraising operation. He has resigned from his famous, longstanding role as the gruff, savvy district attorney on "Law and Order" -- and good thing, too, considering the conflict of interest it presented. In real life, Thompson has not been a champion of enforcing the law when it came to Dick Cheney's former chief of staff, Scooter Libby, who was convicted of obstruction of justice and lying under oath. Thompson unequivocally endorses a pardon for Libby, who was part of a White House cover-up of efforts to discredit an Iraq war critic by exposing his wife as a covert CIA employee. Thompson benefits from a restlessness in the GOP, a yearning for the excitement conservative party stalwarts do not feel from the current field. But Thompson's main attraction -- and potential problem -- is that he is basically a political unknown, apart from his "Law and Order" fame. His personality is distinct, with a Southern down-home drawl that is big in the Old Confederacy but off-putting in cities elsewhere. He is an actor, and because Ronald Reagan proved that an actor can handle that biggest public role of all, ability to act has become a regular qualification for the presidency. And he is big. At 6 feet, 6 inches, he is a burly figure who towers over most people, men as well as women. That visual impact imparts stature, whether deserved or not. Ask past presidential candidates if height matters. They know it can, such as in debates. Jimmy Carter was so much shorter than Ronald Reagan that he insisted the cameras filming their 1980 debate be located at a distance. That way the height comparison would not be obvious. But Reagan was too clever for Carter. At the end of the debate, he unhooked his microphone and walked over to Carter, still rooted to the stage with his own microphone, and conspicuously bent over to him to shake his hand. A polite, politically savage gesture. When Vice President George H.W. Bush ran against Gov. Michael Dukakis in 1988, the Dukakis camp was ready with a sneaky play. At the last minute, staffers rushed onto the stage with a mound covered in the same flooring as the rest of the stage. They cut out the portion of the floor where Dukakis was to stand so that he could be on an invisible, raised platform and seem taller than he really was. A box would, of course, have addressed the same height problem. But a box would have posed an irresistible lure for prying photographers. The picture of Dukakis riding in a tank with his head barely poking up was bad enough. Thompson says he intends to run as a Washington outsider, a silly but politically potent role perfected by a long line of candidates before him, including the current president. No matter how contrived the image, it seems to work pretty well. He's an outsider only in the sense that he has not been a sitting senator since 2003. Gosh, that's all of five years ago. But he lives in posh McLean, Va., a Republican-leaning suburb of the nation's capital. He spent decades here as a lawyer-lobbyist representing big-bucks corporations such as Equitas, a company that sought to contain foreign insurers' liability for asbestos victims. As a senator, he had a reputation for being lazy. Yet it's hard slogging out there on the campaign trail, which ought to either confirm or put to rest that particular rap on him. Thompson is already the 800-pound gorilla in the GOP contest. And size matters. But size isn't everything. Remember last weekend's Belmont stakes, the last race in the Triple Crown? It was won by a filly, Rags to Riches, who beat the male Preakness winner Curlin, who was bigger but slower. There's a filly in the Democratic presidential race, too. 'Nuff said. \|\|\|\|\| BABE WIFE, 40, BOOSTS GOPER, 64 HOT RUNNING MATES THOM & JERI By IAN BISHOP Post Correspondent Loading new images... June 1, 2007 -- WASHINGTON - Gruff, graying Republican Fred Thompson has a proven track record of tapping into a younger generation - starting with his wife. The 64-year-old ex-senator wowed Generation X with his movie roles in "The Hunt for Red October" and "Die Hard 2," and he won over his bombshell blonde wife, Jeri Kehn - 24 years his junior. Kehn, a former Senate staffer and Republican National Committee mouthpiece, fought hard to land her man, beating back a slew of D.C. power types to win the honor of being locked on his left arm. "I'm crazy about him," she told The Post in 2000, two years before she and Thompson married. Kehn first met Thompson in his hometown of Nashville, Tenn., on July 4, 1996, and she followed him to Capitol Hill two years later, after landing a job with a fellow GOP senator. They began an on-and-off relationship. Thompson, who was 17 when he married his first wife, divorced her in 1985. From then on, he was one of Washington's most in-demand bachelors. He had been linked to country singer Lorrie Morgan and GOP fund-raiser Georgette Mosbacher. "They just won't leave him alone," Kehn griped. "I can't get up to get a cocktail at a party without coming back and finding some girl sitting in my chair." Kehn previously told The Post that she won Thompson all to herself in 1999: "We were serious [that] spring, broke up in June, got back together on his birthday in August, and have been together since." Kehn scored a coup in convincing Thompson, who had won the nickname "The Tennessee Stud" during his D.C. bachelorhood, to meet her at the altar. They wed in 2002 in Naperville, Ill., where her family lives. On that sweltering June day, Kehn was radiant in a Valentino wedding gown, while a darkly clad Thompson waited in an air-conditioned car until the last moment. Only about a dozen guests were invited to the small family ceremony. To keep his nuptials largely out of the public eye, Thompson sought out Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.), who's now also running for president. Dodd was tapped for his wisdom because he was able to avoid publicity when he also wed a Senate staffer, according to reports. Thompson and Kehn now have two children, a 7-month-old boy and a 4-year-old girl, and live in McLean, Va., not far from former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Fans of Thompson say Kehn is a sassy political pro who could help his cause in the White House - and point out that unlike Rudy Giuliani, Thompson was divorced well before he began seeing his current wife. But critics contend Kehn is a political liability: a trophy wife whose mother is four years younger than Thompson. Kehn was still in grammar school when Thompson, a Vanderbilt-educated lawyer, cut his political teeth as a GOP lawyer during Watergate. Should Thompson win the Republican presidential nomination and face off against Democratic front-runner Hillary Rodham Clinton, Kehn could find herself in a cookie-baking contest with the man she used to skewer. Appearing on Fox News Channel in 1999, Kehn sniped that Bill Clinton "is more credible as a clown than he is as a president." If Thompson wins the White House, Kehn would also join Jacqueline Kennedy as one of the youngest first ladies in U.S. history. ian.bishop@nypost.com	Fred Thompson Political analysts widely regard Fred Thompson as a potential, if not likely, candidate in the United States presidential election in 2008. Thompson is a lawyer, lobbyist, character actor and former Republican Senator for Tennessee now residing in McLean, Virginia near Washington D.C. A recent article in ''The New York Times'' (NYT) labelled his wife, Jeri Kehn Thompson as a "trophy wife" and a potential liability in the 2008 race. The NYT article described her as having "youthfulness, permanent tan and bleached blonde hair" and wonders if "so-called values voters" would "accept this union." Thompson and Kehn, married in June 2002, when he was 60 years old and she 35. Television commentator and former Republican congressman Joe Scarborough compared Kehn to a stripper and asked if "she works the pole." According to the ''Associated Press'', "trophy wife" originally "meant the second (or third) wife of a corporate titan, a woman who was younger, beautiful and — equally important — accomplished in her own right." ''ABC News'' says that the current definition of "trophy wife" suggests Donald Trump's ex-wife Marla Maples and the late Anna Nicole Smith as examples. However, ''ABC News'' also questions whether Kehn fits this definition. "Though she's blond, beautiful and nearly 25 years younger than her husband, Kehn Thompson, a political media consultant who previously worked for the Senate Republican Conference and a prestigious Washington law firm, doesn't appear to fit the typical description," wrote Emily Friedman. Karen O'Connor, a political scientist and the director of the Women & Politics Institute at American University, said Thompson may lose support from Republican women, a group he needs. It may also make it difficult to gain the support of the "value voters", already skeptical after the report that he lobbied for an abortion-rights group. "You have a situation where a candidate happens to have an attractive wife, therefore it’s open season for smutty thoughts and lowbrow humor, and no concern for the fact that this is a wife and mother, a professional woman?" said Mark Corallo, a former Justice Department official who is a consultant and the chief media adviser to the Thompson campaign. "One picture on the Internet and all of a sudden she’s reduced to being a bimbo?"
Sketch By Nick Assinder Political correspondent, BBC News website Sybil the cat exploring Downing Street Now there is a new, Scottish, face at the head of the Cabinet table who is loved by everyone and who has the run of the place. It must be one of the most privileged, and soon-to-be best known cats in British public life. Sybil - as in Basil and Sybil Fawlty - the black and white moggie is much loved in the home of the current Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling. And that home is now the flat above the heart of Britain's government - 10 Downing Street - where the Darlings, including Sybil, have moved to from north of the border. Prime Minister Gordon Brown's official spokesman confirmed a new cat was in residence, adding: "The prime minister and Sarah do not have a problem with it. I am sure the cat will appear at some point." And sure enough, Sybil came under immediate pressure from the media's picture desks to stage a photocall in her full, feline finery. Asked if the moggie was being given free rein in the building, the spokesman pointed out that cats were not the easiest of animals to deny access to. Insurance policy However, Sybil is unlikely to face the same fate as her predecessor, Humphrey, who had stalked the corridors of power for years after wandering in during Margaret Thatcher's reign in 1989. He was perfectly at home snoozing on the prime minister's chair at the Cabinet table and chasing mice, when he could work up the enthusiasm, but was moved out six months after Labour's 1997 general election win. Humphrey was put out to grass almost a decade ago There were all sorts of dark rumours about Cherie Blair's role in the move and she was forced to deny her dislike for the animal was to blame. Official questions were asked in the House of Commons about Humphrey's absence and health after his departure. The media were later invited to a South London property, where a healthy Humphrey was photographed, hostage-style, with copies of the day's newspapers. Finally, almost a decade later, Humphrey - named after the Whitehall mandarin Sir Humphrey from the TV series "Yes, Prime Minister" - passed peacefully away at the home of a Cabinet Office worker who had taken him in. Now Sybil has proved to be a very clever cat indeed by immediately staging the much-demanded photo call. After all, now she has made the papers and brought choruses of "aahs" around the nation, no occupant of No 10 would want anything to happen which might alienate the cat vote. \|\|\|\|\| LONDON (Reuters) - Nearly a decade since Humphrey was shown the door to No. 10 Downing Street, the prime ministerial house has a cat in residence again. Humphrey the former Downing Street cat, eyes up Moby the goldfish at his new home in a London suburb, November 24. Nearly a decade since Humphrey was shown the door to No. 10 Downing Street, the prime ministerial house has a cat in residence again. REUTERS/Str Old Sybil, named after Basil’s wife in the classic 1970s sitcom “Fawlty Towers,” has moved down from Edinburgh with Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling and his family who are living in the three-bedroomed flat above No. 10. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his wife Sarah and their two sons live in the bigger flat at Number 11 Downing Street, traditionally the home of the Chancellor. Details on Sybil remain scant for the moment but she shares a thespian name with her predecessor — Humphrey was named after Sir Humphrey Appleby in the “Yes Minister” political comedy show. She also enjoys a distinct advantage over Humphrey in that she comes with the family rather than the house — which was widely believed to have been Humphrey’s ultimate undoing. Humphrey, who died in March 2006, had walked into London’s most powerful address as a stray late in Margaret Thatcher’s premiership in 1989. He lived there on and off during the John Major years as a passive Conservative ally but fell from grace after Labour’s landslide election victory in May 1997. Six months later Humphrey was gone, amid much newspaper speculation that new occupant Tony Blair’s wife Cherie was behind the move. “The Prime Minister doesn’t have a problem with it (the cat). Sarah Brown doesn’t have a problem with it,” said Brown’s spokesman Tuesday, confirming Sybil was now in residence. She is far from being the first Downing Street cat. Before Humphrey, the best known was Wilberforce who lived at No. 10 during the Edward Heath years, and who died in 1988. \|\|\|\|\| Sybil the cat moves into 10 Downing St Nearly a decade after Humphrey was shown the door at 10 Downing Street, Britain's prime ministerial house has a cat in residence again. Sybil, named after Basil Fawlty's wife in the classic 1970s sitcom Fawlty Towers, arrived with Chancellor of the Exchequer (finance minister) Alistair Darling and his family, who are living in the flat above No 10. Prime Minister Gordon Brown, his wife and two sons live in the bigger flat at Number 11 Downing Street, traditionally the home of the Chancellor. Sybil enjoys an advantage over Humphrey in that she comes with the family rather than the house. Humphrey, who died in March 2006, had walked into London's most powerful address as a stray late in Margaret Thatcher's Conservative premiership in 1989. He lived there on and off during John Major's tenancy, but six months after Labour's landslide election victory in May 1997 he was gone. Newspapers speculated that new occupant Tony Blair's wife Cherie had expelled him. Brown's spokesman insisted that Sybil was welcome.	A new cat has moved into 10 Downing Street, the residence of now British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, following in the footsteps, or rather pawsteps, of previous Westminister cats "Humphery" and "Wilberforce". "Sybil", named after "Sybil Fawlty", a character in the British sitcom ''Fawlty Towers'', belongs to the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling, who now lives in residence in a flat above 10 Downing Street (11 Downing Street) itself, having previously lived in Darling's residence in Scotland. A spokesman for Prime Minister Gordon Brown said, "The prime minister and Sarah (wife of Brown) do not have a problem with it. I am sure the cat will appear at some point." The cats at 10 Downing Street are often referred to as the, "10 Downing Street mousers" and are given the job of getting rid of mice. There has not been a cat in residence at the house since 1997, after Tony came to power. There were several rumours that Blair's wife, Cherie, was behind the move.
THREE-PEAT! Women's Volleyball Wins Third Straight NCAA Title Nittany Lions Bounce Back to Beat Texas, 3-2, Extend Wins-Streak to 102 Straight Dec. 19, 2009 Final Stats \| Box Score \| All-Tournament Team \| Quotes \| Notes Championship Highlights \| Photo Gallery TAMPA, Fla. - The top-ranked Penn State women's volleyball team made history Saturday night becoming the first team to win three consecutive national titles with a 3-2 (22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13) come-from-behind victory against No. 2 Texas (29-2). Head coach Russ Rose has now won 1,001 career matches and Penn State's winning streak extended to 102 straight matches. The last time a team rallied from a 2-0 deficit was in 2008. Stanford came back against Texas in 2008 in the NCAA National Semifinals to advance to the National Championship match. Senior Megan Hodge (Durham, N.C.) led the Nittany Lions with 21 kills, while both junior Blair Brown (Purcellville, Va.) and freshman Darcy Dorton (Muncie, Ind.) contributed 13 kills each. The Nittany Lions had five players with double-digit digs led by junior libero Alyssa D'Errico (Byron, N.Y.) who posted a career-high 22. Brown made 14 saves, Hodge had 13 and junior Cathy Quilico (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) and senior setter Alisha Glass (Leland, Mich.) had 12 apiece. Junior Fatima Balza (Merida, Venezuela) had a team-best nine total blocks and Hodge put up five. Glass dished out 53 helpers in the match and both D'Errico and Quilico had two aces each. The Nittany Lions finished the match with 61 kills on .234 hitting, while Texas had 71 kills with a .251 attack percentage. Penn State posted 57 assists, four aces, 80 digs and 14.0 total team blocks. Texas finished the night with 67 assists, five aces, 81 digs and 12.0 team blocks. Hodge, Wilson and Glass were all named to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team. The trio was joined by Minnesota's Haily Cowles and Texas' Ashley Engle and Juliann Faucette. Longhorn Destinee Hooker was named the Most Outstanding Player. Texas had a slim 4-3 lead to start the match, but back-to-back kills from Wilson had the Lions ahead by one, 5-4. A UT attack error moved PSU ahead by two, 6-4, but two straight kills from Destinee Hooker allowed the Longhorns to tie it at 6-6. A Penn State attack error moved Texas ahead, 7-6, before two kills by Rachael Adams and a Texas stuff gave the Longhorns a 10-7 advantage. The Nittany Lions fought back and took over the lead thanks to two UT errors and two aces by Quilico. The Longhorns tied it up again at 11-11 and moved ahead to a 13-11 lead after a PSU error and a kill by Juliann Faucette. Penn State trailed for the next few plays until Hodge and Balza teamed up for a block and Hodge put down a monster kill to tie it at 14-14. UT worked up to a 17-15 lead stayed ahead courtesy of two kills and an ace. However, Dorton came alive and slammed two kills to bring Penn State within one, 19-18. Wilson registered a solo stuff to tie the set for the 10th time before tallying a kill to put PSU in front and sending Texas to the bench. A Glass kill and a joint block by Wilson and Dorton soon had the Lions up by three, 22-19, and Texas taking another timeout. The break slowed the Lions' momentum allowing UT to tie the set again at 22-22. Penn State called a timeout, but the Longhorns weren't affected. Hooker closed out the set for Texas with two kills for a 25-22 win. Despite kills from Wilson and Balza giving Penn State an early 2-1 lead, the Longhorns took control and worked to an 8-4 lead forcing the Nittany Lions to call an early timeout. Penn State managed to come within two, 10-8, but the Longhorns were unfazed and stampeded ahead with a 7-1 run for a 17-9 lead. Two Texas errors and a D'Errico ace put the Lions within six, 18-12, but the Longhorns continued their dominance of the second set and were back up by eight, 21-13, moments later. Penn State went on a 6-2 run to coming within four, 23-19. Balza assisted on three blocks in the Nittany Lion run. Despite a Texas ball handling error, Hooker and Jennifer Doris secured the second set for Texas, 25-20. The Nittany Lions came out on fire in the third set. Hodge opened the set with two kills and Penn State continued to dominate establishing an 8-4 lead when Texas called a timeout. The Longhorns managed a point after the timeout, but made an attack error to put the ball back in Penn State's hands. Penn State increased its lead to six, 11-5, for its largest lead of the match thus far for the Lions. However, the Longhorns recorded a kill and a block to come within three of PSU, 11-8. Two UT service errors, kills from Dorton and Brown and an ace by D'Errico had PSU back up by five, 16-11. Texas called a timeout and Penn State managed to tally another point before turning the ball over to the Longhorns. A Hooker error and a huge slam by Brown had PSU up by seven, 18-11. The Longhorns came within two courtesy of two PSU hitting errors, but the Nittany Lions managed back-to-back kills to put them in set-point position. The Longhorns managed three additional points, but Hodge put the set away with a kill, 25-23. Tied at 3-3 early in the fourth set, the Lions went on a 5-0 run to develop a five-point advantage, 8-3. UT answered back with a 9-3 run and took control of the set, 12-11. Penn State took a timeout cutting off the Longhorn run. The score tied four times before the Megan put down two consecutive kills for a 17-15 lead. A Texas timeout allowed the Longhorns to regroup and tie the set once again. Penn State maintained at least a one-point lead until a Wilson kill, a Texas error and Hodge put down after a long rally sent the match to a fifth and final set. Texas jumped out to a 3-1 lead in set five before a Dorton kill and a Texas attack error allowed the Nittany Lions to tie it up at 3-3. The two squads traded points until UT's Adams posted a kill and teamed up with Faucette for a block for a 7-5 lead against the Lions. Hodge and Wilson notched one kill each to tie the set at 7-7, but Hooker posted one of her own to put UT ahead, 8-7. After a timeout, Balza and Glass registered a joint stuff to make it 8-8. Texas continued to stay one step ahead of the Lions and had an 11-10 lead as the set seemed to be coming to a close. Dorton and Wilson posted back-to-back kills for a 12-11 edge. Dorton tallied another kill before Hooker registered an attack error to make it set-point Penn State. The Longhorns managed one final point before Hodge closed out her collegiate career with the final kill of the match for the triumph. For more information on the Penn State women's volleyball team, please visit www.GoPSUsports.com. The Penn State women's volleyball 2009 season is presented by Rockvale Outlets and The Outlets At Hershey. \|\|\|\|\| Penn State runs win streak to 102 Email Share Associated Press PSU Wins Third Straight Volleyball Title PSU Wins Third Straight Volleyball Title VIDEO PLAYLIST TAMPA, Fla. -- Penn State players scurried for scissors to cut down the nets, ran for volleyballs left behind and moved quickly to secure pieces of banners around the arena. Everyone wanted a piece of history. They were the only ones who got it. Penn State became the first team to win three straight volleyball titles Saturday night, overcoming a two-set deficit to beat Texas and extend its record winning streak to 102 straight games. [+] Enlarge AP Photo/Mike Carlson Penn State celebrates its third straight NCAA title. Megan Hodge led the Nittany Lions (38-0) with 21 kills, including the final one that touched off a wild celebration at midcourt. Bench players threw towels in the air and streams of tears rolled down some players' cheeks, all huddled together hoisting the title trophy. "Blacked out," Hodge said. "I was asking everybody after the match what happened on the last play. I don't remember." Penn State's 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13 win helped it stake a claim as one of the greatest, if not the greatest, volleyball team in NCAA history. And maybe one of the best college teams ever. The winning streak is second in Division I team sports behind the Miami men's tennis program's 137 straight victories from 1957-64. "Not a lot of people have done stuff like that," Penn State coach Russ Rose said. "I got a cigar with my name on it tonight." The Nittany Lions led 22-19 in the first set and were on the brink of going ahead early. Then Texas called timeout, regrouped and rallied for six straight points to put Penn State behind, an unfamiliar position during most of its incredible run. "We were playing pretty perfect," Texas' Ashley Engle said. "I think we stunned Penn State a little bit." The Nittany Lions had only lost six sets this season entering the final match, although one of those came in the semifinals against Hawaii, before dropping the first two to Texas. They would rally gain. Penn State regained its serving prowess and cruised through the next two sets and had only a few miscues in the final set before closing out the Longhorns. There's no telling how long the streak will go. But one thing is for sure. "That's a lot of pressure on them next year," joked Hodge, an outgoing senior. Destinee Hooker had a game-high 34 kills for Texas, which was trying to claim its first volleyball title since 1988. She was selected as the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. "There was nothing I wanted more than for them to win the championship," Texas coach Jerritt Elliott said. "The ball bounces a funny way sometimes." The Nittany Lions were just too much. Penn State hasn't lost since falling to Stanford in September 2007. This one, the Nittany Lions will always remember. "It was the hardest fight we've had in our lives," Hodge said. "But we're so happy right now." Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press \|\|\|\|\| Just want to send my congratulations out to Penn State, the 2009 NCAA women's volleyball champions. It was an incredible season capped off by a completely unreal championship match. Also congratulations to Texas - who put on quite a show tonight (and throughout the season). Here are some links to coverage of the match: • Recap • Box Score • Video Highlights • NCAA Photo Gallery (Images Available for Purchase) • AP Photo Gallery • Penn State Postmatch Press Conference • Texas Postmatch Press Conference • Quotes • Notes Plus, Penn State's official athletic site, gopsusports.com, has some nice coverage of the Nittany Lions' championship. You can check that out here. While I'm thiking about it, it's never too early to look forward to next season. One thing I noticed today is that, although the four 2009 first-team All-Americans that we enjoyed seeing tonight (Hodge, Glass, Hooker and Engle) all graduate, nine of the 14 players on that first team will be back next season (which is exciting, in itself). Interestingly, out of those nine, six are in the Big Ten - so look for Penn State to be thoroughly challenged in its quest for a fourth straight championship. There are five schools that will return a pair of players who were AVCA All-Americans this year: Michigan, Nebraska, Penn State, Stanford and Washington. So maybe they'll be among the favorites next season. But there's still a lot of time for things to change between now and then. Anyway, thanks to everyone who has made this women's volleyball season beyond enjoyable - particularly all the fans and readers of this blog. It certainly ended in a special way. Happy holidays and enjoy the offseason!	Erasing a two-set deficit, the Penn State University Nittany Lions came from behind in dramatic fashion to win the 2009 NCAA Division 1 women's volleyball championship over the University of Texas Longhorns, held Dec. 19 in Tampa, Florida. Members of the 2007 Penn State national champion team with U.S. President George W. Bush in 2008. Down 2-0, Penn State won the next three sets to extend their winning streak to 102 matches and in the process earning their third consecutive volleyball title. Texas' Destinee Hooker led all players with 34 kills, .316 hitting percentage and collected 17 digs. National volleyball Player of the Year Megan Hodges led the Nittany Lions with 21 kills, 13 digs and 5 blocks. The set scores were 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-21, 15-13. Penn State, the top-ranked team in the country, had a fairly easy route to the title game, beating all but of their opponents in straight sets. In the first and second rounds, they defeated Binghamton and the University of Pennsylvania in straight sets, before sweeping Florida and California in regional action. In the semi finals, they dropped their only set of the playoffs in a 3-1 victory over Hawaii. No. 2 Texas' route to the championship game was as easy, defeating Texas St. (3-0) and Texas Christian (3-0) in the first two rounds. In regional action, the Longhorns defeated Texas A&M (3-0) and Nebraska (3-1) to reach the semi final, where they swept Minnesota (3-0). The win was also number 1,001 for Penn State coach Russ Rose.
Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Conservative leader David Cameron says their first by-election gain since 1982 marks "the end of New Labour". Mr Cameron told cheering supporters in Crewe and Nantwich that Labour had run a negative, xenophobic and class war campaign that "completely backfired". He said overturning Labour's 7,000 majority "can be the start of something different and something bigger". Labour leader Gordon Brown said the result showed his task was to tackle people's concerns about rising prices. Asked if he thought he would lead Labour into the next election, Mr Brown said voters had shown they wanted him to steer the UK through "difficult economic times". 'Remarkable victory' But that view was questioned by Labour MP Graham Stringer, who called for a senior cabinet minister to launch a leadership challenge to save Labour from electoral "disaster". Tory candidate Edward Timpson won 7,860 more votes than his Labour rival - a 17.6% swing from the 2005 General Election. RESULT AT-A-GLANCE Edward Timpson Conservative: 20,539 Tamsin Dunwoody Labour: 12,679 Elizabeth Shenton Lib Dems: 6,040 Analysis: How will Brown react? Profile: Edward Timpson Mr Cameron said it had been a "remarkable victory" but said: "I know that winning a by-election and winning a general election are two different things and we've still got a huge amount of work to do." He said that it was "encouraging" that "thousands of people who have never voted Conservative before have come across and put their trust in the Conservative Party" and said the party would not let them down. He criticised Labour's "negative.. xenophobic" and "class war" campaign and said it had backfired. "I think what happened was that, for Labour, it was the end of being of being the party of aspiration, it was the end of being the party of opportunity, it was the end of New Labour, here on the streets of Crewe and Nantwich." 'On the rise' He said he wanted an end to "big, top-down, bossy, interfering government" and people wanted "something different". He pledged to build a "coalition for change in our country so we really can remove this government and give Britain a better chance". The self-proclaimed "heir to Blair" is trying to use the Crewe and Nantwich result to declare New Labour dead and at the same time he is trying to claim leadership of the Blair coalition for himself Nick Robinson BBC Political Editor Nick Robinson's blog In quotes: Crewe result The contest followed the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody, who had represented Crewe and Nantwich since the seat was created in 1983. Mr Timpson, a 34-year-old barrister, took 20,539 votes. The Labour candidate, Mrs Dunwoody's daughter Tamsin Dunwoody, was second on 12,679, with Liberal Democrat Elizabeth Shenton third on 6,040. Turnout was 58.2%, high for a by-election, but was down slightly from 60% at the 2005 general election. Mr Timpson said Labour had paid the price for the decision to scrap the 10p rate of income tax and said people "are seeing us as an alternative to Labour". The by-election came weeks after Labour's poorest local election results in 40 years. Please turn on JavaScript. Media requires JavaScript to play. Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman acknowledged there were "discordant voices" among some Labour MPs. But she added: "The overwhelming majority of people in the Labour Party - and I speak to constituency chairs up and down the country ... they are fully behind Gordon Brown." Mr Cameron is expected to capitalise on the victory by calling an early by-election in Henley, the Westminster seat due to be vacated by new London Mayor Boris Johnson. 'Robust' campaign Speculation is concentrating on 26 June or 3 July as likely dates for a contest. HAVE YOUR SAY At last the country is becoming wise to this terrible Labour Government. Stuart McGregor, Glasgow During the by-election campaign Ms Dunwoody had criticised Mr Timpson's "Tory toff" background, but in the wake of defeat she said it was "robust but fun". The Liberal Democrat candidate Ms Shenton said the government had been "very wrong" to "support a budget that taxed people on ordinary incomes more than the rich". And Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said they had done well to get as large a share they did, saying that normally in by-elections the third party gets squeezed down to 3% or less. He told the BBC's Daily Politics the result had been an anti-Labour vote rather than a pro-Tory one. The Conservative Party's last by-election gain was in Mitcham and Morden, south-west London, in 1982. A survey for BBC 2's Daily Politics programme suggested that twice as many people think David Cameron would make a good prime minister, than Gordon Brown. Of those surveyed, 46% thought Mr Cameron would be the best prime minister, 23% backed Mr Brown and 7% backed Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg. ComRes carried out the survey of 1,006 adults between 21 and 22 May. The full results from the Crewe and Nantwich by-election were: Edward Timpson (Con) 20,539 (49.49%, 16.93% increase on 2005 share of vote) Tamsin Dunwoody (Lab) 12,679 (30.55%, -18.29%) Elizabeth Shenton (Lib Dem) 6,040 (14.55%, -4.03%) Mike Nattrass (UKIP) 922 (2.22%) Robert Smith (Green) 359 (0.87%) David Roberts (Eng Dem) 275 (0.66%) The Flying Brick (Monster Raving Loony) 236 (0.57%) Mark Walklate (Ind) 217 (0.52%) Paul Thorogood (Cut Tax on Diesel and Petrol) 118 (0.28%) Gemma Garrett (Ind) 113 (0.27%) E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg made several visits to the constituency Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg said his party "held its own" in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election, despite coming third with 14.6% of the vote. He said his candidate Elizabeth Shenton achieved a "respectable result" in the face of "an enormous national squeeze". Mr Clegg said it was a vote against Prime Minister Gordon Brown, not in favour of a Conservative government. On Thursday the Tories overturned a 7,000 Labour majority in their first by-election gain since 1982. Conservative candidate Edward Timpson took 20,539 votes, Labour's Tamsin Dunwoody was second on 12,679, while Ms Shenton was third on 6,040. You lose some, you win some Nick Clegg Mr Clegg said: "It was a respectable result in difficult circumstances for us. "It was an enormous national squeeze this was a seat where the Conservatives had poured in quite a lot of resources over a long period of time. "They were well placed to pick up the disillusionment with Gordon Brown. It was a vote though, at the end of the day, against Gordon Brown, rather than in favour of a Conservative government in my view." He added: "You lose some, you win some. There'll be many other by-elections to come where I'm absolutely confident we'll do extremely well." 'Rather robust' Earlier the party's home affairs spokesman Chris Huhne said third parties in by-elections often got squeezed to 3% or less of the vote. Lib Dem chief executive Lord Rennard said the Lib Dem vote had been "really rather robust" in an area where the party had always been in third place. He said a party that begins in third place "rarely does well in a by-election". RESULT AT-A-GLANCE Edward Timpson Conservative: 20,539 Tasmin Dunwoody Labour: 12,679 Elizabeth Shenton Lib Dems: 6,040 But he said the Lib Dems had not suffered "anything like the sort of squeeze" Labour and the Conservatives had done in previous by-elections. And he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the Lib Dems had made gains in "traditional Labour heartlands" in St Albans, Hull and Sheffield in the recent local elections, adding: "It's the Liberal Democrats who are challenging, not the Conservatives." In her speech, Ms Shenton told the government: "You need to know that you were very wrong when you supported a budget that taxed people on ordinary incomes more than the rich. "The people who elected a Labour government did not expect it to behave like a Conservative one." Mr Timpson's victory in what had been considered a "safe" Labour seat represented a 17.6 swing from the 2005 general election - which Labour's Gwyneth Dunwoody had won with a majority of 7,078. E-mail this to a friend Printable version Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? \|\|\|\|\| LABOUR candidate Tamsin Dunwoody said that the 17.6 per cent swing that enabled the Conservatives to take Crewe and Nantwich was a 'mid-term blip'. Speaking immediately after the loss Ms Dunwoody said that a large turnout by Tory voters had played a signicant part in the result. She said: "The Conservative voters came out in force, particularly in the rural villages, in a way that we haven't seen since the 80's." "There's a global economic situation going on but we should stay united, stay strong and keep fighting. This is a mid-term blip. "This was a difficult mid-term by-election and we always knew that was going to be the case. We know the Prime Minister can lead us through this." She said she was proud of the campaign and would not change any of it although she was obviously disappointed with the result. Asked what her mother Gwyneth would have made of the loss Ms Dunwoody said she would have found the nature of the campaign quite amusing. Ms Dunwoody said: "A Conservative candidate could never have won here while my mum was alive, she carried a very strong personal vote but she would have enjoyed the knockabout nature of it." Ms Dunwoody also sounded a warning to Edward Timpson as he took on the mantle of Crewe and Nantwich MP. She said: "My mother was dedicated to this seat, she served it well as a Parliamentarian. It is an honour to serve the people of Crewe and Nantwich. Every one of us will be watching you." \|\|\|\|\| Crushing Crewe by-election defeat for Labour The Crewe and Nantwich by-election saw the Conservatives sweep to a resounding victory. Labour’s 7,000 majority in the constituency was overturned by the Tories by a margin of almost 8,000 votes. The contest followed the death of veteran Labour MP Gwyneth Dunwoody. The result, which marks the first Conservative by-election win since 1983, comes as a fresh blow for Prime Minister Gordon Brown following Labour's poor showing in the May 1 local elections. Tory winner Edward Timpson conceded that the poll was probably the first time many of his voters had backed the Conservatives. "I have a message for you," he said, after the result was announced. "I am on your side and I won't let you down." Advertisement - article continues below » Mr Timpson added: "I am going to stand up for local families, local jobs and, whenever I need to, stand up to the Government on your behalf." Despite a spirited campaign by Labour candidate Tamsin Dunwoody - the daughter of Gwyneth - voters remained angry at the scrapping of the 10p tax rate. Mrs Dunwoody warned Mr Timpson: "It is an honour to serve the people of Crewe and Nantwich - an honour I hope you take seriously. I will be watching you." The constituency was created for the 1983 General Election, out of parts of former Labour seat Crewe and the former Tory seat of Nantwich. Result in full: Edward Timpson (C) 20,539; Tamsin Dunwoody (Lab) 12,679; Elizabeth Shenton (LD) 6,040; Mike Nattrass (UKIP) 922; Robert Smith (Green) 359; David Roberts (Eng Dem) 275; The Flying Brick (Loony) 236; Mark Walklate (ND) 217; Paul Thorogood (CTDP) 118; Gemma Garrett (ND) 113.	''Daily Politics'' poll, 46% of people think David Cameron would be the best Prime Minister The Conservative Party's Edward Timpson has won the Crewe and Nantwich by-election in the United Kingdom with a majority of 7,860 votes. This is the party's first by-election victory in 26 years and party leader David Cameron visited the constituency earlier. Labour Party candidate Tamsin Dunwoody said that the 17.6% swing was a "mid-term blip" and that the people of Crewe and Nantwich will be "watching" Mr. Timpson. However David Cameron proclaimed the result "the end of New Labour" calling the Conservatives' overturning of the 7,000 Labour majority "the start of something different and something bigger". He criticised the Labour Party's campaign in Crewe and Nantwich, which had described the Conservative candidate as a "toff", as "negative", "xenophobic" and "class war" but said he realises the differences between by-election and general election results. The newly elected Mr. Timpson said in his victory speech that "I am going to stand up for local families, local jobs and, whenever I need to, stand up to the Government on your behalf." Miss Dunwoody is confident of Gordon Brown's leadership, telling reporters earlier that "we know the Prime Minister can lead us through this." Labour's deputy leader Harriet Harman also defended Mr. Brown's position, saying that "the overwhelming majority of people in the Labour Party... are fully behind Gordon Brown." Chris Huhne, Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman, defended his party's third-place result as "really rather robust" and said the people's votes were anti-Labour, not pro-Conservative. The UK Independence Party are pleased with the result, claiming that it confirms the party's position as "the fourth political force in the country" and their candidate Mike Nattrass said "this has been a stepping stone for the European elections next year." ===Result===
A series of studies have said cloned meat is safe to eat The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ruled that cloned cattle, pigs and goats produced food "as safe as the food we eat every day". The recommendation, coming after a five-year study, is a major step towards allowing food from animals onto US supermarket shelves. A public consultation period will take place before final approval is given. Opponents say a majority of US consumers are against animal cloning. No unique risks for human food consumption were identified in cattle, swine or goat clones US Food and Drug Administration Quick guide: Cloning It concluded that the cloned animals produced food products virtually indistinguishable from more traditional offerings. The agency suggested that the results meant it would be unlikely to recommend placing special labels on food from cloned animals. A final decision on labelling would not be taken until the end of the public consultation period due to begin soon, an FDA official said. 'Bad decision' Cloned animals are developed when cells are removed from a fertilised embryo and encouraged to develop into duplicate embryos with identical DNA. A sheep, Dolly, was the first animal successfully cloned, in 1996. "No unique risks for human food consumption were identified in cattle, swine or goat clones," the FDA said. It recommended no special safeguards on food produced from cloned animals. HAVE YOUR SAY If the meat is really safe as the US authorities claim, why can't they label it and allow consumers to decide? Padma Rao, Singapore Send us your comments But consumer groups were less keen on the ruling, which could see the US become the first country to allow cloned food products into the food supply. Carol Foreman, of the Consumer Federation of America, described the ruling as potentially "a very bad decision". "We are urging people to write to the FDA, to members of Congress, to urge them to tell the FDA to back off," she told the AFP news agency. Another group, the International Dairy Food Association, appeared cautious. "Animal cloning is a relatively new technology, and it's important that we have a thorough, deliberative dialogue," the group said in a statement. Previous scientific studies have come to conclusions similar to those of the FDA. \|\|\|\|\| If you are already a registered member, but do not remember your password, click here Please be aware that your browser must accept cookies in order to successfully login, so that we can identify your account.You may also need to adjust your firewall or browser security to login.	United States Food and Drug Administration announced that cloned meat and milk from specific animals was "...as safe as the food we eat every day." An FDA spokesperson also added that there where "No unique risks for human food consumption...". Coming after a lengthy study, the move is likely to meet with opposition from U.S. consumers, despite the final decision having still to be made. Consumer groups have met the announcement with caution. Carol Foreman, a spokesperson for the Consumer Federation, was quoted as calling the move "a very bad decision".
Iran opened a sabre-rattling show of military might today by firing a long-range weapon said to be capable of carrying nuclear warheads and striking Israel and US forces in the Middle East. Revolutionary Guards tested a Shahab-3 missile at the start of 10 days of war games in a calculated rebuff to the west as it seeks to impose sanctions over Iran’s nuclear programme. The UN security council’s permanent five members - the US, Britain, France, Russia and China - plus Germany are locked in discussions over an appropriate punishment for Iran’s refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, which many in the west suspect is a front for making atomic bombs. The war games, codenamed Operation Great Prophet 2, were announced in retaliation for US-led manoeuvres earlier this week in the strategically vital Gulf, through which 20% of the world’s oil passes. In an apparent rehearsal for an anti-Iranian embargo, allied warships practised surveillance of suspected illegal shipments of weapons parts. The US and Britain want sanctions to include a ban on components that could be used to manufacture nuclear weapons. Iran denounced the manoeuvres - in which Britain also participated along with France, Italy, Australia and Bahrain - as “adventurist”. It responded yesterday by announcing a series of exercises in the Gulf, the Sea of Oman and 14 provinces across the country. The head of the Revolutionary Guards, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, said Iran’s response was not intended to threaten its neighbours but as a powerful signal to its enemies. “We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message of the manoeuvres,” he said. “The first and main goal is to demonstrate the power and national determination to defend the country against possible threat.” The Shahab-3 missile fired today has an estimated range of 1,240 miles. State television said the exercises also included tests on the shorter-range Shahab-2 to take account of adjustments to install it with cluster warheads and give it the capacity to carry 1,400 bombs. Solid-fuel Zalzal missiles were also launched, as were guided missiles as well as Scud-B, Zolfaghar-73 and Z-3 weapons. It is the third set of war games Iran’s military has staged this year as it has stepped up activity in response to escalating tensions over the nuclear crisis. In April, new missiles and torpedoes were tested in what was seen as a display of Iran’s potential to disrupt oil shipments. Further tests were conducted in August, days after Iran had flouted a security council deadline to suspend uranium enrichment. \|\|\|\|\| The Shahab-3 is thought capable of striking Israel The missiles included the Shahab-3, which has a 2,000km (1,240 mile) range, and the Shahab-2, which can carry cluster bombs, the report said. Analysts say the Shahab-3 is capable of hitting Israel and US military bases in the Gulf. The missile tests come at the start of 10 days of military manoeuvres planned across the country. On Wednesday, the head of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, General Yahya Rahim Safavi, said the exercises, named "Great Prophet", would take place in the Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and several provinces of the country. Gen Safavi said the exercises would be a show of defensive capability. One report said the missiles fired on Thursday were launched from the desert near the clerical centre of Qom, 120km (75 miles) south of Tehran. The military manoeuvres come as the UN Security Council is considering putting sanctions on Iran in response to its refusal to stop enriching uranium. Western countries fear Iran is trying to develop a nuclear bomb, but Iran maintains its nuclear programme is for entirely civilian purposes.	Iran's Revolutionary Guards began another series of military exercises on Thursday days after a United States-led naval exercise began in the Persian Gulf. Iran began the 10 days of manoeuvres in the Persian Gulf by test firing dozens of missiles, including the long-range Shahab-3 (estimated range: 2000 km or 1,240 miles), Iranian state-run television said on Thursday. Amongst other weapons tested was the Shahab-2, which Iran says can carry a cluster warhead that can deliver 1,400 bomblets at once. Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi, leader of the Revolutionary Guards, said on television that Iran's military exercises were not meant to threaten neighbouring countries. "We want to show our deterrent and defensive power to trans-regional enemies, and we hope they will understand the message of the manoeuvres," he said. "The first and main goal is to demonstrate the power and national determination to defend the country against possible threat." General Safavi said the exercises would last 10 days and would take place in the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Oman and several Iranian provinces.
The NZ Falcons played their yearly game against the touring Maffra Eagles last Saturday, going down to the champion Victorian country club by 71 points. As a spectacle it did not attain great heights due to 50% greater than average July rainfall for Auckland, most of it in the 2 weeks prior to the match. The organisers also dodged a bullet when they managed to convince local authorities not to cancel the game due to the ground condition - an issue familiar to many sports these days. With coach Rob Vanstam trying a variety of combinations from his entire 29 man squad it would be also fair to say that the result would not be a true reflection of the Kiwis' talents. Much will have been learnt by the coach as he now fine tunes the squad for the IC 2008. Maffra 13.13 (91) defeated New Zealand 3.1 (19). A full report is available here from the NZAFL website. \|\|\|\|\| Canada’s Northwind likes its chances as it enters into its final preparation for the 2008 International Cup. Speaking from Toronto, Northwind’s General Manager Martin Walter commented that the team’s management is very comfortable with where the team has been drawn. In a recent interview he commented "We have Finland up first on August 27th and we are now totally focused on that game, but at the end of the day, you have to beat them all and we believe we are capable of doing just that." This is Northwind’s 3rd International Cup tournament and, while they have not been that successful in the past, this year’s team has a new look to it. "We have a new Coach plus we have managed to get a number of strong corporate sponsorships for this year’s cup, especially from the mining industry such as companies like Foraco Drilling, Quantec Geoscience and Laramide Resources Inc, all of which have business on both sides of the Pacific" Walter said. "This has put the team into a strong financial position, and that allows us to bring the best football talent that the Ontario Australian Rules Football League and other Canadian leagues have to offer." Canada is bringing a squad of 31 players along with ten support staff that have a combination of experience and youth and are the best that AFL Canada has ever brought to Australia. Last year the newly revamped Northwind silenced a lot of critics by beating USA’s Revolution in a game in Vancouver. The Country and Australian football Canada much like Australia is a geographically vast and ethnically diverse country, with a population of around 33 million people. Canada is a grand mosaic of peoples and traditions, ranging from its indigenous First Nations bands, French and British pioneers, and more recent immigrants from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Bounded by the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans, Canada is a land of extraordinary natural beauty, with dramatic land and seascapes, and vibrant cosmopolitan cities. AFL Canada originated in 1989 in Ontario and spread to the west coast of Canada. Australian football has expanded in Canada to include 17 clubs (including a 10-team league in Ontario), a junior development program comprising 14 teams (as well as a junior national side) and a senior national side, the Canadian Northwind. Strengths and Weaknesses The Canadians' strength is definitely their size and their athletic ability. Due to their sports upbringing most Canadian players find it quite easy to adapt well to the physicality and athleticism involved in Australian Rules football. Another area of strength is Canada’s extremely disciplined backline, many of whom are seasoned footballers not only domestically but internationally as well. The major weakness for the Canadians, which may be apparent for many other teams competing in the tournament, is their lack of regular international games. The Canadian side have tried to combat this though, by competing regularly against talented All-star sides filled with Australian competing here in Canada. Not having many players that grew up playing the sport is also a drawback shared with many other nations. Players to watch With many players having experience playing in domestic leagues in Australia and a good dose of international experience, there are many players to watch for the Canadian side. Some names to look out for include Scott Flemming (who is currently playing in Australia), Aaron Falcione (who recently returned to Canada after playing in Australia this year), Tasos and George Dimacakos (the latter was invited to train with the Sydney Swans a few years back) and team captain Stefan Leyhane. Form Guide The two previous International Cups weren’t too kind to the Canadian team were they really didn’t live up to their potential. In 2002, the Northwind finished ninth with only one win out of five matches whilst in 2005 they improved their ranking finishing seventh. In their last official International game, the Canadians competed against the United States in Vancouver and defeated the Americans for the first time. Bottom Line This is a vastly improved and experienced Canadian side which is capable of beating most teams on their day. How Canada will fair in this year’s competition may all depend on their last group game against the Irish, win that and they're definitely in contention. \|\|\|\|\| Newcastle are the 2008 ARUK Northern Division Champions, having defeated Middlesbrough in the Grand Final on Saturday. Played at the Novocastrians Rugby Club in Newcastle , the Centurions proved too strong for the Hawks, running out winners 11.15 (81) to 4.13 (37). Newcastle were rocked early by injury to key on-baller and captain Matt Bradford, but steadied the ship with 3 goals apiece from Rich Mitchell and Ben Merrett. A further two goals were added by best on ground Michael Shackleton, whose telling influence around the ground was crucial in deciding the outcome. Middlesbrough battled hard but were unable to overcome the loss of star player and talisman Ben Hansen. Nevertheless the game was played in great spirit and a big thank you to Scott Hind from the Hartlepool Dockers for umpiring the match. You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video The Grand Final was followed by the league's presentation night, with the following awards being presented: 2008 Legend – Adam Ballard, Durham Swans 2008 Golden Boot – Simon Greetham, Newcastle Centurions 2008 Best & Fairest – Matt Bradford, Newcastle Centurions Appreciation plaques were also presented to club stalwarts Ben Hansen (Middlesborough), Rick Shrowder (Newcastle), Adam Ballard (Durham) and Scott Hind (Hartlepool). Plans are now being discussed for the inaugural ARUK National Championship, with the Southampton Titans taking on Newcastle for the right to be declared the ARUK National Champions. Exciting stuff so watch this space! http://www.centurionsfc.co.uk \|\|\|\|\| Papua New Guinea and Samoa face off before an International Cup match at Port Melbourne in 2005. The AFL is devoting more and more resources to promoting the game overseas. Photo: Vince Caligiuri TEACHING a group of athletes to play Australian Rules football in nine months is an immense task. Yet when that team is made up of Israelis and Palestinians, coming together to demonstrate the power of peace, the seemingly impossible cannot be discounted. Over dinner in the Deloitte boardroom tonight, business leaders, AFL representatives and board members from several clubs will pledge funds to add an 18th entrant to the field for the International Cup next August, under the banner of the Peres Peace Team. The quasi World Cup of Australian Rules, to be contested in Melbourne and Warrnambool, is a key element of the league's 150th anniversary of football celebrations. The AFL's commitment to developing the game overseas increases annually, but even the boldest plans did not include something like this. "The AFL has a proud track record in using our game to build communities in indigenous and multicultural communities here and increasingly overseas," chief executive Andrew Demetriou said. "The initial approach (regarding the International Cup) was a surprise, but we think it is a great initiative and a great way to send a strong message about the power of sport to unite communities." The idea came about when Demetriou's brother, James, visited Israel in April. While in Tel Aviv he visited the Peres Centre for Peace, a non-political, non-profit organisation established in 1996 by Israeli president Shimon Peres, which promotes peace through business, education, culture and sport. Upon returning he met with Tanya Oziel, executive director of the Peres Centre's Sydney-based Australian chapter. A self-confessed "AFL junkie", Ms Oziel jumped at the chance to forge a relationship, and her enthusiasm resulted in an invitation from the league to field a team. "If it happens it will be just amazing," Ms Oziel said. Sport is one of the Peres Peace Centre's biggest platforms, with a combined team of professional soccer players making history in June when they played a 'Peace Match' against Spanish champions Real Madrid in Israel. "It was a really bad time for Palestinian people, with all borders closed, and against that backdrop we got 400 Palestinian kids into Israel to be part of the game," Ms Oziel said. Soccer players will form the foundations of the football team, with expat Australians expected to help with coaching in Israel, and the AFL assisting with a coaching program here. Demetriou conceded the time frame was tight, but said the International Cup was more about participation than finding the next superstars of the game. "We will be doing everything we can to ensure the team representing the Peres Peace Centre is as competitive and ready to play as the emerging team from China," he said. The Pratt Foundation will get the ball rolling tonight by pledging $60,000 of the estimated $300,000 required. "It's going to be a very interesting team," said foundation chief executive Sam Lipski. "Trying to get Palestinian, Arab and Israeli kids together to play football, it's quite an achievement." The growth of the International Cup, which has been held in 2002 and 2005, has led to the creation of two divisions, with the Peres Peace Team to join China and India in the second division. \|\|\|\|\| World Footy News Event [ Add An Event ][ Back to Calendar ] August 2008 PNG play trial game at Coolangatta When: Saturday, 23/08/08 - All Day Event Type: Game Where: Coolangatta, Queensland Description: Practice match leading into the International Cup	An Australian rules Football player The International Cup is Australian rules footballs world cup. The 2008 event is being held in Melbourne to celebrate 150 years of Australian rules football. Currently the nation winning the International Cup is considered a distant second to Australia, who does not compete at the cup. This is because the difference in skill level between Australia and the next best country is quite considerate. The Australian Football League still names an All-Australian team anyway. __NOTOC__ ===Group A=== New Zealand compete after playing against a touring Maffra side, who play in the West Gippsland Latrobe Football League. The match played in Auckland on August 2nd. The final result for this match was a win for the Maffra side 13 goals 13 behinds 91 to 3 goals 1 behind 19. 2005 Japanese captain Michito Sakaki was the first non-Irish internationally based player to play at AFL level. New Zealand have been grouped with Samoa, Japan and cup debutant India. ===Group B=== 2002 and 2005 runners up Papua New Guinea are set to play a trial game in Coolongatta before heading off to the cup. “Unless Mal Michael’s allowed to play, we’ve got no height” says coach Andrew Cadzow. Michaels plays for the Brisbane lions in the AFL. The Peace Team, a combined Israeli-Palistinian team, is a cup debutant. It is being sponsored by The Pratt Foundation. "It's going to be a very interesting team," said foundation chief executive Sam Lipski. "Trying to get Palestinian, Arab and Israeli kids together to play football, it's quite an achievement." Great Britain come off the AFL Great Britain Northern Grand Final between Newcastle Centurians and Middlesborough Hawks. The match being won by the Centurions 11 goals 15 behinds 81 to 4 goals 13 behinds 37. Plans are also in the works for a National Championship between The Centurions and southern Champions, the Southampton Titans. PNG, The Peace Team and Great Britain have been grouped with Narau. ===Group C=== 2005 third place getters the United States are generally considered the bench mark of this group. However the Danes enter the competition off the back of the national grand final. With the Olympics in Beijing this year, the Beijing Bombers will play a demonstration match in the Chinese capital during the games. The Bombers will supply players to the Chinese national team for the Cup. China, the USA and Denmark are joined in the group by South Africa. ===Group D=== "We have Finland up first on August 27th and we are now totally focused on that game, but at the end of the day, you have to beat them all and we believe we are capable of doing just that," Canadas General Manager Martin Walter has commented in a recent interview. The Canadians bring a mix of experience and youth to their third International Cup. They are being financially supported by Foraco Drilling, Quantec Geoscience and Laramide Resources Inc; three of Canada's multi-national mining companies. "This has put the team into a strong financial position, and that allows us to bring the best football talent that the Ontario Australian Rules Football League and other Canadian leagues have to offer," Walter says. Canada are joined by inaugural champions Ireland, Sweden and Finland.
Research in Motion Co-CEO Jim Balsillie is seen in this file photo speaking at the Toronto Board of Trade dinner on Mon., Jan. 29, 2007 in Toronto. (CP / Nathan Denette) View larger image Research in Motion President and inventor of the Blackberry, Mike Lazaridis, poses with his Order of Canada after being invested into the Order of Canada at a ceremony at Rideau Hall in Ottawa on Oct. 6, 2006. (CP / Tom Hanson) Research In Motion and Rogers introduced the sleek, elegant and performance-driven BlackBerry 8800 on Feb. 12, 2007. (CP / CCNMATTHEWS) Balsillie out as chairman of BlackBerry maker RIM CTV.ca News Staff Research in Motion co-CEO Jim Balsillie is resigning as chairman after the company, which makes the popular BlackBerry handheld device, reported over US$250 million in stock option accounting errors. "Consistent with current best practices in corporate governance, the roles of chairman and CEO are being separated,'' the firm said. "Mr. Balsillie has voluntarily stepped down from the role of chairman to allow future consideration of a non-executive chairman by the nominating committee.'' The company, based in Waterloo, Ont., said Monday that that Balsillie will stay on as director and as co-chief executive with Michael Laziridis. The errors, which were revealed after an extensive review, mean RIM will have to restate its annual financial statements for 2004, 2005, 2006 and for the first quarter of 2007. Balsillie and Laziridis have both offered to pay RIM up to $5 million each to help offset costs incurred by the review and the restatement. "RIM has agreed to accept this voluntary payment," said the firm. No deliberate wrongdoing was found in the review but the company will have to reduce the amount of previously reported earnings prior to the end of 2006 by about US$250 million. The company will also reorganize its board of directors and replace the chief financial officer. Further, top RIM managers will remain subject to a cease-trade order while financial reports are re-examined by Canadian and U.S. regulators. The company is also facing shareholder lawsuits over the company's financial reports. RIM said it doesn't expect any further material adjustments to the current or future financial years' operating results. With files from The Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| RIM trips on offering options to employees Canadian and U.S. regulators will continue to investigate Research in Motion Ltd. despite the BlackBerry maker announcing a change to its board of directors and taking a $250-million (U.S.) accounting charge because of major problems with stock option grants. James Balsillie, RIM's co-chief executive officer, admitted yesterday his company backdated stock options granted to employees. He said it was an error due to a misunderstanding of accounting rules. The admission makes RIM the first major Canadian company to get caught up in an options backdating scandal that has swept through the United States, leading to charges against some executives and forcing billions of dollars in earnings to be restated. More than 40 U.S. executives and directors have resigned or been fired after internal reviews of options backdating problems. "So did we do backdating? Yeah, we did backdating," Mr. Balsillie said in an interview. "Did we do it knowingly to line our pockets? No. Did we do it recklessly? No." RIM's special committee of the board, which conducted a seven-month internal probe of stock option practices, said yesterday no one at the company will lose his or her job over the options problems. The review found instances in which "hindsight was used" to select favourable dates to grant stock options, resulting in employees getting options that were already valuable when they were granted. Options are supposed to be granted with an exercise price equal to the company's share price, so they only become valuable in the future if the share price rises. Backdating occurs when companies look backward to pick a favourable date in the past to grant options. While RIM's special committee described a number of instances of improper options-granting practices, it said it found no "intentional misconduct" on the part of any director or employee. The company hopes to put its stock options issues in the past, but regulators say they are continuing to probe RIM's options practices. Both the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Ontario Securities Commission are reviewing RIM. "When a company does an internal review, that helps speed our process, but it's not a substitute for our process," one U.S. regulatory source said. "It's just a road map." Dimitri Lascaris, a lawyer acting for the Ironworkers Ontario Pension Fund, which owns 13,200 RIM shares, filed a lawsuit against the company in January. "We want a more fulsome explanation," Mr. Lascaris said yesterday. Mr. Lascaris added his client will proceed with its lawsuit despite yesterday's announcement. "We'll be paying particular attention to the question of whether the corporate governance changes disclosed today constitute meaningful reform and whether they are adequate to prevent problems of this nature in the future," he said. RIM announced a series of board and executive changes yesterday. Mr. Balsillie will remain co-CEO but will give up the title of chairman to an as-yet unnamed independent director, while chief financial officer Dennis Kavelman will leave his position to become chief operating officer. RIM also announced it has appointed two new independent directors and is searching for two others. As well, the company announced Mr. Balsillie and co-CEO Mike Lazaridis will pay $5-million each to cover the company's costs of investigating the options problems. The special committee report said all option grants, except those to the co-CEOs, were made under Mr. Balsillie's authority, and were not approved by the board as the company had previously reported. "We are responsible, Mike and I are the CEOs and we don't duck it. We put our money on the table and we stand behind it," Mr. Balsillie said. The company said its executives will also repay all the benefit they received from options that were incorrectly priced. While that amount hasn't been revealed, Mr. Balsillie said his own obligation will be "far, far less" than the $5-million he has volunteered to pay to cover the investigation costs. Ontario Securities Commission spokeswoman Wendy Dey said the commission's review is continuing, but would not comment on whether RIM negotiated its proposed governance changes with the OSC prior to yesterday's announcement. She stressed RIM's news release yesterday was "a report of RIM's own investigation -- it is RIM's own report." Mr. Balsillie said the mistake stemmed from his belief that options could be dated on the day they were promised to an executive, and said he was surprised to discover they should have been dated when they were actually approved by the board and granted. "We thought the day of the decision was when you priced it. And if the price went up $10 [by the grant date], well, guess what, that's backdating." But the special committee report does not attribute all the company's backdating problems to a mistaken belief that options were to be priced at the time they were promised to an executive or future hire. Indeed, the report says the company was "inconsistent" about when it chose a date to determine the exercise price of its options. In some cases, the report says, options were repriced after an employee joined the company to provide the employee with "better pricing. In limited cases, the company repriced options to existing executives after they were granted if the stock price decreased. The report says that after 2002, 63 per cent of options granted to existing executives contained "incorrect measurement dates" for accounting purposes.	Research In Motion Ltd. (RIM) co-chief executive and chairman, Jim Balsillie, has resigned voluntarily as chairman after an internal review revealed irregularities with how the company accounted for stock options. The review was carried out over the past 7 months and indicates that, Canadian BlackBerry maker, RIM, will have to restate earnings for all of 2004, 2005, and 2006, and for the first quarter of 2007. The company will have to lower previously reported earnings by approximately US$250 million. The review committee indicated that RIM "failed to maintain adequate internal and accounting controls with respect to the issuance of options in compliance with the Company’s stock option plan, both in terms of how options were granted and documented, and the measurement date used to account for certain option grants". Although the review finds that there was no deliberate misconduct, both Balsillie and co-chief executive, Michael Lazaridis, have agreed to pay, voluntarily, up to $5 million each to compensate the company for the costs of the review and restatement. All RIM directors and C-level officers will have to pay back any monies received incorrectly as a result of the option irregularities. Balsillie will retain his positions as co-chief executive and director. In a press release, the company stated that "consistent with current best practices in corporate governance, the roles of chairman and CEO are being separated". Current RIM chief financial officer, Dennis Kavelman, will move to the position of chief operating officer. RIM is a designer, manufacturer and marketer of wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market and is listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market and the Toronto Stock Exchange.
Plant officials said the reactor automatically shut down after an instrument monitoring plant conditions transmitted wrong information to the reactor control room, The Patriot-News in Harrisburg reported Friday.One worker was injured during shutdown when he was apparently startled by the venting steam and fell, the newspaper said.A U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission inspector said the plant was safe. Plant officials said they were concentrating their investigation on the faulty transmission.Ralph DeSantis, spokesman for AmerGen Energy, which operates TMI, told the Patriot-News the incident happened on the non-nuclear side of the plant and did not endanger employees or the public.Plant officials could not say how long the plant will remain shut down, the Patriot-News said. Thursday's shutdown was the first unscheduled shutdown at the facility since July 1997, when the plant was down for eight days. \|\|\|\|\| Sign-up to receive the weekly top stories, contest and promotion announcements every Tuesday Thanks for signing up! A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it please check your junk folder. The next issue of Canada.com Newsletter will soon be in your inbox. \|\|\|\|\| HARRISBURG, Pa. The reactor at Three Mile Island, site of the nation's worst nuclear accident, shut down Thursday, but radiation was not released and there was no danger to the public, company and federal officials said. A faulty instrument reading triggered the automatic shutdown, officials said. It was the first shutdown of Unit 1 since 1997, said Ralph DeSantis, a spokesman for the plant's operator, AmerGen Energy Co. LLC. The unit, which opened in 1974, shut off at 1:35 p.m. and remained down Thursday evening. "It appears this was an uncomplicated, smooth shutdown,"said Neil Sheehan, a spokesman for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. DeSantis said other power plants in the regional electricity grid would ensure that customers experienced no power failures. Workers were investigating, and it was unclear when the reactor would resume operation. The plant, about 10 miles southeast of Harrisburg, was the site of the nation's worst nuclear accident when a partial meltdown occurred in the Unit 2 reactor in March 1979. Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.	Three Mile Island in 1979. A reading taken from a "faulty" instrument panel on the Unit 1 reactor at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant located near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania has caused the reactor to shut down, but officials say that there is no threat to the public as radiation has not been released into the air. A wrong reading was displayed on a control panel which triggered the reactor to automatically shut itself down. "It appears this was an uncomplicated, smooth shutdown. The company will need to take a careful and deliberate look at what went wrong," said Nuclear Regularitory Commission spokesman, Neil Sheehan. A worker at the power plant was injured while the reactor was shutting down, after being scared by steam venting from the reactor, which caused him to fall. The reactor, which first went operational in 1974, shutdown on Thursday afternoon on the "non-nuclear side of the reactor" at 1:35 p.m. EST and as of the moment remains offline, added Sheehan. This is the first time since 1997 that the reactor has shutdown. In 1979, the Unit 2 reactor suffered a partial meltdown and has remained offline since the disaster.
Spain rejects ETA ceasefire The Spanish government on Monday rejected a new ceasefire announcement by the separatist group ETA and ruled out negotiations on an independent Basque homeland, saying the militants have been decimated by arrests and are desperate to regroup and rearm. A boy walks past ETA graffiti in Mondragon, Spain on Monday. Basque rebels ETA have decided to no longer carry out armed attacks, newspaper Gara said on its website on Sunday. (Vincent West/Reuters)Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba said the ETA cannot be trusted after shattering a 2006 truce with a deadly car bombing. He said its statement Sunday by three hooded militants speaking in a video falls short of what Basque society and other Spaniards demand: that ETA renounce violence for good. "The word truce, as the idea of a limited peace to open a process of dialogue, is dead," Perez Rubalcaba, adding that Spain will be as tough as ever against ETA. "The Interior Ministry will keep its anti-terrorism policy intact, absolutely intact. We are not going to change that policy one bit, not a single comma," he told Spanish National Television. ETA has killed more than 825 people as it fought for an independent homeland in parts of northern Spain and southwestern France since the late 1960s. Its last deadly attack in Spain was in July 2009, when it killed two policemen with a car bomb. Nearly 240 of its members have been arrested since 2008. It is considered a terrorist group by the United States and the European Union. Perez Rubalcaba says the militant group declared the truce because it is so weak it cannot stage attacks. The ceasefire statement left several key questions unanswered. Besides silence on whether the ETA will surrender its weapons, it did not say if the truce was open-ended and permanent, like the one declared in 2006 and which led to talks with the government, or whether it would halt other activities like extorting money from business leaders or recruiting members. Nor was there any mention of whether the ceasefire could be monitored by international observers as called for Friday by two Basque parties that back independence: ETA's outlawed political wing Batasuna and a more moderate pro-independence party called Eusko Alkartasuna. Since late last year, divisions have widened between ETA and the political parties that support it. Jailed ETA veterans have also been distancing themselves from the group, and French police have cracked down, denying militants a neighbouring haven. Friday's statement marked the first time the political groups had put down in writing that they wanted ETA to work toward independence through peaceful means, rather than with violence. Perez Rubalcaba said Monday that ETA's breaking the 2006 ceasefire — with a massive car bombing at Madrid airport that left two people dead — cost the group credibility even among political supporters who seek Basque independence. The minister said ETA's new tactic is to seek new negotiations and, if in a few months or a year the government still refuses, ETA will say it has no choice but to revert to bombs or bullets. He said the ETA wants to impose its will, either through violence or dialogue "and the state is going to tell it time and time again 'no, no and no."' \|\|\|\|\| Basque separatist group Eta 'declares ceasefire' It is not clear on whether the ceasefire is permanent or temporary Armed Basque separatist group Eta says it will not "carry out armed actions" in its campaign for independence. In a video obtained exclusively by the BBC, the group said it took the decision several months ago "to put in motion a democratic process". The Basque interior minister called the statement "insufficient". Madrid has previously insisted that Eta renounce violence and disarm before any talks. Eta's violent campaign has led to more than 820 deaths over the past 40 years. It has called two ceasefires in the past, but abandoned them both. This latest announcement comes after the arrests of numerous Eta leaders and during an unprecedented period of debate within the Basque nationalist community over the future direction of policy, says the BBC's Clive Myrie in San Sebastian. Eta has been coming under increasing pressure to lay down its weapons, our correspondent adds. Under pressure It is unclear whether Eta is declaring a permanent or temporary ceasefire. In the video obtained by the BBC, three hooded Eta fighters are shown sitting behind a desk with the Eta flag pinned up behind them. Continue reading the main story Analysis It is widely accepted that Eta is weaker than ever in its 51-year history. So to many people, Eta's retrospective ceasefire will look like an attempt to disguise its weakness as a desire for peace. Some will shrug it off as irrelevant; others will dismiss it as a way to regroup and re-arm. Eta's hope must be to negotiate the legalisation of Batasuna, and achieve its aims through the ballot box. After so many years of conflict, the government may find it difficult to dismiss Eta's call for a truce, out of hand. The pull of presiding over a moment of history might prove irresistible. But it has tried that before, and failed. This latest ceasefire declaration could mark the beginning of the end of the conflict, or just another pause in the violence. The figure in the middle reads out a prepared statement defending Eta's campaign of violence, but towards the end she says the group now wants to achieve its aims by peaceful, democratic means. "Eta confirms its commitment to finding a democratic solution to the conflict," the statement says. "In its commitment to a democratic process to decide freely and democratically our future, through dialogue and negotiations, Eta is prepared today as yesterday to agree to the minimum democratic conditions necessary to put in motion a democratic process, if the Spanish government is willing," it says. It adds that Eta "took the decision several months ago not to carry out armed actions". The statement ends: "We call on all Basque citizens to continue in the struggle, each in their own field, with whatever degree of commitment they have, so that we can all cast down the wall of denial and make irreversible moves forward on the road to freedom." Eta announces that it took the decision several months ago not to carry out armed actions. Nationalist politicians in the Basque country welcomed the announcement and called on the Spanish government and the international community to respond positively. The pro-Eta party Batasuna, which has been banned since 2003 on the grounds that it is Eta's political wing, is one of two Basque nationalist parties to have called on Eta to declare "an internationally verifiable ceasefire" days earlier. Cautious reaction But Rodolfo Ares, the interior minister for the Basque region, called Eta's statement inadequate. "Any declaration that talks about the suspension of terrorist attacks - even if it is only temporary - should be considered as good news," he said. But he called Eta's declaration "ambiguous" and "absolutely insufficient", because it did not "take into account what the vast majority of Basque society demands and requires from Eta, which is that it definitively abandon terrorist activity". The Spanish government, which has been studying Eta's statement but is yet to make an official response, has said in the past that it will only negotiate with Eta if it renounces violence and disarms. The deputy editor of the Basque language newspaper, Gara, which follows the activities of Eta closely, said the Basque people had been hoping for this declaration. "I think that it's a big step and a positive step," Njaki Soto told the BBC. "I think that's it's something that the majority of the Basque society was waiting [for] or expecting and in that sense I think that it's something that no-one can say that it's negative." "It will be a long way but it's something that can bring the peace and the justice to the Basque country," he said. Barbara Duhrkop, a former Socialist MEP whose husband Enrique Casas was murdered by Eta in 1984, said the statement was a positive step but did not go far enough. "It's still insufficient because they talk about ceasefire, democratic process, but there's nothing about laying down arms and permanence. So I would be very careful, very cautious to evaluate how much worth there is in this announcement," she said. Founded in 1959, Eta has since then waged a bloody campaign for independence for the seven regions in northern Spain and south-west France that Basque separatists claim as their own. Controversial peace talks in 2006 collapsed after an Eta bomb killed two people at Madrid airport. \|\|\|\|\| Eta 'ceasefire': Excerpts The Spanish Basque separatist group Eta has announced a decision "not to carry out armed actions" in a video obtained by the BBC. Here are excerpts from their message: Much has happened since, in the face of a strategy of denial and savage annihilation of the Basque country, Eta, organising the people and taking up arms, began the struggle for freedom. Men and women who have given their best, their hopes and aspiration... ordinary citizens of different origins who have come together in the struggle. In the face of the political reform of the Franco era, bent on the denial and annihilation of the Basque country, while some decided to enter into the framework of what they call "autonomism", Eta acted responsibly, first proposing a clean democratic break and then resisting attempts at assimilation and attacks. Eta, and then the Basque left, have continued in the struggle. And the recompense has not been negligible. We are paying for this dearly: torture, prison, exile and also death. But the prize for our difficult struggle has been the survival of the Basque country and for the door to a free future to be open. We have shown that the autonomy framework is not the way to satisfy the wishes of the Basque people; it is nothing but a tool for bringing about the division and dismemberment of the Basque country. And we have overcome one by one the measures taken to neutralise the struggle for freedom. One way may be the continuation of new scenarios in the fight for Basque freedom. Therefore Eta has contributed to proposals for cooperative actions and resolutions of the conflict. In recent times, the Basque country has been at an important crossroads. The political struggle has opened up new conditions. The autonomy framework has been exhausted and the time has come for political change. The time has come to build a democratic framework for the Basque country respecting the wishes of the majority of the Basque people. The Spanish state is aware that the Basque country is at a crossroads. That the Basque country can now take the road of independence. They want to create conditions in which everything is blocked, to avoid political dialogue and to drown out the aspirations of the people in the state of exception. Basque activists and Basque citizens need to respond to this responsibly and urgently. It is time to take responsibility and take firm measures... in the articulation of the independence project, in the process of creating democratic conditions, to respond to repression and the firm defence of civil and political liberties. Political change is possible. But there is no shortcut along the way. The road to freedom must be walked a step at a time, perhaps flexibly, but the effort and struggle towards this goal is necessary. Without confrontation, it is impossible to overcome denial and stubbornness. In that direction, Eta's hand is held out always. Eta confirms its commitment to finding a democratic solution to the conflict. In its commitment to a democratic process to decide freely and democratically our future, through dialogue and negotiations, Eta is prepared today as yesterday to agree to the minimum democratic conditions necessary to put in motion a democratic process, if the Spanish government is willing. We also convey this to the international community and call on it to respond to Eta's will and commitment in order to participate in the building of a durable, just and democratic resolution to the centuries-long political struggle. Eta announces that it took the decision several months ago not to carry out armed actions. Eta wishes to reiterate to Basque political, social and trade union activists its call to act responsibly; that it is necessary to take firm steps as a people in order to reach a scenario for a democratic process; to establish a way to give the people a voice. Because the door to a real solution of the conflict will be opened when the rights of the Basque country are recognised and ratified. To conclude: We call on all Basque citizens to continue in the struggle, each in their own field, with whatever degree of commitment they have, so that we can all cast down the wall of denial and make irreversible moves forward on the road to freedom. \|\|\|\|\| Spain separatist group announces ceasefire The Basque separatist militant group ETA declared a ceasefire in a video statement issued on Sunday, suggesting it might turn to a political process in its quest for independence. The video, which appeared on Basque newspaper Gara's website and was also made available to the British broadcaster BBC, showed three masked militants making a statement in Basque. Gara accompanied the video with a transcription of the statement in Basque and Spanish. There was no immediate response from the Spanish government. "ETA makes it known that as of some months ago it took the decision to no longer employ offensive armed actions," the statement said, suggesting it is ready to pursue a "democratic process," in trying to achieve its goals. ETA is seeking an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France. It is considered a terrorist organization by the European Union and the U.S. It has killed more than 825 people since the late 1960s. The militant group has declared ceasefires before, but none of them has led to the end of Europe's last major armed militancy. The group last announced what it called a "permanent ceasefire" in March 2006, but on Dec. 30 of the same year the organization set off a powerful car bomb at Madrid's Barajas international airport that killed two people. There was no immediate reaction from the Spanish government on the latest offer. After the Dec. 30 bombing the government said it will not negotiate with the group again. ETA's statement came days after two Basque pro-independence parties asked the group to declare "an internationally verifiable ceasefire." One of the parties, Batasuna, was outlawed by authorities in 2003 on the grounds that it was ETA's political wing. It was not clear whether the new truce offer is permanent or whether ETA is signalling it is ready for peace talks with the government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero. Interior Minister Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba had said on Friday he was expecting a ceasefire statement from ETA. The militant group has been weakened by the arrests of several of its top leaders in Spain, France and Portugal, where a bomb-making factory was discovered and dismantled by police in February. The last time ETA struck in Spain was last July, when a blast widely blamed on the group killed two policemen in the resort island of Mallorca. But the group is suspected of having shot and killed a French police officer near Paris in March. Gara quoted an ETA statement at the time saying the shooting happened because French police had "kidnapped four ETA militants." French police said they had captured the men during a suspected car theft. \|\|\|\|\| All of Spain's political parties, except the PP, backed the Catalan demonstration, though the PSC, and many non-affiliated marchers, want symbolic recognition as a nation rather than actual separation from Spain. A similar march on the same day in the Basque city of San Sebastián only attracted a few thousand radical Basque nationalists, some of them still associated with the currently moribund but potentially still lethal ETA. The vibrancy of the peaceful Catalan movement contrasts starkly with the moribund state of the self-determination movement in Basque country, which in the early 1980s chose the route of political terrorism. Less than 10 years ago, openly pro-ETA marches could attract tens of thousands, and broader nationalist demonstrations many more. But ETA's campaign of violence hollowed out all support among moderate Spaniards, and turned off increasing numbers of Basques. Most were quietly furious when ETA decided in 2007 to again break a ceasefire. On a visit in July, I spoke to a number of people who were or had once been close to ETA. Without exception, they said that the group was finished in political terms, though a handful of diehards could continue isolated attacks for years to come. In 30 years of reporting on the region, I have never encountered this kind of consensus in these quarters. It is slowly dawning on the leaders of the radical Basque movement that the chronic ineptitude of ETA's current leadership has terminally tarnished its once heroic image among Basque youth. In a recent interview, an erstwhile hard-line leader, Rufi Etxeberria, bluntly told ETA it had to either embrace exclusively peaceful means or lose all relevance to Basque politics. A senior Spanish conservative ideologue admitted 10 years ago that for precisely this reason he feared the end of ETA more than he feared the group's terrorist campaign. No one had done a better job than ETA at discrediting the Basque nationalist cause. Perhaps Basque nationalists will be inspired by Catalonia's mass peaceful protests and thereby regain momentum. The prospect of facing majority movements for independence, organized democratically in two of its most prosperous regions, is a real nightmare for Madrid. Spanish conservatives might do well to reconsider their refusal to consider symbolic changes in national status for Catalonia and the Basque country. If symbolic reforms are denied, substantial ones are likely to follow.	Flag of the , currently an autonomous region within Spain. ETA ''(Euskadi Ta Askatasuna),'' a separatist group based out of the region of northern Spain, announced in a recorded and written message that it would end its armed campaign for independence, instead focusing on political means for achieving its goals. The Spanish government has rejected the ceasefire. In the video sent to the BBC, ETA stated that, while the autonomy framework enshrined in the Spanish constitution is "not the way to satisfy the wishes of the Basque people", the organisation was committed to finding a democratic solution to the conflict. Several analysts have suggested that this most recent ceasefire is based on ETA's tactics causing their support in the Basque region to plummet. Author Paddy Woodworth found in a recent trip to the region that the group's actions had made former supporters of the movement believe ETA was politically finished. The BBC's Sarah Rainsford said that ETA is at the weakest point in its 51-year history and that the ceasefire may just be a ploy to disguise that weakness. The group, which is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and the United States, have declared ceasefires several times before, which have all ended in a resumption of violence. The most recent ceasefire, in 2006, led to peace talks between the group and the Spanish government, but they were interrupted by a car-bombing at Madrid's . The bombing was frowned upon by all involved in the peace process, including other Basque separatist parties in the region. On September 6 the Spanish government rejected the ceasefire, saying that the group cannot be trusted after the last ceasefire, alleging that the group was calling the ceasefire because they were too weak to stage attacks, and asserting the ceasefire is a way for them to regroup and rearm. Interior Minister said Monday that the group would have to completely renounce violence for the government to accept the ceasefire. == Sources == * * * * *
The first sextuplets born in Canada are in fair condition, a Vancouver hospital official said Monday. Officials had confirmed earlier Monday that a woman had given birth to six babies at BC Women's Hospital, one on Saturday and five early Sunday. "Mom is resting and doing well. The babies are in fair condition, which means their vital signs are stable and within normal limits," hospital president Dr. Liz Whynot told a news conference late in the day. She said the parents, who are Jehovah's Witnesses, "are focusing all their energy on their new family. "While they understand there is a lot of public interest in the birth of their babies, they are feeling overwhelmed. So they're asking for their privacy to be respected." Dr. Brian Lupton, director of the hospital's neonatal unit, said the babies were born at a gestational age of 25 weeks, adding that there is an 80 per cent survival rate for babies born at that age. "The average length of stay for a 25-week gestation baby in Canada is around 100 days of neonatal intensive care," Lupton said. Other experts say the six babies could face significant health challenges and will need extensive medical support. Each weighs two pounds According to reports, the babies — four boys and two girls — each weighed two pounds. One of the babies was born naturally and the others by emergency caesarean section, reports said. Sextuplets are extremely rare. Only 160 cases have ever been documented. Experts familiar with multiple births say fertility drugs often play a role. In vitro (IVF) treatment permits eggs, usually two or three, to be fertilized outside the womb. But with drugs, a woman can have many eggs fertilized at once and it's impossible to control how many of those eggs become viable. Sextuplets born to Susan Rosenkowitz and her husband Colin on Jan. 11, 1974, in Cape Town, South Africa, were the first sextuplets known to survive their infancy. Canada's most famous multiple births were the Dionne quintuplets, delivered in May 1934 by a country doctor in a rural northern Ontario farmhouse. They became international Depression-era celebrities, their every move recorded and written about. They were the first quintuplets known to have survived infancy. With files from the Canadian Press \|\|\|\|\| Six babies were born to one mom in a Vancouver hospital yesterday. "They're very tiny but all six are alive," an informed source told The Province late last night. It is believed to be the first time sextuplets have been born in Canada. The source said the four boys and two girls each weighed about 800 grams, or 1.8 pounds, and were born between 25 and 26 weeks into their mom's pregnancy. Fertility treatments cause surge in multiple births Multiple births riskier for mother, babies More Body & Health news In general, babies born after 24 to 25 weeks of gestation are mature enough to survive, although they need a prolonged period of intensive care. Babies born premature have a higher risk of blindness, hearing problems and mental retardation than babies born full term. "We used to say viability for the baby was 28 weeks," the source said. "But that's changed now. They have a good shot at survival but there's a chance some may not become fully functioning adults." The mother had been at B.C. Women's Hospital and Health Centre for several weeks because doctors wanted to keep her stable to maximize the time the babies would stay in the womb. The source said one of the babies was born naturally and the others by emergency caesarean section. A hospital spokesman would not confirm or deny the births had taken place, citing a privacy policy. The hospital was in the news a few weeks ago when rare conjoined twins were born there. They went home just before Christmas. Among multiple births, six babies are extremely rare and until now, apparently unknown in Canada. Most multiple births, including the birth of Vancouver's sextuplets, are due to the use of fertility drugs. There are just six sets of sextuplets living in the United States -- two sets in New York, and one each in Pennsylvania, Indiana, Alabama and Kansas. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in 2001 that the incidence of triplets and other high-number births declined for the first time in 1999, after the rate nearly doubled between 1990 and 1998. Canada's most famous multiple births were the Dionne quintuplets, delivered by a country doctor in a rural Ontario farmhouse. They became international Depression-era celebrities, their every move recorded and written about. They were the first-ever quints known to have survived infancy. dcarrigg@png.canwest.com © (c) CanWest MediaWorks Publications Inc. \|\|\|\|\| View larger image A woman enters BC Women's Hospital in Vancouver, B.C., Sunday, January 7, 2007. (Richard Lam / CP PHOTO) Dr. Brian Lupton, chief of neo-natal care at B.C. Women's Hospital, right, speaks to reporters as Dr. Liz Whynot looks on during a news conference in Vancouver on Monday January 8, 2007 regarding the birth of sextuplets at the hospital this past weekend. (CP / Chuck Stoody) Woman gives birth to sextuplets at B.C. hospital CTV.ca News Staff A woman has delivered sextuplets at a Vancouver hospital this weekend, a rare event believed to be a Canadian first, doctors have confirmed. The four boys and two girls were delivered after just 25 weeks by C-section. Each weighs about 1.8 pounds, but a spokesperson at B.C. Women's Hospital said they are "in fair condition." The parents are Jehovah's Witnesses and do not want to speak to the media about the delivery and have requested to remain anonymous. "While they understand that there is a lot of public interest in the birth of their babies, they are feeling overwhelmed," said hospital president Dr. Liz Whynot. One of the sextuplets was delivered at 8:30 p.m. Saturday night and the rest were born Sunday morning. On average, babies born after 25 weeks gestation spend 100 days in neonatal intensive care, and about 80 per cent survive. Dr. Timothy Rowe, who heads the division of reproductive endocrinology and infertility at the University of British Columbia, says the babies will likely have underdeveloped lungs and could even be blind. Lynda Haddon, a multiple birth educator, said raising sextuplets will be a daunting challenge for the parents. "There's a rollercoaster of emotions, from euphoria to fear," Haddon told CTV Newsnet. "Then there's the logistics: how are they going to fit in my car? What am I going to do with baby sitters? Am I going to have a life? How will I pay for them?" The B.C. Women's Hospital is the same one that delivered the conjoined twins of Vernon, B.C.'s Felicia Simms back in October. Her children left hospital just before Christmas. In the modern era, most multiple births have been attributed to the use of fertility drugs. Without drugs, sextuplets occur only once in several billion births. The Gilmour family of Saskatoon gave birth to quintuplets in 1999. Those children were conceived with the aid of fertility treatments. One child died in the womb, but the remaining five who were born survived despite arriving 11 weeks prematurely. The Gilmour quintuplets were reportedly only the eighth set of quintuplets in Canada since the famous Dionne quintuplets, who were born in 1934 in northern Ontario, long before the advent of today's fertility drugs. While the Dionne quintuplets were the first to have survived birth, their young lives became something of a freak show. The Ontario government seized them from their mother and put them in a special hospital where people could watch them play behind one-way glass. Their mother fought for nine years to regain custody. The three surviving women received a $4-million settlement from the Ontario government in 1998 as compensation for their early mistreatment. In 1974, sextuplets born in South Africa became the first to survive their infancy. News of the B.C. sextuplets' birth came as another sextuplet, John Van Houten of Hamilton, Mich., celebrated his third birthday. John's four brothers and sisters will have their birthdays on Jan. 16, while the youngest Van Houten sextuplet turns 3 a day later. With a report by CTV's Keri Adams and files from The Canadian Press	Canada's first sextuplets, four boys and two girls, were born on the weekend of January 6th 2007 at the B.C. Women's hospital in Vancouver. The first baby was delivered vaginally, while the following 5 had to be removed by emergency caesarean section. Dr. Liz Whynot, the Women's Hospital president said the first baby was delivered around 8:30 p.m. Saturday night, with the others born early Sunday. Whynot said the parents "... understand there is a lot of public interest in the birth of their babies, they are feeling overwhelmed. So they're asking for their privacy to be respected." The children weigh about 800 grams each. The mother was reported to be in her 25th week of pregnancy and the babies will require a period of time in the hospital's neonatal intensive care unit as most pregnancies last 40 weeks.
Germany have opened their FIFA U-17 World Cup Korea 2007 campaign with a draw after the Europeans let slip a two-goal lead in their Group F meeting with Colombia at the Cheonan Sports Complex on Monday 20 August. Germany had the better of the early exchanges, but the opening goal of the match fell to the South Americans when captain Miguel Julio rose to meet a 14th-minute free kick with a powerful header. The Germans quickly recovered and began creating chances before Dennis Dowidat netted a spectacular 34th-minute equaliser, accelerating past his marker down the right and arrowing a drive into the far top corner from a tight angle. The Europeans took the lead just five minutes later after a fine passing move down the right flank, Richard Sukuta-Pasu converting a low cross to hand his side a 2-1 half-time lead. The Germans extended their advantage with a similar move shortly after the restart, Toni Kroos supplying a perfect cross for Dowidat to poke him his second of the game on 49 minutes. However, the Colombians responded magnificently and Cristian Nazarith pulled one back from a 66th-minute penalty, before the same player made the final score 3-3 with a long-range thunderbolt three minutes from time. \|\|\|\|\| Heiko Herrlich (GER), Germany coach "We knew Colombia were very dangerous at set plays, and that's how they scored their first goal. But compliments to my team for hitting back straightaway. We were in the driving seat after that and thoroughly deserved our lead. Colombia played a lot of long balls in the second half, exactly as we expected, and that's how they ended up equalising. Obviously, my lads are a shade disappointed because we've thrown it away today. But I can't fault my players, they gave everything in difficult conditions. Colombia kept clean sheets against Brazil and Argentina at the South American championships, but we've scored three against them today." Eduardo Lara (COL), Colombia coach "That was a crucial match for us. We started well, but unfortunately we fell 3-1 behind, so I'm incredibly proud of the fact we were able to turn it around. Normally, our main strength is our organisation, but unfortunately we made a few unnecessary errors in defence today, and that has to change. Cristian Nazarith was excellent today, but all my players are working very hard for our success and for the team." Nils Teixeira (GER), Germany defender "After a nervous start, we settled well. We played the better football, we had Colombia under control, and we deserved our 3-1 lead. But we dropped too deep after that, and their long-ball game paid off for them. In our remaining games, we need to keep it a little tighter at the back and not drop too deep, although there's not a lot to improve in our attacking play." Miguel Julio (COL), Colombia midfielder "The opening goal should have given us the confidence we needed, but after that we let Germany play far too much football. I'm still extremely happy with the result, because in my opinion, Germany are the strongest team in the group. Now we'll do our best to beat Trinidad and Ghana."	Cheonan, South Korea Germany have opened their 2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign with a draw against Colombia in Cheonan, South Korea. The opening goal of the match came in 14th minute when Colombia captain Miguel Julio met a free kick with a header. The Germans began creating chances before Dennis Dowidat netted a 34th minute equaliser, accelerating past his marker down the right and arrowing a drive into the far top corner from a tight angle. The Europeans took the lead just five minutes later after a passing move down the right flank, Richard Sukuta-Pasu converting a low cross to hand his side a 2-1 half time lead. The Germans got their 3rd goal of the game with a similar move just after half time. Toni Kroos supplied a cross for Dowidat to poke him his second of the game during the 49th minute. Colombia tied the game with a penalty shot and a long range goal from Cristian Nazarith in the 66th minute and 88th minute respectively.